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Newbie With 2668 Nib - Scratchy


dorothynotgale

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Hello,

 

I'm new to Esterbrooks, and to vintage pens in general. I just got a lovely restored SJ off of Ebay. It came with a 2668 nib, and when I use it, it's quite scratchy in a weird way: it seems like there's an incredibly tiny "sweet spot" where it will lay down a perfect line, but even the slightest natural tilt when moving one's hand across the page feels paper-gouging sharp.

 

I'm not pressing hard, and my grip is good; I've never had this issue before. Is this a known quality of this size/type nib? Should I (delicately) use a nail buffer, or what?

 

Thanks,

~Dorothy

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A 2668 shouldn't be scratchy, no nib should be really.

 

You need to use a loupe to view the tines, one is likely misaligned and can be pushed back into alignment with your fingernail. You need at least 10x magnification to see the tipping. If you don't have a loupe go to a local jewelry store or pawn shop with your pen and borrow one of theirs at the counter. (Yes, I've done this, several times.) Once you know what to do, you can adjust a tine in less than a minute. Even writing on some paper you bring along to double check and redoing it shouldn't take but a couple minutes.

 

Check in the pinned Estie repair index at the beginning of this forum, the repair index in that forum and the 5 things that happen to pens in the First Things forum for info on scratchy nibs.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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There might also be another reason: Your pen has been used a lot and a long time by the same person, thus grinding down the point of the nib and creating very sharp edges. This you can view also in the way Bruce described.

 

If this is the case you have to grind these sharp edges away with very fine (600 - 1000 grain) abrasive paper and smooth the point so it glides smoothly and in all positions. Then you polish the point with an old polishing disk (sheep skin).An old one because the nib point is not very kind to it.

 

Go lightly and with very much feeling, take your time, check often by writing with the dip inked pen on paper. If you do it right you will be rewarded by a smooth nib. The 2668 Duracrome nib is described by Esterbrook as firm medium and is one of the best nibs, often developing with age a beautiful little flex, thus a very attractive shaded writing.

 

Good luck!

swisspenpal

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It is my experience with the 2668 nib that after a lot of use they wear a foot. That is a flat spot. For the original owner that reflects the position in which they hold the nib. So when held exactly like that they are very smooth. But in another hand they will scratch. This is because they have no tipping material, but rather the steel is just folded. I have never successfully fixed a foot on an untipped nib. In your place I would go look for a new nib. An unworn 2668 is my favourite nib for general writing. It is slightly bigger than the tipped variant, the 9668.

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