Bent My Nib Tip. How To Fix Help

[wlwilcox]

I was changing nibs out on a China pen. I had an extra nib that was sent with a Noodlers Ahab pen purchased from Goulet Pen. I removed the nib from the CP and installed the new nib. I did see that the new nib protruded out further then the original nib but as I capped the pen, it felt a bit more resistance than normal. When I uncapped the pen and began to write, the nib was very scratchy. I looked at the nib andsaw that the tip was bent straight down fust at the tip.

I know that this has happened before but am wondering if this repair is something a person can do themselves. The nib is not expensive so I would like to tinker with it to see if it could be repaired by a non-nibmeister.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Bill

[framebaer]

get some round nose pliers.

carefully bend each tine back to a straight position by grabbing them just behind the actual bend.

it's all about the geometry of the bend and which point(s) to apply the pressure to reverse the bend.

 

Good luck. Yes it's important to practice on cheap steel nibs before tackling a good gold nib.

 

Depending on one's hamfisted quotient, after couple dozen nib practices, the skill gets better.

 

The real ( Binderesque) art is to do it in a way that you remove the "wiggles in the metal" while you straighten so one can not tell it was ever bent. It's pretty easy to get the tines back into position while leaving the kinks in the metal where the bend was. The pen will write but the previous damage is apparent.

[Chi Town]

a picture would be nice to see so we can better annalize

[wlwilcox]

I wish I could provide a picture, however that's not possible. The bend is right behind the tip. The " baby's bottom" is pointing straight down. The bend is not up the shaft of the nib. It's just behind the point.

[ac12]

I think the bend is too much and too close to the tip. From the description, you have very little leverage to unbend the tip. And it also depends on how sharp the bend is. Sharp bends on metals are difficult for me to unbend, because of the crease. A rounder bend is more likely to be salvageable. I have a tip that was slightly bent behind the tip and it took me a LONG time and a lot of work to straighten it out. Granted I do not have the skills and experience of the nib meisters, so it takes me longer to do these things.

[Scrawler]

You can try this. Get an electric drill bit, or other bar of hard steel that closely matches the curvature of the nib. It must not be larger in diameter than the inside surface of the nib. Wrap one layer of sellotape around the metal bar and fix it firmly in a vice. Place the nib on it and tape it down. Obtain a bar of hard wood or rigid plastic. Some skilled people use a steel bar for this, but you do not want to risk scratching the plating. Gently roll and press the end of the nib, until it lays flat. And when I say gently, I mean it. You do not want to add too much additional stresses to the nib and weaken it. What you do not want to do is suddenly bend it up suddenly, past its elastic point. This method allows you to see it straighten a bit at a time until it is in the position you want.