Nib Alignment / Straightening With Tools

[LargeSofa]

I have a few used pens where I would like to straighten out the nibs. The are not damaged or bent, but rather just no straight and probably have had minor adjustment along the way. I saw the anvil and burnisher tools and was wondering if these would do the trick to simply get the nibs straight and true again. understood that some nibs are bent up or down from the factory, like the sheaffer snorkel seems to flip upward. I guess I am trying to understand a way to "start" fresh with an old nib, again not something damaged, bent or sprung... thanks.

[irrigger]

Before you dive in and start straightening out your nibs you should research each nib design that you perceive to be wrong. Not all nibs are designed to be straight or what you think is straight. The example you gave about the Snorkel nib is perfect to show this. It is designed that way to clear the filler tube. Basically, if it aint broke, don't fix it.

[LargeSofa]

as I said, I get it that some nibs are not straight. that is why I pointed that out, but others I see are just bent here a little and there little, probably adjusted over the years... I had to slightly bend one to get it aligned. Again I would like to know if using the the anvil and burnisher tools would straight things out (when meant to be straight of course).

[irrigger]

You may want to try and hunt down a nib block to do the straightening you want to do. They periodically show up on the bay. You may also find one at a show. These will have the proper profiles for you to reform your nibs.

[LargeSofa]

thanks... good to know its called a nib block... penpractice.com sells something similar to this, I just was not sure this would do what i am looking to do, but I think so.

 

thx,

[Glenn Atkins]

http://pentooling.com/

 

No affiliation.

 

Glenn

[LargeSofa]

pentooling.com sells one too...

[LargeSofa]

but with the pentooling one I don't see they have the "thing" to press the nib smooth... not sure what to use in that case...

[Glenn Atkins]

http://pentooling.com/burnish.html

[TimGirdler]

Before you dive in and start straightening out your nibs you should research each nib design that you perceive to be wrong. Not all nibs are designed to be straight or what you think is straight. The example you gave about the Snorkel nib is perfect to show this. It is designed that way to clear the filler tube. Basically, if it aint broke, don't fix it.

 

The above isn't necessarily so.

 

In 1949, Sheaffer introduced the Touchdown. The '49 pen is affectionately known as the "fat" model. In 1950-1952 (if memory serves) Sheaffer produced a thin-model Touchdown. The triumph nibs on the Touchdown pens (as well as the Vac-fill, "wire," pens) all were upturned with no Snorkel to avoid. The Snorkel was introduced in 1952.

 

The upturn on the triumph nib is, ostensibly, for added smoothness--and it works quite well. My triumph-nibbed Sheaffer pens are some of the best writers I've ever had.

 

You may want to try and hunt down a nib block to do the straightening you want to do. They periodically show up on the bay. You may also find one at a show. These will have the proper profiles for you to reform your nibs.

 

The nib block WILL NOT return a nib to a proper profile for you. It may get you closer, but--as I mentioned in another thread--a nib has a distinct profile and that profile is based on a number of factors.

 

A nib block is a tool, not a magic fix-all. In the end the nib technician must return the nib to its proper profile, and a number of tools are usually required--none of which are magical.

 

Blessings,

 

Tim

 

[irrigger]

I didn't mean to step on any toes here. I was just trying to state that learning more and acquiring the tools to do this properly would be the place to start.

[TimGirdler]

I didn't mean to step on any toes here. I was just trying to state that learning more and acquiring the tools to do this properly would be the place to start.

And in that, my friend, you are exactly right!

 

Blessings,

 

Tim