Bent Tine On Visconti Hs Crystals?

[welcmhm]

Hello all,

 

I'm relatively new to fountain pens and have been browsing the forums for some time. I recently acquired a Visconti Homo Sapiens Crystals which at first look appeared in perfect condition. However, when looking closer, it appears as though one of the tines is slightly bent. The pen seems to have no problem writing smoothly, but if there is indeed a defect with the nib, I would prefer to have it fixed (especially while still under warranty), rather than let it go. Could anyone chime in to let me know whether it appears as though the nib needs work, or if this is just me being paranoid? Thank you all for your help,

 

- Andrew

[KellyMcJ]

It's hard to see with the ink in there (not that I'm by any means an expert or even knowledgeable!) it doesn't look bad to my untrained eye though, if it writes well I don't think I would worry.

[welcmhm]

Thank you very much for your help. I appreciate all the input I can get. Here's another shot with less ink on the nib. Also, the nib is right above another Visconti Homo Sapiens fine nib for comparison. I don't have problems with either nib. The Crystal writes a bit thicker/wetter of a line than the HS, but I don't mind that at all.

[KellyMcJ]

I'm not sure if it's bent, or just not ground perfectly symmetrical (I suspect the latter, but I'm not a nib expert! I'm just used to looking at small things for defects). If it's the latter case, I wouldn't consider it a flaw really... Especially if the nib is hand ground and polished, I wouldn't expect perfect symmetry, nor do I think it's necessary (some nibs are intentionally ground this way! Have a look at oblique nibs!)

 

A nib is tiny and delicate. I would expect every handmade nib, no matter how skillfully crafted, to have a slight imperfection or two. (so chances are, if you exchange it, the new one will have a flaw too. And may not write as well!)

[welcmhm]

Many thanks again for your help! I think I will just enjoy the fact that it writes well and I enjoy using it daily. I do see many stories of people acquiring expensive fountain pens only to find that they are defective or otherwise do not live up to expectations.

[welcmhm]

In case anyone else has a similar issue, I was able to have John Mottishaw take a look at this nib at the LA Pen Show this week. Turns out the right tine was bent out and the left tine was bent in to meet it. John was able to straighten out the tines and smooth out the nib and it writes beautifully.

[Abner C. Kemp]

If it writes well, I'd leave it alone. Afterall you might get a brand new replacement nib that writes scratchy. It looks more like a asymmetrical grind to me and doesn't look like anything that will cause damage to the nib over time as long as you aren't flexing it like crazy. Maybe it's just me, but the grind almost looks semi oblique -- so if you like it you might consider trying an oblique nib on one of your future purchases .