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Converting A Vp Stub To Fine


slurry

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Hi All,

 

Any suggestions on modifying a VP stub nib to fine/extra fine. I have successfully transformed a few standard medium nibs to a very smooth fine using a 4K, 8K and 10K honing stones, but the VP stub is a bit nonstandard. Any suggestions, tips, guides, examples etc... are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

.

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I think you'd do better to find a swap with someone. VP stubs are unusual/desirable so effectively destroying one would make some people shudder. :o

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Ditto that. And especially if you go from smoothing to paring the nib down, the probability that something bad happ ns goes up. Then all you would have accomplished is destroy a rare nib. Id just sell it and buy a replacement. Ef F and M nibs are mich easier to find and buy.

Edited by Inkling13
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I don't own a VP, but the shape of a stub would potentially prove difficult to grind down by hand with any degree of symmetry.

 

That said, other nib units (including the stub ones) can be had for about 80USD at many retailers.

 

Unless the stub nib on yours is something other than the 1mm ones they sell now, worst case scenario is you have to spend the $80 regardless.

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We need disambiguation... Please clarify. Are you talking about a Parker VP, or a Pilot Vanishing Point. In either case it would be a shame to alter a stub nib since fine and extra fine nibs are quite common, and a stub is not.

 

If the former, I have NOS Parker VP nibs, and could consider credit for your stub depending on condition. Contact me back channel please. If a Pilot VP, I would buy a new nib unit and sell the stub

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We need disambiguation... Please clarify. Are you talking about a Parker VP, or a Pilot Vanishing Point. In either case it would be a shame to alter a stub nib since fine and extra fine nibs are quite common, and a stub is not.

 

If the former, I have NOS Parker VP nibs, and could consider credit for your stub depending on condition. Contact me back channel please. If a Pilot VP, I would buy a new nib unit and sell the stub

Well I feel like (bleep) now! This is a Pilot Vanishing Point sorry for the confusion. I guess the lesson learned is don't jack with expressive nibs without a second opinion. I got a bit pen tuning stupid from my successes and now have a nib that writes fairly well but not sure I will ever get it where I wanted it and no longer have a stub. Probably end up buying a fine. Ugh... The agony

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Welcome to the jungle. It was only 5 hours that you posted, before the torrents of warnings came through, so it doesn't really seem like you were hoping for an answer. I hope you learned a lesson from all of this. Patience is a virtue. If anything, you might have the nib sent off to a professional to finish what you started.

Edited by Inkling13
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Welcome to the jungle. It was only 5 hours that you posted, before the torrents of warnings came through, so it doesn't really seem like you were hoping for an answer. I hope you learned a lesson from all of this. Patience is a virtue. If anything, you might have the nib sent off to a professional to finish what you started.

Yep! Not that it changes anything, but I had already started the process before I initially posted, not after. Once I came to grips with what I was trying to accomplish, and started having second thoughts I posted to get some feedback. But yes, lesson learned. Thanks to all.

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Had a similar post on a different thread and wanted to also post here with the resolution.

Posted Today, 11:46

Sadiq, on 10 Feb 2018 - 12:33, said:snapback.png

Ive done this with a Parker Vector stainless steel stub/italic nib. I had a calligraphy set with 3, so I ground the nib I least used.

I started taking off as much of the outer section of the tines until the nib looked like an arrow head, then I used a rough Mylar sheet to round the bottom of the nib, slowly rotating from the one side to the other, varying the angle from about 45deg to 60deg. Then I used the polishing Mylar sheet & did the same.

At first the point was less pronounce because I was scared to take off too much, once polished the nib wasnt fine enough, I then took more off until I got closer to a point (keep checking that you dont hit the slit) & then did a finally smoothing & polishing the nib was perfect. It writes the same line width in all directions & doesnt catch on the paper.

I see youve received many different views. Not sure how accessible vp nib units are. With the vector, I tried wanted ads, the nib units arent available & I had 3 stubs to experiment on. Good luck if you choose to grind.

Thanks for this Sadiq. This was basically the only advice I received on how to continue this process. It is generally identical to the plan I had for the most part. The insight on a good angel, and going all the way to a point was very useful. Using this as a guide, I continued where I left off, and now am very pleased with what I have. If I had to do it over I probably would have traded or just purchased an EF nib (still may purchase one). But since I had started already, being able to finish this and have a very usable fine/extra fine nib is a good thing. Not as smooth as my Lammy 2K but smoother than it ever was as a stub. I do apologize to those who were mortified at doing this to my stub nib. Truly a lesson learned, but a happy ending at least. Lots learned about grinding and how nib geometry affects writing as well.

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