Grinding A Medium Nib To (Extra?) Fine

[thefrost]

Hello all,

 

I previously posted in the MontBlanc section that I wished my MB 146 had a finer nib. Some people suggested grinding down the nib. I thought that I bring the question here to a broader audience.

 

Is grinding down a good idea? Or should i ust swap the nib (expensive through MB) or swap the pen and take my loss. I have noticed that the horizontal strokes are broader then the vertical ones. Would grinding down the nib help with that too? It just seems that a lot of ink flows towards the nib.

 

I also would like to hear any recommendation on where to have such a job done (in The Netherlands, if possible).

 

[Addertooth]

If you have not practiced nib re-shaping on some cheap pens, I would not take the risk of doing it on a 146 nib. That is a good way to end up with a ruined nib of nearly zero value.

I have done some work on nib re-shaping, but I started on some very cheap, already ruined pens. There was no risk or consequences of failure on those pens.

[TheDutchGuy]

Personally I would not touch that particular nib. It’s a MB, it’s not easily replaceable and despite the fact that you would like a finer nib there’s probably nothing wrong with it. Either have a good nibmaster do it for you, or send the pen to MB, or sell it and buy one with F or EF nib.

 

Using certain inks will produce a thinner line. Sailor kiwaguro is known to have that effect without being a dry ink. I’ve used that ink in quite few pens to reduce the line width and usually it shaves off about 1/3rd, sometimes more.

[Bo Bo Olson]

M does very well with classic rough papers; laid or linen effect paper.

M is a very good nib for two toned shading inks.

EF is not good for classic rough paper, in fact F can be a bit iffy. F can do shading ink, if not Japanese F=EF. EF requires a vivid supersaturated ink to see the line.

 

Have a qualified nibmeister do your nib work. You don't state where you are, so we need to know what country you are in to recommend a nibmeister.

 

Pelikan 4001 (they shade on good to better paper) is about the dryest ink around, worth half a width. Rhodia 80-90g or Clarefounatine Triomphe are slick papers, good for half a width in going narrow.

Modern MB, Lamy and Pelikan above the 200 are wider than semi-vintage and vintage in MB and Pelikan.

 

 

First try dry inks, and slick papers....going to need both sooner or later as is.

[thefrost]

Rhodia paper is indeed a bit better, and I'll try to find Pelikan 4001.

I'm in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, if that helps for any recommendations.

[Biber]

Get a new nib. When you're happy with what you get (it might take a couple tries) have the other one ground to something fun - stub, italic, architect etc.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Keep the MB as is in reserve for down the road, where a M nib might well be great.

There are cheap or inexpensive Japanese nibs in their F....a western EF. Give one of them a try before grinding.

A MB nib is expensive one ....well the folks that hang out at my bar, just don't tell MB to swap nibs with out a very good reason. E60 for the nib swap, not counting the new gold nibs price.

 

Francis Goossen over in Belgium can grind your nib if that's really what you want. Fontainble on the com.

He ground my 605 from BB to a butter smooth 1.0 ( stubb.

He was one of the two that developed the Conid founatin pen, and was their nibmeiser until he retired for going to work. He trained the man grinding nibs for Conid. So can do it.....lots cheaper than sending it to MB for a new expensive nib.

 

Well after a long time I got to like M nibs....I like all 'noobie's listen to my elders.....and they either went skinny....or for me the more interesting wide; when new. In many came in with the 'standard M nib, it is very disrespected.

 

This was with MB Toffee a very nice brown shading ink.

 

""""""Most of my shading inks will work well with a regular flex F nib, the ink will not be so dark as a wider nib. 90g or better laser paper.

Ie. MB Toffee:

F was light with dark trails.

M was 50-50. Breaking the M prejudice I picked up on this com.

B was dark with light trails.""""

[A Smug Dill]

I previously posted in the MontBlanc section that I wished my MB 146 had a finer nib.

_...‹snip›...

Is grinding down a good idea?

If it makes the pen more pleasing and/or value to you, sure. After all, it's your pen, and (I'll assume) you have clear title to it, and are at liberty to do whatever you want with it. It's a better idea than doing nothing, so that's a good idea. The question isn't what is the "best" idea or solution to address a particular problem; not how to minimise cost or risk, preserve the item's worth in the market, etc.

 

For what it's worth, I ground the 18K gold nib on my Pelikan M815 myself, because I just hated the F nib as supplied and therefore wasn't using the pen. I could have waited until the opportunity came when I could get a nibmeister to do it (and pony up whatever he/she wants to charge for the job), but decided to take a punt; and it wasn't like I've already got the skills to properly reshape nibs myself to my requirements or specifications.

 

In my case, it worked and I now enjoy writing with that pen much more than before. However, I wouldn't recommend anyone else do the same if they're not comfortable with taking risks and just want things to work; the default decision is to do nothing, not take risks, and live with how poorly things work in the status quo.

 

Apart from wanting your MB 146 to have a finer nib (or just put down finer lines when you write with it), what do you want?

[Honeybadgers]

No. No no no. Don't touch a nib worth more than $10 until you've ground 50-100 cheap chinese nibs.

 

You could get lucky, but you could not. I screwed up my first 5 or 6 grinds COMPLETELY. I still don't know if i'd be brave enough to put the stones to my homo sapiens or 149, and I've ground at least a hundred nibs to everything from needlepoint to architect and stubs and italics. But I still screw up every now and then, and I really, really don't want one of my mistakes to be on a nib that'll cost $400 to replace.

 

One mistake and you've bitten the tipping in a way that requires you buy a new nib.

 

Yes, it's worth doing if you dislike the line. But just spend $40 and have a nibmeister do it.

Edited September 4, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[thefrost]

I'm in contact Fontainble.and just to assure everyone, i'm not going to grind the MB myself.

 

I understand what everyone is saying. I think i'll just have more personal use from a finer nib, and in the end I want to use the pen.

Right now, mostly worried about sending the pen through the mail...

[Bo Bo Olson]

I just stick it in German post....trust Belgium post, just as much as I would Dutch.

It don't cost much to send the pen box with pen in it registered.

[SpecTP]

Hello all,

 

I previously posted in the MontBlanc section that I wished my MB 146 had a finer nib. Some people suggested grinding down the nib. I thought that I bring the question here to a broader audience.

 

Is grinding down a good idea? Or should i ust swap the nib (expensive through MB) or swap the pen and take my loss. I have noticed that the horizontal strokes are broader then the vertical ones. Would grinding down the nib help with that too? It just seems that a lot of ink flows towards the nib.

 

I also would like to hear any recommendation on where to have such a job done (in The Netherlands, if possible).

 

 

I had Mike Masuyama ground my MB anniversary nib to a fine 0.4 at the DC pen show.. it's part of what I use every day now. If the nib is not to your liking, get nibmeister to adjust it. I think of the pen just like a suit off the rack.. I get a tailor to adjust the suit to my fit. I do the same to my pens and get a nibmeister to adjust the pen.

[TheDutchGuy]

I do most of my own nibwork, but I’d never advise anyone else to do it. I’m with SpecTP and Honeybadgers on this issue: pay a nibmeister to do it for you. Nib work is not easy and the devil is in the details. Today I finally decided to re-grind my old Parker 51 Medium into a mini-stub. Over time, I have established a process for such re-grinds that prevents me from ruining the nib, so if I can’t get it the way I want it, then there is always enough tipping material left for a nibmeister to finish the job for me. The basic rule I apply is when in doubt, don’t.

[Honeybadgers]

It's definitely worth learning to at the very least learn to properly tune a nib, but do it with cheap throwaway jinhao #6 nibs that cost fifty cents apiece. I think everyone should at least learn how to align, open up, smooth and remove baby's bottom.

[thefrost]

I had Francis ground the nib ground narrower. It takes a bit to get used to it maybe, but I think the pen will be of so much more use. My e-s are now open, and I can write smaller notes.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Is it such a problem to learn to write wider?.........what are you going to do.....never ever buy and have fun with a B??

 

Go buy yourself a Japanese EF or their XXF....needle point....then you can write even smaller.

Good to have great eyes.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Bo Bo Olson

[YonathanZ]

Funny, Ive recently picked up a Fine 146 (used) and its too fine for me. Would love to replace it with a juicy medium.

 

Bo Bo Olson, he obviously bought it for a certain usage scenario to which a Fine fits him most... why learn a new tool when you can get a tool you already know how to use.