How long does it take to mold the pen?

[mollymom]

How long should I expect it to take for a fountain pen to adjust to my touch? I have a pen that seems scratchy when I use it, but it's one that I don't use very often. I'm hoping it will get better once it "knows" my hand.

[CraigR]

It has been my experience that the pen does not adjust very much, if at all, to the writer. If a pen is scratchy, it is probably in need of tuning or perhaps a different ink. Some pens also have relatively small "sweet spots" that it can take a while to get used to, especially if not used often. If you are near a pen shop, take it in and have it checked. There are also a number of experts who specialize in nib work and are often mentioned favorably in this forum. /Craig

[Omegaham]

Months, if not years. If your pen is scratchy, then write figure eights on a brown paper bag for a couple minutes and then try again. If it's still scratchy, then something is wrong with your pen. Try it with another ink, and if it's still giving you problems, then it's time to send it to a nibmeister or back to the factory.

 

A good pen should write well out of the box, and, barring that, should write well after writing on a paper bag. Anything else is a failing on the pen factory's part.

Edited July 24, 2008 by Omegaham

[Philip1209]

This is a good question. I'd assume that relative time would look something like this

[greatest time] Stainless Steel > 14k Gold > 18k Gold [least time]

 

As for more exact time, I'm sure it depends on the nib, paper, how much you write and other factors (humidity, anyone??).

[FrankB]

Here at FPN we have a running controversy over whether or not a pen actually "breaks in." I am old fashioned and in the camp that says a pen does break in. With regular use, the pen starts to flow ink more efficiently and the nib becomes more accustomed to paper.

 

However, there are some things that use alone will not cure. If you have a nib that is really scratchy, it might need smoothing right away. Omegaham's suggestion is called the "brown paper bag method" and it does frequently work. I also think you should at least try it. If the nib is still rough, then you might want to put some money into a nib smoothing kit (which contains some super fine grit sandpaper appropriate for use on a FP). Tryphon Enterprises carries some of the best I have seen. (Usual disclaimers.) Or you might choose to send the pen to a nib meister for professional smoothing.

[richardandtracy]

Being obtuse:-

The cycle time on most plastics injection moulding machines is between 3 and 20 seconds for small items like pen barrels, sections and caps. This can go up to 3 minutes for larger items.

 

Being less obtuse:-

How long does it take to break a pen into your style of writing - ie wear a sweet spot in the position you want?

I'd estimate around 2000 pages for a pen that isn't too badly different from what you want. If there's significant toothiness that needs to be worn away, it would be more. That's why I think it's worth while doing the paper bag trick, or using micromesh. If the pen's awful, more radical attention (1200 grade wet & dry) might be needed to start the process off for a VERY SHORT TIME.

 

Final word: I'd never attack an expensive pen with wet & dry. Too much risk of destruction.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[OldGriz]

This is a good question. I'd assume that relative time would look something like this

[greatest time] Stainless Steel > 14k Gold > 18k Gold [least time]

 

As for more exact time, I'm sure it depends on the nib, paper, how much you write and other factors (humidity, anyone??).

 

This is not at all accurate.... the base material of the nib is not in contact with the paper, only the tipping material...

If a pen is scratch the nib needs to be adjusted....

The tipping material will take years to begin to wear to the way the user holds the pen....

[dcwaites]

A pen can feel scratchy because the tines of the nib are out of alignment. Fixing that is a simple matter if you know what you are doing, and can then result in a nice writer. But if that is the cause, smoothing the nib with brown paper, or any other mild abrasive, won't do the trick.

 

Alternatively, it may feel scratchy because the tipping of the nib is rough. Depending on the degree of the problem, brown paper might fix it, otherwise micromesh may be needed.

 

You will need to look at the nib tip with a 10x or greater loupe to see which is the problem.

 

All decent modern nibs are tipped with a tiny amount of a very hard material. It used to be iridium, but I believe that other metals are now used. It will take many years to change the shape and smoothness of this tip with normal writing.

However, I have Parker 51 nib with a definite flat spot (that turns this particular fine nib into a medium-fine). It seems that the previous owner wrote at precisely the same angle, pressing hard, until he/she had worn the tip of the nib flat.

 

Depending on the value of the pen, you may wish to try fixing it yourself, or you may wish to give it to a professional. I adjusted a couple of $10 Chinese pens myself, but I handed my Parker 51 XF over to the Sydney Pen Shop for them to fix.

 

 

[skipwilliams]

If it's scratchy, then likely one of the tines is misaligned vs it's mate and is catching on the paper. You either need to adjust the nib or have someone knowledgeable do it. Don't expect that use will reduce the scratchiness.

 

If you look at the nib's tip from multiple angles with a ~10x or greater magnifying lens, you'll see what's wrong.

 

Regarding your question about nib moulding: Yes, they can change. I have new pens that have morphed from an EF--->F or F--->M over the past 10 years from extensive use. It takes a while, but they definitely can and will change shape. I also have vintage nibs that have obvious flat spots from years and years of use.

 

Skip

Edited July 24, 2008 by skipwilliams

[Paddler]

I would advise you to do nothing until you have determined whether the tines are aligned. It has been my (limited) experience that trying to smooth a misaligned tip can create more problems than you started with. Most of the time, aligning the tines will solve the whole problem.

 

Paddler

 

[Tangelfoot]

How long does it take to break a pen into your style of writing - ie wear a sweet spot in the position you want?

I'd estimate around 2000 pages for a pen that isn't too badly different from what you want. If there's significant toothiness that needs to be worn away, it would be more.

 

I am curious as to how vintage nibs being molded to another persons writing style are valued as great writers? If it forms to your writing how can it be good for another person? I would thinking that pens used by other people would not always be good for others.

[ANM]

i agree with everyone who is advising you to find the cause of the problem before you try to fix it. Using any kind of abrasive on a nib is a bad idea unless you KNOW it needs it. A scratchy nib almost always needs a simple alignment. I also agree with everyone who doubts that writing with a pen will improve it's performance. If something is wrong with the nib, it need attention. Just writing with, it (under normal writing usage and with less than years and years of it) won't make it noticeably better.

[BillTheEditor]

How long should I expect it to take for a fountain pen to adjust to my touch? I have a pen that seems scratchy when I use it, but it's one that I don't use very often. I'm hoping it will get better once it "knows" my hand.

Iridium is one hard metal. I have a couple of pens that are as old or older than me (let's say "over 60 years"), and they still have their original tipping, and the tipping doesn't look like it's worn away much if at all, even though the pens themselves obviously had plenty of use.

 

In other words, I don't think you are likely to live long enough to wear down the iridium to the point that it will be "smooth." I recognize that others here have different opinions about this. I'll stand by my statement. (I'm not likely to live long enough to be proven wrong.)

 

Take or send it to someone who knows how to adjust nibs.

[richardandtracy]

How long does it take to break a pen into your style of writing - ie wear a sweet spot in the position you want?

I'd estimate around 2000 pages for a pen that isn't too badly different from what you want. If there's significant toothiness that needs to be worn away, it would be more.

 

I am curious as to how vintage nibs being molded to another persons writing style are valued as great writers? If it forms to your writing how can it be good for another person? I would thinking that pens used by other people would not always be good for others.

Quite true. I have a P51 that was very worn to someone's angle of use and had a distinct foot with sharp edges. If I held the pen at that angle it was wonderful - but that angle wasn't quite right for me. At an angle that was comfortable for me the pen was quite scratchy on the edge of this worn foot. I did the brown paper bag trick (with cardboard because that's what I had) and have worn off the edges of the foot all round. It now works quite well for me at the angle I want to write at. It will eventually get better, but I'm not sure I use it enough to bcome really nice.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

 

[jmkeuning]

It takes between 10 and 20 years.

[Tangelfoot]

It takes between 10 and 20 years.

 

Sir,

can you provide some reference data for this statement. I might have some examples of pens that go against this statement but am not sure completely.

 

thank you

Edited July 28, 2008 by Tangelfoot

[psfred]

There are several reasons for a pen to be "scratchy", and in fine nibs, one most prominent is excessive pressure in use by a user unfamiliar with fountain pen usage.

 

The great joy, to me, of fountain pens is that they require no pressure to write, unlike ball points that at least when I learned to use them required quite a bit. The resultant "death grip" is bad for the hands, fingers, carpal tunnels, and fountain pen nibs.

 

A fine or extra fine nib must be slipped across the paper with no applied force than the weight of the pen. Any downward pressure will surely spread the tines, as they are quite thin, and drive the rather sharp shape of the tipping into the paper fibers. Very scratchy, and will actually tear paper fibers out and cause them to get stuck between the tines, clogging the pen. Quite common in with new FP users. Much less likely to occur with medium or broad nibs, as they much stiffer and the tipping is much larger, reducing the pressure at the paper.

 

Also, even a minor mis-alignment of a fine nib will likewise cause the protruding tip to drag badly and noticeably. Again, medium and broad nibs are much less prone to this. Getting the tips in correct alignment cures this problem.

 

Inadequate relief at the ink slit will also cause a pen to be "scratchy" even when the tips are correctly aligned, as the sharp edge exposed in normal writing will catch on the paper. This can be cured by very careful abrasive removal of the offending edge, but should NOT be done blindly, you must view the nib at high magnification and determine that this is actually the issue -- abrasives can completely remove the tipping without ever addressing this or the alignment issue...

 

And the possibility of rough edges or flat spots is always possible, especially in new plated nibs or in used or vintage nibs that HAVE worn with constant use. Parker nibs, especially on "51"s for some reason, seem to wear more than others (I believe this was advertized, actually, as a nib that would "wear in" to one's usage and then stop), so I've had more than one with a pronounced flat with sharp edges. The edges can be removed with abrasives, but I've had a few that required a new nib due to the exact pattern of wear and consequent total unsuitability to re-shaping to my preference.

 

New plated nibs often have rough spots of incomplete plating on the tipping, and this must be worn off before they are completely smooth -- Hero pens seem to suffer from this. A brown paper bag (in which the paper has not had the silicates present removed) often slicks up the tipping quite nicely without significant removal of tipping material.

 

As to how long it takes to "wear in" a nib, I don't know. I've got quite a few vintage pens that show enough useage wear that they seem to have seen quite a few hours of delivering ink to paper with no visible tipping wear at all (notably Sheaffers) and others with nibs unusable due to wear, it all depends on use, paper, pen, tipping, and so forth.

 

Defective tipping isn't unknown either, by the way -- I have a Sheaffer Admiral Snorkel that was essentially mint when I got it from the original owner that had a bad pit in one tip. I've gotting it to write fairly well, but it's not as good as any other fine nib Snorkel I have.

 

Peter

[fpfanatic5]

It's my opinion that in the first couple days of use, a brand new pen will begin to write better. It seems that there are often oils in feeds and converters which hinder flow. This is why many cycle the converters of their new pens with some soapy water. After this, however, I feel that it would take many years of writing to wear down the tipping material of a nib and create a flat spot.