Can & should I get a Visconti medium nib ground to a fine?

[JonW]

I was in a shop last week while on a trip and saw a Visconti Van Gogh Midi in a red-brown color. It caught my eye, it felt nice in my hand, and I bought it. My first fancy fountain pen. I just picked up the habit a few weeks ago with some Lamy Safaris. The Visconit is pretty nice, but the nib is waaay too thick. Ink is J Herbin Perle Noir. Lines are too thick and the ink bleeds even on nicer paper like Ampad Gold Fibre. Much, much thicker lines than from my medium Lamy Safari.

 

So what does one do in a situation like this? Maybe send it to someone like Richard Binder and have it ground down to a fine? Is that possible and a good or bad idea? Are there other or better places to send it?

An unrelated newbie question: When I write with the cap on the pen, it often is loose and the cap falls off. So I push the cap onto the top of the pen pretty tightly, almost screwing it down a fair amount. Is this typical for pens like this? Will I scratch up the pen like this?

 

I’m new to fountain pens, so trying to learn a little. It’s fun so far. Very glad I found this site.

 

Thanks!

 

Jon

[Shangas]

If this was me, I would've bought a fine nib to begin with, or would've swapped the medium for a fine. I would never grind a medium DOWN TO A FINE. I would try and smooth it, but never grind it.

 

But then, this is your pen, not mine. You can have it ground, if you want. Richard Binder is probably the best person to speak to about that.

[Immoteus]

You can have your nib reground if that is what you want. But you can also call Visconti for a nib exchange (contact info is in the Italian Pen sub-forum).

[jmkeuning]

Early in my fountain pen use, I had some nibs ground down to XF and XXF (and even XXXF). I still use those for much of my writing.

 

BUT - I find that I do like a big fat juicy nib! It all started with a M nib on a Delta Soiree that I got through a trade. That nib was fatter than anything I had used, but I loved it. Now I have a few nibs that I regret grinding - not that they were expensive, but I have a bunch of really fine writers, and now I want some fatties! What I realize now is that I do not want all of my pens to write the same - I want them to all write differently!

 

 

My advice, keep the pen for a while, and use your other pens for your finer writing needs. The Italian M might grow on you after a few more months.

[JonW]

If this was me, I would've bought a fine nib to begin with, or would've swapped the medium for a fine. I would never grind a medium DOWN TO A FINE. I would try and smooth it, but never grind it.

 

But then, this is your pen, not mine. You can have it ground, if you want. Richard Binder is probably the best person to speak to about that.

 

I agree and, under ideal circumstances, would have done the same. But they only had mediums in the shop. And I wanted to buy from the shop rather than a web site, given that it was there I got to actually try out the pen and all. (You know, support the local guy, etc.)

 

But you mentioned "grind" versus "smooth." I may not know the difference? Thanks.

[JonW]

You can have your nib reground if that is what you want. But you can also call Visconti for a nib exchange (contact info is in the Italian Pen sub-forum).

 

I can get an exchange? That might be a better way to go. I'll look into it. Thanks.

[JonW]

Early in my fountain pen use, I had some nibs ground down to XF and XXF (and even XXXF). I still use those for much of my writing.

 

BUT - I find that I do like a big fat juicy nib! It all started with a M nib on a Delta Soiree that I got through a trade. That nib was fatter than anything I had used, but I loved it. Now I have a few nibs that I regret grinding - not that they were expensive, but I have a bunch of really fine writers, and now I want some fatties! What I realize now is that I do not want all of my pens to write the same - I want them to all write differently!

 

 

My advice, keep the pen for a while, and use your other pens for your finer writing needs. The Italian M might grow on you after a few more months.

 

Yeah, at first I was thinking of keeping it as is. Maybe more for highlighting and bold, emphasis writing. It's so thick that it's not good (to me, at least) for much else. It even bleeds through to the next page in regular writing. That may be my limit of too thick- keep it on one page. It's a nice pen, otherwise.

 

But I totally agree that I wouldn't want all the pens to write the same. That would be as boring as... say... all the pens having the same color ink in them. There's more fun to be had than everything being the same.

[hexyr]

I would try to exchange it if not I would say grind but I like fine nibs and thinner. I post my Van Gogh Maxi and never had a problem of it falling off. You might not be placing it on firmly enough.

[JayKay]

The bleeding and feathering could also be a problem with the ink versus the pen. It sounds like a wet writer and you may need a more well behaved ink.

[MiniMaupassant]

I am really surprised you have experienced this; my Visconti M is a fine and dry writer (I wish it were more like yours!)

Leonie

[Shangas]

Smoothing a nib means rubbing it over really find sandpaper to smooth it out so that the nib writes nicely and smoothly over the paper, without scratching or ripping or anything.

 

GRINDING a nib, is where you alter how the nib writes by removing significant amounts of either the tipping, or indeed, removing the tipping entirely and retipping it. A broad to a fine, for example, would mean significant alteration of the nib, whereas smoothing would just be minute alterations just to make it that *little* bit better.

[Aslan]

Exchange the nib.

 

I have the exact same issue with a Visconti Wall Street that I bought on Saturday. Only had a medium nib, I wanted a fine. I contacted Visconti Monday and asked for an exchange and they said "Of course." I sent the pen to them yesterday. I used the bold email address below. Very professional transaction with Visconti.

 

VISCONTI - USA Distributor

Visconti Fine Writing Inc.

300-2C Route 17 South

Lodi, NJ 07644 USA

T: 973.773.9095

Toll Free: 800.847.2668

E: visconti@viscontiusa.com

W: www.viscontiusa.com

Direct Contact: Ken Jones

T: 202.498.5747

E: kjones5369@gmail.com

FPN ID: kjones5369

 

[Ghost Plane]

Visconti USA is fast, reliable and I can't say enough good things about them. I've actually swapped some of my beloved B nibs for stubs [18k nibs] and I'm hooked. This level of service is one of the main reasons I've allowed myself to sink as much into fancy pens as I have.

[JonW]

Thanks for all the help, folks!

 

I just called the number Aslan provided. Sure enough, they can exchange the nib. So I’ll try a fine nib and see how I like that. The person I spoke with said that there’s no charge for the nib exchange (provided there’s no damage). Free? Nothing is free these days. I had to ask a second time just to make sure I shouldn’t include my credit card number. So I’ll write with the pen until the ink is gone (won’t take long with how much it puts out), wash out the ink, and then mail it in. I bought the pen only because it's pretty and feels nice in the hand. I wasn't counting on the service.

 

I would try to exchange it if not I would say grind but I like fine nibs and thinner. I post my Van Gogh Maxi and never had a problem of it falling off. You might not be placing it on firmly enough.

 

 

Exchange the nib.

 

I have the exact same issue with a Visconti Wall Street that I bought on Saturday. Only had a medium nib, I wanted a fine. I contacted Visconti Monday and asked for an exchange and they said "Of course." I sent the pen to them yesterday. I used the bold email address below. Very professional transaction with Visconti.

 

VISCONTI - USA Distributor

Visconti Fine Writing Inc.

300-2C Route 17 South

Lodi, NJ 07644 USA

T: 973.773.9095

Toll Free: 800.847.2668

E: visconti@viscontiusa.com

W: www.viscontiusa.com

Direct Contact: Ken Jones

T: 202.498.5747

E: kjones5369@gmail.com

FPN ID: kjones5369

 

 

Visconti USA is fast, reliable and I can't say enough good things about them. I've actually swapped some of my beloved B nibs for stubs [18k nibs] and I'm hooked. This level of service is one of the main reasons I've allowed myself to sink as much into fancy pens as I have.

 

 

[JonW]

 

The bleeding and feathering could also be a problem with the ink versus the pen. It sounds like a wet writer and you may need a more well behaved ink.

 

Could be but I just started using fountain pens a few weeks ago so I don’t really know. I’ve got J Herbin Perle Noir in there. I never thought I’d like a black so much. It’s really, really black. Like it sucks light out of the room. I like it.

 

 

 

I am really surprised you have experienced this; my Visconti M is a fine and dry writer (I wish it were more like yours!)

Leonie

 

Interesting. Sounds like we have pretty different pens or inks or something. This one actually bleeds through to the next page!

 

 

 

Smoothing a nib means rubbing it over really find sandpaper to smooth it out so that the nib writes nicely and smoothly over the paper, without scratching or ripping or anything.

 

GRINDING a nib, is where you alter how the nib writes by removing significant amounts of either the tipping, or indeed, removing the tipping entirely and retipping it. A broad to a fine, for example, would mean significant alteration of the nib, whereas smoothing would just be minute alterations just to make it that *little* bit better.

 

Got it. Thanks.