The Perfect Modern Flex Nib Ground by Nibmeister Josh Lax - Pilot 912 FA Fountain Pen

[@prod4540]

Hello Doodlebud! I am in conversation with Josh Lax about getting my Pilot 912 FA (nib) customized like yours! Thank you very much for your efforts, knowledge, and willingness to share your fountain pen journey!

[@Doodlebud]

Hope yours turns out perfectly

[@prod4540]

@@Doodlebud Thank you. Yes, l am very excited. Thanks for your kind works, and again for your video. Very informative and helpful.

[@requispwarship]

howd it go?

[@tuerceviolines]

Terrific video!!!! Thank you!!! i am jealous too.

[@13noman1]

Wow! I'm jealous -- of the talent, the results, the insights and the calligraphic writing! Appreciate adding a new source to my nib meister list!

[@Doodlebud]

You'll find the right pen at some point that will benefit from a perfect grind.

[@testinguk_Admin]

That was nerve wracking! 😂Fantastic process and outcome. Thanks to both of you!

[@EnCwoisant]

Dewwwdlebud! I just got a ground nib from J. Lax in the mail yesterday, can’t wait to try it!

[@Doodlebud]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@PalashBackup]

Good job DB and Mr. Josh. That was a thorough walkthrough of nib grinding. Took away much of the mystery from the process, but gave us a good idea of steps involved. Much appreciated.

[@debralinder6105]

Awesome video! My eyes watered when he started grinding the nib! Nerves of a nib meister 😬

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

This was an informative video, Nate. Thanks

[@meirdeaph]

Awesome ❤

[@amydebuitleir]

OMG! I need this!!!!! My favourite pens are, in a tie for first place, my vintage Omas Extra 556/F, my Scribo Flex, my Santini Italia with the Superflexy nib, and my CH 912 FA. This could make the 912 the winner...

[@AggresivelyBenign]

Doodlebud with a noodlebox 😊

[@kanck7909]

Noodlebud 🤔

[@Doodlebud]

😅

[@MarcSaegesser]

That was really interesting. Thank's to both of you for sharing.

[@Doodlebud]

When I got to see the videos Josh did I was so excited to edit this video together. He did such a fantastic job

[@williamcatalano1762]

This is really making me want a falcon now and to have this done to it. Josh is amazing at what he does.

[@Doodlebud]

I learned so much from his part

[@williamcatalano1762]

@@Doodlebud I want to really learn how to grind nibs, but don't have anything to do it with. You already knew how to grind nibs a bit I know.

[@lpanades]

Really a joy!

[@korax67]

Wonderfully! I'm going to save up some money to send my 742 to Josh next year. I'm going to ask for the Doodlebud grind 😊

[@kanck7909]

Wow perfect modern flex nib ✒️. Very cool video!

[@Doodlebud]

It turned out perfect

[@blythetretick7081]

Really interesting, useful video.

[@roxiesossa3210]

That was fantastic! I had to mute while Josh was grinding the nib because my dogs were going nuts 😂 but that was really cool!

[@dancinswords]

The finished nib looks so satisfying. it just breathes art

[@najeebahmad3103]

Thanks for this fantastic inside look at the process, Doodlebud! I know Josh and have been fortunate to have several nibs worked on by Josh. He's a fantastic nibmeister and takes great care to make sure you get exactly what you're looking for.

[@beedee4466]

What a great collaboration video-very well done job by you both!! Recently was able to try out a 912 FA and really enjoyed it. But this . . . WOW!!! 🤩 Total envy here-including your writing!!

[@blue2824]

Out of all the fountain pen videos from all the content creators I’ve seen, and that’s hundreds. This has to be my absolute favorite. I love the way you put it all together and I just can’t say enough to explain how much I enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing. Roy Auburn, WA.

[@Doodlebud]

Wow, thank you for that! I had no idea how to approach this video or how it would turn out. But wanted to have the viewer try to go through the process on both sides when you send off a pen. As users we send it, wait.............. then open the box when it comes back and hope its what you want. Was so cool for Josh to include everyone in his process!

[@Flexperiments]

Very informative! I love flex nibs!

[@davidottman9501]

Fascinating! Thanks for showing such a detailed inside look at what really happens.

[@Doodlebud]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Ybalrid]

This was extremely interesting! Thanks to both of you for sharing all the details of this process with us. That's awesome!

[@Doodlebud]

Our pleasure!

[@evanbasnaw]

Came back to this a year later because I have a 912 now and I'm wondering why it's having issues. I wanted to check it out before I tried grinding on such an expensive nib. Of course, you deliver the shots I needed.

[@Stitchxavi]

This was so helpful to see! Josh did a great job!

[@Doodlebud]

He did a perfect job

[@heretolevitateme]

Awesome video covering the whole process, thanks!

[@Doodlebud]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@hector4668]

Thanks!

[@donhall-aquitania1025]

That was amazing. You have some of the best content on fountain pens! I just sent my Lamy 2000 with a broad nib to Mike Masuyama for a 0.8 mm stub grind. He turned my MB 146 medium into a 0.6 mm stub that is so sophisticated and beautiful and writes like a dream.

[@Doodlebud]

A custom grind really changes up pen

[@Trafficaloco]

Ty, that was very interesting.

[@InArcadiaSum]

Great result. Not sure if there's anyone doing this work in the UK, but I don't think I'll be deploying my Proxxon minitool any time soon.

[@liamstrain]

Did Josh re-plate it? I didn't notice that being mentioned, but it certainly looked that way by the end.

[@Doodlebud]

Just got polished up very nicely. He did a great job

[@mikehoare6093]

omg Astrid is such an old timey beatiful name !

[@Doodlebud]

Was my grandmas name, now my daughters middle name

[@The_Ossifrage]

Fantastic video! I've been holding onto my Pilot 74 flat-top to grind into a italic one day, add some flair into my writing and move on from round nibs.

[@Doodlebud]

Yup, sounds like its time to try a new type of grind :)

[@Javi_C]

Thank you for showing us the process Doodlebud!

[@Equinox051256]

Beautiful pen, great vid, as always. Fascinating view of what an expert nibmeister is capable of doing. This vid is a perfect example of why I keep coming back to your channel. #USA 🙂

[@Doodlebud]

I was just as excited to see Josh's videos of the process and hear his commentary. I learned a TON from his video

[@slo_carry]

Glad this came out well for you! It's very interesting to watch the entire process. I never would have thought of a foot pedal and stand for a Dremel tool. This makes me want to get some custom grinds since I'm pretty stuck on F and EF nibs with the occasional stub. My one Architect I did myself came out okay though.

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Hi DB!: All I can say is WOW! That was totally FASCINATING! Josh you are the MAN!! I have so much admiration and respect for how you can re-grind those tiny nibs and make them work so well! Only thing, DB, is that pen looks so much like a Jinhao 82. . .I bet it wasn't 8 bucks, though!!

[@kimkristensen5476]

Great video Sir. Nice of Josh to film and letting you use it for the video. It is so sad we don't have a nibmister here in Denmark 🥺 That pen will see a good amount of use now... well it looks like a great writer... Say davs (hi) to your dad... And your grandmother too if she is still around... My late grandmother's name was Alma or was that my "gammelmoster" grandmother's sister well Elna and Alma to me they were bedstemor (grandmother) and gammelmoster (grandmother's sister actually direct translate is "old aunt") Again it come out of a short version of the oldest aunt 😊 Again great video... keep it up

[@bbrachman]

I had another nib meister (Gina) grind a basic TWSBI into an architect nib. Her work is superior. Kind of like a gift to myself. These practiced nib meisters are well worth their time and skill. To get the perfect nib? Yup. Seems like being a lawyer and nib meister ( Josh ) are a perfect fit. The pen is mightier than the sword.

[@Doodlebud]

So happy with this pen now. Writes exactly how I wanted it to

[@jacobpedersen8661]

I'm here to see Josh Lax! Just got a Scribe nib from Esterbrook, Josh does some great work! Really appreciating nibmeisters now!

[@Doodlebud]

It was so great for him to record his process

[@jacobpedersen8661]

@@Doodlebud It was! He is very personable, maybe you should have more collaborations (more excuses to have nib work done too!)

[@barbarah-p8661]

That is so interesting! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

[@Doodlebud]

Thanks for watching

[@ameliabuns4058]

After drooling over yours and others 912FA I finally got mine! I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND I'M SO HAPPY, however mine is slightly stiffer? and came in a plastic back from amazon lol, not even a bit of protection, it looked perfectly new and was sealed etc so I just went "meh" and kept it. no railroading, no hard starts, perfectly wet. I feel like I lucked out lol. It also writes thin out of the box without pressure, I don't see a reason to change mine! I love it for day to day writing AND calligraphy :) also my FA logo is a lot smaller than yours and doesn't have stars on the cap, it says "pilot" in Japanese katakana, I think mine is a Japanese version and yours is a version made for outside of Asia? I was tuning my own OPUS 88 while watching this video, and being able to grind and tune nibs myself is an amazing ability to me, I feel like I can modify any pen I want to what I want which is a great power to have :P I even made a flex jinhao that I absolutely love! it actually is surpassingly comparable to the much more expensive pilot falcon to me!

[@vietpham66]

your hand wiring is superb! Please do some video instruction for practicing calligraphy!

[@Doodlebud]

Here's a lesson I got from a professional calligrapher kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmbLaKSNoZyDhtk

[@marilyngardner4269]

This was a great concept for a video. I loved the end-to-end storytelling. I have a Pilot 912 with an FA nib and I did add a Flexible Nib Factory two-slit feed. I've had it for some time, but now I'm paranoid about whether I installed it peoperly. The nib always has ink creep on it, but other than that it writes well.

[@Doodlebud]

Nib creep is not a problem for a pen. It it leaks out and drip out the nib that's another thing, but a little ink on the top of the nib is no problem at all.

[@marilyngardner4269]

@@Doodlebud Oh, I know nib creep is not a problem. I just started to wonder whether I didn't quite position the feed right when I installed it, after seeing Josh's remarks. I've been using it this way for at least two years so I'm not too worried. But I'll look at it more closely when I next clean the pen out.

[@AluminumBird]

Very cool. I especially like seeing Josh’s workshop. I want to set up something similar myself to tinker and destroy a big stack of cheap pens lol I followed an almost identical path with my 912. Except I sent mine to Mark Bacas. He said real similar things about my pen. I bought both of the flexible nib factory feeds for mine. Between the three feeds (including the original), every combination of ink and feed is at least a little frustrating, but I finally settled on the three channel feed with Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue, which looks great out of this pen. Anyway, thanks for another good video. Have fun with your pen!

[@Doodlebud]

Mark Bacas did my Visconti Homo Sapiens and nailed it. Love what both of these guys have done with my pens

[@FountainPenWorld-z4i]

One of the most interesting vids about flex nibs. Josh Lax is an artist and all the requests, the explanations, so very important to follow the process. Would like to know what was the cost of that tremendous well done job? However, what makes me feel thinking (not to say angry) is, why the heck those well reputed manufacturer sell those FP's equipped with their FA (or Flex etc.) in a half-finished state? And with unsatisfying plastic feeds, not suitable to keep up with the much higher amount of ink during flexing. If a Pilot customer of an FA nib #10 or #15 wants to have the pen writing like a true flexer, one is compelled to pay extra 30 to 60 bucks for a decent ebonite feed with enlarged and deepened slits plus xxx USD for a nibmeister. All this keeps me away from the modern Flex nib FP's, until the industry comes out with well working Flex nibs from the get go. JM2C

[@Doodlebud]

I can't remember what I paid for it but his current pricing is on his website. He did such a great job on this one

[@limmoblack]

Would have liked to see him tightening the tines, also surprised he done it 'freehand' with no 'rest'. Also did tines split from too much pressure?

[@Doodlebud]

Being able to show every single step of the process is so difficult. I have some videos where I show tine adjustment. Yup, he can free hand. Thats what thousands of nibs under your belt allow you to do.

[@mamahnita]

Man Josh did a good job. I have a Opus 88 Omar with a EF nib and I want a even finer line because I write ever day . Do you need to send the whole pen in or can you send just the nib?

[@Doodlebud]

Best thing is to reach to Josh via his site and ask him

[@aag24]

Congratulations sir. You all have beautiful hands. (well looked after, if you will).

[@MrCabimero]

I recently got a Scribo with a medium flex. Agree with you, the flex lines were not much different than the non flex. I returned it and got a fine flex instead. much better aesthetics on the writing ie line width variation.

[@syedafahd]

Amazing video. Amazing work. Both of you. 👏🏻 Now, can you please make a video in which you rate your pens. Only the pens that you have in your collection. I want to know after watching this video. 😊

[@larsgottlieb]

That was really neat (o:

[@davidalangordon]

Hi, How did Josh close the tine gap?

[@davidalangordon]

How did Josh close the gap in the times? Scissoring? I noticed a bit of scratch on the top of the slit edge. When I do this I use a 0.001 inch bit of plastic to keep the top of the nib slit edge clean.

[@peterhess2610]

I have a couple of nibs that I believe Mr Lax could rescue. I moseyed over to his website with the hopes I could contact him in order to find out how I could make arrangements to avail myself of his services. I was not able make contact through his website. Is he no longer accepting pens for repair?

[@Doodlebud]

He still does nibs as far as I know. Try reaching him on his IG instagram.com/jjlaxpenco/

[@mavleashutosh]

I could finally see Doodlebud in the hotel window glass 😅

[@Doodlebud]

You got a fuzzy glimpse of my arm 😉

[@AlanaBaker-cp4cy]

Saw this video, contacted Josh, and now have two more pens I love again. I bought a Sheaffer 800, with the “dolphin” nib for a steal on eBay. The nib looked like it had been thrown at a dartboard. It still looks like it’s had a rough life, but it writes like it should. I also sent him my EF gold Lamy nib. It went from writing like a mop to writing like my Sailor Pro Gear EF. Thanks for the collaboration!

[@Doodlebud]

Good to hear a couple pens got saved 👍

[@FlowingEdge]

Hi Doodlebud. For sending a pen for repair or alteration to a nibmeister into the US from Canada (by crossing the border or by mail), what paperwork, costs, or declarations was needed?

[@Doodlebud]

I just shipped it and it was no big deal. Didn't require any extra paperwork. If they ask about the shipment, I just said it was for repair work

[@hector4668]

Great Video. One question I saw a video where you fix a Vintage Parker with piston, you order parts online could you help me with the link to the supplier? I am confused you are in Canada or USA, Regards form Mexico!!!

[@Doodlebud]

I gave the websites in a reply to your other comments. I'm in Canada

[@UrbaNSpiel]

Can a sailor1911 broad be ground into a medium or fine?

[@Doodlebud]

Yes you can always grind down in size, but you can't grind up in size

[@neodimium]

But that nib has plating. Isn't that ruined now? Btw, I have the same Pilot 912FA with ebonite feed (installed by PenRealm) and was thinking the same. Even tho it's factory "fine", doesn't look like. My thought was send it to someone who can re-plate it after regrind. Like FPnibs. What's your experience after some time using it? Should it be plated? And would you like it to be XXF?

[@MrAndrew1953]

It sort of reminds me of a trip to the dentist..

[@Doodlebud]

I was at the dentist the other day and had a few ideas....

[@MrAndrew1953]

@@Doodlebud drilling down on anything yet or just filling in time? Waiting for inspiration to hit the nerve?

[@meikamaa5953]

Great video, but so scary to watch!

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Well... that was exciting... haha... Thought the rpm sounded a bit high, considering the foot-pedal control AND (particularly) the scale of the nib for the heat... I'm no expert, of course... It just stood my hair a little on end... Obviously, as close as his fingers had to get, it wasn't terribly hot, but part of the spring is the temper in metal... Now, admittedly, I'm all in on knives and tool-steel, and for smaller bits I know temper can go away quickly at around 400 - 500 F, which isn't hard to reach at that rpm (of course, judging 100% by ears and guessing... lolz)... SO I'll close with "It was educational"... I've probably still got a few thousand "Cheap-*ss Jinhaos" to futz with for "sketch pens" before I go gettin' "ambitious" about it... BUT it's always fun to SEE AND HEAR the ongoings of a pro'... AND if you (Doodlebud) say he's worth every penny, then Josh MUST be a pro'! ;o)

[@Doodlebud]

You don't need to worry about heat transfer too much with this process. Such a small surface contact point and very light cuts. Josh mentioned to me that the higher the rpm the better when cutting

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@Doodlebud That's cool... I can be patient anyway... but it's good to know I've stood much less chance of "f*cking up hopeless" at least in the manner I most suspected... ;o)

[@StarKnightZ]

Im suprised pilot don't do this with their extra fine nib. Its pretty fine!

[@ultimabargain8948]

Hello, new pen collector here! I really want a flex nib but I'm unsure what to get. I've already invested a few thousand dollars into a decent size collection to my wives discontent lol. So you could say I'm risking a few nights in the dog house by spending more, what would you suggest? Also whats the cost of doing something like this?

[@kanck7909]

I'm not an expert in flex but I can say for sure that it's a good idea to read, read, and read before buying anything. Figure out exactly what u want first.

[@HomerIncognito]

I'd get a custom ground nib. Vintage pens can be a bit quirky for everyday use and everything currently produced won't have enough line variation.

[@Doodlebud]

I did a video where I compared a bunch of flex pens at all sorts of price points. For this grind with shipping it cost me $80. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJa0m2CEotuUapI

[@philnaunton7181]

Well, that was amazing! Too bad for me that I'm not more discerning (pens out of the box R Us). I thought that your initial writing sample was just great, and the after sample was great too, and not that different to my untrained eye. The grinding process had beads of sweat popping out of my head, and I thought that Josh had FUBAR-ed it up. Shows what I know: NOTHING! Congratulations on your satisfaction. My scribble-scrawl, everyday note taking penmanship is TOTALLY unworthy of your perfectionism. I'll keep watching, and maybe, eventually, I will learn some elements of quality.

[@Doodlebud]

When he sent me a message I was a little concerned but I knew he'd pull it off. The nib took me a little bit to get used to but now its just PERFECT since I've learned how to use it just so

[@philnaunton7181]

@@Doodlebud Interesting follow up. Josh's comment about writing with a Razor Blade had me concerned. I doubt very much that I would even be able to write with the final modification. I'm kinda clumsy.

[@huckleberry12]

him doing your name intro is fucking hilarious

[@Doodlebud]

That was great 😂

[@konradyearwood5845]

You need a very steady hand!

[@Doodlebud]

And don't sneeze!

[@AzharLatif-d4z]

Bought a fountain pen "Made in India".It was covered by a black plastic layer. This layer keeps peeling off at room temperature, exposing its brass barrel. This pen is now two years old using it as a handy tool on my desk. It was painful to keep it up and running due to ink leaks. Have now fitted a converter but the pen is now ugly but works offering a steady ink flow. Will review its functionality as time goes by. My son has gifted me a Chinese Pen marketed as Moon-Man with a screw-on cap but no clip to fit in the pocket. It may have an aluminum barrel and cap for easy access on my desk. Love the Shaffer Ink bottle to fill in as required. It offers a steady flow of black ink, writing my Journal. Am against grinding nibs and was unhappy to damage the nibs on all attempts in the past.Have promised me not to grind the nibs for better or worse. Nibs are akin to mouth and tongue, and must never be interfered with. My Moon-Man from China is a newish discovery. Love this instrument's quality and packaging box as a possible heirloom. Its cap is screwed on component to prevent ink evaporation. Perhaps suitable for use in aircraft journeys. Love my Moon-Man for use on the Moon.

[@joeynuggetz]

That grinding bit seemed a little too course. I would have eased into it using a higher grit. Less vibes too.

[@Doodlebud]

I trust Josh's discretion. He won the "nib wars" competition at the DC pen show, has done thousands of nibs, taught by Richard Binder, and has been commissioned by Esterbrook to do specialty nibs for them.

[@randomrandomizer]

Prelude of 5 mins.., skip… u r w