Nib Tuning 101 - How to Troubleshoot and Fix your Nib*

[@seeyoufloating]

Probably the best video I have found so far on nib adjustment, thank you for sharing!

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you so much!

[@manuelsalazar3938]

It's nice to see more people using microscope instead of loupe, it's a lot easier to work with and sometimes even cheaper, you really don't need a pro-grade microscope 😎 When working with micromesh/sandpaper you have to take into account that unless you work in a (let's say) spherical way, you're flattening the tipping material and somewhat turning it into a stub, that's why that should be the very last resource in my opinion. Good video and very well explained 👍

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you! You are absolutely right about polishing in one direction. I’ll only do a few strokes that way if there’s a burr that needs to be removed. Otherwise you are changing the shape of the tipping material.

[@runedart5048]

New sub here, and wanted to thank you for making videos like this one, as well as inc links to the tools you use. I’ve seen several recommendations for those steel shims and no-one ever told me what they were!

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@runedart5048 welcome to the channel! I’m glad you find these useful

[@michaelcase8574]

I'm glad to see a video where the penmanship does not look like it came from the Declaration of Independence. More like mine. Great info!

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@michaelcase8574 thank you!

[@LANCSKID]

Great video! Excellent advice throughout. There is something very satisfying regarding the transformation of a dry and scratchy nib with hard starts and skips into one that writes smoothly and delivers good ink flow, or reducing a gusher. Patience is everything. Adjust and try, and keep repeating until satisfactory result. Don’t overwork any of the three stages. I personally like to use the feeler gauges, but make sure they are clean … when new, they come with a light oil coating which you don’t want deposited between the tines! Yes, all best practised on cheaper pens, for sure. 🖌👍✒️

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you! And good tip about removing the oil on the feeler gauges 👍

[@pagisubuh]

Thank you for sharing this knowledge. I'm able finally fix my pen problem. Thanks.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@pagisubuh great to hear, thanks!

[@jls3220]

Great video. Very simple to follow and very comprehensive! ❤❤❤

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you!

[@tiffanynguyen4411]

This was super helpful, thank you! I watched this video while adjusting my own pen.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thanks!

[@michellemurphy658]

Nice Thankyou for the instructions I ruined a nib just the other day by over sanding. Inow have a new drawing board Thank you sir....

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@michellemurphy658 I’m sorry to hear that. Many people jump to polishing their nibs first, but that really should be the very last step. I hope you find this video useful!

[@jimf.625]

Great information. Step by step explanation was perfect.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you!

[@basskat1440]

Excellent video. Well done. Thanks for your expertise.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@basskat1440 thank you!

[@rodaanalgalidi2519]

GREAT🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Thanks alot👍👍👍

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@rodaanalgalidi2519 glad you found a useful, thanks!

[@carmenspangenberg5088]

Excellent explanation. Thank you!

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you!

[@Joe29587]

Great video! I've ruined a few nibs in the past when trying to fix them. I think I overpolished them and they would just feel weird when writing. Do you have tips on how to fix baby's bottom?

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@Joe29587thank you! it’s easy to go too far, that’s why this should really be the last step and used sparingly. If you’re positive you have baby’s bottom, I would do a few strokes with micro mesh starting with the nib in a low angle, pulling towards you and angling up (so the feed is facing you). This will flatten the center of the tines. Then a few figure 8s angling the nib towards the right and left will polish out sharp edges.

[@onedayornever]

superb video! Thank you

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you!

[@bhushanm3481]

Nice n informative

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Thank you!

[@JacobWalker-v4j]

what paper are you using here?

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@JacobWalker-v4j just some fountain pen friendly copy paper.

[@nrs6956]

How often are these adjustments necessary? Thank you.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Typically I find it most useful when first getting a pen, but proceed with caution because you are likely to void warranty. Besides that, you may see tines spreading over time if you write with a heavy hand. Also you may need nib adjustments if something happens that bends the tines or nicks the polish on the tip.

[@vsovereign3]

Can I use razor blade like from Gillette? I don't have shims or feeleer gauge.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@vsovereign3 in theory I would say yes, but I haven’t personally tried. Brass shims are going to be the safest to use on nibs

[@martyfrank3548]

Thanks for the video help.. Im new to working with fountains (for art) and if my pen were pooling like that first nib you tuned it would be disasterous for me.. how would you then address this pooling at the end of your lines? Thanks

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

You may want to try narrowing the gap between the tines. This is done by either pinching them together or using the crisscrossing method I showed. You could also simply try a smaller size nib (example go from a Medium to a Fine).

[@seungyinyu551]

❤❤

[@Commoncurates]

What's the best way to get the oils off of the feeler gauge? Mine came very oiled between each shim

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

That’s to help allow the shims to slide over each other. The oil is safe for stainless steel so I never removed it from mine, but I suppose you could wipe it off with some paper towel.

[@jantjejansen]

Have some Pilot pens that are so smooth, no sound or any resistance when writing. No mather how I polish some other pens to perfection they never become as smooth as those Pilots. Even tried with metal polish on different cloths (microfiber and lens cleaning cloths). What's the secret to make a fountain pen as smooth that you don't even feel like it toutch the paper anymore? How to make slight baby bottoms on purpose to remove the sharp edge from the center of the nib where the tines touch?

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

It’s an art form to get the nib exactly as smooth as you want. Most likely Pilot uses a combination of different abrasives starting rough and working toward finer grits. But their exact process is a secrete. I’ve never intentionally caused baby’s bottom. I suppose you could spread the tines and then polish the tipping material. But if you have burs between the tines, you can likely get them out by flossing with brass shims and then polishing the tip.

[@jantjejansen]

​@@ForTheLoveOfPens Thanks.. Stumbled across this video v=oPmaKu2N858 addressing the issue at 7:45.. Running the center of the nibb over the edge of a 2000 gritt sandpaper has made my pen already a lot smoother. It was not caused by a burr but the inner of nib between the tines being too sharp 🙂

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@jantjejansen The technique he shows is pretty risky, and could easily cause misaligned tines - resulting in possibly needing to remove excess material. But if done carefully it would smooth the tipping material around the slit.

[@rupertwu2662]

I guess my Pilot 743 nib has the problem of body bottom which causes skid from time to time. This situation persists after regular using the pen for 3 months. Any ideas to fix this problems. Thanks.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Considering the cost of the pen, I’d suggest reaching out to a nib expert first. Tuning yourself could cause more issues. If you feel confident you can do light strokes with the pen inked on sand paper starting with the pen at a low angle and swooping up to 90degrees. This should flatten the tipping material. Then switch to figure 8s to finish off the polish.

[@rupertwu2662]

Thank you for your prompt reply. I live in Hong Kong and that it is hard to find a nib expert here. I think I will follow your instruction and try it myself. Anyway, wish me good luck!@@ForTheLoveOfPens

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@rupertwu2662 happy to help, hope it goes well! The key is to go slowly 🤞🤞

[@stathkon]

Hello. I would like to share an annoying fact. I notice that nany of my nibs that i already tuned, write smoothly and pleasant but next morning i hear a sound on paper. I wouldn't say it scratchy but a very bad sound. So i tune them again. Do you have an explanation? I feel very disappointed if i have to tune the nibs over and over again

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Likely what’s going on is called elastic deformation. The nib’s material has a memory and eventually wants to return to the original state. If the tines still look aligned and the flow is ok, I would just focus on polishing the tipping material. That will be a more permanent fix.

[@stathkon]

@@ForTheLoveOfPensah ok. So i quess that's a common to other users thing. i do polish it. So you suggest that i must keep polishing several times when i notice that happens?

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@stathkon unless you are writing with a heavy hand, the tines shouldn’t move much. I recommend checking alignment when you notice the scratchiness. If everything looks ok, then slowly polish until it feels good to you

[@stathkon]

@@ForTheLoveOfPens ok. I understand. So do you think it's normal to happen many times? I forgot to tell you that i have many pens and i usually don't use one specifically for more than one day continuesly.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@stathkon if you tune it according to how I show, I wouldn’t say that’s normal. I think a few things could be happening. You could be writing with a heavy hand, forcing the tines to spread. Or you may be changing the angle that you’re writing at. If this is the case, rotating the nib as you polish will help.

[@Stellar-Anomaly]

I would rather just buy a nib 😢that's very difficult

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

I showed fairly extreme cases in this video. Sometimes just minor tweaks can greatly improve your writing experience in just seconds (and for much less than buying another nib or sending it to a nib-smith). However, I recommend practicing with inexpensive nibs first, as you do risk causing damage.

[@7_v610]

Seems like some Metals Plasticity is “happening” here (my research expertise). 😮

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

Absolutely! The elastic properties are something I’m considering exploring in a future video

[@7_v610]

@@ForTheLoveOfPens as you can understand, I would not considering taking the risk to control plastic deformation with my hands at that almost-“micro”-scale level. In my opinion, and without judging anyone (here), you do very well you suggest that for pricey, or not-inexpensive, pens, people should refer to an expert. As I said, myself I would not be attempting to tune the plastic displacement (relative or not) of my nib’s tines, expecting a perfect concluding symmetry in the end. Very-very risky! Of course, that is applicable to me; other people may have the tools to attempt some tuning practices, with confidence, themselves, and anticipate a good outcome. I appreciate you put all these elements to the table, and as always, thanks for sharing another very informative video, in my opinion, Sir!

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

@@7_v610 thank you! I agree it is very risky, and doubly so doing it over a camera. Hence using very cheap nibs for this video.

[@7_v610]

@@ForTheLoveOfPens definitely!

[@nikossiotas]

I am not a nib master, but in my humble opinion, i think the way you are trying to fix them is wrong, and causes different problems. You should widen the tines straight doing left right moves not bent them, and you should narrow them by pushing and keeping the tines straight not overlapping them.

[@ForTheLoveOfPens]

I appreciate the feedback! I note bending the tines as an alternative to flossing and mention that it is a more risky method. For narrowing the tines I’m curious how you push them together? I’ve tried holding at the shoulders and pushing, but this tends to just cause the tines to rotate. I suppose you could also just pinch near the tip, but I’ve found this to be less controlled.