How To Straighten A Bent Nib?

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I bought this Parker Frontier fountain pen, used, in 2009. The seller assured me that it was in working order and wrote smoothly.

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_1.jpg

 

It cost $10.00 and insurance was heavily suggested by the seller. It cost me a total of $14.70, which is pricey enough for me.

 

When I got it I found that the nib was bent. It will ineed write, but you have to hold the pen perpendicular to the paper in order to get it to do so.

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_2.jpg

 

The seller said I could send it back, of course then I'd end up out the postage and have nothing to show for it. I did think about sending it back. Subsequently I got depressed, not just about this pen, and I never sent it back. Way too late now. And, besides, I'd like to be able to use this pen, maybe replace the Parker Vector I carry in my pocket with it.

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_3.jpg

 

I have a not great track record with repairing my own fountain pens. I can't justify sending this pen off to be fixed. So does anyone have any suggestions about how I might try to get the tines into a better position than they're in now so I could use this fountain pen?

 

Above are three photographs from the side which I hope show the degree of bending in the nib. Below is a photograph from the top

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_4.jpg

 

I am open to suggestions.

[Truppi327]

IIRC, FPN member watch_art has offered to fix members pens just for the fun of it. Try shooting him a PM.

[watch_art]

you can wrap some tiny needle nose pliers with a little masking tape, and grab and bend down, slowly, with that.

[Truppi327]

Hey! That's the guy I was talkin' about!

[Sailor Kenshin]

  On 1/18/2011 at 1:50 AM, Ink Stained Wretch said:

I bought this Parker Frontier fountain pen, used, in 2009. The seller assured me that it was in working order and wrote smoothly.

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_1.jpg

 

It cost $10.00 and insurance was heavily suggested by the seller. It cost me a total of $14.70, which is pricey enough for me.

 

When I got it I found that the nib was bent. It will ineed write, but you have to hold the pen perpendicular to the paper in order to get it to do so.

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_2.jpg

 

The seller said I could send it back, of course then I'd end up out the postage and have nothing to show for it. I did think about sending it back. Subsequently I got depressed, not just about this pen, and I never sent it back. Way too late now. And, besides, I'd like to be able to use this pen, maybe replace the Parker Vector I carry in my pocket with it.

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_3.jpg

 

I have a not great track record with repairing my own fountain pens. I can't justify sending this pen off to be fixed. So does anyone have any suggestions about how I might try to get the tines into a better position than they're in now so I could use this fountain pen?

 

Above are three photographs from the side which I hope show the degree of bending in the nib. Below is a photograph from the top

 

http://i427.photobucket.com/albums/pp360/Ink_Stained_Wretch/frontier_bent_nib_4.jpg

 

I am open to suggestions.

 

Omigosh, you have a FUDE pen!

 

I've been trying to figure out how to BEND one of my pens to get it like that.

 

(Biiig fude nib fan here).

 

Want to trade for something else?

[Ink Stained Wretch]

  On 1/18/2011 at 1:56 AM, watch_art said:

you can wrap some tiny needle nose pliers with a little masking tape, and grab and bend down, slowly, with that.

Thanks, should I grab it from the front and try to bend it down or should I try to grab it from the side and bend it down :hmm1: ?

[Ink Stained Wretch]

  On 1/18/2011 at 1:59 AM, Sailor Kenshin said:

Omigosh, you have a FUDE pen!

 

I've been trying to figure out how to BEND one of my pens to get it like that.

 

(Biiig fude nib fan here).

 

Want to trade for something else?

What on Earth is a FUDE pen?

[watch_art]

i'd take the nib and feed out first. then kinda grab it from the front... and uh...

hold on...

i'll make a drawring that might help.

 

edit:

okay.

sorta maybe kinda like this?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5365729635_0a6b8261bd.jpg

bendnib by 1bbf5f62c0d499cdb6d049dbb7adaf6a, on Flickr

 

but don't lay the WHOLE nib on the jaw of the pliers. I think the top pic is better, but have the nib hanging off a bit. that way the bend is in the middle of the amount that is resting on the plier jaw. if that makes sense.

okay, so if from the bend forward, is 2 mm, have 2mm behind the bend, maybe more, that will actually be in the jaws of the pliers.

 

does that make sense? oy. i need to go to bed.

 

edit:

but go slow! don't apply too much pressure at once. go slow, in little baby bits, and hopefully you should be fine.

 

this is delicate stuff here man. but remember. it's just metal and it bends. and it can snap off without warning!

 

i broke a parker 51 nib once, but i was being very rough. didn't have a clue what i was doing. if i had just grabbed some pliers and slowly squeezed, that nib would have been fine. i've fixed a few mangled nibs since then though. i learned the tape on pliers trick here on FPN somewhere. one of the nib guys teaches it at penshow workshops? not real sure.

 

good luck!

Edited January 18, 2011 by watch_art

[ThirdeYe]

  On 1/18/2011 at 4:37 AM, Ink Stained Wretch said:

  On 1/18/2011 at 1:59 AM, Sailor Kenshin said:

Omigosh, you have a FUDE pen!

 

I've been trying to figure out how to BEND one of my pens to get it like that.

 

(Biiig fude nib fan here).

 

Want to trade for something else?

What on Earth is a FUDE pen?

 

A fude pen is a Japanese brush pen or a pen capable of making brush-like strokes.

Edited January 18, 2011 by ThirdeYe

[Sailor Kenshin]

  On 1/18/2011 at 4:37 AM, Ink Stained Wretch said:

  On 1/18/2011 at 1:59 AM, Sailor Kenshin said:

Omigosh, you have a FUDE pen!

 

I've been trying to figure out how to BEND one of my pens to get it like that.

 

(Biiig fude nib fan here).

 

Want to trade for something else?

What on Earth is a FUDE pen?

 

 

Yesss! Please! What Third Ye said---think of a trade before you try to un-bend that perfect fude.

[watch_art]

so did the drawing help? I'd feel awful if I contributed to damaging the nib even more.

[rickboone]

I think it's supposed to look like this. Wasn't sure of the name of it, but with both tines bent perfectly as they appear to be, I can assume it is intentional.

[watch_art]

I didn't think Parker made a fude style nib...

[Ink Stained Wretch]

  On 1/19/2011 at 2:14 AM, watch_art said:

so did the drawing help? I'd feel awful if I contributed to damaging the nib even more.

Yes, the drawing helps. I haven't tried it yet. Do you think that putting teflon tape of the sort that plumbers use on pipe threads on the pliers would help to keep the tip from binding on the jaws?

 

Also, some folks are of the opinion that this is a good pen as is. Need more dialogue with them on this.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

  On 1/18/2011 at 1:59 PM, Sailor Kenshin said:

think of a trade before you try to un-bend that perfect fude.

Here I was thinking that someone has simply dropped it. And I'm not at all sure that someone didn't just drop it.

 

I'm not saying that this is a fude fountain pen, perfect or otherwise, btw. And I agree with watch_art that Parker didn't make any of their Frontier fountain pens with a fude nib. The metamorphosis of this nib is pretty definitely an after market phenomenon.

 

But if someone did bend this nib on purpose and so make it into a fude nib I should reconsider my attempt to undo that.

 

I see you have a PM to me about it, so I guess we'll take the conversation there.

[watch_art]

as far as this being modified to a fude style nib...

 

only if it actually writes well at various angles. it should go from thin to broad to really broad just by raising or lowering the angle you hold the pen. if it doesn't do this, or doesn't do this very well, then it's just bent. my guess anyway.

[Sailor Kenshin]

But but but but...

 

It LOOKS soooo perfect! I own a number of fude-nibs, I collect them, and they look. Exactly. Like. That.

 

In fact I bought a couple of low-priced pens to try to bend my own fude.

 

This is where metalbending would come in handy. ;-p

[beak]

Here is Sailor's page on that nib - new to me too!

[Sailor Kenshin]

It's pronounced FOO DAY. I have a number of these little marvels from different makers, and if you know the tricks, you can go from an eyelash to a brushstroke. ^^

[richiwalt]

  On 1/20/2011 at 4:20 PM, Sailor Kenshin said:

Will work for FUDE!!!!

 

LOL +1