Where The Metal Meets The Paper

[Precise]

In the thread below, I mention that my Italian nibs are my smoothest, presumably because they are flattened somewhat where they touch the paper.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/297964-my-italian-nibs-are-my-smoothest/

 

Since starting that thread, I've improved my photographic technique. Here are some photos. I think much can be learned about a pen from examining the tip "Where the Metal Meets the Paper".

 

First, my three Italian nibs, which have flattened contact:

 

 

 

This is my smoothest pen. This photo reveals a left tine slightly higher than the right. But the tines barely touch each other near the tip, and when I write they self-align.

 

Next, non-Italian nibs which are flattened or semi-flattened:

 

 

 

This is my smoothest Duke pen.

 

It arrived as a ball. I flattened the contact slightly.

 

This pen arrived pretty scratchy. I flattened the contact slightly but it remained scratchy. Next I rounded the tip which had been digging in on the upstroke. It's now my smoothest Japanese Fine nib.

 

The last group are rounded, like a ball:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

Alan

Edited October 7, 2015 by Precise

[PS104]

Your photographic skills are awesome

Your pics provide new insight into the geometry of the various nibs

Thank you

[TassoBarbasso]

This stuff is great! I'm not sure if I understand correctly though: are you saying that the "Italian" nibs (which are actually Bocks, I believe) are flattened "out of the box"? Or did you flatten them?

[Precise]

This stuff is great! I'm not sure if I understand correctly though: are you saying that the "Italian" nibs (which are actually Bocks, I believe) are flattened "out of the box"? Or did you flatten them?

 

My three Italian pens, Delta, Omas, and Montegrappa are flattened "out of the box".

 

Alan

[Venemo]

Wow, cool pictures.

[TassoBarbasso]

 

My three Italian pens, Delta, Omas, and Montegrappa are flattened "out of the box".

 

Alan

 

Nice! I need to have a look at my "Italians".

 

I would be curious to know how these compare with Auroras, since it's the only Italian company that still makes its own nibs.

[jar]

I only see any "flattening" on Stub, Oblique or italic nibs, thank God.

[Precise]

 

Nice! I need to have a look at my "Italians".

 

I would be curious to know how these compare with Auroras, since it's the only Italian company that still makes its own nibs.

If you have a magnifying glass or a microscope, you could examine some Aurora nibs. Or perhaps google images? No, google will give you a lot of images that are not Aurora.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Precise

[Precise]

I only see any "flattening" on Stub, Oblique or italic nibs, thank God.

Hi Jar,

 

Why do you "thank God"? I love writing with my flattened nibs. They glide sensually over the paper.

 

Alan

[jar]

Hi Jar,

 

Why do you "thank God"? I love writing with my flattened nibs. They glide sensually over the paper.

 

Alan

 

I'm happy you are happy. But footed nibs simply limit the sweet spot.

[Precise]

 

I'm happy you are happy. But footed nibs simply limit the sweet spot.

Hi Jar,

 

I expected this. I imagined a small change in angle causing an edge of the nib "foot" to scrape. But I've never felt that.

 

Alan

[dompred]

I've been looking for pictures like these to have a reference point for my nibs. Very useful post Alan, many thanks!

[Precise]

A few words about how these photographs were made.

 

I struggled a lot with attempting to position my tripod-mounted camera within a few millimeters of the "just right" position for high magnification photos like these. It's very difficult.

 

So I finally mounted my camera on a microscope stand. That makes it easy to rack the camera up and down precisely.

 

I first shined a light directly at the nib, but that gave me a very bright highlight, which tended to obscure the shape of the tip. You can see some of these highlights in the thread that I referenced in the original post of this thread.

 

I found it works best just to rely on the stray light in the room. That extended the exposure time, which is no problem with the supported camera.

 

I also found it less frustrating to use manual focus. Autofocus worked sometimes, but often didn't work on the tiny nib tip.

 

Many of you probably have excellent macro lenses. I don't, so I jury-rigged a coupling which holds an old 80mm enlarger lens, facing the camera's standard 50mm lens. The nib is on the short-focus (film) side of the enlarging lens. It gives excellent resolution but vignettes. However the un-vignetted center image is large enough for this task.

Edited October 7, 2015 by Precise

[creedo]

Kudos for the very nice work!

[Precise]

I've flattened a couple of Duke Chinese pens to the Italian style (see photos of Omas and Delta in original post). They write beautifully smooth. It was very easy.

 

I held the pen as if I were writing (to match my personal grip angle) and stroked downward with my hand sliding on 400 grit paper, checking it often with a microscope. After a total stroke distance of about 20 inches, it was as flat as my Italian pens. Then I stroked a bit more with left and right twist and rocked it up and down a bit to round all the edges of the flat. Finally, I polished with about five infinity signs on each of 6,000, 8,000, and 12,000 soft grit pads.

 

The whole process took a few minutes and made a $15 pen write like my multi-hundred dollar Italian pens.

[Brianm_14]

These photos are highly instructive, good comparisons, and so very expertly done! Thanks so much. Much easier to hit the bullseye if you know what to aim for.

 

Thanks again,

Brian

[Precise]

Others have written that some drag helps their penmanship. They don't want the nib to "skate" too easily on the paper. I've written that I agree.

 

I got that lesson very strongly with the Duke 116, which is one of the pens that I gave an "Italian flat" (see post #15 above). It glides so friction-free on Rhodia (my most slippery paper), that I can't write neatly with it. But when I write on less-smooth paper, such as Hamelin Black n' Red, I can write well with it.

 

So, like candy - there can be too much of a good thing.

 

Alan

Edited October 15, 2015 by Precise

[Precise]

I've flattened a couple of Duke Chinese pens to the Italian style (see photos of Omas and Delta in original post). They write beautifully smooth. It was very easy.

 

I held the pen as if I were writing (to match my personal grip angle) and stroked downward with my hand sliding on 400 grit paper, checking it often with a microscope. After a total stroke distance of about 20 inches, it was as flat as my Italian pens. Then I stroked a bit more with left and right twist and rocked it up and down a bit to round all the edges of the flat. Finally, I polished with about five infinity signs on each of 6,000, 8,000, and 12,000 soft grit pads.

 

The whole process took a few minutes and made a $15 pen write like my multi-hundred dollar Italian pens.

Below, I've added a closeup photo of my Duke 116 nib after flattening. Prior to flattening, it was round like the Duke D191 in the original post of this thread.

 

This cheap pen is now one of my smoothest. It is smoother than my MB 149 and my Sailor KOP.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Precise

[pajaro]

I don't see how this works.

[jsolares]

I don't see how this works.

 

He's giving the tip a bigger contact area and so less pressure per area, which means it's less likely to puncture or scratch the paper, another possible reason is the's using abrasives to do this and thus getting a smoother surface than before, it does make me wonder if just using micro-mesh without altering the shape of the tipping would work the same.