Ruined Nib? Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

[OMASsimo]

Many of us rant and moan about receiving expensive brand new pens with dysfunctional nibs. Yes, this is a pain and a shame for the manufacturers. But if you want to see some really totalled nibs, go ahead and buy a vintage lot of pens on ebay. Here is one of my most recent champions.

 

 

 

 

 

(Excuse me for the lousy cell phone pictures, I didn't get around to take those in my studio.)

 

This is a tiny Kaweco Sport 11 piston filler pocket pen from the 1950s with an amazingly bent nib. The right tine is bent downwards by almost 80° and the nib looks like a total wreck. I'd love to know how the previous owner managed to do this.

 

Anyway, this was a bonus pen in the lot and in fairly good condition otherwise. You also don't see very many of them and I was happy with it. So, I went to work on the nib just for fun and in order to see if it could be rescued. Yes, we can! I gently forged the nib back into proper shape, adjusted it to the feed, and set it back into the section. A few finishing touches and adjustments and done! Kissing this sleeping beauty didn't take too much effort and now it's writing like a charm.

 

Long story short: don't give up too easily on a seemingly totalled gold nib. There's much more possible than usual customer service is willing to admit.

 

Edit: I've also made a picture of the nib after the repair:

 

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by OMASsimo

[Chrissy]

Please can we see an 'after' picture?

[OMASsimo]

Yes, of course. Just give me some daylight since I'm not at my studio where I have a full set of strobes. I'll also give you a writing sample.

Edited October 30, 2017 by OMASsimo

[AmandaW]

Many of us rant and moan about receiving expensive brand new pens with dysfunctional nibs. Yes, this is a pain and a shame for the manufacturers. But if you want to see some really totalled nibs, go ahead and buy a vintage lot of pens on ebay... The right tine is bent downwards by almost 80° and the nib looks like a total wreck.

 

 

 

Exactly. It's scary enough buying brand new pens without being able to try them and see them, but this poor pen is why I wouldn't buy a vintage pen. I am sure there are some fine and satisfying examples out there, but the odds just aren't favourable enough to be worth the risk.

[mitto]

Waiting for the 'after' pictures.

[OMASsimo]

 

 

Exactly. It's scary enough buying brand new pens without being able to try them and see them, but this poor pen is why I wouldn't buy a vintage pen. I am sure there are some fine and satisfying examples out there, but the odds just aren't favourable enough to be worth the risk.

 

I'd think about this twice because you're missing out big time. There's a hole new universe to discover once you go to vintage pens. And don't get me wrong, many vintage pens on ebay are great. I deliberately bought a lot that contained pens which needed help. All the pens I wanted were good and this pity one was basically a free gift on top. One of the pens, a Kaweco Carat, the top of the line model of the 1930s, was in good shape and worth way more than what I payed for the entire lot! And believe it or not, the restored nib of the Kaweco 11 shows a lot more character and is more fun to write with than most modern pens offer.

Edited October 31, 2017 by OMASsimo

[kestrel]

 

 

Exactly. It's scary enough buying brand new pens without being able to try them and see them, but this poor pen is why I wouldn't buy a vintage pen. I am sure there are some fine and satisfying examples out there, but the odds just aren't favourable enough to be worth the risk.

I used to look at vintage pens this way but I worked hard on repair skills until the line between don't buy and take a chance shifted. The result is acquiring some really nice pens at low prices because they needed a little (OK, sometimes a lot of) TLC that I was willing to give them. The fixing is as much fun as the writing, especially when you find a "diamond in the rough" to bring back to life.

[PAKMAN]

Love to see the after. Congrats on saving a great little pen!

[OMASsimo]

Thanks for all the interest in this little pen and the request for "after" picture. I'll try to accommodate.

 

 

Here is a video, showing that the pen really does write:

 

https://vimeo.com/240644375

 

(btw, can anyone explain to me how to embed this video here? Couldn't find anything.)

 

And here how it looks what it writes:

 

 

Sorry for the poor quality of the cell phone picture.

 

 

P.s.: I added a picture of the repaired nib in the initial post.

Edited October 31, 2017 by OMASsimo

[Chrissy]

I'm impressed. It just goes to show that a bent nib doesn't always have to stay a bent nib. Well done you.

 

To embed a video I'm not certain which link works best in the set above your post (using the full editor) either the tree (Image) or maybe the link (chain). Someone else may know for sure.

[amk]

What a nice story, rescuing a pen that had fallen on hard times. I have a 'legs crossed' Waterman to look after... Hope it is as cooperative as the Kaweco!

[corgicoupe]

You say you "gently forged the nib back into shape". Would you please describe that procedure?

[OMASsimo]

I'm impressed. It just goes to show that a bent nib doesn't always have to stay a bent nib. Well done you.

 

To embed a video I'm not certain which link works best in the set above your post (using the full editor) either the tree (Image) or maybe the link (chain). Someone else may know for sure.

 

Thank you. Yes, it was the aim of my post to demonstrate that a nib seemingly beyond repair can be brought back to life. And if a hobbyist like me can do it, there should be no excuse for the manufacturers not being able to get a nib straight.

 

 

What a nice story, rescuing a pen that had fallen on hard times. I have a 'legs crossed' Waterman to look after... Hope it is as cooperative as the Kaweco!

 

Thank you and good luck with your Waterman. I was surprised how pliable the 585 gold of the nib was. I don't think it has anything to do with the brand.

[OMASsimo]

You say you "gently forged the nib back into shape". Would you please describe that procedure?

 

First I cleaned the pen and pulled nib and feed out of the section. Then I took a piece of a brass rod of the right diameter and used it as a nib block. Aluminium would be even better because it is softer and has less potential to leave scratches on the surface. But brass is pretty good as well. The ends of the "nib block" should be rounded off pretty well.

 

First I bent the tine roughly back into shape using my fingers and the nib block. Then I used my special watchmaker's(*) hammer and very gently straightened the nib on the block. Attention: the tip must not touch the block! This got the nib perfectly straight. Then, using my fingers, I adjusted the slit and the right curvature so that the nib would sit snug on the feeder. This would be a bit hard to explain in detail if you've never done nib adjustment before. But I hope you got a rough idea of the procedure.

 

(*) my watchmaker's hammer has a very small lightweight (aluminium) head with a brass insert on one side and a plastic (maybe PE or poly amide) insert on the other side of the head. It's made for precision mechanics and using it to straighten the nib was an unusually coarse use of it.

[mitto]

It is fun to bring back to life a dead nib. I often do that with pens I buy cheap for having such nibs. The before and afer pictures of one such nib:

 

Before (both tines bent and twisted):

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/monthly_12_2016/post-117288-0-97041100-1483191320.jpg

 

After:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/monthly_12_2016/post-117288-0-90795700-1483191921.jpg

[ParkerDuofold]

It is fun to bring back to life a dead nib. I often do that with pens I buy cheap for having such nibs. The before and afer pictures of one such nib:

 

Before (both tines bent and twisted):

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/monthly_12_2016/post-117288-0-97041100-1483191320.jpg

 

After:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/monthly_12_2016/post-117288-0-90795700-1483191921.jpg

That's fantastic, Mitto. Great job!

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony

Edited November 1, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[ParkerDuofold]

First I cleaned the pen and pulled nib and feed out of the section. Then I took a piece of a brass rod of the right diameter and used it as a nib block. Aluminium would be even better because it is softer and has less potential to leave scratches on the surface. But brass is pretty good as well. The ends of the "nib block" should be rounded off pretty well.

 

First I bent the tine roughly back into shape using my fingers and the nib block. Then I used my special watchmaker's(*) hammer and very gently straightened the nib on the block. Attention: the tip must not touch the block! This got the nib perfectly straight. Then, using my fingers, I adjusted the slit and the right curvature so that the nib would sit snug on the feeder. This would be a bit hard to explain in detail if you've never done nib adjustment before. But I hope you got a rough idea of the procedure.

 

(*) my watchmaker's hammer has a very small lightweight (aluminium) head with a brass insert on one side and a plastic (maybe PE or poly amide) insert on the other side of the head. It's made for precision mechanics and using it to straighten the nib was an unusually coarse use of it.

Congratulations Omasimo,

 

I'm wondering if the re-shaping of the nib could be done by placing the nib over a matching diameter wooden dowel; placing a protective cloth over it and pounding it back into shape with a ten to twelve oz. wooden or rubber mallet - or do you need the jewellers hammer with an aluminum head?

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony

 

EDITED to correct typos.

Edited November 1, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[mitto]

Anthony, I have my own simple methods. You may read this thread.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/316877-home-repairs-with-almost-no-tools/?do=findComment&comment=3758182

[OMASsimo]

G

 

It is fun to bring back to life a dead nib. I often do that with pens I buy cheap for having such nibs. The before and afer pictures of one such nib:

Before (both tines bent and twisted):

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/monthly_12_2016/post-117288-0-97041100-1483191320.jpg

After:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/monthly_12_2016/post-117288-0-90795700-1483191921.jpg

 

Great work! Looks like you run a spa for abused Parkers. Now that I know how easy it is to straighten a nib, I might buy pens I'd have avoided previously.

[OMASsimo]

Congratulations Omasimo,

 

I'm wondering if the re-shaping of the nib could be done by placing the nib over a matching diameter wooden dowel; placing a protective cloth over it and pounding it back into shape with a ten to twelve oz. wooden or rubber mallet - or do you need the jewellers hammer with an aluminum head?

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony

 

Thank you, Anthony!

 

Well, this was my first repair of a nib bent this badly, so, I'm certainly not an expert. I bet one could do it in countless ways using various makeshift tools. I think that any small hammer might do more or less, I just happen to have my watchmaking tools I can use for this. But keep in mind that the head of my hammer is about 1-2 oz. and your 10-12 oz. mallet sounds like a "truck" to me. I also think that you'd want a sufficiently hard "nib block" with a smooth surface. If the material is too soft and easily deformed, you probably won't get the precision you want. I'd think that brass is pretty ideal. On the other hand, if you watch the production of a gold nib, they use heavy machinery for cutting, embossing, and bending the nib raws into shape and the molds seem to be steel. Of course, the nibs are polished afterwards.This wasn't even necessary in my case.

 

Anyway, good luck in case you want to try it.