Nib Burnishing Equipment

[MercianScribe]

Hello all,

 

Since I'm careful, haven't messed up any repairs yet (touch wood!), have a steady pair of hands and a few slightly shonky spare nibs of dubious providence, I'd like to get into burnishing/straightening.

 

1. Pentooling (I think it was - I have a link somewhere) does a burnishing set of one burnisher and one convex taper in a nice wooden block, and another with a convex surface too, both at reasonable prices but I fear the shipping would be horrible. Does anyone know of any other options from other pen sites?

 

2. Would it be possible to make a set, and if so using what? I have had polished agate and aluminium suggested to me by a restorer, and I was wondering about a tapered acrylic rod. Does anyone have recommendations/cautions about materials, advice about shaping the equipment (degree of taper etc)?

 

3. Does anyone have any advice as to technique?

 

Thanks as always!

[hari317]

I see that you are flying a UK flag. Penpractice (Dr Oldfield) in the UK has burnishers and also their own design nib blocks available on their website. HTH.

 

I was able to buy a variety of burnishers from my local watch making supplies shop. Maybe yu can try the same.

 

I have had the best results with the Pentooling double sided burnisher and also the Cathederal pens UK burnisher that they sold along with their block.

[Chrissy]

I'm not sure if you're in Japan or UK, but I've bought from Pentooling several times when I've been in the US, and highly recommend his stuff. Last time I came home with one of his S/S nib knock-out blocks and punch

 

I'm returning in May 2018.........

[eachan]

I can recommend the Pen Practice nib burnishing kit. Very high quality and easy to use.

[Chrissy]

I like the look of most of the tools offered by the Pen Practice.

[eachan]

I like the look of most of the tools offered by the Pen Practice.

 

I confess to admiring hand-made specialist tools for their own sake.

[siamackz]

I can recommend the Pen Practice nib burnishing kit. Very high quality and easy to use.

+1

[MercianScribe]

Thanks all. Im English living in Japan. Yeah, it was PenPractice that was the one I saw. And yes, I like good tools, but currently, I like inexpensive tools or hacks even more!

 

Cathedral Pens seems defunct, unless anyone has any more info...?

 

The burnisher on Pentooling does look good...

 

And then there are David Nishimura's acrylic blocks...

Edited December 20, 2017 by MercianScribe

[MercianScribe]

Oh yeah, I have two bent steel nibs too, and Im assuming if it is possible to straighten them, Mr Nishimuras acrylic would get chewed up, and Dr Oldfields steel would be fine...?

Edited December 20, 2017 by MercianScribe

[amk]

Cheapskate guide to burnishing;

 

Make your own burnisher by getting a six inch (or larger) nail, and filing the tip into a round, filing the sides smooth, then sanding, then micromeshing it absolutely smooth. Make it a handle if you want, but it's the absolute smoothness that is important.

 

If you are handy with wood - I drilled a couple of different sized holes in a block of hard wood (beech, but lignum vitae or blackwood might have worked; soft wood like pine or very grainy wood like oak won't work), cut it along a diagonal on the bandsaw, which gave me a taper. It's not as hard as steel but it is pretty hardwearing. I've managed to straighten out a few crumpled nibs, not completely as good as new but pretty well - cosmetically they could do with work, but they write.

[Larry Barrieau]

Are there any videos out there showing close up how to straighten a bent nib?

[hari317]

Oh yeah, I have two bent steel nibs too, and Im assuming if it is possible to straighten them, Mr Nishimuras acrylic would get chewed up, and Dr Oldfields steel would be fine...?

I have never attempted to straighten a bent steel nib. Soft nib material like gold works best on the nib block. Dr oldfields set requires a bench vise to hold it. The blocks of steytler type sold by cathedral pens are quite heavy and can be simply placed on your workbench without additional support. Cathedral pens used to be on FPN. Last I heard they were on Facebook but I dont go there so I have no first hand info on their current situation. Pentooling block is hardened aluminium iirc. I dont know if they need additional securing to workbench to prevent the block from moving as you burnish.

Edited December 21, 2017 by hari317

[siamackz]

I use the conversation nib straightening tool here http://www.penpractice.com/page3.html