I came to this job with
no experience with fountain pens and very little experience with nibs
in general. (I do draw with Speedball dip pens.) The whole world of
nib work and the difference between one nib manufacturer and another
was foreign to me. So in the few months that I have been here at Classic
Fountain Pens I have learned some of the basics. Here are five
points that I have picked up so far.
First, I learned that no
two nibs are alike. Nibs are like people. They can be of the same
family (manufacturer) and have the same general appearance (body,
tines, tip, etc.), but when put to the paper marks vary. It is this
personality that each nib has that is so attractive.
The second thing I realized
is that the same nib will write differently in different hands. (Hey,
I used a ballpoint up until now.) It is all in the pressure, and that
is key when making a perfect match between individual and pen. It
is simple really. The harder you press the more ink you get, and because
of that certain nibs are not recommended for certain writers.
Third, nibs are sensitive
(so don't hurt their feelings). They can get clogged if not cleaned
from time to time, and if you use the wrong ink things can get ugly
fast (you can check our web site for cleaning instructions under Pen
Maintenance at: http://www.nibs.com/PenMaintenance.htm).
Nibs do not take well to Base Jumping and will always land on their
tip, bringing your writing experience to a grinding halt. This raises
the question: if you attached a nib to a piece of buttered toast and
dropped it (provided that the nib was on the un-buttered side) would
it land nib first or not?
Fourth tidbit of information
I learned: alignment of the tines is key, the pen will not write if
the tines are not straight. Additionally if the tines are spread apart
the fine mark is going to be pretty broad. This can happen when the
feed is pressed too tight against the nib. Conversely, if the nib
is to far from the feed your pen will not write even if you ask it
nicely.
Fifth when the tipping is
too round the ink will not get to the paper very well because there
must be a flat point of contact. This can drive the writer mad "I
filled this pen so why wouldn't it @#*%! write?" The good thing
is that the fix can be just a light grind away.
I know that most of our
readers have owned fountain pens and the information that I provide
might seem obvious. However, I hope that you have found it entertaining
to read this short piece. I promise that as my experience and knowledge
grows I will provide you with more informative articles. 'Till then,
I can keep you smiling!
