on nibs

[Juantxo]

Fountain pens are rather complicated tools. Well, more complicated than a Bic ballpoint. And that's part of their allure and why they are better writers than the Bic.

However, as the world has been engulfed in mass production, and mass production nowadays means hundreds of thousands and millions, not all nibs come out perfectly from the factory. Some manufacturers, of course, are more consistent than others. In any case, it's disheartening to receive an otherwise great pen with a pesky nib. I have a Sailor 1911 like that. So what do we do...?

In my case, I prefer to buy my pens from people who know pens and who take the care of making sure your nib is delivered in proper working condition. Something which is not possible when buying from Amazon, for instance. And one of those stores that guarantee your nib will perform as intended is Classic Fountain Pens (nibs.com).

The owner of CFP is an artist, a master craftsman, a master nibster. His name is John Mottishaw. John is a legend in the world of fine pens and without peers in his trade. Moreover, John is a hell of a good guy.

I'm writing this post because I'm the type of person who hates to change his barber, his dentist, his doctor, his watchmaker... If something works fine, why change it...? And my experience with the nibs John has modified for me and the pens I have bought from him could not be any better.

Not only is it a pleasure to receive a pen that functions and writes flawlessly, it is also great to indulge in the vice of modified nibs. Oh, what a stub modification would do to a simple fine Pelikan nib...!!

Anyhow, I'm not getting paid by CFP, I doubt they would peek into this small neck of the pen woods, I'm just passing what I think is a good tip to you.

[Formulansx]

I bought pens from all over, mostly from being new to the hobby and not knowing any better. Ebay, Amazon, private sellers, as well as known retailers in the pen world. I've found that nib tuning is spotty at best from the factory in most cases. I've had to work on just about all of them in some form or another regardless of the cost of the pen. My blood pressure would probably be lower right now had I sent the pens to a nibmeister but I'm impatient to wait for shipping and work to be done. I'm looking forward to doing business with John Mottishaw as this future Nakaya order with a modified nib is not something I want to tackle myself just yet. I'll leave the italic modifications to the experts

[Bisquitlips]

I just acquired a Nakaya Heki-Tamanuri with a Mottishaw nib that I haven't had the pleasure of inking up yet. This weekend will be the time.

I have many customized nibs by many nibmeisters and every one of them excelled my expectations. Sherrill Tyree lives locally and I have had the pleasure to sit with her in her home and talk fountain pens. Her brother in Dallas also is a nibmeister, howbeit virtually unknown. She is a delight!

When I retire I am going to begin to try my hand at customizing nibs. If not for others, I will do it for myself.

Thanks for the information!

[Juantxo]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

I just acquired a Nakaya Heki-Tamanuri with a Mottishaw nib that I haven't had the pleasure of inking up yet. This weekend will be the time.

I have many customized nibs by many nibmeisters and every one of them excelled my expectations. Sherrill Tyree lives locally and I have had the pleasure to sit with her in her home and talk fountain pens. Her brother in Dallas also is a nibmeister, howbeit virtually unknown. She is a delight!

When I retire I am going to begin to try my hand at customizing nibs. If not for others, I will do it for myself.

Thanks for the information!

It must be great to be able to spend time with someone like Sherrill. I wonder if I'd have the patience and wisdom to start working more or less seriously on nibs. I love the idea of doing so, though.