Got a brand new Faber Castell Classic Sterling Silver Finish in Gold Nib and was hesitant to try this on an extra fine scratchy nib given the hefty price I paid for the pen. The nib alone costs 400$++. I think it only needed sand paper treatment and I had 10000 and 7000. Tried it and wow, amazed with the result. Thanks for the tip.
You are the man!! I'm a big fan of fountain pens. But, I had a few that were noticeably scratchy. I followed your technique with 4000 grit and 8000 grit Micro Mesh. It made the nibs flow smoothly. I was so impressed. Thank you! I used a 3 inch X 6 inch sheet ("Micro Mesh" brand) that I found on Amazon. It was less than $15 for both sheets of mesh. THANK YOU!!
Thanks! That really helped. I had just purchased a Jinhao fountain pen from Amazon for $15.99...a beautiful gold colored pen with cross hashes like the old Parker from days of old, and I was very disappointed because it was Very scratchy. I was going to throw it over the neighbor's fence but then used the micro sanding pads 8000 and 12000 grit, and now it is as smooth as a Ferrari's tailpipe! I am very happy, thank you. pah
Thanks so much for this. I'm new to fountain pens, but I am taking a class where one is required for drawing. Although I bought the instructor's recommended pen (an extra-fine Lamy Safari), I hated the scratchy, uncomfortable action of drawing with it. I tried your suggestions and the pen has improved amazingly!
omg I LOVE you!! I have a pen that I adore but the nib is horrible, this fixed it and now its smooth like butter. It was a little nerve racking trying this, I was so afraid of ruining it but it was a quick and easy fix.
When I was a kid I used to be a fountain pen doctor. We had fountain pens which used to costly less than half a dollar. So I had hundreds of them and everyday I used to experiment with them. I had made some very nice pen which were smother than those pens which cost more than several hundred dollars. Now when I reverted back to fountain pen after using using ball pens for years I can enjoy such thing only on videos as cheap fountain pens are gone from market.
+Shub Try the chinese pens. Such as Jinhou. I'm not sure of the spelling. Goulet Pens is a source of cheap nibs which fit the cheap Noodler's pens. They're still around. You just have to order them online. I do miss buying them from the local stationary stores but at least they still can be had via the internet.
This video helped me restore my Sheaffer Fashion 1 to write again. All he is saying is correct. I did all that he said and made my Sheaffer work again. Thank you.
I was VERY worried as I had a brand new pen, I am new to FP's and it was scratching like crazy. Got out my 7 way nail buffer and while watching this did a few minor loops and upstrokes and the pen writes wonderfully. Thank you!
You're a godsend! I drew a few 8's on 3.5k grit (with a platinum plaisir) hoping to smooth the nib and it ended up a little scratchy. Just used the finest part of a nail polisher and the nib now writes smooth again. thanks.
Hi Kevin, thanks for this video. Today I dropped my uncapped fountain pen and it became scratchy. I followed your tips with the nail file, it worked!! I am so surprised and happy that my favourite fountain pen is now fixed.
Very helpful tips. May I know whether the nail file approach could be applicable to stub and italic flat nibs? I wish to follow your technique to smooth some stub/italic nibs. I'm afraid though to damage or break it. TIA
First make sure the tines are perfectly aligned. The more common issue with stub/italic nibs are misaligned tines. But if they are aligned feel free to use some very high grit (8000+) nail file micro mesh to finish smoothing it out. Just do it gradually and you should be fine.
Thanks so much for posting this! I've been trying to figure out how to fix my scratchy nib for ages. I have some mylar sheets - can I use that instead of a 4000 grit nail file?
Are you the guy who sells Dilli flex pens (which are SO cool)? Loved the vid, you are clear and to the point, no waffle, very unlike most of the self-adverting pen gurus. More please, any tips you have for tuning and adjusting pens.
If the pen is much more scratchy either writing left-to-right or right-to-left, you can be sure that the trailing tine is the one that's bent just a little bit downwards.
Does smoothing the nib alter the line width of the line? In other words if you polish a fine nib by your technique will it make it more an extra fine or a medium please?
As long as you are careful to not smooth only one part of the nib (so that it becomes flat) this should not noticeably alter the line width. You want to make sure the ball tipping stays rounded instead of grinding down a flat spot.
Hello Kevin, Just want to confirm that, If I use 10,000 Grit Sandpaper, would it do the job but it will take a longer time to smooth a nib - is that alright ? Thank you
I have a suggestion for viewers.Try making circles in clockwise and anticlock wise direction as shown in video.This has smoothen my pen nib.Otherwise when i tried writing lines, alphabets or strokes on sandpaper it didn't work.So making circular motion in both directions is key in my experience.Happy Writing...
That is a bit trickier. You would need to polish the sides of the tipping so as to narrow the surface that touches the paper without making it scratchy.
Hi. I have a problem with my vintage Watermen pen. It writes very nicely but I have to whipe it clean of ink where my fingers are going to be on the fountain penn every time. It seems to spill ink every time i close he cab. Any ideas for help? Best Jan
Hi Jan. This could be from a number of factors. If there is no breather hole in the cap the issue could be due to air pressure changes in the cap. Air pressure changes in the body are also a possibility. Or if the pen is being bumped around. If it an old eyedropper pen then keeping it pretty full might help.
Hi. Thaks for the answer. I'm not sure ... Airpressure does hardly changes in a few secconds. I tried however to put the pen for a few seconds in hot water and that had positive effect. It is now leaking less. However I'm still not able to carry the pen arround with out ink dripping all over the front section.
I'm glad to hear the heat setting helped. Some pens just don't like to be carried around much. That might be the case with this pen. Without seeing the pen it would be hard to know what is happening.
Is it an eyedropper? If so have you applied silicone grease to the threads where you close the pen? I had the same issue with my dad's old eyedropper pen and upon applying silicone grease the pen completely ceased to leak
You should do a disclaimer for this video. Many people will think that a 4000 grid is fine in their countries but the reality is that this grid is pretty rough and can destroy the nib. I believe that in the U.S a 4000 grid is equivalent to a 12000 in the rest of the world.
I know this may be a 7 years old video but I have to say thank you so much for this advice because it is really genius
I'm glad I could help!
Got a brand new Faber Castell Classic Sterling Silver Finish in Gold Nib and was hesitant to try this on an extra fine scratchy nib given the hefty price I paid for the pen. The nib alone costs 400$++. I think it only needed sand paper treatment and I had 10000 and 7000. Tried it and wow, amazed with the result. Thanks for the tip.
You are the man!! I'm a big fan of fountain pens. But, I had a few that were noticeably scratchy. I followed your technique with 4000 grit and 8000 grit Micro Mesh. It made the nibs flow smoothly. I was so impressed. Thank you! I used a 3 inch X 6 inch sheet ("Micro Mesh" brand) that I found on Amazon. It was less than $15 for both sheets of mesh. THANK YOU!!
Thanks! That really helped. I had just purchased a Jinhao fountain pen from Amazon for $15.99...a beautiful gold colored pen with cross hashes like the old Parker from days of old, and I was very disappointed because it was Very scratchy. I was going to throw it over the neighbor's fence but then used the micro sanding pads 8000 and 12000 grit, and now it is as smooth as a Ferrari's tailpipe! I am very happy, thank you. pah
Glad I could help!!!
Thanks to your guidance, I now have a smoother nib. Life is better!
Thanks so much for this. I'm new to fountain pens, but I am taking a class where one is required for drawing. Although I bought the instructor's recommended pen (an extra-fine Lamy Safari), I hated the scratchy, uncomfortable action of drawing with it. I tried your suggestions and the pen has improved amazingly!
omg I LOVE you!! I have a pen that I adore but the nib is horrible, this fixed it and now its smooth like butter. It was a little nerve racking trying this, I was so afraid of ruining it but it was a quick and easy fix.
Thank you Sir. this was very very helpful. I could smoothen the scratchy nib of my Pelican Fountain Pen
Lol i didn't noticed that amazing drawing till 4:38 You just made my day there dear sir. Can't thank you enough.
I just bought some inexpensive pens that were scratchy but now they write great, thanks!
Got it on the first part, that bit about the nail file is pretty genius, definitely bookmarking for later
Thank you for this video! It spared my cosmetically beautiful EF pen from the trash can. It really worked well.
When I was a kid I used to be a fountain pen doctor. We had fountain pens which used to costly less than half a dollar. So I had hundreds of them and everyday I used to experiment with them. I had made some very nice pen which were smother than those pens which cost more than several hundred dollars. Now when I reverted back to fountain pen after using using ball pens for years I can enjoy such thing only on videos as cheap fountain pens are gone from market.
+Shub Try the chinese pens. Such as Jinhou. I'm not sure of the spelling. Goulet Pens is a source of cheap nibs which fit the cheap Noodler's pens. They're still around. You just have to order them online. I do miss buying them from the local stationary stores but at least they still can be had via the internet.
William Albert in India we have very cheap pens . That write as smooth as the ones that cost 20x it's price.
@@gammondog Did you realize The guy in this video sells inexpensive fountain pens?
Check the Platinum Preppy. You can use with converter or ink cartridge. Very much worth it’s price!
@@Solvinden you can also eye dropper the preppy and have a huge 4ml of ink capacity
This video helped me restore my Sheaffer Fashion 1 to write again. All he is saying is correct. I did all that he said and made my Sheaffer work again. Thank you.
Thank you for this tutorial! I never thought I would be able to fix a pen without spending money on the materials
amazing! First time I've been able to use this pen without scratching in many years. Thank You!
Thanks to your tutorial I successfully smoothed my first fountain pen nib.
I was VERY worried as I had a brand new pen, I am new to FP's and it was scratching like crazy. Got out my 7 way nail buffer and while watching this did a few minor loops and upstrokes and the pen writes wonderfully. Thank you!
I am happy I could help!
You're a godsend! I drew a few 8's on 3.5k grit (with a platinum plaisir) hoping to smooth the nib and it ended up a little scratchy. Just used the finest part of a nail polisher and the nib now writes smooth again. thanks.
Great tips. I was about to go to the supplies store and buy some micro mesh, then you mentioned Nail Buffer! Genius!
Such wonderful advice!!! Can’t wait to work on my nibs!!! Thank you! Love the art and the scratchy sound is just a bit much!!! Stay well!!!
I am a fan of inexpensive fountain pens and this video was informative!!
OMG THANK YOU! I realize this is an old video but you saved my sanity!
The hint about mis-alignment was very helpful !
Hi Kevin, thanks for this video. Today I dropped my uncapped fountain pen and it became scratchy. I followed your tips with the nail file, it worked!! I am so surprised and happy that my favourite fountain pen is now fixed.
Thank youuu so much this fountain pen was gifted by someone special to me and i thought i had spoilt it tyyyy
i m italian, i like your way to talk! it s very clear anda easy to understand. uah
Okay so this is a great video :) i was smirking a little at 1:06. :) hehehe
+Aaron Lecciones That's a penis!
@@advisord7637 No no that is a CREATOR's tool ;)
glad I am not the only one :-)
@@advisord7637 That's what she said
Polish what needs polished!
the nail buffer trick, it works. 🙏🏻 thanks
Thanks, my Kaweco AL Sport is now writing beautifully again thanks to the tips in this video.
Thanks! This really helped me buff out my Lamy Safari :)
Hehhe great video. Nd the willy drawing
Simple and effective. Nice. Thanks.
Thank you so much! I got a fountain pen last christmas, but it was so scratchy, I couldn't use it. This worked. I can finally enjoy it! :D
Omg this video clarity is so good from 9 years ago
Thanks you too much
I didn't no what was wrong with my waterman and why it was so scratchy but this fixed it right up
Very helpful tips. May I know whether the nail file approach could be applicable to stub and italic flat nibs? I wish to follow your technique to smooth some stub/italic nibs. I'm afraid though to damage or break it. TIA
First make sure the tines are perfectly aligned. The more common issue with stub/italic nibs are misaligned tines. But if they are aligned feel free to use some very high grit (8000+) nail file micro mesh to finish smoothing it out. Just do it gradually and you should be fine.
Sir it works well for all pen thank you. Especially to write tamizh and for hardworking academicians ,such smoothness is essential
Thank you for the video. Now my pens write smoothly 🙂
Thanks so much for posting this! I've been trying to figure out how to fix my scratchy nib for ages. I have some mylar sheets - can I use that instead of a 4000 grit nail file?
*Reaches into my moms drawer to find her nail buffer*
i tried it and it worked. Thanks for this video ☺☺☺☺☺☺
You are quite welcome!
Very helpful video. Did not know i could use my nail buffer!
Thanks for reminding me I need to order more micromesh. Great vid.
Thanks very much for this video... fixed both of my scratchy pens!
Thanks a lot Fountain Pen Revolution.It helped revive my Pilot Metropolitan fine nib
Thank you very much for the clear and clean expression.
Thanks to you, my problem is solved.
It’s clear...idk about clean though...Lol hehe
Are you the guy who sells Dilli flex pens (which are SO cool)? Loved the vid, you are clear and to the point, no waffle, very unlike most of the self-adverting pen gurus. More please, any tips you have for tuning and adjusting pens.
Yep, I'm the Dilli guy. I'm glad you found the video helpful!
The Dilli is one of our fountain pens. You can check all of them out at fprevolutionusa.com/
I finally mastered this technique...and bought myself the 10 pk dollartree rollerball pens.
after watching this whole tutorial, I realized my ink ran out.
lol
lol
Lmfaoo 😂
Mine turned into a rollerball pen.😁
.
love that trick with the nail file
How to repai a scratchy parker pen pls do a video on it..ur work thats great!
It worked! Smooth writing now. Thanks!
Glad I could help CJ!
Excellent tip with the fingernail board, I might have to raid my wife's makeup bag!
Awesome! Thank you for this. With a $250 Sailor pen, I'm so pleased that I can fix its suddenly scratchy nib.
THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!! you saved my ass(i mean my pen;-)
For anyone who lives in the UK, if you go to poundland they have three rectangle nail buffing pads.
How much are they?
Is that a joke? It's Poundland. Everything's a pound. I know, a great shock.
Georgia S. not really I've seen things costing much more in *POUND* land
Just ordered a flex jaipur from your website - looking forward to receiving it!
If the pen is much more scratchy either writing left-to-right or right-to-left, you can be sure that the trailing tine is the one that's bent just a little bit downwards.
Do you have to wet the nail file or mesh first?
I don't.
Dandy video on smoothing scratchy nibs. Thank you..
Can I use a 12000 grit sandpaper instead of micromesh pads? Just to smoothing it up a bit.
Sure. 12,000 is pretty high though so it would likely only work for final polishing.
fingernail file is a great tip. I really need to get lope.
You saved my mont blanc with this video
Glad I could help!
1:08 you got a lot of laughs in high school didn't you
Does smoothing the nib alter the line width of the line? In other words if you polish a fine nib by your technique will it make it more an extra fine or a medium please?
As long as you are careful to not smooth only one part of the nib (so that it becomes flat) this should not noticeably alter the line width. You want to make sure the ball tipping stays rounded instead of grinding down a flat spot.
That worked! Thank you very much! 😁
Brilliantly simple but informative video.
and yes I found airmail nibs to be scratchy :)
ps. your draw of the nib is funny! 😆😉😃😉😆
Hello Kevin, Just want to confirm that, If I use 10,000 Grit Sandpaper, would it do the job but it will take a longer time to smooth a nib - is that alright ? Thank you
10,000 grit should work. I usually use 8,000 grit.
I love fountain pens and I loved the video......but who thought the nib diagram to be something else🤪
This helped a lot. Thank you so much.
You are quite welcome! Glad I could help.
Extremely helpful - thank you!
It was helpful.....Thank you
I ruined a fine nib with micro-mesh (Cries silently). Hahaha but thanks for the video.
great video
Hello, can I use a 7000 grit for my scratchy nib?
I use generally use 8000 but 7000 should be fine. Just do a little at a time so you don't take too much off.
@@FountainPenRevolution Thank you...
1:20 is that what I think it is?? xD
+Sheng Loong Tan LOL was thinking the same thing
Yup a tine of a penis
It is, indeed, a dick.
Sheng Loong Tan nope lol
:-) yup
Nice one :) Thank you
I have a suggestion for viewers.Try making circles in clockwise and anticlock wise direction as shown in video.This has smoothen my pen nib.Otherwise when i tried writing lines, alphabets or strokes on sandpaper it didn't work.So making circular motion in both directions is key in my experience.Happy Writing...
Thank you sir. It's really working
Can this be done using a whetstones? I have 5000 and 8000 grit whetstones.
I have not tried that. If you do make sure to go slowly and just smooth a little at a time!
Re: Magnification. A lot of phones now (most?) have cameras with a macro function and you can easily zoom in on the nib to see how it looks.
Zoom lens finally have a use for me
This tips Use only Fountain pen??
Thank you!! It works ! By the way how can we make a nib finer.
That is a bit trickier. You would need to polish the sides of the tipping so as to narrow the surface that touches the paper without making it scratchy.
What diagram was that man.... Lol.... But great video
it was very helpful
This inspired me to spend a few minutes, ahem, “Smoothing my nib”…
God bless ya man.
Did anyone notice the drawing and chuckle at 1:06. That was funny :D
Is that Camlin scarlet red ink? Great video BTW!
+Yash Karmarkar Yep, it sure is. Thanks!!!
Who is this handsome man ;-) Fantastic
Gayyyyyyyyy
Thank you Sir!
My boheme has a very scratchy nib. Do you offer this service ?
Hi Allan. Shoot me an email at fountainpenrevolution@gmail.com
Nice vdo thank you sir
Vey effective technique! Thanks a lot!😊
Hi. I have a problem with my vintage Watermen pen. It writes very nicely but I have to whipe it clean of ink where my fingers are going to be on the fountain penn every time. It seems to spill ink every time i close he cab. Any ideas for help? Best Jan
Hi Jan. This could be from a number of factors. If there is no breather hole in the cap the issue could be due to air pressure changes in the cap. Air pressure changes in the body are also a possibility. Or if the pen is being bumped around. If it an old eyedropper pen then keeping it pretty full might help.
Hi. Thaks for the answer. I'm not sure ... Airpressure does hardly changes in a few secconds. I tried however to put the pen for a few seconds in hot water and that had positive effect. It is now leaking less. However I'm still not able to carry the pen arround with out ink dripping all over the front section.
I'm glad to hear the heat setting helped. Some pens just don't like to be carried around much. That might be the case with this pen. Without seeing the pen it would be hard to know what is happening.
Is it an eyedropper? If so have you applied silicone grease to the threads where you close the pen? I had the same issue with my dad's old eyedropper pen and upon applying silicone grease the pen completely ceased to leak
Another thing: it's best to keep eyedropper pens more than half full
You should do a disclaimer for this video. Many people will think that a 4000 grid is fine in their countries but the reality is that this grid is pretty rough and can destroy the nib. I believe that in the U.S a 4000 grid is equivalent to a 12000 in the rest of the world.
I want to smooth my hero pen 336 with iridium nibbed
Can you can do it simply
Nice side angle