Step-by-step DIY Nib Grind
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- As a thank you to a viewer (nitrosquid44) for recommending me for an edition of Appelboom Top 3 pens, I decided to grind & send them a pen. Figured while I was at it, I might as well do 2 pens! So here we have one to giveaway. A Jinhao 159 with my cursive italic/Stub grind.
Here's a list of the items I use to inspect, tune, and grind my nibs:
www.amazon.ca/shop/doodlebud/...
Another writing sample with the pen:
• Custom Grind Giveaway ...
Draw will be on Oct 10, 2021.
To enter simply subscribe and leave a comment. A winner will be randomly selected via software.
Good luck to everyone & thanks for all the support! 😁
0:00 Intro
1:25 Align the nib
2:20 Check nib slit gap
5:10 Steps in grinding
6:05 Start grinding the nib with whetstones
9:35 Using micromesh pads
11:20 Final checks & writing samples
15:00 Contest details
Be sure to use the code "thedoodlebud" at checkout when visiting www.ospreypens.com for any of your purchases for a 10% discount!
Can watch a review of their Milano pen which is also fitted with a Zebra G nib for an amazing writing experience here:
• Gorgeous All In One Fo...
Here's the winner of the Jinhao 159 with custom ground nib! Congrats to Cynthia Alvarado! 🎉.
Congrats Cynthia!!!!
It’s great to have you take the time to demonstrate how to work on nibs like this. It’s not that difficult, but many of us need the reassurance of watching someone go through all the steps without assuming we know the basics. It’s also nice that you are offering this giveaway.
Terrific video. I DIY grind my own italics - this covers it. Your italic thin/wide is at a 45° angle - I want them perpendicular. I hold my pens 45° 45° (meaning, vertically in my hand at 45° and 45° to the right of a vertical line on the paper ) This is complicated. I figured out how to make it simple. My ideal italic nib has to be at two angles. (I tried drawing this. Almost too complicated.) What I arrived at is I just hold the pen in writing position for my rough grinding. Seems pretty obvious. Now. First I lay the stone flat, hold my pen like I'm writing and and drag is down the stone ('draw' vertical down-strokes) flattening and angling the nib to give me my slant.
Next, I place the 300 or 400 stone vertically (on lined paper it would be on one of the lines) and I grind vertically. This flattens the nib and begins to set the thickness of my thin horizontal line- and because my hand position is at my normal 45° this grinds the nib perpendicular to my writing line. This grinds the front of the nib. Then I do the back side same way, but I can't get the long strokes.
When I'm done with rough grinding I've got a nib that is thin along the line, fat up and down. If my horizontal line isn't thin enough I'll angle in the vertical grind to make more of a chisel point. Otherwise I might make the nib too thin - it only has to be thin at the paper.
One thing you do at 7:56 I don't agree with. Angles on the stone. You're narrowing the width of the wide down stroke and rounding all the corners. I won't 'knock the sharp corners off' until I"m in the higher grits. I think in the end if I really want to I can still cut paper with my italic. I never do any figure 8s (infinities) on a stone.
For me, the most problematic shape to write with any fountain pen nib is the numeral '9' (I draw it like an upside down 6 starting in the center pushing the nib around to the top of the loop. Even with a factory Stub or Fine if the slit is not on the paper it won't write
-- unless the tip is already wet. So this is my test shape. If , with my grip, I can get a good 9 I know my nib is flat to the paper. Of course pushing a roughly shaped italic with sharp corners doesn't work at all, so I 'do the 9' when I'm at the 2400 to 4000 grit micro-mesh and sometimes I have to go all the way back to the stone.
Your use of stones is good. Because my grinding started with sharpening tools I use in my wood shop, I have a synthetic Trend 300/1000 diamond stone. It's good, but expensive, but I already had it. Those small little two sided stones they sell in the hardware store are more than adequate. I also use EZE-LAP Diamond Hone & Stone. medium? 400/600?? Fine is 800, super-fine 1200.
The learning curve of fountain pens: 1. you get a fountain pen, you like it, (the early Blue Fingers phase) 2. you get a Fine nib - you like it better, 3. You get a Very Fine and think you like it, but eventually you stick with Fine for a while. 4. You either start wanting a Flex Nib or you get a Stub. You love the stub (bad handwriting (guilty) is helped with a stub. The cheap flexes (Ahab) seem to have more trouble then the flex. 5. Maybe you spend money and get a real flex - but you learn that while they're springy and fun, to get line variation you have to slow waaaay down. Dead end. 6. You settle into a stub nib for a while but now you're wondering about italics.... (there are almost no italic nibs in North America) 7. You grind your own and you're really happy, until you pick up your Stub nib again and realize there is no significant difference. But now 8. You realize that there's almost nothing you can do to a nib with stones and micro-mesh that ruins it so just grind away. 9. You realize you want a slant nib to fit your hand.... I bought some italic nibs off e-Bay UK Loft Pens Limited. They cost like £2 (U$2.60) each, shipping about $12. I think the one I liked best was the 0.38. I got a bunch, but the 1.5 and above are more for like signs not writing. They got them to me in the States in less than 2 weeks. Hope this helps.
I have to thank you for saving some of my pens. I had 3 Conklin’s that were horrible writers. After watching this video I decided to try my hand at trying a custom grind. I did them sort of the same way, but used a diamond wheel in a moto-tool along with micro mesh and all I can say is wow 🤩!! Wish I had done them a year ago! Now I have a 1mm, 1.5mm, and 2mm stubs that are a blast to write with. Thank you so much and keep up the good work!!!
Hey good to hear you got your pens writing the way you like!
You have made pen collecting SO much more enjoyable with these tutorials! I started with learning to smooth my nibs and I was able to immediately improve the writing quality of my pens; several previously "unusable" pens now write like butta. Today, I made my first stub nib by following your instructions, and I am hooked! It was easy for me to assume that, if you've got enough money, you can have all the smooth nibs you want. But now, I've learned how to turn even my most marginal and inexpensive pens into terrific writers. Thank you VERY much!!!
That is the best comment you could have left! The whole point of my doing my channel is not to be a "penfluencer", I actually died a little when I'm called that lol. I just want to help in anyway to improve people's experiences when buying a pen or when using it. Looking out to flags in build quality, how to fix, tune a nib, whatever. The more folks learn, the greater the likelyhood of having fun with your pens.
Your video finally pushed me to do nib grinds. Thanks. Long overdue.
Doodlebud! Thank you for this! You gave me the courage to try this out for the first time! I used a generic fine nib from Amazon just in case I screwed up, but I got a perfect 1.1 stub on first try! I've done 3 more since, all came out flawlessly (not to sound arrogant). I'm really into the 1.1 stub, so I'll continue with other nibs that don't have that option. So thanks again! This is the perfect tutorial.
Glad it helped. I have many more recent videos with better video all about it too. Check out the interview I just posted with Nibmiester Josh Lax. He had lots to say
As someone who is just starting to get into fountain pens, your page has been helpful in that process. Keep up the awesome reviews/tutorials.
I've never used a fountain pen before,
obviously neither do I have one. so I would like to get one.
New subscriber but I find all this fascinating!
Very nice, I found that your lines became much more pleasant to read and see after the grinding.
As a lefty, I’ve always been an extra fine no nonsense kinda guy. Architects are something I have to check out in the future.
I found some nibs on Amazon and I'm going to play around with them and try this. This seems like the easiest tutorial on RUclips.
Great video, nice instructions. I may try it. You have already got me experimenting with tuning nibs. I runed an old Zebra V-301 with experimenting so bought another this morning at Walgreens. Aligned the tines under a glass, and buffed on micromessh 4000, 6000, 8,000, 12,000. Turned out very smooth. I had a worn out Pental Twist Grip III mechanical pencil and I stole the grip off it and put it on the V-301. Inked it with Lamy Blue-Black and Wow, I kinda love it. I polished the reverse as well and it writes very nicely in reverse for an XXF line.
Sounds like you did a fantastic job. Doesn't matter on the price of the pen, brand, material, etc. If you use it and enjoy doing so, that's the most important part 😁
I bought a Jinhao 159 as a joke not expecting to like it, but it surprised me. It's a decent writer with some heft. I still reach for the X750 more often.
It's interesting to watch the process of nib grinding. So far I don't have the tools assembled to get started on Jinhao nibs.
Excellent photography, sharp and clear. Thanks.
Really like your videos including this closeup look at nib work. Here’s to low and high writing with smooth nibs!
This is what I have wanted to see for a long time! Thank you!
Enjoyed your video. Have been a fountain pen user for several years and have not wanted to grind any nibs, worried that I would ruin them. After watching this video, I feel more assured that I can get good results.
The only suggestion I would like to make to this video is adding still pictures of the nib progression, from start to finish. Having stills, viewers can compare their progress with yours.
Thank you again for a great info-video!
Glad it was helpful. I have a few other vids where I show grinds and some close-ups. It's really time-consuming to film the grinding let alone setup for close-up shots along the way at each and every step. I might make a post at some point showing the progression of the nib shape over time, but of course, time permitting.
Great video. Thank you for sharing sharing your nib grinding techniques with your subscribers. I like that style of nib.
Thanks for your detailed demonstration. I have learned a lot. I don't think I'll be attempting a grind on a wet stone yet, but your explanation of how to align the tines and check the separation between them was very useful. Also, I now understand that there are square and rounded edges, and how that affects the writing. Don't cringe, but I hated how the Pilot Plumix caught the paper so much that I threw the nib away and never bought any other Pilot product again. It was awful. Now I know why! Somebody else would have loved it, probably. Thanks for making your videos, they are awesome.
Making small tweaks to nibs is part of owning/using fountain pens. Did a nib adjustment vid a month ago with some other adjustments as well.
ruclips.net/video/dIepIV7JdAA/видео.html
I love that DooooodlebuD at the start of your videos. As a newbie in this community, your videos have been a big help for me lately.
Good to hear, glad to help 👍
Wow. That’s real skill. Very impressed.
Would love to try one of these grinds! Thanks for the chance. Cheers!
So cool man. I love playing with nibs. im a total noob but i'm hooked.
I love 159s. Affordable, comfortable and you can bonk an intruder with one, if ya need to.
🔥
Enjoyed watching you grind these pens. Thx.
Always glad to see your new videos pop up. Always wanted to try custom nib grinding but haven’t taken the leap yet. Thanks for all the great videos and looking forward to many more!
This is exactly the sort of work I would pay somebody else to do. More power to you that you can do it.
Props, DB, on the continuously great content on the mechanics of fountain pen design & maintenance. I'm a southpaw & routinely need to adjust nibs for pushing against paper, it hard for me to unlearn 50 years of cursive writing in immigration of right-handers. Fortunately, I have knife sharpening experience & you set a good example of putting whetstones to alternate use.
I've been sharpening knives and straight razors for a while and figured, why not try a nib! Did a vid on knife sharpening and shaved with my kitchen knife at the end.
ruclips.net/video/yHPQE2fjyB4/видео.html
Best DIY nib grind tutorial on RUclips. I learned the hard way and wished this video was around way back when. Follow these steps and you won't be disappointed. First and foremost practice makes perfect and this is where the cheap Chinese pens come into play.
Good to hear my vid helped out. I have a playlist with a bunch of vids on tuning and grinding. This was a very early video I did so have been able to give better detail since then
Ooh leather stropping! I have to try it! Thank you for your helpful and informative video.
I love your review videos a lot, I think they are very informative but at the same time never get boring, and help a newbie like me a lot with learning more about fountain pens.
Love the content Doodlebud! Thanks for taking the time to entertain us.
Thanks, Doodlebud! As an total amateur at grinding and adjusting nibs, this is very helpful. I can see the ways I can improve my craft, so keep up the great mechanics - for me this, this ability to tune my pens is an essential part of the hobby. The writing experience is the point, and getting the best experience is hugely satisfying.
I never thought Fountain pens could be customized like this. Stumbling upon this channel was great after all. Goodwork, looking forward to your next videos.
you made it look easy, now i want to buy me some stones...haha!!!
Thanks DB for the great explanation, a true step by step
Thank you. What a glorious purple!
Funny & interesting thing, this... the nearest I have to what you're doing here is a tiny bit of nib adjustment. Glad I can have a chance to get it =)
Never stop making videos!
Making my reservation for that purple beauty.
Thank you so much for sharing this video. You have done an awesome job on the 159. Even though I hope I’ll win, the most important thing is that I enjoyed watching your video!
Thanks for taking a little mystery out of the pen nib alchemists craft.
Nice fountain pen and thank you for spreading the good word on the pleasure of using traditional pens.
That looks very therapeutic. I really should try it sometime with some of my Lamy nibs since they don't write quite the way I want. Thanks for explaining the process in detail!
Very therapeutic yes. I put on some cool tunes, focus, and grind away. This was my music of choice for these pens:
ruclips.net/video/vWLJeqLPfSU/видео.html
That looks like a really fun one to write with.
Love these kinds of videos. I have been experimenting with a few cheap nibs that I bought a while ago and will one day hopefully gain the confidence to grind one of my daily writers. Thanks for the great videos as always!
Great video DB. I loved seeing the process.
Hats off to the hard-work you put into this grind to make the nib as smooth and flowing as possible. I love the line variations this "Crowd Pleaser" grind has not to mention you did it to a pen and nib that I am a fan of. I've never won anything from a giveaway from the RUclipsrs I follow so if I win this it'd be a special surprise for me and a Jinhao at that, I can't express in words how much I love that brand. But nonetheless; Keep making amazing, insightful content as always! ❤️
Excellent tutorial. I would love to try this on a lamy broad nib. 😁
Started with Jinhaos and have smoothed some nibs, swapped some, and adjusted the flow, but you are encouraging me to go the next step to grind my own. Very nice demo of what to do. Would love to try a Jinhao 159 with cursive italic. Only have x750 so far, have given some away as starters to friends.
DOOOOOOODLEBUD: Thanks for another fantastic video! I keep learning a LOT from your instruction - the idea with the feeler gauges is spot on. And your Osprey video was clutch - got me thinking I need to buy one. Keep up the good work!
Wow, I admire your courage. I was biting my nails watching you grind the nib. But the jinhao looks like it writes deliciously!
Thanks for this instructive video. I had often wondered what a 'grind' actually was. I really like the extra character your work gives to the writing.
I really like that you showcase the DB grind on a #6 nib, so many possibilities
Thanks for sharing your process, I really enjoyed watching that.
fun process to check out! looking forward to the next vid.
Incredible video I’m a new fan of fountain pens, keep doing more videos. Greetings from Mexico!
You make it look simple LOL. Love your channel
I love stub and cursive italic nibs though I only own one on an Italix pen. Thanks for the video.
I'm relatively new to your channel. I started watching the past few months. I like the information and reviews that you do. The latest video was a nice tutorial. I'd like to try that at some point. I started my fountain pen odyssey in the mid 1980s at my first architecture job out of school. My mentors had Mont Blanc Meisterstucks with architect nibs using a mix of sepia and black ink.
They sketched on rolls of tracing paper sometimes called "Bumwad." Sometimes yellow, sometimes white rolls. The blended ink looked cool on the yellow paper. My budget only allowed for a couple of charcoal Lamy Safaris. After a long hiatus, I'm back into the fountain pen universe. Thanks for what you do.
Welcome back to the hobby!
As always, a nice, informative video. There is always something there that needs to be learned and that should also be put into practice from time to time.
Great stuff. Very informative. I think I'm close to starting to grind nibs. Appreciate the guidance.
Thanks Doodlebud! I love this channel. That purple pen looks great. I hope I win it!
Wow this is amazing! I like the pen and I love that nib!
Wonderful demo! Thanks so much. As usual with your videos, I learned quite a bit. Great to see your process start-to-finish. It's especially encouraging to see that we don't need fancy equipment (like microscope, power mini-tool, etc.) to do an adequate job. Of the two grinds, I think the Jinhao was a bit sharper, more cursive italic-ish, where I saw the biggest difference between before and after. Anyway, thanks again and please keep these up; I learn tons every time.
Awesome grind, I have not tried even on cheap pens, but this was a very nice video, maybe I'll try later
Thank you for this video. It was highly educational for me, as finally I watched a complete demonstration of a nib workout to adjust it and give it character. I confess I ruined a nib by applying an inappropriate procedure, but now, watching you I feel once again able to start with another one.
Thank you once again
Hope your next one turns out great!
Thanks for the video. So far I haven't got beyond brass sheets and mylar paper, but I would really like to grind my own nib one day.
Love that pretty purple pen!!
I can't seem to get enough of videos on nib tuning.
I have a playlist with nib tuning & grinding to check out if you want more info
Honestly, I think I would never do such procedure. My eyes wouldn’t help me. So, I will keep enjoy your skills and wisdom through your videos.
Oh my! Good stuff!
Good job bud.. Just here for the pen... You know it 😉
Keep up the good work 👍👍
Aloha Doodlebud! This was a very fun and informative video - definitely will need to re-watch it! Super cool to transform a basic, cheap nib to something that writes in a special way, something I am trying to do since I have tried all the "round" and basic stub nibs (my wallet also hurts!) Keep up the great content. Mahalo from Kauai, Hawaii. Thomas
Well done! I have tried stub grind, but as nice as yours!
The “crowd pleaser” looks like a fun grind! Love to be able to write with that!
I would never have the nerve to mess with any of my nibs. Props!
Always enjoy your videos Doodlebug. I did try grinding a nib before but it seemed worse. I will follow your video and give it another go on a cheapie pen.
Love how you make grinding so simple. One day i will find the nerves.
Entertaining and educational as usual. I've tried a few grinds on cheap nibs and let's just say that it was a bit frustrating. I haven't tried in a while but now I think I'll have to give it another shot.
I enjoyed the video and I have lined up a pen to practice the grinding. More confident after seeing your video
Great video as always. Tanks content for chill out this days.
Thank you for the giveaway! I am crossing my fingers here!!! I would love to win this purple pen with an italic nib grind. WOW... it is purple... WOW it has an intalic nib grind...
Thank you for posting this. I've been toying with the idea of practicing nib grinding on junk steel nibs but wasn't sure how to approach it with the tools/material I have available. This video helps.
Thanks for showing us yr process! Love to turn some of these ubiquitous fine nibs into something more interesting. 😁
Thanks for the video, now I'm tempted to try that myself
Like the work and the channel! Some of my favorite pens have "tweaked" nibs (mostly by nibsmiths. I have gotten more comfortable smoothing my nibs, adjusting the tines -- I think it's a good part of the fun of FPs!
Super informative and helpful. Ty for offering these indepth nib grinding/smoothing videos they e helped me with a few pens .
Glad to hear it helps :)
Great video! I will try fixing a nib I’ve had trouble with. I would love to win the Jinhao . Thanks!
I have not done a grind yet but I did take a bent fude nib, straighten it out and smoother the nib. I did this on two very cheap Chinese pens that came with bent nibs that I did not want. They turned out OK.
I would appreciate to see you grinding a medium or fine nib to an architect :)
I've been thinking about doing this. Getting some nibs and learning to grind.
Another great video. Recently found your channel and have really enjoyed the content. Keep them coming
Good video on nib modification…thanks!
Enjoy your videos! Love the 159
Inspired for my next project... Thanks
Great work 👏👏👏
My favorite vintage pen channel
I have only recently discovered your channel. Lots of great info. Keep it up.
Wonderful video, this is really helpful for modders as well as for the beginners like me who are trying to understand the basics of FP.