# Nib n00b question



## DurocShark (Jan 7, 2010)

I've been using an old flat top fountain pen for the past couple years. The first FP I'd ever made in fact. The "Iridium Germany" nib has been a good performer with whatever ink I throw at it. Most recently I've been using Monteverde inks with great results. 

Thinking about how much I liked that nib I decided to try an upgrade. If the crap kit nibs were good, an upgrade to a new nib would be better!

I couldn't afford the real nice 18k ones, so I settled for the steel ones. I was hoping to add them to my kit pens. I figured I needed to get to know them before I offered them to folks. So I tossed one on my flat top. Seemed like a good fit.

However, the new nib dumps too much ink when it's working, stops flowing completely sometimes, feels rougher than my kit nib even after the brown paper bag treatment, and so on.

I'm assuming I need to do some kind of tuning, but other than rouge cloth the couple of tuning tutorials I've found said NOT to tune modern nibs. 

The ink dumping then not flowing seem to be diametrically opposed issues. I was willing to try tuning it anyway (the steel ones are cheap) but don't know where to start. 

I'm hoping for some guidance from ya'll on this...


----------



## DurocShark (Jan 7, 2010)

Sweet. Solved my own problem. Just posting about it made me think the problem through more thoroughly.

The nib wasn't tight against the feed. There was a gap. A tiny one, but enough. I massaged the nib against the feed and it's all happy now. 

Thanks for listening to me ramble!


----------



## DurocShark (Jan 7, 2010)

(Didn't solve the roughness, but I'm going to try the mm 15000.)


----------



## r-ice (Jan 7, 2010)

definitely let us know how that turns out.  I would like to get in to fountain pens.  I find they write really well..


----------



## Dan_F (Jan 8, 2010)

DurocShark said:


> (Didn't solve the roughness, but I'm going to try the mm 15000.)



Before you start sanding, check it with a good loupe, at least 10X, and see if the tines are aligned properly. Check this out for some illustration...
http://edisonpen.com/page.cfm/IPGnibs2 

Dan


----------

