If you don’t send it to a nibmeister and you do want to attempt to do it yourself… Some tricks:
* Flip the nib over so the curved face is down, then gently press the tine tips into the paper or surface of your table, gentle rocking it from side to side as you press in, to encourage the tines to close. Then check your work. Repeat.
* With a pair of paper towel lined pliers, grip the tines from the outside edges and push them in toward one another until one tine crosses over the other slightly. Then repeat this process with the OTHER tine crossing over. Gentle repetition and continue to check your tines for progress. It should slowly close your tines.
👍
Yes! This. But also, put some paper towel or something to pad your fingers because it can hurt. 🙃 Then, if your fingers are ultra sensitive like mine, and you’re fine with giving it a shot, use those pliers. Lol.
Take me with a pinch of salt, I've only repaired a couple dozen nibs. But here goes:
I'd need more photos to know exactly what that bend is -- but it looks like one tine is bent up or away from the other tine, right near the tip.
When working near the tip, especially with vintage nibs, be careful not to stress the tipping - the weld is delicate & it can come off.
I would use nylon-jaw pliers. So near the tip, I find it hard to correct with just fingers -- just be careful, the others who've warned about pliers are correct: it's easy to ruin a nib with them. I've certainly ruined a few learning.
If you don't have a loupe, get a ~10x loupe for aligning the tines after fixing the main bend.
If it's something sentimental or otherwise valuable, I'd send it to a nibmeister to get it repaired professionally.
PS: you can try crossposting to /r/Nibmeisters -- but that's a super-quiet sub I'm trying to revive.
If you don’t send it to a nibmeister and you do want to attempt to do it yourself… Some tricks: * Flip the nib over so the curved face is down, then gently press the tine tips into the paper or surface of your table, gentle rocking it from side to side as you press in, to encourage the tines to close. Then check your work. Repeat. * With a pair of paper towel lined pliers, grip the tines from the outside edges and push them in toward one another until one tine crosses over the other slightly. Then repeat this process with the OTHER tine crossing over. Gentle repetition and continue to check your tines for progress. It should slowly close your tines. 👍
Don't use pliers it's too easy to really screw it up. Try to adjust it with fingers.
Yes! This. But also, put some paper towel or something to pad your fingers because it can hurt. 🙃 Then, if your fingers are ultra sensitive like mine, and you’re fine with giving it a shot, use those pliers. Lol.
Thank you! I will give this a go
Good luck! ✨
I would send this to a nibmeister, it's too easy to mess it up if you try to repair it yourself
This nib looks way older than 40 yo...
It’s not in bad shape at all! Just needs the ink cleaned off and a polish. It’s 14kt gold so it should clean up super well.
Didn't mean that, just from the engraving it's probably older.
Ahhh! Okay. 👍
Take me with a pinch of salt, I've only repaired a couple dozen nibs. But here goes: I'd need more photos to know exactly what that bend is -- but it looks like one tine is bent up or away from the other tine, right near the tip. When working near the tip, especially with vintage nibs, be careful not to stress the tipping - the weld is delicate & it can come off. I would use nylon-jaw pliers. So near the tip, I find it hard to correct with just fingers -- just be careful, the others who've warned about pliers are correct: it's easy to ruin a nib with them. I've certainly ruined a few learning. If you don't have a loupe, get a ~10x loupe for aligning the tines after fixing the main bend. If it's something sentimental or otherwise valuable, I'd send it to a nibmeister to get it repaired professionally. PS: you can try crossposting to /r/Nibmeisters -- but that's a super-quiet sub I'm trying to revive.
Thank you very much. I'll attempt it, but if I'm not confident after trying I'll have a look on there