You can adjust a fountain pen, specifically its nib, by carefully bending the tines with your fingers to achieve optimal ink flow and writing feel.
Here's a breakdown of how to adjust a fountain pen nib:
Adjusting Fountain Pen Tines with Your Fingers
While specialized tools exist for nib adjustment, simple adjustments can often be made with your fingers.
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Identify the Problem: Determine if the pen is too dry (not enough ink), too wet (too much ink), scratchy, or has hard starts (skips when beginning to write).
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Adjusting for Dryness: If the pen is too dry, the tines might be too close together. Gently push down on the nib close to the tip to slightly widen the gap between the tines. Use very small amounts of pressure.
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Adjusting for Wetness: If the pen is too wet, the tines might be too far apart. Gently squeeze the tines together to reduce the ink flow. Use very small amounts of pressure.
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Adjusting for Scratchiness: If the pen feels scratchy, one or both of the tines may be misaligned. Gently bend the higher tine down or the lower tine up until they are even. This adjustment requires extreme care. You are looking for the slightest change.
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Test and Repeat: After each adjustment, test the pen on paper. If it's still not writing correctly, repeat the adjustment process, making very small changes each time. It is better to adjust a little at a time than to over-adjust.
Important Considerations:
- Caution: Be extremely careful when adjusting the nib. Fountain pen nibs are delicate and can be easily damaged if too much force is applied.
- Incremental Adjustments: Make very small adjustments at a time. It's easier to make further adjustments than to undo a large one.
- Nib Material: Some nib materials are more brittle than others. Vintage nibs, in particular, can be fragile.
Adjusting a fountain pen nib requires patience and a delicate touch. If you are uncomfortable making these adjustments yourself, consider consulting a professional nibmeister.
