WOW thanks so much! I just updated the links in the video description. For sizes I bought several but I would recommend the 0.02mm , 0.03mm & 0.05mm shim stock. The size of your tip doesn't matter so much. Its about fitting the shims in the slit and being able to adjust the gap. The shims are also good to check the tine gap. I would aim for a 0.02mm tip gap as a baseline and then go from there.
DUDE, I just got into this hobby with a kakuno a month ago and started having a similar issue after cleaning it and reinking a week ago, the timing is impeccable! Love ur vids keep up the great work!
@@cd3694 Been similar here, getting Jinhaos and such saying I wouldn't pay more than $15-20. While not yet paying as much as a 1911, have 3 vintage pocket pens, 1 each from the big three Japanese manufacturers, a Kaweco sport and drooling over the E95s and Vanishing Point, and some small maker pens. This hobby gets addicting.
@@jantjejansen Be creative and find other ways to use your pens, I transcribe lyrics from my favorite songs because I simply can't journal (for example).
After cleaning and re-inking doesn't sound to me as something that needs your nib to be modified like he shows in the video, a good recommended cleaning would be to use a bulb syringe and tap water with some dish soap drops. Did it work fine the first time?
Thanks for this great video. What I did with my E95S was I did the hard surface method that you mentioned here. Instead though, I put my thumb down on the breather hole while pressing down gently to keep the nib from flexing upwards too much away from the feed. Worked like a charm. Now the pen no longer skips and flows way better!
That's a really interesting technique, one I haven't seen before. I'll have to give that a try. I've never felt comfortable pushing down on the nib for the reasons you mentioned, but this seems more precise and controlled. Unfortunately, if you love fountain pens, you learn pretty quickly that adjustments like these are often necessary, whether a pen is new, used, expensive or inexpensive, it's just the nature of the hobby. Thanks for sharing.
I commented a while ago explaining this technique so I'm glad to see you giving it a go, it's indeed especially useful on nibs where you just can't grab the shoulders or remove the nib. One important recommendation I have is the following: don't pull on the brass tabs, because then you can very easily accidentally twist your tines if one of your hands moves up or down relative to the other, and that is an absolute nightmare to realign. It's much safer to push the tips of your thumbs and index fingers together while touching the rest of your fingers to the feed and grip section, which keeps the tines in the same horizontal plane, keeps the nib and feed pressed together, and it also gives you much finer control over how much force you're exerting.
I don't like this technique with the brass shims, for me it's a lot safer and easier to use a feeler gauge (totally clean from the stock oil), and I would never do it on inlaid nibs, if you cause a disaster it's way easier to fix on a nib that can be detached. As with any skill, this needs a lot of practice, so, before trying it on a valuable nib, use affordable spare nibs.
@@manuelsalazar3938 What do you mean by "easier and safer to use a feeler gauge"? A feeler gauge is exactly the same as a shim, except it's made of a harder metal(steel instead of brass). If you want to widen the slit, you have to pull the tines apart somehow. With an inlaid nib, the only way to do that is to put something between the tines and pull them apart. You can also push them apart by putting multiple shims between the tines, but that is much more risky than pulling, because the tines will almost certainly twist at some point. Of course you would rather not have to work on an inlaid nib if you have the choice, but if the nib is dry, you don't have the choice. You either make it wetter or get rid of the pen.
Nice way of checking the ink flow. Step number one for a new pen is to use an earwax bulb to squirt a little warm soapy water through. It might just be that there is still some grease in the deed from manufacturing. Step number two to dissemble the nib in case there is swarf in the feed from manufacturing. Then I am 100% with you. Thanks for these great ongoing videos.
@@manuelsalazar3938 I've been unlucky? I must have had three or four at least. It's not residue you can see, just a film and after the soap treatment is done they were fine. One pen You Tuber cleans all of his pens that way before using them for the first time because of this issue. If there is poor ink flow it is certainly the first step. Best to you. :)
Amazingly instructional. But I have to say, LEARNING is one thing, while actually DOING IT successfully has got to be a gradual process. Start with cheap nibs.
Thanks so much for this highly practical video. I have been using the spark plug tuner gauges for years. Your videos are so very interesting; I’m so glad I ran across them. Having done Calligraphy for well over fifty years, I love fountain pens, inks and paper very much. Thanks for your wonderful contributions to this hobby. Thanks for your generosity in the pens that you give away. I never even dreamed that I would be the recipient of this latest gift by you and 365 Pen store. Thank you both so much! I know I will find this to be so very enjoyable.
I've purchased a number of larger Jinhao pens (X159s and a 9019) over the past several months, and have found that every single one had tines that were too tight at the tip. I've used this method on them, but being steel nibs, it takes quite a bit of force to open them at all. (The brass shims have torn more than once, and I don't yet have any stainless shim material...) But it does work, and I have managed to make them all write much better without (to my surprise) ruining any nibs. I haven't been brave enough to try this on a gold nib yet, but I have one or two that could probably benefit from it.
I have a vintage Sailor version of this style slip cap pocket pen. I'm not normally a fan of slim barrels (like the Sheaffer Targa) or tiny nibs but gotta say, there's something about this overall design that just fits so well in the fingers that it's a pleasure to use. And the Japanese F nib is exactly the line I look for, so getting the flow right is the ticket 🙂
I bought brass shims last year, and never use them. I have used my feeler gauge. Suggestion for avoiding scratching the nib when adjusting the gap: Enter the slit through the concave surface, rather than the convex "face" and slide it up, not down. Repeating the process a few times is often necessary, especially with a steel nib. Check between adjustments. Or try the Doug (Inkquiring Minds) Rathbun-approved "seven steps to inky happiness" method, which requires no shims, no feeler gauges, no razor blades.
I love the dual brass shims trick for making a nib wetter. Feels like so much more precision than trying to grasp with my fingernails. Thanks for sharing!
I just now got the chance to catch up and watch the video. This may be my favorite way you have shown nib adjustment. I feel like this is a little safer and more consistent way to adjust nibs. Thanks for sharing! And very cool that you are giving it away!
I've been wanting to do this method for a while but couldn't find a cheap shim stock provider until I looked up on Aliexpress. Definitely more control and are able to really see what your doing this way. This will be my go to method moving forward I think
Ooohhhh my god. I hate that it never occured to me that using a steel shim on a gold nib could scratch it considering it's a softer metal. I totally dodged a bullet and so thankful for the tip of using two pieces of brass shims to pull the tines apart.
That depends on how rude you are when doing this, I use a feeler gauge and have never scratched any of my gold nibs. But I practiced a lot on cheaper steel nibs before doing it on a gold nib.
DB, I got an Elite (Japanese import) with F nib a few months back, which also wrote quite dry. I fixed it in a similar way, though I used only one shim, pulling first one tine then the other. Took a few tries (easy does it!) but it’s a nice writer now, consistent and reliable yet not a gusher. Cool test with the tissue, BTW.
Thanks Doodlebud for the excellent, very creative 101 video! I also like very much you told us where to purchase the stuff you've been using, very useful indeed.
This seems like a much better approach in general than using fingers, which is what I often read. I want to improve the flow on a Lamy 2k fine. Think I'll try this, but with the nib removed.
Thanks for this video! Just getting into taking fountain pens a bit more seriously. Got a Pilot Kakuno I've been pretty pleased with, but then saw the Kaweco liliput fireblue, and just had to have that. Was a little disappointed with the writing, however. Kept hitting dry spots, especially at the start of a stroke. As I was watching this I looked down at the nip and the tines got very tight at the tip like the pen in the video. Very carefully pressed a knife blade on the split since I didn't have any shims handy, and tried it again, and it started to improve. After a few gentle nudges, it was much better.. then I pressed the nib back against the feed just a bit and that solved the last bit of the problem. Much better ink delivery!
i used a feeler gauge, and now my preppy isn't skipping anymore. it was always really dry. now it's writing great. It is the EF preppy, but it felt like i was reverse nib writing all the time. now i'll actually start using it.
I actually did this to my Lamy Extra Fine nib last week with a brass gage first. It now writes pretty wet and less scratchy after I polished the tip portion a bit with a 0.01 micron fiber optic polishing film and looked at it under the micro scope to see how good it is going from beginning to end.
My Jinhao X159 the tipping material on the first nib was where I had to spread. There was a plenty of space on the slit til the tip. That was a bit nerve-wracking to have to spread.
Thanks for such a great detail explanation. I have some Fountain pens I love but i wish they were little wetter for my taste. I will do all the procedure and I will let you know the results>🖋🖋🖋
I clicked on the link for the brass shims but the page couldn't be found. I would really appreciate it if you could refresh the link. Also could you include the widths of the brass shims? I only use medium nibs and a smaller number of fine nibs. So I only need the widths for fine and medium nibs. By the way, I love your videos. They're very enjoyable, informative, and you have the gift of making everything easy to understand! Thank you!
Here's another store. If that doesn't work look for brass shim stock on AliExpress. You need to find ones with 0.02-0.04mm thicknesses s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DeKf2FZ
That is an amazing way to adjust the tines of a nib. Thanks for sharing this awesome hack. I wonder if you could use dental floss or nylon thread as well.
My Jinhao 9019 was a little strange in the nib at first so I applied a liiiittle pressure on the nib and now it seems ok. It could also be that it needed a little longer time to fill up the ink properly. It's not the 🩵 nib though and I don't know where to get that nib.
Great video! Thank you very much! Do you have a video that discusses the opposite modification? I have a nib that a bit too wet. What would be the SOP in this case?
In the description I have a playlist with a bunch of videos on these topics. You essentially cross the tines over each other to close them up. The opposite of what I'm doing here for a dry nib
It's great to see updated videos like this one. I re-watched one of your nib tuning videos from a few years ago (a few times over) before attempting to tune a nib for the first time. Question for you: I have a #2 Weidlich 14k nib. It is a fabulous nib, but the pen it's currently in is not working well. Do you have some recommendations for finding another pen with the same size nib that would be compatible? Love your videos, and love that you cover a wide range of reviews, tuning tips, and even cheaper paper options.
Great tip that I have been using for the last couple of years. I always hated the "Put your thumb on the top of the nib and push on a hard surface" method as I feel it cam cause visible distortions to the surface of the nib and it was too easy to go too far and putting it back was too difficult. I do prefer to pull the entire nib (when possible) and use wider shims to distribute the force across a greater length of the slit. I do wonder about how you adjust the nib against the feed, though. Doesn't that method close your gap back up? I have found that heat setting the feed after adjusting the gap is very reliable, even with plastic feeds. 90 seconds in boiling water and then pinch for 60 seconds. The success rate isn't 100% but I haven't tried anything that comes close to being as reliable for controlling flow and fixing problems with pens losing prime and unreliable flow issues. You should just about be to the point where you could/should write a book or guide.
The press down does work but you can't really see what you're doing and there is the risk of going too hard without knowing it. For this pen doing that method I think would have done more harm than good. For closing up the nib/feed gap it can push the tines a bit closer. One adjustment can impact another so it can be a bit of a back and forth.
my E95S dated 2018 had tine gap so big for an F(its visible with naked eye. bought new), it wrote like Metropolitan with abnormally wet medium, I just had to sell that. When I was browsing Amazon Japan, I saw reviews of many complains that even its EF is barely Japanese Fine. I'm going to hazard a guess that that 2023 nib is new specification tune.
Say Doodle bud - I've been thinking about magnifying glasses and your amazon supply list is very helpful but I noticed you have two types - which ones/type/style do you prefer? lol. tired of going back and forth with my loupe!!!
I used a modified version of your video. I have a Pilot Decimo that has NO space between the tines. Since you cannot buy just a replacement nib (in case I screw up the fix) I was leary to try this. I did buy a Majohn A2 to test this method. I did not have the exact brass that you purchased but I did have some older brass shims from when I reconditioned pens. All I did was slip my brass into the slot and move it around a bit. Kind of like a feeler guage. I tested the pen on the tissue like you showed. Micro fine dots before the shim. Perfectly nice sized dots after. I have been using it for days after the reaming out. Instant start. No skips. Could the slot have had micro burrs inside where it was cut?
There can be burs inside sometimes, but usually rare. Sometimes all a nib needs is a little wiggle at the end to get it going. But do have to watch out as sometimes it can bend back right at the tipping causing a weak point. So long as its just a little wiggling you should be all good.
@@Doodlebud Since I used my brass shim, the Majohn A2 has consistently started and never skipped. I am very pleased with the result. Thank you for the suggestions and other cool videos. Hope the move went smoothly.
I would actually say this is lower risk method. It seems kind of crazy, but you have more control on the process and can see what you're doing so don't risk going too far with the adjustment
Might be a stupid question, but wouldn't aluminium foil be the right size and be more convenient than going for brass foil? Love your videos, keep at it.
I have an issue with my lamy 2000 where a left stroke is nice and wet but a right stroke almost somehow chokes the nib and it starts skipping! Ive checked the tines and they seen fine?what could the problem be?
I just recieved a Tachikawa School G fountain pen with Fine nib. OMG it's so scratchy. It is literally scraping up paper fibers into it 😬 Can't find any vids on how to fix it if it's not supposed to be that way.
It has a similar result. Pushing down can lift the nib off from the feed and can put a bend in the nib profile instead of just opening the tines up. It does work, but not suitable for all pens. For this particular pen, the way the nib is fitted to the body, pushing down gives the potential for damaging the pen or at least causing a loose fit of the nib to the body
That's where attention to detail comes in. The line width that you see on a page is effected by the tipping size and ink flow. You can change the line width by adjusting the ink flow either way. To tune a nib "correctly" you want to try to preserve the intended line width deemed by the nib tip size, but also need to supply sufficient ink flow. The line width on this one did increase a small fraction, but it needed to as the ink flow was restricting proper writing. So its a bit of a balancing act to get it just right. But you can also throw that all away when you do your own nibs. If you like them super wet, open it up. If you want one dry, to the point it misses a little bit, tune it to your exact desire
i used surgical knife to widen some $5 jinhao pen; to fix nib of $50 twsbi i buy feeler gauge, but i will no way touch my $100 pilot elite :) luckily it's wet enough for me, but alas, too scratchy
I like this method of tuning. I used a steel feeler gauge and scratched the nib. This method seems to be a much better method. I also liked how to provide more contact to the feed. Can you not do the same thing to reduce the flow. I have a few "gushers" that I need to slow down the flow a bit.
You just close the tine gap. So cross the tines over each other to close it up. Give the tine gap a look to ensure thats the issue instead of something else. It can be easy to fix the wrong problem sometimes
Update: my tines seem pretty well spaced and aligned, and my vertical strokes are perfect and the nib is visibly wet, but my horizontal strokes are still skipping and hard starting! I’ve thoroughly cleaned it twice, but ever since I got my con-70 and Parker quink I’ve been having this issue. I’m not sure if i damaged something but in general my nib appears okay? It used to write perfectly when I was still using pilot cartridges and before I cleaned it in advance of using my new ink.
Different brands and different inks within brands can vary in wetness. It's possible that the Quink is just too dry for your pen. It's also possible that the Pilot ink was covering up for whatever problem this is. Without seeing the nib, it's probably going to be hard for Doodlebud or anybody to solve your particular issue. He has a great video on nib tuning, though. In your shoes I'd probably try that next; your problem could be caused by "baby's bottom" in the nib. His video shows how to use very fine grit sandpaper to address such issues.
Perhaps things didn't get put back in place properly after cleaning. I have a video on how to check a pen from the most basic things first before getting into making adjustments. You could end up "fixing" the wrong problem which actually causes a new issue. There is a playlist in the description which has a bunch of these videos.
@@Doodlebud Hi man, thanks for the reply. I’ve checked that it has been assembled correctly, and have also checked that theres no “baby’s bottom” on my nib. The tines are aligned and spread correctly and the ink flow is great. However, I still get some occasional skips on the side strokes. I’ve also perfectly aligned the nib and feed, and ensured that nothing is missing or damaged.
Are there any other easily available alternatives to brass shims (/sheets?) or feeler gauges ? Aliexpress is banned in my country and Brass shims are not easily available. for a long time I used a razor blade to increase the tine gap but I find it harder to handle and there's more room for error.
Bud, I am trying to save a Sheaffer silver imperial from the 1970s.0Tthat has been abandoned for say 30 years with what I think must have been Indian permanent Ink. This is the "long nib" version. I have been drowning it in 100% koh-i-noor for about one hour every day and then a day/night 4:1 solution and then again. Just to not damage the nib plastic section in the 100% solution. I shake the nib in the solution in a glass jar with screwed lid every few hours. I do get "some" ink colour coming out, even some looking like "syrupy". BUT, if I put a syringe on the cartridge's nipple and pressure it, nothing comes out of the tip. After about a week of this, nothing. It is still clogged. I looked for videos of how to dismantle the nib but found nothing for this pen. Any suggestions? Ammonia is the chemical dissolving the permanent dried ink is that correct? How potent can I go with ammonia to try and save the pen nib? Should I look for a NOS nib instead? Thank. Desperate in Vancouver.
Im not familiar with the particulars of that exact pen but things can get really gummed up. It might take weeks of soaking to get anything going. I use a 10:1 water ammonia solution for my pen was and soaking, it has a couple drops of dish soap as well. I did a video on how to make it at home. ua-cam.com/video/CpvkrqMI2u0/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebudthanks Doodlebud, I will have a look at your video. "hings can get really gummed up. It might take weeks of soaking to get anything going" This is in a weird way reassuring!
That method with this pen would probably do more harm than good. It puts a lot of stress where the nib connects to the body. When its in a housing it has a lot of support but with this nib & body design, it could mess things up. This way is much more controlled and less likely to damage
Gold is just not an ideal material for fountain pens. The elastic range is too narrow before it transitions to plastic deformation. The tines and feed hole create a weak deformation point. It cannot survive being dropped. It scratches too easily. The choice of gold occurred before the invention of corrosion resistant steel. It is also unacceptable that fountain pens don't have swappable nibs with a smart fastener and feed grip mechanism.
Thanks
WOW thanks so much! I just updated the links in the video description. For sizes I bought several but I would recommend the 0.02mm , 0.03mm & 0.05mm shim stock. The size of your tip doesn't matter so much. Its about fitting the shims in the slit and being able to adjust the gap. The shims are also good to check the tine gap. I would aim for a 0.02mm tip gap as a baseline and then go from there.
Excellent camera
DUDE, I just got into this hobby with a kakuno a month ago and started having a similar issue after cleaning it and reinking a week ago, the timing is impeccable! Love ur vids keep up the great work!
Lol, I started with Kakunos, told myself I’d never spend more than $$ on a fountain pen, 2 years later I just got my Sailor 1911L in the mail.😮
@@cd3694 Been similar here, getting Jinhaos and such saying I wouldn't pay more than $15-20. While not yet paying as much as a 1911, have 3 vintage pocket pens, 1 each from the big three Japanese manufacturers, a Kaweco sport and drooling over the E95s and Vanishing Point, and some small maker pens. This hobby gets addicting.
Stepped into this hobby and now have 14 fountain pens only to write my weekly shopping list 😢
@@jantjejansen Be creative and find other ways to use your pens, I transcribe lyrics from my favorite songs because I simply can't journal (for example).
After cleaning and re-inking doesn't sound to me as something that needs your nib to be modified like he shows in the video, a good recommended cleaning would be to use a bulb syringe and tap water with some dish soap drops. Did it work fine the first time?
Thanks for this great video. What I did with my E95S was I did the hard surface method that you mentioned here. Instead though, I put my thumb down on the breather hole while pressing down gently to keep the nib from flexing upwards too much away from the feed. Worked like a charm. Now the pen no longer skips and flows way better!
That's a really interesting technique, one I haven't seen before. I'll have to give that a try. I've never felt comfortable pushing down on the nib for the reasons you mentioned, but this seems more precise and controlled. Unfortunately, if you love fountain pens, you learn pretty quickly that adjustments like these are often necessary, whether a pen is new, used, expensive or inexpensive, it's just the nature of the hobby. Thanks for sharing.
So true about the adjustments!
I commented a while ago explaining this technique so I'm glad to see you giving it a go, it's indeed especially useful on nibs where you just can't grab the shoulders or remove the nib.
One important recommendation I have is the following: don't pull on the brass tabs, because then you can very easily accidentally twist your tines if one of your hands moves up or down relative to the other, and that is an absolute nightmare to realign. It's much safer to push the tips of your thumbs and index fingers together while touching the rest of your fingers to the feed and grip section, which keeps the tines in the same horizontal plane, keeps the nib and feed pressed together, and it also gives you much finer control over how much force you're exerting.
I don't like this technique with the brass shims, for me it's a lot safer and easier to use a feeler gauge (totally clean from the stock oil), and I would never do it on inlaid nibs, if you cause a disaster it's way easier to fix on a nib that can be detached.
As with any skill, this needs a lot of practice, so, before trying it on a valuable nib, use affordable spare nibs.
@@manuelsalazar3938 What do you mean by "easier and safer to use a feeler gauge"? A feeler gauge is exactly the same as a shim, except it's made of a harder metal(steel instead of brass). If you want to widen the slit, you have to pull the tines apart somehow. With an inlaid nib, the only way to do that is to put something between the tines and pull them apart. You can also push them apart by putting multiple shims between the tines, but that is much more risky than pulling, because the tines will almost certainly twist at some point. Of course you would rather not have to work on an inlaid nib if you have the choice, but if the nib is dry, you don't have the choice. You either make it wetter or get rid of the pen.
Nice way of checking the ink flow.
Step number one for a new pen is to use an earwax bulb to squirt a little warm soapy water through. It might just be that there is still some grease in the deed from manufacturing.
Step number two to dissemble the nib in case there is swarf in the feed from manufacturing.
Then I am 100% with you.
Thanks for these great ongoing videos.
I totally agree with you, but the curious thing is I've never found any oil residue in any of my pens and I've disassembled most (around 100 pens) 😂
@@manuelsalazar3938 I've been unlucky?
I must have had three or four at least. It's not residue you can see, just a film and after the soap treatment is done they were fine. One pen You Tuber cleans all of his pens that way before using them for the first time because of this issue. If there is poor ink flow it is certainly the first step.
Best to you. :)
Amazingly instructional. But I have to say, LEARNING is one thing, while actually DOING IT successfully has got to be a gradual process. Start with cheap nibs.
Luckily all my pens are not expensive I have ruined some experimenting with them.
This is one of those things where its a learning by doing. Sort of like swimming.
Thanks so much for this highly practical video. I have been using the spark plug tuner gauges for years. Your videos are so very interesting; I’m so glad I ran across them. Having done Calligraphy for well over fifty years, I love fountain pens, inks and paper very much. Thanks for your wonderful contributions to this hobby. Thanks for your generosity in the pens that you give away. I never even dreamed that I would be the recipient of this latest gift by you and 365 Pen store. Thank you both so much! I know I will find this to be so very enjoyable.
I've purchased a number of larger Jinhao pens (X159s and a 9019) over the past several months, and have found that every single one had tines that were too tight at the tip. I've used this method on them, but being steel nibs, it takes quite a bit of force to open them at all. (The brass shims have torn more than once, and I don't yet have any stainless shim material...) But it does work, and I have managed to make them all write much better without (to my surprise) ruining any nibs. I haven't been brave enough to try this on a gold nib yet, but I have one or two that could probably benefit from it.
I have a vintage Sailor version of this style slip cap pocket pen. I'm not normally a fan of slim barrels (like the Sheaffer Targa) or tiny nibs but gotta say, there's something about this overall design that just fits so well in the fingers that it's a pleasure to use. And the Japanese F nib is exactly the line I look for, so getting the flow right is the ticket 🙂
I bought brass shims last year, and never use them. I have used my feeler gauge. Suggestion for avoiding scratching the nib when adjusting the gap: Enter the slit through the concave surface, rather than the convex "face" and slide it up, not down. Repeating the process a few times is often necessary, especially with a steel nib. Check between adjustments. Or try the Doug (Inkquiring Minds) Rathbun-approved "seven steps to inky happiness" method, which requires no shims, no feeler gauges, no razor blades.
I love the dual brass shims trick for making a nib wetter. Feels like so much more precision than trying to grasp with my fingernails. Thanks for sharing!
Quite a neat trick! Takes a bit of practice and a steady hand.
Bought a feeler gauge today because of you, tuning my nibs was quick and easy. Amazing investment, thank you!
Great to hear!
Excellent video. Thank you
I just now got the chance to catch up and watch the video. This may be my favorite way you have shown nib adjustment. I feel like this is a little safer and more consistent way to adjust nibs. Thanks for sharing! And very cool that you are giving it away!
I've been wanting to do this method for a while but couldn't find a cheap shim stock provider until I looked up on Aliexpress. Definitely more control and are able to really see what your doing this way. This will be my go to method moving forward I think
Ooohhhh my god. I hate that it never occured to me that using a steel shim on a gold nib could scratch it considering it's a softer metal. I totally dodged a bullet and so thankful for the tip of using two pieces of brass shims to pull the tines apart.
That depends on how rude you are when doing this, I use a feeler gauge and have never scratched any of my gold nibs. But I practiced a lot on cheaper steel nibs before doing it on a gold nib.
Superb. Thank you so much. After my Jinhao x159, I applied it to my Jinhao x450. It works.
Glad it worked for you
Thanks for the video! I'm just started getting into fountain pens, I love learning new things.
DB, I got an Elite (Japanese import) with F nib a few months back, which also wrote quite dry. I fixed it in a similar way, though I used only one shim, pulling first one tine then the other. Took a few tries (easy does it!) but it’s a nice writer now, consistent and reliable yet not a gusher. Cool test with the tissue, BTW.
Intresting! I came up with the same trick to open up the tines! It works really well!
Thanks Doodlebud for the excellent, very creative 101 video! I also like very much you told us where to purchase the stuff you've been using, very useful indeed.
This seems like a much better approach in general than using fingers, which is what I often read.
I want to improve the flow on a Lamy 2k fine. Think I'll try this, but with the nib removed.
Great instructions! Thanks for your channel. I enjoy watching and learning from you.
Love this approach!
Thanks for this video! Just getting into taking fountain pens a bit more seriously. Got a Pilot Kakuno I've been pretty pleased with, but then saw the Kaweco liliput fireblue, and just had to have that. Was a little disappointed with the writing, however. Kept hitting dry spots, especially at the start of a stroke. As I was watching this I looked down at the nip and the tines got very tight at the tip like the pen in the video. Very carefully pressed a knife blade on the split since I didn't have any shims handy, and tried it again, and it started to improve. After a few gentle nudges, it was much better.. then I pressed the nib back against the feed just a bit and that solved the last bit of the problem. Much better ink delivery!
i used a feeler gauge, and now my preppy isn't skipping anymore. it was always really dry. now it's writing great. It is the EF preppy, but it felt like i was reverse nib writing all the time. now i'll actually start using it.
I actually did this to my Lamy Extra Fine nib last week with a brass gage first. It now writes pretty wet and less scratchy after I polished the tip portion a bit with a 0.01 micron fiber optic polishing film and looked at it under the micro scope to see how good it is going from beginning to end.
Great job
I have never seen this before, was interesting!
Thanks for the in depth explanation!
I have the same problem with my Pilot Elite 95S. Thanks very much.
Thanks for all the hacks!
My Jinhao X159 the tipping material on the first nib was where I had to spread. There was a plenty of space on the slit til the tip. That was a bit nerve-wracking to have to spread.
Thanks for such a great detail explanation. I have some Fountain pens I love but i wish they were little wetter for my taste. I will do all the procedure and I will let you know the results>🖋🖋🖋
You can also use the aluminum from a soda can to the same effect
Loving the new lens DB! Awesomecool watching the nib up close.
It's helps to show things big time
Thank you for another very informative video. I've learned so much form you, love your videos.
that is actually really useful
I'm definitely feeling this instructional. Thanks 💜
Fascinating. Thank you so much. I learned so much!
What type of wristwatch? Tissue paper for measuring viscosity because it is filled with tiny capillaries--very clever description.
Samsung S3 Frontier is the watch
Nice nice....i might get me a brass sheet roll
I used to use the razor before known this video!
I clicked on the link for the brass shims but the page couldn't be found. I would really appreciate it if you could refresh the link. Also could you include the widths of the brass shims? I only use medium nibs and a smaller number of fine nibs. So I only need the widths for fine and medium nibs. By the way, I love your videos. They're very enjoyable, informative, and you have the gift of making everything easy to understand! Thank you!
Here's another store. If that doesn't work look for brass shim stock on AliExpress. You need to find ones with 0.02-0.04mm thicknesses
s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DeKf2FZ
Really useful video, and wonderful technique
Brilliant technique!!
That is an amazing way to adjust the tines of a nib. Thanks for sharing this awesome hack. I wonder if you could use dental floss or nylon thread as well.
That would be a pain to get between the tines and would most likely snap pretty quick
This was super helpful. Thanks
The pilot kakuno is a fun pen the elite is a very nice pen
very cool, thank you for sharing this
Wow! Thanks for this video!!
My Jinhao 9019 was a little strange in the nib at first so I applied a liiiittle pressure on the nib and now it seems ok. It could also be that it needed a little longer time to fill up the ink properly. It's not the 🩵 nib though and I don't know where to get that nib.
Great video! Thank you very much!
Do you have a video that discusses the opposite modification? I have a nib that a bit too wet. What would be the SOP in this case?
In the description I have a playlist with a bunch of videos on these topics. You essentially cross the tines over each other to close them up. The opposite of what I'm doing here for a dry nib
Very useful. Thanks
Great video, valuable info. Thanks DB.
My pleasure
It's great to see updated videos like this one. I re-watched one of your nib tuning videos from a few years ago (a few times over) before attempting to tune a nib for the first time.
Question for you: I have a #2 Weidlich 14k nib. It is a fabulous nib, but the pen it's currently in is not working well. Do you have some recommendations for finding another pen with the same size nib that would be compatible?
Love your videos, and love that you cover a wide range of reviews, tuning tips, and even cheaper paper options.
Unfortunately I'm not familiar with that nib so can't help with that question
Helpful, thank you!
Great tip that I have been using for the last couple of years. I always hated the "Put your thumb on the top of the nib and push on a hard surface" method as I feel it cam cause visible distortions to the surface of the nib and it was too easy to go too far and putting it back was too difficult. I do prefer to pull the entire nib (when possible) and use wider shims to distribute the force across a greater length of the slit.
I do wonder about how you adjust the nib against the feed, though. Doesn't that method close your gap back up? I have found that heat setting the feed after adjusting the gap is very reliable, even with plastic feeds. 90 seconds in boiling water and then pinch for 60 seconds. The success rate isn't 100% but I haven't tried anything that comes close to being as reliable for controlling flow and fixing problems with pens losing prime and unreliable flow issues.
You should just about be to the point where you could/should write a book or guide.
The press down does work but you can't really see what you're doing and there is the risk of going too hard without knowing it. For this pen doing that method I think would have done more harm than good.
For closing up the nib/feed gap it can push the tines a bit closer. One adjustment can impact another so it can be a bit of a back and forth.
my E95S dated 2018 had tine gap so big for an F(its visible with naked eye. bought new), it wrote like Metropolitan with abnormally wet medium, I just had to sell that. When I was browsing Amazon Japan, I saw reviews of many complains that even its EF is barely Japanese Fine. I'm going to hazard a guess that that 2023 nib is new specification tune.
Brilliant!
I was thinking about getting some pen tuning stuff. Do you recommend that I get the Goulet brass sheet or feeler gauges from Amazon?
The brass sheets are safer to use
Dude! Great hack!
Say Doodle bud - I've been thinking about magnifying glasses and your amazon supply list is very helpful but I noticed you have two types - which ones/type/style do you prefer? lol. tired of going back and forth with my loupe!!!
I have these in the 600 (6X)
a.aliexpress.com/_msBoLLG
I used a modified version of your video. I have a Pilot Decimo that has NO space between the tines. Since you cannot buy just a replacement nib (in case I screw up the fix) I was leary to try this. I did buy a Majohn A2 to test this method. I did not have the exact brass that you purchased but I did have some older brass shims from when I reconditioned pens. All I did was slip my brass into the slot and move it around a bit. Kind of like a feeler guage. I tested the pen on the tissue like you showed. Micro fine dots before the shim. Perfectly nice sized dots after. I have been using it for days after the reaming out. Instant start. No skips. Could the slot have had micro burrs inside where it was cut?
There can be burs inside sometimes, but usually rare. Sometimes all a nib needs is a little wiggle at the end to get it going. But do have to watch out as sometimes it can bend back right at the tipping causing a weak point. So long as its just a little wiggling you should be all good.
@@Doodlebud Since I used my brass shim, the Majohn A2 has consistently started and never skipped. I am very pleased with the result. Thank you for the suggestions and other cool videos. Hope the move went smoothly.
High risk method but high reward too. Ingenious.
I would actually say this is lower risk method. It seems kind of crazy, but you have more control on the process and can see what you're doing so don't risk going too far with the adjustment
@@Doodlebud Fair point. Maybe it just feels a scarier process to do to your nib.
Might be a stupid question, but wouldn't aluminium foil be the right size and be more convenient than going for brass foil? Love your videos, keep at it.
Aluminum foil would rip right away. Just not strong enough for this
Awesome demonstration. Did you use the 0.02mm shim?
Yes for this one the 0.02mm. For other nibs I might go wider just depending on the nib. That's why I ordered a few different thicknesses
Thanks! no more dry nibs!
Cool watch! Just noticed. What brand is it?
Samsung s3 frontier
Have you already done the draw? This is one of the pens on my list! Would you recommend it?
Yup did the draw march 1st and the winner claimed it. It's a great pen, would recommend for sure
Thanks for the video
No problem
I have an issue with my lamy 2000 where a left stroke is nice and wet but a right stroke almost somehow chokes the nib and it starts skipping! Ive checked the tines and they seen fine?what could the problem be?
Can you tell me the name and magnification of the lens that clips to your phone? Thanks for all you do.
I talk about the lens in this video. There is a link with discount code in the description
ua-cam.com/video/rS281e4rU04/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebud thank you
Whether making a wet nib drier or dry nib wetter, I never succeeded in repairing a nib. Always ended up abandoning the pen/nib.
Your are keeping nibmeisters gainfully employed 😁
Superb, but I need to go the other way. Do you have a demo of how to make a nib drier?///
Yup, I included a link to my nib tuning playlist in the description. But essentially you cross the tines over one another to close up the gap
@@Doodlebud thanks, I apologize for not looking a little further first. Sounds much more scary than separating the tines.
I just recieved a Tachikawa School G fountain pen with Fine nib. OMG it's so scratchy. It is literally scraping up paper fibers into it 😬 Can't find any vids on how to fix it if it's not supposed to be that way.
Bending the nib up has the same result or forcing the nib shoulders out.
It has a similar result. Pushing down can lift the nib off from the feed and can put a bend in the nib profile instead of just opening the tines up. It does work, but not suitable for all pens. For this particular pen, the way the nib is fitted to the body, pushing down gives the potential for damaging the pen or at least causing a loose fit of the nib to the body
@@Doodlebud really, the feed need some curving too if it went too far.
If I make the nib gap little wider in a fine pen , doesn't it make it like a medium nib ?
That's where attention to detail comes in. The line width that you see on a page is effected by the tipping size and ink flow. You can change the line width by adjusting the ink flow either way. To tune a nib "correctly" you want to try to preserve the intended line width deemed by the nib tip size, but also need to supply sufficient ink flow. The line width on this one did increase a small fraction, but it needed to as the ink flow was restricting proper writing. So its a bit of a balancing act to get it just right. But you can also throw that all away when you do your own nibs. If you like them super wet, open it up. If you want one dry, to the point it misses a little bit, tune it to your exact desire
i used surgical knife to widen some $5 jinhao pen; to fix nib of $50 twsbi i buy feeler gauge, but i will no way touch my $100 pilot elite :) luckily it's wet enough for me, but alas, too scratchy
I like this method of tuning. I used a steel feeler gauge and scratched the nib. This method seems to be a much better method.
I also liked how to provide more contact to the feed. Can you not do the same thing to reduce the flow. I have a few "gushers" that I need to slow down the flow a bit.
You just close the tine gap. So cross the tines over each other to close it up. Give the tine gap a look to ensure thats the issue instead of something else. It can be easy to fix the wrong problem sometimes
try floss tooth picks too.
Update: my tines seem pretty well spaced and aligned, and my vertical strokes are perfect and the nib is visibly wet, but my horizontal strokes are still skipping and hard starting! I’ve thoroughly cleaned it twice, but ever since I got my con-70 and Parker quink I’ve been having this issue. I’m not sure if i damaged something but in general my nib appears okay? It used to write perfectly when I was still using pilot cartridges and before I cleaned it in advance of using my new ink.
Different brands and different inks within brands can vary in wetness. It's possible that the Quink is just too dry for your pen. It's also possible that the Pilot ink was covering up for whatever problem this is. Without seeing the nib, it's probably going to be hard for Doodlebud or anybody to solve your particular issue. He has a great video on nib tuning, though. In your shoes I'd probably try that next; your problem could be caused by "baby's bottom" in the nib. His video shows how to use very fine grit sandpaper to address such issues.
@@azzgunther ive never really ground the nib I think I just messed it up while cleaning by accident
Perhaps things didn't get put back in place properly after cleaning. I have a video on how to check a pen from the most basic things first before getting into making adjustments. You could end up "fixing" the wrong problem which actually causes a new issue. There is a playlist in the description which has a bunch of these videos.
@@Doodlebud Hi man, thanks for the reply. I’ve checked that it has been assembled correctly, and have also checked that theres no “baby’s bottom” on my nib. The tines are aligned and spread correctly and the ink flow is great. However, I still get some occasional skips on the side strokes. I’ve also perfectly aligned the nib and feed, and ensured that nothing is missing or damaged.
What shim width did you use for this - .02?
Yup
Are there any other easily available alternatives to brass shims (/sheets?) or feeler gauges ? Aliexpress is banned in my country and Brass shims are not easily available. for a long time I used a razor blade to increase the tine gap but I find it harder to handle and there's more room for error.
You might be able to use clear tape.
There are lots of fountain pen retailers who sell them, if you just search for "fountain pen brass shim", you will be able to find them.
@@azzguntherThat sounds like a good idea. I will give it a try. Thanks!
Okay, but how would you fix a nib that's writing too wet (tine gap too wide)?
Look around my channel. I cover this (and other stuff) in many videos
ua-cam.com/video/O6TdFipvpAI/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebud Wow, a reply in 20 minutes! Thanks, I'll check it out and look around before asking further questions.
Bud, I am trying to save a Sheaffer silver imperial from the 1970s.0Tthat has been abandoned for say 30 years with what I think must have been Indian permanent Ink.
This is the "long nib" version.
I have been drowning it in 100% koh-i-noor for about one hour every day and then a day/night 4:1 solution and then again. Just to not damage the nib plastic section in the 100% solution. I shake the nib in the solution in a glass jar with screwed lid every few hours. I do get "some" ink colour coming out, even some looking like "syrupy". BUT, if I put a syringe on the cartridge's nipple and pressure it, nothing comes out of the tip.
After about a week of this, nothing.
It is still clogged.
I looked for videos of how to dismantle the nib but found nothing for this pen.
Any suggestions?
Ammonia is the chemical dissolving the permanent dried ink is that correct? How potent can I go with ammonia to try and save the pen nib? Should I look for a NOS nib instead?
Thank.
Desperate in Vancouver.
Im not familiar with the particulars of that exact pen but things can get really gummed up. It might take weeks of soaking to get anything going. I use a 10:1 water ammonia solution for my pen was and soaking, it has a couple drops of dish soap as well. I did a video on how to make it at home.
ua-cam.com/video/CpvkrqMI2u0/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebudthanks Doodlebud, I will have a look at your video.
"hings can get really gummed up. It might take weeks of soaking to get anything going"
This is in a weird way reassuring!
What's the watch?
Samsung s3 frontier
Thanks!
Thanks so much!
Wow, this scares me a lot, what you are doing. I only do Doug's "Seven strokes to inky happiness" and it works well for me.
That method with this pen would probably do more harm than good. It puts a lot of stress where the nib connects to the body. When its in a housing it has a lot of support but with this nib & body design, it could mess things up. This way is much more controlled and less likely to damage
AvE is that you?!
How much subjectivity involved pressure wise with such fine tuning adjustments in nibs?
Since its all done by hand its completely subjective from user to user. Its one of those things you just have to feel
Or use a shaving blade.
Real trick would be to show everyone how to tighten it
Did a video on that and it will be up this weekend
Gold is just not an ideal material for fountain pens. The elastic range is too narrow before it transitions to plastic deformation. The tines and feed hole create a weak deformation point. It cannot survive being dropped. It scratches too easily. The choice of gold occurred before the invention of corrosion resistant steel. It is also unacceptable that fountain pens don't have swappable nibs with a smart fastener and feed grip mechanism.
Great video, thanks!
Thanks!
Wow, thanks so much buddy👍 I appreciate it 😁