As promised, I am now doing Part 2 of the post that is just dedicated to nibs. This post is going to focus more on caring for your nibs and hopefully help out with some of the issues you have encountered in the past. Just in case I missed out on anything or if you have other questions not included here, feel free to comment or message me.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

• Have a cup of art water nearby when you write. You need to rinse your nib every once in a while to get rid of any ink that builds up when writing for long periods of time. Don’t forget to dry your nib again before you continue writing.
• Wash your nib with water when done for the day. Then, dry it with a paper towel or dry cloth
• Remove the nib from your holder if you’re done writing. Please do not leave your nib in your holder for long periods of time. As you write, ink and water builds up in the holder. If you leave the nib in, you soak it in leftover ink and water. This will make your nib rust easily. In a few days, especially when you use vintage nibs, you’ll start noticing rust if you leave building up. I have heard people say that they had to use pliers to get their rusted nibs out of the holder. If the nib rusts pretty bad, chances are they would break and you’ll have a harder time getting the body out of the holder. I personally made it a habit to clean my nibs at the end of the day, and I hope you would to. Although nibs were made to be replaceable, we could at least make their lifespan a bit longer.
• Use some pen cleaner/Windex for a more thorough cleaning. You’ll notice that ink will still come off as you rub the nib with a paper towel even after you’ve washed it with water. Certain kinds of ink could not be cleaned off effectively by regular soap and water. Pay close attention to the vent and ridges of the nib when you to this as ink tends to build up in these areas. If left uncleaned for too long, you would also risk the nib rusting.
• Allow to air dry. After cleaning and drying, there will still be a little moisture left. If you have time, it would be best to air dry for a bit before you store the nib in its container.
• Store in a container. Whether it’s in a small tin container or those with several compartments, proper storage will ensure that your nibs won’t get easily damaged.

TROUBLESHOOTING NIB ISSUES

I’ve already prepped my nib, but my ink is not flowing properly. Either it skips or does not flow at all.

Repeat the steps for nib preparation. If that still doesn’t work and the ink looks like it’s stuck to the nib, it could mean that your ink is too thick. Try diluting the ink with some distilled water to make a thinner consistency. Only add a few drops of water at a time and test it afterwards. Rinse your nib after each round of testing. Repeat this until you get the consistency you need.

The ink doesn’t stick to the nib and just keeps creating blobs on the paper when I write.

Check the amount of pressure you use when you write. Lessen the pressure and see what happens. If it’s not your hand pressure, it may be an ink problem. If you’ve repeated the nib preparation procedure a few times, chances are the ink you are using is too watery. Try putting some ink in a small container and a few drops of gum arabic (powder or liquid). Mix and test it out again. Continue to add small amounts of gum arabic until you reach the consistency you need. Make sure you rinse your nib between tests. Remember to only add gum arabic to small amounts of ink at a time to make sure you don’t ruin your entire supply.

My nib is scratchy when I write.

When your nib gets scratchy, it could be caused by a few things. It could either the you are putting too much pressure on the nib when you write, the nib is worn out, a piece of the tine is broken or your tines are misaligned. Adjust your hand pressure first. If that doesn’t work, check is using a loupe (the same ones jewelers use) and see if there is any damage to the nib. If the nib is damaged, I would suggest to discard the nib. If you think it’s regular wear and you’re not ready to chuck the nib in the bin, you could try lightly sanding the tines with 1000-1200 grit sandpaper. The emery board for nails will do to, just make sure it’s not too coarse. Lightly run the nib on top of the sandpaper a few times and try writing with it again. Please note, however, that sanding down the nib will make its tines less pointy. This means your hairlines will not be as thin anymore.

My nib gets caught on the paper when I write.

Check your hand pressure and try lessening it when you write. It could also be from the paper you are using. If the paper you are using isn’t smooth, chances are you nib will get caught on the paper. Writing with less pressure will help fix this. If it’s still an issue, check if your nib is damaged and replace if needed.

The color of my nib isn’t even/has changed.

Different nibs are made of different materials and are sometimes coated with different products. As you prep, use and clean them, some of the coating is stripped away. Some ink also leave stains on the nib. As long as it hasn’t rusted out, this is perfectly okay. Nothing to worry about.

When do I know my nib needs to be replaced?

Aside from damaged nibs, you’ll need to replace them when they’re worn. Old nibs tend to become blunt over time. You’ll notice that your hairlines are no longer as thin/sharp as before. When this happens, it’s probably time to change your nib if you’re aiming for those really thin hairlines.

Aaaaannnnnddddd…that’s it! For now.

Happy writing!