Greg:
I want to tell you how pleased I am with the results of your re-grind of my Stipula I Castoni.
It’s like a new pen for me.
Actually, it took me a bit of time to find the new “sweet spot” on the nib, but when I did… Wow!
Smoothness is wonderful and the ink flow is just right for me.
Well done, Sir. This won’t be the last pen I send to you for a makeover.
Take care.
Thomas C.
Long, thin tines!
Flex, Flex Flex!
Its always good to start off the work day with a great message from a client who just received their pen back. I had the opportunity to flex a really nice Swan pen that was already sporting a flex nib, but the client wanted the nib to be even more flexible. Suffice to say the client is very, very happy with the comment made below:
Dear Greg,
Thank you for turning my Swan into a magical writing instrument. Retipping to a fine stub with enhanced flex was the way to go — you understood precisely what I wanted and worked your “Minuskin Magic” to transform this nib into something that is pure pleasure. I might as well put my other fountain pens away in a drawer, since this will be my pen of choice for quite some time. I really appreciate your knowledge and skill as a nibmeister, but also your customer service and quick turnaround. Beautiful work! Happy!
—Rena
One of the challenges in retipping is to preserve the original white rhodium plating during the tipping process. I have developed a way to do this, and here is a nib I have done recently for a client in Italy. Great vintage Montblanc 144 two tone nib now sporting a BBB super broad ball retip!
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I had to chuckle a bit when one of my long time clients sent a few pens for repair, along with a note, and in the note the client referred to my services as the “Minuskin Pen Spa.”
Do you have a pen that needs a few days at the Minuskin Pen Spa? If so, please let me know. Currently the turn around time is just two weeks, yes, just two weeks!
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Paintbrush? Pretty close. Don’t expect to write a full two pages with this retip without refilling the pen with ink, no matter how big the ink reservoir is on your pen, even with a Montblanc 149!
This retip is a part of a 7 pen set of all identical 149′s that I have had the pleasure of retipping for a very good client in New York. The request was for all the nibs to be retipped to broad, wet, super balls. Pictured below is just one of the seven pens.
Do you like this retip? If so, email me. Cost is only about $105.00 plus shipping and takes only 2 weeks to complete 
(Later this day!) Below, I received this wonderful comment from Daniel S. about one hour after I put up this post, thank you Daniel
Dear Greg,
I just saw your latest blog post about retipping the seven 149′s into super wet, broad super balls and I must say you did an amazing job! Those retips are a thing of beauty! If you ever decide to take on an apprentice please let me know!
Take care,
Daniel S.
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Wow, talk about ink flow!
Fully preserved white plating too!
Symmetry and aesthetics are important!
Side view
Dear Greg,
The pens arrived today, and I am pleased beyond words. I’ve been pretty burnt out with studying lately, but using these stubs is giving me a tremendous lift that I’m sure will carry me through exams next week. Really fantastic work.
The 1.0mm Flat top is the most incredibly smooth nib I’ve ever used. That pen was already the most comfortable to my hand, and now that it’s the smoothest and most fun-to-use pen I own…well, let’s just say I’ll be going through a lot of ink in the near future.
The 0.8mm Balance is no slouch either. It makes quite a statement, while still being very practical to use even on narrow-ruled paper. That’s going to be my default pen for a long time, I think.
Thanks very much again, and I’ll definitely be sending you more work in the future.
Regards,
Breck C.
THE DEAL OF THE WEEK! Nice Parker Vacumatic nibs sporting 1.5mm broad stub retips. Check out the pictures below (and click on the photos for a closer look!) Only $75.00 each plus postage. First come, first served, hurry!
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This lovely Montblanc 149 came into me from the owner who requested that the nib be reground from the standard, factory fine, to a fine that matched his writing sample. Also, the request was made to have the nib write much drier.
One of the “tricks” to making a nib write drier is to carefully adjust the feed more to the back of the section, so the travel distance is longer for the ink down the tines, which makes the ink come out thinner. Of course paper, pressure, and the ink all determine a drier (or wetter) line, but this trick really assists with drying up a nib. After the regrind samples were done next to the clients desired line (from another pen the client owns) and the results match.
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(UPDATE 06/23/09) Picture below is the Falcon 742 with the extra fine, needlepoint regrind, and flex added, in the hands of its very proud owner, demonstrating how small he can now write with it. Bear in mind that the light blue square print is a close up of standard 1/4 inch graph paper!
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Sometimes there comes around an opportunity to really make someone’s day! Such is the case with my new client Yi in South Korea. After a few emails back and forth concerning his needs, Yi decided to send me his Pilot 742 pen sporting a factory fine tip for regrinding into an extra fine, needlepoint, and add some flex to the nib as well. He also requested THREE Namiki Falcon pens which I have in stock for purchase, and to have those pens modified with extra fine, needlepoint regrinds, and flexed. Once Yi’s Pilot pen arrived, I got right to work on his pen, and also modified the three Falcon’s in stock to his specifications. Turn around time was just 2 days!
Below is Yi’s response once he received the package and tested the pens:
Dear Greg,
Thanks to Greg! I safely received new pen; the superflex 742 made by you on last Friday.
International shipping though, What an amazing turnaround! Thanks again for your perfect finishing.
In a word, a common pen with F nib had become a fantastic pen with various line variations!
The needlepoint nib is highly elastic and does make it easier to do a drawing and calligraphy.
I am really happy I had my special pen altered. I don’t think to need no longer a lot of words.
Not to say, this is the modern superflex nib. Thanks so much Greg!
Sincerely,
Yi.
P.S.
I’m sorry as a little bit late review. I gifted three superflex Falcon to my brother and friends with preference of pens like me but
They don’t send their Impressions to me yet. But without doubt I absolutely think they also are the same as mine.
Anyway I cannot help sending the review as above about only my superflex 742 made by you to you.
Very thanks again!
A New client emailed me about three weeks ago asking for my services in a few pens. After receiving the package I was able to squeeze in his repairs into my busy schedule, so that he could get them back in less then a week, at no extra charge too! Well, Mr. S.M. will be sending more pen in the near future!
Hi Greg,
I got the pens on Saturday, and was eager to try out the Waterman Carene’s “new” nib, but couldn’t do that until Sunday night. Anyway, the difference from the old nib is night and day! The nib, after the work you did on it, is not only so smooth, but also a finer line than the old one — just how I like it! Thanks again for the superb job on this one!!
Cheers,
S.M.