Greg Minuskin

So, you just filled up your favorite pen with a great, private reserve color, Midnight Blue? Or, perhaps a Jasmine Red? After removing the pen tip from the bottle, you go and wipe off the excess with a paper towel, and begin to write. After a few lines, the ink stops! Wait, you just filled it, right? You can see the ink in the pen (some models) or you go back to the ink bottle and try to empty the pen to see the ink come out.

Well, the picture below may be your problem; see the bit of paper towel on the feed? When you went to wipe the pen with the paper towel, a small piece of the paper towel came off and lodged under the nib, right across the feed channels. How could this happen?

Easy answer: The edge of the nib cut some of the paper towel and it “shaved” the piece of paper towel like cheese into and under the nib to the feed! Amazing, but true!

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One of my good clients recently sent me photos of his new, custom Namiki Falcon, which I customized. This pen/nib pictured now sports a super flex, fine italic oblique regrind which I customized. As you can see, the nib is quite flexible, and the regrind demonstrates the special characteristics of a fine, oblique nib.

Most people opt for the a fine/extra fine regrind, and the super flex, to get the line variation with the varying pressure applied to the nib. However, some very skilled people want more in the way of line variation and character.

Enter the ultimate challenge! Fine, Oblique, Italic Superflex All in one pen!

A skilled, very practiced hand is essential to master this unique combination. My client below is one of the few that possess this difficult combination. Rotation of the pen, while flexing, will make the nib feel scratchy, so the trick here is to know how to “curve” your wrist, following the contour of the oblique regrind (in order to maintain the “foot” of the oblique properly positioned on the paper,) while still thinking of the pressure variations you are desiring to get the line width using the flex of the nib! Got all that? Whew!
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Are you in this calligraphic league, or just want to practice/challenge yourself, to achieve similar results? If so, please contact me, as I have a few of these wonderful Namiki Falcon pens in stock ready for modification to whatever level you are working at, or would like to practice/improve to. Turn around time is only 2 weeks (yes, 2 weeks, not months!) Please contact me, I look forward to hearing from you soon. Happy Inking

[caption id="attachment_1693" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Not sharp, but still extra fine"][/caption]
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Okay, so you tried writing with an extra fine, needlepoint, and its too sharp for you, but you are still looking for an extra fine that the pen manufacturers don’t offer.

Often is the case with extra fine nibs, when dealing with modern pens, is that the factory nib is usually not a “true” extra fine nib. I can understand why today’s modern pen companies do not offer a “true” extra fine; most people cannot use them, and would complain about the size, along with the feel.

Well, for those of you that “know” how to use one, there is always the option to regrind, or retip, your nib, either on a modern nib, or vintage nib. If you are one of those folks seeking the virtues of an extra fine nib, email me and I will be happy to assist you with your needs. Currently, my turn around time is running only 2 weeks! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[caption id="attachment_1688" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Smaller then the Writing on the Penny!"][/caption]
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Well, what can I say? Pictures speak for themselves. Small is small, but then there is “small!” Suffice it to say a skilled hand is needed to write this small, even with the regrind being as it is, which is a needlepoint. Setting up the nib correctly sure helps as well; if the tines are too far apart, too much ink, too close, dry. I am sure that my client will like it

[caption id="attachment_1680" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Close up of the nib, nice!"][/caption]
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HOT DEAL OF THE WEEK! DON’T WAIT! (SOLD: 08/12/09) THAT WAS FAST! Wahl Eversharp Skyline, dark blue, sporting one of my custom 1.3mm broad stubs. Wet writer. Restored pen, new ink sack installed. Polished up and ready to use. Not a collectable pen condition wise or model; some light scratches on the cap and barrel but gold trim is in good shape, clip is nice. Ready to use and enjoy! Price……………$100.00 plus shipping! Don’t wait until its gone, contact me asap!

[caption id="attachment_1674" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Backed up like grandma\'s kitchen sink!"][/caption]

Well, I don’t know what to say! Using permanent ink, in my opinion, is the quick road to clogging your pen, especially a modern pen with narrow feed channels. Such is the case with the Watermans nib and feed that is pictured above. It is always advisable to use only washable inks for modern fountain pens, as they have such narrow feed channels, and the end result is that they will inevitably clog if permanent inks, which often have solvents and impurities in them, are used.

Flush your pens regularly, they like taking a bath too

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What amazing skills people have with reground nibs! I consider the art of using a fountain pen a true gift, and often I am rewarded for my efforts with lovely photos of sketches and elaborate drawings by my clients. Such is the case with the above photograph. This drawing, done by my client who resides in South Korea, is just such a gift. His practiced hand clearly demonstrates the abilities of a Namiki pen once it has been reground by me to an extra fine, needle point shape. Adding flex also enhances the performance of the nib with great line variations brought on by varying degrees of pressure placed on the nib, pressure only an experienced hand can accomplish. Below is the note accompanying the photo from the owner of this Pilot 742 modified by me for his artistic renderings which he endeavors on a daily basis. Be sure to move your cursor over the image and click on it for a closer look!
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I (have drawn) a picture of a crane with your superflex Pilot Namiki 742 needle point nib.
This pen you customized is a great sketching machine!
Always many thanks to you whenever I write and draw something with this pen.
Sincerely,

Y.