A fountain pen nib does not need to be visibly damaged to benefit from professional tuning.
Small alignment problems, uneven tipping or poor ink flow can make a pen feel scratchy, dry or inconsistent. These issues may also cause hard starts, skipping or an unpleasant writing feel.
Each nib is inspected and adjusted individually. Depending on the problem, the work may include:
- Aligning the nib tines
- Adjusting ink flow
- Correcting uneven contact with the paper
- Carefully smoothing the tipping material
- Checking the relationship between the nib and feed
- Testing the pen for reliable starting and consistent writing
Steel, titanium and gold nibs can all benefit from careful tuning.
Even an inexpensive fountain pen can often be made considerably smoother and more enjoyable to use.
Nib tuning normally takes between 30 and 90 minutes, depending on the nib’s condition and the complexity of the problem.
Bent and Cracked Fountain Pen Nibs
Dropping a fountain pen onto its nib can bend the tines, distort the feed or crack the nib around the breather hole or shoulders.
Many bent nibs can be carefully reshaped, realigned and smoothed. The aim is to restore both the appearance and writing performance while retaining as much of the original nib as possible.
Cracked gold nibs may also be repairable when no significant pieces are missing. Where appropriate, the crack can be repaired using specialist laser welding before the nib is reshaped, aligned and tuned.
Repair may be possible for problems including:
- Bent or twisted nib tines
- Nibs pushed away from the feed
- Cracks around the breather hole
- Cracks along the shoulders of the nib
- Damage caused by dropping the pen
- Previous repair work that has left the nib uneven
- Poor alignment following an impact
- Nibs that look damaged but still retain their tipping material
Please send clear close-up photographs before posting a badly bent or cracked nib.
Photographs can help me provide an initial opinion, although a final assessment can only be made after physically inspecting the pen.
Fountain Pen Cleaning and Servicing
Old or dried ink can build up inside the nib, feed, section, converter and filling system.
This can cause:
- Poor or restricted ink flow
- Hard starts
- Skipping while writing
- Inconsistent line width
- A pen that dries out quickly
- A converter or filling system that feels stiff
- Ink contamination when changing colours
A full service may include:
- Careful dismantling where appropriate
- Flushing the pen and filling system
- Cleaning the nib and feed
- Ultrasonic cleaning where safe for the materials
- Inspecting the converter, seals and filling mechanism
- Removing dried or contaminated ink
- Reassembling and testing the pen
- Final nib alignment and tuning
Not every fountain pen should be dismantled or cleaned in the same way.
The method used will depend on the pen’s age, construction, materials and condition. Vintage, plated, painted or delicate components require particular care.
A thorough service can often restore a pen that appears unreliable, dry or completely blocked.
Fountain Pen Body Polishing and Cosmetic Restoration
Daily use can leave a fountain pen looking dull, scratched or marked even when it remains mechanically sound.
Depending on the pen’s materials and condition, careful polishing may improve:
- Light surface scratches
- Dull or hazy finishes
- Minor scuffs and handling marks
- Ink staining on suitable surfaces
- Loss of shine on black resin or acrylic
- Uneven appearance caused by normal use
- Marks left by poor storage or handling
The aim is to improve the appearance of the pen without removing excessive material or damaging its original shape, detailing or finish.
Deep scratches, cracks, missing plating, engraving damage and previous aggressive polishing may limit what can safely be achieved.
Before beginning extensive cosmetic work, I will explain the likely result and any limitations.
Where appropriate, cosmetic restoration can be combined with a full service and nib tune so the pen looks and writes better when it is returned.
Fountain Pen Brands I Work On
I have experience servicing, tuning and repairing fountain pens from many manufacturers, including:
- Montblanc
- Parker
- Waterman
- Sailor
- Pilot
- Visconti
- Cartier
- Faber-Castell
- Leonardo
- Montegrappa
I also work on many other modern and premium fountain pen brands.
The availability of replacement parts varies between manufacturers and models. In some cases, an original part may no longer be available, but a suitable compatible replacement or alternative repair may still be possible.
Please send me:
- The brand and model, if known
- Clear photographs of the complete pen
- Close-up photographs of the nib or damaged area
- A description of the problem
- Details of any previous repair work
If you are unsure what model you have, photographs are often enough for me to begin identifying it.
Fountain pens I’ve worked on include:
- Mont Blanc Starwalker, 149 and other models
- Cartier
- Sailor
- Pilot
- Visconti
- Waterman
- Parker
- Faber-Castell
- Leonardo
- Montegrappa
Each nib takes between 30 to 90 minutes to hand align and tune (depending on its starting condition).
Steel, Titanium, and gold fountain pen Nibs of any cost can benefit from this process.
The price for a nib to be realigned and retuned is £50 plus shipping costs
This is payable once the work is complete and I’m satisfied the nib is of an excellent standard, or is a large improvement over what it was previously.
Turn around times are typically within 2 weeks from receipt of the pen.
If you would like to have your nib re-aligned and retuned the process is:
Ship your fountain pen to me – include a piece of paper with the following information:
Full Name
Return Address
email address
phone number
description of any fault
what return shipping you would like (next day £750 cover or £75.00 cover tracked 48)
Ship it to me:
Ben Cook
31 Monkton Road
York
YO31 9AJ
Payment is via bank transfer once the pen is complete and ready to ship back to you. I’ll email you with payment details when the pen is ready.
When you are shipping it to me – let me know via email so I can monitor i
If you are from outside the UK – contact me before shipping your pen to me, as the shipping process can be more complex.
Contact me for more information or to ask any more questions