Normally the thought of abrasives on a nib is not something we like to think about. There are a number of reasons it may be necessary whether as part of nib work to recover from a fall, grinding the nib to a new size/style, fixing baby's bottom, or just to get just that much closer to that buttery smooth feeling.
The kit ranges in grit from 6 to 0.3 microns (see our comparison chart for grit ratings), and additionally includes a 0.5 micron polishing pad for bringing out the shine in the gold and a strip of leather for those who like to strop nibs.
These pads are of outstanding quality with the 6, 2, 1, and 0.5 micron discs being diamond abrasives with the 0.3 micron relying on Aluminum Oxide (AO) abrasives.
Nib smoothing is a process that does involve the removal of material from the nib and as such should be treated cautiously and with consideration:
- Always inspect the nib prior to use of abrasives as any roughness or feedback may be the result of a misaligned nib and may not require any use of abrasives.
- Nib smoothing or grinding on modern pens will in most cases void any warranty.
- Throughout the nib smoothing or grinding operation the progress should be monitored and inspected under a loupe.
- Take it slow and steady, you can always take more off but you cannot feasibly put more back on.