all
in
the
nib
making each nib sing
Hello and welcome to all in the nib. We offer custom grinds and tuning for fountain pens. Our aim to create the most pleasurable writing
experince by tailoring your nib exactly to your specifications. Please check out our Instagram page
for more pictures of our work.
Grinds
- Cursive Italic
- Stub
- Architect
- Oblique
- More to come
Cursive Italic
Cursive Italics produce thin cross strokes with wider down strokes. They are similar to a stub nib, but not as rounded. This produces much crisper lines and with a typically thinner cross strokes than a stub. Depending on the initial width of the nib, they can offer subtle line varition for finer nibs to pronounced variation from broader nibs. Either way, they're a great way to add flair to your writing. Cursive Italics a very approachable grind and fit well with many of writing styles.
Stub
Like Cursive Italics, Stubs produce thin cross strokes with wider down strokes. Stubs are rounder and smoother than Cursive Italics, but don't produce as crisp a line. They're more forgiving though, and are great for those who find Cursive Italics a bit too sharp or prefer the smoothest nibs they can find. Stubs provide a nice flair to your writing, are enjoyed by a wide variety of writers, and are a great option for a first grind.
Architect
Architects produce wide cross strokes with thin down strokes. To acheive this, Architects are ground to a wedge and work best for those who write with a constent writing angle and minimal rotation of the pen. Architects are a very personal grind as they work best when ground specifically to your writing angle. Those who write in print or block lettering will find Architect grinds quite expressive.
Oblique
Oblique nibs are typically useful for those who rotate their pens a lot when writing or have more unique writing angles. Obliques have a "foot", which indicate whether they angle to to the left or the right. The "foot" actually comes from your actual feet, so a left foot oblique looks like your left foot, with the left edge farther down than the right edge and points out to the left. A right foot oblique looks like your right foot, with the left edge farther up than the right edge and points out to the right. Most right handed writers who rotate their pens inward work find that a left foot oblique works well. The angle can vary as well, depending on how much rotation you write with.
Services
The process begins with a discussion about how your pen currently writes, what you'd like to have done, and how you'd like your pen to write once it's finished. This gives us enough information to tune your nib so it fulfills your expectations. The customer is responsible for shipping the pen to All in the Nib, as well as return shipping. We ask that pens are cleaned and shipped uninked. You'll be contacted to let you know that we've safely recieved your pen, and then as the grind and tuning are performed for follow up questions and feedback. All pens will include a writing sample sheet and authentication card indicating the work that was done.
| Tune and Smooth - $25 | Adjust ink flow, ensure proper tine alignment, and smooth the nib to your specifications. |
| Width Reduction - $35 | Reduce the width of the nib to as small as an extra fine. Tune and smooth to your specs. |
| Cursive Italic - $40 | Grind the nib to a cursive italic with sharpness to your specifications. Tune and smooth. |
| Stub - $40 | Grind the nib into a stub. Tune and smooth to your specifications. |
| Architect - $45 | Grind the nib into an Architect. Width and sharpness to your specs. Tune and smooth. |
| Needlepoint - $45 | Grind the nib to an extremely fine point of 0.2mm. Tune and smooth. |
| Oblique - $40 | Grind the nib to an oblique with the angle to your specifications. Tune and smooth. |
| * prices updated March 2021 | |
If you'd like to have work done on your pen, please email allinthenib[at]gmail[dot]com to start the conversation.
Current offerings
From time to time I may offer some preground nibs or grind on some new or gently used preowned pens. See current offerings here...
About
Shortly after starting on my fountain pen journey, I ordered a cheap pen that wrote quite badly, and I decided to try and see if I could make it write better. Worst case scenario, the pen would be a wash, and best case the pen may end up in my regular rotation. While the pen was fundamentally doomed as far as what I personally enjoy, I was able to make it write so much better that I was hooked on the fountain pen hobby and working with nibs.
Simple tinkering led its way to grinding nibs, starting with Architect grinds. Almost all of my pens recieved some adjustment of some kind and after a short time, the order of a new pen was paired with the grind that I'd be doing once it arrived.
I began doing more grinds for others in my local pen meet up, and I finally decided it was time to put myself out there and offer my services to the community at large.
My hope is that the work I do brings an enjoyable writing experience to those who've chosen to patronize it. There's so much that goes into the enjoyment of a pen, from the aesthedtics, the materials, the craftsmanship, to the feel in the hand. Ultimately it all comes together when the nib touches paper, and if that falls short, you no longer have a writing instrument but a feckless ornament. But if that nib is all that you're looking for, then it can bring the enjoyment of that pen to a new level. That's why I believe the key to each pen is all in the nib, and why my aim is to make each nib I have the fortune of working on sing.
Contact
If you have any questions about what we can do for your fountain pen, please send an email to allinthenib[at]gmail[dot]com. We'll do the best to help you and if we can't, we'll recommend someone who can.