I’ve known J.C. Ament for years, from way back when he was attending shows as an enthusiast, to when he started dabbling in nib work under his previous brand, Nibs on Point. I wanted to take a moment today to let everyone know about his latest endeavor, in which he’s embarked on nib work full time as “The Nib Tailor.” Before he took a break from pen shows, J.C. sent me two examples of his work for review: a broad “standard” Architect nib that has since lived in my Scriptorium Balladeer, and what J.C. calls an “Inverted Architect,” a nib that I’ve swapped between a bunch of different pens but which now lives in my Schon DSGN Ultem.

Before we get started looking at nib grinds, check out this eyedroppered Schon DSGN Ultem fountain pen, which is shown here holding a full 4ml ink sample!

Standard Architect Nib vs. Inverted Architect Nib

For newer readers, or those unfamiliar with specialty nib terminology, an Architect nib (also sometimes referred to as a “Hebrew Italic”) is the reverse of your classic stub or italic-style nib in that an Architect has broad cross-strokes and narrow downstrokes. If the grinder is skilled, you can usually use the reverse side as a needlepoint, or ultra-extra fine, nib.

Architect’s Nib Grind, with the signature blade-like shape. Turn the nib over and write with the tip for an extra-fine line.

An “Inverted Architect” is, well, the inverse: it’s basically a needlepoint/extra-fine nib with an Architect grind on the top, which you can use if you invert the pen. For my particular writing style and use case, the Inverted Architect serves a unique purpose: annotation and highlighting. I can use the extra-fine tip to take notes in the margins of documents, and the Architect side for highlighting/underlining, provided I select an appropriate ink color such as a bright orange or green.

“Inverted Architect” Nib Grind, with the needlepoint tip and “flat top.”

Writing samples for both a standard Architect nib (top, in Ferris Wheel Press Moss Park Green), and an Inverted Architect (bottom, in Ferris Wheel Press Main St. Marmalade), both inks courtesy of Vanness Pens.

A Word of Caution: If you’re new to fountain pens, or have never used an Architect nib, I would strongly advise you to consider borrowing one from a pen friend or visit a pen show prior to ordering this particular grind. Architect grinds can be a bit temperamental, in the sense that they can go from smooth to scratchy very quickly depending on the angle at which you hold your pen (and they’re not “butter smooth” writers to begin with, since you’re essentially making cross-strokes with a blade). It’s extremely important that the nib grinder understands your writing angle, so if you cannot visit in person, I would send multiple photos of how you hold the pen and the angle at which the nib hits the paper. That said, if you do decide that an Architect nib is for you, this grind gives your writing truly unique character. For those interested in reading further, I’ve previously written posts about various options for nib customization.

The Nib Tailor - Available Grinds and Pricing

The two nibs shown here are just a small selection of what The Nib Tailor has to offer. You can choose from pretty much any custom nib grind, and J.C. has a detailed form for you to complete alongside your inquiry. In addition to custom work (i.e., where you send in your pen), you can purchase pre-ground nibs in various styles depending on availability. Visit the Nib Tailor website for additional details. Pricing is standard, running from $25 for a simple tuning to $55-60 for more complex grinds. In addition to mail-in work and pen shows, J.C. occasionally grinds nibs in-store at Bertram’s Inkwell, and I believe he will be there this weekend. Check out his Instagram for details.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid advertisement. That said, I can’t recall whether J.C. gave me these nibs for free, or whether I paid for them. Either way, he’s a friend of mine but I still think he does good work. Given the increased demand for nib work, especially at pen shows, it’s great to see new faces entering the market. It keeps nib work accessible, and ensures that future generations will have the same opportunity to enjoy customized writing experiences!

I've wanted to write a piece about custom nibs for a while. As the "pen world" explodes in popularity (well, at least relatively speaking), more and more people are discovering the world of nib customization. And at the same time, more people who have been tuning and grinding their own nibs at home have begun to transition their hobby into a small business. Only a few years ago, There were but a handful of reliable people who performed nib modifications. (Mike Masuyama, Richard Binder, and John Mottishaw, to name a few.) Today, there are even more, including Mark Bacas, Tim Girdler, Linda Kennedy, Dan Smith, and Shawn Newton. There's enough demand to support multiple people plying their trade, and I know of several individuals experimenting at home who may "go public" in the future.

What exactly is a custom nib?

The majority of fountain pen manufacturers offer nibs in four standard sizes: extra-fine, fine, medium, and broad. These "factory" nibs have round tipping material and produce a uniform line of writing that has little variation, meaning that the pen writes with a consistent line width in all directions. While it's become increasingly common for manufacturers to offer stub nibs (discussed further below) in 1.1mm and 1.5mm widths as part of their standard line, and certain manufacturers offer double or triple-broads, ultra-extra fines, obliques, crisp italics, and other specialty nibs. But even these are not truly "custom".

As I consider it, true nib "customization" involves sitting down at a table with the nib technician (or "nibmeister", as some might call them, though I prefer "nib technician" and will use that term here for simplicity's sake), having him or her watch you write, and adjusting the nib specifically to your writing style, accounting for various factors. Of course, this process often involves a nib "grind," (i.e., changing the shape of the tipping material using a grinding stone, wheel, or a rotary tool) but it can also involve smoothing the nib on sandpaper and/or mylar sheets, increasing or decreasing ink flow to the writer's preference, resetting the nib and feed, or aligning the tines. When you walk away from an appointment with a nib technician, you should have a pen that writes perfectly for you and your writing style.

That said, part of what I love about nib customization is the ability to get unique nib grinds. I'll briefly walk you through a few of my favorites:

Cursive Italic. A traditional "true italic" nib has little-to-no tipping material, is cut square across the tip, and has very sharp edges. I've found sharp italic nibs very difficult to use for daily writing (as opposed to calligraphy) because the sharp edges snag the paper, and the lack of tipping material makes the nib prone to skipping unless the nib is held at exactly the proper writing angle. A cursive italic nib captures most of the excellent line variation of an italic nib, but slightly rounded edges and a bit more tipping material makes it a better choice for daily writing. The cursive italic has become one of my favorite nibs for use at work, in part because it's not as wet as a stub and therefore works better on cheaper grades of paper. I have cursive italic nibs in various widths, ranging from .4mm (a fine) to 1.0mm (a broad).

Stub. The stub nib is the most common "gateway" nib grind that people start with, in part because the difference between a stub nib and a standard round nib can be subtle. A stub nib is squared, like an italic, but generally has much more tipping material and the edges are even more rounded off than a cursive italic. The result is a nib that's very smooth to write with, but can be wet. For this reason, I find stubs hard to use on a daily basis at work because they bleed through the paper.

It may be helpful to think of Italics, Cursive Italics, and Stubs as steps in a progression, from "sharpest" to "smoothest" nibs, or from most to least line variation. Italic nibs will have the most line variation, meaning that your horizontal cross-strokes will be much thinner than your down-strokes. Cursive Italics will create almost as much line variation in your writing, but will be much easier to write with for most people due to the edges not catching the paper. Stubs won't show as much line variation, but will also be noticeably smoother writers than both italics and cursive italics.

Architect's Point/Hebrew Italic. Some traditionalists think the Architect's nib is "trendy" or a "fad" that will go the way of the dodo soon. I hope not. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite grinds. An architect's nib is a stub or cursive italic "in reverse", meaning that it's ground to a wedge-shaped point. As a result, your handwriting will have broad cross-strokes and narrow downstrokes. The point is to mimic the script and writing style of architects and draftsmen. I like this grind because it allows me to write fairly small while still giving my writing some personality.

Needlepoint. A "needlepoint" is a nib that's been ground to a super-fine point. It's sometimes called a "Japanese extra fine" or "ultra extra fine". I don't currently have any custom-ground needlepoint nibs in my collection, though I do have a Platinum Ultra-Extra fine stock nib that's been tuned by Mike Masuyama, and it's a favorite writer for note-taking and annotation. Needlepoint nibs are becoming increasingly popular.

Gratuitous shot of me writing smaller than a penny with the Platinum Ultra-Extra Fine Nib.  I've not reviewed this pen, but I've done a "first impressions" Youtube review (linked below). — Gratuitous shot of me writing smaller than a penny with the Platinum Ultra-Extra Fine Nib. I've not reviewed this pen, but I've done a "first impressions" Youtube review (linked below).

Where To Start with Nib Customization

My own adventures with custom nibs started at a pen show (the 2013 Ohio Pen Show, to be exact). What I did - and what I recommend most people do - is start with a simple nib tuning. You'd be shocked at how much difference these simple adjustments can make. While most nib technicians accept work by mail, I've had the best results with in-person adjustments at pen shows. Once you know what you like, and you've worked with a nib specialist a few times, then it's very easy to send work to them via mail. If you can't get to a pen show, and have to send your pens off, nearly all nib technicians will work with you to get the pen writing exactly how you like it, though you may have to send it back and forth a time or two before it's "perfect".

In terms of custom grinds, I started with stubs and then progressed to cursive italics. As I mentioned above, the stub provides a gentle introduction to line variation, and once you get used to writing with a squared-off nib the cursive italic can really make your handwriting pop. But go slowly! Once you enter the world of custom nibs, it's tempting to get carried away and convert all of your old, "boring" nibs into stubs, needlepoints, etc., before you know what you like.

I'll close by noting one option that's become increasingly popular: Franklin-Christoph's Masuyama-ground JoWo nibs. Franklin-Christoph has partnered with Mike Masuyama to offer a line of pre-ground stubs, cursive italics, and needlepoint nibs that can be fitted to pretty much any of the pens in their lineup for a slight upcharge, which is much less than the cost of having Mike grind a custom nib for you. Granted, these nibs won't be ground or tuned specifically for you (unless you visit them at a pen show), but I've had very good results. Bonus: Franklin-Christoph uses No. 5 and No. 6 JoWo nibs, which are interchangeable with other JoWo-compatible pens like Edison and Bexley.

For further reading, you can visit the websites of any of the nib technicians linked above. Most of their web pages contain excellent descriptions of the various services and grinds they offer. I don't claim to have discussed all of the available customizations out there: there are many, and learning and trying all of them is the fun part of the journey! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The pens pictured in this article are pens from my own collection.