We have several new items that may be of interest to nib people.
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Please note that they cannot be ordered alone. Because the cost of shipping and handling exceeds our profit, any of these must be ordered with a fountain pen. Sorry.
1. The Streamlight (the best pen work light we have ever seen)
2. 12,000 Micro-mesh nib shaping and smoothing paper
3. The World's Best Hand cleaner (it works!)
4. The complete line of Pelikan inks (8 colors and India ink for fountain pens)
5. Pilot Vanishing point nib units. (An amazing gold nib that can be used on its own)



(1.) The Stylus Reach by Streamlight

We have found the best pen work light on the market today. With an LED light bulb, this flexible arm flashlight is great for:
Inspecting the inside of caps and barrels
Looking for cracks in cap lips and other places in plastic pens. (They are so intense; the light will penetrate all but the most opaque material).
Because the bulb is so bright, you will not forget to turn it off, as I used to do with my other inspection lights.
Because the bulb is LED (100,000 hour Light Emitting Diode never needs replacing) it uses very little current.
The batteries last 20 times longer than a standard flashlight, up to 60 hours of run time.
It is small and light, easy to take to a pen show or along to look at pens.
Waterproof, this light will stand up to ink spills and drenched flea markets.
Caution: avoid direct eye exposure. This thing is really bright.

Because of the price point on this product, we can only provide them with the purchase of a fountain pen or nib unit.
Retail Price: $29.95. Our Price: $25.00
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(2.) Micro-mesh
John uses this finishing paper in the nib shop every day. Because it is an extremely fine abrasive it leaves the tipping with a lustrous smooth surface. The pictures below shows three pieces of Micro-mesh abrasive, one upside down, one on its edge and the third with its polishing surface upright.

This material is not a paper; it is a rubberized fabric, 3"x6", which is soft enough to allow the tip to sink into it as it is moving. This helps eliminate edges and corners on a tip.

It can be used with water or ink which means the nib can be worked on at the same time as the pen is tested on your favorite paper.

Notice in this extreme blowup that the abrasive is rubberized and backed with a fabric. It has a thickness of about 15/1000" (.36mm).
Caution: excessive polishing can flatten and ruin a tip. Price: $5.00 with other purchase
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(3.) Worlds Best Hand Cleaner

John found this hand cleaner at a recent pen show, tried it there as his hands invariably are covered with ink after many field repairs of nibs. Notice how we used both blue and red ink in this demonstration. The red, we find is very hard to remove.

He was amazed. What normally took several minutes of scrubbing happened almost instantly. Here is how it works: With dry hands, take a dab (half teaspoon or less) and rub it on the inky areas. Follow this with a very small amount of water and rub over the stains. You will feel a slight granular texture and a small amount of heat. This is where the magic occurs --- the stain is gone. Rinse with water and if you want to get rid of the mild sweet smell, wash with soap and water.


Towel dry and you are ready to perform magic tricks in public.


The Remover comes in a sealed plastic tub. Although it weighs around 4 ounces, the weight is not marked and we suspect it is hand packed.

We sell this stuff for $12.00 (with other order) for the larger "Professional Pack", which has lasted for over two months here at the nib works. And that is a long time!

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(4.) Pelikan Inks

We now have the complete line of Pelikan inks including one called "Font India", a very deep black ink recommended for use in fountain pens. It is described as, "Drawing ink for fountain pens. Opaque, lightfast".

Several of our musician and artist friends have been looking for just such an ink. If you do decide to use this ink, we recommend that you clean your pen often. Cleaning every week with a fresh water flush is a good idea. And always flush thoroughly between different brands or types of ink. 30 ml. 1 fluid oz. $4.50
The regular line of eight colors of Pelikan inks can be seen on our web site. Price per 2 fl. oz. bottle $6.00
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(5.) Vanishing Point Nib Units

The Pilot Vanishing Point pen is an amazing piece of design. The nib unit, with 14k gold nib, stainless body and converter/filler is the engine of this pen. Under the microscope the nib is a thing of beauty, symmetrical, uniform and identical from one to the next. The fine point is the equivalent to the Pelikan extra-fine and maybe a little drier. This is closer to the size of a vintage fine point. These units are so inexpensive that it is surprising more people do not have several for their Vanishing Points.

Notice that there are two types of fillers, the older "press here" kind on top, and the more conventional twist filler. Of course, the six colors of Pilot Namiki ink cartridges fit these units, making the pen a good one for air travel. (Throw a few cartridges in with your smalls and pop one in when you get there. Not a chance of ink on your shirt or purse.)

The broad nib above looks bent in the photograph, but is not. The light plays tricks. . When we discovered the cost of these nib units, we ordered them by the box.
Our Price: $20.00 with purchase of $50 or more.
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