[转帖] 打磨笔尖 -国外强人制作，译文见沙发

yfqian

FOUNTAIN PEN NIBS

I enjoy the contact with other pen enthusiasts. Through correspondence with Ludwig Tan I am pleased to share with you his article on Grinding Your Own Nibs.

It confirms for me that grinding nibs is not something I will take up, but it is an interesting article and brings to mind the skill associated with fountain pens. May we all hope this skills are not totally lost.

The article was published in the journal of the Society for Italic Handwriting, Writing Matters, autumn 2000 & Spring 2001.

GRINDING YOUR OWN NIBS - LUDWIG TAN

Few italic writers will have abandoned their quest for the perfect pen - their 'Holy Grail', as Graham Last aptly calls it (Writing Matters, No.1). Despite being a fountain pen enthusiast myself, I have yet to encounter this elusive instrument of perfection: a pen that is a delight to behold, writes flawlessly, has a pleasant writing feel, and transforms one's handwriting for the better - a pen that is an extension of the hand, rather than an impediment to it.

Appearance, however, is to enthusiasts of the Italic hand arguably the least important attribute of a pen; what matters most is how it writes. In recent months, by grinding nibs to suit my own hand, I have come a little closer to finding my ideal writing pen. I was first introduced to the art of nib-grinding about three years ago when Leong Khoon Kin - a fellow pen-collector in Singapore, and an accomplished Italic writer - gave me a Sheaffer Triumph Imperial fountain pen with a nib he had ground precisely to suit my writing. After having struggled for years with pens that capitulated on laid surfaces, dried up after a few days' non-use, or whose ink flow failed to cope with my usual rapid pace of writing, this pen came as a revelation. With some experimentation, and under Mr Leong's guidance, I have recently begun to understand more intimately the process of nib-grinding.

In this article - which will be necessarily lengthy and detailed - I shall describe how monoline (round-pointed) nibs can be ground for Italic use, thereby overcoming some of the limitations of manufacturers' products. I hope to show what an amateur such as myself, without professional experience with pens, is able to achieve following a simple procedure and using some easily obtainable tools.

Why grind your own nib?

Grinding a nib allows you to customize it to your own specifications and liking, making the most of what is available to you. Fountain pens with Italic options are a decided minority, and the situation is likely to worsen: the recent demise of the calligrapher's old friend, Osmiroid, is a grim reminder that the possibilities available to the Italic enthusiast will only continue to diminish. The mainstream fountain pen market is hardly a growing one, with some large manufacturers experiencing plummeting sales worldwide and facing an uncertain future. Rumours are rife that future products will have fewer options; one can expect Italic nibs - costly and labour-intensive to produce, for what is after all a niche market - to be amongst the first options to go. If it is any comfort, fountain pens will almost certainly not vanish from the face of the earth, but a great many will be available only with monoline nibs.

The main purpose of this article is, therefore, to demonstrate an increasingly useful survival skill for the Italic enthusiast: creating an Italic nib from a monoline one, following a six-step procedure. By following three of the steps individually, one can also grind a broad nib down to a finer size, creates an oblique nib from a straight Italic or change its angle of obliqueness, or sharpen a blunt nib. Each of the six tasks is given a descriptive title.

Choosing a fountain pen - what is available?

There are two main types of fountain pen nibs: those which are not tipped. and those which are tipped with a hard-wearing metal (usually iridium). Most inexpensive fountain pens fall into the first category. Without an iridium tip they do not last long and may have to be sharpened frequently, particularly if one has a heavy writing pressure. Pens with untipped Italic nibs include Manuscript, and the calligraphy ranges by Pilot, Parker, Sheaffer, Rotring (literally 'red ring'), and Lamy.

Pens with tipped Italic nibs are more costly. These nibs are made of steel, gold plated steel, or solid gold (14 or 18K), and generally tipped with iridium. Whether a nib is made of steel or gold makes little, if any, difference to writing performance. Where the difference lies is writing feel: steel nibs are generally rigid, while gold nibs can either be flexible (e.g., Parker Sonnet, '75') or rigid (Parker Duofold, '51'). Some writers prefer flexible nibs; I favour rigid nibs as they tend to produce a cleaner, more defined writing line, and their ink flow is likely to be more consistent. Two manufacturers which cater to the Italic writer's needs are Sheaffer and Parker. Sheaffer has a stub nib for most model ranges from the Triumph Imperial upwards, but these in my experience are often imprecisely ground. Parker used to have Italic nibs for most model ranges but this is true now only of its flagship, the Duofold, whereas the Sonnet has a stub nib option. (Technically, a stub nib is like an Italic, but with a less sharp thick-thin contrast for smoother and more rapid writing.)

When buying a pen, it is always advisable first to ask about nib options and to have your pen fitted with a factory-ground Italic nib where possible. Larger authorized dealers usually have several nibs in their exchange tray and you should ask to try as many of these as you can. Because nibs are often finished by hand, no two are exactly alike: one 'medium' may be broader than another. Most manufacturers have a nib exchange service, so if the dealer does not stock your desired nib, the pen can be returned to be fitted with the right nib.

A nib should be ground only as a last resort, especially if you have found a pen that writes superbly but does not have an Italic nib. It should also be borne in mind that grinding a nib privately may result in the manufacturer's warranty being annulled. I recommend two high-quality and lasting but affordable pens, the Parker Frontier and the Sheaffer Triumph Imperial. The Parker is available in a range of finishes, with U.K. prices from 9.99 to 19.99. The gold-plating on the nibs and cap-clips of the more expensive models is of an exceptionally high quality. The less easily obtainable Sheaffer is available in the U.K. in only one finish - stainless steel cap and barrel, without gold-plating - and costs 21. Both pens are superb writers, but the Parker tends to dry- up after a fortnight or so of non-use (even with the recommended Quink!), especially if stored upright, while the Sheaffer unfailingly writes the first time even after several months' neglect.

Both the Parker and the Sheaffer are sold with standard medium monoline nibs, though the Parker has a broader point. The Parker has an 'Italic' option, but this is too broad for everyday writing, and better suited to calligraphy; it also has no iridium tip. The Sheaffer is available with stub nibs and these should be tried first as some may be quite excellent. The nibs are not graded for size but range from medium to broad.

If you decide to buy either pen to grind yourself, imagine a line running across the widest point of the tip and assess for yourself whether an Italic nib of that width is sufficient. If it is not, ask to get the nib changed to a broader grade. If you normally use a fine or extra-fine Italic nib, the standard medium monoline should suffice; but if you prefer a medium or broad Italic, try to get a broad or very broad nib. Remember that when you grind an Italic nib from a monoline, you generally end up with a nib one size smaller. However, left-handers will find that grinding oblique nibs from standard ones gives them at least the same width as the monoline - a rare instance where pens work to the left-hander's favour! The Parker's iridium tip is longer and wider than the Sheaffer's, and will actually yield a medium (or broad-ish fine) Italic - it is therefore the obvious choice for writers favouring a broader writing point, especially if a broad nib cannot be obtained for either pen.

You may wish to try grinding these pens only after you have gained experience and confidence. For a start you might like to practice with an inexpensive pen. For L.K. members I recommend Woolworth's Standard Cartridge Pen, or W.H. Smith's Graduate Pen, both have iridium points and cost 2.99. If you are buying other pens, make sure that these have genuine tips, not ones that have been pinched into shape from the same sheet of steel forming the nib.

GRINDING YOUR NIB

We can now undertake the task of grinding a nib. These are some things you will need:

• Suitable fountain pen
• Grindstone (such as Rotring Arkansas stone)
• Crocus paper (or emery paper, grade 8/0)
• Powerful magnifying glass (but preferably a jeweler's 10 or 20x loupe)
• Razor blade (optional)
• Bottle of ink
• Jar or glass of clean water (cold or at room temperature)
• Cutting mat, or some other non-slip work surface
• Any writing paper you normally use
• Serviette, or some other smooth, lint-free tissue paper
• A steady hand!

The Arkansas stone is used for the initial, rougher grinding, and the crocus paper (or emery paper) for smoothing and polishing. These are available from artists' or hardware shops, or from Penmandirect at 1 Towneley Road West, Longridge, Lancashire PR3 3AB; tel./fax: 01772-784 444. A cutting mat will help to hold the Arkansas stone in place when grinding, and raise it to an ideal height when you are flattening the underside of the nib. A razor blade will help to clear away any shavings lodged in the slit in the nib during grinding, and can also be used to widen the slit to improve ink flow. It would be useful to have some writing paper to use as a 'progress sheet' to track the changes in the writing line at each stage of grinding. This should be paper that you are familiar with, so you can more meaningfully compare the performance of your ~ new nib against others you have used. It is best to work under a strong rather than subdued light as you will have to inspect your efforts from time to time.

Preparing the pen

If you are working on a pen that has been filled with ink, expel the ink, soak the nib to remove any excess ink and ink sediments (which fill the inner recesses of the feed and collector), and allow the pen to dry. It is preferable to work on the pen with the nib fitted onto the barrel, but with the cap left off, as this will give you better control when grinding.

Now immerse the dry nib in a bottle of ink for about two seconds, then remove the nib and bleed off any excess ink along the inner mouth of the bottle. You will now be able to write with the pen as if it has been filled with ink. On your progress sheet write a few words, such as The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog, as well as some crosses and zig-zags. This is how the pen writes in its monoline form. (Leave some space around your lines, because when the grinding is completed you may wish to write in that space to contrast the way your new Italic nib 'rites with the way it did before.) Now rinse off the ink in the jar of water, and wipe the nib dry with a serviette.

Before proceeding to grind your nib, do bear this important point in mind: always grind your nib little by little, because what you have taken away, you cannot put back. The key - especially during the 'decisive' stages of grinding which will determine how your new nib will write - is to stop and check your progress after every two or three strokes on the Arkansas stone or crocus paper.

Understanding the shape of an Italic nib

The object of grinding your nib is to end up with a chisel. Looking from the side, your Italic nib should look as in Fig. la (not strictly a chisel) or 1b:

Fig. Ib is more difficult to grind but will produce finer hairlines and continue to write sharply for longer. Calligraphers often sharpen dip-nibs before use to achieve a maximum thick-thin contrast; this can also be done with fountain pens when their nibs become blunt. This process will be described later (as Step 5). A nib ground as in Fig. Ib writes more sharply because the angled edge means that a smaller area of the nib is in contact with the paper. Conversely, it would be wrong to grind the nib as below because too much of the edge is in contact with the paper, resulting in unsatisfactory hairlines:

Looking down upon your nib, your pen should have a flat (not rounded) writing edge, which can be straight, or left- or right-oblique:

A left-oblique nib is used by left-handers who write with the hand below the writing line. A straight nib is used by right-handers, as well as left-handers writing with the hand above the writing line. A right-oblique may be preferred by writers who find that a straight nib does not suit their hand; many vintage pens and some older dip-nibs for calligraphy are cut slightly right-oblique.

STEP 1: FLATTENING THE BASE OF THE NIB

The first step is to flatten the base of the tip. We wish to take away the shaded area below:

The base should be ground as horizontally as possible, not at an angle, because a horizontal base minimizes contact with the paper, giving a sharper hairline:

Place the Arkansas stone flat on the cutting mat, and align it to one edge. Hold the pen with your palm facing downwards, and with the base of the nib's tip resting on the Arkansas stone. Press upon the top of the nib section with your forefinger to apply pressure while grinding. Begin grinding the base with short left-to-right motions, with only your elbow resting on the table and acting as a pivot of movement. The following illustrates this from your point of view:

Grinding with short strokes makes it easier to keep the pen at a constant angle. In the beginning you may use a moderate to heavy pressure to flatten the base. but as you get to the 'decisive stage' of the grinding, when the nib is assuming its final shape, you should release your pressure to a light to moderate pressure to avoid over-grinding it. At this stage it \would help to apply a drop of water on the Arkansas stone to act as a lubricant (or, simply dip the nib in water).

When you have reached (as your unaided eye suggests) the end of this grinding process, rinse the nib in water to get rid of any metal shavings, and wipe it dry with the serviette. Placing the nib against a light background, and with the tip of the nib illuminated by the table-lamp, use your magnifying glass (avoid staring into the lamp) to check that the base is completely flat, and not wavy. If the nib is unsatisfactory, repeat the grinding process as above.

There are two good reasons for avoiding excessively heavy grinding pressure. One is the danger of breaking the iridium tip off from the nib, a very real risk if you are working on an older pen. The other is that the tines of the nib will flex under heavy pressure, resulting in a wavy, uneven base. This most seriously affects highly flexible gold nibs, but the rigid steel nibs of the Parker and Sheaffer are rather less susceptible. Nevertheless, a lighter pressure is always well advised since the changes to your nib will come about more gradually, and costly mistakes brought about by enthusiastic over-grinding can be avoided.

STEP 2: FLATENING THE TOP

This is performed in exactly the same way as in Step 1 above, except of course that the pen is now facing downwards upon the grinding surface. As the top gets flatter, continue grinding it at a slight angle towards the writing edge. Your nib should look thus:

STEP 3: FLATTENING THE WRITING EDGE
(OR, ACHIEVING, OR CHANGING, AN OBLIQUE ANGLE)

The object of this step is to wear down the rounded protrusion, shown as the shaded area in Fig. 8a below, to achieve a square tip or writing edge as in 8b:

This is the trickiest step of the grinding because of the difficulty in keeping the pen upright and at a constant angle to the Arkansas stone. Hold the pen upright with your thumb, forefinger and middle finger, with your wrist resting (on the table, but again with your elbow - as the pivot of movement. Grind only in one direction - that of a broad down stroke - using light to moderate pressure, applying a drop of water on the Arkansas stone to smooth the action. If the top of the nib faces you, then you will be grinding with the pen moving away from you. The pen should be held completely vertically if you are grinding a straight Italic, but at an appropriate angle to achieve an oblique edge:

As in Steps 1 and 2, release the pressure when you find that you are getting your desired edge. The time to stop is when you have both tines perfectly straight and aligned, and the writing edge has met both the flattened top and base to create a square chisel. Check the result with the magnifying glass, after having rinsed and wiped the nib. Ensure that the corners are square, not rounded:

You have now finally created your chisel edge and your nib has a generally Italic I, form. After inking your nib, try \writing on the progress sheet, beginning with crosses and zig-zags, then whole words. Your nib will be very scratchy, especially on upstrokes, and you should use only a very light writing pressure to avoid pulling fibres out from the paper and jamming the nib. Check that the writing line is clean and consistent (not jagged at the sides), and that the nib is writing at an angle suitable to your hand (i.e., straight or oblique). You will now have a fairly good idea of how the finished nib will write. However, if you find the nib too broad, you can grind it to a finer width following Step 4 below.

STEP 4 (OPTIONAL): GRINDING A NIB DOWN TO A FINER WIDTH

A nib can be made finer by grinding down both sides of the nib. The pen should be held as in Steps 1 and 2, but with the nib now resting on its side on the Arkansas stone:

As in Step 3, grind the nib in the direction of a downstroke. Use roughly the same pressure and number of strokes for either side of the nib. After every few strokes, ink your nib and writing a few words to check that the width is correct.

Having now ground your nib to an ideal width, you will probably wish to sharpen your nib further to ensure that it writes sharply for longer, following Step 5 below. However, this process is not strictly necessary and you can choose to do so only when your nib gets blunt, or when you have gained confidence and experience in grinding your own nibs.

STEP 5 (OPTIONAL): SHARPENING THE CHISEL POINT (OR, SHARPENING A BLUNT NIB)

This is done by holding the pen at a constant angle of approximately 30 degrees. from the horizontal and with the nib facing downwards, and dragging the pen along the Arkansas stone in long strokes. You should begin grinding with moderate pressure. As the grinding nears completion, however, use a light pressure.

This is admittedly a very delicate process as it is extremely difficult to grind both tines equally, thus making a light grinding pressure necessary when the nib is taking shape. Check your results with the magnifying glass after every two or three strokes. You should end up with a sharpened chisel, as follows:

Your nib is now almost ready for writing. But first its rough edges will have to be polished off before it becomes smooth enough for everyday use.

STEP 6: POLISHING/SMOOTHING YOUR NIB

Having flattened each side of your nib and sharpened the chisel, your nib will have many sharp edges that cut into the paper and pull fibres out from it. Smoothing the nib is an extremely delicate and sensitive process, requiring a gentle touch and the use of crocus or emery paper. Indeed, the pressure you should use is as light as could be: the weight of the pen itself, with your hand guiding it along and applying very light pressure. The purpose of smoothing is not to make vast changes to the writing line: heavy-handed and excessive smoothing will dull the nib's currently superb thick-thin definition. Some of this definition will inevitably be lost through smoothing, but using very light pressure can minimize this. It is up to the writer to choose a satisfactory compromise between thick-thin contrast and smoothness of writing - some writers prefer a sharper contrast, while others (especially those who write hea\ily or rapidly) favour a pen that glides effortlessly across the paper.

The first task is to smooth both corners of the nib. This is done by dragging the I nib on its side and on each tine, beginning with the pen almost horizontal to the crocus paper and gradually pulling it upright, applying light pressure as it I rounds the corner. The left and right tines should be ground equally. Guard against excessive grinding, which will result in your nib becoming finer than you desire.

The next task is to smooth the chisel edge. Holding the pen as horizontally to the crocus paper as possible, and with the nib facing upwards and resting flat on the crocus paper, pull the pen gradually upright. Some very light pressure may be useful when the pen is upright:

Next, repeat the above, but now with the nib facing downwards:

Now, you should round off each corner of the bottom writing edge by placing the pen on each corner, and making a few very light sweeping motions on the crocus paper, each time moving in a different direction. This is difficult to illustrate accurately but the following figures will show the difference between an undesirable sharp corner (Fig. 17a) and the desired smoothed one (Fig. 17b):

Your pen is now very nearly ready for writing, having undergone the preliminary stage of smoothing to remove the most offending rough edges. Using the razor blade, clear away any metal shavings that may have become lodged in the slit between the tines. (You are strongly advised to skip this step if you find it too risky.) Carefully introduce the razor blade at an angle into the slit, from the top of the nib (not the bottom writing edge as even more roughness will result), guide it slowly downwards, then upwards, and slide it out gently:

Rinse the nib in water and dry it on the serviette, then ink the nib, taking care to remove any excess ink. Now write a few words on your progress sheet with the pen. You will notice that the nib is very much smoother than before.

However, you will wish to remove any minor roughness that remains. This is the second stage of smoothing, in effect a 'trouble-shooting' stage where you will be writing with your pen in different directions and held at different angles, alternating between the writing paper and crocus paper. As the crocus paper is best kept dry, rinse your nib and dry it with the serviette. Now write several 'phantom' words on the paper - this will identify the strokes that are still scratchy. Moving on to the crocus paper, write the same words very lightly, tracing in particular the same scratchy strokes to polish away any rough edges. You should write much larger than normal as this would help to magnify) - the trouble spots. You will find the pushed broad strokes producing some roughness, especially the tails of such letters as f and g. In fact you should choose test words containing these elements. My favourite is Pfingsten, meaning 'Whitsun' in German, which I write in minuscule's and with exaggerated descenders and an overhead ligature between sand t. Other test words are suggested below:

Other useful test patterns include an upright figure-of-eight (and a flourish of I similar shape), a swash capital G, and a thin line going back and forth:

The above test words and patterns should be written on the paper several times and with normal writing pressure to help you identical the problematic, scratchy strokes. Switching to the crocus paper, trace the same strokes and patterns, but with much lighter pressure, to polish off any roughness. You should perform these tests \while holding your pen at your usual angle to the paper, but intermittently also with your pen more or less upright than normal: this will ensure that your pen writes consistently smoothly within the minor variations in pen hold that occur in daily writing. Any roughness that remains at this stage will come mainly from the slit in the nib, the writing edge, or the comers of the nib. The test patterns shown in Fig. 20 above will smooth out any roughness in the slit or the writing edge, while the procedure relating to Figs. 17a and b will help polish the comers. Repeat any of the above from Fig. 14 on towards as necessary to identify and remove any remaining roughness - while remembering to use very light pressure.

The smoothing process is finished when you feel that your pen is sufficiently smooth to write with, while giving you a satisfactory thick-thin contrast. The final stage of polishing is really when you begin using the pen regularly and the nib gradually gets worn or run in - much like the engine of a new car - in time shaping itself to your hand. Once you are satisfied with your nib, rinse it in water, wipe it dry, and proceed to fill the pen with ink.

FINALLY, you can now begin writing with your newly-ground Italic nib! Write your first words with your pen, on its own ink supply, at the start of your progress sheet: the contrast between how it writes now and before should be clearly evident. It is hoped that you will have much success in your efforts, and that your pens will give you many years of writing pleasure.

NOTES

After any of Steps 3-5, you must smooth your nib via Step 6.

I am grateful to Mr Leong Khoon Kinfor introducing to me this invaluable skill, and for his guidance. I also thank fellow Italic enthusiasts for whom I have ground nibs for their helpful and encouraging feedback.

Any feedback, suggestions and advice will be most gratefully received.

Please write either to Writing Matters, or to me at: Ludwig A.-K. Tan, Emmanuel College, Cambridge CB23AP, U.K.; E-mail: italicist@yahoo.com

yfqian

打磨你自己的笔尖（原创翻译）
打磨你自己的笔尖
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路德维格·谭
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原英文编者按：Pa>AWOG'
我喜欢与其他的钢笔爱好者联系。通过与路德维格·谭的书信，我很高兴地与你一起分享他的关于“打磨你自己的笔尖”的文章。o"s)eh
首先肯定，打磨笔尖不是我要做的事情，但是这是一篇有趣的文章，不由使我想起与自来水钢笔相关的技巧。但愿我们都不要希望这种技巧全部失传。这篇文章于2000年秋天和2001年春天公布在斜体书法的社团期刊上，写作事项栏目。`z}?"BW|
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打磨你自己的笔尖
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几乎没有斜体书写者会放弃对完美的钢笔的追求——他们的“圣杯”，正如格雷厄姆·拉斯特巧妙的比喻（写作事项，第一期）。尽管我自己是一个自来水钢笔爱好者，我还是会遇到寻找完美的书写用具的困难：一支使人愉快的钢笔，能够完美地进行书写，有着令人舒适的感觉，还能促使一个人的书法有长足的进步——钢笔是手的延伸部分，而不是手的障碍物。~gJwW+
无论如何，在热衷于斜体书法的人中提出了关于钢笔的有争议的地微不足道的属性；最重要的事情是如何用它来书写。近几个月来，为了适合我的手感，对笔尖进行了打磨，我已经找到我的理想钢笔了。我第一次知道磨尖的技巧是在大约三年前，当时利昂·孔·金福，新加坡的一位钢笔收藏者同道，资深的斜体书法家——给了我一支犀飞利的胜利帝国自来水钢笔，他细心地为我打磨了这支笔尖。在使用钢笔进行了多年的奋斗后，我让一支钢笔给打败了，几天不用就会干燥，或者在快速书写时墨水出现飞白，都在这支钢笔上暴露出来了。随着一些试验，以及在利昂先生的指导下，我已经开始了解了更详尽的磨尖方法。在这篇冗长但却详细的文章里，我会描述单线条笔尖（圆形笔尖，无论向哪个方向画线，线条的宽度基本相同，没有粗细的变化，所以称之为单线条笔尖——译者注）如何被打磨成斜体笔尖使用的，因而克服了制造商产品的一些限制。我希望展示一下像我这样生手，对钢笔没有专业的经验，仅按照简单的教程和使用简易的工具，却能够做到的事情。O#4&8 >;=
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为什么要打磨笔尖？~f2z]JLr:
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打磨笔尖可以按照你的要求、喜好去定制，做成最适合你使用的笔尖。可供选择斜体笔尖的自来水钢笔肯定是少数的，这种情况可能会更糟：最近，老朋友书法家奥斯米洛易德的去世，就是一个令人担忧的提醒，斜体爱好者可能只会继续减少。随着一些大型制造商的销售量在世界范围内骤然跌落，面对着不确定的未来，自来水钢笔的主流市场几乎没有增长。普遍的传闻是将来可供选择的产品会更少；一种令人期盼的斜体笔尖——高成本和劳力密集型的产品，毕竟为了适合市场的需求——位于首选之列。如果这种笔尖用起来让人感到很舒适，自来水钢笔必然不会彻底消失，但是，能买到的只有许多单线条笔尖自来水钢笔。Gq)]s'r2
这篇文章的主要意图是要介绍一种对斜体爱好者们有用的技巧：把一个单线条笔尖做成一个斜体笔尖，按照六个步骤进行。分别　根据下面的三个步骤，也可以将一个宽尖打磨成更细的尺寸，把一个平直的斜体笔尖做成斜角笔尖，或者改变斜角笔尖的角度，或者打磨一个钝尖。六个步骤的每一步都给出了标题加以说明。5;Czu(iH$
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选择一支自来水钢笔——什么样的钢笔适合你使用？/obfw^
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有两种主要类型的自来水笔尖：一类是没有另外焊接尖端，而另一类是焊接耐磨金属（通常是铱）作为尖端。最便宜的自来水钢笔属于为第一类。没有铱粒，它们使用时间不长就必须频繁地磨尖，当笔尖承受了很重的书写压力时尤其是这样。没有铱粒的斜体笔尖钢笔包括麦纽斯克里特（Manuscript），百乐（Pilot）、派克（Parker）、犀飞利（Sheaffer）、罗特林（Rotring真正的‘红环’）和拉米（Lamy）的美术笔系列。f].h^ ~.q
含有铱粒的斜体笔尖的钢笔比较贵。这些笔尖是用钢、钢镀金或者赤金（14或18K），通常焊上铱粒。不管笔尖是用钢做的，还是金子做的少量的笔尖，如果有的话，书写的性能是有差别的。不同之处就是书写的手感：钢尖通常刚硬，而金尖能够具有弹性（如派克十四行诗Sonnet、“75”）又可以具有一定的硬度（派克多福、“51”）。一些书写者更喜欢弹性笔尖；我却偏爱刚性笔尖，因为它们可以写出更干净、更规则的线条，它们的墨水更流畅。两个迎合斜体书写者需要的制造商是犀飞利和派克。犀飞利有胜利帝国以及其它大多数型号的系列短茬尖（Stub）,但是，在我的体验中，这些笔尖经常打磨的不严格。派克过去常常有大多数型号的系列斜体笔尖，但是现在确实只有他的旗舰产品多福才使用，十四行诗（Sonnet）也有短茬尖（Stub）的配件。（严格地说，短茬尖（Stub）很像斜体笔尖，但是更顺滑，书写的更快，几乎没有明显的粗细笔画的差别。）@}u*|P*
当你选购一支钢笔时，首先要询问是否可以选择笔尖，使你的钢笔尽可能配一个工厂打磨的斜体笔尖。比较大型的授权经销商通常在备选盘里放几个笔尖供买家更换，你可以要求试用这些笔尖。因为笔尖经常是手工完成的，没有两支笔尖完全相像：一支M尖（'medium中号）或许比另一个更宽。大多数的制造商都有笔尖更换服务，因此如果经销商没有提供你需要的笔尖，钢笔就会被退回配备合适的笔尖。c% -Tem'#
尤其是，如果你的钢笔非常好写，但是却没有斜体笔尖，打磨笔尖就仅仅作为最后的手段了。私下打磨笔尖或许会导致制造商的保单失效，这也是个心理负担。我推荐两款高质量的、经久耐用的、而又不贵的钢笔，派克的边境（Frontier）和犀飞利的胜利帝国（Triumph Imperial）。派克钢笔可以买到一系列的成品，英国的价格从9.99英镑到19.99英镑。在高品质的钢笔中，价格比较贵的型号在笔尖上和笔挂上镀金。较难获得的犀飞利在英国只能买到一种成品——不锈钢的笔帽和笔管，无镀金——价值21英镑。这两种钢笔都是优秀的书写用具，但是，派克钢笔在十四天后往往会干涸，或者无法继续使用（即使使用推荐的昆克墨水！），然而，比较特别的是，如果竖直存放，犀飞利甚至在遗忘几个月后拿出来仍然能够一笔出字。H\"sgoJ
派克和犀飞利出售的都是标准的中号单线条笔尖，尽管派克笔尖尖端更宽。派克提供斜体笔尖的选择，但是这种笔尖对日用来说太宽了，比较适合书法使用；这种笔尖也没有铱粒。犀飞利可以买到短茬尖（Stub），这些钢笔是可以先试尖的，就像某些相当优秀的钢笔一样。这些笔尖没有对尺寸大小进行分级，但是笔尖的范围从中号尖到宽尖都有。h]&GLb&<?
如果你决定购买其中一家的钢笔自己磨尖，要考虑到切过笔尖尖端最宽点的一条线，以及你要估计斜体笔尖的宽度是否足够。如果不够宽，可以要求把笔尖换成更宽的级别。如果你通常使用细的（F）或特细的（EF）斜体笔尖，标准的中号单线条笔尖应该能满足需要；但是如果你更喜欢中号或宽的斜体笔尖，就要买一个宽的或非常宽的笔尖。记住，当你用一个单线条笔尖来打磨斜体笔尖时，通常只能获得尺寸更小的笔尖。然而，左撇子将会发现，用标准的笔尖打磨成斜角笔尖至少可以做出与单线条笔尖同样的宽度——这是一个很好的例子，这样的钢笔深受左撇子喜爱！派克钢笔的铱粒比犀飞利的更长更宽，实际上可以做出中号（或比细尖稍宽的）斜体笔尖——这是因为书写者喜欢选择书写端点更宽的斜角笔尖，如果不能买到两家中的任一种宽尖钢笔时，尤其如此。IVnHf_PzF
在你已经获得了经验和信心之后，你或许希望尝试独自给这些钢笔磨尖。首先，你要用便宜的钢笔进行练习。对于L.K.成员，我推荐伍尔沃斯卡水钢笔，或者W·H.史密斯的学生钢笔，这两种钢笔都有铱粒，价钱为2.99英镑。如果你打算买其它的钢笔，要弄清楚这些钢笔真的有铱粒，而不是用同样的钢片挤压成型而形成的尖粒。Jl8H|<g~/
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打磨你的笔尖w c@X.Q[
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我们现在能够开始打磨笔尖的任务了。下面是你需要准备的物品：u(.e8~s8
●适合的自来水钢笔A1$T
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●磨石（例如罗特林（Rotring红环）阿肯色磨石）F`W?II?
●细砂纸（或者砂纸，8/0级）U[-o> W#
●高倍放大镜（最好是钟表匠用的10倍或20倍的眼罩放大镜）oG?Xk%7&\
●剃须刀片(可选)!X#OOqPr=
●墨水瓶a$OE0zn`
●盛清水的广口瓶或玻璃杯（冷水或室温下的水）9d659i C
●切割垫，或某些其它的防滑的工作台面 7hcYD!DS
●你平时用的书写纸%3- y[f
●餐巾纸，或者其它平滑的、棉绒纸%JBz5G
●一只坚定的手！~L\z8[<C
阿肯色磨石用于开头的粗磨，细砂纸（或砂纸）用于打磨光滑或抛光。这些都能从艺术商店或五金商店中买到，或到兰开夏的PR3 3AB，朗里奇，塔内利西路的书法家直销店，电话/传真：01772-784 444。切割垫将会帮助你在打磨时把阿肯色磨石稳定在一个地方，在你磨平笔尖的下部表面时可以将它提高到理想的高度。剃须刀片将会帮助你清除打磨期间进入笔尖中缝里的残渣，也可以用来加宽笔尖中缝，改善墨水的流动性。准备几张书写纸是很有用的，当作“进度表”来使用，记录打磨时的每一个步骤中书写线条的变化。这应该是你很熟悉的纸张，因此你可以有意地把你的新笔尖的书写情况与你用过的其他的笔尖进行对比。在强光下而不是柔光下工作是最好的，因为你不时地要检查你的工作效果。n0 {i&[I~+
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准备好钢笔F ^BS/Yag
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如果你正在加工吸满墨水的钢笔，要先排出墨水，浸泡笔尖以洗掉多余的墨水和积垢（在笔舌的凹槽和梳状毛细里），使钢笔变干。加工的钢笔最好把笔尖安装在笔管上，把笔帽取下，因为这样在磨尖时可以让你更容易进行控制。X`>i& I]
现在把干燥的笔尖浸入墨水瓶中大约两秒钟，然后取出笔尖，顺着瓶嘴内把多余的墨水清除掉，如果笔尖蘸满了墨水，你就可以用钢笔写字了。在你的进度表上写几个字，比如，那只聪明的褐色狐狸跳过了那只懒狗，也可以是有的球棍是曲折的。这是钢笔以单线条形式书写的字迹。（在你写的字附近留下一些空间，因为当笔尖打磨完成后，你可以在这个空间写字，把你新的斜体笔尖写的字与之前写的字进行比较。）现在在广口瓶的水里清洗笔尖上的墨水，用餐巾纸擦干笔尖。"?xHlYj@+
在磨尖之前，要有充分的心理准备：你的笔尖总是越磨越小，因为你失去的东西是不能再拿回来的。关键是——尤其是在决定你的新笔尖以何种形状进行书写而进行磨尖的决定性阶段——在阿肯色磨石或砂纸上每打磨两三次后，要停下来检查打磨的效果。,!y$qVg'\f
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了解斜体笔尖的形状IfAZn_
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磨尖的目标是使笔尖呈凿子状。从侧面看，磨好的斜体笔尖应该像图1a(不是严格的凿子状)或图1b。"7F?@D$e
f+,qNvBY/
[attachment=7762]
图1b更难打磨，可是会产生更细的线条，继续锋利地书写更长的时间。书法家们经常磨快倾斜的笔尖，用来达到最大的粗细对比度；当笔尖变钝时，他们也能够用自来水钢笔这样做。这个过程将会在后面进行叙述（第五步）。如图1b打磨的笔尖书写更锋利，因为锋利的棱边意味着笔尖与纸的接触面积更小。相反地，把笔尖打磨成下图所示的形状是不正确的，因为与纸接触的棱边太多，结果产生了令人不满意的细线条。)yZ^[uJ}3C
[attachment=7763]
看看你的笔尖，你的钢笔应该有个扁平（不是圆形）的书写棱边，可以是直尖，或者是左斜角或右斜角笔尖。| rtD.,m 
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[attachment=7764]
左斜角笔尖是把手放在字行的下面书写的左撇子使用的。直尖是右手书写者使用的，同时，把手放在字行的上边书写的左撇子也使用直尖。那些发现直尖不适合他们的手的人或许更喜欢右斜角笔尖；许多经典的和一些较老的书法用斜尖被切削成轻微的右斜角。#a,PZDaE
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第一步：磨平笔尖的底部rcG"o\ g@+
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第一步是把尖粒的底面磨平。我们希望去掉下图中的阴影部分：/{n-Y/j p
[attachment=7765]
底面应该尽可能打磨成水平状态，不要有角度，因为水平的底面会把与纸的接触面降到最小，能写出更锋利的细线：O- hAFKx
[attachment=7766]
把阿肯色磨石平放在切割垫上，与一边的边缘对齐。手掌向下握着钢笔，笔尖尖粒的底面放在阿肯色磨石上。把你的食指压在笔项的上部，在打磨时施加压力。用从左向右的短行程移动的方式开始打磨笔尖，把你的肘部放在桌子上作为移动的支点。如下图所示： D
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[attachment=7767]
短行程打磨笔尖更容易使钢笔保持一个不变的角度。开始时你或许会使用适度的压力使尖粒的底面变平。但是当你到了打磨的决定性阶段时，这时笔尖逐渐形成最终的形状，你应该放松压力，使用适度的力量以防止打磨过度。这个阶段在阿肯色磨石上滴上一滴水作为润滑剂有助于打磨（或者，把笔尖在水中简单地浸一下）。-zeG1gr3
当你到了（以你的眼睛观察为准）打磨的尾声时，在水中冲洗笔尖，洗掉金属碎沫，用餐巾把笔尖擦干。把笔尖放在灯光的背景里，用台灯照亮笔尖的尖粒，用放大镜（避开灯光）检查尖粒的底面应该是个完整的平面，没有波状起伏。如果笔尖不符合要求，重复以上的打磨过程。3~ {:`[0Q
有两个好的理由可以预防过度施加压力。一个是铱粒可能会从笔尖上磨掉的危险，如果你在较老的钢笔上动手时，这确实是很危险的。另一个是笔尖的尖齿在重力下会弯曲，导致有起伏的、不平坦的底面。这会严重地影响高弹性的金尖，但是，派克和犀飞利的硬钢尖也会在一定程度上受到影响。尽管如此，施加较轻的压力总是很明智的，因为你的笔尖会慢慢地发生改变，这样就能够预防出于热情而产生的笔尖打磨过度的代价昂贵的失误。2-EIE4
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第二步：磨平笔尖的上部oAeUvmh
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这是按照上面步骤一的同样的方法进行精确打磨，当然除了钢笔正面向下放在打磨面上。由于铱粒的上面变得更平了，相对于书写的棱边以变化微小的角度继续打磨。你的笔尖看上去应该是这样的：!z3jTv
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第三步：磨平笔尖的书写棱边（或者实现、或者改变为斜角）=-n}[Y}A
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这一步的目标是磨平铱粒的圆形的凸边，如图8a所示的阴影区域，获得方形的尖粒，或者像图8b的书写棱边：33B]R Gq
[attachment=7769]
这个步骤是打磨笔尖的最为棘手的一步，因为要保持笔尖直立，与阿肯色磨石呈一个恒定不变的角度是很困难的。用你的拇指、食指和中指直立地握着钢笔，你的腕关节放在桌子上，再次以你的肘部作为移动的支点。只向一个方向打磨——那是宽的向下的磨程——使用轻缓的压力，滴一滴水在阿肯色磨石上使打磨平滑。如果铱粒的正面对着你，那么你以钢笔从你向外移动的方向进行打磨。如果你打磨的是一个直尖的斜体笔尖，钢笔应该完全直立地握着，但是如果以一定的角度打磨会获得一个斜角棱边：~=l;=7 T
[attachment=7770]
正如步骤1和步骤2中所述，当你发现你即将得到所希望棱边时，要放松压力。停止打磨的时间就是你使两个尖齿非常齐、直的时候，磨平的铱粒的上部和底部形成一个方形的凿子尖，其棱边要符合书写的要求。在冲洗干净和擦干笔尖后，用放大镜检查打磨的结果。确保铱粒的棱角呈方形，而不是圆形。meO:@Z0
[attachment=7771]
你现在终于做成了凿子棱边的笔尖，这笔尖大体上有一个斜体“I”的形状。在笔尖蘸过墨水后，试着在进度表上写字，开始写十字和折笔，然后写完整的单词。你会感到笔尖很刮纸，特别是向上挑的笔画，你应该轻轻地书写，避免笔尖刮下纸的纤维，塞到笔尖的缝里。检查书写的文字应该整齐划一（两侧不会出现参差不齐的现象），笔尖在书写时呈一定角度以适合你书写手势（即直的或倾斜的）。现在你对打磨的笔尖书写的情况有了一个全面的了解。不过，如果你发现笔尖太宽了，你可以按照下面的第四个步骤把笔尖的宽度打磨的更细些。u\;C;I-? '
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步骤四（可选择）：把笔尖的宽度打磨得更细些BpP y&
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可以通过打磨笔尖的两侧使其变得更细。按照步骤1和步骤2的方法握笔，但是现在要把笔尖的侧面放在阿肯色磨石上：6mxf  LlZ
[attachment=7772]
正如第三步骤，磨尖的行程方向要向下。大体上对于笔尖每一个侧面要使用相同的压力和打磨相同的次数。在每磨几下之后，笔尖要蘸上墨水写几个字，检查宽度是不是合适。}N6.Uu 5zI
现在把你的笔尖打磨成理想的宽度，你或许希望把你的笔尖变得更锋利，以确保笔锋书写的时间更长，按照下面的第五个步骤进行。不过该过程不是完全必要的，只有在笔尖变钝时，或者在打磨笔尖过程中获得了自信和经验时，你可以选择这样的做法。R8Fv{7]c
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第五步（可选择）：使凿形铱粒变得锋利（或者把钝尖变得锋利） S9FE
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要做到这一步，必须以大约30°的在恒定的角度握住钢笔。笔尖正面朝下，在阿肯色磨石上水平地长行程地拖拽钢笔。你应该用适度的压力开始打磨。不管怎样，当打磨接近完成时，用力要轻。_ *Pf
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[attachment=7773]
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这是不可否认的很有技巧的过程，因为对称地打磨两个尖齿是极其困难的，当笔尖成形时，轻轻的进行打磨很有必要。每打磨两次或三次后，检查一下打磨的结果。你最终会得到锋利的凿形笔尖，如下图所示：
[attachment=7774]
现在你的笔尖差不多可以书写了。但是，在笔尖足够顺滑以供日常使用之前，首先要把铱粒的毛边打磨光滑。
*
步骤6：对笔尖进行抛光/或使笔尖光滑
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把你的笔尖每一面磨平了，磨成了凿形尖，你的笔尖有许多锋利的棱边，这些棱边会划破纸张，带出纤维。使笔尖顺滑是极具技巧和容易损坏的过程，需要使用细砂纸轻柔地细磨。的确，你使用的压力要尽可能的轻：钢笔自身的重量和你打磨笔尖的手都要运用很轻的压力。打磨顺滑的目的不是使书写的字产生很大的改变：写字手重和过度的顺滑会使笔尖变钝。通过打磨顺滑不可避免地失去笔尖的锋利性，但是使用轻微的压力可以尽量减少这种情况。在粗细反差和书写顺滑之间选择一个满意的折衷办法对书写者来说是可行的——一些书写者更喜欢比较锋利的差别，而其他人（尤其是写字手重或手快的人）偏爱轻松在纸上写字的钢笔。
第一个任务是使笔尖的两个棱角顺滑。拖拉“I”截面的笔尖的侧边和每个尖齿，开始时钢笔差不多与砂纸平行，逐渐地将钢笔拉直，在磨角时要轻微用力。左右尖齿要对称打磨。避免过度打磨，否则会使你的笔尖比预期的变得更细。
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第二个任务是使凿子尖的棱边顺滑。握着钢笔使其尽可能与砂纸平行，笔尖的正面朝上，平放在砂纸上，拖拉钢笔逐渐竖直。当钢笔竖起来时，用力要很轻：
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下一步，重复上面的操作，不过，现在要把笔尖的正面朝下：
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现在，你应该把笔尖底面棱边每个角磨圆了，把笔尖在砂纸上轻轻地移动，每次移动都换个不同的方向。这很难精确地说明，但是下面的插图将展示出一个不合要求的尖角（图17a）和符合要求的顺滑笔尖之间的差别（图17b）。
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你的钢笔现在差不多可以写字了，达到了初步的顺滑，去掉了令人讨厌的毛边。使用剃须刀片清理尖齿缝里的金属粉屑。（如果你发现太危险了，跳过这一步是非常明智的。）细心地把剃须刀片以一定的角度插入到尖缝中，从笔尖的上部（不是底部的书写棱边，因为这样会产生更加毛糙的后果），慢慢地向下移动，然后向上，并轻轻地滑出来：|[b{)s?x
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把笔尖放在水中清洗，用餐巾把它擦干，然后蘸上墨水，小心地去掉多余的墨水。现在在进度表上用钢笔写几个字。你会注意到笔尖比之前要顺滑得多了。
然而，你会希望把残余的微小的毛糙面更加顺滑。这是使笔尖书写顺滑的第二个阶段，事实上是发现并解决问题的阶段，你要以不同的角度握笔，向不同的方向书写，在纸上和细砂纸上交互书写。因为细砂纸最好要保持干燥，清洗笔尖后，要用餐巾擦干。现在在纸上写几个龙飞凤舞的字——这将会看到笔画仍然毛糙。把笔放在细砂纸上，很轻地书写同样的字，尤其要跟踪相同的毛糙的笔画，把毛边磨去。你应该写一些比平时大得多的字，因为这会有助于放大笔画——找出不足之处。你会发现粗笔画有些毛糙，特别是某些字母的尾部，如“f”和“g”。其实你应该选择包含这些字母的测试单词。我喜欢的是Pfingsten，意思是“德国圣灵降临节”，我用花体小写字母写，带有夸张的字母尾部，以及在s和t之间的上部的连体笔画。其它的测试单词推荐如下：
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其他的有助于磨尖的测试字样包括垂直的8字图案（和大写“I”的手写体的弧圈相似），夸张的大写字母g，以及来回画细线：
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上面的测试单词和字样应该在纸上书写多次，与平常书写一样，同样可以帮助你得到有问题的、毛糙的笔画。然后在细砂纸上，跟踪相同的笔画和字样，但是写字要更轻，磨光毛边。你应该以平常在纸上写字的角度握笔进行测试，但是，也可以间歇地以比平时更直一些的角度握笔：这将确保钢笔在日常写字时握笔的角度有较小的变化也能保持顺滑。这个阶段所存在的一些毛糙的地方主要来自笔尖的中缝、书写的棱边或笔尖的棱角。上面图20所示的测试字样会磨平笔缝或书写棱边的毛糙的地方，而图17a和b的步骤可以把笔尖的棱角磨光滑。重复上面图14的过程，作为识别和磨去毛糙部分的必要手段——然而要记住，用力要很轻。
当你感觉钢笔写字足够顺滑了，笔尖打磨顺滑的进程也就结束了，同时，笔尖可以写出令人满意的粗细对比的线条。磨滑笔尖的最后阶段实际上是你有规律地开始使用钢笔时候，笔尖渐渐地磨合或试用——更像新车的发动机——最后在你的手中成形。一旦你对笔尖感到满意了，放在水中清洗、擦干，就可以给钢笔上水了。
最后，你可以用你的新磨的斜体笔尖开始写字了！用它自己的供水系统，在进度表的开始处用你的钢笔写第一个字：现在笔尖所写的字和之前写的字之间的对比是相当地清楚和显而易见的了。希望你的努力将会获得更多的成功，你的钢笔将会给你带来许多年的书写乐趣。
注意
在第3—5步骤之后，你必须通过第6个步骤磨滑你的笔尖。
我感谢利昂·孔·金福把这个非常宝贵的技巧介绍了给我，以及他给我的指导。我也感谢斜体笔尖的同道爱好者，我为他们打磨笔尖所反馈来的信息和鼓励。
任何的反馈信息、建议和忠告都使我非常地感谢。
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1. 本文是译者直接译自国外网站的文章，属原创翻译，原文版权属于原作者，译文版权属于译者。
2. 如果读者需要转帖，请你权重原作者和译者的劳动，注明原文出处和译文的出处。
3. 因本人水平有限，错译、漏译在所难免，希望高手批评指正，本人不胜感激。
原文链接：
http://www.marcuslink.com/pens/aboutpens/ludwig-tan.html$X
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jjyylovell

看是很认真的看完了，有待实践，先弄些便宜的下手，

guyufa

手机看比较累。支持楼主辛苦了。。

不披羊皮了

谢谢楼主，辛苦了。

zwjstar_cn

好长的文字

6995

谢谢分享！！！！！！！

郝穴老汉

老外干啥事就是这么的较劲，赞！

万里长城

有没有根据汉字书写改进的方案？比如毕加索改长刀研什么的。

龙凤奇缘

楼主辛苦了。

foolhorse

买个bb尖改成铲子不如直接买铲子划算了