I read a post on a popular pen forum about a purchase of a Sheaffer Snorkel with a rare flexible fine nib. Sadly, the pen was poorly packed, and it arrived with that wonderful nib badly bent and unusable.

I offered to repair it; though there are several restorers who can do this type of work well, only a few of them can also restore the two-tone appearance of the nib after the repair is complete (working on such a nib invariably mars the plating on the forepart). The disappointed owner sent it in.

Here’s what the nib looked like when I received it:

Here’s the restored nib after I reversed the damage and then after I re-did the plating and reassembled things:

I also smoothed the nib to ensure the best writing experience I could provide.

These nib repairs are quite time-consuming, but they are also very rewarding. The owner was very pleased with the outcome, and he wrote, “the nib looks brand new and it writes perfectly. I haven’t ever had the privilege of using a flexible nib as smooth as this one before.”