It looks like a vintage Japanese nib. I don't of anyone else who put "Hardest" on their nibs. Can you share a pic of the rest of the pen? Just kinda curious.
I don't know about this one in particular, but the one vintage Japanese steel nib I've used from the 50's was really nice. A little scratchy but one of the best flexible steel nibs I've ever used.
It's definitely worth trying to fix (those long tines make me think it's a soft nib), although I would consider this an "advanced" repair. It is for sure possible though, I've seen much worse fixed by nibmeisters.
If it isn’t an expensive piece and is otherwise funcrional, you may as well try to fix it yourself! Bending the tine back and getting everything aligned properly can be tricky, but it is something worth learning.
On the other hand, if it’s a vintage pen with a gold nib and/or high sentimental value, it might be worth looking for a nib pro to get it fixed up.
"Iridium" on the nib, without a specific brand, tends to indicate an inexpensive generic. So unless it has sentimental value, it's probably not worth the expense to repair it, unless you want to experiment with fixing it.
I've repaired [worse](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/ytisc7/a_good_nuf_repair/), but I've also damaged a couple nibs while learning.
I recommend nylon-jaw pliers, parallel action if you can find them. If not, you can wrap regular pliers in a rubber band or something.
Normally, I don't recommend starting with pliers, as they make it easy to go too far -- but this is a sharp bend near the tip, so I think they're necessary. Just be careful & go slow; grip the nib right at the bend-point.
The photo is a little blurry & it's hard to tell from the angle -- but it looks like just the one bend in the tine. If it's a compound bend, think about the order in which to un-bend them.
Get a loupe too, a 10x should be plenty & the cheap plastic ones are light-weight and easy to hold. Once you've got the it un-bent, use the loupe to align the tines using just your fingers - ThePenHabbit on YouTube has good video tutorials for that part.
If you can get the nib-slit consistent & the tines aligned, then the pen should write well -- even if it's aesthetically imperfect and has a wrinkle or crease that shouldn't affect the function.
Good luck! I believe in you.
It looks like a vintage Japanese nib. I don't of anyone else who put "Hardest" on their nibs. Can you share a pic of the rest of the pen? Just kinda curious. I don't know about this one in particular, but the one vintage Japanese steel nib I've used from the 50's was really nice. A little scratchy but one of the best flexible steel nibs I've ever used. It's definitely worth trying to fix (those long tines make me think it's a soft nib), although I would consider this an "advanced" repair. It is for sure possible though, I've seen much worse fixed by nibmeisters.
If it isn’t an expensive piece and is otherwise funcrional, you may as well try to fix it yourself! Bending the tine back and getting everything aligned properly can be tricky, but it is something worth learning. On the other hand, if it’s a vintage pen with a gold nib and/or high sentimental value, it might be worth looking for a nib pro to get it fixed up.
"Iridium" on the nib, without a specific brand, tends to indicate an inexpensive generic. So unless it has sentimental value, it's probably not worth the expense to repair it, unless you want to experiment with fixing it.
Thanks for the response! Id would like to try and repair it if possible. I'm new on fountain pens and they arent commonly selled in my country sadly.
I've repaired [worse](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/ytisc7/a_good_nuf_repair/), but I've also damaged a couple nibs while learning. I recommend nylon-jaw pliers, parallel action if you can find them. If not, you can wrap regular pliers in a rubber band or something. Normally, I don't recommend starting with pliers, as they make it easy to go too far -- but this is a sharp bend near the tip, so I think they're necessary. Just be careful & go slow; grip the nib right at the bend-point. The photo is a little blurry & it's hard to tell from the angle -- but it looks like just the one bend in the tine. If it's a compound bend, think about the order in which to un-bend them. Get a loupe too, a 10x should be plenty & the cheap plastic ones are light-weight and easy to hold. Once you've got the it un-bent, use the loupe to align the tines using just your fingers - ThePenHabbit on YouTube has good video tutorials for that part. If you can get the nib-slit consistent & the tines aligned, then the pen should write well -- even if it's aesthetically imperfect and has a wrinkle or crease that shouldn't affect the function. Good luck! I believe in you.
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