Acquiring thumb of each hand, but the safest way is to twitch

a Formal the slit open (fig. 27), using the end of another

Hand: pen (or a brush-handle) as explained under Reed, V

(1) Tools (see p. 19).

IV. The' sides of the nib are pared till the width
across the tip is rather less than the width desired1
(fig. 28).

Sfiapt of onCneuy nib.
sfiape of pared mi.

Fig. 28

V. The nib is laid, back up, on the glass slab,
and the extreme tip is cut off obliquely to the slit,
the knife blade being slightly sloped, and its edge
forming an angle of about 70o with the line of the
shaft (fig. 29 \for extra sharp nib see fig. 36).

1 The width of the cut nib corresponds exactly with the
width of the thickest stroke which the pen will make in writing.

22

The shaft rests lightly
in the left hand (not
gripped and not pressed
down on slab at all), and
the knife blade is entered
with a steady pressure.

If the nib is then not
wide enough it may be
cut again; if too wide,
the sides may be pared
down.

Cut very little at a
time off the tip of the
nib; a heavy cut is apt
to force the pen out of
shape and spoil the edge
of the nib.

VI. The nib should
then be examined with
the magnifying glass.
Hold the pen, back
down, over a sheet of
white paper, and see that
the ends of the two half¬
nibs are in the same
straight line a-b (fig.

3°)-

The nib should have
an oblique chisel-shaped
tip, very sharply cut

(fig-ЗО- .r. , .

A magnifying glass is
necessary for examining
a fine pen; a coarse pen
may be held up against

knife blade (in sectàrÆ-)
slightly sloped.. ^

X side new '

(a—b = the shoulder’ )

hack view
Fig. 29.

Fig. 30.

23

Acquiring
a Formal
Hand:
(1) Tools