The Nib Grinding Week
Get ready for two exclusive events dedicated to the art of nib customisation. This June, Stilo&Stile will welcome two of the most acclaimed nibmeisters on the international scene, ready to transform your writing experience into something truly unique and personal. The events will take place at our Rome store, but you can also participate online by purchasing a pen and the customisation service. Bring your nib — or choose a new fountain pen — and have it tailored by a master.
Schedule
Matthew Chen
Friday 12 and Saturday 13 June 2026
10:00 – 13:00 16:00 – 19:30Thomas Ang
Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 June 2026
10:00 – 13:00 16:00 – 19:30How to participate
- Purchase a fountain pen combined with the nib grinding service. For multiple pens, add one service per pen to your cart.
- We will contact you by email to discuss the details of the work on your nib.
- Your pen with the customised nib will be shipped at the end of the event.
- Purchase the service online and select "in-store pickup" as your shipping method.
- You can bring your own fountain pen or purchase a new one from our website or directly in store.
- We will contact you to schedule your appointment within the available time slots.
Matthew Chen: 12 & 13 June 2026
Matthew Chen is one of the most respected nibmeisters on the international scene. While studying in Japan for his degree in Japanese Language and Culture, he had the opportunity to learn directly from Master Nagahara, renowned for his special Sailor nibs. He was granted authorisation to reproduce and offer the same Nagahara-signature grinds to his own clients. Back in the United States, he refined his technique under Michael Masuyama and built a custom nib grinding machine of his own design.
Available services
Tuning / Smoothing
€45Flow adjustment and tip smoothing for a more fluid and comfortable writing experience. Ideal for improving nib performance without altering its original shape.
Standard Grind
€75Size reductions and classic grind modifications to add character to your everyday writing. Choose from:
- Western Fine — tip reduction for a finer, more precise line.
- Stub — broad vertical strokes and narrower horizontals, with good flow. Perfect for expressive everyday writing.
- Cursive Italic — greater contrast between thick and thin strokes, ideal for a fluid cursive script.
- Sharp Italic — maximum line variation for crisp, defined strokes typical of formal calligraphy.
- Oblique — any of the above with a custom angle tailored to your grip.
Specialty Grind
€85Advanced grinds for those seeking extreme precision or a highly distinctive line. Choose from:
- Japanese Fine — finer than a Western Fine, writes smoothly without scratching.
- Japanese Extra Fine — even finer, ideal for those with small handwriting.
- Ultra Extra Fine — the finest tip available, for absolute writing precision.
- Architect — narrow vertical strokes and broad horizontals, the opposite effect of a Stub.
Nagahara Specialty Grind
€109The exclusive grinds developed by Master Nagahara for Sailor, performed by Matthew with his personal authorisation. Choose from:
- Kodachi — reproduces a brush-like effect for Japanese and Chinese calligraphy; in Western script, it creates line variation based on writing angle.
- Uranagi — the reverse of the Kodachi, for a mirrored effect.
- Fude Point — uses part of the nib body as the writing surface. May be limited by the internal space of the pen cap.
- Beak Point — the reverse of the Fude Point, recommended when the Fude is incompatible with the pen.
Purchase the service paired with a fountain pen and make the most of the event to receive a nib customised especially for you.
Browse our Fountain Pens to find the model you want to customise →Thomas Ang: 15 & 16 June 2026
London-based nib worker Thomas Ang has become a regular on the pen show circuit after several years of working on nibs via mail. He offers a wide range of standard grinds and is always happy to explore custom options with more complicated shapes upon request. For people with smaller handwriting, he offers a range of tiny grinds, firmly believing they should have all the options that people with large handwriting have always enjoyed: not only stubs and italics, but also architect, naginata-type grinds, and reversible options. It is the detail of working with his hands that ties nib work to his other career in music, and he wants the same joy to be experienced through the act of writing as well.
Available services
Tuning / Smoothing
€45Adjustment of ink flow and feedback to make the nib smoother or more controlled according to your preference. Ideal for improving your pen's performance without changing its original shape.
Standard Grind / Stub & Italic
€75Size reductions and line variations to add character to your everyday writing. Choose from:
- Size reduction — e.g. from M to EF, for a finer and more precise line.
- Stub — broad vertical strokes and narrower horizontals, with good flow. Perfect for those who want a characterful line without sacrificing smoothness.
- Cursive Italic — greater contrast between thick and thin strokes, ideal for expressive cursive writing.
- Sharp Italic — maximum line contrast for crisp, defined strokes typical of formal calligraphy.
Special Grind
€90Advanced customisations for specific writing needs or grip styles. Choose from:
- Needlepoint — an extremely fine tip (0.1–0.2 mm), ideal for marginalia, annotations, or those with very small handwriting. Writes ultra-thin without scratching.
- Oblique & Architect — custom angle grind tailored to your writing style. Particularly suited for Arabic or Hebrew scripts, or to correct natural hand inclination.
- Fude — tip bent upward, produces a variable line depending on the writing angle. Widely used in Asian calligraphy.
- Waverly — a gentle curve that softens the line and improves writing comfort.
- Posting nib — tip bent downward, recommended for those who write with a very pronounced angle.
Extreme Grind
€100Specialty grinds for a brush-like effect, excellent for Asian calligraphy, drawing, and sketching. Choose from:
- Zoom — a wide, rounded tip producing a soft, variable line similar to a brush. Perfect for lettering and expressive calligraphy.
- Naginata — inspired by the Japanese naginata blade: fine in one direction, broad in the other. Ideal for Asian calligraphy and artistic drawing.
- Reverse Architect — reversible nib: Medium on the regular side, Architect on the reverse. Two grinds in one.
- Reverse Stub — reversible nib: Stub on the regular side, choice of Fine, Medium, or Broad on the reverse. Two grinds in one.
Purchase the service paired with a fountain pen and make the most of the event to receive a nib customised especially for you.
Browse our Fountain Pens to find the model you want to customise →FAQ
Nib grinding is the technique used to modify the tip of a fountain pen nib in order to change how it writes. This process can completely transform the writing experience — creating finer or broader strokes, improving flow, or adding expressive variation between vertical and horizontal lines.
But grinding isn't just about "improving" a standard nib: it's also the way to obtain specialty nibs that manufacturers don't produce off the shelf. Grinds like the Kodachi, Sharp Italic, or Architect can only be created by hand by a skilled nibmeister.
It's quite common for a nib supplied by the manufacturer to not match your personal taste or writing style. In these cases, you can trust an expert to transform an ordinary nib into a bespoke, one-of-a-kind writing instrument — exactly as you imagined it.
To participate as an online customer, simply purchase the nib grinding service of your choice and pair it with a fountain pen from our catalogue. You can customise more than one pen — just add one service per pen to your cart. After your order is placed, we will contact you by email to discuss all the details of the work on your nib.
Purchase the service online and select "in-store pickup" as your shipping method. You can use it on a pen you already own, or purchase a new one from our website or directly in store. After your order is placed, we will get in touch to schedule your appointment within the available time slots.
If you already have a pen you'd like to customise, bring it with you and discuss the grind you have in mind directly with the nibmeister during your appointment. If you prefer, you can also choose a new pen in store and have it worked on the same day.
Yes, as long as the nib has enough material to perform the requested grind. Please note: if the nib is plated, the plating near the tip may be removed during the grinding process, which could affect the nib's appearance.
We recommend choosing the nib size based on the type of grind you have in mind. As a general guide: an EF nib works well for very fine grinds such as Japanese EF or Ultra Extra Fine, while a B nib is better suited for grinds like Architect, Stub, Kodachi, or Naginata. After your order we will contact you by email to confirm all the details — if needed, we will replace the nib with a more suitable one for the requested grind.
Orders containing a pen and a nib grinding service will be shipped together in a single parcel from 20 June onwards. If your order includes any other items, everything will be sent out together in the same shipment.