Greg Minuskin is a different type of nibmaster.
There are numerous talented nib masters who hang out their shingles on the web and at pen shows, working with a perfectly functional fountain pen nib and turning it into a nib with a user-specified custom grind. Or they rebuild damaged nibs that have danced a little downward tango to the tile floor or rattled through a rough spin in the washing machine’s heavy cycle.
Greg Minuskin does grinds and reconstructions. But his preference, his expertise, and his talents are devoted to building a nib tip. He begins with an existing nib, whether damaged or intact, and constructs a perfectly wonderful nib tip, some of which have not been seen in a manufacturer’s catalog for a century or more. A nib by Minuskin may be described as extra-broad or extra-fine, but it’s wholly different from a factory-produced nib. Quite simply, he builds the greatest contemporary fountain pen nibs available.
WATCHES OR WRITING INSTRUMENTS?
As a child, Minuskin loved building things, especially models and Legos. After finishing college with a degree in commercial real estate accounting, he felt constrained by the day-to-day business.
Watch repair had been a pleasure and a passion for years. His friendship with a watch repairman led to his enrollment in the prestigious WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland, Training and Education Program) school in Neufchatel, Switzerland, in 1993—the only American accepted into his class of students from around the world. Following graduation and certification, Minuskin remained an independent repairman before becoming supervisor of the West Coast (Beverly Hills) repair facility for Rolex USA.
This story is from the August 2017 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2017 edition of PEN WORLD.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part III
Once dip-less desk sets became entrenched in the business world, they naturally proliferated as more companies got into the game.
The Inkwell and the Imagination
A history of the inkwell as a source of inspiration.
From EDC to OMG!
The Visconti Year of the Dragon limited edition collection pays tribute to the Chinese five-clawed dragon, which was reserved solely as representative of the Emperor and nobility.
Love Story
AP Limited Editions celebrates its 10th anniversary with pens in honor of its deep U.S. connection. Originally published in Vol. 29, No. 2 (February 2016).
The Magic Kingdom at Orlando's Sam Flax
In central Florida, a writing instruments and art supplies store carries on the Flax pen shop legacy.
Piloting My Way To Dromgoole's
Rice Village in Houston, Texas, is always buzzing with holiday shoppers in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so it was no surprise to me that not a single parking spot was available in front of family-owned Dromgoole's Fine Writing Instruments and Stationery store for its holiday shopping event on December 9, 2023.
The Ohio Pen Show
Begun more than 25 years ago, the Columbus, Ohio, Pen Show is one of the most respected among all North American pen shows.
These Snakes Don't Bite
The new BENU Viper Collection finds inspiration in the sinuous bodies of three snakes.
A Fountain Pen Scribe's Ode to a Typewriter
I stood there, just 15, clutching a $30 check from a magazine for something I'd written, the first ever for my writing, growing dizzy with images in my head of where I needed to be.
Introducing LeatherLuxePH
Raymund Nino Bumatay creates high-end leather pen cases with Filipino pride.
