Nakaya Flex Nib Or Vintage Flex Nib. Which One For Drawing?

[Sketch and Doodle]

I recently bought Danitrio Ban-Ei F with flex and did a drawing test and compared against the drawing done with Stipula Bertinoro flexed by Masuyama.

I've tries vintage Wahl flex and was too small pen and tried Pelikan 400MN Tortoise flex and it was too small and the nib vibrated and spraying inks in upstroke. Returned.

 

So, Is Nakaya flex has the soft vintage feel?

Or should I better look for large size vintage pen?

 

I don't like old and dinky, dirty scratchy discoloured nib. I guess I want mint shape.

 

Please see samples. Danitrio Ban-Ei has less line variation.

 

 

Danireio Ban-Ei

 

Stipula Bertinoro

[Lyander0012]

First of all, you have my admiration for being able to draw with ink. I dabble in pencil and charcoal sketches (I really like how there are diff. magnitudes of shading), but I'm not confident enough in my being able to get the form right with ink

Anyway, no modern pens can really copy the feel of a proper vintage flex. Nakaya pens are amazing to write with, but their line variation is more semi-flex unmodded (this is with the "soft nib"), and short of full flex even when modded. If you're looking for great line variation in a fountain pen, I recommend stocking up on pens from the 30s or so; you can get some really good flex from the hard rubber pens of that era.

 

 

Best of luck!

Kevin

[watch_art]

You could have a vintage nib and feed fitted to a modern custom.

 

http://newtonpens.wordpress.com/orville-purple-celluloid-and-tiffany-casein-long-small/

[bitterwonder]

Some of my pens are better for drawing from observation, as your drawings are, and some are better for drawing from invention

I prefer a bold nib as i can get a greater variety of line from that.

I suggest that you experiment and learn what your pen(s) can do.

I also find I draw more rapidly from the figure, I drag the pen across the paper in ways different from writing. But you know that.

Good luck.

[discopig]

If you want true flex, you will most likely have to go with vintage. Even Nakaya Elastic nibs are not that flexible when compared to even vintage semi-flex.

 

I do a lot of my drawings with vintage Waterman pens with very nice full flex nibs and some Wahl wet noodles.

 

My particular favourite is a Wahl #0 ringtop with a wet noodle superflex nib, it's pretty much the closest you could get to a dip nib on the go, although I rarely flex it much (mostly out of fear of causing cracks or overflexing), I just enjoy the natural line variation it gives from being so soft, it adds a lot of flair to drawings if used in the right places and it's just a joy to use.

 

However, I also do use some modern pens like the Pilot Metal Facon or Platinum 3776 Century when I want nibs that are easier to control and easier to draw with on unstable surfaces.

Edited July 30, 2014 by discopig

[Sketch and Doodle]

How's Romillo pen with K nib?

[discopig]

It's comparable to vintage according to a few people who tried it, but for 1000 euros (for the pen + K nib) you could get quite a few true vintage flex pens that perform as good if not better...

Edited July 30, 2014 by discopig

[Sketch and Doodle]

If you want true flex, you will most likely have to go with vintage. Even Nakaya Elastic nibs are not that flexible when compared to even vintage semi-flex.

 

I do a lot of my drawings with vintage Waterman pens with very nice full flex nibs and some Wahl wet noodles.

 

My particular favourite is a Wahl #0 ringtop with a wet noodle superflex nib, it's pretty much the closest you could get to a dip nib on the go, although I rarely flex it much (mostly out of fear of causing cracks or overflexing), I just enjoy the natural line variation it gives from being so soft, it adds a lot of flair to drawings if used in the right places and it's just a joy to use.

 

However, I also do use some modern pens like the Pilot Metal Facon or Platinum 3776 Century when I want nibs that are easier to control and easier to draw with on unstable surfaces.

It's comparable to vintage according to a few people who tried it, but for 1000 euros (for the pen + K nib) you could get quite a few true vintage flex pens that perform as good if not better...

Thank you, Discopig!

I would love to see your drawing samples done with vintage flex. Please post some.

 

I accumulated about several pens thar are high priced and not being used at the moment and soon or later I'll sell them to fund the grail pen whichever it might be. I don't mind paying 1200 euros for something exquisite and be proud to use and cherish for a long time.

 

I find vintage pens are too small and too little ink reservoir.

1200 euros Romillo is very comparable to Nakaya Dorsal Fin v2 with flex mod. by Mottishaw of which I was considering. And some Maki-e pens are astronomically expensive. A price of a car, perhaps. Insane.

I want something exquisite grail pen rather than a dozen bunch.

 

Nakaya flex or Romillo flex?

Edited July 30, 2014 by Sketch and Doodle

[watch_art]

I'd like to know more about the Romillo flex, too.

[Sketch and Doodle]

I'd like to know more about the Romillo flex, too.

Leigh Reyes "The Romillo Pen Adventure"

 

http://www.leighreyes.com/?p=4342

[Lordarka]

I'm interested in picking up a Nakaya at some point for writing; don't have any experience with them but all I read tells me that they are sublime for almost any purpose you put them to. That said, I think you are dismissing the Pilot Falcon too quickly; few pens are more versatile or reliable. I have three metal Falcons, two of which John Mottishaw customized for my drawing style (Specerian mod, and needlepoint grind). These combined with a Platinum brush pen and mechanical pencil are my principal drawing tools, and I find them to be extremely well suited to that purpose.

Edited August 3, 2014 by Lordarka

[discopig]

I'm interested in picking up a Nakaya at some point for writing; don't have any experience with them but all I read tells me that they are sublime for almost any purpose you put them to. That said, I think you are dismissing the Pilot Falcon too quickly; few pens are more versatile or reliable. I have three metal Falcons, two of which John Mottishaw customized for my drawing style (Specerian mod, and needlepoint grind). These combined with a Platinum brush pen and mechanical pencil are my principal drawing tools, and I find them to be extremely well suited to that purpose.

 

I have a Metal Falcon with a spencerian+needlepoint grind nib and also a spare SEF nib unit, I've been using both interchangeably a lot for drawing and sketching (Spencerian grind at home, SEF on the go, as it's easier to use on unstable surfaces). It is a very versatile pen indeed. I only wish I had the money to buy another entire Metal Falcon pen in SF or SM to go with what I already have.

Edited August 3, 2014 by discopig

[Sketch and Doodle]

I'm interested in picking up a Nakaya at some point for writing; don't have any experience with them but all I read tells me that they are sublime for almost any purpose you put them to. That said, I think you are dismissing the Pilot Falcon too quickly; few pens are more versatile or reliable. I have three metal Falcons, two of which John Mottishaw customized for my drawing style (Specerian mod, and needlepoint grind). These combined with a Platinum brush pen and mechanical pencil are my principal drawing tools, and I find them to be extremely well suited to that purpose.

Nice pen drawing!

I don't have patience for that anymore. For shading, I use conté or charcoal stick for large drawing. I use pen since it doesn't dirty up the sketchbook.

 

Good work!

[Sketch and Doodle]

 

I have a Metal Falcon with a spencerian+needlepoint grind nib and also a spare SEF nib unit, I've been using both interchangeably a lot for drawing and sketching (Spencerian grind at home, SEF on the go, as it's easier to use on unstable surfaces). It is a very versatile pen indeed. I only wish I had the money to buy another entire Metal Falcon pen in SF or SM to go with what I already have.

Metal Falcon pen is nice for Spencerian. I'm thinking of Nakaya Spencerian.

 

I'm going to stop looking for super flex pen. Looks like I already have right under my nose. Stipula Bertinoro flex added by Masuyama.

 

 

I sold Danitrio Ban-Ei.

It's time for Nakaya.

[discopig]

Metal Falcon pen is nice for Spencerian. I'm thinking of Nakaya Spencerian.

 

I'm going to stop looking for super flex pen. Looks like I already have right under my nose. Stipula Bertinoro flex added by Masuyama.

 

 

I sold Danitrio Ban-Ei.

It's time for Nakaya.

 

Nakaya Spencerian is one of my dream nibs. I would totally go for it if I had the money. I don't think you'd be disappointed if you went with that choice.