I Wonder If There Is Flex/soft/semiflex Stub Nib.

[Icywolfe]

Because there are flexible music nibs coming up soon, and regular flexible nibs. But how about stubs? Or is stubs designed differently.

[BBU]

There is hardly a fountain pen subject that hasn't been touched upon on Richard Binder's site.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/nibs/flex_italic.htm

 

At the bottom, he mentions a hybrid of the two. It doesn't sound like it would offer a pleasant writing experience. There probably are a lot of usable "soft" stubs, though.

[Icywolfe]

So Flex music nibs works but flex stubs doesn't. Wut. Isn't a Music nib a stub that is fully smoothed to have extreme writing angle + 2 tines.

[gerigo]

I am quite a stub/ italic fanatic so have quite a few of them. Unfortunately currently all the new music nibs, as far as I know, from the 3 main Japanese manufacturers and also Franklin Christoph, are stiff as nails. However within my collection. I have a couple italic/ stubs that are flex/ soft.

 

I was lucky enough to get one of the 8 Eversharp flex italic Rangas from Peyton Street Pens. It's a pretty nice nib with a writing experience that's very unique because of the flex. If it was a stiff italic, I would say it's a medium italic. Because it flexes, it gives a much wider line that is quite unique. However because the feed is also vintage, it simply does not have the capacity of modern plastic feeds so it's a troublesome little fellow. Very prone to leaking.

 

The other stub I have is really more of a soft nib than a flex. It's an Omas. The nib has a beautiful writing experience. Think writing with bounce. Great feel.

[playtime]

Why not?

 

Vintage MB nibs from, say, Medium upwards are stubbish, and of course can display a semiflex that should suit you.

 

As well as vintage Pelikans, whose flex Obliques are a marvel. there broad and double broad vintage nibs can display a stubbish flex that should satisfy you. Pelikan even made a vintage BBB nib (and even broader nibs!) for the 400/400NN for a very short time (1960-1961?)

[Algester]

yes there can be flexible stub nibs... but why bother when you can flex it becomes a stub... <_<

[Icywolfe]

yes there can be flexible stub nibs... but why bother when you can flex it becomes a stub... <_<

First I thought it was awesome now I don't think it's awesome after reading that RB article.

[chiaroscuro]

I have a Waterman flex italic and I've seen others so I don't think it's too rare. It's on a celluloid 32A from the 1930s (virtually the same model as a "thorobred") and it's amazing — *very* flexible, very crisp italic that never skips, but one has to put up with all the inconveniences that attend vintage lever-fillers. Playtime's suggestion of a vintage Pelikan stub would likely be more convenient for everyday writing.

[Scribblesoften]

I have a Sheaffer stub flex nib. It is too soft for me and has poor return from its flexed state. It sits, sadly, it sits.

[Randal6393]

The main advantage to a stub is that it provides some line variation and may be used to write broad-edged alphabets. While soft stub nibs work out OK (I have a Lamy 2000 with a broad nib worked over to an italic), most broad-edged alphabets do not suffer, in fact may benefit, from a rigid nib. My main nibs are Noodler Ahabs and Konrads with Goulet 1.1 mm nibs (or other commercial nibs). These nibs are definitely in the nail category. So I have one soft Lamy and 8 Noodler rigid italic nibs. Plus a lot of other pens with rigid nibs, done to an italic tip.

 

Enjoy,

[Brian K]

I have a Waterman flex italic and I've seen others so I don't think it's too rare. It's on a celluloid 32A from the 1930s (virtually the same model as a "thorobred") and it's amazing — *very* flexible, very crisp italic that never skips, but one has to put up with all the inconveniences that attend vintage lever-fillers. Playtime's suggestion of a vintage Pelikan stub would likely be more convenient for everyday writing.

 

 

I have my great-grandmother's Waterman 452 1/2 L.E.C. sterling overlay with a #2 nib. It's a fairly flexible left oblique italic/stub (~ 1.1 mm) and, while it's a bit toothy, it's a really nice nib. Maybe someday I'll have someone who knows what he/she is doing smooth it a mite. It's nearly 100 years old and going strong...I got time

[j.a.j.]

Pendleton Brown offers Bad Boy With Angel Wings modification which achieves this.

 

I've understood that a vintage flexy stub offers some advantages a modified modern nib does not have. Vintage "should give some warning before springing" and withstand the stress better over time. Still a BBwAW is a joy.

[Bo Bo Olson]

German pens Pelikan, Osmia, MB, Soennecken, Kaweco...the real Original Reform, had semi-flex and 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex nibs, and they had a very flattish bottom with little iridium. Not quite a pure stub.

Close leopard vs cheetah.

Because the nib was not pure stub, as 'noobie' I'd thought some shade tree mechanic had take the stone tot he nibs and not done well. Nope, 'iridium' was more expensive than gold,....and a combo, between using less 'iridium' and the Germans wanting more flex to the nib than the Americans, ended up with a 'stubbish' nib with some flex.

Not what many call 'Flex" nibs....meaning super-flex. Stages under it....easier to write with.

A little bit after the start of the '60s I started finding the American Bump Under on some of the lesser or no name semi-flex nibs....so the stubbish look was lost.

 

All in all I have some 26 semi-flex and 14 flexi'/maxi-semi-flex pens. Most are German, many are '50's-early 60's, so are stubbish.

 

I have an Australian Sheaffer BB 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex Snorkel. (Those who have the rare early '50's semi-flex...say the German semi-flex is more flexible.)

Also have a nail '36 Parker Canadian factory BB stub, on a '38 Vac. Just to say, yep I know what a stub is.

Lamy Joy .

Edited September 15, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[balson]

flexible stubs are a lot of fun to play with. the lower two in this writing sample have some degree of flexibility.

 

the one problem i have noticed with a flexible stub nib is that even with major tine spread it does not have the same dramatic appearance that a normal flexible nib will have. the waterman nib in the photo looks like it barely flexes, but it creates about a .7mm gap when flexed, if an extra fine nib had that same spread it would be viewed as having an incredibly dynamic line variation.

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDC-sVZu3B0/Ul8l-e0gK6I/AAAAAAAAA4U/U3V-Uuno_z4/s1600/stubsample1.jpg

[Bo Bo Olson]

My Lamy Joy 1.5 and Parker BB '38 Vac with the '36 nib are nails....really have to push the nib to say it has even a tad of flex.

It's just the stub line.

 

My Australian Sheaffer BB is a real flexible Stub.....such a world of difference.

Edited September 15, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[terim]

I am quite a stub/ italic fanatic so have quite a few of them. Unfortunately currently all the new music nibs, as far as I know, from the 3 main Japanese manufacturers and also Franklin Christoph, are stiff as nails. However within my collection. I have a couple italic/ stubs that are flex/ soft.

 

I was lucky enough to get one of the 8 Eversharp flex italic Rangas from Peyton Street Pens. It's a pretty nice nib with a writing experience that's very unique because of the flex. If it was a stiff italic, I would say it's a medium italic. Because it flexes, it gives a much wider line that is quite unique. However because the feed is also vintage, it simply does not have the capacity of modern plastic feeds so it's a troublesome little fellow. Very prone to leaking.

 

The other stub I have is really more of a soft nib than a flex. It's an Omas. The nib has a beautiful writing experience. Think writing with bounce. Great feel.

I'm guessing this is one of our Soquel models. Because of the ink flow requirements of these nibs, they are set up to be wet -- but not leaky! I encourage you to try different inks because the variance can be great from one ink to the other. And avoid flex, flex, flex strokes (as opposed to normal writing) as that can pump ink out.

 

And if that doesn't cure the problem, you should send it in so that we can look at it. You'll need to tell us the conditions under which it was leaking.

 

Teri

[Downcelot]

If you think about it, many vintage round nibs are actually a super rounded stub nib rather than a massive ball tipping like many modern pens nowadays. I have no problem flexing with such nibs.

 

However I do recall of reading Mr. Richard Binder web sometime ago and he advised against flexing Italic. I can attest to that statement. I have a Mabie Todd Swan that has an aggressive fine Italic nib, the nib can flex fairly well and responsive but the side tooth of the Italic is always getting on the way all the time.

 

In conclusion, for me, flex stub = absolutely, flex Italic = hell NO. However, I do not think that a pro calligrapher would have a problem of taming an Italic, just think about those brand new dipping nib.

[Mauricio]

lcywolfe,

 

The use of the term "semiflex" leads to lots of ambiguity and confusion in flex pendom. Consider using more detailed criteria when referring to flexible nibs, such as the flex nib grading criteria I developed several years ago ... http://www.vintagepen.net/grading-flex-nibs.html

 

Vintage pen manufacturers did make flexible stub and music nibs. I have owned and used quite a few of them and like them a lot. Vintage music nibs have three tines and two breather holes. Most vintage music nibs will offer quite a bit of flexibility. They are hard to find and fetch high prices, especially when those nibs have been professionally set to be able to keep up with the massive ink demands those nibs will require from the pen bodies. There are vintage flexible stub nibs available as well, with different degrees of flexibility. These vintage stub and music nibs produce thick lines in the down strokes when not flexed, and monster thick lines when flexed. If you browse around my website you should see some pictures and writing samples of both vintage flexible music and stub nibs.