Looking For Suggestions: Flexible Nibs

[RachelR1977]

Hello! So, I am new to the board (first post - woooo) and I have a question for you. I'm really wanting to experiment with/learn on a pen with a flexible nib - but i'm not sure where to start. I've got a noodler's creaper but I was hoping to find something more flex-y. Since I'm just learning, I'd also prefer to not break the bank, and not spend over like $200USD right away.

 

I've seen suggestions for various vintage pens that may have a bunch of flex, but before I try to figure out what sort of vintage pen I ought to be using, I was hoping that you guys would have some suggestions on what to try/where to look.

 

Also, if I'm totally off base and what I'm looking for doesn't exist, let me know. I'd rather be disappointed early on than search for a unicorn.

 

thank you all in advance!

[Icywolfe]

Ahab is a bit more flexible.

 

Flexible or springy? Because the Falcon nib from Pilot might be the closest thing to semi flex but the feed is junk.

 

Peyton street pens sells vintage nibs on modern bodies.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Icywolfe

[j.a.j.]

Welcome!

 

I would suggest that you get a nib holder and a 10-pack of, for example, Zebra G nibs. Much more closer to "true flex" than any modern fountain pen out of the box. You could get a fancy vintage Waterman nib but in my opinion it's better to ruin a <2 USD nib than a 200 USD nib while practicing.

 

Downside is that you need to dip the nib quite often. You could get a Ranga nib holder with feed that works as a ink reservoir (ask from member mpkandan). Or try to get a Akkerman Pump Pen (been waiting four months for mine).

 

One possibility is to modify the Ahab nib yourself with "ease my flex mod". Or get a similar modification done by for example Pendleton Brown.

 

p.s. if you decide to get nibholder & nibs remember to clean the nibs before use!

[Randal6393]

Hi, Rachel, Welcome to FPN!

 

Most learning on flexible nibs is done with a dip pen, one of the many flexible nibs that have been used for Engraver's Script/Copperplate/Spenserian for at least a century. If you are a right-hander, it's a lot easier to write these scripts using an elbow oblique holder. John Neal Booksellers can provide the materials, tutorials and manuals are available (download) from IAMPETH. That should get you started.

 

If you specifically want a flex fountain pen for use with your current hand, well, that does look cool. But to get the most out of such a pen requires a lot of work, practice, and study. So you may want to take a look at IAMPETH for hints on how to do it. Pens that do flex run from $15 Serwex Indian fountain pens to over $200 for Mabie Todd Swans, Waterman, etc. If you do a search here on flexible fountain pens, you should get a lot of information and tips.

 

Best of luck,

[ac12]

@Rachel

I went the dip pen route, based on advice from here.

And it is true, you can get an assortment of different flex nibs for less than $2 each, and a straight holder for about $3 or an oblique holder for about $13. How's that for low cost ? You can use dip pen ink or many of the fountain pen inks.

 

As for nibs, to start, I would recommend 2 nibs:

1. Nikko G
2. Hiro 41

Both nibs are current production nibs, so you are not chasing an out of production vintage nib that is hard to find and expensive.

The Hiro is the more flexy of the 2 nibs. It is REALLY flexy.

 

I personally do as Randal mentioned. I use a Peerless Oblique holder ($13), and it is so much easier to do flex than a straight holder (which is similar to a fountain pen). Now, I am not sure that I want a flex fountain pen any more, as it is so much easier to write flex with the oblique holder.

 

gud luk

[BookCat]

If you're looking to spend as little as possible I recommend the Dilli with a flex nib from Fountain Pen Revolution. However, if you can spend up to $200, you'll find a great assortment of vintage flex pens on ebay. Vintage flex is an entirely different beast to the modern variety, being more flexy, requiring less pressure to flex and generally being nicer to write with.

 

Unfortunately, I'm not a vintage pen expert, but there will be others on the site who will recommend specific models, assuming $200 is your limit.

 

Oh and

[Freddy]

Hello! So, I am new to the board (first post - woooo) and I have a question for you. I'm really wanting to experiment with/learn on a pen with a flexible nib - but i'm not sure where to start. I've got a noodler's creaper but I was hoping to find something more flex-y. Since I'm just learning, I'd also prefer to not break the bank, and not spend over like $200USD right away.

 

I've seen suggestions for various vintage pens that may have a bunch of flex, but before I try to figure out what sort of vintage pen I ought to be using, I was hoping that you guys would have some suggestions on what to try/where to look.

 

Also, if I'm totally off base and what I'm looking for doesn't exist, let me know. I'd rather be disappointed early on than search for a unicorn.

 

thank you all in advance!

 

First..Welcome Aboard!

 

For your consideration read Mauricio Aquilar's articles re flexible nib{s}.

Flex and Fast Writing

Performance Flex

How to use Flex Nibs

Mosey on over here...

 

http://www.vintagepen.net/how-to-use-flex-nibs.html

 

Fred

[BookCat]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Salz-Fountain-Pen-W-14K-Flexible-Nib-RESTORED-/121434894855?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c46157207

 

This one looks nice, though I have no experience of the brand.

[Icywolfe]

This looks nice too:

 

http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/zayante-pens/psp-felton-ebonite-fountain-pen-ink-tank-filler-14k-eversharp-nibs-new-nos-4831.html

[BookCat]

This looks nice too:

 

http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/zayante-pens/psp-felton-ebonite-fountain-pen-ink-tank-filler-14k-eversharp-nibs-new-nos-4831.html

 

This has a hard nib. It states "manifold nib" under the nib description which as far as I know means 'nail'.

Edited September 19, 2014 by BookCat

[Icywolfe]

 

This has a hard nib. It states "manifold nib" under the nib description which as far as I know means 'nail'.

"At present we are fitting these with new old stock flexible Eversharp nibs from the Symphony pens."

 

Where did you see manifold?

 

And in the nib selector it says Eversharp 14k Flex Fine/Medium.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Icywolfe

[Bo Bo Olson]

An Ahab nib can be modified so it is not hard to work semi-flex into super flex....or close enough for a start.

The Ahab Mod....is Angel Wings....grinding out two U's on the nib.

It is not a very expensive mod.

[AZBennett]

I have several vintage pens with various levels of flex. I am by no means an expert and will defer to members such as Bo Bo. However, I would advise not going "all in" with a $200 flex pen purchase for your first vintage flex pen. I made that mistake with a VERY flexible pen and regret it quite a bit. The issue is knowing what you can and can't do to the nib before the pen experiences a level of stress that the nib cannot maintain without either springing or becoming misaligned. The above mentioned flex pen that I own is misaligned now and while I am teaching myself pen restoring/maintaining, I do not want to cause more damage to the nib.

 

What I have done is begin using an Eversharp Skyline with a flexible nib. I do not know what level of flex it is, though it is MUCH more responsive than my Noodlers pen, it is also easier for me to "feel" how far I can flex it without doing any damage (if that makes sense). I now have four such Skylines with various nib sizes and flex variances, though only one gets regular use. I have restored all three to working order though three of them are cosmetically very rough (mismatched hardware and in need of polishing). I personally recommend them since they have taught my hand how to safely flex a vintage nib.

 

In the end you do have a lot of options as far as flex goes, and ultimately its your choice, but I would suggest getting into flex at a lower price with a user pwn and then moving on from there.

 

Paul

[lahlahlaw]

The local Wal-Mart here has a dip pen and nib set. It's $7 and it's in the craft section. I haven't bought one but the nib is thin so I'm sure it's flexible.

[Kataphract]

Noodler's Ahab with the "ease my flex" modification (web search, or search this site, since the original instructions are here). Any kind of rotary tool with a fairly fine grinder attachment ( couldn't find my Dremel, so just used my Power drill/screwdriver, which actually was fine because I found it to be an advantage to switch the direction of the rotation). But you may then have to adjust the feed, maybe the tines, etc. Might be a level of fussiness you don't want to deal with. But it's cheap and doesn't bust the budget.

 

Desiderata Daedalus pen with Zebra "Manga" G nib. As mentioned above, Manga G nibs serve well as a classic flex pen, you just have to keep dipping them. G nibs are made by numerous companies, and if you search around a bit, you'll see the Zebra and Nikko versions of the Manga G nib are popular. The Desiderata Daedalus unites the Zebra G ( the designer feels that one works best in his pen) with a fountain pen. I have one of the prototypes and it works fairly well, though a bit pricey for what it is (i do like that wood barrel on the production model). You can get the Ackerman (also mentioned above) for less, but, well, best to research that one before buying would be my advice.

 

I'll leave advice on vintage or professionally modified modern pens to others who have had more experience in that regard.

[discopig]

Noodler's Ahab with the "ease my flex" modification (web search, or search this site, since the original instructions are here). Any kind of rotary tool with a fairly fine grinder attachment ( couldn't find my Dremel, so just used my Power drill/screwdriver, which actually was fine because I found it to be an advantage to switch the direction of the rotation). But you may then have to adjust the feed, maybe the tines, etc. Might be a level of fussiness you don't want to deal with. But it's cheap and doesn't bust the budget.

 

Desiderata Daedalus pen with Zebra "Manga" G nib. As mentioned above, Manga G nibs serve well as a classic flex pen, you just have to keep dipping them. G nibs are made by numerous companies, and if you search around a bit, you'll see the Zebra and Nikko versions of the Manga G nib are popular. The Desiderata Daedalus unites the Zebra G ( the designer feels that one works best in his pen) with a fountain pen. I have one of the prototypes and it works fairly well, though a bit pricey for what it is (i do like that wood barrel on the production model). You can get the Ackerman (also mentioned above) for less, but, well, best to research that one before buying would be my advice.

 

I'll leave advice on vintage or professionally modified modern pens to others who have had more experience in that regard.

 

Where can the Desiderata Daedalus be bought? I have an Ackerman pump pen that I use with my Zebra G nibs but it isn't so great. It leaks ink everywhere railroads constantly and is pretty much useless if you want to bring it outside the house since it's so messy. I'd love to give something else a try and the Daedalus seems like it works great, according to the reviews here at least.

Edited September 20, 2014 by discopig

[donwinn]

If you're looking to spend as little as possible I recommend the Dilli with a flex nib from Fountain Pen Revolution. However, if you can spend up to $200, you'll find a great assortment of vintage flex pens on ebay. Vintage flex is an entirely different beast to the modern variety, being more flexy, requiring less pressure to flex and generally being nicer to write with.

 

Unfortunately, I'm not a vintage pen expert, but there will be others on the site who will recommend specific models, assuming $200 is your limit.

 

Oh and

I have a Triveni, a Dilli, and a Guru from FPR. The Triveni has the FPR "flex" nib, the other two the EF nib. The Triveni FPR nib is slightly less flexy than my ebonite Konrad. Same size/brand nib works for all three of the pens, and I ordered some extra nibs to put into other pens which can accommodate a #5 nib.

 

I have not used a dip pen, but just from the physics of the matter, that (dip pen with flex nib) would be the better, more cost-effective manner to explore flex.

[Kataphract]

Desiderata Daedulus: Either wait for him to wander by here (Preston Tenebroso), or on Facebook, the Desiderata Pen Company. Dunno if he has a true web site yet. I believe there a few reviews here somewhere.

[Lyander0012]

Vintage is the way to go for affordable flex, as far as I'm concerned. The problem is finding a reputable seller that you won't have to elbow others out of the way to contact! Fair warning: the more famous sellers' pens get snapped up like mugs of hot chocolate on rainy days, while some random sellers aren't quite adept in gauging the condition and flex of their wares

 

As for price, you can get a decent user-grade one for well under $100, but I got a fairly nice Waterman's 52 1/2V (which is a tad too tiny for regular writing, but okay for using with my "flex pen grip") for PHP 5000, or ~112USD. Writing sample below:

 

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb396/Lyander0012/IMAG5770.jpg

 

 

 

Cheers!

Kevin

[kidde]

There is a learning curve for flex. I heard that many times and I find that it is true.

While Noodlers and FPR don't compare to true vintage flex, the cost of entry and the price of mistakes is much less. Dip pens can let you experience all levels of flex and are the least costly option. Vintage pens can be a carp shoot. There isn't a standard for flex and many overstate what they sale. Metal fatigue isn't easy to diagnose and can be hidden or unknown. My advice is to try a dip pen set. If you like it, try an Ahab or Dilli. Desiderata was mentioned. It uses a dip nib but is a fountain pen. The part not mentioned is last I heard he is ramping up production but has no stock for sale. When they are available I think they will be worth considering. I am/was a beta tester and will get another when they are available.

 

Paul

Edited September 20, 2014 by kidde