I Hope My Wife Didn't Make A Mistake...

[Dracolique]

My wife has been stressing for weeks over buying her first fountain pen. She wanted one with a gold, medium nib and a bit of flex that she can practice with. We looked at dozens of low to mid-range pens. Since it was her first one, she didn't want to spend very much on it. Anyway, she finally settled on one and won the auction a couple hours ago.

I'm hoping she didn't make a mistake, but I have no way of knowing since this appears to be an off-brand that I can't find any information about, and the markings on the nib aren't much help either; just try googling "the writer" and "flexi point nib" to see what I mean. That's kind of like searching for a specific band called "the band", lol.

I have included the pictures from the auction. Can anyone here tell me what company actually made this pen and whether the nib is any good?

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/VXsAAOSweW5U6cOW/$_57.JPGhttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/TocAAOSwEeFU6cOr/$_57.JPG?rt=nchttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/p~oAAOSwpDdU6cO1/$_57.JPG?rt=nchttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/WQUAAOSweW5U6cO~/$_57.JPG?rt=nchttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/OI0AAOSwv0tU6cQe/$_57.JPG?rt=nchttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/MAgAAOSwv0tU6cPJ/$_57.JPG?rt=nc

Edited February 28, 2015 by Dracolique

[Skyppere]

Here's the thing. If she likes it, it's not a mistake. Pure and simple. Of course some might really want that pen and say you got it at a great bargain. Others don't care for it and say you over paid. Pens are worth EXACTLY what people are willing to pay. So if she likes it and enjoys writing with it, that is what counts, not the opinion of others... people like me for example.

[Dracolique]

Here's the thing. If she likes it, it's not a mistake. Pure and simple. Of course some might really want that pen and say you got it at a great bargain. Others don't care for it and say you over paid. Pens are worth EXACTLY what people are willing to pay. So if she likes it and enjoys writing with it, that is what counts, not the opinion of others... people like me for example.

 

I completely agree, and I hope she is happy with it... but, the auction was just won; we don't have it yet and won't for a few days, so I have no idea if she will enjoy it or not.

 

In the meantime, I would like find out whatever info I can about the pen and/or nib, so if anyone has a clue what they actually are and where they came from, I would be interested to find out.

[Skyppere]

Good luck!

[tmcneil82]

I'd say based on the price for the completed auction you did just fine. Vintage pens with 14k flex nibs often go much higher. It looks like a very nice pen, congrats!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Looks like a right foot oblique...often liked by left handers depending on their hold style.

Still looks like she could live with it for the flex.

 

Wouldn't have her max it all the time when she gets it...try to stay one width under max.

Read Richard Binders article on how easy it is to spring a nib on his site. A must read.

[Dracolique]

I'd say based on the price for the completed auction you did just fine. Vintage pens with 14k flex nibs often go much higher. It looks like a very nice pen, congrats!

Yeah, I didn't really think the price was bad, but as I said I couldn't be sure, which is why I didn't just post a link to the auction. I didn't really want to hear someone say "oh, you really shouldn't have paid more than $20 for that piece of junk"

 

But, I suppose it doesn't really matter. For anyone who is interested, she paid $45.88 including shipping. Here is the auction:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-034-The-Writer-034-Greenish-Silver-amp-Black-Gold-nib-Super-Flex-/111604825692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19fc2a7e5c&nma=true&si=9OfBg%252FvbBBdqd5Jciuj4z2Vefwk%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

 

[Dracolique]

Looks like a right foot oblique...often liked by left handers depending on their hold style.

Still looks like she could live with it for the flex.

 

Wouldn't have her max it all the time when she gets it...try to stay one width under max.

Read Richard Binders article on how easy it is to spring a nib on his site. A must read.

Yes, thank you for the advice on the flex... I just finished reading this article about it a little while ago (which I think is probably by the same guy) - http://richardspens.com/?page=ref/ttp/disaster.htm

 

Regarding 'right foot oblique'... I assume that has to do with the apparent slanted tip of the nib? I didn't mention it because I wasn't sure it was actually there; I thought it might have just been artifacting or because the picture was a bit fuzzy.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Dracolique

[Bo Bo Olson]

Obliques which are better on vintage than on stiffer modern for line variation, come in left foot for right handers and certain left hand styles and right foot, for other left handers.

Modern nail or semi-nail nibs as most are now, don't give much line variation....even in 'true' regular flex. The vintage in semi-flex, 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex or superflex oblique give good line variation. If super flex as suggested and looks like...you have the line variation as is.

The nib has to canted....so it lays flat on the paper....

 

You do not have to twist your fingers, hand, arm or hang on a chandelier to get the line variation.

Fro a 'normal' left foot, ...well you have to look at the angle of the grind....is it @ 15 degrees or about 30. I'd guess yours at @ 15 degrees.

 

Then the trick is until it's normal to add the right amount of cant to the position of the nib....for the left foot....if 15 degrees, & you must post, align the clip so it is in line in the middle between the slit and the edge of the nib. If 30 degrees, aim the clip at the right hand side.

 

For a right foot, the opposite.

That puts the nib flat on the paper.

Then just write....nothing else, the nib will do the rest of the work for you.

 

 

Some folks....not me...and a number of others still had a problem. Richard came up with holding the paper at 90 or 180 degrees instead of at 45 degrees...solving that as a problem.

If it don't want to work....alter the paper angle.

 

 

As a right hander with a right foot you will you get thin and thick, instead of thick and thin...variation.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Bo Bo Olson

[ac12]

Personally, I would not have gotten a flex nib pen for a first fountain pen. A flex nib may not be easy to write with for "normal" everyday writing. I personally prefer a nail for everyday writing, but that is just me. This is because I want the text on the paper, not the flex. For me, flex writing is special writing that I reserve for when I have time to do it, because I slow down significantly when I do flex writing.

 

But since you got it, I would make the best use of it.

 

BUT...I am not sure if the nib is not damaged. From the pix, I cannot tell if the tipping is on the nib, or if the tip of the nib was broken off, or if it is just a right foot oblique. When you get the pen, look on the under side of the tip of the nib. There should be silvery material there, that is the tipping. If the tipping is gone, that is a problem, as bare gold will wear much faster than tipping material.

[thatotherguy1]

I agree with the above- if she likes it, that's all that matters.

Hopefully the sac is good and the tipping is still there, if not you might have some work to do.

Do keep in mind that this pen, being a lever filler, will only be able to fill with bottled ink, so either buy a bottle of ink that she thinks she'll like, buy some samples to see what she likes, or sign up for Goulet's Ink Drop program. Also, since the seller had the pen inked, it'll need to be cleaned well before you all ink it up. Plain water is fine. Just fill it and empty it until the water runs clear out of the pen and you should be fine, and follow this procedure after every inking if you plan to change inks, or every couple of weeks if you are using the same ink every time.

If I just restated what you already know, I apologize; if you're completely new to fountain pens, however, welcome to the hobby!

Edited March 1, 2015 by thatotherguy1

[Bo Bo Olson]

Good info from the last two posters.

[balson]

thats a cool pen. it looks like a fair price too because the condition of the pen i really good. you dont need a name brand to have a great 14k nib.

 

i second what that other guy said, you will want to check the tipping, i think i can see some on there, and there is likely more on the underside, but without a photo its hard to tell. it looks like the nib is a bit of an oblique, but since all the photos are of the nib from above, its also possible that the tines might be slightly out of alignment, and thats why one appears shorter. its usually not a big deal if thats the case, there is a ton of info on here about fixing that.

[Dracolique]

Thanks for all the info guys.. some of it I already knew, and some of it I didn't, but it is all very useful.

We will take a close look at the pen when it arrives to see if the nib tip needs any work. From the look of the writing sample and the fact that the seller said it writes "very smoothly", I will be very surprised if the tip turns out to be damaged in any way - I think it is more likely an oblique as has been mentioned, but I will look at it with a critical eye.

As for my wife - she was really fond of Calligraphy in college, and has some experience with fountain pens already; she just hasn't had one in a very long time. I don't think the flex nib being her first 'real' pen will be a problem.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Dracolique

[FountainPages]

I just paid well over two hundred for a pen I used to say I'd never own...if she wants to comiserate have her send me a pm.

[TXKat]

....hehehehe...we need to talk! I'll write sometime this week. (I owe you!)