I just received a Namiki Falcon FP with a fine nib from Bertram's Inkwell.

I dipped it and tried it out.

I am aware some have complained about the nib and I was curious.

Mine wrote like a dream! It felt just right in my hand and I really like the appearance. I would suggest using a light hand.

This will certainly be a regular pen in my rotation.

Bobby Check
!

Congrats on the new pen.

With a flex nib you really do need to use a light hand. It takes some practice, and, frankly, I am still learning flex nibs myself. I would check out the Penmanship forum here at FPN, and it is there that I would ask most of my questions about flex nib operation. Kate Gladstone is a frequent contributor there, and if you post some scans of your handwriting she might give you some valuable pointers.

After you are more comfortable with the pen, you might do a review of the Falcon. I for one would be interested in hearing you opinions.

It has been in my pocket for the last 2 weeks and I am enjoying the pen more each day.

When I am writing notes and in a real hurry, it gives a nice fine line which makes my notes much easier to read.

When I sign my signature, the lines are much heavier for a greater presence.

This is a pen for writers!

Bobby

I'm the whiner! I wrote using the lightest touch I could manage. The pen actually took paper fibers off the sheet. So its back at the seller and I'm getting refunded.

Perhaps I am just not worthy!

Mike, I'm sorry you got a dud! Scratching up paper fibers sounds like a definite dud.

Eh, I'll survive. Somehow....

Siiiiiiiiigh.......

The Namiki Falcon is next on my wish list

I'm very curious about flex nibs, but probably couldn't write with something that was a total wet noodle. I only heard recently that the Falcon had a somewhat soft/semi-flexy nib, and wondered why I hadn't discovered it before.

Is there a writing sample of the Falcon anywhere?

I tried it out at the store today...the one I tried out was also not that smooth at all....it was a pretty pen though, but it killed my want for it. Whew! On the other hand, I did order a Pilot 78G pen I hope to be amazed by it!

I love this pen and have three: one black SF, a discontinued blue SF, and a discontinued burgundy SB. All are in the regular rotation, except the black one which I'm planning on sending over to Richard Binder to make it into a full flex nib. Apparently, the Falcons are only a semi-flex. I love the line variation, but I admit the flex slows me down a bit as I waste a huge amount of time varying the pressure to make all the words extra pretty!

For extra fun (if you haven't already) try an ink that has noticeable shading for an even more spectacular result. As others have mentioned, Noodler's FPN Galileo and Apache Sunset show a really nice contrast with varying thicknesses of ink. I've just started playing with my Caran D'Ache colors of the Earth inks, but they all show a great deal of shading as well.

I am not sure that this scan and my writing show the pen to its best, but here it is.

Bobby

Ooo, thanks for the scan. Makes me want this pen even more

Thank you, Bobby, for the scan. I've been reading about the Namiki Falcon here for months [I'd post the drool smilie, but something happened and my computer is not letting me do emoticons :-(], but yours is the first handwriting sample I've seen. It's very helpful! I'm also hankering to see one written with a nib modified for extra flex by John Mottishaw ...

Lefty, I have just such a pen, which I use every day. I'll make myself a note to do a scan. I still owe someone a scan of a Binder .6mm stub, if I can just remember where on the forum I promised it.

there are samples of letters written with a Falcon flex nib on this nibs.com page (scroll down).

Thanks for the link.

I just read this: http://www.nibs.com/Kirk%20Edelman%20Spenc...te%20letter.htm

..and thought.... (holy cow !)

Another member asked me, in a PM, to send a scan of my writing using a Namiki Falcon, and asked for a comparison to the Lamy F or M nib.

I don't think this is going to help much, but here goes. Can't attach a scan to a PM, so I'm answering and posting the scan here.

I don't have a Lamy, other than a Lamy Safari with a nib that says it's a M, but that writes like a B in anything else. Widths of lines vary for a lot of reasons, including the ink and the paper. In the case of the Namiki Falcon, they vary according to the amount of pressure you place on the nib, and it doesn't take much pressure at all to make a difference.

In the scan, I included samples from other pens that many of you may have. I also added a 1" and a 1 cm scale, since otherwise you'd have no way of telling what the absolute size of the writing is. In the case of the Namiki Falcon samples, I estimated the line width by comparing it to Richard Binder's chart. I don't think my estimates are especially accurate, which is why I added the samples from other pens and using several different inks.

You should also use the link that rattybad1 posted here a day ago, to get a better idea of what the Namiki Falcon Fine nib can do. I deliberately made my samples as unvarying as possible, in order not to confuse the viewer who wants to know how wide a line the Falcon makes. The answer is that it will make a line as wide as you want, up to the point that the nib deforms permanently. How wide is that? I don't know, but you are welcome to sacrifice your own nib to find out.

Thank you, Sonia! That would be great.

Thanks, Rattybad, for the link -- Mr. Mottishaw does different flavors of modification. The sample, written with lots and lots of flourishes, was written with an EF nib modified for maximum flex. I just ... don't think ... I'm ready for that... (maybe once I play more with dip pen nibs and then try to find a Waterman 52 and then sign up for that Copperplate course and...). I think Sonia might have the modified-for-extra-but-not-maximum-flex fine point I'm hankering to order.

Thanks for posting the scan, Bill. It's helpful and thorough as always (and I will stay hopeful that when you are less busy, we'll see the Spencerian sample you thought you might do).