In a desperate attempt to stop myself from purchasing more pens, I've decided to try my hand at flexing!

I switched over from the world of BPs and RBs mostly because of cramps and wrist problems, and have developed the habit of using the barest amount of pressure while writing with my FPs. I have three pens with flexy nibs: DaniTrio Densho Flexi-Fine, vintage Pelikan Flexy-Fine, a Parker VS with Flexy-Fine nib from Dennis Lively. I believe these are what some (most?) call "modern flexible." These pens are physically capable of producing line widths from Fine all the way to BBB, but I just can't get them to flex at all with my normal writing pressure! Needless to say, I've been somewhat disappointed with my experience thus far with these three pens.

So for you flexperts, should I:
1) increase the pressure of my strokes as I learn to flex, or
2) get a pen with a more flexible nib (wet noodle?), or
3) just stick with stubs and italics for line variations, or
4) something else completely?

I'd get a wet-noodle, but I'm no expert. If you have a very light hand, you probably won't see dramatic flex in your regular writing even with a wet-noodle.

I think you'd have better luck with choice number 3 if you're just looking for line variations in your regular writing.

-Hana

I have a very light hand, and even with a wet noodle I only see slight variation. I have several vintage nibs capable of XXF to BBB and when writing normally all I get is XXF to F, if I'm lucky. However, on its own this looks fairly interesting.

I have to completely change my paper angle and make a concentrated effort to apply heavier pressure when I want better results. I find it extremely unnatural to press that hard, because I normally write with near-hairlines.

When using my flex, I consciously increase my pressure on selected left-to-right downstrokes, like the last stroke of a capital R and capital K, and the last stroke of miniscule ks that come at the end of words. This makes a pleasing thicker swoop.

Copperplate it is not, but it makes an attractive variation and didn't take me months/years to learn. I have a light hand also, and I don't really see much if any variation with my normal pressure.

Have you already read the instructions on how to use flex nibs on the Penmanship forum? Here are the links here:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=2036
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=4570

The samples produced in those instructions show dramatic line variation - so perhaps that's what you're looking for? Good luck

Have someone who knows how much flex your nib can take write a sample of the nib's potential. Then, you'll know what is and isn't safe.

I am certainly not an expert. All my pens, except one, have been ground to cursive italic or stub. The remaining pen is a flexible Waterman 12PSF. Using the Waterman, I can get good variation without any effort.

Sample pic attached.

Of course, if I put on the pressure, I can get some serious variation. But that would not be a good comparison test of the three nibs. I tried to apply the same style and pressure to all three.

Wow... I love the variation on that Waterman nib...

If you have the money for it, and you know this is what you want, then get your pen made more flexible. It is certainly possible. Using a lot of extra pressure will slow you down and make your writing clumsy.

I get slight variations even with a very light touch. It's not a large variation, but I do notice it when compared to a modern manifold nib.

Thanks for the replies, folks. This thread got buried too quickly after the last virus attack on FPN that I had actually forgotten that I started it.

Hana: I have recently acquired half a dozen or so stub/italics and love all of them. For some reason flex has this mystique to it that I just really want to experience! I know it's not logical, but oh well. I've not quite ready to resign myself to a flexless life (hah!) just yet. But you're probably right in that I won't get much line variation even with wet noodles.

Laura / Phthalo: That's exactly what I've done. It's a lot easy at the beginning of a sentences for some reason. If I really concentrate on it, I can do a respectably swooshy upper-case 'J' at this point. The loops of 'y's and 'g's, together with the little crossbars on 't's require unnaturally (to me) heavy pressure.

Kissing: Funny you should mention that. I had them all printed and ready to go... and then realized my problem of not able to flex the nibs at all.

Lloyd: At this point, I think the maximum flex potential of all my nibs are safe from my experiments.

FredTSkunke: Great flex with the Waterman! That's what I want to get to at some point in the future.

*david*: That's exactly what I've found. Increasing the pressure just makes my handwriting look even worse than is usual.


In any case, I'm looking into vintage wet noodles right now. Specifically I'm looking at Waterman #2 nibs which if I understand correctly can vary from semi-flex all the way to superflex/wet-noodle. Are there any other specific pens and/or nibs that I should look at?

Unless you have had someone like Richard Binder customize your nibs for flex, your modern flex nibs are not flex.

If you want a guarenteed vintage flex nib, get a Wahl #2 Flexible nib that says "flexible". There are some other, high-end wahl's that are also flexible, but the #2s can occasionally be found on affordable pens.

Eversharp Skylines are another pen that may have flexy nibs. You could always email someone like Wahlnut and see if they have a few user-grade Skyline's with good flexi nibs. Skylines also range from nails to high-flex.

Waterman #2s are a good choice, especially #2 with the New York imprint. There is going to be a world of difference between a good wet noodle and the pens you are using. If you don't see line variation from a wet noodle, you have a really light touch. I have some WM #2 NY nibs that flex with just about any sort of preassure, one that will flex from the preassure of looking at it. Got to ink that one up for a sample here.

If you have a pen club nearby, maybe you can try to see if someone will let you try a few nibs?

John

Thanks for the list of pens/nibs to look out for, John. I have a feeling that you've just saved me a lot of frustration from buying 'blind' on eBay.

Please do post a sample of your writing with your superflex nibs if you have time to. I always enjoy looking at handwriting done with flexible nibs.

The only suggestion that applies on the same pens is to try to hold them at a lower angle. Lower angle means lower force for the same line width effect.

Beyond this and sort of trying the pens, I am tempted to guess that none of your pens have enough flex. In the broad spectrum of flex these would be call semiflex. My definition of semiflex nibs are those that give enough line variation but for a large number of people they are not comfortable enough to write with line variation on every letter.

If lowering the angle does not help enough, the next suggestion is to venture into the world of much earlier nibs. There you should be able to find nibs that are more flexible and comfortable.

I ran across this article recently and wondered--who shaves a nib down like this to turn a modern nib into a vintage-type flex nib? Which "nibmeister" does this customization?



It's an interesting looking nib--more of a long-tined superflex vintage look. Does anyone know how it performs?

Jared

I've been reading through this topic with interest and I think that nobody has mentioned a very important aspect of writing with flex nibs.

The pen nib must point down the line of the flex. In this way, the tines open evenly under pressure and maximum flex is achieved without the risk of damaging the nib by twisting the tines.

As Caliken said, and sorry if I am repetitive but let me repost this instruction of "How to flex to the max"

<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/azavalia/howtoflex.jpg">

Helius, the flexiest pen I have is an Eversharp Skyline with a big flex nib. I really don't notice any line variation when not making a conscious effort to flex it. It barely takes any effort at all to make it flex, but I don't make any conscious effort in my normal writing. It is very fun to use when playing around, writing titles, or cards, though. I crave the same thing as you, and I was thinking about going for a cursive italic or stub.

That's one of mine, but I did it a long time ago. My technique has improved since then, meaning that my nibs look more "normal" and perform much better than that one did. Here are a Pilot Custom 823 and a Pelikan M400 that I did recently. (The nib in the M400 is an M250 nib, per the client's preference for the monotone appearance.)





And here's a sample by caliken (Ken Fraser) done just this week with one of my nibs:



This sample is from my site's Gallery page.

Do be aware, please, that there's far more to flexing up a nib than simply shaving the tines down.

Also, please be aware that there's far more to writing as beautifully as Caliken than simply buying a flexible nib (unfortunately).

Thanks Antonioz, this is much clearer, when illustrated.
caliken