I would like to purchase a fountain pen with a flexible nib for expressive writing. I also prefer a large, exposed nib so that I can see the nib way out there in front while I form the letters. I feel that such a nib would give me a lot of control and also the pleasure of watching the nib form the letters. From the pen photos I've seen, the Parker Sonnet appears to have a large, thin ended nib. Does anyone know if the Sonnet is, indeed, a flexible nib pen, and if so, is it otherwise a well made, leak free pen? Are there other pens that would provide a flexible, expressive writing experience without costing me more than a few hundred dollars or so? Thanks. Ron C.

Most modern pens are rigid nibs unless you pay a few hundred bucks. Some may be 'soft' but thats not the same as flexy. The Sonnet does not have flexible nibs. Your best bet would be a restored vintage pen. You'll find vintage flexy nib pens appearing on the marketplace forum fairly often at $50+. Ebay is another source, but unless you know the seller chances are you'll get a pen that needs to be sent for servicing (20-40 bucks for simpler fixes like sac replacement).

The Pilot/Namiki Falcon will fit the bill. Read the reviews, but it's definitely a keeper for me.

You can get a Falcon from John Mottishaw at nibs.com modified to make it flexier for a total of $201. Of course, I love love love my Pilot Custom 742 with FA nib which I believe to have greater flex even than the modified Falcon.

You might also consider an Omas Emotica, which is more flexible than a stock Falcon, but according to John Mottishaw not as flexible as his modified Falcon.

Of course there are the vintage flex pens, which I have less experience with, but vintage Waterman's pens are well-reputed for their flex. My Esterbrook with the 9128 nib has a quite pleasing flex to it.

The Sonnet is a nice smooth writer and I'd recommend it on those merits, but it's not at all flexible, so I'd say not the pen for you.

Yeah, really, if you like to see the nib extend out there on your sight line, there's really not much of a better match for you than the Falcon. Kind of an arrow, a dart, a bird's beak, and a fabulous writing fountain pen. It's a semi-flex out of the box, but the mod mentioned above should give you precisely what you are looking for. Really.