The ‘Himalaya’, From Fountain Pen Revolution

[ReadyFireAim]

If you jam the nib into the section too far you will be inhibiting the flex.

Keep at least 1mm extended beyond the slit.

 

Also, you should have about 1 thickness of mylar paper of space between the feed & nib or the nib will drag on the feed causing it to not flex properly.

 

Setup here is very important.

I suspect many of these "nails" people talk about are just setup wrong or they are not using good writing technique.

 

You can get away with twisting a regular fountain pen but stubs and flexy pens require very specific orientation.

Edited January 15, 2018 by Nail-Bender

[half_inked_one]

Folks, I think we have to remember we're not comparing apples with apples here (so to speak): the FPR Himalaya is a $30 pen ($33 with flex nib option) - and for mine, what you get for that price is a pretty decent pen. It *will* require tinkering - and with the ebonite nibs provided you *will* get a fairly wet writer, no matter what nibs you swap in. The cheapest Franklin Christoph pen is at least 5 times the price (more if you buy it with a gold customised flex nib!) - so it shouldn't be surprising that you get a more refined pen.

But of course we can compare them - FPR Himalaya is a fantastic pen, saffron orange is something of unique beauty, the nib gives a lot of fun with flex practice! I can see no quality issues, the feed gives superb flow. If I could get a section with more girth and block threads for cap - taken from F-C Model 1901 or Model 66, that combined with Saffron Orange acrylics and feed from Himalaya, then two nib units for playing - one steel flex from FPR and one gold from F-C, that would be the dream pen. Both pens have their own strengths and both are worth having!

[Bisquitlips]

I have the privilege of owning about 8 FPR pens and am happy to say.... no .... very happy to say that I have been very surprised at the quality per $!

 

I have 3 of their fountain rolls and they are excellent!

 

Just everything I have purchased from FPR had exceeded expectations! I especially like their nib choices and their flex nibs are especially delightful!

 

 

[migo984]

 

Just everything I have purchased from FPR had exceeded expectations! I especially like their nib choices and their flex nibs are especially delightful!

 

I totally agree. I really enjoy the 2 ebonite Himalaya Pens (with flex nibs) that I’ve purchased from FPR. Yes, they are very wet writers, but for me that is a good thing with steel nibs. I don’t really think the ‘flex’ nibs are truly flex, at least compared to others I have, but they are a lot of fun nevertheless. I’ve also tried their standard steel nibs and they were good enough: certainly at their price point.

 

ps.

I would also like to mention the FPR-branded ink that they sell. Their blue-black is an excellent ink and is really good value at USD$8.50 for a 60ml bottle.

[IndigoBOB]

Folks, I think we have to remember we're not comparing apples with apples here (so to speak): the FPR Himalaya is a $30 pen ($33 with flex nib option) - and for mine, what you get for that price is a pretty decent pen. It *will* require tinkering - and with the ebonite nibs provided you *will* get a fairly wet writer, no matter what nibs you swap in. The cheapest Franklin Christoph pen is at least 5 times the price (more if you buy it with a gold customised flex nib!) - so it shouldn't be surprising that you get a more refined pen.

 

Another thing to think about, when you're talking about the wetness (or otherwise) of the Himalaya pen is that FPR have two kinds of ebonite feed: a 'regular' feed and a flex feed. The latter has a wider and/or deeper ink channel. You'll probably only have received the latter if you ordered the pen with a flex nib, but it's worth bearing in mind.

 

Oh, and one more thing: heat setting the nib and feed to reduce any potential gaps between them may also help to reduce flow - though for me, the wetness is part of the appeal!

 

 

I agree. Though it is a tinkering pen, out of a small batch of nibs or even the one you receive, you have a descent probability of finding at least one that works and it's worth it... if you get that nib.

 

But it's not going to be as reliable in being ready OOTB as say a TWSBI Eco, which uses a Jowo, or a Lamy Safari. However, you're not going to get as wet a writing experience with these more popular pens nor with the large majority of the fountain pen options out there, especially for this price. And that wetness can really make inks worth it... like Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng for one. SOOO I agree with you in that we are comparing apples to oranges. There are trade offs.

 

But what I would love to see from FPR is an integration of a higher quality nib options. ASA sells both Indian nibs and German nibs as they recognize and meet the demand and IMO acknowledge the upgrade in quality of such nibs, while providing both choices. Ranga's come with jowo's and now some Sheaffer nibs. Ranga's, from my experience, are as reliable as an F-C pen, both using Jowo setups like the ASA 3-in-1's.

 

I'd love to be able purchase a Himalaya with a Jowo or bock #5 setup, and even if it adds $20 to the cost, it's still well worth it. Right now that is ASA territory, but I can't get those locally and I have to wait for sometime to have them sent (seems worth it, though).

 

Edit: What I'd really love to see is something like the Himalaya without such a steep taper of the section down to such a narrow diameter at its narrowest... and maybe putting a #6 nib on that... maybe a jowo #6 unit later on.

Edited January 17, 2018 by IndigoBOB

[truthpil]

 

But what I would love to see from FPR is an integration of a higher quality nib options. ASA sells both Indian nibs and German nibs as they recognize and meet the demand and IMO acknowledge the upgrade in quality of such nibs, while providing both choices. Ranga's come with jowo's and now some Sheaffer nibs. Ranga's, from my experience, are as reliable as an F-C pen, both using Jowo setups like the ASA 3-in-1's.

 

I'd love to be able purchase a Himalaya with a Jowo or bock #5 setup, and even if it adds $20 to the cost, it's still well worth it. Right now that is ASA territory, but I can't get those locally and I have to wait for sometime to have them sent (seems worth it, though).

 

Edit: What I'd really love to see is something like the Himalaya without such a steep taper of the section down to such a narrow diameter at its narrowest... and maybe putting a #6 nib on that... maybe a jowo #6 unit later on.

Good insights! With the JoWo option, were you thinking just nibs or whole nib units? If you went the screw-in nib unit way, I think you'd lose the option of a juicy ebonite feed. The best of both worlds for me has been putting JoWo nibs in the Himalaya and keeping the original feed. So far they have worked fine without the need for heat seating.

 

Does AsaPens have the option of a JoWo nib with a stock ebonite feed? If so, I'm all over it haha.

[IndigoBOB]

Good insights! With the JoWo option, were you thinking just nibs or whole nib units? If you went the screw-in nib unit way, I think you'd lose the option of a juicy ebonite feed. The best of both worlds for me has been putting JoWo nibs in the Himalaya and keeping the original feed. So far they have worked fine without the need for heat seating.

 

Does AsaPens have the option of a JoWo nib with a stock ebonite feed? If so, I'm all over it haha.

 

 

That's a good question. You're hitting right on the apples and oranges. I was thinking jowo screw-in units.

 

When I've tried Jowo nibs on ebonite feeds like this they were too wet unless they were Finer and even those were quite juicy. And that's that trade off.

 

Apples & Oranges: If I wish to use something like a Jowo I would use a jowo screw-in unit, which wouldn't have that nice wetness like that of the Himalaya's ebonite feed in combination with the FPR nibs. I haven't experimented with the Finer Jowo nibs on these ebonite feeds beyond my TWSBI Eco Fine nib, which was already temperamental so I can't extrapolate the experience.

 

The Medium and Broad Jowo nibs I have tried on this ebonite feed and others like it have gone through ink too fast being too wet.

 

I would like to experiment a little more, but the cost would be a little more than I'd like right now. I do know ASA sells pens like the I Can and Genius with the option of a German Friction Fit nib, but I didn't inquire further into it. I'd probably try out another F or an XF German nib with my Himalaya or Noodler's Ebonite Konrad before trying out another ASA. I have an ASA Maya 3-in-1 on the way and I'd like to see how that works before trying another one... Though I dare say the ASA Maya ED-F only costs $20, which is tempting all the time.

 

I do know the maker of the ASA pens is very open to ideas and customization... he's very nice.

 

What size Jowo nibs have you tried with the Himalaya?

[truthpil]

 

 

That's a good question. You're hitting right on the apples and oranges. I was thinking jowo screw-in units.

 

When I've tried Jowo nibs on ebonite feeds like this they were too wet unless they were Finer and even those were quite juicy. And that's that trade off.

 

Apples & Oranges: If I wish to use something like a Jowo I would use a jowo screw-in unit, which wouldn't have that nice wetness like that of the Himalaya's ebonite feed in combination with the FPR nibs. I haven't experimented with the Finer Jowo nibs on these ebonite feeds beyond my TWSBI Eco Fine nib, which was already temperamental so I can't extrapolate the experience.

 

The Medium and Broad Jowo nibs I have tried on this ebonite feed and others like it have gone through ink too fast being too wet.

 

I would like to experiment a little more, but the cost would be a little more than I'd like right now. I do know ASA sells pens like the I Can and Genius with the option of a German Friction Fit nib, but I didn't inquire further into it. I'd probably try out another F or an XF German nib with my Himalaya or Noodler's Ebonite Konrad before trying out another ASA. I have an ASA Maya 3-in-1 on the way and I'd like to see how that works before trying another one... Though I dare say the ASA Maya ED-F only costs $20, which is tempting all the time.

 

I do know the maker of the ASA pens is very open to ideas and customization... he's very nice.

 

What size Jowo nibs have you tried with the Himalaya?

 

A couple factors could influence the compatibility between the FPR ebonite feeds and JoWo nibs, namely, the width of the nib (like you were saying, perhaps a JoWo EF wouldn't be overwhelmingly wet) and whether the FPR feed is the standard or the wetter version made for their flex nibs. I only have the wet feed, so I can't say for the standard FPR feed.

 

The only #5 JoWo I have is a custom broad architect nib which never seems to write too wet regardless of what pen I put it in. I'd like to get some Knox and JoWo #5s to try in more ebonite pens.

 

Really looking forward to reading about your experiences with the ASA Maya 3-in-1, especially as compared to the Himalaya. The Maya is a little large for me, so I wanted to get one of the currently out of stock ASA Swan pens, but the maker has not replied to my enquiry.

[IndigoBOB]

 

A couple factors could influence the compatibility between the FPR ebonite feeds and JoWo nibs, namely, the width of the nib (like you were saying, perhaps a JoWo EF wouldn't be overwhelmingly wet) and whether the FPR feed is the standard or the wetter version made for their flex nibs. I only have the wet feed, so I can't say for the standard FPR feed.

 

The only #5 JoWo I have is a custom broad architect nib which never seems to write too wet regardless of what pen I put it in. I'd like to get some Knox and JoWo #5s to try in more ebonite pens.

 

Really looking forward to reading about your experiences with the ASA Maya 3-in-1, especially as compared to the Himalaya. The Maya is a little large for me, so I wanted to get one of the currently out of stock ASA Swan pens, but the maker has not replied to my enquiry.

 

I agree. I think an EF would do well TBH.

 

I ordered my Ebonite Himalaya I've been discussing with a Broad nib so I don't think I have the wetter one intended for the Flex nib.

 

I'd like to try some Knox's, too. I watched a video from Chrisrap52 on them, talked to him, and he said they were worth a try. I bought a couple, but only #6's since I wanted to test them out first before investing more money on tinkering that I haven't had much success with as of yet. I figured that with the #6's I could demo them on several possible pens in case they gave me trouble. I was intending on trying them on my Noodler's Ebonite Konrad, which has a similar ebonite feed. Unfortunately that will have to wait since I have to send my Konrad back for exchange due to a crack in the piston mechanism.

 

I'm very curious about the 3-in-1 myself. Normally I wouldn't order sections that thick, but with ebonite I like a thicker section. Yes, it can take a couple times to get a hold of Mr. Subramaniam. Took me a few.

[Jamerelbe]

I ordered my green ebonite Himalaya with an EF nib, and have found it a beautifully smooth writer. A bit surprising, given that my earlier experiences with FPR EF nibs were that they needed some adjustment to get rid of scratchiness - but consistent with the #6 EF nib I recently bought from them too.

 

Just because I can, here's a photo:

 

[truthpil]

It's helpful to know that they still write wet even without the increased flow for the flex nib option.

[Jamerelbe]

It's helpful to know that they still write wet even without the increased flow for the flex nib option.

 

In my experience these pens are wet at the best of times - FPR advertise their standard feeds as " pretty wet offering a generous ink supply" (https://fprevolutionusa.com/collections/feeds/products/fpr-5-1mm-standard-ebonite-feed), while their flex feeds come with the warning, " Caution: This is a very wet feed!" (https://fprevolutionusa.com/collections/feeds/products/copy-of-fpr-5-1mm-standard-ebonite-feed)

[truthpil]

I just made a wonderful discovery that not only cheered me up after a hard week, but made me love the Himalaya even more...

 

A few months back I bought a beat up vintage Artus on Ebay because it had one of the legendary flexible Degussa nibs on it (and oblique to boot).

The pen is a mess and unusable as is, so it's just been sitting in the drawer until I got some time to fiddle with it. I pulled the nib and feed out and, much to my delight, both nib and feed were a PERFECT match for the Himalaya! I just filled her up and it writes amazingly, flexing to 2mm with ease and perfect flow maintaining crisp lines. Now I need to get another pen to put the original Himalaya nib and feed in!

 

This pen definitely has potential to take whatever vintage #2 (modern #5) nib you have lying around and give it a whole new life!

 

One question, how does the weight compare between the ebonite and acrylic models?

 

That Saffron version looks great but I don't want anything heavier than the all ebonite model.

[Jamerelbe]

I just made a wonderful discovery that not only cheered me up after a hard week, but made me love the Himalaya even more...

 

A few months back I bought a beat up vintage Artus on Ebay because it had one of the legendary flexible Degussa nibs on it (and oblique to boot).

The pen is a mess and unusable as is, so it's just been sitting in the drawer until I got some time to fiddle with it. I pulled the nib and feed out and, much to my delight, both nib and feed were a PERFECT match for the Himalaya! I just filled her up and it writes amazingly, flexing to 2mm with ease and perfect flow maintaining crisp lines. Now I need to get another pen to put the original Himalaya nib and feed in!

 

This pen definitely has potential to take whatever vintage #2 (modern #5) nib you have lying around and give it a whole new life!

 

One question, how does the weight compare between the ebonite and acrylic models?

 

That Saffron version looks great but I don't want anything heavier than the all ebonite model.

 

My Saffron (and Taj Mahal) acrylic Himalayas weigh ~16g compared to ~16.5g for my green ebonite Himalaya - bearing in mind that my ebonite pen is recently re-inked while the Saffron is almost empty, there's very little difference in weight between them. I can't really choose one over the other - they're striking in their own way, and the fit, finish and appearance of both options is equally appealing.

[truthpil]

My Saffron (and Taj Mahal) acrylic Himalayas weigh ~16g compared to ~16.5g for my green ebonite Himalaya - bearing in mind that my ebonite pen is recently re-inked while the Saffron is almost empty, there's very little difference in weight between them. I can't really choose one over the other - they're striking in their own way, and the fit, finish and appearance of both options is equally appealing.

 

Thanks for the quick response! That's very helpful information. I'll definitely be getting more of these now that mine has been forever claimed by this nib.

[half_inked_one]

Go for Saffron Orange - it is ultra light, and the material is much nicer in reality than it looks in the photos. The opalescent effects and depth of colours is hypnotising.

[IndigoBOB]

I got around to trying the Himalaya with a TWSBI Eco/Mini Extra Fine nib and it works very well. The sizes up are too wet IME, but the EF is just right laying down a lovely rich line.

 

I'm not necessarily recommending to go out and buy an Eco/Mini EF nib, though you can, and I don't think you'll be disappointed unless the nib is shot to begin with, but if one has a good Eco/Mini nib and is looking for a nice wet line, the Himalaya-Eco-EF is a solid combo. It's hard to beat this combo as an ebonite version.

 

It brings out my Kung Te-Cheng nicely where the Medium FPR nib was a little too wet, and the Finer FPR ( not micromeshed) nibs were a little feedbacky for my tastes .

[truthpil]

I got around to trying the Himalaya with a TWSBI Eco/Mini Extra Fine nib and it works very well. The sizes up are too wet IME, but the EF is just right laying down a lovely rich line.

 

I'm not necessarily recommending to go out and buy an Eco/Mini EF nib, though you can, and I don't think you'll be disappointed unless the nib is shot to begin with, but if one has a good Eco/Mini nib and is looking for a nice wet line, the Himalaya-Eco-EF is a solid combo. It's hard to beat this combo as an ebonite version.

 

It brings out my Kung Te-Cheng nicely where the Medium FPR nib was a little too wet, and the Finer FPR ( not micromeshed) nibs were a little feedbacky for my tastes .

 

That's good to know! Is your feed on your Himalaya ECO EF combo the standard FPR ebonite feed or the super wet one for flex nibs?

[Jamerelbe]

I've stuck a standard JoWo #5 nib in my Himalaya pens before, and confirm that these are AT LEAST as good a fit as the TWSBI Eco nibs, if not better (there's a very slight curvature difference between the two, so I'm told!). Last night I decided to experiment with a JoWo "Arrow" nib, purchased from fpnibs.com, which normally sits in a standard JoWo nib assembly - and it also was a pretty good fit. Maybe not as elegant as I'd want, but works really well:

 

 

(Apologies for the poor resolution - I was using a weird app on my phone to take the photo...)

 

Edited to add: Writing on Rhodia paper - didn't try (or need) to heat set the feed to fit the new nib. EF Nib came with my Electa pen from Loclen - but is available (I purchased a custom ground cursive italic) from fpnibs.com.

Edited February 3, 2018 by Jamerelbe

[IndigoBOB]

 

That's good to know! Is your feed on your Himalaya ECO EF combo the standard FPR ebonite feed or the super wet one for flex nibs?

 

You know I honestly don't know, but my Himalaya was ordered with a Broad nib. I wish I had the other version to compare it to.

 

It should technically be a Non-flex feed.

I've stuck a standard JoWo #5 nib in my Himalaya pens before, and confirm that these are AT LEAST as good a fit as the TWSBI Eco nibs, if not better (there's a very slight curvature difference between the two, so I'm told!). Last night I decided to experiment with a JoWo "Arrow" nib, purchased from fpnibs.com, which normally sits in a standard JoWo nib assembly - and it also was a pretty good fit. Maybe not as elegant as I'd want, but works really well:

 

 

(Apologies for the poor resolution - I was using a weird app on my phone to take the photo...)

 

Edited to add: Writing on Rhodia paper - didn't try (or need) to heat set the feed to fit the new nib. EF Nib came with my Electa pen from Loclen - but is available (I purchased a custom ground cursive italic) from fpnibs.com.

 

 

That's good to know! Thanks for building on that. The Jowo XF nibs bring a lot of potential out of these pens IMO, though I will say if you get a good FPR nib it's as enjoyable in its own way, but there's something about the sturdiness of a Jowo I like and how wet their nibs can write with the Himalaya.

 

My Eco nib fits better than my other #5 nibs (one from a jinhao 599 and the other from a Levenger L-Tech I never used cuz it was a gifted behemoth of brass I'm waiting to give to someone with large paws). I don't recall heat setting, but I may have, and if I did, it works to fit the nib snugly if that's the case.

 

Your news does verify other claims of fitting I've heard of similarly sized pens. I took your word for it cuz I just ordered a #5 Jowo standard EF and and EF Arrow from FPnibs. I was so happy with how the Eco EF functioned on this pen that I had to get a couple more Jowo EF's... maybe for future Himalaya's. And Something about your EF Arrow Jowo intrigued me.

 

I appreciate the feedback.