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Thinking Of Getting A Flex...


Wile E.

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A flex pen to play around with. Possibly a vintage pen? I generally like heavier, brass barreled, larger type pens. Any vintage experts out there have any suggestions??

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Vintage pens with flexible nibs are a lot of fun ... and very addictive!

 

Flex writing is about having proper control of the pen body and the flex nib. The larger, longer and heavier the pen body, the harder it is to control it. This becomes more critical to someone new learning to use flex nibs. I suggest you read the following articles regarding flex I have put together. They are very informative and should be able to give you lots of accurate insight in the subject of flexible nibs and flexible writing ...

 

How to Use Flex Nibs ... http://www.vintagepen.net/how-to-use-flex-nibs.html

 

Grading Flex Nibs ... http://www.vintagepen.net/grading-flex-nibs.html

 

Performance Flex ... http://www.vintagepen.net/performance-flex.html

 

Modern Pens and Flex Nibs ... http://www.vintagepen.net/-modern-wvint-flex.html ... read the upper part of this page. In this I talk about the scarcity of oversized vintage pen bodies with flexible nibs.

 

Welcome to the wonderful world of flexible nibs!

Edited by Mauricio

Tu Amigo!

Mauricio Aguilar

 

www.VintagePen.net

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3525/4051556482_36f28f0902_m.jpg

E-Mail: VintagePen@att.net

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If you search this subforum you'll see several recent threads on this very topic.

 

I'll recap them to suggest that you might get a great deal of value and fun out of buying a straight or oblique dip pen holder along with a handful of the flexible dip nibs (zebra G, niko G, blue pumpkin, brause rose, hunt 101, brause ef66 - all behave in different ways) For a cost of < 50$ you can try out a variety of different flex performance and behaviors. Dip pens are inconvenient because you are always dipping them in an open container of ink to write your next line, but they have flex performance unmatchable to a fountain pen - really they meet different needs.

 

May I suggest you look at paperinkarts or john neal book seller.

 

Flexible fountain pens are great, but good ones are expensive and the behavior you get varies a great deal. Maurio's website is full of great information.

Edited by bleair
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And if you spring a $2 dip pen nib, you have not ruined a $150+ fountain pen nib.

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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I think everyone has this idea at least once. It's more than just a pen. It is a discipline. Having stumbled into possession of a flex pen at low cost, I tried to flex it and found out a couple of things. I am left handed, and push the pen across the paper. This in itself would not preclude me from flexible writing, but it would be different from what it is for a right handed person. The real show stopper is that there is work effort involved. Now retired, I am just not into it.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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I gave the advice to someone else to find one of those therapists who'll give you an electric shock everytime you think of flexible nibs.

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presses button . . . ZAP

San Francisco Pen Show - August 28-30, 2020 - Redwood City, California

www.SFPenShow.com

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I gave the advice to someone else to find one of those therapists who'll give you an electric shock everytime you think of flexible nibs.

LOL.

This is why I said play around with rather than saying attempt to master!

 

Ive been using nails and "slight flex" pens off and on for a few years now; it'd be fun to give it a go with something much more flexible.

 

Also, there's something neat, in an old school way, about vintage pens.

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There are modern-scale pens with "flexible" nibs. Well you have the Platinum 3776 with a soft fine nib that is just what it says. A soft, fine nib. You also have some Pilots that people consider flex but they miss the names of the nibs. They all are soft. You can modify an Ahab to get performance similar to a vintage pen if you're into tinkering. Otherwise, you could try the Desiderata flex pens (they use G nibs), make a custom order at Ranga pens for your favorite dip nib to be fitted into the pen, etc.

 

I would go with maybe a Desiderate flex pen. Even if you spring the nib or damage it, you pop it out, pop in a new one and that's it. I've seen some modified ahabs going arround but I'm not sure. None of these however are heavy or have a brass lined barrel. If you want to experience the real thing well... Go vintage. Or pay 850 for a modern Wahl-Eversharp.

I like flowers, mother of pearl, dip nibs, blue, green or red inks. I also like flowers, Frida Kahlo's paintings and Josephine Baker's songs. Did I mention flowers and mother of pearl?

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