Two-Tone Vs Chrome Flex Nibs?

January 19, 2017

I recently purchased two flex nibs from FPR to use in my Vac Mini. One of them is the two-tone version and the other is the chrome version. I wonder if the differences in material/manufacturing also make a difference in how flexible they are. What do you think?

January 19, 2017

I think there is no difference in the material, but only in the finish.

January 19, 2017

I think there is no difference in the material, but only in the finish.

Good point! Then I wonder if the difference in the finish has an effect on the nib's flexibility. If it does, I imagine it's minuscule.

January 19, 2017

"""two flex nibs ???? from FPR to use in my Vac Mini. One of them is the two-tone version and the other is the chrome version.""""

How much 'flex' are you talking about???? Super flex....or old fashioned 'true' regular flex; which is more than nail or semi-nail? Ahab Flex?? or Ahab Mod flex (first stage of superflex....Easy Full Flex)???

I'd not expect any big difference in the coating.

There are now a lot of cheaper 'flex' nibs....that could well be superflex....or what is said to be superflex..................The Ahab is actually a superflex...in it spreads it's tines 4-5-6 X a light down stroke.......but it's semi-flex pressure which makes it a hell of a lot of hard work.

In spite of it being able to super flex, it's not what I consider a superflex...due to how hard it is to spread the tines.

I do have Degussa plain stainless steel superflex nibs from way back...late 40's or before....so good superflex nibs can be made in steel.

I do hope both of your nibs are 'good', and really are superflex....at least the first stage of it.

I do prefer the term superflex....to "Flex" in some folks might some day lay hands on a semi-flex nib and see only 'flex' and try to make it do Olympic splits.

In I have a big slew of semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex pens....know that they are not 'flex' pens. Others might not.

January 19, 2017

"""two flex nibs ???? from FPR to use in my Vac Mini. One of them is the two-tone version and the other is the chrome version.""""

How much 'flex' are you talking about???? Super flex....or old fashioned 'true' regular flex; which is more than nail or semi-nail? Ahab Flex?? or Ahab Mod flex (first stage of superflex....Easy Full Flex)???

I'd not expect any big difference in the coating.

There are now a lot of cheaper 'flex' nibs....that could well be superflex....or what is said to be superflex..................The Ahab is actually a superflex...in it spreads it's tines 4-5-6 X a light down stroke.......but it's semi-flex pressure which makes it a hell of a lot of hard work.
In spite of it being able to super flex, it's not what I consider a superflex...due to how hard it is to spread the tines.

I do have Degussa plain stainless steel superflex nibs from way back...late 40's or before....so good superflex nibs can be made in steel.

I do hope both of your nibs are 'good', and really are superflex....at least the first stage of it.

I do prefer the term superflex....to "Flex" in some folks might some day lay hands on a semi-flex nib and see only 'flex' and try to make it do Olympic splits.
In I have a big slew of semi-flex and maxi-semi-flex pens....know that they are not 'flex' pens. Others might not.

Mr. Bo Bo Olson, it's an honour to meet you, sir. I always look forward to reading your insightful commentary.

To tell you the truth, I don't have much experience with semi-flex, flex, or superflex nibs. I have tried the Ahab nibs and the Fountain Pen Revolution #5.5 two-tone "flex" nib. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten much flex out of them per se. These nibs require a slow, heavy, and steady hand to get some flex out of them. To make matters worse, I am left-handed.

So, I recently acquired a Vac Mini to replace my misbehaving Kaweco Sport. I really like the Vac Mini, but I find the nib a bit boring. I think that it has something to do with the fact that I tend to push the nib into the paper rather than pull like a typical right-handed writer. So to spice things up, I decided to purchase a couple of flex nibs from Fountain Pen Revolution. Because I purchased one two-tone nib and one chrome nib, I wanted to know which one would give me the most amount of superflex, as you call it, with the least amount of effort. I use my fountain pens for work, so I need to be able to write at a reasonable pace, which makes it difficult to get that superflex quality out of these nibs. The Vac Mini is a heavy pen, so this will help getting the superflex out of the nibs with reasonable pressure. At least, I hope so.

I think I'm over-complicating my life too much, but hey, I love complexity. Otherwise, I'd be writing with a Bic!

January 19, 2017

Writing with a fountain pen is fun....a Bic is work...and only good for 'oh I forgot it somewhere at work'...no big deal. Ball points are like plowing the back 40 with out the mule.

The Ahab sat in the box until the Ahab Mod was done to it....it went from heavy semi-flex to much lighter first stage of Superflex....Easy Full Flex. And was out until I finally lit a fire under my self and cleaned pens I should have cleaned long before.

I'm down to 13 pens inked and want to get down to 10.

I know too little about which left handed method is which to give advice. Some can, and some can't use superflex, depending on how they hold the pen.

An oblique with a modern nib from my thoughts and reading could do well for some left handers.

Stubbing one could be also an option, in modern obliques are normally nails or semi-nails.

I do prefer on all counts...being right handed, the German '50's semi&maxi-semi-flex stubbed nibs of Pelikan or Geha or Osmia and so on from companies that made pens with a bit of flex. I'd not worry about them until you have learned from other Left handers, which pen holds works for them.

I had a Lamy Persona that was OB in a nail that showed no line variation. PB2 made it a CI for me.

I don't think pushing a CI is for left handers. The angle of the grind is pull only as far as I can think...in pushing ...is pushing a sharp chiseled end.

I think that the modern obliques are for folks that are left eye dominate and automatically cant the nib or for left handers....in it being a nail or semi-nail is strong enough to push.

I do know there are left handers that learned a different writing style from what they learned with ball points. Those are some stubborn folks.

I have enough trouble writing in Rooster Scratch, right handed. Well, at first it was Chicken Scratch.

May I suggest stiff nib Italic writing. There are many beautiful scripts....but again, being left handed could be a problem. It is a push, pull script...right handed.

Perhaps some left hander will chime in.

January 19, 2017

Sometimes a ballpoint is a relief from ink on my fingers. You also need a change of pace sometimes; sometimes you need comic relief. Sometimes relief from the doctrinaire helps.

It's good that more of the flexible nibs are available. It should be cheaper than modifying existing nibs and having to find someone who can do it.

January 20, 2017

Writing with a fountain pen is fun....a Bic is work...and only good for 'oh I forgot it somewhere at work'...no big deal. Ball points are like plowing the back 40 with out the mule.

Sometimes a ballpoint is a relief from ink on my fingers. You also need a change of pace sometimes; sometimes you need comic relief. Sometimes relief from the doctrinaire helps.

I do have a confession to make. If there are any children in the room, this is a good time to send them to bed or out to play. Ever since I gave up on my Kaweco out of desperation, I've been using the free pen I got with my Field Notes. As it turned out, the pen is a Bic. It fits snugly in my coat pocket and has come in handy a couple of times. So for all my obsession with fountain pens, it is this lowly instrument the one I use when running errands. It writes smoothly and reliably, though I can't help shaking my head every time I use it. To extend Mr. Olson's analogy, writing with a ball point is like plowing with a donkey instead of the mule.