14K Jowo Semi Flex From Fc

[Ichiro]

http://www.franklin-christoph.com/flex-nib.html

 

Are these new? Dying to see writing samples.

[Ichiro]

I meant: these are new...

[billy1380]

Brian just announced them for Edison pens... I just got myself one... looks like FC are selling them $35 cheaper.

 

Edit:

Just for clarification... I don't know if FC tune their nibs... but I know that Brian tunes each one before shipping

Edited June 17, 2017 by billy1380

[Ichiro]

Nice. Eagerly awaiting writing sample 🙏

[Bo Bo Olson]

I do not find vintage German semi-flex to be finicky. They are of course stubs.

 

In many have only used nails....or semi-nails; some have run into old 'true' regular flex for the first time and think it semi-flex because the tines move; bend and tine spread, when one is ham fisted as many are coming from nail-semi-nail nibs.

 

""In comparison to more delicate and thin vintage nibs?????????( they are not delicate nor 'thin'.....unless one only has nails)))))), Now vintage 'superflex' can have thin and delicate nibs...........I though found semi-flex to be relatively robust. They survived me.

 

one might call it a modern semi-flex,???????? (one might call it something else too.) Either it is semi-flex or it ain't....then they switch words....to Flexibility.....????

as they are designed for more durability and consistency. ?????? ..A semi-nail semi-flex???

Or is it just an old fashioned true regular flex?????

 

 

Flexibility creates a different feel to the writing, and promotes line variation. (Yes, nibs with some flex do feel different, one of the reasons I have so many semi&maxi's and so few nails...and only a couple semi-nails.)

Line variation is also an ink and paper match.

Semi-flex is not a 'flex nib' in a 'flex nib' is superflex....not semi-flex.

 

Special alloy...yes I can deal with that....I'm sure Bock, MB, Pelikan, Osmia-Faber-Castel, Geha all used a special alloy when making the 'normal' '50-60's semi-flex nibs....in gold or steel. I'd expect them to have different alloy from a nail..........no big deal.

 

All my German semi-flex 26 ea, my 16 Maxi-semi-flex are durable.***...but again....ham fisted forced the companies to go away from even old regular flex in the Ball Point Barbarians twisted them into pretzels.

 

*** I came back to fountain pens a ham fisted ball point barbarian. But I had some old true regular flex, and some experience from decades before. I could have been more ham fisted I guess.

 

My first semi-flex was a Pelikan 140. I had heard of semi-flex from here on the com. At the flea market I pressed the nib against my thumbnail....and suddenly knew what all the fuss was all about, even with out inking it.

I was ham fisted. I did write with too much pressure, and had the nib often at max of 3X. Slowly I stopped pressing so hard.....after three months my hand was much lighter, I seldom maxed the nib to 3 X....ummmmm 2X yep. Now....hummm often all I get is 1 X, unless I get enthusiastic.

 

And it was good that the nib was an OB....a writer's nib, not a modern B signature nib. What ever stress I put on that nib, being a B it was able to handle it.....Could I have sprung the nib if it was an F???? don't know.Tend to doubt it....or more folks would be shamefully admitting to having sprung a semi-flex.

 

 

My next pen with a 'semi-flex' nib was a 400nn.....and actually later I was able to discern it was maxi-semi-flex; after I had enough to figure out what a maxi-semi-flex nib was. It was OF.....after 3 months my hand became lighter.

Now, I really have to think about maxing either or any other semi or maxi I have....of course there is years of being only slightly heavy handed instead of being ham fisted.

 

Looking at the pictures, did not see much line variation. I would have expected a little show off.

I do not have the urge to run out and buy one.

 

I have the feeling the ham fisted can make it semi-flex.....or lets be truthful....a modern semi-flex.

I await someone with 4-6 German semi-flex pens to check it out....hopefully I'm wrong.

 

The key to knowing what a semi-flex nib is.....is having a 'true' regular flex nib, be it semi-vintage like a '82-97 Pelikan 400 or the modern 200, or many other major brand names...Esties have a old fashioned regular flex one can buy, some Sheaffers had that too. Many of the no names like Wearever had a real regular flex also. They are not hard to come upon.

 

One mashes a 'true' regular flex so one gets 3X a light down stroke.

Semi-flex takes half of that pressure to go to 3 X.

Maxi-semi-flex half of that or 1/4th the pressure needed to mash an old regular flex to 3 X.

 

The new Lamy Imporium nib...has a lot of tine bend.....but still only 2X....I guess I could call that a modern semi-flex in it is more springy than a Falcon or the modern MB.....but it ain't. There is no 3X tine spread.

 

When they mealy mouth around a simple fact....something is wrong. It is semi-flex or it is not...........a modern semi-flex then is not...is it?

 

Dam for a few seconds there I had my hopes up.

Edited June 17, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[billy1380]

Just a quick note to let anyone interested know that Brian has dropped the price of the nibs to $125 and issued refunds to everyone who ordered at the higher price

[Honeybadgers]

Damn, I was hoping I could avoid having to buy a F.C. or Edison pen in the near future.

 

Looks like that's out the window. I love that angel wing cut!