Flexible Nibs

[ReadyFireAim]

But a noodlers steel nib is what we could consider a firm semiflex because while it is tiring, it will give you a BB.

 

The Ahab is a nail compared to the Creaper & both size FPR flex nibs are nails also.

 

If you grind enough off the Ahab to make it flex soft, it won't snap properly.

I've tried and about given up on that nib and the #6 size in general.

[allen_paris]

Omas extraflessibile nib is not from my reading a semi-flex......it could though be a 'Springy' nib like a Falcon, modern MB or the great Lamy Imporium nib......good tine bend, but only 2 X tine spread.

Sorry I disagree as my experience with 5 different extraflessibile nibs meet the same semi-flex grade as most of my vintage Aurora or Omas like Lucens and Extralucens. I have very few vintage semi flex pens able to do better that the modern extraflessibile. In any case the Omas nib is much more flexible and nice that a falcon (both type by the way) and for nothing equal to a modern MB !

I tried everything known in europe as good flexibile in gold material (like Nakaya, Falcon, Stipula, M1000...) and nothing can compete with the extraflessibile nib for flex and response. Nothing. I would recommand an EF or F.

But I do agree that the behavior of a vintage and a modern is different.

 

As I looked for flex nib for many years. as any fountainpen lover reading a forum telling of how a vintage flex is incredible, I went in penshows and bought on internet. How many beautifull pens and nibs I found but most of the time with scratchy flexible nibs. Even when I found the good ones (my favorite personal one are a MB30, an extralucens and an Aurora duplex with wounderfull flexible nibs) remains the reality that they are much more fragile and hardly trasportable than a modern pen. We have also to keep in mind that beautifull, flexibile and collectible pens in vintage are also expensive and the scarse good bargain doesn't compensate the average cost of a decent research. Making his own experience in this world cost a lot (between acquisition and repair) with great pleasure but also lnowing how deceiving it could be.

 

My proposition was a simple and pratical alternative as the scope of flex is not bound to the vintage. But at the end I can confirm all of your talk and I do know I have to be humble as I probably know much lesser than you on the subject... Vintage and flex (I don't like wet noodle but my range is very open) are GREAT ! Writing is my pleasure every day and if I could I would write with all my flex vintage everytime, everywhere.

[Bo Bo Olson]

As I said, from my reading about Omas's nib.....don't have any, and because of my reading was never interested in chasing one.

I have a British made Parker Jr. Duofold semi-flex and an Australian Snorkel in maxi. They had to compete with Swan.

 

The rest of my semi/maxi-semi-flex pens are German a few late '30's- mostly '50-72 pens. (25 semi-flex&15 maxi-semi-flex)

How does that Omas extraflessibile nib rate vs Geha, Osmia, Pelikan, or MB semi-flex of that era.

 

In I doubt if that Omas nib is maxi..............one maxi to five semi-flex outside of the Osmia...where one can pick semi-flex with the diamond nib or maxi with the Supra nib..........gold or steel =, and grand.

 

Two posters I respect said the Geha nib is a slight tad better than Pelikan, and after testing found it so. The Osmia (Degussa) nibs are grand also.

 

I've only had one semi-flex Aurora in my hand, the Verdi....it was too scratchy...perhaps too thin a nib....very beautiful pen. I went for cheap and pretty with the Woolf. The nib on the '30's Pelikan re-make was nothing to write home about. All three were on sale at my B&M a few years ago....the Woolf was 'cheap' at E450 the Verdi was E750 and the remake a tad more.

 

How odd, my wife bought me my Woolf as a birthday gift............odd, I couldn't afford even a cheap pen, nor ink nor paper for a good 9 months...............I had forgotten my gift had come out of 'our' money.

[Honeybadgers]

 

The Ahab is a nail compared to the Creaper & both size FPR flex nibs are nails also.

 

If you grind enough off the Ahab to make it flex soft, it won't snap properly.

I've tried and about given up on that nib and the #6 size in general.

 

I agree that the ahab is harder and the flex mods make them mushy.

 

But while they are not easy to use, they are flexible. Just because they're not soft, they're not nails. A Faber Castell Loom is a nail. A lamy Z50 is a nail. Nails don't spread the tines, and a noodlers will go to B or BB from FM without damaging it. Please don't be hyperbolic, all it does is mislead people. A noodlers nib can be tiring to write a whole page spencerian in. I've done it plenty. But it can be done, and your lama safari just can't do that without damaging the nib. So it's by every measure a flex nib. Just not a soft one. And I'd argue that the creaper (which I concur has the better nib) is actually a good training pen for flex writing since people tend to mush the bottoms of their spencerian letters and the extra effort required with these steel nibs encourages you to go slowly.

[ReadyFireAim]

Bo Bo changed my name

[max dog]

The PIlot 912/743 FA is incredibly soft. It's feed however, like pretty much all modern soft/flex nibs has trouble keeping up with the flex, and rail road easy compared to vintage flex. The trick is finding the right ink with the right properties to minimize railroading.

 

My Pilot FA is useless when it comes to flex with most inks, except Montblanc Permanent Blue (night and day difference) I can get very good results. Pilot Iroshizuki also yields good results as per the below reviews.

Edited January 9, 2018 by max dog

[cat]

If you don't press hard with the flex nib, does it write like a regular broad nib?

[max dog]

Under light touch, the FA puts down a fine line, that easily springs to a medium or broad line without flexing. It is very soft.

[MKB]

I have had some success with avoiding the typical railroading of my Pilot 912 FA by cutting an ink cartridge and fitting it with a sac (my first attempt at doing this), and using Private Reserve Tanzanite ink. The ink seems to spread a little in this situation, so the unflexed nib writes a little wider, but it does the trick. I look forward to trying it with other inks modified with glycerin and/or Liquitex Flow Aid to see if I can get a finer line.

[Honeybadgers]

 

I disagree with what I wrote.

[Honeybadgers]

I have had some success with avoiding the typical railroading of my Pilot 912 FA by cutting an ink cartridge and fitting it with a sac (my first attempt at doing this), and using Private Reserve Tanzanite ink. The ink seems to spread a little in this situation, so the unflexed nib writes a little wider, but it does the trick. I look forward to trying it with other inks modified with glycerin and/or Liquitex Flow Aid to see if I can get a finer line.

 

 

Could just send it off and have the feed opened up? I did that for my VAC700R and it keeps up nicely with 95% of my writing and any ink.

[ReadyFireAim]

I disagree with what I wrote.

 

Yipes...That nib does not like that angle at all.

Try straight up and down or maybe one o'clock. (like MaxDog at 5:50)

Edited January 9, 2018 by Nail-Bender

[max dog]

Omas extraflessibile nib is not from my reading a semi-flex......it could though be a 'Springy' nib like a Falcon, modern MB or the great Lamy Imporium nib......good tine bend, but only 2 X tine spread.

The Falcon is a lot more than just springy. With the Falcon FA I can consistently get 0.4 mm to 1.6 mm tine spread without much effort (3X to 4X quite easily).

Edited January 9, 2018 by max dog

[Honeybadgers]

 

Yipes...That nib does not like that angle at all.

Try straight up and down or maybe one o'clock. (like MaxDog at 5:50)

 

I'm writing around a camera. Please don't try to critique someone who isn't actively sitting at a writing desk. It's stupid and rude. That paper is also very rough and absorbent, so it's prone to catching, making it look worse than it is. It was a writing sample designed to show how much that nib can flex, not a sample of my writing.

Edited January 10, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[ReadyFireAim]

My Pilot FA is useless when it comes to flex with most inks,

 

You know this guy is the master when it comes to 912 modifications for ink flow.

I'm not sure what he does because I didn't tear mine apart to see.

 

https://www.nibs.com/content/spencerian-customization-fountain-pens

[Honeybadgers]

Greg minusken can do a great job with it too, but he charges way, way too much for most work.

[max dog]

 

You know this guy is the master when it comes to 912 modifications for ink flow.

I'm not sure what he does because I didn't tear mine apart to see.

 

https://www.nibs.com/content/spencerian-customization-fountain-pens

 

 

Greg minusken can do a great job with it too, but he charges way, way too much for most work.

 

Thanks, will check out their websites. If they can do something to improve the feed so I can use any ink without railroading, that would be great.

[tragique]

The only real flex nibs are dip nibs. Even vintage wet noodles absolutely do not compare to any semi-decent flex dip nib, at least in regards to calligraphy. Flex dip nibs have a needlepoint tip that is mostly unachievable on any fountain pen, great snapback, and are easy to replace if you overflex them.

 

If you absolutely insist on sticking to fountain pens, vintage wet noodles or full flex nibs are the next best choice. They are great for some doodling or fancy letter writing. I really enjoy my old Waterman 52's in particular, and they can be easily found on ebay in all kinds of conditions and shapes for decent prices if you hunt enough.

 

If all you're looking for is a semi-flex nib, there are plenty of modern choices, among which my favorites are the Pilot Justus, Pilot Falcon and 80s-era Pelikan M400s.

 

I was not a fan of the FA nib and sold my Pilot CH912. It had good ink flow, but the nib was very mushy and not fun to use.

Edited January 17, 2018 by tragique

[Honeybadgers]

The only real flex nibs are dip nibs. Even vintage wet noodles absolutely do not compare to any semi-decent flex dip nib, at least in regards to calligraphy. Flex dip nibs have a needlepoint tip that is mostly unachievable on any fountain pen, great snapback, and are easy to replace if you overflex them.

 

If you absolutely insist on sticking to fountain pens, vintage wet noodles or full flex nibs are the next best choice. They are great for some doodling or fancy letter writing. I really enjoy my old Waterman 52's in particular, and they can be easily found on ebay in all kinds of conditions and shapes for decent prices if you hunt enough.

 

If all you're looking for is a semi-flex nib, there are plenty of modern choices, among which my favorites are the Pilot Justus, Pilot Falcon and 80s-era Pelikan M400s.

 

I was not a fan of the FA nib and sold my Pilot CH912. It had good ink flow, but the nib was very mushy and not fun to use.

Pointless semantic banter that does nothing but muddy the discussion more. Dip nibs are their own thing, please don't bring them into this discussion. I hate this aspect of our community, people just get so pretentious about their opinions on what constitutes a thing that they completely lose focus on the discussion. Edited January 18, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[mitto]

I have a few real flex - full flex and super flex - on some of my vintage fountain pens. Swan, Waterman and some German pens.