Flexible Nibs

January 18, 2018

The only real flex nibs are dip nibs. Even vintage wet noodles absolutely do not compare to any semi-decent flex dip nib,

Desiderata Icarus / Leonardt Principal & Bungubox Clown Tears.

Edited January 18, 2018 by Nail-Bender

January 18, 2018

The Falcon FA is a modified nib, right? The factory ground little half moons or slits in the nib?

Like that modified Pilot pen shown?

Regular Falcon nibs.....again from my reading, was a 'Springy' nib, good tine bend but 2X tine spread, like the modern MB and Imporium.

January 18, 2018

The Falcon FA is a modified nib, right? The factory ground little half moons or slits in the nib?
Like that modified Pilot pen shown?

Regular Falcon nibs.....again from my reading, was a 'Springy' nib, good tine bend but 2X tine spread, like the modern MB and Imporium.

Yes, the FA is a modified nib but so is the Falcon pen nib.

The FA is much softer than the Falcon pen nib. In contrast with the Falcon pen nib which takes considerable pressure to get any line variation from, the FA nib feels more like a brush pen and flexes easily.

Many soft nibs will produce considerable shading because of the differences in pressure applied, but while my FA can make even saturated inks shade, my Falcon pen will not shade even with shady inks. Strangely, both pens are equally wet.

January 18, 2018

I often hear that only vintage flex nibs are real flex nibs?
What is real flex?
Are such nibs not produced anymore?
If so - what was different - then and now?

Please enlighten me. Links are also welcome.

Thank you

And then follows page after page of the typical BS that we see every time this subject comes up, as all the vintage superflex wet-noodle copperplate nib-abusing freaks come out of the woodwork. I suggest ignoring them all.

Make it easy on yourself. Buy a Bock Titan nib. They've readily available. I believe you can get the Karas Kustoms Ink pen with a Titan nib from Goulet for $140, and it's an excellent pen. (The same nib unit swaps into most Bexleys, I believe.) I have one with a fine tip, and it's a lovely flexy writer.

Links:

https://www.gouletpens.com/karas-kustoms-ink-fountain-pen-grey-aluminum/p/KK-5054-Grey

https://www.gouletpens.com/karas-kustoms-ink-titanium-nib-unit-fine/p/KK-250-TI-F

Edited January 18, 2018 by tonybelding

January 18, 2018

Wet pens don't shade with shading inks....in they are too wet.....I even have to match ink and paper well to get German semi-flex nibs to shade. Because of ease of tine spread, sometimes semi-flex is too wet.

Narrower than Western F, I'd not expect any shading either.

I like the comfortable ride of a semi-vintage or vintage regular flex in M or F for good shading.

I don't have a B in that width in regular flex....so don't know if B would be a tad too wet for Shading inks..........and I gave away my Safari in B....in it was a nail, I seldom used it....so don't remember if it shaded or not.

M is a very disrespected nib, and for no ground. It will be smoother than F and does shade a bit differently.

I've found M to be a very good shading ink size......and is better on rough laid or lien effect paper than narrow nibs.

On 90 g paper, MB Toffee is a nice brown shading ink..

Fine was light with dark trails.
Medium was 50-50. Destroying the "boring M" myth for me. I'd picked up that prejudice here on the com.
Broad was dark with light trails.

With grinding little half moons in the sides or slits in the nib....some version of superflex has been reached by modern nibs.

My Ahab went from a hard semi-flex .... to superflex ...past maxi-semi-flex to the first stage of superflex....what I call Easy Full Flex.....and from some of the writings, other modified nibs go....at least 6 X width.

How close those mods in the nibs shown or the Pilot nibs is to a Wet Noodle I don't know. Or is it 'only' Easy Full Flex?

I do know Easy Full Flex is easier to be had than Wet Noodle in unmodified superflex....which is not only a nib that can go 5-6 or rarely 7X, but it does it easily....half again easier than an Ahab Mod......Easy Full Flex.

So what if the ground and flex slitted new nibs will only last a few years...the nibs are more affordable....some are steel so will be much cheaper than modified gold nibs.

There will be I hope less vintage superflex nibs ruined because the user will have learned with modified nibs.....and even if they continue to be sprung by Idiots, over flexing a nib before selling...to show Olympic Splits the nib does(did)...in that is what they see on Youtube....or even if 'noobies' ruin again their fair share as they have been doing for quite a number of years......there is replacements.....

The replacements may not be quite as grand as the great vintage superflex nib......I don't know....perhaps some of them reach Wet Noodle.

Even for just a couple of years before it springs from metal fatigue.

Some of the 'advertising' for "Flex" nibs is false.....some are 'only semi-flex'....instead of superflex.

That "Flex" rating should be taken with a grain of salt.....but I like semi-flex.

I have 26 semi-flex and 16 maxi-semi-flex.....unmodified.

Too bad they were not honest and said, the nib is semi-flex......but the buyer don't want a 3 X fun nib....but to make big fat letter parts. So they lied...

Edited January 18, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

January 19, 2018

And then follows page after page of the typical BS that we see every time this subject comes up, as all the vintage superflex wet-noodle copperplate nib-abusing freaks come out of the woodwork. I suggest ignoring them all.

Make it easy on yourself. Buy a Bock Titan nib. They've readily available. I believe you can get the Karas Kustoms Ink pen with a Titan nib from Goulet for $140, and it's an excellent pen. (The same nib unit swaps into most Bexleys, I believe.) I have one with a fine tip, and it's a lovely flexy writer.

Links:
https://www.gouletpens.com/karas-kustoms-ink-fountain-pen-grey-aluminum/p/KK-5054-Grey
https://www.gouletpens.com/karas-kustoms-ink-titanium-nib-unit-fine/p/KK-250-TI-F

One of these days I'll pull the trigger on a bock ti nib unit. I've heard they flex fairly well but are mushy like an 18k and don't have a lot of response.

January 19, 2018

Yes, the FA is a modified nib but so is the Falcon pen nib.

The FA is much softer than the Falcon pen nib. In contrast with the Falcon pen nib which takes considerable pressure to get any line variation from, the FA nib feels more like a brush pen and flexes easily.

Many soft nibs will produce considerable shading because of the differences in pressure applied, but while my FA can make even saturated inks shade, my Falcon pen will not shade even with shady inks. Strangely, both pens are equally wet.

Thank you for your comparison which was including the discussion helpful for me.

January 19, 2018

One of these days I'll pull the trigger on a bock ti nib unit. I've heard they flex fairly well but are mushy like an 18k and don't have a lot of response.

Mine doesn't feel mushy, and I find it responsive enough. It may be more fragile and easily sprung than gold, but if used as intended—for normal handwriting—that shouldn't be an issue.

January 22, 2018

Well, I inked that 'no name' Pewado' a very solidly made war pen with a Degussa nib, after some years. It is dying, Plastic Gasket 1.0...made before May of '43. It was a pen that I'd thought first stage of superflex, Easy Full Flex like the 100n that I'd bought later. Plastic Gasket 2.0 came in @ 1955, the same gasket still used.

As a last resort I filled it with JP pen flush and let it wait a couple of days.....old gunk ink came out both ends of the piston pen. I inked it again ....this time with R&K's Alt Grungold...

It is Wet Noodle ......a bit more so than one of the '52's I have that is inked. Tested the uninked 52 (closer to that than I'd thought) and Soennecken is still the best wet noodle I have, it is still a bit easier to flex....

...yep, The Degussa nib in the Pewado is a wet noodle. Goes from F to BBB......easily . ((With a bit of more use....sigh, still heavy handed, write more a M or B than F with that nib.)

Now I don't have to sweat to make a wet noodle go EEF or think to make it go EF.

Well Mauricio was right there is a very lot of variance in Superflex.

If I'd been as OCD as I once was, I might have found that out earlier, but I'd put that pen aside for newer and prettier pens....with names.

Hell, I'd had my Ahab Mod...easy full flex out for a year....till shortly before I got my first '52, which is still out, but hiding in the to clean cup. I could have had this Pewado out instead. (Does go to show I'm not heavy into Superflex.)

I think I've been bitten by an infectious bug....wondering about snap back...which the 52 nib that is not quite as easy to flex might have and this one not so much. Well, it's time to learn more...got to go over to the writing section to find out about snapback............hell could start learning how to write.

Well, not this month.