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Namiki Falcon - SF and SF Mottishawed


antoniosz

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I received a Namiki Falcon as a gift few years ago and I quickly got rid of it as the M nib did not give any line variation. It was a great writer by the way but not waht I was looking for. It took me a while to get to a fine Falcon and within few weeks a Mottishawed version of it (modified true extra fine with added flex - Spencerian approximation). Here is my comparison of the two.

 

I like to write fast with a flex nib. Yes, I know the result is not very beautiful but I like to bouncy rhythm that a semiflex nib can give. Of course for perfection one has to slow down. The examples produced below (except for the phrase "Falcon Spencerian approximation") were produced with with fast writing. Inks are Diamine English Blue for the Spencerian Falcon and Waterman Blue-Black for the regular version. The paper is Rhodia (small pad)

 

1) Falcon SF. This is a bouncy pen capable of some line variation but it requires strength for sure. A trained hand may be able to handle several lines - a page maybe if you have extra flex muscles :) but it is not comfortable. It is OK for an occasional flourish but this is it... Otherwise it is an excellent writer by the way - the line is sure and steady, there is not a hint of hesitation and it is a pure joy if you use it with no flex. So for the writer that does not care for significant line variation the SF Falcon will give some lively character responding to the natural variation of pressure. The pen is light and comfrotable to hold. Overall if you can find it for $70-90 it is a very good buy.

 

2) Falcon SF Mottishawed to true extra fine with added flex - Spencerian approximation.

 

OK it can flex under very little force - no doubt about it. The extra fine line under no pressure is spectacular. If you are VERY CAREFUL you can produce nice results. The thin/thick line contrast and the low force makes it a true flex nib. But I dont find this nib very enjoyable. It tends to catch to the upstroke and side stroke VERY easily. It is rather scary. You need to be fully concentrated to avoid disaster. The nib also appears "flimsy". Not a surprise here. Nib modification results a nib that is easier to have problems (bending, etc.). The comparison of the shapes of the tip shows that the Mottishawed version is much thinner and this is the origin of the lower flexing force. Also the feed is slightly modified as it often gets on the paper if you hold the pen at low angles (this is an annoying feature of the Falcon). Bottom line - the Mottishawed version is an interesting nib with a lot of potential for performance but it is a sensitive nib that requires a considerable amount of control. Compared to other vintage flex that I have this is not a top choice but it is a convenient pen to use for a trip with cartridges etc.

 

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/Falcon-1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/Falcon-5.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/Falcon-2.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/Falcon-3.jpg

 

Note the separation of feed with tines - probably from overstressing the nib. It is not a several problem however - the plastic can still be heat seated (and I should :))

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/Falcon-4.jpg

Edited by antoniosz
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Thanks for the great comparison Antonios. I had thought that maybe I just needed more practice with the Mottishaw Falcon because I found it to be difficult to use - your insightful comments and experience has cleared up many of my earlier concerns. Thank you!

In rotation:

Pelikan M400 with Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji

Nakaya Kuro-tame Desk Pen with Platinum Blue

Visconti Van Gogh Maxi with Aurora Black

 

Twitter: @souveran

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Thanks Antonisz, the side view comparison of the original and modified nibs is invaluable. Are vintage flex nibs also so thin at the shoulders?

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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Wonderful comparison, Antonios! It really does show that OEM "flexible" nibs are not quite like the vintage ones. And it's great to see the work that can be done to make a modern flexible nib act like vintage. Excellent work by John Mottishaw and beautifully displayed by Antonios--can't ask for much more. :D

 

~Gary

Edited by MYU

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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Thank you for your kind words. On the issue of straight one to one comparison of the Mottishawed Namiki versus vintage pens, here is installment number 1: a comparison with a superb flex Snorkel FF3 (see https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...t&p=174370), a great Vacumatic Debutante and the Mottishawed Falcon.

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/3-flex-B.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/3-flex-A.jpg

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One more comparison of writing samples. Clearly the Mottishawed Falcon creates a finer fine line. The inks are not identical - so this may play some role.

The left tail of F, however, is wiggly because the nib caught on the paper. I also had trouble in the upstroke of "l" on the right "Falcon".

It was not just because of too much coffee (which I admit I had :))

 

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b325/azavalia/3-flex-C.jpg

Edited by antoniosz
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I had Mike Masuyama tell me this:

 

Vintage nibs are flex because they were made by "forging process". 100% modern nibs are made of "cold rolled plate cut out and press formed".

 

I think this is really useful information to know. Of course, I didn't ask him what "forging process" means and what "cold rolle plate" means. :)

 

I have to say, I'm very appreciative of a couple of nibmeisters who have been willing to respond to the many questions I had about fountain pens and inks, namely Richard Binder and Mike Masuyama.

m( _ _ )m (– , –) \ (^_^) /

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I had Mike Masuyama tell me this:

 

Vintage nibs are flex because they were made by "forging process". 100% modern nibs are made of "cold rolled plate cut out and press formed".

 

I think this is really useful information to know. Of course, I didn't ask him what "forging process" means and what "cold rolle plate" means. :)

 

I am afraid that this statement does not mean much. Old nibs were made from sheet which was then cut out and press formed for thickness (see wahl patent 1,867,932), but I many of the modern nibs are made similarly to Nakaya (http://www.nakaya.org/ekoutei.html) where a variable roll gap is used to give the proper thickness variation to the nib and then the nibs are cut and bend (but the thickness does not change). Both methods are perfectly capable of producing flex nibs.

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  • 5 months later...

A great review of a wonderful pen. I use my SF almost every day as it's totally reliable and produces first class results.

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  • 4 months later...

I love my Falcon Mottishawed Spencerian, it lays down thin to thick lines extremely consistently. Occasionally, the nib may catch slightly on the upstroke, but I have not considered it fragile or severe enough to the point that I am worried about the nib as long I am careful with my writing. This is an artist's nib, and should be used as such--with the care an artist uses with his work.

 

I'd say my only real issue is that without generous blotting the ink may bead up under the tines during a flex and then lay a blot of ink straight on the paper. This pen was designed for modern writing, so that isn't really a correctable issue. Just learn to use the pen and you can tell when it needs to be re-blotted. For a modern pen made vintage I would give it an A+, I've never seen better.

"Do your damnedest in an ostentatious matter all the time," General George S Patton

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I love my Falcon Mottishawed Spencerian, it lays down thin to thick lines extremely consistently. Occasionally, the nib may catch slightly on the upstroke, but I have not considered it fragile or severe enough to the point that I am worried about the nib as long I am careful with my writing. This is an artist's nib, and should be used as such--with the care an artist uses with his work.

 

I'd say my only real issue is that without generous blotting the ink may bead up under the tines during a flex and then lay a blot of ink straight on the paper. This pen was designed for modern writing, so that isn't really a correctable issue. Just learn to use the pen and you can tell when it needs to be re-blotted. For a modern pen made vintage I would give it an A+, I've never seen better.

 

Just to clarify what I wrote because I dont want people to think that I am bad mouthing the Mottishaw Spencerian Falcon. The pen does exactly what it is supposed to do. It is essentially an approximation of dip pens. As such it has to be used carefully. For a calligrapher who pays strict attention to the form and is slow in execution this is excellent pen. It just does not match my own personal preference which is to write fast with a flex nib.

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The Namiki Falcon was my first sort of flex pen and I loved it. I loved it even more when I found out about Mr. Mottishaw and ordered my first full flex xxxf Namiki Falcon which I used daily for 2 years straight, none of my other pens have yet earned this distinction including the two Nakaya full flex pens and full flex Pelikan M250 nibs that I've gotten from Mr. Mottishaw. In fact the first full flex nib that I worked on myself was yet another Namiki Falcon and thanks to Mr. Mottishaw's pens I got that pens nib right the first time and it gave me the confidence to go on and flex just about every 14k nibbed pen that I've got. I love flexy nibs so much that I use them almost exclusively now, except for a few Italics that I need for my research and design work. The Namiki Falcon is a very exceptional pen for its price even with a customized full flex nib like the one that Mr. Mottishaw does.

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I also have one of these custom babies (as well as an out-of-the-box SF). The out-of-the-box one is an extremely reliable writer and enjoyable for everyday use... everyone should try one! (I'm wishing for one in an "XF" soft, as well as an italic...)

 

As to my custom version, I experienced all the same issues as the OP -- the pen is a bit finicky, even temperamental and all, but it still is my favorite pen. I too write FAST. And it can lay down a spidery line like nothing else I've ever seen. It flexes nicely, but it does snag the paper when you do it, so it's hard to get nice flowing flourishes consistently (don't even bother with cheap soaky paper, there will be paper shreds everywhere). And when you get it to flex a bit, the feed drags the paper :( I don't know how to do a thing with feeds, so it is what it is.

 

I will admit to very carefully using some film to smooth out the insides of the tines a little which helped a lot on the snagging (but not completely). I was afraid I'd spring the nib otherwise, and doing so made me much happier and allowed me to not "fear" it and use it everyday.

I just hope I'll be forgiven for such a "sin"...

 

If I could have 2 wishes, it would be for the nib not to "catch" and the feed not to drag. That would cause some sort of pen nirvana or something.

 

Unfortunately for me, I've yet to experience a vintage flexy to compare it with, but now I have more desire to than ever. I don't know where to look or what to start looking for in a nice vintage nib/pen... any suggestions?

 

--Carol

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