First Time Using A Flex Pen

[jelly]

After lurking around these parts, I finally took the inky plunge bought a flex pen, an Ackermann Pump pen with a Gillot 303 nib because it was pretty cheap for the amount of flex it seemed to offer, and I can always bum a few nibs off my school if need be.

After a literal month of anticipation, it finally arrived and this was the result:

 

This seems to be my natural hand if I write slowly, I quite like the rhythm it gets going once you start writing it

 

Bad attempt at copying out some script from the internet

 

Some rambling bs, was just looking for some excuse to write

 

So what do you (vous) think?

 

(I borrowed the ink from school, some concoction of purple and black)

Edited February 22, 2014 by jelly

[Scribblesoften]

I like it, Jelly. You can see the pen railroading when it runs out of ink. As a first time you can see the line variation that is possible. Remember, you don't have to flex the nib completely on every downstroke. I think your concocted ink actually has a bit of shading going on too. Very good first writing session. When you are looking for something to write, try copying passages out of your favorite books. Welcome to the FPN. Using a pump pen is a skill unto itself beyond using a flex nib. Keep practicing you will see progress.

[Tonkus]

This is a great site for tutorials and samples.

 

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons_spencerian.php

 

And the videos are awesome .

Edited February 22, 2014 by Tonkus

[Tasmith]

Very good for the first time!

[Tasmith]

This is a great site for tutorials and samples.

 

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons_spencerian.php

 

And the videos are awesome .

Thanks!

[linearM]

I concur with Scribblesoften, you don't have to push the nib to the max. Relax a bit, see what happens when you press half as hard. Your script will be more relaxed and flowing and your line variation will not be as exaggerated but pleasant to look at. After a while your handwriting will develop sort of a cadence, with you naturally putting a bit more pressure on the downstroke.

 

You might look at some of Zed's posts here on FPN. He is able to get some beautiful script from his fountain pens. Check out this post: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/170798-10-vintage-waterman-pens-with-remarkable-nibs/ . You will see what he is able to do with a vintage fountain pen. And, I believe he is a fellow countryman.

[jelly]

This is a great site for tutorials and samples.

 

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons_spencerian.php

 

And the videos are awesome .

 

Thanks!

 

I concur with Scribblesoften, you don't have to push the nib to the max. Relax a bit, see what happens when you press half as hard. Your script will be more relaxed and flowing and your line variation will not be as exaggerated but pleasant to look at. After a while your handwriting will develop sort of a cadence, with you naturally putting a bit more pressure on the downstroke.

 

You might look at some of Zed's posts here on FPN. He is able to get some beautiful script from his fountain pens. Check out this post: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/170798-10-vintage-waterman-pens-with-remarkable-nibs/ . You will see what he is able to do with a vintage fountain pen. And, I believe he is a fellow countryman.

That's amazingly regular handwriting, looks like something that would be almost letterpressed!

[legume]

If I may make a suggestion, try nibs other than the 303. I do have a fairly light hand, but I must concede that the Gillott 303 is much to scratchy for me to use as I'd like. I much prefer the Leonardt Principal EF, Hunt 101 (which looks and performs similarly to the LP, though with thicker hairlines), and Zebra G, which is a much stiffer but very smooth nib. The Hiro No. 700 has also recently become a favorite. I do understand that you need different feed units for different sized nibs though, so this may not be a possibility.

[jelly]

If I may make a suggestion, try nibs other than the 303. I do have a fairly light hand, but I must concede that the Gillott 303 is much to scratchy for me to use as I'd like. I much prefer the Leonardt Principal EF, Hunt 101 (which looks and performs similarly to the LP, though with thicker hairlines), and Zebra G, which is a much stiffer but very smooth nib. The Hiro No. 700 has also recently become a favorite. I do understand that you need different feed units for different sized nibs though, so this may not be a possibility.

 

Originally I found the nib very hard to use because of my left handed hooked overwriting style, but I've managed to somehow corral the amount of pressure I'm putting down into the right range for it to not catch/scratch too much, and I've started underwriting & turning the paper 90 degrees more too. I think moving the nib to the side as well as up reduces the scratchy-ness on upstrokes too (possibly from more ink lubricating the tip?).

 

And I might buy the large feed for the pen as it seems to be able to fit many more nibs (I think the hunt and the zebra?) but I'm not sure if I really want to wait another month+ to get them.

Edited February 23, 2014 by jelly