Choosing between FPRs (with flex nibs): Himalaya, Jaipur or Triveni

[Anjor]

I'm trying to choose between these three options from FPR. I'd get it with their EF Extra Flex nib:

Himalaya v.2

Jaipur v.2

Triveni

 

I've searched on here and read some reviews, all of which seem to be mostly favorable, but none seemed to have compared them side by side. I did find this page on FPR that compares them visually, which only tells me that Triveni is the largest of them. (I'd have loved to try their Triveni Jr. but it is only available in a nib that's too expensive for me.)

 

For now, I only have experience with Lamy Safari and TWSBI Eco, and like them both. I've used FPs on and off through the last 40 or so years, mostly in the first two decades of my life, so I do have experience with them -- just haven't forayed into the more "interesting" territory until now. I'm intrigued by the flex nibs because I'm interested in lettering and modern calligraphy with FPs. I've done some with the Pilot parallels and have liked it, but want to try somethig different and have heard good things about the FPR flex nibs, especially for this price point.

 

Any tips or comparisons would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

 

Edited January 24 by Anjor
grammar

[Turquoise88]

It sounds like what you are most interested in is the flex nibs. If that is the case, I wouldn’t worry too much about the pen model — just pick the one you like the best 😉

 

I have both the Jaipur and Himalaya; I got them to use for ink sampling; I chose them because they were the least expensive models and I was buying for the nibs, not for the pens. I got a broad and a flex nib.  The pens themselves are not as hefty or as solid as the LAMY Safari or the TWSBI Eco that you already have, but they are by no means flimsy either.

 

I do have  flex nibs on more expensive pens, and I have been impressed with FDR’s flex nibs in comparison. I find them easy to use, requiring very little pressure to produce nice line variation.  I think going with an FDR pen (any model) is a great way to experiment with flex nibs and see if they are to your liking. And I think the flex nibs definitely stand up to the competition — considering the cost of the pens, they are a real bargain! 

 

 

[jandrew]

I have the Triveni with the ultra-flex nib and find it very comfortable to write with --- it comes with a plastic feed, whereas at least one of the others comes with an ebonite feed and might keep up the ink flow better. I also picked up a couple extra ultra-flex #6 nibs and have one mounted in a Franklin Christoph model 20 and am quite happy with that setup.

[Loke]

Hi Anjor,

 

I am not able to provide a full comparison, only a feedback from my own experience with the Himalaya v2.

The pen is absolutely amazing, the ultraflex version is the way to go for everyday's use given that you have a "light hand" (I tested both, flex and UF). The regular flex might be as good for fancy writing though. There's an ebonite feed in the Himalaya v2 which is nice for an improved ink flow, which you will need.

 

Given the price tag, I would suggest to go for it and test it yourself, you will end up using the pen even if for another purposes than caligraphy. The UF quality is amazing and compares to much more expensive pens.

 

//Loke

[effrafax]

I only have Himalayas (2 V1s with #6 nibs, and a V2) and a Jaipur V2 to compare.   I'd suggest that if you're doing a lot of flexing, the Jaipur would be the better option, as the piston filler holds a lot more ink than the standard pump convertor on the Himalaya.  The other option is to eye-dropper the Himalaya, which I've done on one of mine.  I have a flex nib, ultra-flex nib and a 1mm stub on the Himalayas and an ultra-flex on the Jaipur.

The only issue I've had is that, being in a very hot location (far north Queensland, Australia) I find the Himalayas always have ink on the section and in the cap on opening, but they don't burp ink whilst writing.  No problems like that with the Jaipur, it's been very reliable and a pleasure to write with (as are the Himalayas once cleaned up!).

Triveni is next on my list ...

[kpong11]

For Triveni and Triveni Jr. may consider Tanoshii version with upgrade trim and acrylic.

[SoulSamurai]

I have an old Triveni (with a #5 nib) and a couple of Himalayas (again, the #5 nib version). I am fond of both models, but for flex the Himalaya is most likely going to have less difficulty keeping up due to the generous ebonite feed. The plastic feed on the Triveni, which allows the pen to use standard cartridges, is more likely to railroad in my experience. As a result my Himalayas are two of my favourite pens.

 

I've never tried the Jaipur, but it looks nice, and it seems it also has an ebonite feed. I think the choice between the Himalaya and the Jaipur is probably just a question of which filling system you prefer. The Himalaya has an internal "converter" (not really a converter but that's a matter of semantics I suppose) that is easy to disassemble and clean but does have a smell that some people don't like (although you will only be able to smell it when you open the pen body). Of course you need to unscrew the body to check the ink level, while the Jaipur has an ink window - and I would be surprised if it didn't hold more ink than the Himalaya too.

[Anjor]

Thank you for your input and help! After reading, comparing and much agonizing, I have ordered a Jaipur v.2 with the ultra-flex nib and a couple other nibs. I really couldn't find a way to decide between the Jaipur or Himalaya, but went with the former because of the screw-on nib option and the ink-window (and because it is named after my hometown, ha!) I will report back on how it goes, once I have it in hand. Thanks again!

Edited January 25 by Anjor

[Santorino]

On 1/23/2021 at 11:49 PM, Anjor said:

I'm trying to choose between these three options from FPR. I'd get it with their EF Extra Flex nib:

Himalaya v.2

Jaipur v.2

Triveni

 

I've searched on here and read some reviews, all of which seem to be mostly favorable, but none seemed to have compared them side by side. I did find this page on FPR that compares them visually, which only tells me that Triveni is the largest of them. (I'd have loved to try their Triveni Jr. but it is only available in a nib that's too expensive for me.)

 

For now, I only have experience with Lamy Safari and TWSBI Eco, and like them both. I've used FPs on and off through the last 40 or so years, mostly in the first two decades of my life, so I do have experience with them -- just haven't forayed into the more "interesting" territory until now. I'm intrigued by the flex nibs because I'm interested in lettering and modern calligraphy with FPs. I've done some with the Pilot parallels and have liked it, but want to try somethig different and have heard good things about the FPR flex nibs, especially for this price point.

 

Any tips or comparisons would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!

 

I just received a FPR Himalaya with a 14 K gold flex nib. The barrel is attractive and nicely crafted, but quite light weight. The nib itself is nicely made, but I find it stiff — a reluctant flex.  It takes quite a lot of pressure to flex the nib. 

A free demonstrator with a medium #5 nib was graciously included in my order—a nice surprise. Although it is not a flexible nib, I find that it actually writes better than the #6 gold flex nib.  

 

[SoulSamurai]

When you say "it writes better", do you mean smoother? I think I've heard that stiff nibs tend to write smoother than soft ones.

[Santorino]

SoulSam, no, not necessarily. It depends on the material the nib is made from, its shape, the quality of the craftsmanship, and particularly the way the tip is shaped. The #5 FPR demonstrator, though quite stiff, not only writes smoothly, but provides some subtle line variations at certain angles — not from flexing, but because of the shape of the tip itself. I'm able to produce better curved strokes and flourishes than with the #6 gold nib (so far at least — both are still quite new).    

I personally dislike very bulbous nibs and prefer a fine tip. For the 14 gold nib on the Himalaya, I would have preferred a slightly more pointed tip — but that is subjective.  

In terms of how well a pen writes, another consideration is the feed itself — how efficiently the pen mechanism supplies ink to the nib. (The ink and paper can make a significant difference as well.)

Since receiving my Himalaya, I have been in contact with Kevin, the owner of FPR, who informed me that he is starting to offer modifications to the gold nib to produce greater flexion, for a nominal surcharge.  I may send it to back to him for modification, or I might entrust it to someone who could also regrind the tip to a finer point (something that FPR does not do).  

I hope these clarifications are of some use!   

Edited January 27 by Santorino