Hey guys! I’d like to announce the opening of the GabeDew flex pen brand! After my many years of R&D, I have bought 25 Lorelei fountain pens off of eBay and I will be selling them for $100 a pop.
Thanks for this review Doug! I am a fan of the BlueDew pen and have been studying Copperplate for about 10 months. I AM one of those people who does spend an hour writing Happy Bar Mitzvah Irving ← and I did guffaw at your line and clip. So, thanks for that too 🤣
I LOL'd quince. While I am losing interest in/addiction to way overpriced and all simply Jowo nib holder fountain pens "faster than a speeding bullet," I am gaining interest in watching Doug's hilariously entertaining reviews. In the fountain pen world, they are "truth, justice, and the American wa... ." No wait! Scratch that. Doug's reviews are "truth justice, and a better tomorrow."
Hiya Doug, The 'unique', breather hole is exactly the same as the ones in a very common calligraphy nib called the principal, and has been that way for over a hundred years. The gentleman is not adding anything new by his claim. The Nikko G nibs tend to be the stiffest but many flex pens use the Zebra G which is a tiny bit more forgiving. However, try the Tachikawa G nibs as they are easier to use by a good degree, just as available and wear at the same speed and a tad cheaper. Thanks very much for another great video, David.
Thank you for your opinion about the Aaron "Beta" Flex pen. I also take issue with Aaron pens assertions for having designed the nib. It's identical to the Lorelei and makes far more sense of Bluedew's assertion that it was an earlier prototype that Bluedew worked on. Even the FAQ on Aaron Pens website is almost wholesale lifted from the Bluedew website FAQ.
A viewer informed me that they had purchased a Lorelei directly and it came with the BlueDew engraving on the barrel and the "customization" on the nib. So, it is clear, through this shipping mistake, that the BlueDew are manufactured completely in China, by Lorelei as well.
Even initially watching you do the writing sample with the sound off, I could SEE what a nasty, scratchy writing experience it was. I like flex nibs (for drawing cartoons), but this looks way too uncomfortable. Great demo and commentary, as always.
I feel you on the patience for flex nibs, I prefer stubs or architect style. Any idea when you’ll get around the reviewing the various new PenBBS calligraphy nibs?
Hi Doug. Many thanks for such a detailed and comprehensive review of this model from Aaron Pens. This pen is not for me but I enjoyed your first impressions and your flex writing is better than mine.
very nice Calligraphy work there ;) There is a way to shape the nib with a bit of micromesh so it is smoothe but it should be done very carefully as those pens do not have any tipping that I can see of anyway I have sharpened and smoothed a dip pen nib for over a year now and it writes as smoothe as the day first smoothed it .. flex steel is not suppose to be used past a certain point but I got my years worth out of it by smoothing it with one of those 6 way emery boards and it is still silky smoothe. take care
Yes, indeed. No tipping material and there are sharp edges. I didn't want to smooth the nib before doing the review as it gives a false impression of how well it writes out of the box.
Love the video, usual great quality.I bought the Noodler's triple tail got £50 and eye dropped the pen with a syringe as long as I keep the pen full It doesn't burp on me smooth up and down. Keep up the Great work always a joy to watch PS: ebonite feed on the Triple tail
Love the double slitted music nibs of Noodler. However it can be tricky if you really push it to not have one side or the railroad. But otherwise it flexes like a champ. I have the Neponset version, and would love to try the Trippletail to see it the slight change in the nib geometry helps.
Thanks Doug!!! Nice review. Honestly... seems a knock off Jinhao Centennial (which is a Doufold knock off as well), the only nice thing is that this one seems to post nicely (so I don't understand why they said "proprietary designs from Australia"). Anyway, thanks again for the review and have a nice week.
As a person who enjoys playing with flex, the only two I would recommend are the FPR Himalayan 2, with ultraflex, and a pilot CH912 with the gold FA nib, but an after market ebonite feed. Both have minor issues. The FPR railroads more The Pilot has trouble with event the lightest hint of grease from your hand on the paper. Both only like a few inks, and the FPR takes more fiddling around until your get the nib and feed in the perfect position. The FPR is nice for playing with, but I would not use it for writing half a page. The Pilot, once you get the hang of it, is fine for writing pages. I do not know if it is me learning to use the Pilot better, or the Pilot job maturing, but o find it much easier to write with after about five hours of writing
Thanks for the review. Presumably there's a market for fountain pens given as gifts on special occasions to people who'll never use them, where you can totally add value with nice branding, but a flex pen seems a bit too niche for that.
I was once all about Flex. After having to realign the tines of my "Secretary of De Flex" nib every 2-3 weeks...I got tired of tinkering. Then there's the unreliability of the Ebonite feed/housing that always loses it's seal and then the pen just floods ink when you flex the nib....BAH...I can't be bothered anymore with it all. NOW.... I get plenty of line variation with my 1.1 Stub nib and no more scratchiness or having to tinker on the nib every other week. I still have my reliable "Blue Dew" nib in my penbbs-487 and my Mabie Todd Swan with gold flex nib for when I really feel the need to flex-write, but all my FPR flex nibs, FNF ebonite feed units and the SODF nib have all been put away in frustration.
I think you’re doing something wrong, maybe writing with an uneven angle. I have essentially the same pens you listed and once I heat set the ebonite feeds I never had an issue. When writing at the appropriate angle, flex nibs should align themselves naturally, so if they are going out of alignment you are probably leaning one way or the other when you flex. But if flex is not for you, then it’s not for you. Good of you to realize that. But I don’t think it’s the tools’ fault, you should sell those on to someone who will appreciate them.
I miss a warning that those nibs are untipped and will need replacement quite quickly. I think they are not stainless either and will corrode if left in contact with ink.
Great, honest review, as always! Let me say that you pronounced the name wrong. It's not Aaron (like Erin) but A A Ron (Check out the substitute teacher vids from Key & Peele). I'm with you completely with regard to flex nibs & flex writing. But you are too modest, your flex writing was/is pretty good looking in my opinion. Thanks again, Doug!
Kind of looks like a Jinhao Centennial with a Zebra G nib. I tried that with an x750 and I had basically the same problems. It dug into the paper and had ink starvation, (BTW Jinhao 100 is now in Galaxie Blue for $15 Cdn on Ali Express. I know that there is someone around here who really likes that colour)
@@InkquiringMinds And if you destroy it there is a supply of replacement nibs readily available, so you can feel free to really push the Zebra G to the limit.
Great comparison! Looking at these three, all I can picture is some Chinese OEM with a catalog of models that new pen companies can flip through and pick out from some kind of template, then add a tiny tweak and Change the markup at retail. They all look pretty, and the Aaron physical dimensions look as comfortable in hand as you describe just by seeing it on video, but compared to my Pilot E95S, the price point for the Aaron seems damn impossible to justify.
There is absolutely no contest when compared to a Pilot e95s (a completely different animal of course). It is one of the best fountain pens for the money on the market.
Getting it direct from China for around $30 is fair, whether the tweaks justify the three times as much is the question. Here in case of Aaron it would seem not. The one Janice hot seems like a better deal, and better flex.
Thanks, Doug! The comparisons with the Lorelei and Blue Dew were really helpful, appreciate the effort. Sorry to say looks like a cash grab to me, a bit like the website that offered free pens for $50 shipping. Cheers!
No worries! One of those FB "free pen just pay the shipping" things got me started in fountain pens again a few years ago. It was called "Too Shiny For Ya" and offered a Jinhao x450 free for only $12.98US shipping. What a bargain! Good pen though, even though they are $5 with free shipping on eBay.
@@InkquiringMinds I have got them as cheap as $3 shipped, but of course shipping has gone up as of late. If you get three or five, then often the per pen price can still be well under $5 shipped.
Kind of expensive for what they are...nice looking pens, don't get me wrong, but for that amount of money I can buy 2 dedicated fountain pens that are using these calligraphy / artist flex nibs. If anyone wants a cheaper FP that is using flex nibs like Crowquill, G Nikko or Zebra G, look at Ackerman. For almost $40 CAD, some time ago, I got the Manga G Nikko from them. Solid pen! You can use any ink, including India ink - main reason I got it - if you want.
I’m with you, Doug - flex is just lost on me. I have one cool flex pen which is a modified TWSBI 530 from Pendleton Brown. It’s the only flex I’ve ever been able to use with any success. I do like that material and design on the pen, but it’s well out of my price range. I paid barely more for the Narwhal Nautilus that has won my heart.
I'm lucky to have found some nice Japanese soft nibs that provide flex when I'm in the mood for it. One is new old stock and the other two are old and scratched but broken in like a good pair of jeans. The ebay gods blessed me for a bit and they were about $20 each. With patience, you too can get your broke ass a gold flexible nib! (I said to myself, a person without a lot of pen money) Most people aren't wanting huge wedding invitation type of swells on the go when they write, or else they would learn how to do that the old fashioned way. But people expect too much when they go into a fast food restaurant so *shrug*
Nice review as always! now I m not a "calligrapher" but I ´ve done a lot of practice in the last 2 years and learned from Paul Antonio..with .. let´s say "not too bad" results.. All these nibs are "dip Calligraphy Nibs" adapted to be used on fountain pens. They do not have an "iridium" point and they are disposable. I bought a narwhal pen with one of that nib called "zebra G" (or at least I think it is a Zebra G dip Nib). They are ok if used with a dip pen without feed, some of those nibs are quite flexible but they are all disposable.. therefore.... in my opinion.. not very suitable for a fountain pen. And by the way .. only the nib costs between 1 and 5 $.
I’m pretty sure that this particular pen, and the Blue Dew pen, which uses the same nib and feed, are different from dip pen nibs like the zebra G in one crucial way: the zebra G nib is not stainless steel. It will corrode when left in contact with ink. The nibs on this pen and on the Blue Dew (which own) are made of stainless steel. They are unaffected by contact with ink. So they will last much much longer than the sorts of dip nibs that calligraphers tend to use.
Thanks for this. The Zebra G and this "B" fex nib are different animals. The Zebra G is MUCH more flexible than even the BlueDew but they do rust. And the Zebra G has substantial side cuts.
Flex isn't my jam either. I know there's still some into the "Flex craze" but actually is not a selling point for me, in fact is a counter selling point because flex means super fine to be even scratchy when trying to use a pen to write normally, after unsuccessfully (in my case) trying calligraphy. Thank you for the video Doug.
I like flex nibs but in your review as well as another I watched earlier this morning I see similar criticisms with the nib. Too scratchy and feathers. That shouldn't be the case for a $120 pen and is a real strike against getting this model. I'm finding Kanwrite flex nibs to be relatively smooth and good flex writing nibs.
"Vintage flex" my eye... Maybe like an Esterbrook, but not a truly flexible nib, from what I've seen. And I agree with you completely about the feed. I love the pens that have ebonite feeds, more than plastic. As far as plastic feeds, like What I Ink has said, "uninspiring plastic feed." There are a lot of questions that come to mind about the honesty of the company... I don't generally use any flex nibs, but I do have several. From what I've seen with the Aaron Beta, my Esterbrook 2048 has better flex, and my 1912 Mabie Todd Swan C2 is miles above either of those for flex. I still like my fairly stiff nibs for almost all of my writing, even those that I can drive into cured white oak with no damage. I've done calligraphy in the past, and I still have yet to find a modern fountain pen that works well for calligraphy, for me. Like you, I don't think that I have the patience for one, though I have done well with dip pens. (Not recently, as I've been out of practice for several decades.) Like a certain pen "made in Miami" looking suspiciously like a Chinese pen, I'm pretty sure that you nailed it about the origin being the same for all 3 pens you showed. Not sure that the company has any really original designs in this pen...
There's no problem with selling a product that you have designed and had built for you in China. Apple does it all the time. Just be above board about everything.
I used to be very interested in flex nibs but quickly discovered how scratchy they are and how long it takes to write anything. For me a smooth medium or broad nib wins hands down. Maybe if I am ever lucky enough to afford it an 18ct gold soft nib would be better.
Or a vintage flex, which are gold, and smooth and take way less pressure to flex. Although parallels can do wonders, and can be transplanted into more conventional pen bodies for convenience.
Somewhere in my dip nib collection I have some of these "B" nibs. I bought them for artwork using a dip nib holder, and they are very similar to a Comic G nib. Unfortunately I do not remember from where I purchased them, and I cannot currently find a source. I notice in the closeups that these nibs (as mine are) are untipped. Such untipped nibs will wear over a relatively short period of time compared to tipped nibs, and will need to be replaced. The sharpness to achieve a hairline and being untipped is why the tip digs into the paper. I'm wondering if this nib could be easily replaced with a Comic G nib. Either way, these nibs are intended for "drawing" (and I count calligraphy as drawing the letters) rather than "writing." I love the acrylic, but I would not purchase one of these pens, even at a very substantial discount from the price(s) shown unless I could find a way to fit it with a proper nib for writing.
The "comic" or Zebra G nib is different than these and has a good deal of cuts into the shoulders to allow flexing. They are also quite sharp. They do rust after a while. The B nibs have no tipping but can actually be smoothed with some effort.
Interesting that Alan got a lot of feathering with the Aaron paper. I've had better luck with low cost Indian Kanwrite flex nib pens. Alan used Pilot Blue and Blue black ink. Beautiful bottles now available on Ebay independent of Pilot 823 Pens 70 mm and large bottles. Also 30 mm in shops /stores.
Kanwrites can write. They flex pretty well fir the price, but if you push it the feed cannot keep up, so you can't really flex it to the max it can, or have to go very very slow. Still enjoy messing with it though.
1. It certainly looks like a dip nib. Presenting it as a fountain nib, if it really is a dip nib, suggesting that it will last for a long time, is false advertising. There are other companies that provide such a pen in an honest manner. 2. Plastic is certainly swirly, though.
Hey guys! I’d like to announce the opening of the GabeDew flex pen brand! After my many years of R&D, I have bought 25 Lorelei fountain pens off of eBay and I will be selling them for $100 a pop.
LMAO You so funneee Gabe! But, ain't it the truth!
I felt that cut 😂
HAhahahaha...basically!
Finally, a reviewer that demonstrates a decent penmanship!
Wow! That’s really nice of you to say!
Honest and thorough as usual! And, of course, love the added levity too!
Thanks so much!
Thanks for this review Doug! I am a fan of the BlueDew pen and have been studying Copperplate for about 10 months. I AM one of those people who does spend an hour writing Happy Bar Mitzvah Irving ← and I did guffaw at your line and clip. So, thanks for that too 🤣
Right on!
You’re in top form on this one, Doug. I LOL’d thrice.
LOL'd thrice? Perchance a guffaw?
I LOL'd quince. While I am losing interest in/addiction to way overpriced and all simply Jowo nib holder fountain pens "faster than a speeding bullet," I am gaining interest in watching Doug's hilariously entertaining reviews. In the fountain pen world, they are "truth, justice, and the American wa... ." No wait! Scratch that. Doug's reviews are "truth justice, and a better tomorrow."
Good review, and humor. I use flex pens all the time and never had any dig into the paper, even when reverse writing.
Thanks for watching!
Hiya Doug, The 'unique', breather hole is exactly the same as the ones in a very common calligraphy nib called the principal, and has been that way for over a hundred years. The gentleman is not adding anything new by his claim. The Nikko G nibs tend to be the stiffest but many flex pens use the Zebra G which is a tiny bit more forgiving. However, try the Tachikawa G nibs as they are easier to use by a good degree, just as available and wear at the same speed and a tad cheaper. Thanks very much for another great video, David.
Thanks, David. The side slits on the shoulders of the nib make the BlueDew MUCH more flexible than either the Lorelei or Aaron.
Thank you for your opinion about the Aaron "Beta" Flex pen. I also take issue with Aaron pens assertions for having designed the nib. It's identical to the Lorelei and makes far more sense of Bluedew's assertion that it was an earlier prototype that Bluedew worked on. Even the FAQ on Aaron Pens website is almost wholesale lifted from the Bluedew website FAQ.
A viewer informed me that they had purchased a Lorelei directly and it came with the BlueDew engraving on the barrel and the "customization" on the nib. So, it is clear, through this shipping mistake, that the BlueDew are manufactured completely in China, by Lorelei as well.
@@InkquiringMinds Not a surprise at all. After all who better to customize it, than the factory that makes, especially at volume.
An honest and fair review Doug 👏 In my book, a cheap pen trying to pass as a quality pen.
That's certainly how it looks. But that's not unique. Monteverde does the same thing with a much worse pen in the Monza.
@@InkquiringMinds And let's not even mention most things Jaffa does. But true enough the Monza is a real low blow.
Thank you for keeping it real.
Even initially watching you do the writing sample with the sound off, I could SEE what a nasty, scratchy writing experience it was. I like flex nibs (for drawing cartoons), but this looks way too uncomfortable. Great demo and commentary, as always.
Superb intro music 🎸
I feel you on the patience for flex nibs, I prefer stubs or architect style. Any idea when you’ll get around the reviewing the various new PenBBS calligraphy nibs?
I've got two on the slow boat.
Hi Doug. Many thanks for such a detailed and comprehensive review of this model from Aaron Pens. This pen is not for me but I enjoyed your first impressions and your flex writing is better than mine.
My pleasure!
I appreciate that you shared all 3 pens for the comparison. The baby pix is so you!
It IS me! Down to the moustache. Boy did I get teased in Kindergarten!
@@InkquiringMinds they just didn't know what good is!
That slow fast editing was superb. It look no different than a dip nib though.
very nice Calligraphy work there ;) There is a way to shape the nib with a bit of micromesh so it is smoothe but it should be done very carefully as those pens do not have any tipping that I can see of anyway I have sharpened and smoothed a dip pen nib for over a year now and it writes as smoothe as the day first smoothed it .. flex steel is not suppose to be used past a certain point but I got my years worth out of it by smoothing it with one of those 6 way emery boards and it is still silky smoothe. take care
Yes, indeed. No tipping material and there are sharp edges. I didn't want to smooth the nib before doing the review as it gives a false impression of how well it writes out of the box.
Love the video, usual great quality.I bought the Noodler's triple tail got £50 and eye dropped the pen with a syringe as long as I keep the pen full It doesn't burp on me smooth up and down. Keep up the Great work always a joy to watch PS: ebonite feed on the Triple tail
Ebonite feeds go a long way to keeping up with the needed ink flow on these flex pens - like the Himilaya.
Love the double slitted music nibs of Noodler. However it can be tricky if you really push it to not have one side or the railroad. But otherwise it flexes like a champ. I have the Neponset version, and would love to try the Trippletail to see it the slight change in the nib geometry helps.
Thanks Doug!!! Nice review. Honestly... seems a knock off Jinhao Centennial (which is a Doufold knock off as well), the only nice thing is that this one seems to post nicely (so I don't understand why they said "proprietary designs from Australia"). Anyway, thanks again for the review and have a nice week.
Thanks, Guderia! You too!
As a person who enjoys playing with flex, the only two I would recommend are the FPR Himalayan 2, with ultraflex, and a pilot CH912 with the gold FA nib, but an after market ebonite feed.
Both have minor issues. The FPR railroads more
The Pilot has trouble with event the lightest hint of grease from your hand on the paper.
Both only like a few inks, and the FPR takes more fiddling around until your get the nib and feed in the perfect position.
The FPR is nice for playing with, but I would not use it for writing half a page.
The Pilot, once you get the hang of it, is fine for writing pages.
I do not know if it is me learning to use the Pilot better, or the Pilot job maturing, but o find it much easier to write with after about five hours of writing
I have not used any flex pens over £200, so above that price point, there may be better.
Thank you, Jonathan!
FPR has many issues, and that is just the pens, to say nothing of the larger enterprise.
Thanks for the review. Presumably there's a market for fountain pens given as gifts on special occasions to people who'll never use them, where you can totally add value with nice branding, but a flex pen seems a bit too niche for that.
I was once all about Flex.
After having to realign the tines of my "Secretary of De Flex" nib every 2-3 weeks...I got tired of tinkering. Then there's the unreliability of the Ebonite feed/housing that always loses it's seal and then the pen just floods ink when you flex the nib....BAH...I can't be bothered anymore with it all.
NOW....
I get plenty of line variation with my 1.1 Stub nib and no more scratchiness or having to tinker on the nib every other week.
I still have my reliable "Blue Dew" nib in my penbbs-487 and my Mabie Todd Swan with gold flex nib for when I really feel the need to flex-write, but all my FPR flex nibs, FNF ebonite feed units and the SODF nib have all been put away in frustration.
I think you’re doing something wrong, maybe writing with an uneven angle. I have essentially the same pens you listed and once I heat set the ebonite feeds I never had an issue. When writing at the appropriate angle, flex nibs should align themselves naturally, so if they are going out of alignment you are probably leaning one way or the other when you flex.
But if flex is not for you, then it’s not for you. Good of you to realize that. But I don’t think it’s the tools’ fault, you should sell those on to someone who will appreciate them.
I enjoy my stubs, architects and mini-fudes. I have a couple more Penbbs calligraphy nibs on the way from China on the slow boat.
I miss a warning that those nibs are untipped and will need replacement quite quickly. I think they are not stainless either and will corrode if left in contact with ink.
Great, honest review, as always! Let me say that you pronounced the name wrong. It's not Aaron (like Erin) but A A Ron (Check out the substitute teacher vids from Key & Peele). I'm with you completely with regard to flex nibs & flex writing. But you are too modest, your flex writing was/is pretty good looking in my opinion. Thanks again, Doug!
Thanks for the info! Checking out Key & Peele!
OMG LMAO! That's so funny Jay EFF!
Kind of looks like a Jinhao Centennial with a Zebra G nib. I tried that with an x750 and I had basically the same problems. It dug into the paper and had ink starvation, (BTW Jinhao 100 is now in Galaxie Blue for $15 Cdn on Ali Express. I know that there is someone around here who really likes that colour)
The Zebra G nib is quite different. It is not stainless steel and it has some major cuts to the shoulders of the nib to allow it to flex a LOT more.
@@InkquiringMinds And if you destroy it there is a supply of replacement nibs readily available, so you can feel free to really push the Zebra G to the limit.
Great comparison! Looking at these three, all I can picture is some Chinese OEM with a catalog of models that new pen companies can flip through and pick out from some kind of template, then add a tiny tweak and Change the markup at retail. They all look pretty, and the Aaron physical dimensions look as comfortable in hand as you describe just by seeing it on video, but compared to my Pilot E95S, the price point for the Aaron seems damn impossible to justify.
There is absolutely no contest when compared to a Pilot e95s (a completely different animal of course). It is one of the best fountain pens for the money on the market.
Getting it direct from China for around $30 is fair, whether the tweaks justify the three times as much is the question. Here in case of Aaron it would seem not. The one Janice hot seems like a better deal, and better flex.
Thanks, Doug! The comparisons with the Lorelei and Blue Dew were really helpful, appreciate the effort. Sorry to say looks like
a cash grab to me, a bit like the website that offered free pens for $50 shipping. Cheers!
No worries! One of those FB "free pen just pay the shipping" things got me started in fountain pens again a few years ago. It was called "Too Shiny For Ya" and offered a Jinhao x450 free for only $12.98US shipping. What a bargain! Good pen though, even though they are $5 with free shipping on eBay.
@@InkquiringMinds I have got them as cheap as $3 shipped, but of course shipping has gone up as of late. If you get three or five, then often the per pen price can still be well under $5 shipped.
Blue Dew seems a much better value. Still a large markup,but you get some extra goodies, and a much better flex nib, so it might just be worth it.
Kind of expensive for what they are...nice looking pens, don't get me wrong, but for that amount of money I can buy 2 dedicated fountain pens that are using these calligraphy / artist flex nibs.
If anyone wants a cheaper FP that is using flex nibs like Crowquill, G Nikko or Zebra G, look at Ackerman. For almost $40 CAD, some time ago, I got the Manga G Nikko from them. Solid pen! You can use any ink, including India ink - main reason I got it - if you want.
Hardware looks like Jinhao or Kaigalu.
My guess is Jinhao. They make pens for Parker, why not Aaron too?
I wonder how these compare to the Osprey.
Hi, is that 5 pen horizontal stand you use in your videos available for purchase?
Thanks Gino. It is a 3D print that my son did for me. The design is not ours, so we can't sell it. But it is available on thingiverse.com
I’m with you, Doug - flex is just lost on me. I have one cool flex pen which is a modified TWSBI 530 from Pendleton Brown. It’s the only flex I’ve ever been able to use with any success.
I do like that material and design on the pen, but it’s well out of my price range. I paid barely more for the Narwhal Nautilus that has won my heart.
I have a Nautilus on the way.
I'm lucky to have found some nice Japanese soft nibs that provide flex when I'm in the mood for it. One is new old stock and the other two are old and scratched but broken in like a good pair of jeans. The ebay gods blessed me for a bit and they were about $20 each. With patience, you too can get your broke ass a gold flexible nib! (I said to myself, a person without a lot of pen money)
Most people aren't wanting huge wedding invitation type of swells on the go when they write, or else they would learn how to do that the old fashioned way. But people expect too much when they go into a fast food restaurant so *shrug*
Yup. Lots of hype!
Nice review as always! now I m not a "calligrapher" but I ´ve done a lot of practice in the last 2 years and learned from Paul Antonio..with .. let´s say "not too bad" results.. All these nibs are "dip Calligraphy Nibs" adapted to be used on fountain pens. They do not have an "iridium" point and they are disposable. I bought a narwhal pen with one of that nib called "zebra G" (or at least I think it is a Zebra G dip Nib). They are ok if used with a dip pen without feed, some of those nibs are quite flexible but they are all disposable.. therefore.... in my opinion.. not very suitable for a fountain pen. And by the way .. only the nib costs between 1 and 5 $.
I’m pretty sure that this particular pen, and the Blue Dew pen, which uses the same nib and feed, are different from dip pen nibs like the zebra G in one crucial way: the zebra G nib is not stainless steel. It will corrode when left in contact with ink. The nibs on this pen and on the Blue Dew (which own) are made of stainless steel. They are unaffected by contact with ink. So they will last much much longer than the sorts of dip nibs that calligraphers tend to use.
Thanks for this. The Zebra G and this "B" fex nib are different animals. The Zebra G is MUCH more flexible than even the BlueDew but they do rust. And the Zebra G has substantial side cuts.
Flex isn't my jam either. I know there's still some into the "Flex craze" but actually is not a selling point for me, in fact is a counter selling point because flex means super fine to be even scratchy when trying to use a pen to write normally, after unsuccessfully (in my case) trying calligraphy.
Thank you for the video Doug.
Thanks, Jorge. These needle point flex nibs CAN be smooth out with some effort.
I like flex nibs but in your review as well as another I watched earlier this morning I see similar criticisms with the nib. Too scratchy and feathers. That shouldn't be the case for a $120 pen and is a real strike against getting this model. I'm finding Kanwrite flex nibs to be relatively smooth and good flex writing nibs.
Cool. Thanks for the info, Stefan!
Kanwrite flex pens are bargain in comparison, and give decent results for modern steel flex nib.
"Vintage flex" my eye... Maybe like an Esterbrook, but not a truly flexible nib, from what I've seen. And I agree with you completely about the feed. I love the pens that have ebonite feeds, more than plastic. As far as plastic feeds, like What I Ink has said, "uninspiring plastic feed."
There are a lot of questions that come to mind about the honesty of the company...
I don't generally use any flex nibs, but I do have several. From what I've seen with the Aaron Beta, my Esterbrook 2048 has better flex, and my 1912 Mabie Todd Swan C2 is miles above either of those for flex. I still like my fairly stiff nibs for almost all of my writing, even those that I can drive into cured white oak with no damage.
I've done calligraphy in the past, and I still have yet to find a modern fountain pen that works well for calligraphy, for me. Like you, I don't think that I have the patience for one, though I have done well with dip pens. (Not recently, as I've been out of practice for several decades.)
Like a certain pen "made in Miami" looking suspiciously like a Chinese pen, I'm pretty sure that you nailed it about the origin being the same for all 3 pens you showed. Not sure that the company has any really original designs in this pen...
There's no problem with selling a product that you have designed and had built for you in China. Apple does it all the time. Just be above board about everything.
@@InkquiringMinds Exactly.
I used to be very interested in flex nibs but quickly discovered how scratchy they are and how long it takes to write anything. For me a smooth medium or broad nib wins hands down. Maybe if I am ever lucky enough to afford it an 18ct gold soft nib would be better.
Try a stub nib sometime, for fancy handwriting without the grief of a flex nib. You can get a Pilot Parallel 1.5mm for $8, for instance.
What he said! A stub or an architect or even a fude nib will give line character without all the shredded paper.
Or a vintage flex, which are gold, and smooth and take way less pressure to flex. Although parallels can do wonders, and can be transplanted into more conventional pen bodies for convenience.
👍
Somewhere in my dip nib collection I have some of these "B" nibs. I bought them for artwork using a dip nib holder, and they are very similar to a Comic G nib. Unfortunately I do not remember from where I purchased them, and I cannot currently find a source. I notice in the closeups that these nibs (as mine are) are untipped. Such untipped nibs will wear over a relatively short period of time compared to tipped nibs, and will need to be replaced. The sharpness to achieve a hairline and being untipped is why the tip digs into the paper. I'm wondering if this nib could be easily replaced with a Comic G nib. Either way, these nibs are intended for "drawing" (and I count calligraphy as drawing the letters) rather than "writing."
I love the acrylic, but I would not purchase one of these pens, even at a very substantial discount from the price(s) shown unless I could find a way to fit it with a proper nib for writing.
Yeah, it looks like a dip nib.
The "comic" or Zebra G nib is different than these and has a good deal of cuts into the shoulders to allow flexing. They are also quite sharp. They do rust after a while. The B nibs have no tipping but can actually be smoothed with some effort.
Interesting that Alan got a lot of feathering with the Aaron paper. I've had better luck with low cost Indian Kanwrite flex nib pens. Alan used Pilot Blue and Blue black ink. Beautiful bottles now available on Ebay independent of Pilot 823 Pens 70 mm and large bottles. Also 30 mm in shops /stores.
I saw that in Alan's video. My paper doesn't feather at all so it has to be his ink.
Kanwrites can write. They flex pretty well fir the price, but if you push it the feed cannot keep up, so you can't really flex it to the max it can, or have to go very very slow. Still enjoy messing with it though.
It makes no sense to me that Aaron would send you a pen that writes so poorly for review. That is as good a sign as any to steer clear in my opinion.
I agree 100%
Flexer? Do you mean calligraphers? ;-)
I can't pronounce calligraphers, so it is "flexers". If you are against calligraphy, does that make you and anti-flexer?
1. It certainly looks like a dip nib. Presenting it as a fountain nib, if it really is a dip nib, suggesting that it will last for a long time, is false advertising. There are other companies that provide such a pen in an honest manner.
2. Plastic is certainly swirly, though.
Yeah. I'm going to leave this pen inked for a while and then see how much it rusts.
But on topic...I wonder how all of these pens are basically rip offs of the "Lorelei" pen but charge so much more...
The BlueDew actually adds value in the nib customization and the leatherette case.
Aaron pens... Hummmmm , Something not to Kosher about it ,they claim stuff that do not sound right, sorry not for me. Thanks for the review.
I understand. And the fact that the website won't take Australian dollars or Australian tax is a bit suspect as well.
i like everything about this video except for your hat
Jealous! ;)
Sorry Sir. I have to disagree, your flex handwriting is more than ok. And That's all Santas' wrote. LOL.
Fair enough! Thanks, Santa. I guess we are truly our own worst critics!