Thank you, Doug, for an excellent post . It's the first time I've heard anyone notice the difference between (a) adding flair to one's usual cursive hand and (b) using a fountain pen strictly for calligraphy--a very important distinction. Yes, your MB 149 special would be a lovely pen, but is it ten to twenty times as good as an old Conway Stewart when it comes to use? I'm devoted to my British old timers. As for writing with some flair, some of my old Sheaffers are very pleasant and allow flourishes despite their firmness. Finally, a writing instrument that takes effort has failed its purpose. All the best from the Great Southern Land of Oz.
The main benefit of these steel "flex" nibs is the extra wetness for me. Same with the Kanwrite flex and ultraflex nibs. That works for me, but it's definitely not a flex nib.
Maybe I'm just ham-fisted but I find the Fountain Pen Revolution no. 6 ultraflex nibs (which I'd guess are Kanwrite items) to give plenty of line variation when writing with normal pressure - probably more than any of the non-italic fountain pen nibs in this video, and without the bolshiness of the dip nibs.
This video is one of many reasons I part with 99 hard earned cents (equivalent to a minute and a half of a bathroom break) to Inkquiring Minds. Erudite, informed commentary and observations. Perry Como makes my eyes bleed, but I get the humor! Yes, I found that my handwriting makes it look like I have hostages for ransom, and certain pens can not improve upon it. Sadly, my seven year old's handwriting is better! But with certain nibs, like certain branded stubs and architects, allow my hand to relax enough that I dont carve my letters into the paper like lovers carving their names into the bark of a tree. Even mediums made by FPR and bobby made nibs make my handwriting look like it was done by a functioning human being. For this I am grateful. good work!
Doug...another's wonderful video. I couldn't help but think of Tom who does videos for Goldspot pens, who is prone to closing his videos with the adage " stay inky my friends " you have certainly taken that to heart. I may have to try and aquire one of the italix nibs. Again thanks and keep up the great reviews!
I have the Leonardo Elastic EF in my Jinhao 100 I really like it. The elastic F is in my Opus 88 and since it lays down so much ink it’s great for testing inks out. Not much line variation unless you use a lot of pressure like you said. I write large so it does not bother me as much. The Leonardo stub is in my diplomat Aero. Great nibs, hope to get a Leonardo pen one of these days. That Mont Blanc was impressive. A good way to get some vintage flex is to look for some vintage pelikan 400 or 140. You can find them on eBay for around 100 and they offer great line variation with little to no pressure. Great video always.
Thank you, Doug, for the comparisons. I was seriously considering buying a Leonardo with the elastic nib and I think I would have been very disappointed. Like you I want to add character to my writing. I do not want to spend extra time just to get the character. I have found the Fountain Pen Revolution flex nib provides the amount of variation I have been looking for. I have it attached to a Noodler's Ahab and works well. I also have saved a lot of moola too.
Great honest review, Blue Dew do do made me Laff! You should check out Tom’s Studio Spark Pen , I just bought the semi flex nib (not the pen) but I have not worked out the feed housing compatibility yet, I will get the pen any way by year end in Black, the other colours are too girly for me!
Hello, I just found your page. I really love your Jinhao/Italix setup. Do you have a link where I can purchase the nib or something similar? thank you!
Great video. Out of curiosity, I ordered 3 of the new Edison Flex steel Nibs. The short story is I wasn't overly impressed with the results/effort ratio much like yourself. So I shipped 2 of them to Mark as well for a en experiment: gring 1 into a cursive italics and the other into a left oblique. We'll see the results.
I managed to get a Leonardo Prisma with elastic F nib. Haven't yet inked it up as it's more a collector item for future sale! I like these flex nibs as they feel like a softer, almost gold nib, without flex. Otherwise I use my pilot falcon.
You may like the Jowo Soft more than the Jowo Soft nib, which looks more like a . A Soft nib is not meant to be used for flex; it's meant to have more bounce than the hard-as-nails Jowo #12 nibs; where the Jowo #12 feels scratchy the Jowo #12 Soft will feel softer, wetter, and write a little broader because of it. Don't be surprised if it feels like a Gold nib, too. Where flex nibs will have bleed-through, and heavy Ghosting, Soft nibs will usually not. I tend to think the Leonardo Elastic nibs are the same as Jowo Soft nibs.
Love your channel, and your sense of humor! Like the early days of SNL, SCTV, Monty Python. Do you research the video clips, or do you have a someone else?
I do all my own script writing, filming and editing. I find the clips myself and get the ideas from my own fevered brain. LOL Thanks for watching and supporting me by commenting!
Thanks for this encyclopedic review of the flex options. I agree, I don't like to put so much pressure on the paper that it starts to smolder from the friction. Question for you about Jack's MB flex. Did it come with the cursive italic grind or did Jack take what the nib had and make it into a CI? I have a 149 flex, not the Fritz Shcimpf, and it does not write as broadly as that one you have. One other thing I have noticed, all of the flex makers start with a fine nib; IMO they should have a base medium or broad on there so that when you do flex, the line variation is even more noticeable. But that's just me - I prefer a broader line. Thanks to you, I have fallen in love with Architect nibs. Nibmeister Mark Bacas makes a smooth architect that is like glass. ( He has a sharp architect too- not sure why someone would want that but .......") Thanks for all you do.
Jack's MB149 is a special 1 of 80 limited edition made by Fritz Schmipf in collaboration with Montblanc a couple of years ago. It was specially ground by Schimpf for their company's anniversary. It is a flexible cursive italic. Very rare.
In the cheap & vintage category; Shaeffer "NoNonsense" put out calligraphy sets for years, and included an italic F,M, and B. Instant character out of the box, as well as plentiful and affordable on the secondary market.
So I recently purchased my first, Leonardo, mostly because of your videos, and I got it with a bold nib, which is super wet and smooth, and it lays down shimmer ink with zero issues. I just ordered an elastic find it because I like to have a little bit of flex sometimes and I’m curious, in your opinion, do you think the Leonardo elastic Find nibs could handle a shimmer ink or should I keep it just to basics?
I have a stainless steel elastic nib and I'm not thrilled with it. The wider the line (medium to broad) the more ink flow you'll have and therefore your shimmer will work better.
I really enjoyed this explanation of flex and character. You covered some issues I wasn't sure about. I have two Zebra G nibs, one of which I adjusted for a #6 feed, but it was very disappointing in use compared to its dip cousin. I may well try a different nib now that I know more about what to look for.
Thanks for showing off the Waterman Taperite, Doug! I think those pens are really underrated - people write them off (no pun intended) because they assume they're just subpar Parker 51 ripoffs but they're great writers and a good amount of them have juicy semi-flex nibs. And because they're unpopular, they're cheap! Best bang for the buck of all the pens you showed in this video IMO.
Hello. As always an interesting video. I have a question not relevant to today’s topic. Do you have an idea why Platinum’s Preppy Pen price dropped so much in such a short time?
I totally relate to the handwriting dilemma. In school, I was told I should be a doctor because of my handwriting, always ballpoint. As an adult, I’ve been told that I should only be allowed to write with a fountain pen because people can actually read it 😂 I always appreciate your opinion on nibs, and usually reference your videos before buying one. Anytime you refer to them as “smooth as glass” it raises a flag, since I too prefer a bit of feedback for stability. I’ve found myself gravitating toward Japanese nibs for that reason. Have you found that pencil-like feedback helps your handwriting legibility more, or do you find a point of diminishing returns for feedback once you get to the “not ice skates” level?
It is a balancing act. I like very smooth but need some feedback for stability so the nib doesn’t skate all over the page. Luckily, getting the right amount is fairly easy with just 12000 and 8000 grit micromesh.
Hi Doug, great video. The flexie Leonardo looks fun. However, I feel for at-home flex writing, it's better to use a nib holder and "dip...dip...dip...dip", haha. Chels
I have seen a lot of reviews pertaining to the Leonardo elastic nib. It is not as electric as I thought it would be. I have a Leonardo gold Soft EF nib that is more flexible. Yes, I know it is 10X the price. But it does what it is intended. However my nes nib with line variation has to be a Pilot #15 SF nib. Wow! And the price for the nib, including the Custom 743 pen was less than the Leonardo nib alone.
Goodness Gracious!! That MB 149 CI Flex is S-U-P-E-R W-E-T !!!! That's the opposite of what I like...I like my dry PenRealm steel CI Obilque flex stub and the ink-shading it imparts whether writing normal or flexed. Nothing has compared yet...I doubt anything will.
OK, someone has to give you applause for seemlessly integrating Perry Coma, I mean Como with 'Lil Wayne's face ripping shred-a-thon in the same video. Creative noodle that, 😁✌
@@InkquiringMinds It looks like you are classically trained and you have thousands of hours of practice and playing behind you. It really must be painful to see and hear such terrible guitar abuse.
Very good review, Doug. Thank you for doing this. I have osteoarthritis in my left hand (several joints). The reason why I switched to fountain pens is because they do not require force in order to write. I have tried several "flex" nibs, and have found that they all require far more force that I can give. This is the reason why I stick pretty much to stub nibs for line variation, or to "bouncy" gold nibs - which is my preference. I have also tried a number of "custom grinds" and find that my favorite is the architect grind in either medium or broad. While I would love to own an MB Calligraphy pen, I think I would prefer to spend my dollars to have Fritz Schimpf do a custom cursive italic for me on my next new MB 146. . . oh - you mean they have released another custom grind - the MB Italic Edge? Hmmmm . . . I might have to consider this one.
Thank you so much that's going on my shopping list, thanks for another fab video, I love that you cover pens that cover all budgets bit are still awsome, I'm sure it must help bring the hobby to many people.
Given that very many people want bouncy nibs with nice line variation, it seems weird that there are so few good modern ones around. The 14K nib of my ancient Pelikan 140 seems to give as much line variation without effort as those you featured in this video. Surely it can't be 'rocket science' to recreate a nib like this - and it doesn't have any odd cut-outs on the sides to achieve the flex...
I wonder if part of it is also related to repair concerns. Flex nibs, especially the super-flex variety of yore, are super easy to mess up inadvertently. Springing them, damaging the tines, etc. I had a "warranted" vintage gold nib that was so thin it would probably bend just from a strong stare. Great flex though (until one of the tines snapped 🙈). It'd be especially an issue these days because most people use a lot of pressure while writing because most of us grew up on ballpoints. If you offer these nibs, you have to support them with a warranty and repairs, and all that jazz. That's an additional cost most companies probably don't want to deal with. To compare, it's almost impossible to break a hard as rock Jinhao or Jowo standard nib, well, at least in normal writing. It would take intentional effort to damage one of those. I think this is also why Sheaffer's vintage Lifetime gold nibs were incredibly stiff. They offered a "lifetime" warranty and that meant they didn't want to have to fix them. The one I have is by far the stiffest nib I have (even compared to modern steel nibs) despite being 14k gold. I think if I dropped it, it would damage the floor more than the nib. Sorry for the long comment! I find this stuff really interesting.
@@FalloutVault I'm not sure that is the explanation as most of the best nibs with good line variation are very old ones - and very many examples have survived in great condition. For example the Pelikan 140 I mentioned dates from the 1950's and although mine was well used before I got it, I have used it quite a lot for a few years and it has no signs of becoming damaged. The nib seems to be pretty tough, but that can't be quantified without a lot of testing and comparisons which will result in thousands of dollars of damaged nibs!
@@blaberus1 Hmm, you definitely have a great point, there's no reason they can't offer that type of semi-flex. I've used a couple of Pelikan 140's and they're all delightful nibs. They're also a good middle-ground where they're soft, but they're tough enough to withstand everyday use. They're really a joy to use. And pretty easy on the wallet too! That being said, some of the older ones (I'm thinking more full flex, like from the 30's and older) exist, well, because they survived. There's an element of survivorship bias - you don't see all of the ones that didn't survive. Personally, most of the pens I've gotten unrestored from that era, they have some form of damage that needs fixing, whether it's bent or splayed tines (most common) or inconsistent tipping. Usually the flexier the nib is, the worse the damage. Stiff nibs like Sheaffer's are much less likely to be damaged in my experience. But this is definitely just my experience and I am for sure not an expert.
I would suggest FPnibs. But, looks like they don't have their own pen options anymore. I bought one that looks like Estie. With full-flex option. It is really something! And cheap(ish).
Ok Doug. I need help! And you are just the guy. I really want to use a fountain pen everyday for work but it’s seemingly impractical. I need a pen, ink and nib combination recommendation. It must be somewhat inexpensive, durable, and must work well with cheap thin government paper. Think the worst paper possible. I could save myself time money and heartache by using a ballpoint but I’m stubborn. Please help!
Try a Wing Sung 601 (vacumatic filler) or a Wing Sung 618 (piston filler). They are both Parker 51 style hooded nib fountain pens. They are durable and inexpensive.
Sadly my leonardo elasta nib is a dud. It came splined and miss aligned and even after having it tuned it still hard starts runs dry and does not flex back if pressure is added back to it. i understand its not soft or bouncy but if I add even a little pressure it splines and stays separated. I want to like it but just cant get a consistent feel from it. It is somewhat unpredictable and finicky.
@@InkquiringMinds Dont get me started on the retailer. It was not a good experience. Spoke to them and they told me my problem since I didnt choose to have it tuned before shipping. Leonardo offered but Ill have to pay shipping and have already spent a lot on this pen... Its sort of a pain but might have to be done.
@@InkquiringMinds Its ok. The retailor just was not very responsive in keeping me updated from point of sale to delivery. First issue was they offered a pen and trim combo Leonardo did not offer. Jade pen with gold trim for the elasta nib. Only comes in silver at this time but they have the gold listed as option. After waiting 4 weeks I reached out and was told oops cant get you that pen. Offered other options. I chose and got an updated email a few days later showing the change except they selected something other than what I picked. I had to reach out again to get it fixed. Another 4 weeks went by I reached out again to get an update.... Looks like they sell and presale not based on stock but basically order as needed from Leonardo and then ship. Full turn around time from purchase to arrival was 12 weeks. Thats 12 weeks they had my money and didnt update me without me reaching out. Then it came defective and was given a relatively rude reply. Not the exact words but basically my problem as noted in earlier post. That they would look at it for me but I have to pay shipping and import fees ect. Just left very frustrated.
Thanks for the video. Really useful information and comparison. I guess I won’t be buying the elastic nib! I recently bought the Pilot Custom 743 with the #6 FA nib and I’m really not a fan. The Zebra G nib did nothing for me either. It all seems like hard work using them. I do like the Italix cursive italic, Kaigelou long blade / architect and PenBBS calligraphy nibs though. I guess flex / elastic nibs are not my thing. Good to know as I can delete at least 10 pens off my list, which will save me quite a bit of money. I don’t think that will cancel out all the pens I’ve bought because of your reviews but it’s a start 😉
First off I believe you meant the 743 with #15 FA nib. Pilot uses their own nib size system. Interestingly enough I have found the #10 FA nib on the Pilot 912 takes less pressure to flex than the #15 pen size. I have 2 912s pens. One is factory default and other has a grind to needle point. Give the 912 FA a shot at a local pen store if you live in a big city.
@@ragnorak56 You’re absolutely right! Thanks for the correction. Considering the number of Pilots in my collection, I really shouldn’t be making this schoolgirl error😂 I’m not a huge fan of the FA Nib on my 743 so I decided not to get the CH 192 FA. I have the 912 with a Waverley nib that I like a lot. Unfortunately, despite being in a big capital city, London doesn’t have a lot of brick and mortar pen stores and I get most of my pens online. Next time I’m at a pen store or pen show I’ll make sure to try it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
0. I'm disappointed you did not look at the FPR "ultraflex" nib. 1. I'm also disappointed that you didn't look at the "flexiest" modern nib, the M1000. closely followed by the M800 ( unless Pelikan has stiffened their nibs from the 90s). 2.Line variation handwriting is different from line variation in calligraphy. Line variation in handwriting comes from the fact that you lift on upstrokes and press on down strokes. I'm personally convinced that cursive scripts came from people printing quickly. As they went to the next letter they just barely lifted the pen up from the paper. As they moved up the page capillary action would cause them to make a trail. 3. Let us now put to rest once and for all the Gold vs Steel nib myth. Yes, a gold nib can be as hard or harder then a steel nib, but only if the nib maker really wants to make the nibs stiff. If you are trying to make a flexible nib, you will never be able to make a steel one as flexible as a gold nib deliberately made flexible. Even if you did, the steel would probably spring a lot easier. 4.Another aspect that goes unsaid, mainly because I think pen manufacturers do not want to mention it. Gold is easier to extrude into thin sheets. There is no reason to make steel nibs thin. You use twice as much steel not much more cost. You use twice as much gold you spend a lot more money.Thinner nibs are more flexible nibs. I've never measured nib thickness to confirm this though.
0. I've done a review of an FPR pen, the FPR Himalaya V2. It was the worst, leakiest, smelliest POS I've ever used. Even that might not keep me from trying an FPR flex nib but when the owner of the company only gave me a partial refund for the crappy pen, blamed me for not knowing how to use it properly and was outright rude and insulting to me - then I'm done with the company forever. 1. I can't afford a Pelikan M1000 - I wish I could. I buy my own pens. I do have a Pelikan M800 and it is not flexible at all - a beautiful pen though and probably the best pen I own at the moment. 2. I know this. 3. I know this and have stated in in my videos on many occasions. 4. I agree.
Hello Dough, that's right.. A fountain pen must know how to use it. If someone that don't know, thinks that it is like a ball pen and press too much, he will badly damage the nib. I did that sometime when I was a kid with my school Pelikan fountain pen.
21:25 ouch, looks like the tines were splayed. well, I guess I know the limits of Leonardo's elastic nib. If you can in fact get a Leonardo JoWo for $20, that's pretty okay. some other parts of the world might want to look into Indian flex nibs, that are anywhere $5-10(at the downside that if you're trying to get any JoWo #6 nib, these countries usually can only get them at $30 the cheapest, and hike the price of 'special jowo' nib to $50+ maybe😂)
That's a sharp eye you have there. Yes, I was busy pulling and resetting this nib and, although it wasn't sprung, it was pretty wide. I hot it back to normal again.
@@InkquiringMinds And what do the numbers actually mean anyway. You called it a 667, which exists, but it is the 691, which I think for the money is quite beautiful. I think my 691 is surprisingly smooth for such a fine writer, but it maybe its the luck of the pen I got. I bought it because of your original review by the way! In general the fine flex writers, even like the Pilot Falcon are really scratchy on the up stroke. I draw with fountain pens much more than I write, so I think about them differently. I am just starting to review pens and draw with them on my UA-cam channel. I know you get this question all the time, but how do you get away with using copyrighted clips from tv and films?
@@drawingwithfountainpens re: YT copyright. It is music more than video clips that are caught in YT’s software net. Anything more than 10 seconds gets a claim or strike. Clips from movies or TV of longer than 20 seconds will get notices but not as much as music. Sometimes all I have to do is shave 2 seconds from a clip to get it to pass.
@@InkquiringMinds Interesting. It makes your videos so much fun! I love old movies--maybe I should jazz up my videos with Bettie Davis and Buster Keaton clips. A lot of silent movies are in the public domain anyway...
A major fountain pen retailer recently admitted that all the modern "flex" they sell really aren't. IMO you can't just cut crescents out and expect flex. Vintage is a different animal. The truly flexible were 14K, thinner than modern, and tend to have longer tines than today. Steel didn't really have flex until you were using specific dip pens. I have several Esterbrook nibs that claim to be flexible, but... The closest steel I've seen that's remotely similar to the antique dip pens that they have put in a fountain pen is a Zebra G. Same design used for all the flex steel dip pens in the past. Not the crescent cutouts... Leonardo's design is close. Maybe make them out of thinner sheet stock? Want an affordable flex pen? Get everyone interested to start writing companies. Stop the crescent cutouts. Put the right type in. Use thinner metal and lengthen the tines. Deeper ink channels and ebonite wouldn't hurt, either. Maybe take cues from the antique Waterman's spoon feed... (No fins, yet didn't dry out easily and PLENTY of ink flow. 😁) Off my soap box. 😂 Great comparison of some still quite nice nibs. Thanks for sharing these. (I'm not that sold on flex, anyway, it's all about the way the pen writes, for me, and these are quite lovely for the job. 😉 Just not as flexible as my 1912 Mabie Todd. 😁)
I think you should give an FPR ultra flex a shot. I’ve got vintage wahls, Moore’s, and other flexers, and I still find it fairs somewhat well. It doesn’t feel the same as vintage, but it doesn’t require much pressure at all and works well.
AAAGHHHHH!!! The Lorelei digging into the page....painful!!!! Goodness...my ears!!! That's the main reason my Blue Dew pen isn't my daily driver. Yeesh....
I WILL not buy this Zebra, it is scratchy. (Joke's on me, I got a few and I don't like them...) As for effortless line variations, I have about 4 Watermans, all 80-110 years old, and they are in "Wet Noodle" territory. definitely giving you character without even trying. the only modern flex to act like it is a $150-200 cross flex from Regalia or PenRealm.
flex nib pushes to a compromise: if you don't want binary and you want soft golden nib- and you got one binary on "x" with MontBlanc - you must have a wet feed, If you want to use the pen for normal fast writing as well the softest nib doesn't work well as it flexes even with low pressure. If you use a steel flex you must put more pressure BUT it doesn't flex when you don't want. If you want the perfect flex nib, get the money out and buy a Scribo.
Thank you, Doug, for an excellent post .
It's the first time I've heard anyone notice the difference between (a) adding flair to one's usual cursive hand and (b) using a fountain pen strictly for calligraphy--a very important distinction. Yes, your MB 149 special would be a lovely pen, but is it ten to twenty times as good as an old Conway Stewart when it comes to use? I'm devoted to my British old timers. As for writing with some flair, some of my old Sheaffers are very pleasant and allow flourishes despite their firmness. Finally, a writing instrument that takes effort has failed its purpose.
All the best from the Great Southern Land of Oz.
The main benefit of these steel "flex" nibs is the extra wetness for me. Same with the Kanwrite flex and ultraflex nibs. That works for me, but it's definitely not a flex nib.
Maybe I'm just ham-fisted but I find the Fountain Pen Revolution no. 6 ultraflex nibs (which I'd guess are Kanwrite items) to give plenty of line variation when writing with normal pressure - probably more than any of the non-italic fountain pen nibs in this video, and without the bolshiness of the dip nibs.
@@jean-yvesmead3972 I use almost no pressure when writing. That may just be the difference.
This video is one of many reasons I part with 99 hard earned cents (equivalent to a minute and a half of a bathroom break) to Inkquiring Minds. Erudite, informed commentary and observations. Perry Como makes my eyes bleed, but I get the humor! Yes, I found that my handwriting makes it look like I have hostages for ransom, and certain pens can not improve upon it. Sadly, my seven year old's handwriting is better! But with certain nibs, like certain branded stubs and architects, allow my hand to relax enough that I dont carve my letters into the paper like lovers carving their names into the bark of a tree. Even mediums made by FPR and bobby made nibs make my handwriting look like it was done by a functioning human being. For this I am grateful. good work!
Thank you so much, Stefan! That's very kind of you. I was abused once by FPR, never again.
@@InkquiringMinds understood. The nibs are a different story than their pens.
@@stefanwood2182 True!
Hi Doug
I can get a similar line variation to the Pilot Falcon with the Hero 395 or the WingSung 626 for a fraction of the price...
Doug...another's wonderful video. I couldn't help but think of Tom who does videos for Goldspot pens, who is prone to closing his videos with the adage " stay inky my friends " you have certainly taken that to heart.
I may have to try and aquire one of the italix nibs.
Again thanks and keep up the great reviews!
Thanks 👍
I have the Leonardo Elastic EF in my Jinhao 100 I really like it. The elastic F is in my Opus 88 and since it lays down so much ink it’s great for testing inks out. Not much line variation unless you use a lot of pressure like you said. I write large so it does not bother me as much. The Leonardo stub is in my diplomat Aero. Great nibs, hope to get a Leonardo pen one of these days. That Mont Blanc was impressive. A good way to get some vintage flex is to look for some vintage pelikan 400 or 140. You can find them on eBay for around 100 and they offer great line variation with little to no pressure. Great video always.
Those vintage Pelikans are SO small though!
This guy speaks the truth as I have seen it too !!! "Write that down, there will be a test" !! I liked that line...
Thank you so much, @floridasaltlife!
Thank you, Doug, for the comparisons. I was seriously considering buying a Leonardo with the elastic nib and I think I would have been very disappointed. Like you I want to add character to my writing. I do not want to spend extra time just to get the character.
I have found the Fountain Pen Revolution flex nib provides the amount of variation I have been looking for. I have it attached to a Noodler's Ahab and works well. I also have saved a lot of moola too.
Glad it was helpful!
Great honest review, Blue Dew do do made me Laff! You should check out Tom’s Studio Spark Pen , I just bought the semi flex nib (not the pen) but I have not worked out the feed housing compatibility yet, I will get the pen any way by year end in Black, the other colours are too girly for me!
Excellent video, learned a lot.
Hello, I just found your page. I really love your Jinhao/Italix setup. Do you have a link where I can purchase the nib or something similar?
thank you!
Unfortunately Mr. Pen "Italix" went out of business last year.
Great video. Out of curiosity, I ordered 3 of the new Edison Flex steel Nibs. The short story is I wasn't overly impressed with the results/effort ratio much like yourself. So I shipped 2 of them to Mark as well for a en experiment: gring 1 into a cursive italics and the other into a left oblique. We'll see the results.
Thanks for sharing!
The Kaweco twin nib is one you need to try!
I managed to get a Leonardo Prisma with elastic F nib. Haven't yet inked it up as it's more a collector item for future sale!
I like these flex nibs as they feel like a softer, almost gold nib, without flex.
Otherwise I use my pilot falcon.
You may like the Jowo Soft more than the Jowo Soft nib, which looks more like a . A Soft nib is not meant to be used for flex; it's meant to have more bounce than the hard-as-nails Jowo #12 nibs; where the Jowo #12 feels scratchy the Jowo #12 Soft will feel softer, wetter, and write a little broader because of it. Don't be surprised if it feels like a Gold nib, too. Where flex nibs will have bleed-through, and heavy Ghosting, Soft nibs will usually not. I tend to think the Leonardo Elastic nibs are the same as Jowo Soft nibs.
I'm sure they are Jowo Wally! Salvatore has been using Jowo since January 2021. But I'm hearing he will be doing his own in-house gold nibs in future.
Love your channel, and your sense of humor! Like the early days of SNL, SCTV, Monty Python. Do you research the video clips, or do you have a someone else?
I do all my own script writing, filming and editing. I find the clips myself and get the ideas from my own fevered brain. LOL Thanks for watching and supporting me by commenting!
Thanks for this encyclopedic review of the flex options. I agree, I don't like to put so much pressure on the paper that it starts to smolder from the friction. Question for you about Jack's MB flex. Did it come with the cursive italic grind or did Jack take what the nib had and make it into a CI? I have a 149 flex, not the Fritz Shcimpf, and it does not write as broadly as that one you have. One other thing I have noticed, all of the flex makers start with a fine nib; IMO they should have a base medium or broad on there so that when you do flex, the line variation is even more noticeable. But that's just me - I prefer a broader line. Thanks to you, I have fallen in love with Architect nibs. Nibmeister Mark Bacas makes a smooth architect that is like glass. ( He has a sharp architect too- not sure why someone would want that but .......") Thanks for all you do.
Jack's MB149 is a special 1 of 80 limited edition made by Fritz Schmipf in collaboration with Montblanc a couple of years ago. It was specially ground by Schimpf for their company's anniversary. It is a flexible cursive italic. Very rare.
@@InkquiringMinds Thank you for the prompt reply. I thought maybe Jack tweaked it with the CI part
Doug your handwriting is pretty good. I had a classmate who wrote in perfect copperplate...but he was the headmaster's son in primary school.
Wow, thanks
You should really try the Pilot 74 / 743 Soft Fine Medium (SFM). Their soft line is pretty sweet.
In the cheap & vintage category; Shaeffer "NoNonsense" put out calligraphy sets for years, and included an italic F,M, and B. Instant character out of the box, as well as plentiful and affordable on the secondary market.
Those are great sets!
My sincere thanks for this: you answered a lot of questions I had.
So I recently purchased my first, Leonardo, mostly because of your videos, and I got it with a bold nib, which is super wet and smooth, and it lays down shimmer ink with zero issues. I just ordered an elastic find it because I like to have a little bit of flex sometimes and I’m curious, in your opinion, do you think the Leonardo elastic Find nibs could handle a shimmer ink or should I keep it just to basics?
I have a stainless steel elastic nib and I'm not thrilled with it. The wider the line (medium to broad) the more ink flow you'll have and therefore your shimmer will work better.
I really enjoyed this explanation of flex and character. You covered some issues I wasn't sure about. I have two Zebra G nibs, one of which I adjusted for a #6 feed, but it was very disappointing in use compared to its dip cousin. I may well try a different nib now that I know more about what to look for.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for showing off the Waterman Taperite, Doug! I think those pens are really underrated - people write them off (no pun intended) because they assume they're just subpar Parker 51 ripoffs but they're great writers and a good amount of them have juicy semi-flex nibs. And because they're unpopular, they're cheap! Best bang for the buck of all the pens you showed in this video IMO.
Thanks, FalloutVault! It is an amazing little pen!
Hello. As always an interesting video. I have a question not relevant to today’s topic. Do you have an idea why Platinum’s Preppy Pen price dropped so much in such a short time?
I haven't shopped for a Preppy in a while and was unaware they had dropped in price. Was it a retailer sale?
I totally relate to the handwriting dilemma. In school, I was told I should be a doctor because of my handwriting, always ballpoint. As an adult, I’ve been told that I should only be allowed to write with a fountain pen because people can actually read it 😂
I always appreciate your opinion on nibs, and usually reference your videos before buying one. Anytime you refer to them as “smooth as glass” it raises a flag, since I too prefer a bit of feedback for stability. I’ve found myself gravitating toward Japanese nibs for that reason. Have you found that pencil-like feedback helps your handwriting legibility more, or do you find a point of diminishing returns for feedback once you get to the “not ice skates” level?
It is a balancing act. I like very smooth but need some feedback for stability so the nib doesn’t skate all over the page. Luckily, getting the right amount is fairly easy with just 12000 and 8000 grit micromesh.
Hi Doug, great video. The flexie Leonardo looks fun. However, I feel for at-home flex writing, it's better to use a nib holder and "dip...dip...dip...dip", haha.
Chels
Dip Dip Dip! LOL :)
@@InkquiringMinds Haha, you know me, I'm so vintage in my Regency world, I would be the annoying one "dip dip dipping" all night writing haha.
I have seen a lot of reviews pertaining to the Leonardo elastic nib. It is not as electric as I thought it would be. I have a Leonardo gold Soft EF nib that is more flexible. Yes, I know it is 10X the price. But it does what it is intended.
However my nes nib with line variation has to be a Pilot #15 SF nib. Wow! And the price for the nib, including the Custom 743 pen was less than the Leonardo nib alone.
Goodness Gracious!! That MB 149 CI Flex is S-U-P-E-R W-E-T !!!!
That's the opposite of what I like...I like my dry PenRealm steel CI Obilque flex stub and the ink-shading it imparts whether writing normal or flexed.
Nothing has compared yet...I doubt anything will.
OK, someone has to give you applause for seemlessly integrating Perry Coma, I mean Como with 'Lil Wayne's face ripping shred-a-thon in the same video. Creative noodle that, 😁✌
As a guitarist, L'il Wayne makes me crazy!
@@InkquiringMinds It looks like you are classically trained and you have thousands of hours of practice and playing behind you. It really must be painful to see and hear such terrible guitar abuse.
Oh thank you for preserving my anonymity! 🤣😂🤣😂
I’m sorry. Who are you?
@@InkquiringMinds Most days, I'm not sure...
Came for the intro stayed for the pen review
LOL Thanks!
Very good review, Doug. Thank you for doing this. I have osteoarthritis in my left hand (several joints). The reason why I switched to fountain pens is because they do not require force in order to write. I have tried several "flex" nibs, and have found that they all require far more force that I can give. This is the reason why I stick pretty much to stub nibs for line variation, or to "bouncy" gold nibs - which is my preference. I have also tried a number of "custom grinds" and find that my favorite is the architect grind in either medium or broad. While I would love to own an MB Calligraphy pen, I think I would prefer to spend my dollars to have Fritz Schimpf do a custom cursive italic for me on my next new MB 146. . . oh - you mean they have released another custom grind - the MB Italic Edge? Hmmmm . . . I might have to consider this one.
Those Montblancs are WAY out of my price range! I agree about the need for minimal effort.
The sound of the Lorelei upstroke absolutely set my teeth on edge 😂
And it sprays ink all over! LOL
What do you think about Noodlers Triple tail flex nib? Do you know this nib? I like it.
I haven't purchased any Noodler's pens, just ink.
@@InkquiringMinds In my video I talk about this pen....But, this video is in Portuguese language ...sorry! ua-cam.com/video/pmIa-W2p5ag/v-deo.html
What's that ink in the italix please? It looks awesome
Correction: Diamine Jack Frost!
Thank you so much that's going on my shopping list, thanks for another fab video, I love that you cover pens that cover all budgets bit are still awsome, I'm sure it must help bring the hobby to many people.
Thank you again I thought it looked more purple, but hey you can never have enough ink.
Given that very many people want bouncy nibs with nice line variation, it seems weird that there are so few good modern ones around. The 14K nib of my ancient Pelikan 140 seems to give as much line variation without effort as those you featured in this video. Surely it can't be 'rocket science' to recreate a nib like this - and it doesn't have any odd cut-outs on the sides to achieve the flex...
I know this is perplexing. But it looks like either the expertise is lost or the materials are not available or a combination of both.
I wonder if part of it is also related to repair concerns. Flex nibs, especially the super-flex variety of yore, are super easy to mess up inadvertently. Springing them, damaging the tines, etc. I had a "warranted" vintage gold nib that was so thin it would probably bend just from a strong stare. Great flex though (until one of the tines snapped 🙈).
It'd be especially an issue these days because most people use a lot of pressure while writing because most of us grew up on ballpoints. If you offer these nibs, you have to support them with a warranty and repairs, and all that jazz. That's an additional cost most companies probably don't want to deal with.
To compare, it's almost impossible to break a hard as rock Jinhao or Jowo standard nib, well, at least in normal writing. It would take intentional effort to damage one of those. I think this is also why Sheaffer's vintage Lifetime gold nibs were incredibly stiff. They offered a "lifetime" warranty and that meant they didn't want to have to fix them. The one I have is by far the stiffest nib I have (even compared to modern steel nibs) despite being 14k gold. I think if I dropped it, it would damage the floor more than the nib.
Sorry for the long comment! I find this stuff really interesting.
@@FalloutVault I'm not sure that is the explanation as most of the best nibs with good line variation are very old ones - and very many examples have survived in great condition. For example the Pelikan 140 I mentioned dates from the 1950's and although mine was well used before I got it, I have used it quite a lot for a few years and it has no signs of becoming damaged. The nib seems to be pretty tough, but that can't be quantified without a lot of testing and comparisons which will result in thousands of dollars of damaged nibs!
@@FalloutVault That's an excellent analysis, FalloutVault! I think you're right on the money there.
@@blaberus1 Hmm, you definitely have a great point, there's no reason they can't offer that type of semi-flex. I've used a couple of Pelikan 140's and they're all delightful nibs. They're also a good middle-ground where they're soft, but they're tough enough to withstand everyday use. They're really a joy to use. And pretty easy on the wallet too!
That being said, some of the older ones (I'm thinking more full flex, like from the 30's and older) exist, well, because they survived. There's an element of survivorship bias - you don't see all of the ones that didn't survive.
Personally, most of the pens I've gotten unrestored from that era, they have some form of damage that needs fixing, whether it's bent or splayed tines (most common) or inconsistent tipping. Usually the flexier the nib is, the worse the damage. Stiff nibs like Sheaffer's are much less likely to be damaged in my experience. But this is definitely just my experience and I am for sure not an expert.
Awesome explanation!
I would suggest FPnibs. But, looks like they don't have their own pen options anymore. I bought one that looks like Estie. With full-flex option. It is really something! And cheap(ish).
Ok Doug. I need help! And you are just the guy. I really want to use a fountain pen everyday for work but it’s seemingly impractical. I need a pen, ink and nib combination recommendation. It must be somewhat inexpensive, durable, and must work well with cheap thin government paper. Think the worst paper possible. I could save myself time money and heartache by using a ballpoint but I’m stubborn. Please help!
Try a Wing Sung 601 (vacumatic filler) or a Wing Sung 618 (piston filler). They are both Parker 51 style hooded nib fountain pens. They are durable and inexpensive.
@@InkquiringMinds thanks!
Are you ever going to give that Mont Blanc pen back Doug😜😜
Jack has had my 1946 Sheaffer Tuckaway to be restored since October 2021. I’m holding his MB 149 hostage. LOL
That was a great post! I like the newer flex nib used on Conklin pens.
And yes those Zebra nibs are crap 💩, you can’t write with them 😐
Thank you so much, JP G!
the zebra g is called a spring steel not stainless it will fade overtime and he nibs are disposable :)
Yes! And they fail sooner when in a fountain pen because they are constantly wet. When used as a dip pen, they are stored clean and dry.
@@InkquiringMinds exactly and the titanium coated ones last longer :)
@@MissMarilynDarling Indeed. Titanium does not corrode.
J200?
Good eye! Specifically, a limited edition, 1 of 75, Gibson Ray Whitley Golden Age SJ200 .
The dip flex pen isn’t a bad idea. Getting half a page at a dip would still be an improvement.
Sadly my leonardo elasta nib is a dud. It came splined and miss aligned and even after having it tuned it still hard starts runs dry and does not flex back if pressure is added back to it. i understand its not soft or bouncy but if I add even a little pressure it splines and stays separated. I want to like it but just cant get a consistent feel from it. It is somewhat unpredictable and finicky.
Speak to your retailer or directly to Leonardo.
@@InkquiringMinds Dont get me started on the retailer. It was not a good experience. Spoke to them and they told me my problem since I didnt choose to have it tuned before shipping. Leonardo offered but Ill have to pay shipping and have already spent a lot on this pen... Its sort of a pain but might have to be done.
@@christopherrubino3614 Sorry this happened!
@@InkquiringMinds Its ok. The retailor just was not very responsive in keeping me updated from point of sale to delivery. First issue was they offered a pen and trim combo Leonardo did not offer. Jade pen with gold trim for the elasta nib. Only comes in silver at this time but they have the gold listed as option. After waiting 4 weeks I reached out and was told oops cant get you that pen. Offered other options. I chose and got an updated email a few days later showing the change except they selected something other than what I picked. I had to reach out again to get it fixed. Another 4 weeks went by I reached out again to get an update.... Looks like they sell and presale not based on stock but basically order as needed from Leonardo and then ship. Full turn around time from purchase to arrival was 12 weeks. Thats 12 weeks they had my money and didnt update me without me reaching out. Then it came defective and was given a relatively rude reply. Not the exact words but basically my problem as noted in earlier post. That they would look at it for me but I have to pay shipping and import fees ect. Just left very frustrated.
@@christopherrubino3614 May I ask the retailer's name?
Thanks for the video. Really useful information and comparison. I guess I won’t be buying the elastic nib! I recently bought the Pilot Custom 743 with the #6 FA nib and I’m really not a fan. The Zebra G nib did nothing for me either. It all seems like hard work using them. I do like the Italix cursive italic, Kaigelou long blade / architect and PenBBS calligraphy nibs though. I guess flex / elastic nibs are not my thing. Good to know as I can delete at least 10 pens off my list, which will save me quite a bit of money. I don’t think that will cancel out all the pens I’ve bought because of your reviews but it’s a start 😉
Thanks Lisa! I’m with you. I love the Kaigelu long blade and my architect nibs as they give my writing some character without effort.
First off I believe you meant the 743 with #15 FA nib. Pilot uses their own nib size system. Interestingly enough I have found the #10 FA nib on the Pilot 912 takes less pressure to flex than the #15 pen size. I have 2 912s pens. One is factory default and other has a grind to needle point. Give the 912 FA a shot at a local pen store if you live in a big city.
@@ragnorak56 You’re absolutely right! Thanks for the correction. Considering the number of Pilots in my collection, I really shouldn’t be making this schoolgirl error😂 I’m not a huge fan of the FA Nib on my 743 so I decided not to get the CH 192 FA. I have the 912 with a Waverley nib that I like a lot. Unfortunately, despite being in a big capital city, London doesn’t have a lot of brick and mortar pen stores and I get most of my pens online. Next time I’m at a pen store or pen show I’ll make sure to try it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
0. I'm disappointed you did not look at the FPR "ultraflex" nib.
1. I'm also disappointed that you didn't look at the "flexiest" modern nib, the M1000. closely followed by the M800 ( unless Pelikan has stiffened their nibs from the 90s).
2.Line variation handwriting is different from line variation in calligraphy. Line variation in handwriting comes from the fact that you lift on upstrokes and press on down strokes. I'm personally convinced that cursive scripts came from people printing quickly. As they went to the next letter they just barely lifted the pen up from the paper. As they moved up the page capillary action would cause them to make a trail.
3. Let us now put to rest once and for all the Gold vs Steel nib myth. Yes, a gold nib can be as hard or harder then a steel nib, but only if the nib maker really wants to make the nibs stiff. If you are trying to make a flexible nib, you will never be able to make a steel one as flexible as a gold nib deliberately made flexible. Even if you did, the steel would probably spring a lot easier.
4.Another aspect that goes unsaid, mainly because I think pen manufacturers do not want to mention it. Gold is easier to extrude into thin sheets. There is no reason to make steel nibs thin. You use twice as much steel not much more cost. You use twice as much gold you spend a lot more money.Thinner nibs are more flexible nibs.
I've never measured nib thickness to confirm this though.
0. I've done a review of an FPR pen, the FPR Himalaya V2. It was the worst, leakiest, smelliest POS I've ever used. Even that might not keep me from trying an FPR flex nib but when the owner of the company only gave me a partial refund for the crappy pen, blamed me for not knowing how to use it properly and was outright rude and insulting to me - then I'm done with the company forever. 1. I can't afford a Pelikan M1000 - I wish I could. I buy my own pens. I do have a Pelikan M800 and it is not flexible at all - a beautiful pen though and probably the best pen I own at the moment. 2. I know this. 3. I know this and have stated in in my videos on many occasions. 4. I agree.
Hello Dough, that's right.. A fountain pen must know how to use it.
If someone that don't know, thinks that it is like a ball pen and press too much, he will badly damage the nib.
I did that sometime when I was a kid with my school Pelikan fountain pen.
21:25 ouch, looks like the tines were splayed. well, I guess I know the limits of Leonardo's elastic nib. If you can in fact get a Leonardo JoWo for $20, that's pretty okay. some other parts of the world might want to look into Indian flex nibs, that are anywhere $5-10(at the downside that if you're trying to get any JoWo #6 nib, these countries usually can only get them at $30 the cheapest, and hike the price of 'special jowo' nib to $50+ maybe😂)
That's a sharp eye you have there. Yes, I was busy pulling and resetting this nib and, although it wasn't sprung, it was pretty wide. I hot it back to normal again.
It’s the lorelei 691-otherwise great review. I actually reviewed it on my channel. I love your reviews by the way!
What did I call it? There are so many GD numbers! LOL
@@InkquiringMinds And what do the numbers actually mean anyway. You called it a 667, which exists, but it is the 691, which I think for the money is quite beautiful. I think my 691 is surprisingly smooth for such a fine writer, but it maybe its the luck of the pen I got. I bought it because of your original review by the way! In general the fine flex writers, even like the Pilot Falcon are really scratchy on the up stroke. I draw with fountain pens much more than I write, so I think about them differently. I am just starting to review pens and draw with them on my UA-cam channel. I know you get this question all the time, but how do you get away with using copyrighted clips from tv and films?
@@drawingwithfountainpens re: YT copyright. It is music more than video clips that are caught in YT’s software net. Anything more than 10 seconds gets a claim or strike. Clips from movies or TV of longer than 20 seconds will get notices but not as much as music. Sometimes all I have to do is shave 2 seconds from a clip to get it to pass.
@@InkquiringMinds Interesting. It makes your videos so much fun! I love old movies--maybe I should jazz up my videos with Bettie Davis and Buster Keaton clips. A lot of silent movies are in the public domain anyway...
@@drawingwithfountainpens Don't count on those films being public domain! :)
A major fountain pen retailer recently admitted that all the modern "flex" they sell really aren't. IMO you can't just cut crescents out and expect flex.
Vintage is a different animal.
The truly flexible were 14K, thinner than modern, and tend to have longer tines than today.
Steel didn't really have flex until you were using specific dip pens. I have several Esterbrook nibs that claim to be flexible, but...
The closest steel I've seen that's remotely similar to the antique dip pens that they have put in a fountain pen is a Zebra G. Same design used for all the flex steel dip pens in the past. Not the crescent cutouts...
Leonardo's design is close. Maybe make them out of thinner sheet stock?
Want an affordable flex pen? Get everyone interested to start writing companies. Stop the crescent cutouts. Put the right type in. Use thinner metal and lengthen the tines. Deeper ink channels and ebonite wouldn't hurt, either. Maybe take cues from the antique Waterman's spoon feed... (No fins, yet didn't dry out easily and PLENTY of ink flow. 😁)
Off my soap box. 😂
Great comparison of some still quite nice nibs. Thanks for sharing these. (I'm not that sold on flex, anyway, it's all about the way the pen writes, for me, and these are quite lovely for the job. 😉 Just not as flexible as my 1912 Mabie Todd. 😁)
Thanks for sharing, Paul!
I think you should give an FPR ultra flex a shot. I’ve got vintage wahls, Moore’s, and other flexers, and I still find it fairs somewhat well. It doesn’t feel the same as vintage, but it doesn’t require much pressure at all and works well.
@@gabemadorma2933 I've used vintage steel flex nibs, and if it's close, I'm happy. Of course, I'm also happy with the manifold nibs I have, as well. 😁
@@gabemadorma2933 No thanks. I got ripped off and insulted by the Texas owner and won't go back ever.
@@InkquiringMinds understandable, I wouldn’t either 🤷🏻♂️
AAAGHHHHH!!! The Lorelei digging into the page....painful!!!! Goodness...my ears!!!
That's the main reason my Blue Dew pen isn't my daily driver.
Yeesh....
Flex nibs should automatically flex on the down stroke. It isn't a flex nib if one must consciously add pressure.
100%!
😀
腕の毛がすごい！😳
G nibs are not for everyone, just saying.
I WILL not buy this Zebra, it is scratchy.
(Joke's on me, I got a few and I don't like them...)
As for effortless line variations, I have about 4 Watermans, all 80-110 years old, and they are in "Wet Noodle" territory. definitely giving you character without even trying. the only modern flex to act like it is a $150-200 cross flex from Regalia or PenRealm.
I will not by this HOVERRRCRRAFT, it is scratched!
flex nib pushes to a compromise: if you don't want binary and you want soft golden nib- and you got one binary on "x" with MontBlanc - you must have a wet feed, If you want to use the pen for normal fast writing as well the softest nib doesn't work well as it flexes even with low pressure. If you use a steel flex you must put more pressure BUT it doesn't flex when you don't want. If you want the perfect flex nib, get the money out and buy a Scribo.