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The BEST Flex Nibs (in my opinion)
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2024
- An overview of the different kinds of flex nibs, their advantages and disadvantages. Hope you enjoyed!
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Decent penmanship. It's surprising to me how many YT channels there are about fountain pens but the people have handwriting that's nothing short of wretched. Nice to see that someone obviously cared enough to put the time in practicing.
haha that's so true. Also, Aidan's writing has much improved since this video was made.
Some people care more about the act of simply writing with a fountain pen, and the feeling of happiness or enjoyment it gives them, than they do about having handwriting that is pleasing to other people’s eyes. I spend hours every week working on my Copperplate, Spencerian, Italic print and Chancery cursive, but I understand that many people couldn’t care less about such superficial, aesthetic things. I would never expect it either. I understand that some people care about the _experience_ of writing with a fountain pen more than they care about how supercilious viewers will judge their handwriting. Why would I care if they spend as much time practicing as I do? I’m interested in their review of a pen, nib, ink, etc. The visual beauty of one’s handwriting makes no difference to the value of said person’s opinion on a nib’s smoothness or its flexibility, just as it has nothing to do with their ability to judge the value and quality of a pen or ink. If I wanted to see beautiful handwriting that badly, I’d watch a video about calligraphy. Another person’s dedication, or lack thereof, for practicing their penmanship is so wholly unimportant to me. I don’t expect everyone to have the same interests and skills as me, even if we both enjoy fountain pens, and I definitely don’t shame them for those differences. Snarky judgements about another person’s penmanship, however, is something that I _definitely_ find wretched.
I never understood why modern flex nibs don't compare to vintage ones - you would have thought with all our technology now we could really make something special, but I imagine there just isn't the market :(
I agree. I think it also is the pure labor cost, of course many people go on about types of alloys and things, but back in the day nibs were made by hand and not stamped which requires so much work, and the geometry of the nibs is obviously quite important for flex, something stamped nibs cant get. It's likely a bit of everything, hopefully someone out there can find a modern day mass-produceable solution!
Esterbrook made nibs by machine, including such coveted nibs as the 128 EF.
Look at vietnamese calligraphy pens for students, they are amazing
Thanks for this! Actually the first video I ever watched on different flex nibs. And now it'll be further down the rabbit hole...
I'm glad that someone defined why the Noodler's Ahab works awesomely for some and is a holy headache for others. I think this nailed it: the pressure. I have a natural heavy hand and I have to work harder to not have one when I use more flexible nibs. Like, to hand fatigue levels. That may be the biggest difference for those of us that love our Ahabs for flex writing.
Isn't a heavy hand limiting?
Have been really appreciating the info you've been putting out, in general and on flex specifically. My Triple Tail should arrive tomorrow. This vid has me really amped to put some ink in it and give it a go.
that's great to hear!! I hope you enjoy the pen :)
I love your reviews. You gibe enough information about pen, your video footage is of good quality, you make the required pressure on the flex nibs and your writing very nice.
Agreed 100%, nothing compares to the amount of flex you can get from a good vintage pen. I’ve got a Pelikan 100N Transitional that has a OF nib that under normal pressure, lays down a XF line on the downstroke and a F line on the cross strokes. And in terms of flex, it goes up to a 3B+ with moderate pressure. I have pens that costs 3-4 times this but not a single modern nib can compare to this. The best nib that I own by far and some of these nibs can go 4B+ quite easily!
Loved all the examples!! Such amazing handwriting ✍🏻 💕✨
thank you so much!! :)
Great video Aidan! So many variables and possibilities in the pursuit of flex!
Thank you so much, Kirk! I agree :)
I found a Waterman "pink" nib ("Holy Grail") in my husband's extensive vintage pen collection. He is going to replace the sac and let me use it! 🥳 Thank you so much for including it in your review.
Wow, what a privilege!
Hey Aiden, nice mix of flex. Which ink did you use in the Tripletail? I agree with vintage flex being the penultimate. You should try one of the 14k flex nibs based on the Jowo No 6 - Richard Binder started making these and now Linda Kennedy, Allinthenib, Gena, and a few others can do it. It's a sublime writing experience and arguably a nicer alternative to the steel flex nibs from my experience. That 140 is a sweet find!
Really interesting video. And actually useful writing samples! Thanks to you and to the gods of the youtube algorithm.
Thank you for making this video, I enjoyed seeing you pens. Is your pelikan140 nib a fine or medium?
Good stuff. I have a couple of vintage flex pens (a Mabie Todd and a Watermans) and they are both such fun to write with.
Your writing is just gorgeous 😍
1. Good info, nice handwriting, thanks.
2. I personally am an example of Be Careful What You Wish For. It wasn't till I had spent $300 on a Nib Creaper, an FPR UltraFlex, a Triple Tail, and a Pilot 743 that I realized that flex nibs fulfilled no want or need in my life. I'm hanging on to them because who knows, my needs could change. So my advice is to make sure you have a use for a flex pen before investing real money in one.
But that's pretty much true for every fountain pen and bottle of ink you buy... I am a software engineer, I didn't need to use a pen for almost 30 years since college, I don't need even one, yet I have almost 200 of them. You are preaching to an absent choir :)
@@Seefood73 Nevermind.
a very good point, some people don't like to use flex or don't want to learn how to master it, and that's totally fine. Just how some people are perfectly content with using a pilot g2 as opposed to a fountain pen. Which is why I always recommend starting out with an FPR flex or ahab before spending the big bucks haha!
@@aidanbernal btw another starter flex to look at is the Osprey Madison. Their Phosbronze nib option looks very promissing.
@@Seefood73 So far I can't make the Phosbronze work well. I pick it up every once in a while an try different inks, papers. The company offers interesting options and flexible configurations. Glad you mentioned them! I want to get back to that rig.
This is awesome! Would also be great to see a vid on best inks for flex (in your opinion). I believe it would require something with a good flow, but maybe there's anything from your experience that you find particularly fitting.
that's a fantastic video idea! I have a few inks I like, I'll do some testing and see if I can make a good list.
@@aidanbernal i'd also appr eciate a video on best inks for flex!
Oh man, that triple tail was nice!
Thanks for this great overview!
Great video, awesome penmanship!
What's your take on gnibs fitted in inexpensive pens?
Have you tried a FPR Super Flex nib? Cheap, modern steel flex nib.
that triple tail gives exactly the look i'm going for. I hope my country's store restocks them soon
For a complete novice to flex nib, this is a great, all-round video. Thank you. Does the resin the Ahab Noodler's pen is made of smell? Rather reluctant to buy an Ahab for what I've read about the resin.
Thank you Aidan. That was helpful information to me.
you're welcome!! thanks for watching!
Thank you. I'm very impressed by your presentation and grateful for it. I yearn for a fountain pen shop nearby. It is difficult and sometimes frustrating having to buy through the mail.
Where did you find your pelikan 140? I've been on the hunt for on for a couple years but can never seem to find a good enough deal.
Great review but surprised you ignore Pilot pens like the 912 or the Falcon. Also fpr ultra flex is reallly terrific. I have a vintage pelikan 120 that has quite a lot of flex.
Sadly didnt have the pilot flex pens at the time of this recording but I have since purchased a 912 FA and it is pretty great! A very soft nib. I might do an update soon when I have the time!
Great review 👏👏👏
woah that cross flex... I got caught off guard :D I wanna mod my own pen like this now... how is the feed and ink keeping up with such a huge gap tho!
Hello
Thank you so much for this information
Could you please put the full name and nib size of each pen?
If possible the links to them
Dang I like that blue triple tail. Also FPR is great because you can buy good/cheap ebonite feeds to fool around with
Great review! I'd love to know what the nib size on your Pelikan 140 is? Thanks!
it's not marked, but it is around a fine nib.
if your lookin for vintage pens Pier Gustafson sells great flexy pens though he is a little slow on getting pens out the door because he hates the post office which I totally feels but every pen hes sold me has been an absolute Gem
nice, I'll check him out!
Your line with the Triple Tail and letter initiation is different than that created by my version. You also have a blue pen body color I have never seen - is yours a very recent purchase of the Triple Tail? Maybe slightly different tipping shape? At the very point of my nib touch the top of my character is not as regular and round. I have no similar trouble with other nibs. My pens are for letter-writing, note-taking, so I want to write quickly.
I have been considering buying another to experiment with tuning the tipping shape. Mine is wet - exactly what I want. The way the three tines meet in the tipping "ball" results in a complicated action.
I have a bunch of Ahabs and run several FPR Super Flex nibs in the Ahabs, so I report that can work. For fast enough flow I experiment with cutting fin-to-central-channel notches in Noodler's or FPR ebonite feeds to get more ink to the last few millimeters of the nib.
FPR Super Flex steel is thinner than the Noodlers so although I will Dremel some notches in my Noodlers nibs this year as an experiment, I expect they will not be as pliable.
What ink was in the Triple Tail? I am always looking for ink formulations that run down those wide gaps effectively when flexing.
yes, mine is an exclusive from the commonwealth 2021 pen show - I bought it from vanness, who sold the extras online. the tipping is stublike, but the inks used in this video (Noodler's Carmel by the Sea) is so wet that it makes it look like a regular round tipped nib. It does feather even on good paper but it sure does keep up in flex nibs!
@@aidanbernal Wetness is helpful with flex nibs. Maybe more important: Ability to keep the ink gap filled across the flexing tines - a different physical characteristic in inks harder to "find" (short of buying/trying a HUGE number of inks). And it would not be surprising if one ink's ability to do that would change with hard-to-control factors such as room temperature or pressure of ink amount in the cartridge/penbody above the nib.
To confirm: the Triple Tail was loaded (for the video) with "Carmel by the Sea". I see it's an exclusive for a Carmel pen store... fun.
@@JonathanXLVII could Iroshizuku inks work better with flex?
I'm far more interested in writing rather than drawing or calligraphy. My favorites are stub nibs, have a few TWSBI, Conklin, Esterbrook, Pilot, etc. But isn't that the great thing about our fp's, particularly the TWSBI, Esterbrook vintage, and the Conklins? We can easily swap nibs to suit our moods. Lamy pens, but not my 2000, are also swappable but not as easily...
Great video!! Thank you, sir!
The green you used in the pelican what is it?
Could you please also make a video about the Conklin Duragraph Omniflex nib? And compare it to Noodler’s Ahab Flex, I would appreciate it.
pilot 912 FA, is also a good flex pen
By far the Regalia flex nib pen is the best and I can't seem to get one from Regalia since they have nothing in stock for a very long time. The price they were selling was around $175 USD. The only other pen that I consider is the Waterman vintage flex pen that is way too overpriced if you can get one that is in working condition.
Just bought a Noodlers Ahab medieval lapis from Amazon. It does not write like that lol 7:58 Mine’s more of a fine point by comparison. Not sure if I have a different model or if there’s a break-in period or just unit variation.
Hey bro, what s ur paper brand?
Good video! Man, you look like that game of thrones girl, Arya I think.
What do you think of the Pilot #10 FA?
it's very nice! I tried the #10 and #15 FA at the SF pen show - the #10 is flexier than the #15, both are very nice but have less springback than the aurora. Still, I'd probably put them about the same level imo!
@@aidanbernal I gather that in general smaller nibs make better superflexers, but nib modders like Kirk prefer the size 6 either because it is easier to handle in the shop (bigger margin of error) or because the buyers prefer size as it fits more pens sold on today's market. In fact I have way too many cheap Chinese pens, but a #6 Jowo or Bock will fit at least a dozen, I have no clue how many of my pens have threading for a #5 Jowo. I hope the fpnibs' #5 will fit in a different nib collar, but I hope to find it screws into one of my existing pens (hopefully an eyedropper) without taking the nib unit apart. At least on the Pen Realm SodF it voids the warranty. To me that says those nibs may be too easy to bend or break.
Check the SUMMIT S100.....is a not expensive vintage pen, and The Good Blue R635. I think you Will like
I highly recommend Fountain pen revolution Ultra flex nibs You will be surprised of how good they actually are
I will definitely check them out! I forgot to mention those - I am planning on doing a video where I modify a flex nib with the side cutouts just like they do. :)
@@aidanbernal I can't wait to see that I have an for gold nib I want to have the sides cut out on but I am a feard it won't springback
@@MissMarilynDarling nice! Yeah, I have learned a few things that may help that I will try out, although I dont know if the same things would apply to gold nibs.
I found no particular distinction between my Nib Creaper and my FPR UltraFlex. Both are mediocre IMHO. But both are also cheap, so potentially useful in overcoming Flex Fever. Or, if it works out, taking your first step into the Wonderful World of Flex.
@@ichirofakename are you kidding their worlds apart the nib creeper is great for mono line but when you want to give it the flex it shows up nicely but the fpr ultraflex nibs are way softer than a normal #5 or #6 nib unless you go gold I have a #6 jowo 14k full flex nib and that thing is a wet noodle :)
Cool.
How to get regalia crossflex nib
they've been discontinued for a while. need to find someone willing to sell you theirs.
@@littletweeter1327 tq for informing. Found magna carta mag 600.
also if you have the money fpnibs has a jowo 14k full flex nib that is very reminiscent of a wet noodle of the past
I would definitely love to get one of those! also Pen Realm's gold flex nib as well. Someday!!
@@aidanbernal I ordered Kirk's SodF and days later saw the fpnibs' flex for half the price, and possibly softer flex. I'll have to get them both and compare....
@@Seefood73 the full flex is super soft like all most like using a hunt 99 its the softest nib I have and if your not into mono line dip nib calligraphy you wont like this cause its almost too soft.. I've been doing Calligraphy for a few years now and I'm use to writing with a light hand so I love it
@@MissMarilynDarling well, I have one Waterman "wet noodle" and I love it not for the amount of variation, but for the way it varies without even trying, and then the handwriting reflects the mood at the time you write. It just adds another dimension. From the demos I watch online, the fpnibs' #5 full flex seems like it gets the closest, and at a saner price than a $300 vintage pen.
@@Seefood73 the #5 is firmer than the #6 but its still really great deal for $40 for a fpr himalaya v2 with an ultra flex nib is just as good if not better than the vintage waterman I have today plus I dont have to worry about springing the tines or wearing out the irridium I can just buy a new nib for $20 :) its a great deal , but if you want a premium experiance $380 Jowo #6 full flex nib with xxf regrind let me tell ya this is premium flex a bit expensive but I love it in my noodlers Konrad its perfect I hesitate to use any of my other pens anymore :)
That's good
What good are they if only avalable on rare, expensive antique pens?
Be more relevent to list current production nibs that you DON'T have to buy with a pen.
Про сущестаование Regalia Semiflex Nib не знал
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