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Here's a brief comparison of 3 modern flex nibs: Conklin Omniflex, Noodler's Ahab, Fountain Pen Revolution Flex. Ease of flex Conklin Omniflex FPR flex Noodler's Line variation FPR flex - the nib writes finer "naturally" Noodler's Conklin Omniflex Railroading They all railroad at some point but it depends so much on how quick, how often and how hard you flex that this is really where I need to call in the YMMV. That being said, my Ahab is the most reliable and sturdy. Nib "feel" Conklin Omniflex feels the most fragile: the metal seems the thinnest, and I don't dare pushing it too much, Noodler's Ahab feels the sturdiest of the three, smooth even flexed to its maximum. Normal writing FPR has the finest line and feels almost italicized, a bit dry and doesn't keep up well with my rather fast writing. That might be something I can fix with brass sheets etc but I don't want to alter the line variation so I'll wait! Noodler's pleases me the most: smooth, a fine medium, still wet, always keeps up. Conklin: meh, nothing to say. Conclusion As much as it kills me to say it, the FPR flex nib is the best in terms of flex, you can get very "calligraphic" with it. The Conklin Omniflex just feels too fragile to me - I must be able to feel comfortable otherwise I might as well go back to dip pen nibs. The Ahab is just the most versatile of all: I love it as an everyday writer, I still love flexing it even after the beautiful discovery of FPR nib. I'll try to swap the FPR nib onto the Ahab and see how I like it (as I don't like the Himalaya V2 pen that much) but I'm pretty sure I want to keep the Ahab as is.

Hi, I've seen Conklin Symetriks wit the Crescent above the clip and but also below the clip. Does the latter indicate a later production date? Eric

I have a few old Conklins, and I've looked at many online, and it's very hard to find one with an intact nib: I see many with the tipping broken off. I dropped my little ringtop Student Special on a carpeted floor the other day: it didn't land on its nib, but the nib cracked right across. I love Conklin nibs, but they seem weirdly fragile compared with other nibs of the same vintage. Does anyone know enough metallurgy to give an informed answer to this perplexing question?

Conklin Duragraph Fountain Pen, Amber - 1.1 MM Steel Stub Nib Hello, I recently purchased this pen recently for $32 on Amazon. I'd love to know what my options are for swapping between the screw-out nib units for this pen. I obviously know that I can get the Conklin replacements. I'm wondering if it uses a standard size that can be swapped out for those of different manufacturers. I tried my Franklin Christoph nib - no joy there. It the FC unit just spun in place. Also, I looked for this information before hitting you guys up. I'm also interested in how to find this out for myself next time. Where can I find what nib units are swappable. Thanks.

Hi, I'm deciding between two mid-priced piston fillers; either the TWSBI 580 or Conklin Heritage Word Gauge. Apart from the small price difference which pen would you choose and why ? Especially like to hear from those who have both. TWSBI pros: easy to disassemble and clean Cons: chance of cracking/fragile, #5 nib limits availability of nib options (eg italics, gold flex and specialty grinds etc) Conklin: pros: no history of cracking, #6 nib more freedom of nib options (eg italics, gold flex and specialty grinds etc) cons: not designed to be disassembled Thanks

Hello! I love the look of many Conklin pens, especially the Duragraph, and the steel JoWo nibs are just fine, but I would love to put a gold nib in it. I saw that both Edison and FPR make gold nibs (I especially like FPR because it is $20 cheaper) in the #6 size and was wondering if anyone thinks this is a good idea or if anyone has ever tried it. Thank you for your help! W. H. Major

Hello! I love the look of many Conklin pens, especially the Duragraph, and the steel JoWo nibs are just fine, but I would love to put a gold nib in it. I saw that both Edison and FPR make gold nibs (I especially like FPR because it is $20 cheaper) in the #6 size and was wondering if anyone thinks this is a good idea or if anyone has ever tried it. Thank you for your help! W. H. Major I posted this in the wrong section before. Oops! Reposting to the right place, which I think is this one.

Today, I am reviewing the Conklin All American Limited Edition Courage Red pen. First of all, in my opinion Conklin get a lot of unnecessary bad press. While brands like Edison get wonderful reviews for their pens which often are around 170 bucks that come with a steel nib, and Conklin which also offers cast resins for sometimes over 100 cheaper, and they get horrible reviews. Now I am not saying that Edison pens aren’t great, because they are, I’m just saying that they are pricey for what they are, and, in my humble opinion, Conklin pens are a steal. If you don’t like the nibs, then you can get a Goulet nib or an Edison nib, and if you want a good nib, you can get an Edison gold nib or a JoWo gold nib from fpnibs.com (who offers the JoWo 14k gold nib at just $115!) in the #6 size. Sorry about that, now let me get back on track. This pen is a limited edition of 1898 pieces (Conklin was founded in 1898) and I personally have #0693. So be sure to get it while you can! Design and Build Quality (8.5/10) This pen is huge. It’s about the size of my hand. Granted, I have relatively small hands, but nevertheless it is huge. I can’t imagine anyone ever posting this pen. I personally don’t like reds and pinks a lot, but this pen really spoke to me because it reminds me of a betta fish I used to have when I was younger. Without that though, I don’t think I would have gotten it. It is medical themed, and it is called the Courage series because of the incredible amount of courage shoes by first responders during the pandemic. The clip has the medical snake around a pole, and then the cap band has a heartbeat in the front with another heartbeat on the back which is used to spell “COURAGE”. The body tapers down to the end. The swirls in this pen are magnificent. The material has such a depth to it, and it has pearlescent whites and thin streaks of black all throughout the semi-translucent red resin. It is just gorgeous and a sight to behold. When you unscrew the cap (which takes about 1.75 turns), it reveals a JoWo steel nib, in my case a 1.1 mm stub. It doesn’t have a lot of decoration, just the Conklin logo and Toledo, U.S.A. . The reason that it is a 8.5 out of 10 is because it’s just so huge. Nib and Writing Experience (7.5/10) The writing experience is pretty good. You can’t write incredibly quickly, or else you’ll get skipping. Otherwise, it works great. Relatively dry, but that can be fixed. Reverse writing is not recommended. Has pretty good line variation. Adds a nice bit of character to your writing. I have nothing wrong with this nib, it’s just like a lot of stubs where you have to be more thoughtful how you are writing. In fact, I like it quite a bit. Thank you for reading this review! As this is only my second review, please leave some constructive criticism! I would appreciate very much. Or, just tell me what you thought if the review! Just please leave a comment so I know what to keep doing and what to improve upon. Here are the pictures:

Can anyone help me identify this Conklin pen? It has a flex nib and syringe/pull/piston fill. Thanks!

Hello everyone, Does anyone have any information about the AB Conklin brand? Though the nib is marked "Chicago," this pen and nib look like they predate the 1938 Chicago acquisition of the Conklin Pen Company of Toledo by quite a few years. I'm quite interested in the story of this pen, because it is in excellent condition, and seems to be a high quality pen with a very flexible nib.

Hi Everyone, I picked up one of these a while ago and I don't know enough about Conklins to correctly identify this pen and was wondering if anyone knew the model/name?

Hey everyone! I got this Conklin (looks a lot like an Endura but isn't marked as such?) from an antique store for a really good deal-or so I thought! I was so excited I didn't notice the very loose clip. As you can see from the pictures, it looks like someone forced it one way and a small piece of the hard rubber gave way. Remarkably no cracks, but the clip does move to that one side (but not the other). Is there anything to be done to stabilize the clip? Thanks, Alexander

Hello all. I just had the pleasure of visiting for the first time my local Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia, CA, the only brick and mortar fountain pen shop in all of Los Angeles from what I can tell. It was a wonderful experience. I picked up a Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler--Demonstrator model. Really happy with my purchase however after getting home, I noticed a potential issue. Since it's the weekend, can't reach the shop owner. The instruction insert states after filling the pen, return the locking ring to closed position by turning 180 degrees so that the locking ring opening is on the opposite side of the crescent. However, I am unable to turn it fully to 180 degrees. It gets stuck at maybe 120 degrees as the the ring thickness is non uniform and runs into the crescent beyond 120 degree turn preventing further turn. The problem is the ring is a bit loose and can't reliably lock into place, so my concern is the potential for leaking should i accidentally depress the crescent button. This is my first crescent filler, so I have no prior experience.

Now heres an interesting thing: I was looking at a Conklin Crescent on eBay - a pen I find fun to use and often with very flexy nibs, and I happened to notice that the later Endura line - with a more conventional filling mechanism and less extravagant nibs - seem more desirable pens, as expressed by the listed prices. So Im intrigued: what is it about the Endura? I have eccentric tastes and my fancy runs to ringtops, but the Crescent is an older, rarer and odder pen, which usually adds value. Anyone care to hazard a guess?

The Conklin Empire is a discontinued line of pens that were inspired by early Roman and Greek architecture, according to the Yafa site. The Empire was one of the pen lines that Conklin designed and produced prior to Yafa's purchase of that label. http://mobth960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/patienttype2/Mem%20Day%20Sale%202019/th_P5170577.jpg?t=1275339694 The pen is readily identified by the chrome cap that is wider at the top than at the base and by the characteristic threaded chrome section at the back of the pen designed to securely post the cap. The clip is strong and springs back crisply. "Conklin" is imprinted on the pen clip and with a decorative etching at the base of the clip. http://mobth960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/patienttype2/th_FountainPenSalePics1-15-13136_zps27ad6e42.jpg The Empire barrel is fluted and came in four flat - non-glossy colors: Yellow, Burgundy, Blue & Black. The pen grip, like the cap is done in chrome. These are converter/cartridge fill pens. The Empire has a weighted barrel, giving it just a little heft and gravitas for a fairly economical pen. Unlike many Conklins, there is no flimsyness to the Empire. The pen has a solid feel and, the pen shows few signs of use even after more than three years of regular writing http://mobth960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/patienttype2/th_FountainPenSalePics1-15-13137_zpsee89bcaf.jpg The Empire was generally available from close out sources four to five years ago. So their original release must have preceeded that by at least a couple of years. Most Empires were equipped with steel Bock nibs. A few, such as this one, were equipped with 14K gold nibs. The medium nib is fairly short, stiff and lays down a smooth, wet (7) line. http://mobth960.photobucket.com/albums/ae87/patienttype2/Mem%20Day%20Sale%202019/th_P5170578.jpg?t=1275339804 Original retail price for the steel nib version of this pen was $95. I don't know how much of a premium ordering a gold nib originally added to the cost of the pen. Close out prices for the steel-nib variety ranged from $40-$60. These pens have become difficult to find. There is a NOS Empire in the dark blue currently posted on line at $64.99. The Empire is a fountian pen that won my admiration slowly. When I first got it, I found the pen unremarkable and the small, stiff nib less than imposing. So, I stored it away in the pen box. At one point, convinced I owned too many fountain pens, I put the pen up for sale. Fortunately, it failed to draw a buyer and I began writing with it. It has become one of the pens I enjoy and use frequently. It is the right weight and grip for extended use and delivers attractive script using any ink I've loaded.

Hi Everyone, DISCLAIMER : This is my first Ink Review on this forum so please comment and any Suggestions are Most Welcomed. First of all, A Big Thanks to LIVTEK INDIA for providing me the sample of this lovely Blue Ink, Do check them out at the link given above , That being said This is an Honest Review and I DO NOT REPRESENT LIVTEK OR CONKLIN IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER. 1. Sample So, I received this sample in a Glass Bottle (Similar to Monteverde 30ml Ink Bottles) 2. Comparison ​Check the following to copier the very Saturated and Bright True Blue as I have compared the same to the following:- Sample as compared to Others Compared to Diamine Majestic Blue, Conklin Horizon Blue has slightly less sheen but is quite True Very Saturated Beautiful Blue. Compared to J. Herbin Kyanite du Nepal It is has more Red sheen which differs in colour 3. Writing Samples I am using Parker Vector (Fine) and applied a tiny bit of Pressure for a slight Line Variation and to put more ink on the paper. (a). Ink Resistant Paper Writes perfectly with NO BLEED THROUGH and really amazing Shading and lovely Reddish Sheen to the ink. The ink is very well behaved and lubricated and has the same ITF Technology that Monteverde Ink has. Though I experienced Huge Dry times on such paper but it looked Beautiful and It has a Beautiful Reddish sheen as found on Diamine Majestic Blue and even in some cases Parker Quink Blue. This Ink really shades well IF USED ON CORRECT TYPE OF PAPER. ( . Copy Paper The Ink writes perfectly and I Highly Recommend as a Work Blue Ink. It is really Saturated and the Colour just Pops out. Dry Times are really good on an copy paper. I does sheen even on the copy paper and has a slight Bleed Through and very little Feathering, But I was putting a lot of ink on the paper, So, It shouldn't matter very much Nevertheless and here's the Bleed Through on a Copy paper As mentioned above It does also so slightly sheen on copy paper:) ©. Recycled Paper Well frankly speaking this is a (bleep) of a paper very close to a News paper but the ink performed relatively decent, I won't talk about the Dry Time on this paper as It is close to ZERO. The ink is immediately absorbed by the paper and you can see massive Feathering and Bleed Through. 4. Additional Properties An interesting Thind was to check its water resistance and find out any hidden colours there might be, so, I did chromatography using a Tissue paper and there was a hint of turquoise (Kinna very diluted Diamine Marine) and what seemed to me as Royal Blue ink (I am very bad with colours so please correct me if I am wrong here). The ink is NOT AT ALL WATER RESISTANT and completely fades out. On the brighter side it is really easy to clean from the pen. It is Advertised as a safe ink to use and I did not face any issues while enjoying this ink. It is a relatively dry ink and does dry in the nib if out for a relatively long time (say > 10 Min or so). 5. Final Thoughts So, for about 1100 INR for a 90ml bottle you are getting an enormous and a well performed ink for very Cheep. I would definitely recommend this ink for office/ daily carry purpose and anyone interested in a Bright Blue Saturated colour with a hint of Gorgeous Red Sheen. All in all an wonderful ink to work with. Once again I would like to Thank LIVTEK INDIA for giving me this opportunity to test the Ink. Do visit them for some more interesting colours of Inks available. Regards, GS Gill

Although it references the now-past Valentines Day (according to my wife, this should be every day), please take a look if you haven't visited. I still have a few of the LE Conklin Duraflex Elements and Freedom pens left in stock -- as well as several other pens selected for the Day of Love. http://hisnibs.com/ConklinDuraflexElements3PenRandom_small1.jpg http://hisnibs.com/ConklinDuraFlexFreedomMain2_small.jpg

Formerly known here as "handlebar", my new name is more apropos as Celticshaman. After many years away from the pen world and all that entails, I have slowly been working my way back. Work, life, my business (photography ...Dragon Digital Photography) and other interests crept in and stole away most of my time. And, the industry was changing, not for the better. Coming back now, I see a LOT has changed!! I still have some penpals (always looking for new ones if interested!) and getting back into pens,ink,paper and the history of writing. I reopened my once archived Omas group on Facebook for anyone interested. https://www.facebook.com/groups/200590740889/ I look forward to getting caught up !! Seumas Dòmhnal Ross

I bought a Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler a while back and inked it up and noticed ink was seeping into the section. I contacted Yafa and they are repairing or if they cant repair they will allow me to select any pen of equal value. I've been told that repair is more likely. It's been a few weeks and it is still being repaired. I asked for an ETA and the answer I was given was more or less when the tech is finished. I know each pen repair is different, but I'm sure many of you have experience in this area; how long typically do pen repairs take? I know an exact time frame is unreasonable to expect but I would welcome a ballpark.

I've been wanting to get into flex pens ever since I started using fountain pens a few years ago, but didn't want to get ahead of myself. So I started off with all the recommended beginner pens. I've been writing with all my pens for awhile and now I'm itching to get into flex but would like some recommendations. I've been watching a bunch of youtube videos and curious which flex pen most people here think has the best performance. I hear vintage flex is where its at, however I can't afford vintage flex so I have to stick to modern flex for now. Here are the modern flex pens I am aware of. Pilot FalconPilot Custom 912 - FA NibFPR Himalaya V2 Ultra FlexNoodlers Ahab, Boston, Creaper, Konrad, Neponset, tripleConklin OmniflexEdit - Desiderata PensLike I mentioned above I'm curious what the community thinks is the best performing modern flex pen and feel free to let me know of other ones that is worth looking into. I know mileage will vary.

Theres an old saying about not borrowing trouble, but theres an interesting old Conklin on eBay that may be affordable because it lacks its crescent. Obviously, Id need a replacement but how available are they? Perhaps someone would know which restorers may have a stockpile of these things? Many thanks.

how does one extract the inner cap of a Conklin Nozac?

Hi folks, WH Smith currently has Conklin Duragraphs for £29.99, and Minigraphs for £26.99, and if you have a Quidco account going via Quidco gives you 8% cashback on that. https://www.whsmith.co.uk/search?q=conklin&cgid=ALL

Hello everyone at the fountain pen network. Today as always I come to ask your advice and share your wisdom and opinions to be able to solve several doubts that I have in my head. I love both modern and vintage fountain pens from the bottom of my soul, most of my feathers are modern and I only have one vintage that is my prized "51" parker. And I've decided that it's time to get another vintage pen but an older one and I've always had the desire to get a vintage fountain pen of ebonite with flexible nib is a great historical piece that I wish to own in my little collection. Now I have the money available to buy one but I have a lot of doubts about which one I should get. I have three ebonite in my sights that I want to obtain but at the moment I can only get one. hese are the fountain pens that I want to get: Parker Jack Knife Safety Fountain Pen - BCHR, Ring Top, Fine Full Flex Lucky Curve # 2 Nib (Excellent, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/parker/duofold-lucky-curve/parker-jack-knife-safety-fountain-pen-bchr-ring-top-fine-flexible-lucky-curve-2-nib-excellent-restored.html------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conklin Crescent 2P Fountain Pen - BCHR, Fully Flexible Fine # 2 14k Nib (Superior, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/other-u-s-pen-makers/conklin-pen-co/conklin-crescent-2p-fountain-pen-bchr-fully-flexible-fine-2-14k-nib-superior-restored.html-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conklin Crescent 40 Fountain Pen - Large BCHR, Wide Cap Band, Flexible Medium 14k Nib (Excellent +, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/other-u-s-pen-makers/conklin-pen-co/conklin-crescent-40-fountain-pen-large-bchr-wide-cap-band-flexible-medium-14k-nib-excellent-restored.html---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I like aesthetically more conklin but my biggest doubt to decide to choose one of these is about filling system of these fountain pens which is better? button filler or crescent filler system or level filler? I understand that both have to change the rubber bag every so often, but I ask about their internal mechanisms which is better, more reliable and robust and which pen is easier to maintain and change the bag.I have already attached the links so that they can see them and help me to take my decision and that they can tell me the pros and cons of these mechanisms