Hmm, Do Cheap Flex Exist?

[Watercycle]

I'm wondering how cheap flex pens can be, I've literally only found ones that were $100 and up.

 

And dare i not look for a restored vintage flex threw disreputable eBay dealers.

 

Really I would just like to try them at some point. I've heard there are dip pens that are cheap? (if those work with fountain pen ink(bottles of course) that'd be awesome).

 

 

I'd probably be willing to go up to like $120 on the price (that seems ridiculous for a pen, even a fountain!), any suggestions?

[JonSzanto]

Well, I'm not exactly sure what you are looking for. If it is only vintage pens, then I'm not too savvy on that, but have you given any thought to one of the Noodler's Flex Pens? The place where I get a lot of ink and stuff, Goulet Pens, sold out of their latest batch in about a day, but some people have found them at other places by searching for them.

[notgiven]

I'm looking for good flex pen as well. I looked into dip pen, and Gillott 303 nib got mentioned a lot. I am not very familiar with dip pens, so I don't know what to recommend, but I found they work great with j. Herbin inks.

[ghazali]

I'm wondering how cheap flex pens can be, I've literally only found ones that were $100 and up.

 

I'd probably be willing to go up to like $120 on the price (that seems ridiculous for a pen, even a fountain!), any suggestions?

 

How about a $14 Noodler's Flex Pen. They're hard to find at the moment but there should be a glut of them coming in the next few weeks. Something along the lines of 11,000 being made if i heard my sources correctly.

[USMCMom]

I'm wondering how cheap flex pens can be, I've literally only found ones that were $100 and up.

 

I'd probably be willing to go up to like $120 on the price (that seems ridiculous for a pen, even a fountain!), any suggestions?

 

How about a $14 Noodler's Flex Pen. They're hard to find at the moment but there should be a glut of them coming in the next few weeks. Something along the lines of 11,000 being made if i heard my sources correctly.

 

10,999 because I'm getting another. LOL

[macaddicted]

The only pen I know in that price range is the Namiki Falcon (the resin body one). Pam Braun has them for $99 right now. I'd describe the Falcons as extra-soft. For a bit more the Pilot Custom pens come with the Falcon nib (which isn't the same as the nib on the Falcon pen). Check here for a info, including which pens have the Falcon (FA) nib. The short version is that the Custom 742, 743 and 912 all have the more flexible nib, but are not sold in the US so off to eBay you must go. The Custom 912 is available here on eBay.

 

I own all a couple of Falcons, a Custom 743 and 912. I like the nib on the Custom 912 most. It's a little bit softer than the nib on the 743, which seems to be the consensus of the #10 nibs found on the 742 and 912. The nibs on the Falcon pens (as opposed to the Falcon nibs) are not as flexible. I don't own any vintage flex pens but from what I have read the Pilot Custom pens are not as flexible.

 

P.S. I've purchased from both vendors linked above.

[Sigismund]

I'm very much enjoying my flex nib dip pens purchased from the classifieds section.

 

I've gotten some flexible nibbed Conklin Crescents BCHR for under $100. But maybe that was back in the old days, several years ago.

[spinningtrees]

I bought an Eversharp Skyline on EBay for around $50 restored. It writes well with some flex and line variation. Not as much flex as the older pens like Waterman, Swan and others, but some of those can be pricey. Still I think you can find some vintage flex for under $100 if you look hard enough.

[Snarf]

For the time being, I say go with the noodler's flex pen $14 and well worth the price. For that price, I'm using this pen regularly on a daily basis (I actually have 3 inked at the same time with different inks that I use in my rotation) with less fear of it being damaged since it's so cheap, but at the same time I take good care of it because it simply is awesome to write with.

 

I just took a quick peak over at classifieds there's one selling for 12$...

Edited July 31, 2011 by Snarf

[andybiotic]

My waterman 52 1/2V ringtop with a superflex nib that was used to write the "Andybiotic" in my signature panel is exactly $120. Don't care if it is overpriced, I love the nib, one of my best flex nibs. It can also be used to write very fast when not flexing as well, so that is a plus. They exist, just have to look harder for them!

 

$120 is NOT expensive for a pen, especially for a fountain pen, particularly those with a superflex nib. I've paid more for a wet noodle (JUST THE NIB TOO), and willing to pay even more for a high end modern pen such as the Yard-O-Led Corinthian (as posted in my other thread).

Edited July 31, 2011 by andybiotic

[ghazali]

How about a $14 Noodler's Flex Pen. They're hard to find at the moment but there should be a glut of them coming in the next few weeks. Something along the lines of 11,000 being made if i heard my sources correctly.

 

10,999 because I'm getting another. LOL

 

I'll get a couple too depending on the designs. I've just ordered the larger barrel size rollerballs as well.

[searcher18]

The Noodler maybe your only recourse right now but it is not a true semi flex pen. I would wait and save the money for a top notch semi flex. Do you have golf clubs that you can sell?

[knitknitfrog]

Cheap flex pens do exist but they are not identified as such, my best flex was a gift, one of four pens a friend gave me. The pens were her fathers and she knew I would ink and use them. Two were Onotos, two Parker 45's. One Onto has amazing flex and the other is a lovely stub, the Parker 45's are both students.

 

So my lovely flex cost me a clean and resac, I offered it back and showed her how it wrote but she insisted I keep it.

 

There might just be a simillar pen with flex out there for you, just keep a look out and be prepared to find it.

Edited July 31, 2011 by knitknitfrog

[Bo Bo Olson]

Cheap and inexpensive are two hugely different words.

 

Yes you can get a cheap Noodler 'nail' flex pen, or a cheap dip pen nib; some times a valuable antique is cheap at € 80,($120); though with some hunting some of the antique pens with easy full flex/superflex or wet noodles, can be had for half.

 

The trick is to take your time, in many cases the same pen/nib comes up for cheaper a month later.

 

Some times you pay for having an antique pen restored, polished; rated as to what nib flex it has and found.

 

Be a shame to buy a pen and find out gee they made that pen in regular flex too.

Edited July 31, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[rwilsonedn]

+1 for starting with dip pens. jbb (no affiliation) can fix you up with a variety of pens and a pen-holder (nibs and a pen, in fountain-pen talk) for very little money. They are more flexible and better-behaved than all but the best flex fountain pens. And yes, once the pen is properly cleaned it will work with fountain-pen ink, unless you are doing very critical calligraphy.

ron

[thequinox]

The only pen I have with any flex is the Noodler. I have to say it's so much fun to use. If you're not sure flex is for you I whole heartedly recommend it. It's stiff sure, but it's cheap, fun, and a great starter. I only fear it'll get you hooked and wanting more like it did for me

[sirksael]

I think in the classifieds section here you should, with some patience, be able to find a vintage mabie-todd swan with a rather common nr. 2 nib for around $50 or even less. the nr. 2 is not a 'wet noodle', but to try flex it is ideal in my humble opinion.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Swan/Blackbird...There are three men who have professional sites on English Buy Now, that tell you what the nib flex is.

If in common black and gold affordable....color costs lots more.

 

Be aware there is some jerk with a good looking site selling normal bite marks, brassing and needing a new sac for the same money.

[Malcy]

Swan/Blackbird...There are three men who have professional sites on English Buy Now, that tell you what the nib flex is.

If in common black and gold affordable....color costs lots more.

 

Be aware there is some jerk with a good looking site selling normal bite marks, brassing and needing a new sac for the same money.

 

I'm not sure who the men that Bo Bo refers to are, I am sure that they wouldn't mind being named (Is this against forum rules?). I think that I know the seller to avoid, do their pictures have a stripy background?

 

Swan did a huge range of nibs and they are often flexy. They do great stubs too. Any of the nib sizes from 1 to 6 can be flexy but it doesn't say on the nib. If the tines look long and thin like the example below then it is a good possibility that it will flex.

 

Post war torpedo/streamlined shaped Swans are a good bet. They can be BHR or celluloid and come in lever and leverless (twist fill). The post-war leverless mechanism works very well, the pre-war version less so.

 

The model naming convention is:

 

Four numerals e.g. 4660

 

The first numeral denotes the filling system 4=Leverless 3=Lever

The second numeral shows the nib size (1 to 6)

The last numeral always seems to be zero

 

What does the third numeral indicate? It seems to range from 2 through to 6. It could be trim, nib width, type, stiffness or something else. I just can't identify what it indicates. If anyone knows, I would love to find out what it means.

 

Here is an example, a 4230:

 

 

A writing sample from this pen:

 

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g114/Luminarium/4230.jpg

 

Good hunting!!

[Bo Bo Olson]

I don't remember nor did I mark down any names of the three English Buy Now sellers. I just went to English Ebay....went Buy Now and looked.

 

I noticed three that were very professional, restored, and said if a pen was regular, semi-flex, 'flexi' or full flex.

Being from when a portable electric type write was high tec, I don't think about saving links much...much less doing them.

 

 

At the time I was looking for an easy Full Flex/superflex Swan nib, but found a couple (A Bock and a Degussa nib) of German ones for lots cheaper.

 

I had done a lot of reading on Swan pens and nibs in the six weeks I chased Cheap Swans too slow to catch any. I was worried about those who were more complicated than a lever pen, in they would have to be sent for repair as was.

 

It took me a bit to break the mental budget barrier, and then shortly after found cheap German pens.

Black and gold are much cheaper than the real pretty Swan's and Blackbirds.