Esterbrook Flex Nibs?

[ladyinthemists]

Can anyone tell me where I can find any Esterbrook flex nibs for my great Esterbrook fountain pens? And do you know the different sizes they came in? Thanks!

[ANM]

None of the Esterbrook nibs are really flexible compared to dip pens and some other brands but the ones that they considered flexible are 1314 fkexubke stub, 2788, Flexible medium, general writing, 9048 Extra fine flexible, shaded, 9128 Extra flexible fine and 9788 extra flexible, medium. There may be others, but those are the ones I know about.

[dcpritch]

I have a few of the Estie flex nibs and I agree with ANM that they simply do not compare in terms of flexibility to vintage flex nibs.

 

However, I had a 1920s Moore pen that was being restored and disintegrated in the process due to issues with its brittle barrel. No chance of salvaging the pen but ... the flexible nib was perfectly intact, so Tyler Dahl took it and inserted the nib into an Estie screw-in sleeve and Voila!, the Ester-Moore nib was born: a vintage, flexible 14k nib that fits perfectly in all my Esties.

 

The nib is currently en route to my son for use with his first-ever Esterbrook pen, or else I'd show you a nice writing sample. I do have a photo, following. This is the best solution I know of for real flex in an Esterbrook pen.

 

[ladyinthemists]

Thanks so much for this info. I may have to do a bit more digging about to find what I'm looking for.

[Chiro75]

I have a 9788 on one of my desk pens and it has a little flex and you have to work hard for it. If you're really looking for a flexy pen with a lot of line variation for, say, Spencerian writing, the Esties will never work for you. In fact, this 9788 doesn't give much line variation at all unless I'm writing at half speed and really working at it, as opposed to one of my Mabie Todd's or Waterman's which will flex like CRAZY with almost no effort whatsoever!

[Pentangeli]

Hello ladyinthemists,

 

I have an Esterbrook 9048 flexible fine nib on my Esterbrook Transitional and it writes from a Fine up to a Broad depending on pressure. I am quite happy with its flex for my everyday writing. I agree that none of the Esterbrook "flexible nibs" can be as flexible as vintage gold flexible nibs that are wet noodles. I hope you find what you're looking for. Cheers!

 

Pentangeli

[floydee1]

I have a 9788 nib in my Osmiroid pen and I agree you dont get much variation unless you work it hard, but it has such spring - it does give my handwriting style and flare. I can write at great speed with it. It makes a great everyday nib.

Edited October 15, 2011 by floydee1

[JonSzanto]

Lady, ditto on the 9788. It *is* nice to add some weight to the lines, but it certainly requires more work than those nibs that one would commonly call "flex". Frankly, when I use it, I just end up emphasizing certain words, almost like having a Bold function built in to the pen. If you feel like stepping outside of your Esties and don't want to spend too much, I've been having a lot of fun with the NOS Eversharp pens that Teri at Peyton Street Pens has come up with.

 

Really, it will satisfy you a lot more than bearing down hard on the Estie (allegedly) flex nibs.

[Reene]

OMG, I just got a Copper transitional J that has a 9788 flexible medium nib on it, and WOW! Am I impressed!

 

I've been satisified all this time with 2668's and 2968's and the oblique 2314's..but this blew me away.

 

People, it DOES flex, sure not as much as a gold nibbed vintage Waterman or a Noodler's flex, but like Floydee above said, it has a definite "spring' to it and you can get really get a nice line variation out of it..much more so that any of the other Esterbrook nibs I've tried so far.

 

I wholeheartedly recommend getting one if you love Esterbrooks..it's a nice surprise!

Edited October 15, 2011 by Reene

[JonSzanto]

OMG, I just got a Copper transitional J that has a 9788 flexible medium nib on it...

Aha, so that was you!

 

 

Enjoy it - it was from Bill, right?

[paolino_paperino]

I have a 9048 and a 9128 and find them both enjoyable to use. The 9128 flexes from fine to double broad, with a bit more pressure that I have to use with some of my vintage gold nibs.

[Moondrop]

I have a 9048 and a 9128 and find them both enjoyable to use.

 

I don't have a 9048, but I agree about the 9128. Mine gives me a very fine line and flexes well enough and easily enough to produce some nice line variation, and can still be used for "normal" writing.

I also have a 2048 that, as I recall, requires much more pressure than the 9128 to flex.

[dcpritch]

This is written with a 9048 that I sold last week to a fellow FPNer - great nib!

 

[Scribblesoften]

I just received a 9048 from Esterbrook.net yesterday. It flexes and as noted above adds line variation. It does not flex nearly as much as some of my other brand steel flex nibs. If memory serves those other brand nibs did not flex very much when they were new either. My hope is that this nib may flex more as it gets some miles on it. Thanks to Esterbrook.net for their prompt service.

[Pentangeli]

@ dcpritch photo: my own 9048 nib also gave the same line variation and as much flex as seen on his writing sample above.

[dcpritch]

I'd like to see what the 9128 and 2048 can do - anyone care to post a sample?

[Iranna]

Here's my 9128. It's very rigid and you have to press a bit too much to get it to flex. So you can't really flex it AND write comfortably. I use it as a regular nib. It's like a needlepoint if not flexed. Still a fun nib. Hope this helps.

[Edgar Allan Bo]

not every 9128 nib has the same flex, and the last one I got is a real xxf-nail, only if I press down at every stroke I get some line variation, but it's uncomfortable because the line variation should be there without much effort.

[kathleen]

Here's my 9128. It's very rigid and you have to press a bit too much to get it to flex. So you can't really flex it AND write comfortably. I use it as a regular nib. It's like a needlepoint if not flexed. Still a fun nib. Hope this helps.

 

 

not every 9128 nib has the same flex, and the last one I got is a real xxf-nail, only if I press down at every stroke I get some line variation, but it's uncomfortable because the line variation should be there without much effort.

 

I agree. My 9128 nib does not produce very much in the way of line width variation, unless I make a conscious effort to apply more pressure. Attending to that conscious effort becomes a sub-task to the writing of one's thoughts and then writing is not as easy or as fun.

I have a 9788 nib that seems quite flexible and I achieve a nice variation in line width using it with little effort.

Edited November 8, 2011 by kathleen

[Edgar Allan Bo]

gosh, the price of the 9128 is going up recently

 

http://www.ebay.de/itm/220890507050?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649