Mb 149 Full Flex Nib!

[stevlight]

I posted this in the "Write Stuff" forum but thought I would post it here for all you MB fans.

So most people on this forum know I LOVE the MB 149--for me it is the perfect pen--size, weight, length posted, girth, holds lots of ink, ink view window, great nibs. BUT very hard to find a MB 149 with a full flex nib. So I talked to Richard Binder and asked if he could add flex to a 149--Of Course he could. I gave it to Richard at the Wash DC Pen show in August just got it a weeks ago. The result is amazing--full flex with minimum railroading, if any. I attached a drawing of "Little One Inch" a Japanese tale that is also the story that one of my storyboxes is based on. My storyboxes are wooden boxes I have made that have small figures and props inside that I use to tell a story. My storyboxes will be debuting at the NYC Toy Fair in February--I am soo excited--now teachers,parents and kids can use my storyboxes to tell stories. So I am doing some big art drawings based on them also--for fun--and what fun it is to use this pen! Here are the pics:

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6532364797_808dab4e19.jpg

DSC03674 by stevlight, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6532366257_11b71562db.jpg

DSC03678 by stevlight, on Flickr

 

Here it is next to a "regular" MB 149 nib--you can see how Richard ground down the shoulders to give the tines more flex--I love the look of this nib.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6532365315_e5a0c0e9ae.jpg

DSC03675 by stevlight, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6532364303_5687b3b403.jpg

DSC03673 by stevlight, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6532363711_6702079949.jpg

DSC03672 by stevlight, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6532365769_6f3831167a.jpg

DSC03676 by stevlight, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6532363167_1aa55f726e.jpg

DSC03671 by stevlight, on Flickr

 

Thanks Richard!

[stevlight]

Oh BTW--the drawing is 22X30 inches and the MB 149 with full flex is the ONLY pen I used to make it.

[hari317]

It looks like the nib has been curved around the feed axis in addition to shaving the shoulders off.

 

Nice Drawings!

Edited December 18, 2011 by hari317

[FredRydr]

Stev,

 

Very cool! Did you start out with a long-tined nib?

 

A close-up photo of the underside of the tip could tell us a lot about how Richard achieves the VF line.

 

Fred

[osnofian]

Very nice! Not only the pen, but your drawing as well.

[watch_art]

Geez!! Gorgeous drawing! I love your work. I've sat with a few of my kids after school just admiring the stuff you have up on your flickr page. Love your style.

[Michael R.]

Great!

 

The nib looks a little bit strange at first but the drawing result is amazing.

 

Was the feed and/or ink flow adjusted as well?

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[Pen Is Mightier]

Very cool pen and even better drawings!

 

What is the line variation on that baby?

[Pen Nut]

Stev,

 

Wow!! Great drawings, ever considered tattooing as a side line, is the pen only intended use for artwork by yourself? Oh two other mithering questions:

 

Is it practical for writing or signing?

 

What is the width of the line variation ?

[stevlight]

Very cool! Did you start out with a long-tined nib?

I had the pen for about 20 minutes before giving it to Richard!! I bought it at the Washington DC Pen show just to give to Richard for adding flex--it is 14K and an ebonite feed --two things Richard said he would need. Well the ebonte feed was suggested--14k a must.

 

Was the feed and/or ink flow adjusted as well?

 

YES--Richard makes it VERY WET for it to not railroad. Still moving very fast at full flex it will railroad but my vintage flex pens do that also--even a dip pen will do that.

 

 

Is it practical for writing or signing?

 

I only really draw with this nib but for slow script hand-lettering it would be great. I personally would not write with it but I only print when I write anyway.

 

What is the width of the line variation ?

What is the line variation on that baby?

 

Here is a pic for you!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6533090151_6132173bb9.jpg

DSC03680 by stevlight, on Flickr

 

 

A close-up photo of the underside of the tip could tell us a lot about how Richard achieves the VF line.

Pics for you:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6533091043_b2a1a71771.jpg

DSC03681 by stevlight, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6533092407_4e3f658fe3.jpg

DSC03683 by stevlight, on Flickr

 

 

Geez!! Gorgeous drawing! I love your work. I've sat with a few of my kids after school just admiring the stuff you have up on your flickr page. Love your style.

Thanks!

[watch_art]

Yowza that's some nice variation.

 

I've just been upstairs at my desk with my Ahab and LOVING the line variation. Thanks for the inspiration!

[tenurepro]

wow... its magic

[Wael El-Dasher]

Fantastic! Encouraging me to draw again...would love to see your story boxes when they're done. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers

Wael

[handwriter]

OMG your art rocks... and so does Richard's!!!!

[Skeet]

The line variations are astonishing! One would assume that you used several different pens. Well done young Skywalker!

[Soot]

Wow~ Love the drawings! Especially the second photo! Very Surreal~~~

That's one hellofa FULL-FLEX nib you got there! Kudos to Richard~~

[PBW]

Absolutely awesome!! That drawing looks amazing. I'll second seeing the story boxes. How many fills did it take to do this drawing? That looks like a lot of ink.

Edited December 18, 2011 by PBW

[sarahfar]

Incredible piece of art. The ink used is incredible too. And if looks like something from a historical document, just breathtaking.

[talkinghead]

It looks like the nib has been curved around the feed axis in addition to shaving the shoulders off.

 

Nice Drawings!

 

I agree Hari, that it looks like that too.

 

I understand the shaving of the shoulders..... but not being an engineer...how would that (curving the body of the nib around the feed more) help the flexibility of the nib for a mechanical/physics stand point?

 

@ Steve....beautiful drawings with that nib!!! Bravo..

 

 

Rick

[watch_art]

I doubt the nib has been rolled around the feed - I think the photos just make it look that way. Besides, if this is an older 149 with the skinny 14k/c nib, it would be thinner anyways wouldn't it? The 149 I drew a picture of had a thin profile as well.