Got My First Full Flex.

[iamchum]

So another pen arrived in the mail today. A NOS Osmia 223 with a full flex nib. I pretty much have enough pens all over the spectrum to have tried stubs and italics of varying sizes, and nibs of different stiffness from manifold to springy. But, I was always a bit apprehensive to go full vintage flex, lest I screw something up (I'm pretty bad like that, in fact, when i got it, I accidentally dropped it while going to the sink to flush it out and test it , all good just carpet no foul). I started with a noodler's ahab, which allowed me to experiment with a modern "flexish" kind of pen, and that wasn't too bad (had to scrub the feed first for decent flow, but its still a bit anemic, need to write pretty slowly if I am flexing about).

 

So, anyway, the pen is a beauty. Absolutely mint and working straight out of the box (smooth nib, nothing wrong with the button filling system), but when I started writing with it... HOLY HELL!!! Now I know why people say it's just not the same when you are referring to modern and vintage flex nibs. It just kind of does acrobatics with very little pressure, and it's fun as to write with. Sigh....

 

So, anyway, my question is, how many of you out there are on the vintage flex train, as opposed to say, the stub train? And what are some things I should be looking out for while riding the vintage flex train (I have tried to be very careful about the amount of pressure I apply, as there is just so so little resistance compared to my Noodler's)?

 

Pictures

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img515/5328/dsc00575xx.jpg

 

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img716/9597/dsc00572xd.jpg

Edited January 23, 2013 by iamchum

[pokermon]

You learn how much a nib can take, and then you just flex your butt off enjoying it. Have fun, because once you get one you will get more.

[schin]

Beautiful! I would love to find a good vintage flex nib but they seem quite elusive and we don't quite seem to know what we get until it arrives.

[dcpritch]

... but when I started writing with it... HOLY HELL!!! Now I know ...

 

So, anyway, my question is, how many of you out there are on the vintage flex train, as opposed to say, the stub train?

 

Did someone say we have to choose which train we're on? Because I didn't get that memo! And yes, it is possible to ride two trains at once.

 

 

Congrats on a great pen. My Osmia is an absolute joy with which to write, unreal flex, and a steel nib no less. Actually, I have had about equal results from vintage gold nibs and vintage steel (especially WWII era steel and alloy nibs). Hang onto your wallet, though, because more flex nibs will certainly follow.

 

[pokermon]

I have a flexy stub that satisfies both trains

[Bjorn Keizers]

That's a beauty for sure! I definitely want to give flexible nibs a try as well. Looks like a great way to get some variety into your writing.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Welcome to the Osmia Club, you have a very minty looking one. :clap1:

That advice to flex the hell out of the nib, will lead to WHOOPS I sprung a irreplaceable nib.

Read the bottom section.

 

I'll get to how much to flex it in a while.

I have 7 Osmia's and 3-4 Boehlers...the brother who split the firm to found his own, when Faber-Castell bought too much of Osmia in 1936. Complete buy up in 1951.

 

So lets see if you have a a 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex or a 'easy full flex'.

'30's was also in Germany a time of easy full flex nibs.

1933-42..1938 summer, Hitler steals the gold from fountain pens.

Is yours a 14 C nib? (if so '33-summer of '38) 14 C like 18 C is more flexible alloy than a 14 K/18K nib.

 

So 1932 Osmia which had not office supply company to back the pen division, like Soennecken, MB and Pelikan, always had money problems. (@1929 Parker buys up or buys up a big part of Osmia to make Parker Duofold pens in Germany...they did not sell, they cost so very much more than the Parker Duofold clones and did not hold enough ink. Overly expensive pens in a cheap wage land; Germany.

1930 Osmia buys its self back...(getting some free Parker tec transfer from the US.) 1932 Osmia in money problems again, sells it's great nib making factory to Degussa.

The nib had the best 'iridium' tip in the world, (patented with and from some Heidelberg University professor who invented an 'iridium/Osmian(sp) tip that was better constructed....not lumpy 'iridium' like all other tips.)

The workers in Heidelberg refused to move to Pfortzheim(sp) where Degussa had it's main factory, so the nib factory remained in Heidelberg.

Degussa became the Bock of it's day...1932-70.

Osmia bought it's nibs from Degussa with it's stamp on it...common even today with Bock.

Degussia of course like Bock today had what ever alloy's a pen company would pay for...(Osmia also made nibs for other pen companies.)

The gold and steel Osmia nibs are equally as good. I don't notice any difference my self. I have 3 of gold,4 of steel.

 

In that I don't have a '30's Osmia , Just 40's-early 50s.I can't say how flexible a '30's nib would be. I do have a Pelikan 100N that has an easy full flex nib. So see no reason why you should not have one.

 

 

My '40's-50's Osmia nibs, the ones with the little 3 or 2 in a diamond on the nib, are on the whole semi-flex.

(I do have a gold one #3 that to my surprise was 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex.)I do though expect the numbers which are size of the nib in a diamond to be semi-flex.

 

Nibs with Supra on it are in my '40-50's nibs 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex, the step above semi-flex. A step below easy full flex. I expect a Surpra nib to be 'flexi'.

Is yours a Supra nib? It should be, in that was Osmia's better nib. I see no reason why in a 1930's nib the Supra could not come in both easy full flex and 'flexi'.

 

Please show me a better close up of your nib.

 

The semi-flex and the 'flexi' nibs are Not Flexible nibs.

These three flex sets spread the tines only 3 X a light down stroke.

When you mash a regular flex nib hard, the tines will spread 3 X a light down stroke.

A semi-flex (Osmia diamond 3/2 gold or steel)will do that with half the pressure.

A 'flexi' (Osmia Supra steel or gold) spreads it's tines 3 X a light down stroke, with half the pressure needed for a semi-flex or 1/4th of a regular flex.

 

An easy full flex or wet noodle/super-flex spreads it's tines 4-5 X a light down stroke...some wet noodles even more.

An easy full flex, takes half as much pressure to spread it's tines as a 'flexi' nib. 1/8th needed to spread the tines in a regular flex.

 

Wet noodles half of that (1/16th regular flex), weak kneeded wet noodles less than that.

 

 

An Ahab is not a classic flexible pen, in the tines only spread, and do not bend enough. It needs semi-flex pressure to "flex" it's tines...now you know how much work that really was.

 

So in that you are still 'noobie' with flexible nibs, after you have checked does your nib spread it's tines 4 or 5 times, that you only spread the tines regularly one size lower....if it spreads 4 X, then only 3 X, if 5 X only 4 X....that goes well for your semi-flex or 'flexi' nib set too.

 

Go to Richard Binder's com and read how very very easy it is to spring your nib. That article is 100% + need to read for any one with a nib with some flex.

 

A $$$$ repaired nib sprung, I don't think, but am willing to hear a true expert tell me I am wrong...will not be quite the nib it was before it was sprung. I think from my reading a great nib repairman can get it pretty close. But pretty close is not the unsprung nib. TAKE CARE!!!

If you want to flex the hell out of a nib, get dip pen nibs. Know your nib's limits.

 

Osmia was one of the big 5 in Germany. Kaweco, Soennecken, MB and Pelikan were the others. Original Reform was also in that class. Not the later Reform that most know, after he closed down rather than make a second class pen to survive the coming of the ball point pen. It was later sold name and all, to a Heidelberg company that made second-third tier pens.

 

dcpritch, I don't flex my 883 any where as much as yours...mine is a Supra 14 K nib. :hmm1:

Time to ink it....

Edited January 23, 2013 by Bo Bo Olson

[dcpritch]

dcpritch, I don't flex my 883 any where as much as yours...mine is a Supra 14 K nib. :hmm1:

Time to ink it....

 

BoBo, you always have such great info, and I wish I lived like you in the land where all these great nibs were made. On the other hand, my wallet is happy we live far, far away, so I'm not constantly tempted by the great pens with flex nibs that lurk about.

 

I think I could press my 883 nib a little further, but I won't. It's a B nib to begin with and makes for a very easy writer, but will go crazy wide when called upon.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Whew!!!! Mine's an F.

I was really wondering there.

 

I so like the vintage German B's, they are a writing nib; not the fat signature nib of today.

I have a OBB that is true to that size and a OBB that is a tad narrow, a OB 1/2. That 'OB 1/2 writes well too. In Osmia's way of doing that BBL..a number 3 steel nib mdl. 63.

I'd have to look to see if both are Osmia's...

Got a #62 ML/OM Steel # 3.

BHRC 76 with quite a large Supra EF steel nib. My second prettiest Osmia.

 

I cheated of course one of the hand full of inherited pens, that sat in my wife's Aunt's drawer at least 15 years sat in mine, for 15 years.

@4 years ago, I was stupid...ignorant and dumb and happy. I had a single malt scotch collection. In the end all one has after all is an empty bottle.

 

We were going to the flea market the first time to sell. Lets sell those old fountain pens from the back of the drawer. €3 for the regular ones, and ask €5 for the two pretty ones. :headsmack:

 

Luckily my wife beat me with her two by four and made me go look up the fountain pens on the Internet.

I would have made Thomas very, very happy. :roflmho: (That was before we met.... A stranger walked up to our table and said..."You are Bo Bo Olson." Ah Ha a pen man; no one else would say that...and a real scholar he is. )

 

Osmia mdl 540 Supra M steel nib.Black, gray and pearl marbling.

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/faber_osmia_62_f_marbled_7.jpg

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/faber_osmia_62_f_marbled_3.jpg

Was going pre-depression for $250. A hell of a lot for a €5 fountain pen.

 

The next day I arranged a jail break for my cisele P-75 ($200&125) set out of my wifes jewelry box. That was the only fountain pen I had, had it since 1970.

 

I thought the 540 just a wet writer. Well the cork died...so it was quite a while later after I got a Rupp 'flexi' nib that I found out I'd 'always' had a 'flexi' Supra M nib.

 

There are many learning curves on FPN, and it took me a while to stumble on to Semi-flex and then 'flexi'.

My first semi-flex was a Pelikan 140 . Geha 790 is as good.

 

I was in the pen of the week in the mail club, then got into the pen of the month club.

Osmia was then just a hair over my buget. :headsmack: €50-70.

I should have gone into the pen of the quarter in the mail club....but there were so many pretty pens to be had.

 

 

Andreas Lambrou's book is a great book to have. Before that I didn't know I had elbows. An elbow can not be reached with both hands, unless you just had a severe industrial accident.

 

That and pirating anything I learned here.

 

My money bush is off partying in St. Moritz, and didn't invite me. I just opened my wallet, after blowing away the cobwebs, all I heard was an echo.

 

The prices have doubled and tripled from a year ago for Osmia and many other vintage pens....to many Buy Now, by folks with an instant gratification problem.

 

Once bitten a dealer is not going to get cheaper.

Edited January 23, 2013 by Bo Bo Olson

[akustyk]

Wow! Seems like a wonderful pen, and looks great, too. I am always amazed how much interesting history there's behind vintage pens. Bo Bo Olson's story is fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

[FoszFay]

Great pictures. That looks like a really nice find.

 

I also have a Wet Noodle, a Waterman's 0952 1/2V.

 

Most modern flex pens don't come anywhere near vintage flex pens, although I hear that the Mottishaw Spencerian modification on the Pilot Falcon it quite good, also the Custom 74 series by Pilot.

 

If you want to find out how much it will flex, don't. If you have to "try" and apply pressure, then you're pushing to hard if it is a true flex.

 

Have fun and I hope you stay aboard the flex train.

 

Tom.

 

Just a few pics of my Waterman.

 

[Uncle Red]