Flexy Flexy Nibs!

[Nate_Emmi]

Flex nibs! I love them, the smooth wet writing, subtle line variation, the ability to bold lines into a great flourish! I know about Noodler's flex nibs, and I know Serwex from FPR makes them as well, but does anyone know any other companies that make flex or semi-flex nib pens? Also what does "#5 Flex nib" (from FPR) as opposed to "#6 Flex nib" (Noodler's)?

[Pterodactylus]

As far as I know there is nothing else (in factory default state).

 

There are flex mods of some Nibmeisters.

There are dip nibs.

There are vintage flex nibs.

 

Everything else is only springy in the best case.

 

And the Noodler's and FPR nibs are also only semi-flex in their factory default state.

The FPR nib is even harder than the Ahab nibs.

But you can modify them to make them more flexible, to get rid of their Chuck Norris semi-flex.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Pterodactylus

[Sinistral1]

Good analogy, Ptero, a Chuck Norris semi-flex!

 

Okay, seriously, what Ptero said +1.

 

Once you've used a vintage Waterman #2 (or #4 or #5....) flexible gold nib, full flex or wet noodle, you'll save your money and buy a pen with one installed. Sigh*

Edited January 20, 2014 by Sinistral1

[rtruslow]

Esterbrook has a number of flexible nibs that are interchangeable on Estie pens. Vintage and super writers!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Pterodactylus has a great thread over in one of the fountain pen sections, on how to improve your Ahab nib tremendously.

 

Semi-flex pressure in a Flex pen is very hard once you have tried better. A lot of work, no fun.

 

If you grind Angler Wings onto your Ahab nib you will have Easy Full Flex...and that is a true flex set.

 

I say semi-vintage or vintage regular flex, in I don't have any modern after '98 pens in regular flex.

My 605 Pelikan being modern 2005, only spreads it's tines 2X.....which could be because it is a BB.

It is a hard-regular flex, like a P-75. So, I don't know how easy modern regular flex spreads it's tines.

 

When well mashed a 'regular flex' will spread it's tines 3X a light down stroke....Semi-flex and 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex are in this 3 X sets of tine spread. Neither are "Flex" pens.

Semi-flex needs half the pressure of the "Regular Flex" to spread it's tines 3X.

"Flexi" half of that or 1/4th a 'regular flex' nib's mashed 3 X tine spread.

 

Flexible pens spread their tines 4-5-6- or even 7 X. These are FLEX pens.

Easy Full flex spreads at half of 'flexi' or 1/8th of 'regular flex'.

Wet Noodles half of that or 1/16th a regular flex.

Weak Kneed Wet Noodles less than that.

 

If you have a Dremil grinder, or some one you know does, and you follow Pterodactylus's instructions, you can turn your Ahab into a REAL Flex pen...with Easy Full Flex.

 

In that I gave up pressing benches...my semi-flex Ahab sat in the pen box and never came out to play. After I had that done to my Ahab it is in Rotation...in it is now Easy to use...with it's Easy Full flex tine spread. It's a fun pen, Now!

 

I use 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex because I had this new nib, wow, it sure was maxi-semi-flex. Some three days later It came to me, it was one of those 'flexi' nibs that some mentioned, but none described.

 

'Flexi' is not a Flex pen. My 1/2,1/2,1/2 and 1/2 (Flex nibs) is is one way to see if your nib is semi-flex or flexi....or a true Flex pen.

Good luck with the Dremil.

 

[Fabienne]

Ha ha ha ha! Chuck Norris semi-flex! I always said he couldn't bend at the knee...like an old time action figure!

 

But you can carve out the Ahab and have a great time doing it! I did it! But know that there is a lot of variation among the Ahab nibs. Some I got were pretty flexy. Some were stiff, Some were very broad compared to others when not flexed. Here is where steel nerves and willingness to experiment come in very handy.

[Drone]

I second the Ease My Flex Mod for the Noodler's nibs (can be done to other nibs as well). The mod takes about ten minutes and is quite easy to do. Here's the link to the original thread by Pterodactylus:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/240492-noodlers-ahab-ease-my-flex-mod/?do=findComment&comment=2607667

 

My modified Ripple Ebonite Konrad is shown as Post #105 in page 4 of the EMF thread.