Stipula Splash With Flexible Nib

[yannori]

Has anybody seen or reviewed the new Stipula Spash? It's supposed to be a demonstrator with a flexible steel nib!

 

http://fpgeeks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/stipula-splash-fountain-pens-posted.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's a link to one.

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/Index_Showcase.asp?BOD=/collections/collection.asp%3FMFG%3D37%26CK%3D1813

 

 

[Ink Blotto]

I like those! That might be the demonstrator I've been looking for. Some demos look a little cheesy to me, but these look classic.

 

Paul

[holgalee]

Looks a bit like one of the Dollar fountain pens but with better materials. Hope it writes well.

[Drone]

The Stipula Splash is just starting to hit the streets. We should be seeing full reviews any day now.

 

FPGeeks posted about the Stipula Splash here:

 

http://fpgeeks.com/2014/10/the-stipula-splash-a-strong-contender-in-the-sub-100-category/

 

Here's a fountainpen.it forum post with a few nice pics:

 

http://forum.fountainpen.it/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8368

 

Be careful with Stipula (a Yafa brand). If their T-Flex nib is a scene of things to come with the steel "Flex" nib being touted on the Splash, Then there's a good chance we are going to see people complaining that the plastic feed can't provide enough ink flow. Also, don't expect the flex to be anything as good as a vintage flex or even semi-flex nib - but that's forgivable. What's not forgivable is delivering poor flow when touting flex of any sort.

 

Less than $70 USD street in the U.S. for an Italian piston-filler is very interesting. It makes me wonder if the parts are made in Asia and assembled in Italy - which might be OK provided the quality and design is kept to high standards.

[fncll]

I hope to see some hands-on reviews soon! I don't expect much flex...probably should be called "flex" as the Noodler's "flex" should be. But I'm curious how this performs. After all, I could buy a Noodler's Konrad and a couple of Creapers for the same price...

[WaskiSquirrel]

I'm curious how the flex in this pen compares to the Noodler's brand, but I'm not curious enough to buy the pen.

[discopig]

I'm curious how the flex in this pen compares to the Noodler's brand, but I'm not curious enough to buy the pen.

 

Given how Stipula's previous model with the T-Flex nib railroaded (despite being advertised as "flex"), I also wouldn't personally risk money on this.

[freewheelingvagabond]

These pens look beautiful! I usually shy away from demonstrators, but would love to check out some of these.

[vicknish]

I got one over the weekend directly from Monteverde rep at the annual pen fair hosted by the Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia, CA. Jumped on it for the 25% off price... wish I hadn't. I got the navy blue one and first tried it with Sailor's Jentle Nioi-Sumire in it (since I bought the ink at the same time). Ran dry and railroaded all over the place. Flushed it profusely and then reloaded with Noodler's Apache Sunset (taking advantage of the clear body with a light colored ink). Still railroads constantly. There's no way I can figure out to adjust the feed (not like Noodler's ebonite feeds).

 

Right out of the box, I noticed strange globs of oil hung up behind the piston in the body. Now the ink is starting to ooze up into that oiliness! YAFA customer service won't tell me how to disassemble the pen but instead wants me to send it back to them... which will pretty much nullify the great price I received by paying for shipping & handling.

 

It writes fine as a non-flex pen. But that's really NOT what I bought it for. Wish I had spent that $60 on 3 or 4 Noodlers pens. I'll probably end up having to send it back to YAFA. I asked if I could just return it and they haven't responded.

 

As for the "flex" of the nib, it isn't nearly as flexible as my Noodler's Creaper and Ahabs are. Definitely not worth that much more in price.

 

Disappointing…

Edited November 11, 2014 by vicknish

[fabrimedeiros]

Looks like Dollar pens. Ilike the design. Hope it writes well.

[FountainPages]

Friend of mine bought one of these...writes nice, worth the 60+ he paid.

[yogalarva]

I would take one if I didn't have to pay for it. :-P For $70 and given that I don't have much use for a flex pen, I could think of a few other pens that would be a much better use of that cash...

[Abner C. Kemp]

I like the looks of the pen but I have serious doubt when it comes to steel flex nibs. Unless it outperforms the Ahab considerably I'll have to pass.

[TheDarkFaery]

It has peeked my interest recently. I have heard it doesn't flex as much as the Ahab.

 

I like the looks of the pen but I have serious doubt when it comes to steel flex nibs. Unless it outperforms the Ahab considerably I'll have to pass.

 

Found this.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/277436-stipula-splash/

Edited November 12, 2014 by TheDarkFaery

[Alfred24]

I have just bought a Stipula Splash from the US because it is not sold in the UK. It cost me a fair bit of money, including VAT and the extortionate Royal Mail administration fee (which they charge me just to tell me that I have a VAT bill to pay).

 

Having had an excellent Stipula Model T Sahara with flexible Titanium nib in the past I was looking forward to it.

 

The nib of my Splash is nothing like the ones shown on the photo which are not "flexible nibs": it looks like the small Noodler's flexible nib but it is vastly inferior. The Splash is probably one of the worst fountain pens that I had the misfortune of buying (at par with the Noodler's Neponset). The pen is too small for my hands which are average size, the flexi nib is atrocious out of the box, it actually scratches the paper and has very little flex in it because it is too small for the feed, the top of which is too close to the tip of the nib. Since I cannot send the pen back I will have to work extensively on the nib to make it just passable. The quality of the materials is only average but not to Stipula's standards and the design is odd and certainly not Italian: the pen is probably designed and manufactured in India or in another Far Eastern country for pennies, rebadged as Stipula and sold in the US for an extortionate price, just to make money out of the punters. Selling this kind of inferior stuff is the best way for Stipula to ruin its up-to-now good reputation and lose customers.

 

I am very disappointed and it will be a long time before I consider purchasing another Stipula pen.

[77kath]

I bought one. The piston filler stuck at the top. The flex nib blotted. Took it back and got a Sailor. I have several older Stipulas, but I think I won't be buying any more.

[Drone]

I have just bought a Stipula Splash from the US because it is not sold in the UK. It cost me a fair bit of money, including VAT and the extortionate Royal Mail administration fee (which they charge me just to tell me that I have a VAT bill to pay).

 

Having had an excellent Stipula Model T Sahara with flexible Titanium nib in the past I was looking forward to it.

 

The nib of my Splash is nothing like the ones shown on the photo which are not "flexible nibs": it looks like the small Noodler's flexible nib but it is vastly inferior. The Splash is probably one of the worst fountain pens that I had the misfortune of buying (at par with the Noodler's Neponset). The pen is too small for my hands which are average size, the flexi nib is atrocious out of the box, it actually scratches the paper and has very little flex in it because it is too small for the feed, the top of which is too close to the tip of the nib. Since I cannot send the pen back I will have to work extensively on the nib to make it just passable. The quality of the materials is only average but not to Stipula's standards and the design is odd and certainly not Italian: the pen is probably designed and manufactured in India or in another Far Eastern country for pennies, rebadged as Stipula and sold in the US for an extortionate price, just to make money out of the punters. Selling this kind of inferior stuff is the best way for Stipula to ruin its up-to-now good reputation and lose customers.

 

I am very disappointed and it will be a long time before I consider purchasing another Stipula pen.

 

Even if you force the Flash steel nib to flex, how is the flow? I am seeing reports that the plastic feed can't keep up, so the pen railroads, or just runs dry. Stipula is notorious for this, even with the T-flex equipped pens.

[sharon888]

Brian Goulet just did a comparison of modern flex pens. The Stipula Splash railroaded when flexed. The other pens included the Noodler's Ahab and Neponset, the Pilot Falcon and the Omas Ogiva Alba.

 

http://blog.gouletpens.com/2014/11/flex-nib-comparison-noodlers-ahab-pilot.html

 

I had purchased a Stipula Splash because it was on sale. I got nervous when I couldn't find any reviews of it and ended up bringing it back without using it. Looks like that was a good decision going by the experiences of people in this thread with the pen.

[Drone]

Brian Goulet just did a comparison of modern flex pens. The Stipula Splash railroaded when flexed. The other pens included the Noodler's Ahab and Neponset, the Pilot Falcon and the Omas Ogiva Alba.

 

http://blog.gouletpens.com/2014/11/flex-nib-comparison-noodlers-ahab-pilot.html

 

I had purchased a Stipula Splash because it was on sale. I got nervous when I couldn't find any reviews of it and ended up bringing it back without using it. Looks like that was a good decision going by the experiences of people in this thread with the pen.

 

Gee, I went and looked at the Goulet video. The Splash was indeed the worst of the bunch when it comes to railroading. This is what I've read elsewhere of the Stipula T-Flax titanium nib, and it appears the Flash steel "flex" nib has flow problems as well. I don't think it is the nibs, I think it is the feeds.

 

Of the pens Brian compared in his video, only the Pilot Falcon and the Stipula Flash have plastic feeds, and it is clear by now both tend to railroad straight out of the box. On the other hand, the Noodler's pens and the Omas Ogiva have ebonite feeds. The Ahab I know very well. What Brian refers to as "tinkering" with the Ahab can often really mean serious feed hacking and certainly having to heat-set the nib. The falcon can do well when truly flexed if the pen is modified for more flow. Precisely how this is done with a plastic feed I do not know. But it is possible going by a couple of videos of nibmeister modified falcons flexing on YouTube.

[Alfred24]

 

Even if you force the Flash steel nib to flex, how is the flow? I am seeing reports that the plastic feed can't keep up, so the pen railroads, or just runs dry. Stipula is notorious for this, even with the T-flex equipped pens.

It railroads and the ink flow stops. Difficult to restart.