How flexible are Esterbrook nibs?

May 31, 2005

I´ve decided to try out a vintage flexible nib, and find out if all this fuss about "flex" has any meaning.

Vintage pens are not that easy to find in Brazil though. The ones that I´ve seen more often advertised as having a flex nib are the Esterbrooks. However, since these are pens from the 1940´s or 1950´s, I´m not sure how the sort of flex they have compares to, say, the amount of flex in a 1920 Waterman. Could anyone give me some info about this?

BTW, is the Waterman 52 supposed to be a good flexible-nib pen?

May 31, 2005

Esterbrooks "flexible" nibs have a little flex, but not much. For very nice flex you want to look at Waterman's and Mabie Todds. There are a few others but my brain is blanking out. For flex nibs, it's important to try the pen to see how it feels. If that isn't possible, then a scan of a writing sample helps. As for buying a pen with a description only, I would buy a flex nibbed pen only from someone I trusted who also knows his/her way around a flex nib.