14K Nibs

[Bklyn]

I am a bit new to this so let me ask a question that might seem overly simple but I have a lot to learn.

 

Are flex nibs the same as 14k gold nibs?

 

I am writing in Goulet broad #6 nibs but they are pretty rigid.

 

If I were to swap out a steel nib for a Goulet 18K gold nib, would I feel a difference? (I do not write script. I print and take fat notes.)

 

Any help appreciated.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Many flex nibs are 14K, but not all 14K nibs are flexies.

 

Changing from steel to an 18K Goulet nib will not give [significantly] more flex, but there might be more spring/softness to the writing experience.

(My daily writer is a Sonnet with an 18K M nib, which is firm but sumptuous. I believe much of how a nib feels depends on its shape and how it is mounted - not just the material from which it is made.)

 

Some Members have reshaped steel nibs to add flex, but I haven't followed their progress and achievements closely. I hope other Members will fill that void in my Reply.

 

Bye,

S1

[Bo Bo Olson]

Vintage pre'66 German pens have nibs with some flex, semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex can be had in Soennecken&MB=$, Kaweco, Pelikan and Geha. English Swan also has nibs with those flexes.

Some early '50's Sheaffer pens like a Snorkel, have semi-flex nib....many have nails too.

 

I suggest working your way up the flex ladder, semi-flex or 'flexi'/maxi-semi-flex, before getting into the stages of Superflex.

The Geha 790 with the three rings at the end of the cap is cheapest....but the jump has gone from $35-40 to $70 in the last months. Pelikan 140 is also semi-flex $70-90+ a price jump from $50.

 

Please read my signature.

Semi-flex is Not a "Flex" nib....it is almost.....adds a bit of flair, nothing else. Sort of a 'springy' ++ nib. a wet good fun nib.

 

You can have an Ahab steel nib modified or do it your self, so it goes from the 'hard' semi-flex of that Flex nib, to Easy Full Flex, the first stage of Superflex.

Buy an Ahab, use it for a few days, then either do the mod with your dremel or round file or get one from Pendelton Brown.

 

Dip pen nibs are the cheap way to go to get much, to very much to flex when you look at the nib; nibs. Cheap too. That's in case you want to jump into the deep end of the pool.

[ac12]

 

I am writing in Goulet broad #6 nibs but they are pretty rigid.

 

If I were to swap out a steel nib for a Goulet 18K gold nib, would I feel a difference? (I do not write script. I print and take fat notes.)

 

 

Goulet Pens has plain stainless steel (SS) nibs and gold plated SS nibs. The Goulet site does not show a listing for Goulet 18k GOLD nibs.

Or did you mean a "gold 18k nib" rather than a "Goulet 18k gold nib" ?

 

How a nib feels to you depends on YOU, and how much downward pressure you put on the pen. If you press down, which you shouldn't, then you might feel the difference between a SS and gold nib. But also realize that a gold nib could be made as stiff as a SS nib.

 

I write with very little pressure, so SS or gold or semi-flex makes NO difference to me. As far as I am concerned they are all NAILS.

The only time I put pressure is when I write with my flex dip pens, or my Esterbrook with its flex nib and I am writing for flex.

 

BTW, there is a saying "every nib will flex at least once, but some won't ever flex again."

IOW the nib has been sprung/ruined/destroyed.

Edited June 3, 2015 by ac12

[catbert]

If I were to swap out a steel nib for a Goulet 18K gold nib, would I feel a difference?

 

I think all the replacement nibs offered by Goulet are steel. That said, some of my nicest writers have steel nibs. You might not feel much difference.

 

Hesitant to opine about flex after Bo Bo has pronounced. My vintage pens are more likely to exhibit some springiness. I don’t have the handwriting to do anything useful with a flex nib even if I had one.

[Ghost Plane]

Flex nibs are designed to do so. Unless a nib is specifically marketed as "flex" DON'T! You'll ruin a perfectly good nib.

[Bklyn]

This is great information. My handwriting is terrible and I only print. I suspect that a flex nib as well as a gold one will be of little value to me.

Edited June 3, 2015 by Bklyn

[Ghost Plane]

Especially if you're coming off a lifetime of ballpoints which train the hand to gouge into the paper and result in heavy pressure on nibs not designed for it. I would treat myself to a NICE steel nib in whatever size you prefer. There are some good brands like Visconti and Delta where it's hard to tell the difference between the steel and nice gold.

 

Also, don't let the thin nib contingent talk you into too fine of a nib until you're sure that's what you want. Look at the tips of the writing implements YOU prefer, then let us help you find their equivalents in fountain pens. I lean toward the super-broad myself and spent many a miserable year in grade school bending M nibs trying to get more flow out of them until some kind soul took pity on me and introduced me to the world of B and above.

[jar]

As above, look for nice steel nibs. Another one I'd suggest you try is the Caran d'Ache Ecridor.

 

http://www.fototime.com/537F6681C1019C8/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/01B44407D04DB10/large.jpg

[Bo Bo Olson]

Hesitant to opine about flex after Bo Bo has pronounced.

 

I tend to beat a bush to flinders, but I'm not I hope Pronouncing.....

So Opine already.

 

I'm open to debate....and quite willing to learn still. Just 6 weeks ago, I learned my '50's-60's Geha nibs are a tad more flexible than my vintage Pelikan ones of that era. After two guys tell me something; I am willing to test.

I know much less than it appears.

A man who knows what he is talking about is Thomas/Kaweco.....there are many others.

 

My main hope is to prevent some one from doing Olympic splits with a semi-flex, because the word flex is there. It is a nib that spreads it's tines only 3 X a light down stroke.....not super flex's 4-5-6 or even 7 X.

My second hope is to interest folks in semi-flex.

[tinta]

I have two pens that use the #6 size nibs by JoWo (who manufactures nibs for Edison, Franklin-Christoph, Goulet & others).

One pen has a stainless, Edison branded 1.1 italic (slightly modified to a "butter-line" stub by P. Brown.) The other pen is fitted with an unbranded 18K JoWo 1.1 custom stub (J. Mottishaw).

The 18K gold nib has a softer "feel" than the stainless, but it's far from a flexy kind of nib.

Edited June 4, 2015 by tinta

[catbert]

My main hope is to prevent some one from doing Olympic splits with a semi-flex, because the word flex is there. It is a nib that spreads it's tines only 3 X a light down stroke.....not super flex's 4-5-6 or even 7 X.

My second hope is to interest folks in semi-flex.

 

 

Definitely got me interest in semi-flex.

[rwilsonedn]

[snip]

Look at the tips of the writing implements YOU prefer, then let us help you find their equivalents in fountain pens.

[snip]

 

That's brilliant advice for someone just starting with fountain pens. If your all-time favorite writing instrument is a really fine ballpoint, try a fine nib. If you really prefer a fat roller ball for every-day writing, consider a B nib. If you like a bolder line, but in a ballpoint, or if you've never paid much attention to the width of the line when you were writing, an M is probably a great place to start.

And by the way, welcome!

ron

[Bklyn]

Flex nibs are designed to do so. Unless a nib is specifically marketed as "flex" DON'T! You'll ruin a perfectly good nib.

Good advice. Thanks

[Bklyn]

Especially if you're coming off a lifetime of ballpoints which train the hand to gouge into the paper and result in heavy pressure on nibs not designed for it. I would treat myself to a NICE steel nib in whatever size you prefer. There are some good brands like Visconti and Delta where it's hard to tell the difference between the steel and nice gold.

 

Also, don't let the thin nib contingent talk you into too fine of a nib until you're sure that's what you want. Look at the tips of the writing implements YOU prefer, then let us help you find their equivalents in fountain pens. I lean toward the super-broad myself and spent many a miserable year in grade school bending M nibs trying to get more flow out of them until some kind soul took pity on me and introduced me to the world of B and above.

Understood. I thank you.