Scribo Feel

[tubular]

Possibly the nib in my new Scribo EF Flex is irregular.  But compare the lines it puts down at minimal and at higher pressure with lines at similar pressure put down by my Montblanc 146 EF (orig. early 1970s, but the nib was replaced in the 1980s) and my Namiki Yukari Royale in M (the nib fractionally narrowed by John Mottishaw).  It is not what I expected.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by tubular
Better photo.

[djm1121]

1 hour ago, tubular said:

Possibly the nib in my new Scribo EF Flex is irregular.  But compare the lines it puts down at minimal and at higher pressure with lines at similar pressure put down by my Montblanc 146 EF (orig. early 1970s, but the nib was replaced in the 1980s) and my Namiki Yukari Royale in M (the nib fractionally narrowed by John Mottishaw).  It is not what I expected.

 

 

 

 

 

That's not good, can you return or exchange it? Mine should be in next week. It will be interesting to see how it performs. I'm a little nervous I suppose.

[Paul-in-SF]

I agree, there is something wrong. Below is my awful flex writing which at least shows what it can do with vertical strokes. I did not attempt heavy horizontal lines, I was under the impression that flex nibs don't really work that way. 

 

[tubular]

1 hour ago, djm1121 said:

 

That's not good, can you return or exchange it? Mine should be in next week. It will be interesting to see how it performs. I'm a little nervous I suppose.

 

I don't know.  The one I bought didn't show on their website as being available; they sold it to me after I wrote to them asking if they had any more.  I don't know whether its lack of responsiveness was the reason they originally held it back from sale or whether my letter led them to change their mind about its suitability to be sold.   It is in other ways a very, very appealing pen, beautifully balanced and with a pleasing heft to it.   I am (as you can see) no calligrapher and don't actually need a flex nib.   But ever since I let a fabulous vintage pen with what felt to me then like the most intensely alive nib in the world get away from me twenty five years ago I've been wanting what I thought this would be, so I am disappointed.

 

 

1 hour ago, Paul-in-SF said:

I agree, there is something wrong. Below is my awful flex writing which at least shows what it can do with vertical strokes. I did not attempt heavy horizontal lines, I was under the impression that flex nibs don't really work that way. 

 

 

No, I don't normally exert pressure on horizontals either, but I thought I should do so to demonstrate the nib's behavior.

 

ETA:  I did email Scribo and will wait to hear what they say.

 

 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by tubular

[MoriartyR]

4 hours ago, tubular said:

 

ETA:  I did email Scribo and will wait to hear what they say.

 

Sorry to hear your nib isn’t performing as it should. It is disappointing and frustrating to have to deal with an issue but I guess it happens from time to time. I trust Scribo will sort this out for you and I hope you will update us so we learn how Scribo’s customer service works.

 

I have half a dozen of their 14k EF nibs and they perform very consistently. Based on your writing sample your nib is certainly not working as intended.

Fingers crossed that this gets resolved without too much hassle for you and the final result will give you the writing experience that you wanted.

[djm1121]

7 hours ago, Paul-in-SF said:

I agree, there is something wrong. Below is my awful flex writing which at least shows what it can do with vertical strokes. I did not attempt heavy horizontal lines, I was under the impression that flex nibs don't really work that way. 

 

 

 

That looks more like it. Thicker down strokes and thinner horizontal. as most flex pens behave and your sampling shows line variation. Thanks for your post. It puts my mind at ease so to speak, as I await my Scribo to show up this next week.

[MoriartyR]

I have four Scribo Feels with 14k EF inked currently and I just wrote some lines to show. They’re very consistent in my opinion, and the one on the top (my grigio notte colour) has just a touch more flex. All of them are very nice for regular extra-fine writing - smooth and a true line - and they all feel nice and painterly when flexed, not requiring so much pressure that the nib is stressed.

 

It does require ‘intention’ to flex the nib, so that it is possible to use the pens normally and write without unintended line variation. I never push the nibs though - it is something that would feel to me like pen abuse. Some vintage flex nibs would flex with very little pressure and the Scribo nibs aren’t like that. But they do flex significantly and without requiring a heavy hand. For me that is certainly the balance I prefer,

 

[ralfstc]

My experience is the same as MoriartyR's. Consistent flow and line width, with a degree of character without deliberate flexing. Slow and deliberate flexing easily possible. However, it's a wet nib, so ink and paper matter of course. 

 

I wonder, Tubular, what you were expecting? Am I right in thinking more line variation?

 

Cheers,

 

Ralf

[tubular]

Thank you all for giving me a sense of how the Scribo flex nib normally behaves.  Scribo sent me a video showing someone writing with line variation, and although I can't tell how much force he is exerting as he writes, it doesn't look as if producing a heavier downstroke requires major force.

 

Ralf, I was expecting the nib to show some variation in line width in the course of more or less normal (not ornate) writing.  If to produce variation I have to bear down on the nib then for me it will never function as a flex nib.

 

I will try with a drier ink in several pens this evening and see if that makes a difference.  The paper I used for the test, TR, surely ought to have been all right; when the pen first came I tried also Midori, and the results were the same.

[tubular]

2 hours ago, MoriartyR said:

I have four Scribo Feels with 14k EF inked currently and I just wrote some lines to show. They’re very consistent in my opinion, and the one on the top (my grigio notte colour) has just a touch more flex. All of them are very nice for regular extra-fine writing - smooth and a true line - and they all feel nice and painterly when flexed, not requiring so much pressure that the nib is stressed.

 

It does require ‘intention’ to flex the nib, so that it is possible to use the pens normally and write without unintended line variation. I never push the nibs though - it is something that would feel to me like pen abuse. Some vintage flex nibs would flex with very little pressure and the Scribo nibs aren’t like that. But they do flex significantly and without requiring a heavy hand. For me that is certainly the balance I prefer,

 

 

Yes, MoriartyR, that is what I was expecting and what I am missing with my nib.

 

 

[MoriartyR]

24 minutes ago, tubular said:

 

Yes, MoriartyR, that is what I was expecting and what I am missing with my nib.

 

You do need to apply some pressure to flex the nib, but definitely not heavy pressure. But it is not designed to be a wet noodle where it will flex significantly just in normal writing, and would make it difficult to write without varying the line.

 

My assumption is that you are unable to get significant line variation from your nib at all (unless you pressed down to the extent that you feel you may break the nib, which you should not try). I assume this because you showed some line variation with your Namiki, which I think would have required you to press down reasonably hard.

 

But if that isn’t the case and you can comfortably get good line variation, just not with as slight a variation in pressure as you are used to from some of your vintage nibs, then I’d say your expectations are not realistic for this or any other currently available nib.

 

Can you get the same sort of lines as mine if you press a bit more firmly (but not to damage the nib)? Or can’t you get anything at all? Does the nib display no softness at all?

 

It’s hard to know for sure without feeling the nib. In any case, I expect Scribo will get back to you and offer to test and replace the nib, or if it is normal then hopefully they would allow you to return the pen - not defective but recognising that it is not what you thought it would be.

 

[ralfstc]

One random thought: are you sure they fitted the flessible nib? It should say "Feel the Flex" on it. The regular nib is far from stiff, but may behave as you describe (I have both).

 

Best,

 

Ralf

[tubular]

1 hour ago, ralfstc said:

One random thought: are you sure they fitted the flessible nib? It should say "Feel the Flex" on it. The regular nib is far from stiff, but may behave as you describe (I have both).

 

Best,

 

Ralf

 

Yes, that is how it is marked.  I checked because the question had occurred to me too.

 

[tubular]

I re-inked the Scribo and two other pens (an Omas EF and a Montblanc EF) with the very nice Verde bosco ink Scribo sent with the pen, so as to compare like with like, and took pictures of writing samples on both TR and Rhodia papers.  I can't be sure of course that I am using the same pressure on all three pens, but it feels as if I am.  Of the three the Scribo Flex is the least responsive to pressure. 

[MoriartyR]

Thanks for the additional pictures and for pushing your nib a little harder. It does seem that your nib is not performing as it should. Has Scribo replied to you yet?

 

[tubular]

I find that I can make the Scribo put down a heavier line, but it takes more pressure than I have ever before used on a fountain pen.  Maybe I should have been using a heavier hand all along with my pens?  But none of the other pens that I have compared with the Scribo requires this much pressure, and though the Scribo seems like an admirably well-built pen, I am uneasy pushing it this hard.  I really can't tell whether the problem is me or the pen.

 

I have just sent Scribo a second email.

[MoriartyR]

It should not require you to push so hard to make it flex. Unless you are extraordinarily feeble the nib is not working correctly. Maybe it will loosen up over time but my nibs all flex easily out of the box and I think you’re better off if Scribo can replace the nib for you.

 

[sansenri]

On 2/23/2021 at 8:15 PM, MoriartyR said:

Ah, that’s a much better description. And rather poetic.

 

The model name, ‘fiorita’ means ‘flowery’, I believe.

 

Nice colour. Fiorita means blooming flowers.

This version of the Feel is inspired by the seasonal blooming flowers in the valley of Castelluccio di Norcia (Umbria, near Perugia).
The flowers are from lentils which are cultivated in the plane among the Monti Sibillini.
It's a fantastic sight, every year thousands of people visit Castelluccio to see the flowers blooming.
Not only, but the lentils are of the finest quality that can be found in Italy!

[tubular]

I did not know about lentil flowers, sansenri.  I love the colors!

 

Scribo responded yesterday and asked me to send in my pen for them to test.  I am feeling much relieved.

[MoriartyR]

17 hours ago, tubular said:

I did not know about lentil flowers, sansenri.  I love the colors!

 

Scribo responded yesterday and asked me to send in my pen for them to test.  I am feeling much relieved.

Glad to hear this. Please let us know how it works out. I am sure they will take care of it for you.