Custom Steel Flex Nibs from FPnibs.com: an affordable flex option for the advanced user.

[@LordWhatever]

I'm certainly interested in those nibs. To be honest the only reason I got in using fountain pens is because I no longer have studio space in my house since my wife needed the space for her home business. I live in a small house so that means I do my work on the dining room. I love dip pens but it's a hassle having cups filled with ink and water. Fountain pens, brush pens and water brushes are less prone to accidents. Only set back with fountain pens is that I miss the "scratchy" feedback of my dip-pens and the dryness of the nibs when they're running out of ink. Those nibs pick my interest and to be honest I rather buy those nibs than spending more money on pricey fountain pens filled with empty promises. Great video 🙂👍🏽.

[@mkompan]

Thank you Efrain. I fully commiserate on your lack of studio space. I’m fortunate enough to have a little studio inside the house, but my time to make art is limited by my teaching responsibilities and by having two little kids. Fountain pens, brush pens and other sketching supples have been a savior, allowing to me to start and stop working quickly, with minimum setup and cleanup time. These FpNibs nibs are very close to the scratchy/flexy dip nibs you’re used to, but the least expensive option is a Zebra G nib in a Noodlers Ahab.

[@markhwebster]

Thanks for the great video! I couldn't find the pens you mentioned on their site, including the Marbella. But they did have one for $40 called the * Devine Design DD EYEDROPPER Fountain Pen, Amber*. It had an option for the Jowo #6 full flex and it's now winging it's way toward me. I love your artists perspective on pen and ink. My pen (and ink) collection is growing thanks to your videos...as well as my sketching skill. I just returned from a 9 mile overnight backpack in the North Cascades where I did 3 plein air gouache over pen paintings 10 x 15". I discovered a way to tie my Pilot Namiki Falcon to my wrist with thin string and a rubber band. Cheap insurance against dropping it on the rocks.

[@mkompan]

You're welcome Mark! Sadly FPnibs haven't been carrying the Marbella for some time, but the Devine Design seems to be a worthy replacement at a similar price-point. Your hiking/sketching trip sounds like paradise to me--I would love to do something like it some day, though I don't know if I have the guts or gumption to bring a Pilot Falcon with me. Incidentally FP nibs recently began offering a steel semi-flex nib for the Kaweco Sport, a pen that comes in all kinds of sturdy, camping friendly materials, such a brass, steel and aluminum. I have an aluminum version with that semi-flex nib on order.

[@SJ-dt9yz]

Dear Marc, thank you for your very qualitatively very good content! Unfortunately, some videos are no longer up-to-date because fpnibs does no longer offer any steel nibs (which I could not comprehend) with semi- or full-flex option! For this they only offer very expensive Jowo gold nibs. For example only a nib unit of the 14k Jowo #6 nib costs for the semi-flex option over 250 Euro and over 350 Euro for the full-flex option (respectively without ebonite feed or regrind)!! A 14k Jowo #5 nib unit costs over 180 Euro. This is for me personal no affordable option for a modern flexible nib.

[@mkompan]

Thanks for your note! I've been meaning to ask Pablo if he's taking a hiatus from making them or stopping entirely. I'll write to him soon, and if it's the latter, I'll remove this video. And yes, the gold flex modifications are very expensive, but also very good.

[@SJ-dt9yz]

@@mkompan Thank you but you do not need to remove your video! I hope for a positive answer from fpnips.

[@jamesmiddleton2856]

Wow. With the ebonite #5 feeds and Opus 88s (Koloro for me) and the full flex steel and gold nibs from FPNibs. After a couple hours, I have realized I need a lot more practice with a lighter consistent hand and possibly a drier ink. Thank you. Several years of frustration may be ending.

[@mkompan]

Yes, this is really about as good as things get in modern flex, and I’m not going to spend $1000 on a Montblanc 149 calligraphy pen to see if it’s better.

[@jamesmiddleton2856]

@@mkompan don't mind my laughing. It's worth it sometimes.

[@jamesmiddleton2856]

the laughing that is.

[@Seefood73]

oh boy, I just ordered a SoDF from Kirk about 10 days before you posted this. I wish I knew. still, no tip is a bit annoying. can't wait to try one and compare. I have a feeling I'll be making a similar order as well.

[@mkompan]

I've had my eye on the SoDF for some time--it looks wonderful. For FPnibs: definitely go for #5 full flex option with the ebonite feed.

[@9abe9]

Thanks a lot for showing these nibs! I couldn't find the full flex Yowp nibs, only semiflex. Do you know whether they stopped making them?

[@mkompan]

My pleasure. This company seems to go through cycles, with nibs going in and out availability. Your best bet is to contact Pablo, the owner or the company, through the website. Perhaps your interest will spur him to start making more.

[@gabemadorma2933]

I love the FPR nibs for how cheap they are and the feeds they come with, but this looks like a significant upgrade in terms of noodlyness. I’ll have to give one of these a shot when I’m ready for my next purchase. I tried out stylosuites nibs at a pen show and they were something else, especially the stubflex options.

[@mkompan]

The #5 full flex definitely is an upgrade, but you have to have a light touch to use it. I would love to get my hands on one of the stylosuite flex nibs. They look terrific.

[@sennybot]

I was too concerned to polish my full flex fpnibs but will consider that route since I find it to be very delicate and catching frequently. Thanks for the comparison video! It's good to know that the semi flex option doesn't really fare much better in terms of smoothness. I have a vintage waterman flex instead for the non flex writing but flexible capabilities when needed and put that on my opus88

[@mkompan]

You're welcome. I hesitate to alter my nibs too but this adjustment is very gentle, a few figure eights on a 12000 grit micro mesh, and then a few passes on mylar paper. It dramatically improves the performance of the nib. Otherwise you're forced to use it slowly on very smooth paper, and even then it will occasionally catch and splatter.

[@jomeson4081]

What pen do you use the fpr ultra flex size 6 in? I keep reading everywhere that they don’t fit in jowo pens. I swore I’ve seen you use one in an opus 88 before but not sure

[@mkompan]

I usually use the ultra flex it in an Ahab. It will fit inside a Jowo housing unit, but the standard feed is too dry and it will railroad. You can buy an ebonite feed for Jowo housing from the Flexible Nib Factory that will make it work much better, which is what I did with my Opus 88. That FPR rarely works perfectly however, and I’ve come to realize that it has to do with the way the nib is designed.

[@jomeson4081]

@@mkompan one more question sorry. Do you know if a size 5 semi flex from fpnibs would fit in a noodlers boston safety pen? I’ve been on a vintage hunt for over a year and no luck on a vintage ef. I’ve googled and googled and couldn’t find a definitive answer

[@mkompan]

@@jomeson4081 Sorry, the 5.5 doesn't quite fit. The German Pen Board has tons of vintage nibs on sale. That's great place to buy them.

[@bryanvandonslear5427]

I've got a Opus 88 Minty that takes a #6 Jowo nib unit as well as an Opus 88 Koloro that take a #5 Jowo nib unit. My plan is to get a steel semi flex nib for each of them and also upgrade to the ebonite feed. Wondering what people think as to getting the high or very high feeder flow hack. Thanks for any help that might be offered.

[@bryanvandonslear5427]

Should also mention I plan to use these pens for drawing.

[@mkompan]

I would get the high hack, since you’re getting the semi-flex mods. That’s what I have on mine, and the flow is perfectly sufficient.

[@bryanvandonslear5427]

@@mkompan Thank you!

[@Flexperiments]

The fpnibs semi flex is my favourite nib!

[@mkompan]

Mine too! There's a new #6 steel semi-flex option available, made from a Jowo "soft nib" that I'm eager to try. Your flex nib experiments are fantastic!

[@Flexperiments]

@@mkompan I want to try that nib too! Thank you!

[@bas5241]

Apparently FPNibs has discontinued these nibs 😢

[@mkompan]

I just checked and you're right! They still offer a flex regrind for the Kaweco, which I like very much. Hopefully they're reconsider, because I found those steel flex nibs very fun to use.

[@edwardrutledge2765]

FPnibs apparently offers upgraded feeds they’ll also tune. Can you explain feed upgrade benefits?

[@mkompan]

The feed “hacks” increase the ink flow, which will make a pen write wetter. Most pens are calibrated to provide just enough ink to the nib, and do not need this kind of adjustment, so unless you really like wet lines, this hack is unnecessary. The exception is with flex nibs that require additional ink flow to work well.

[@edwardrutledge2765]

@@mkompan FPnibs offers “high” and “very high” in their upgrade feeds. Is either what you want for flex and/or B, BB, Stub, Music, etc nibs…and not the F or FF deliveries?

[@Zmiana_Pogody]

I would love if you write some more sentences (especially with this beautiful fantasia 😍). Why? Because the steel flex nibs are usually very scratchy, when it comes to horizontal moves imo. Which makes them good for flourishes or initials, but not good for any longer writings. Also, imo the steel flex nibs need too much pressure to be comfortable. (They even leave the nasty imprints in papers.) My hand is tired just after one sentence. What do you think? Loads of people care only about the range of flex, while for me *more important is to use the flex pen on daily basis* ! 👍 So far I accomplished it only with vintage Mabie Todd Swan semi-flex pen with gold nib...

[@mkompan]

I''ll try to write more in my videos in the future, but I primarily use my pens to draw, and review them from that perspective. These three nibs are very flexible (more flexible than even my flexiest vintage pens) but they're probably not good for longer writing. They flex so easily that you have ro have a very light touch. I agree, vintage semi flex is probably the way to go for everyday use. I don't write much these days, but when I do, I reach for my semi flex Wahl-Eversharp Skyline.

[@Zmiana_Pogody]

​@@mkompan Ah, thank you, now I understand! A very light touch is much better than the usual modern steel flex nibs that require a really firm touch (imo). I am glad that the designers of these pens have found a way to make their nibs really flexible :) Good job!

[@Lognamackya]

Hi Marc, do you have any experience with the JOWO Steel Soft nib from them? I have a number of flex nibs I’ve bought on your recommendation and I’m looking for something in between non flex and flex. Thanks for all the great videos!

[@mkompan]

No, I haven’t tried them. I was turned off by all the negative reviews they received when they initially came out, probably written by people that expected way more flex. A good, inexpensive option are the flex nibs from FPR. Their regular flex flex nib (not the ultra flex) will fit into a Jowo housing unit.

[@Lognamackya]

@@mkompan Thanks so much for the quick reply and the suggestion, I’ll take a look at the semi flex from FPR. I’m doing a lot of hacking together with some Penbbs 456 pens and I’ve found that the tines spread way too much with the FPR ultraflex and feed in the Penbbs housing. Seems the curvature of the Penbbs nibs is quite different than Jowo, which I imagine is the issue. I think I’ve sound a solution in the flexible nib factory Penbbs housings, I hope so at least 😂 Thanks again!

[@mkompan]

@@Lognamackya you’re welcome! The Flexible Nib Factory sells a steel semi flex nib already fitted into Jowo housing. It’s very similar to the one sold by FPR and works well if you don’t require a lot of flex.

[@Lognamackya]

@@mkompan I know you like to tinker, so random side note: I was able to fix both my Penbbs 456 / FPR Ultraflex/FPR ebonite feed pens. I made sure to set them both perfectly in the Penbbs nib housing and did a slightly extended heat setting via advice of Reddit and the tines started closing up while submerged. I barely had to put any pressure with my hands after and now they’re both working perfectly.

[@mkompan]

@@Lognamackya interesting! So FPR feeds fit and work in PenBBS pens? So strange considering they’re so different. This is something I’m going to try tonight. Thanks for the tip!

[@aprilkang3814]

Hi, I'm really interested in the fbnibs #5 full flex but I have a hard time finding a pen that can take this nib unit. Do you happen to know some other pens that will take the nib unit (other than the opus shown in the video)?

[@mkompan]

Several models of Franklin Christoph will take the #5 Jowo housing unit. Peyton Street Pens also sells their own brand of pens that use it. There's also the Edison Pearlette. None of these pens are inexpensive. FP nibs sells their own line of pen, called the Marbella, for 29 EUR.

[@CustardBustard]

Hi Marc I've been really enjoying your videos and I've really had my eyes opened to a new way of drawing. I have two questions if you don't mind ? I wonder, does a stock Halo have the same nibs, feed and housing (the whole nib unit I suppose) as the Picnic ? So far as I can tell they are very similar pens, mechanism and proportions etc. If so I think I need to grab one. Also how do you think the superflow ebonite feeds compare to the high feeder flow hacks ?

[@mkompan]

Thanks! Yes, the Halo has the the same #5 nib as the Picnic, and is very similar in size and weight. As for the super flow hack vs the ebonite feed, the ebonite feed works a lot better. In my video the #5 semi-flex nib in the Halo has a plastic feed with the hack, and railroads when you push the pen. The #5 full-flex in the Fantasia does a great job keeping up.

[@CustardBustard]

Interesting. I have a #5 jowo 14k gold semi flex with the high flow hack that never railroads. Then again I'm not inclined to push the gold ones too far, so who knows. Glad about the Halo nib unit, there aren't enough pens with standard jowo units around that I can buy locally and a reasonable price. The TWSBI mini and mini vac may take the nibs but their housing is different, and probably the feed. Switchable units is the ideal.

[@mkompan]

@@CustardBustard I have plastic feeds on a few of the Opus 88’s and they work fine, provided you don’t really test the pen. The ebonite feeds just work better. I wish there were more affordable Jowo compatible pens as well. FP nibs sells their own pen called the Marbella for 23 EUR that uses #5 Jowo housing. That seems to be the cheapest option.

[@singlesideman]

Pens with flexible nibs should be held much closer to the paper than here, where the pen is almost perpendicular to the writing surface. No wonder you were having problems with splattering ink and scratchiness. The pen should be held at about a 35° to 45° angle to the writing surface.

[@mkompan]

Hi Todd. I’m a frequent visitor to your vintage flex group on Facebook, and your insight into the subject has been tremendously valuable. The camera angle in this video is deceptive, because the pen is indeed being held at no greater than a 45 degree angle. As for distance, a few things are happening here. In the line samples, I’m trying not to block the view of the nib action. When drawing (and keep in mind that this channel is for people who draw with their pens) I do occasionally slide my fingers behind the grip section. This grip allows for a lighter touch and is very useful for lightly sketching in the layout of your drawing. BTW, these steel nibs have no relation to vintage flex, (or even modern flex), being more related to extremely flexible dib nibs like the Brause Rose.

[@singlesideman]

@@mkompan much thanks. I appreciate that, and I'm very glad that my group has been valuable to you. I hope that my videos have been useful as well. It really doesn't look like a 45° angle in the video, but I'll take you at your word. As for the flexibility of these nibs as compared to vintage flex fountain pen nibs, I have examples that range from semi-flex with very subtle line variation to so called wet noodles with tremendous line variation, and many have a very quick return (snap back) which makes them behave much like a dip nib. Each of these vintage nibs is so different from the others, and they were made in a tremendous variety of styles, each for a different purpose, and some work beautifully for drawing because they don't need to be held and used in the precise way that nibs made for calligraphy are, and can much more easily glide over the writing or drawing surface in any direction, at any speed, even with nib rotation. I once did a rough calculation of how many nib variations Waterman's offered in their 1925 catalog and it was a staggering number, easily well over a hundred. To say that the nibs you're describing in this video are more like dip nibs (like the Brause Rose) than vintage flex fountain pen nibs just strikes me as statistically unlikely because there are so many different kinds of vintage flex fountain pen nibs, some of which behave very much like dip nibs. Vintage flex fountain pen nibs are not monolithic - they're indescribably varied.

[@mkompan]

@@singlesideman Your channel has been a fantastic resource as well! I'll have to put together a video where I highlight channels that I've found useful in my own fountain pen journey, and see if I can direct viewers your way. Your channel certainly deserves more attention. I agree on your point about the tremendous variability in vintage nibs, but I still think these nibs belong to an entirely different genus of flex. This has to do with the way flex is achieved, the gradual thinning of the material in vintage flex versus the use of cutouts that are more common in dip nibs designed for calligraphy. The latter method creates tines that are extremely sensitive, making them less forgiving in terms of angle, direction and speed. I have far less experience with vintage flex than you, but I have yet to encounter a vintage flex nib that is as persnickety as a Brause Rose. Have you?

[@singlesideman]

@@mkompan that's wonderful. Thank you again! I'm so glad, and I appreciate it very much. Here's the thing: cutouts in dip nibs are less common than just having long, thin tines on a nib made of a sufficiently springy metal, and these kinds of nibs are a kind of specialty nib. I'm looking at the history of flexible nibs and the way that they are generally made. Probably the "gold standard" (if you'll forgive the double reference) of dip nibs would be gold Victorian dip nibs made by companies like Mabie Todd, and Fairchild. These nibs did not have cutouts, nor additional slits, and they offer a tremendous range of flexibility and ease of flexion. Some require a fair amount of pressure to get them to open up, others hardly any, and everything in between. Vintage flex fountain pen nibs, especially earlier ones, are very similar in their tremendous variety, and the best of them are very similar to gold Victorian dip nibs in performance. The single greatest determinant in what makes a flexible nib unforgiving is how fine it is - relative to how thin the metal is, and how long the tines are. Flexible nibs with cutouts that are very flexible are, I'm willing to wager, just as unforgiving as the nibs I'm describing, and not necessarily any more so. A wonderful example is my Sheaffer's 26CRC from about 1921. That nib screams if you don't use it just as it wants to be used. I've made a few videos with it, and I'm embarrassed to admit that in at least one of them there is a little catch on the paper and a little resulting ink splatter. It really is a tricky nib with very long tines, thin gold, and a very fine tip. In other words, I think these nibs would surprise you as to how flexible and unforgiving they can be.

[@mkompan]

@@singlesideman Thanks for the very detailed information Todd! I've learned a lot from your videos and posts, and look forward to learning more.I do have a needlepoint Parker lucky curve that is close to being as unforgiving as some of my crow style dip pen nibs, I think my point (if I had one) is that this type of vintage flex is exceedingly rare, and most fountain pen users, unless they're trained calligraphers or pen and ink artists, will not be prepared for them.

[@ichirofakename]

I am sorely tempted. Could you recommend a low-end pen (

[@ichirofakename]

66€! + shipping. Nevermind.

[@mkompan]

Sorry, I can't think of anything under 50 that uses the #5 Jowo housing unit. That Fantasia is actually a very nice blend of looks and functionality.

[@mkompan]

@@ichirofakename I feel you. The silly thing is that I visit Spain regularly, and didn't have to pay for international shipping to the U.S. I just couldn't wait a month.

[@ichirofakename]

@@mkompan Well as a professional the way you allocate money is surely different from this amateur.