Dear Stef, I always admired you not strictly for your skills in the restoration matter, but also because you were all the time a man of great spirit, endowed with plenty of entertainment features. Was it a common thing making out of your videos about vintage Fountain Pens such enjoyable reviews? Of course not! Only a few people could of made it. I am not competent enough to make extended comments about the flexible nibs, as I own only one at my oldest and inherited Fountain Pen. But what I can say is that, writing with it I have the feeling of recalling a different world, a world of elegance and style. In fact, I have in front of my eyes some old models written like that and, in my modest way, I try hard to reproduce their style. I am always happy when I could admit there was in my handwriting a bit of resemblance to those patterns! Unfortunately those moments are quite rare. I still hope to improve my handwriting by perseverance and enthusiasm. Well, I know who Chris B.is, by the comments he made to your videos and by the special kindness he offered to me in the frames of this Forum, but I didn't see yet any of his handwriting samples. Maybe, in one of your next videos, with his permission, you would show one or two of them. To be honest, I have a different opinion about handwriting and I feel entitled to express it here, as I am a diligent handwriter. My opinion was and I keep thinking that way, that there is a tight resemblance between the music and the handwriting. In my childhood I played the violin (without talent), then I actively participated in choir performances, now I use to sing at Church. In all those circumstances, I didn't suffer I was neither a Niccolo Paganini, nor a Luciano Pavarotti though. I enjoyed playing the violin and I still enjoy my tenor voice, although, listening to the violin performances of Salvatore Accardo or Hilary Hahn and listening with tears in my eyes "Celeste Aida" in Luciano Pavarotti's unique interpretation I could notice a huge difference between those great artists and me. In fact, outstanding endowed people could make their performances to be artistic, close to perfection, but they left the door open to everyone. Aren't we perfect? Never mind, let's keep the perfection in our hearts and try our best with our vintage Fountain Pens on paper. In handwriting, like in music, expressing ourselves is the important thing. Thank you for the video and for the handwriting sample. I feel challenged to try improve myself adding more character to my handwriting! Best Regards Anton-Mihai
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Thank you as always for your words and comments. Good luck with your handwriting challenge.
@keithwhitney74915 жыл бұрын
Your work is simply amazing. If you put those pens in front of me, I would think they were new. Of course, the proof would be in the writing; however, that aspect turns out to be better than new! Similar to you, I am not an artist, but with your demurrer, the figure 8 exercise showed what is possible. THANK YOU!
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Hi Keith , i try to restore the pens to a level that i would expect to receive my self. Thank you for your comments and for watching.
@sdc72975 жыл бұрын
Great video Stef! And love the restoration work on those pens. :)
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Glad you like them thanks for watching.
@AnzanHoshinRoshi5 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Stef. Very fine work on lovely pens.
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Thanks Anzan as always for watching.
@johngaillard91255 жыл бұрын
Can you do a video on fixing bent nibs?
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Hi John yes i have already made a video showing how to work on a nib. Take a look here kzbin.info/www/bejne/n4qbeoqpi9aDpK8
@matthewbeddow32785 жыл бұрын
Cheers Stef . I am not great at flex myself and i have tried some of the modern pens available but really none of them compare to something like a Waterman 'pink nib' or that type of vintage flex. If people are interested in seeing vintage flex pens in action I'd recommend 'Pier Gustafson's' channel , i hope you don't mind my mentioning this Stef . He is an artist and Calligrapher with lots of vintage pens . Flex nibs like that would be wasted on me really but i love seeing them write.
@milcomilco28935 жыл бұрын
Dear Matthew, I think I could take the opportunity of giving reply to a part of your comments here, although, surely, Stef would be the main person to be expected. I noticed that you like much the handsome handwriting and recommended Pier Gustafson as a good specialist in dealing with the flex nibs features. First of all, I would make precise that, in general, people seek after perfection and they are enthusiastic when they think they found it. But there are perfect things of many kinds and even one single perfect thing could be perfect in several ways. Moreover, perfection could live together with non-perfection, meaning that one thing could be perfect in a way and non perfect in another way. So, if we would admit that both Stef's and Pier's videos show a couple of perfect features, then we should be prepared to admit that they would have also some other less perfect parts. I took a look at Pier Gustafson's web page and I also watched some of his videos and I think that his specialty is quite different than Stef's. Although they seem to have the restoration work as a common activity, I watched enough to understand that they have a different style of doing it. I won't go further with this, because restoration activity should be appreciated by a specialist, which I am not. But there is another thing that made me think that Stef's message was totally different from the message Pier Gustafson's videos use to transmit to us. I mean that Pier Gustafson is a master of the ornamental calligraphic writing (like on wedding invitations and on the special visit cards) and he demonstrated his ability of creating aesthetic and ornamental handwriting, enchanting viewers and Customers. However, in the context of Stef's channel, this kind of handwriting and flex nibs usage could be taken just for reference, it could not be considered as a rule or as an example of the everyday writing with a flex nib. At the contrary, Stef desired to show us the practical attributes of a flex nib and how should it be used in current and normal handwriting. Moreover, what was really touching and the kind of perfection I always seek after was that Stef offered to us as a gift something that he even didn't have! Although that might seem to be a paradox, it is to be mentioned that he repeatedly said he wasn't much of a writer. Despite of that situation, he desired much to help, for his love and respect towards vintage Fountain Pens and for his consideration towards his viewers and Customers . Well, that attitude was great and created a different, non-technical quality , which I appreciated very much as another kind of perfection! I hope I made my point and I hope you didn't mind that I put a bit of my opinion on the handwriting in this reply. Best Regards Anton-Mihai
@matthewbeddow32785 жыл бұрын
Dear Milco I totally agree with your response to my comment and you put it so eloquently & fairly . My intention was only to point anyone who might be interested in calligraphic writing to a channel that contained this . I was in no way trying to compare Stefs work with Piers they are completely different .I love Stefs work ,his knowledge and his passion and if my comments offended Stef or anyone else that was not my intention ,but if it did I am truly sorry . Sincerely and respectfully Matthew
@milcomilco28935 жыл бұрын
Dear Matthew, Thank you for your reply which I admired a lot. Although your initial comments intrigued me in the beginning, I ended by being grateful to you for making me think in a spirit of honesty about the topic you suggested. In fact, the topic was calligraphy versus current normal everyday handwriting. The first question I had to give answer to was "What is calligraphy good for?". Until now I considered the calligraphy just as an absolutely necessary educational activity, which I performed, like all people of my age, in the early years of school, using dip-pens. Although nowadays I could hear voices claiming that calligraphy along with cursive handwriting should be avoided in school, I didn't change my opinion. At the contrary, I strongly believe that, in my Country (Romania), eliminating those things would produce a catastrophe in our traditions and culture. Coming back to the question, I think that calligraphy of the Pier Gustafson kind would be today like the haut couture in the world of fashion. By haut couture the reputable well known creators use to create fashion tendencies and styles, providing that way the coordinates of the production and market activities. Speaking of fashion, the dress models we could see at the haut couture presentations are not to be seen in the street, but they surely are the base of the current popular models we could find in the shops. Well, I own old documents of my family, dated in the nineteenth century, like diplomas and letters, all handwritten in a beautiful calligraphic style. That's why I could say that the calligraphy of our times is quite different. It has more ornaments and it has much more generous letter shapes. Although it still provides a good model for the writers, it couldn't be adopted like an everyday handwriting style. However, its aesthetic impact on the writer would definitely determine an improvement of her/his handwriting style. Hence the large scale educational role the calligraphy would play, grace to specialists like Pier Gustafson. On the other hand, there would be one interesting thing that I noticed in many cases along my existence of about 65 years, namely that many people learn better when the teacher is close to them, making them not to feel a distance of a kind or another. I would underline that idea mentioning also my years when I was a trainer of my Company, teaching Customer's trainees. Well, in my opinion, here comes Stef. In three years since I started watching his videos I learned a lot, as he determined me directly and indirectly by his videos to enrich my knowledge. As a paradox, his writing samples, although non calligraphic and even under his statement that he was not much of a writer, stimulated me to increase the volume of my handwriting and to improve its substance. At the end of this reply I would repeat that I was and I am grateful to you for challenging me by your comments to think, going beyond some limits I think I had before. So, thank you very much! Have a nice weekend! With esteem Anton-Mihai
@matthewbeddow32785 жыл бұрын
@@milcomilco2893 It is a pleasure really to communicate with someone who is able to put forward such a compelling and well thought out reply & initial comment . You also made me think and so i return the gratitude . You are a Gentleman Most Sincerely Matthew
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Hi Mathew, thank you for your comments and no i was not offended it is nice to read peoples opinions which maybe different from others. Nice to see you have met Anton and exchanged comments. Many thanks.
@MukeshGupta-mk4bh4 жыл бұрын
Nice to have a look on writing sample...
@penkino14 жыл бұрын
Im not really a big writer i am a restorer of pens Mukesh. Stay safe.
@tonyhogwood47375 жыл бұрын
Interesting video Stef, I've got some modern pens (Noodlers & Conklin) with flex nibs and they are no match for my lovely Onoto pens.
@milcomilco28935 жыл бұрын
Dear Tony, We all are grateful to you for being with your vintage Fountain Pens the originator of some nice videos where Stef reviewed them and demonstrated his outstanding restoration skills. I also thank you for mentioning the Noodler's and Conklin modern Fountain Pens with flex nibs, made especially for line variation in writing. That was the starting point for me to browse and watch some reviews relating those modern Fountain Pens. It's obvious to me that Fountain Pens lovers and Manufacturers seek after modern technical means to revive the calligraphy in the current cursive handwriting. In my opinion, that process is not ended yet and, as long as the vintage Fountain Pens with flex nibs still exist, good models to be followed would play their role in this. I would quote below the words Stef associated with this video, expressing briefly and brilliantly the background of all discussion would take place on this interesting subject: "Which vintage fountain pen has a flex nib ? There are many vintage pens with flex nibs such as Swan, Watermans and Onoto pens. A flexi nib gives a lovely writing line variation when used correctly. Cursive writing with a flex nib needs to be practiced, to produce a nice creative style once mastered." Enjoy your writing with your flex nibs Fountain Pens and have, together with them and your Family, a wonderful weekend! Best Regards Anton-Mihai
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Hi Tony, im glad you found it interesting. Yes the vintage Onoto pens have some lovely nibs. Thanks
@neilpiper98895 жыл бұрын
I have a Waterman's 515 lever filler from the 1940s that flexes like that. I also have a couple of new flex pens that I use more often. A Fountain Pen Revolution Indus with the full flex nib and a Pilot Custom heritage 912 with the fa nib. Both write really well. I don't like to risk my vintage pens.
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Thats excellent to hear that they are being used. Enjoy them.
@SevenDeMagnus4 жыл бұрын
Cool, thanks. New to fountain pen (just days old, just got my very first fountain pen, days ago). What's the flexiest fountain pen of all time (including vintage ones) of all time/by far? Thank you. God bless, Proverbs 31
@penkino14 жыл бұрын
There were lots of pens that had flexi nibs Swan, Watermans are just two, so difficult to pin down to one. Thanks for watching.
@theprofessorwilson5455 жыл бұрын
I don't think you will ever find a modern flex nib to compare with a vintage flex nib.
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Yes i must agree, thanks.
@milcomilco28935 жыл бұрын
Dear Stef, I demand excuses to you and to my dear shorthand Fountain Pen for excluding it from my previous comments. Why was that unpardonable omission? Maybe because its nib was not in solid gold, like the inherited old Fountain Pen, or maybe its sentimental and evocative load was lower. To compensate in a way that mistake, I would make some observations that, maybe would be of some use to somebody. Well, the gold flex nib I have is not so flexible like the other. I mean, some pressure would be needed in order to produce the line variation. Not much though. At the contrary, the shorthand one is, as I described it in another comment, very "obedient". That's to say it makes line variations in a natural way, in the cursive writing. Now, it seems to me as being of a major importance the rhythm. Every nib has its rhythm of cursive writing, making the handwriting easy and enjoyable after a while of seeking that rhythm. In that respect, using constantly the same Fountain Pen would be easier. In my case, as I exchange Fountain Pens by schedule, a short preliminary period of time of synchronization would be necessary. In this stage of my evolution, I am in the middle of an attempt of improving several aspects of my handwriting. Firstly the capital letters, especially at the beginning of a new row. I want them artistic and sophisticated. Secondarily the uniformity of the letters size and of their inclination (my writing is inclined to the right, but, if I make a pause, at restart the inclination differs ). And thirdly the shape of some letters. The "e" tends to be too narrow and sometimes the "a" is ugly. I am sure that you could write very nicely, as I could see on some notes of yours I keep in my collection. Those notes are a nice addition to my bunch of vintage Fountain Pens. I am also definitely sure that you have plenty of substance for writing some interesting stories related to your vintage Fountain Pens restoring activity. I am sure that behind that technical work , there are some feelings, some expectations and some visions that you need to share. Thank you for that video, I hope to improve my handwriting soon! Best Regards Anton-Mihai
@tonyhogwood47375 жыл бұрын
Milco Milco Good afternoon Anton, thank you for your comments, I find that the Noodler and Conklin pens railroad if you write to fast which is not a problem that I find with my vintage pens. I think also that the modern flex pens are produced especially to flex and the vintage pens are just standard nibs that happen to flex nicely and do it better than the specially produced nibs. Have a nice weekend. Best wishes Tony
@milcomilco28935 жыл бұрын
Dear Tony, I found your kind reply finally here. Well, thank you for your explanations. They were pure gold to me! I think I detected in your comments a common thing that I could notice in the reviews I watched on the modern Noodler's and Conklin flex nib Fountain Pens as well. It was that the railroad effect would not be rare with those Pens. First I would confess that, not being an English native speaker and not living in UK, I had difficulties in understanding the "railroad" term related to Fountain Pens and nibs. Finally, I think I understood the meaning was of splitting the line into two parallel lines, under an increased pressure applied onto the nib. That behaviour that you also underline seems to suggest that those especially designed modern nibs as to create line variation would be closer to the dip-nib pens than to the general idea of Fountain Pen. I also read that some owners of such modern Fountain Pens would decrease that railroad bad behaviour by using inks of the wet kind. I noticed that Stef was a man of one ink (that being a mix of blue and black Quink from Parker), but, sometimes, to improve the ink flow, choosing the appropriate ink might be needed. Now, I would tell you that, in my family there was a special case of incompatibility towards the Fountain Pens writing. It's about my Grandmother (the Mother of my Mother) who was born in 1900 and left this world in 1998. Although an educated person, she never could write with a Fountain Pen, despite of the fact she tried, in time, several Fountain Pens of different makes. Her writing instrument was the dip-nib pen which she could use fluently, writing very nicely. What I suspected, was that she considered the Fountain Pens excessively dry, in comparison to the dip-nib pen (of which nib she could dip as often as needed) and that the Fountain Pen, unlike the dip-nib pen, was not offering the expected feedback during writing. I think the case I described, would sustain the idea that the abundant ink flow would bring a correction to the railroad effect. Of course, my comments would stand up on the condition I would of understood correctly the meaning of the term "railroad". Well, you could see, I hope, what powerful echo your reply produced. That's a new reason of being grateful to you. Thank you for your explanations, for your good wishes and for your love towards the Fountain Pens! With esteem Anton-Mihai
@453421abcdefg123455 жыл бұрын
Well ! That was a very nice video Stef, I think you demonstrated very well the excellent performance of this lovely Swan nib, unfortunately in our modern times speed is the thing people are looking for, and these nibs do not like to be hurried, the feed just cannot keep up with the ink flow at the speed most people write at, as you say, the nib is very much a personal choice, and what is really good for one person ,is unusable to another, I often let people try to write with my pens and watch as they attempt to write with them, but with pressures that would be used with a ball point pen they just do not perform and they give up in disgust , but with a slow down in speed and a sensitive hand, these pens can sing! Many thanks for a very enjoyable video.
@milcomilco28935 жыл бұрын
Dear Chris, I apologize for intruding once again and I would invite Stef to delete this message if it would be inappropriate, but the subject open here is so juicy that I couldn't avoid adding a contribution. Well, you said that you use to give for practice some of your Fountain Pens to people, wondering how inappropriately they write with them. I am surprised, because, as I know, Fountain Pens owners never lend their Fountain Pens, as those are of a very personal character, especially the nib. Saying that, I was thinking both of avoiding damages and of keeping the energetic halo around every personal thing unaltered by interferrences. Maybe a fragment taken from the famous novel "War And Peace" by Lev Tolstoi would be somehow illustrative for that. (Quoting from memory and translating into English) "The Russian General was riding his horse next to the Cossack Ataman. But while the Russian General was giving the impression he was just riding his horse, the Cossack Ataman was giving the impression that him and his horse together were one and a single living being!" I have had often the tendency of comparing a vintage Fountain Pen with a horse. And if the Fountain Pen would be of a major Manufacturer and of a high quality, then the horse in my comparison would be of pure breed as well. In the real life, a horse of that kind would throw a newcomer away from the saddle ! You also said that people of our times, being inhabited to the quick writing, mainly by means of Ballpoint Pens, would use in over speed and over pressure the Fountain Pens. I also noticed that, but I also remember some of Stef's videos reviewing as well as vintage Fountain Pens with flex nibs, some other Pens with stiff nibs. In my opinion, every Fountain Pen would be appropriate to a certain kind of writing, meaning that the modern Fountain Pens would be more adapted to the modern handwriters' style of writing, if they would have non flexible nibs. However the banner of the traditional handwriting would be borne by the vintage Fountain Pens and among them the ones with flexible nibs. At this point, I would say that, in my opinion, there would be two main kinds of handwriting with flex nibs: the current one (daily) and the ornamental (fancy) one. I would leave aside the second one, as it seems to be quite special and aiming at being used in unusual circumstances (wedding invitations, visit cards, documents of high importance and sentimental value for example) and I would underline that, being able to write well with a flexible nib in the current way would be a desirable achievement indeed. There, I agree with you, the rhythm of the writing and even the state of spirit ( mood) would be capital in obtaining a handsome piece of handwriting. I would add, upon my experience, that the number of pages (or quantity) would be also a variable that should be taken into account. In my opinion five A4 pages would be decent, while ten pages would be enough for the moment. But, again upon my experience, ten pages would create some sort of addiction, meaning that, after a short while I would feel like writing more. Finally, keeping in mind some letters and old documents I own(the birth certificate of my Father, for instance) , written in beautiful variable line style and in the current way (not in the ornamental one) I feel that it would worth to revive that traditional writing, with all its flavour, beauty and serenity. I hope you would read my comments! With esteem Anton-Mihai
@453421abcdefg123455 жыл бұрын
@@milcomilco2893 Well, young Anton, you have, as always with your usual observant style, struck upon many very relevant points, the most obvious being the use of personal pens to other persons, when I say that I have allowed others to use my pens I do not of course allow just any stranger this privilege, but friends that I judge that would have a reasonable chance of success in forming an acceptable for of writing, we must also remember that we ourselves are probably the 3rd user of these pens, so they have known other hands, my horse, on the other hand, I never allow any other person to ride, as a full blood Arab others do not que up to ask for a ride anyway ! Your observations on the amount of written pages is also very interesting, depending on mood I think this varies a lot, but if we are writing Christmas cards, or invitations we seem to get into a rhythm and the flow and form of the letters comes much easier, I think that is one aspect of writing with a vintage pen that we must all enjoy, these pens have a character, and it is our pleasure to coax them along to give their best, and with every word on paper we can allow them to relive their youth in other hands. From my observations our world is being turned upside down by the politicians that we have entrusted to look after our well being, so it is one way to help us forget the terrible things they are inflicting upon us , but rather like a draw full of old photographs, which were once relevant to someone, our writings will soon be forgotten, and discarded as the thoughts of some out of step, (in their modern view), person, unfortunately it will be many years before they realise that maybe we were right ! Chris B.
@milcomilco28935 жыл бұрын
Dear Chris, Thank you for your very nice and instructive reply. Despite the adversity of the times, I would keep writing as long as my right hand could hold the Fountain Pen and I would keep my letters and my notes in good order. I detected some people around me already read a part of them (without my permission) and I detected a shade of interest towards them at my son. If the present young generation would be below our expectations, never mind, new other generations would follow. The important thing for them would be to find and discover our activity and understand that our views were not properly our own, but an inherited link between the past, the present and the future. Thank you again! I wish you all the best With esteem Young Anton
@penkino15 жыл бұрын
Hi Chris, unfortunately with my terrible handwriting i can not do justice to these nibs. Thank you for your comments and replies with Anton.
@453421abcdefg123455 жыл бұрын
@@penkino1here is nothing wrong with your handwriting Stef, the only purpose of handwriting is to convey information, for that, all that is required is for it to be legible, and your writing is perfectly legible. Chris B.