Flexible Fountain Pens

This is an introduction to the wonderful, frustrating, and often expensive world of flexible fountain pens. These pens have bendy nibs that allow for line variation, something taken for granted by those accustomed to using dip pens, but few and far between in the fountain pen universe.
Here are flex pens that I recommend:
Noodler's Ahab (or Conrad): Excellent starter flex pen, made even better with a ultra-flex-nib from Fountain Pen Revolution.
TWSBI 580 AL with a #5.5 ultra flex nib from Fountain Pen Revolution: For some reason the feed on the TWSBI pen keeps up perfectly with additional ink needs of the flexible feed. A perfect combo.
Pilot Falcon: This pen is a bit pricy (usually around 150) bucks, but it's a very smooth, reliable pen for drawing, with just enough flex to keep things interesting.
The top three pens can (and should) be bought for Gouletpens.com. This is a fantastic online retailer with a great selection of pens, inks, accessories that also produces great instructional videos. Their videos are what initially sparked my interest in fountain pens and I am eternally grateful for it.
Pilot 912 with an FA nib. This is widely considered to be one of the best "modern" flex pens. I did have an issue with the feed not providing enough ink when I first bought it. This was remedied by buying a special feed from Flexible Nib factory, (flexiblenib.com).
Vintage flex pens are a giant topic that I'm not really qualified to discuss. but here are some pens that I've purchased after much research that have proven to be excellent, durable performers.
Montblanc 342 G: This Pen has a similar flex as the Pilot Falcon, but runs a little drier, which I like. It has a built in piston and a little ink window, which are very useful. And even though this a fancy Montblanc, it's an entry level model that is affordable. Just make sure you get the one with G after 342, indicating that it has a gold nib.
Pelikan 140: This another very reliable German pen with a semi flex nib. I got this pen from this great seller: thepenguinpen.com. Keep in mind that these pens (even the extra fine) will run broader than their Japanese equivalents. My extra-fine writes like a Japanese medium.
Waterman 52: This commonly available pen is one of the best flex-pens out there, but is usually subject to bidding wars on Ebay, which can drive up the price. The only drawback is that they're antiques. I really feel the need to be careful with them, which is not what you want in a studio tool. Furthermore, they have antiquated filling systems that use rubber ink sacs, making them difficult to clean and maintain. This pen is a relatively recent purchase and works great, but I imagine that at some point I will have to take it to some specialist to have it serviced (which will probably be costly).
Wahl Gold Seal: This is another commonly available, very flexible and smooth pen. Same drawbacks as the Waterman, however. These are old pens from the 20's, and I feel uncomfortable taking them out of my studio, which is really the whole point of having fountain pens in the first place.

[@bluwasabi7635]

Thank you for the TWSBI trick! That looks like a great middle option.

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome!

[@BreakSpace]

Marc, thank you very much for this introduction tutorial, after countless KZbin videos on the same subject, this one was most helpful.

[@mkompan]

You're very welcome! Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@unice5656]

Your video prompted me to try swapping my FPR ultraflex nib out of the pen it came with and I'm super happy with the results! Thank you, I was having issues with inconsistent ink delivery and contemplating spending much more money on another pen.

[@mkompan]

Glad my video helped you out. It was that FPR hasn’t fixed their quality control problems. They seem to constantly put out new pens, but haven’t focused on the underlying issues with their nibs (other than the ink additive that supposedly helps with railroading.

[@maxgainz8406]

for the 912FA you can get replacement feeds for like 20,- that make it an amazing pen. Or use different ink, the platinum carbon ink is so wet that I use the standard feed with it (I have both the 2 and 3 slit upgrade feed too)

[@mkompan]

I actually mention this in the video! The Flexible Nib Factory does great work, and they're developing their own gold flex nibs, which I'm looking forward to trying.

[@__mader__]

The only video that showcases the problem from a practical point of view! thanks.

[@mkompan]

Thanks!

[@Brosephus]

I LOVE your waterman 52! Its old, it looks cool, its got character, its got a history.... Ohhhh man... im inspired to save up my money and get one. Thanks for the video!!!

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome! Those 52’s, if you get one with good flex, are really the best performing nibs out there.

[@johnrdoe108]

This subject courses a lot of interest, I have recently bought a Fountain pen Revolution a Himalayer 2 with an ultra flex nib, faultless I now think that F P R has very much got there act together.Thanks for the video from England.

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome! I’m glad that the Himalaya V2 is working well for you. I hesitate to recommend it however, since quite a few people, including myself, have found problems with it.

[@MrCabimero]

I have the Fountain Pen Revolution Jaipur V2 with the ultraflex nib and an ebonite feed. They recently upgraded the feed and it is amazing. They are inexpensive, write very well and a joy to use. I have no connection financial or otherwise to the company but tout this brand because of how good it is and because of the excellent customer service from the owner, Kevin. You can’t beat the price.

[@MrCabimero]

PS I have put the pen down for days at a time and it writes no problem. The new feed makes the difference.

[@mkompan]

Thanks for the info! I just saw a recent review of the Jaipur V2 by SBREBRown and indeed, it looks like the previous flow issues have been significantly resolved. I’ve had nothing but good interactions with Kevin and FPR, so this is great news.

[@yokobery115]

I found that Kaweco Perkeo takes FPR #5.5 flex nib. I enjoy this combination. I didn’t know TWSBI and FPR #5.5 combo. Thank you for the great 💡 idea.

[@mkompan]

You're welcome! I didn't know about the Kaweco Perkeo, so thank you for that information.

[@bloody_6.2]

@@mkompan two years late but do you happen to have a video on how to do the swap on the TWSBI or could you tell me if it was pretty difficult I plan on doing it myself

[@alex_montoya]

Thanks for the vid, that was hugely informative.

[@mkompan]

Glad to help!

[@RyanKirbyInks]

First off, great channel! There aren't enough channels that discuss fountain pens for drawing. One thing I'd recommend you try out is have a FPR Ultraflex reground to an XXF or Needlepoint. The result is very similar to a G-pen or Gillott 404. I personally did mine to an XXF and keep it in a Noodlers Kondrad with the stock Noodlers feed (the FPR feeds flood with ink to the point of burping), and it's become my go-to pen for sketching.

[@mkompan]

Thanks Ryan! Last time I gave regrinding a try I ruined the nib (it was a Noodlers, so no big loss), What tools did you use? Did you learn how to do it somewhere?

[@RyanKirbyInks]

@@mkompan I've ruined many nibs learning haha. Learned mainly from watching how some of the big names worked (Binder, Matsuyama, etc) and what their finished product looked like and tried my best to imitate it. I occasionally use a Dremel when I have to remove a lot of material (like adding flex), but mostly I use Arkansas Stones (3 grades) and 8000-12000 micromesh for the final polishing. I think I have another FPR Ultraflex laying around I could regrind for you, if you're interested.

[@mkompan]

@@RyanKirbyInks I would love to learn how to grind my own nibs, but at this point in my life I'm already stretched thin between teaching, art-making, parenting, and whatever this KZbin video making is supposed to be. Thanks for the offer of the FPR nib XXF regrind. Sounds very enticing. What are you asking for it?

[@RyanKirbyInks]

@@mkompan Sorry for the delayed reply, my notifications are acting up. I'd say consider it a gift from one art channel to another! Just let me know your thoughts on it once you try it out!

[@mkompan]

@@RyanKirbyInks My goodness, thank you! How do I get a hold of you to privately to send you my mailing address? I just checked out your channel. It looks great, and has fantastic potential to take off. Getting to that 1000 subscribers is a bit of a struggle, but once you're there, you'll find people much more willing to subscribe (I guess it's the band-wagon effect). Let's see if we can find a way to do some cross-promotion.

[@lessoos4434]

Probably one of the best comparison videos of flex pens on the net. Thanks. Quick question: Is it normal to still experience some hard stops on the Pilot 912 after replacing the feed from Flexible Nib? thanks

[@mkompan]

Thank you! Pilots usually don't have issues like this, but no feed isn't perfect, so yes, you might get railroading or hard starts. That said, give the feed a good cleaning to eliminate possible residual oils, and heat set it (look for tutorials on it if you're not familiar). it should improve the pen's performance. You might also try using a different ink.

[@ignaciopuente4347]

I loved your review! And I agree this saved me a LOT of experimentation. I have a question though. You said #5 nib on the twsbi, but on the FPR webpage there’s only #5.5 D: where did you get the #5 one?? Or is it the #5.5?? Thanks!

[@mkompan]

Thanks, Ignacio! You're right, the nib is actually 5.5. It fits perfectly though, so there must not be much a size difference.

[@MujahidJazz]

Thanks a lot Marc. This video has saved me many days, maybe years of experimentation, and money too. I have only one doubt that I ask you to solve for me. If we are going to change the nib to a fountain pen, would it be better if it was Stub or Broad? I am a first time calligraphy and can only infer that the feeder for a Fine nib is different from that for a Stub. Thanks again for your advices.

[@mkompan]

I'm glad that you found my video helpful! I don't have a lot of experience with either stubs or board nibs, since I don't use them in my artwork. However, I'm pretty sure that in non-flex pens, the feeds for all tip sizes are the same. If a pen is writing too dry, there are ways to make it write wetter without adjusting the feed, such as choosing a "wetter" ink with better flow, or by making careful adjustments to the tines.

[@ganainmmtl]

Hi Marc! Great video! Would there be a way for me to repurpose a #6 Fountain Pen Revolution gold nib in another pen, such as you have showed with the TWSBI 580? Cheers!

[@mkompan]

Thank you, Phillipe! I've been thinking of getting an FPR #6 gold nib, and have been asking that very question. That #5 nib in the TWSBI 580 seems to be an anomaly. I've tried putting a #6 steel nib (which is the same shape as the gold) into my TWSBI Vac-700, and while it fits, the feed doesn't keep up. The steel nibs work very well in my Jinhao X450 and the Noodlers Conrad and Ahab, but I don't want to put a gold nib into a cheap pen body. I asked Kevin from FPR if the gold nibs will fit into Jowo housing (since you can buy ebonite feeds for those), and he told me they didn't, which is a shame, because I'd love to stick that nib into my Opus 88 demonstrator. I'm still researching this issue and will let you know if there are any developments.

[@Occupant]

All of your pen comparison videos are a great resource. Is the FPR ultra flex nib in the TWSBI pen extra-fine or fine?

[@mkompan]

Thanks ! I believe at the time they were only offering this nib in fine.

[@ad6449]

thank you for this informative and extremely useful video. You have answered so many of my questions and saved me a lot of trouble too. Do you know if any of the other TWSBI have the same feed as to accept the ultraflex nib? What do you think of Noodler's Nib Creaper? Have you tried Noodler's Triple Tail yet? I wonder how it would hold up in your comparison? Happy to have found your channel.

[@mkompan]

I'm glad you found the video helpful! Sadly no other TWBI model takes the FPR nibs. The #5.5 nib doesn't fit into the TWSBI ECO or the GO (come to think of it, I haven't tried it in my Mini-vac.) The #6 nib fits into the Vac-700R but the feed just doesn't keep up. I have the Creeper, and it's a nice little pen, with the same stiff, limited flex of the larger Ahab and Conrad. I currently have a vintage gold flex nib it, and it works great. I also have the Triple-Tail, and absolutely love it. It has a completely unique nib with very interesting properties, making it fantastic for drawing. It takes considerable pressure to make it flex, but it gives much greater line variation than the other Noodlers pens (perhaps twice the thickness).

[@ad6449]

@@mkompan Thank you for such a quick and thorough reply. Now you have me very interested in the Vac Mini option. I too love the Triple Tail and find it leads me in directions that I would not have considered before. Putting a vintage gold flex nib in the Creaper is a great idea too.

[@mkompan]

@@ad6449 You're welcome. Always glad to have a conversation with a fellow pen enthusiast. I just put the #5.5 FPR nib into my TWSBI mini-vac, and it works perfectly! What a great discovery. I'll have to do a video on it.

[@ad6449]

@@mkompan This is really good news. Yes a video please. Is the #5.5 a Jowo or their Ultra-Flex? I'm curious how the feed will keep up. A Vac Mini flex nib would be a dream indeed.

[@re-crafted2993]

Just what i was looking for! Needed a pen for cartoon drawing on the go, and that twsbi -FPR combo looks sublime! Just to double check, is the nib rust resistant? Also, does the mod benefit from a top feed? A piece of tape is the classic ghetto mod, but i was wondering if you felt the nib benefitted from one.

[@mkompan]

Glad you found the video! That TWSBI and #5.5 FPR combo is pretty awesome. The nibs don't rust and work just fine without the tape trick.

[@__mader__]

@marc, Two new pens, compared to the release date of this video, are the "blue dew" pen and the "the good blue" R615 pen.

[@mkompan]

Both of those pens are on my radar, and I’ll eventually get them and make an update to this video.

[@ValerieHayes1]

Do you have any plans to review any Osprey pens? They have a variety of nib options, including flex and architect, which I’m curious about. I’d never even heard of an architect nib before.

[@mkompan]

I haven't heard good things about Osprey, with many users complaining about their pens. As for architect nibs: I have a few and they're fun to draw with. I'll have to do a review of them soon,

[@bonnieshapiro3511]

Interesting video. Is the pilot 912 also called pilot nakami custom heritage. I have to go back to see what you said about advantages. Think you said great with flex nib from pan revolution.

[@mkompan]

Thanks, Bonnie. Yes, I think the full name of the pen is Pilot Custom Heritage 912. Make sure you get one with an FA nib, because this pen comes with the largest variety of nibs of any Pilot.

[@tamarahulaton6162]

Great video. What size pen nib from Pen Revolution will fit the Ahab and will 5.5 fit an TWSBi Eco or will it only fit the 580? Thanks. :)

[@mkompan]

Thanks, Tamara. The #6 nib fits the Ahab. Sadly the #5.5 is very loose in the ECO, but works well in the 580 and the mini-vac.

[@tamarahulaton6162]

@@mkompanThanks so much! :)

[@lantismail]

Thank you for this video! I love the FPR ultra flex nib but their pen bodies are terrible -- everything leaks no matter how much silicone I use -- and I didn't know what to do with my FPR ultra flex pens! Putting the FPR ultra flex nib into a Noodler's Ahab body worked perfectly! Reliable body and my favorite ultra flex nib! I'm changing all of my ultra flex nibs over now! Thank you! You saved me from tossing out a perfectly great nib!

[@mkompan]

My pleasure. I adore FPR nibs and it’s really sad that the quality control of their pens is so poor. They just recently started selling their nibs on Jowo housing, which allows you to use them in a large variety of pens, but I suspect that they’re not going to work great.

[@ina_lina]

@@mkompan Wait. why won't they work? A quality control issue? My favorite affordable pen body is the Retro 51. I'm a non-tinkerer and just want a flex/ultra-flex nib with an ebonite feed on a Jowo housing that I can easily exchange for the nib the pen came with. I was hoping this FPR was the answer...

[@mkompan]

@@ina_lina The issue is really with the design of the ultraflex, which makes it very picky about what feed it uses. The feed in a Jowo housing unit doesn’t have the flow or the geometry to work well with it, unless it’s modified. Since FPR doesn’t advertise their Jowo housing units as modified to work well with their nibs, I’m assuming that they’re just selling stock Jowo housing. A more effective option is to buy an Jowo compatible ebonite feed and housing from The Flexible nib factory. Their ebonite feeds have extra wide ink channels and work better with FPR nibs.

[@ina_lina]

@@mkompan Thank you so much for the reply. I truly appreciate the advice.

[@ichirofakename]

Thanks for the good info. So which of these flexers do you actually use the most?

[@mkompan]

Good question. The Pilot Falcon gets pretty heavy use, as does the Montblanc 342. Lately, however, I find myself reaching for a pen that I bought after making this video, the Pilot 743FA.

[@Filip-pz7wu]

I've only recently gotten into fountain pens, and I really liked the line variation possible with a stubbed nib, what I'm looking for is a fountain pen with a flex nib / soft nib that can provide a somewhat similar writing experience. Is there a difference between soft and flex nibs? I know on some websites they offer a flex modification for even soft nib choices, so I'm not sure what it all means. I'm planning on getting myself a dip pen with different tips however to try out different types in a cheaper and easier way for now. My main use for the pens is studying, most specifically mathematical stuff, so some line variation would be neat for all the different symbols and such. I'd love some tips and recommendations to get me started with stuff like this!

[@mkompan]

Soft nibs offer a bit of line variation, flex more so. There's no consensus on where soft ends and flex begins. The question is how much do flex you need, and how much are you willing to spend? One thing to consider if you're using your pen for study, is that the "flexier" the pen the more ink it will put down, which creates problems on cheap notebook paper. Some flex pens (I'm looking at you, Noodlers) can also be "fussy" and I suspect that you don't want to be tinkering with your pen (or be worrying that it will burp) in the middle of your studies. I would go with a Falcon, or Pilot Custom 74 soft fine or Soft medium. Both are super reliable, give you some line variation to keep things interesting, and won't gush ink all over your paper. For Vintage, that Montblanc 342G is an absolute workhorse.

[@Filip-pz7wu]

Thank you for the swift response, I'm willing to spend up to let's say $350 maybe? Preferably somewhere between $200 and $300 I suppose, as I'm not too worried of spending a fair amount to make writing more enjoyable and less straining. Yeah, tinkering with my pen in the middle of it all wouldn't be great. Thank you for the recommendations though, I've seen the Platinum 3776 with a soft fine nib be recommended for the same stuff, how does that pen compare to the Namiki Falcon and the Pilot Custom 74 with soft nibs? Also, I'm still a bit unsure about the soft vs flex nib part, do you have any videos comparing their line variations? I'm guessing the flex nib will be able to make a bigger line than the soft one.

[@mkompan]

You're welcome! I have a video comparing the four different Pilot Flex in my collection pens here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmOYm4eaatF7hpI I would go with a Pilot 743FA, which you can get for about $250-300 in the US. It's advantage (besides its realiabilty) is that it's perfect for regular writing, and also flexes well. Some of your more flexible pens are only good for calligraphy, and are hard to control if you're not used to them. My pen reviews are geared more for people who draw with their pens but here's a review of it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIWUi4xrfMuUepo

[@Filip-pz7wu]

Thank you once again, I've watched both the videos and I like how the Pilot 743FA writes and flexes. It seems to flex really easily without a lot of pressure, which is great. I am a light writer as I often have to write a lot and I switched to needlepoint ink pens a long time ago because normal pencils / ballpoints just require too much pressure to write well with and are therefore straining. I don't think I'd have a lot of difficulty with something even flexier then. About the calligraphy thing, it'd be nice to get into, so I wouldn't mind a flexier pen either way. I'm fairly certain I could manage using it. Anyways, the ideal pen would be one that can have a large amount of line variation without too much effort to make for a smooth writing experience, I'm supposing the Pilot 743FA is fitting for this, but it would be nice with some other options as well. I'll definitely look into the Pilot 743FA more now though. Thanks a ton!

[@dfblake7]

Marc, having just ordered a Noodler's Ahab I want to get the FPR ultra flex nib you recommend here. On their site both the #5.5 and the #6 seem to offer the same line width...and both seem to be EF...does it matter which one, as in, will both fit? I want to draw with it. Thank you.

[@mkompan]

Hi Dorothy. Only the #6 nib will fit in your Ahab.

[@neilpiper9889]

I have a Pilot Custom heritage 912 with the fa super flex nib with the cutaways on, which was excellent for 2 to 3 years until I dropped it onto the nib. I am going to the London Pen show to give it to a penmeister to get it fixed. I miss using it. It cost me £150 from a Hong Kong supplier. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if I can't get it fixed, and then take more care. The Con 70 converter holds a lot of ink and plastic feed is fine. I have a vintage made in 1950s England Conway Stewart 84 with a gold fine stub flex nib in green and black celluloid cracked ice finish. I bought it for £40 on ebay from a private seller in the UK. It is a beautiful writer and looks beautiful. For drawing I use a Platinum Desk pen with carbon ink cartridges. The ink is waterproof so I can use a watercolour paint wash over it.

[@mkompan]

Perhaps you can even get that penmeister can add extra flex to your 912. From what I hear it one of the best choices for added flex. And I agree, the Platinum desk pen with carbon ink is an excellent choice for drawing. I've had sitting around inked for months, and it has never dried up.

[@neilpiper9889]

@@mkompan I got it fixed by Paul Major at Pens Plus based at their Oxford High Street shop here in the UK. I love having it back.

[@mkompan]

@@neilpiper9889 Happy to hear it! The 912FA is such a lovely drawing/writing instrument. It was the first true flex pen I purchased (the Noodler's Ahab and the Pilot Falcon don't really count), and was what got me hooked on flex pens.

[@gunsmokeandghouls]

Have you tried Noodler's Boston Safety pen? Good flex, able to use any type of ink, etc.

[@mkompan]

Why yes. Here's my review of it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYqoqnRpbMd3j9k

[@LinhNguyen-vm8le]

Hi. I just found your Chanel and finding it very useful. Thank you! New to fountain pens but really want a good flex pen that won’t break the bank. Tried Ahab but it was very finicky. Your suggestion on the TWSBI, do you mean the TWSBI Diamond AL? Do you know if your FPR would fit in any other Twsbi, or any other pen?

[@mkompan]

Thank you! I'm glad you found my channel. The TWSBI 580 AL with work with the #5.5 ultraflex nib. You can also use a TWSBI mini and Mini-vac. I've also had success in an Opus 88 Picnic.

[@LinhNguyen-vm8le]

Thank you! Will look into the mini.

[@LinhNguyen-vm8le]

I got the TWSBI mini with the #5.5 ultra flex and LOVE! The flex was amazing compared to the Ahab. Did wish the line difference was greater but still love the flex! I didn’t use it for a few days and now it’s railroading. Any suggestions on how I can fix this problem?

[@mkompan]

@@LinhNguyen-vm8le A few things can fix the issue. The first thing is to give the pen a good cleaning with soap and water to help remove residual oils that might be causing problems. If it's still railroading, you could try using a different ink. Most flex pens are notoriously fickle, and just work better with certain inks. Another thing that helps a lot is to "heat set" the feed. Yes you can actually heat set plastic feeds. While the feed and nib are still in the pen hold the them in very hot water (just under boiling) for about 20 seconds. Then squeeze the feed tightly against the nib with a paper towel. This allows the feed to make better contact with the nib and lowers the incidence of railroading.

[@LinhNguyen-vm8le]

Thanks Marc, will try your suggestions once I use up this ink.

[@passthebutter3]

I like the aesthetic of the amethyst FPR Himalaya, so do you think it would be possible to do the opposite of what you’ve done: just exchange the feed on the FPR for an ahab feed? I didn’t see any twsbi 580 al feeds to buy separately, so I’m not sure that would be possible.

[@mkompan]

Just tried replacing the Himalaya feed with one from the Ahab, and it fits perfectly and provides much better (though not perfect) flow for the #6 nib. Comparing the two feeds, the ink slot on the Noodlers is a bit deeper, which explains the better flow. I have the ebonite version of the Himalaya V2 and am not happy with the build quality (perhaps the plastic versions are better), so I'm going to keep using the excellent #6 ultraflex nib in my Ahab. The TWSBI 580 uses the #5.5 nib, so its feed won't fit into a Himalaya.

[@passthebutter3]

Marc Kompaneyets oh wow thank you for doing that! That really helps.

[@mkompan]

@@passthebutter3 You're welcome!

[@JoseDelacruz-wo7ne]

Awesome

[@mkompan]

Thank you.

[@vnikyt]

Hi Marc! I’ve got the TWSBI Go. Would FPR’s ultra-flex nib fit? I just received the 2 FPR Himalaya v1 pens with ultraflex that I got during their BOGO sale last week. I’m having trouble with the nib pulling away from the feed after a few strokes. I’m surprised because that pen has so many great reviews. Still waiting to hear back from Kevin

[@mkompan]

Which nib size do those Himalayas have? The #6 will not fit the Go, but the 5.5 nib might fit if you use a shim to keep it in tightly. I have a video on how to fit the 5.5 into an ECO, a pen that uses the same nib as GO. Have you tried heat setting the Himalaya? If not, there are a lot of tutorials on it on KZbin (even one made by Kevin). It usually helps a lot.

[@vnikyt]

@@mkompan the Himalaya v1 has a #5.5 ultraflex nib, so yes, it should fit. Will watch your videos and try heat setting the nib. Thanks!

[@Pamp81]

This great info. I wonder if FPR has fixed the feed issue with the HImalaya V2, because mine writes great, very wet, with the ultraflex nib. I also just picked up a Jaipur this week from them, with that same nib, and it, too, writes wet, with amazing flex. Not as pretty a pen, but that nib is so good. I had bought a Noodler's Ahab several years ago, and the nib is very stiff, but I cleaned it very well recently and heat set the feed, and it is actually working much better now, despite the fact that I have to push down so hard to get the flex. I'm thinking of replacing the nib with the FPR one, as you mentioned, but I might just live with it the way it is. I actually wish I had seen this video months ago! This is the best video about flexible fountain pens I've seen.

[@mkompan]

Thank you for your kind words! A number of people have commented that there have been improvements made to the Himalaya and the Jaipur, so it might be time to try them again, and make an updated version of this video.

[@MrAndrew1953]

Why does everyone overlook the Noodlers Triple Tail? Very hard to beat for line variation.

[@mkompan]

I didn’t have one at the time of filming, but you’re right, it’s a fantastic pen.

[@luisguillermoperezmejia7907]

En la pagina que recomienda usted para los cambios de feed hay dos tipos de feed para el 912 y hacen mención a 2 referencias del 912. La NER y la ER. ¿Sabe usted en que consiste la diferencia entre esas dos referencias? Los feed serán diferentes ( a simple vista parecen iguales). Cordial saludo desde Medellín, Colombia

[@mkompan]

Hola Guillermo. Voy a contestar usted en mi Español bastante básico. Este negocio vende dos tipos de feeds para el 912, uno con dos hendiduras (912EN) y uno con tres (912E), que da un poco mas flujo de tinta. En mi experiencia, el feed con dos hendiduras ya da un flujo suficiente y escribe muy mojado. Entonces no se necesita un feed con tres hendiduras. Parece que ellos ofrecen feeds en dos colores, negro (912EN, 912E) y rojo (912ENR, 912ER). Saludos desde Los Angeles.

[@luisguillermoperezmejia7907]

@@mkompan excelente su Español. Mil gracias por su atención.

[@nsmith2908]

For the TWSBI 580/#5.5 ultra flex option. Does it matter which 580 size(XF, F, M, B)?

[@mkompan]

No, it doesn't.

[@ZommBleed]

My pilot Falcon has a Con70 converter and there's an option for the FA nib. This would be the Metal Falcon, not the plastic Falcon.

[@mkompan]

That's interesting. Where do you get a metal Pilot Falcon with an FA nib? Seems to me that if you're looking to use the #10 FA nib it makes more sense to get a 912 FA or a 742 FA. Both can use the con-70 converter and are considerably cheaper than the metal Falcon.

[@ZommBleed]

@@mkompan I was just pointing out that the Falcon is available with the FA nib; mine is the Metal Falcon with the Con70. I spent the extra money to have a heftier Soft Extra Fine nib with the Con70. Afterwards I was looking for a pen with a more flexible nib in the same style. The FA fills the bill in a Metal Falcon. Yes, there are other options, and even much more inexpensive options. This is pretty much my grail pen for now. I have the Himalaya ultra flex in an EF nib, however there's nothing Fine about it. It's a very wet writer, which is good, and it flexes Ok I guess, but it's more like a Broad or very wet Medium nib. I might give the brand another try, maybe with a gold Fine nib. (With reverse writing it's pretty Fine, but very toothy and scratchy and flicks ink everywhere.) Recently, their online store was sold out of the Tanoshii Urushi-type pen that I wanted. They seem to be back in stock again, but not sure when I might place another order. Thanks for your reply and comment. (In case you're wondering, I bought the Falcon from Brian at Goulet Pens along with some Noodler's V-Mail African Violet--a really great ink.)

[@mkompan]

@@ZommBleed Thanks for your reply! So, just to clarify: you can have the standard nib on the Falcon replaced with an FA nib? I don't see that option anywhere, which is why I asked. How did you manage it? Are you perhaps mixing up the standard nib on the Falcon with the FA nib? The FPR #6 is a tricky nib, that doesn't work well in all that many pens. In some pens it writes drier and thinner, in some wetter and wider. I think the #5.5 is a better nib in that respect, in that it works well in a larger range of pens, and writes a little finer than the #6.

[@ZommBleed]

@@mkompan I didn't get the FA yet. It's just an option I was looking at doing when I was willing to drop some $$ on another pen. I did a lot of searching online to see which direction I could go. Getting a Pilot Custom is probably the best option for most. Thanks for the feedback on the FPR.

[@fabtext]

Have you tried the FPR #6 unit -nib and feed? I'm waiting for one to arrive to use on a JINHAO.

[@mkompan]

Hi Maria. I don't think that FPR feeds fit into a Jinhao, but the nibs fit very well, and work great.

[@false-set]

I struggled to get my no.6 nib into my jinhao x750, I got it maybe half way before it seized, it wrote and the flex was awesome! I capped it and was going to fix it later... turns out capping it was really dumb, I bent the tines bad. I 100% would recommend doing it tho! I've got a zebra g nib in there now, which fit perfectly without modifying for some reason, but the fpr flexed nicer.

[@fabtext]

@@false-set That's amazing! I did the same exact same thing with the same pen and bent the tynes just the other day! I agree, the nib is a pretty great flexer! I messaged the owner of FPR and he told me his #6 only fit his pens! WTF! Not happy with that answer but I went ahead bought his Jaipur V2 ultra flex. Waiting for it to arrive.

[@fabtext]

@@mkompan Hi Marc. The nib alone is very tight and I coudn't fully install it but it wrote and flexed great the way it was. Unfortunately after several uses it migrated out a bit and when I capped the pen, bent the tynes. Impressive line variation and pretty soft and not gushy. Amazing at one time I thought the JOWO Ultra Flex was soft. No comparison.

[@fabtext]

PS...Great video! Thank you!

[@timothy790110]

no test of FPR's ultra flex nibs?

[@mkompan]

I've talked about and drawn with them in a number of my videos, but I will be doing another review of them soon, paired with Bock and Jowo housing units and ebonite feeds.

[@JennyEverywhere]

Great video! I know this is a necropost, but I wanted to share a little. I have that Ahab, and I also have a Noodlers Triple Tail. That's currently my most expensive pen. The triple tine nib is great. I do need to do the heat set for the feed, though, because I have to keep thumping the heel of my hand on something to shake ink down into the thing. It's not even a difficult ink, it's Noodlers Black. I just cleaned it with my ultrasonic cleaner with a touch on Dawn, to get any manufacturing oil off the surfaces. Now I need to heat set it, but there's tons on videos on it. What I really need, though it's some guidance how to look at a nib and know what style it is. I know nib manufacturers copy the style of another manufacturer, so it isn't good enough anymore to say "this is a Lamy nib". It might be a copy, so it's be more accurate to say "this is a Lamy-style nib". But what differentiates one company's style over another? What makes a nib Lamy-style, or Pilot-style? I know there's only a couple of manufacturers, then copycats or small manufacturers who actually license the designs, or just buy their nibs from the big shops. So what do I look for the determine what style of nib I'm looking at, even if it's a blank Chinese clone nib that only says "EF" on it?

[@mkompan]

This video is still getting plenty of views and people are still commenting…so how is your comment a necropost? :) As for nib types, this is very tricky because similar looking nibs are not necessarily compatible. There are three large western manufacturers making similar looking nibs but they for the most part aren’t interchangeable. That goes even more so with Japanese which are almost always proprietary. As for Chinese nibs, they’re all over the place some compatible with a few other pens and some not. That is to say, just because something is “lamy style” doesn’t mean it will pop into a Lamy. Rather than thinking of broad styles look for specific nibs you know will work with specific pens.

[@Getting_Good2007]

Hell bro them pens are mad expensive

[@mkompan]

I thought so too when I first started. But these things are not disposable, and will last a life time if you take care of them.

[@reitei1756]

@@mkompan but the ultraflex nib doesnt last forever isnt? How long does it last?

[@mkompan]

@@reitei1756 I'm not sure anyone can say how long an ultraflex nib will last since it depends on how and how much a pen is used, and this varies greatly from person t person. There are plenty of well functioning flex pens well over 100 years old, however, so while nothing last forever, you can expect a well built pen to work for many, many years.

[@reitei1756]

@@mkompan thank you for the fast reply. A few years lasting is good. I was just trying to find dip pen nib alternative. As it last me for just a week.

[@mkompan]

@@reitei1756 Dip pens don't have tipping and are prone to wearing out. In fact, in the past artists would use newer nibs for fine lines, and use older, more worn out nibs for thicker lines. Fountain pen nibs usually have very durable iridium tipping on them, which makes them smoother and longer lasting.