FPR Ebonite Himalaya & Indus Pen with Ultra Flex Nib

A look at 3 Fountain Pen Revolution pens & various nibs. The Ultra Flex is very interesting. As with most modern steel flex nibs it is challenging. Follow me on my journey.

[@helenmcdonnell2585]

Thanks Chris, revisiting this video 4 years later, still on a quest with flex fountain pens. You always do a thorough and honest review.

[@chrisrap52]

Great to hear!

[@ChristineLSlocum]

Kevin's customer service is absolutely delightful. He's really a standard bearer there.

[@chrisrap52]

I agree 100%. It is a pleasure doing business with him.

[@maccaj6565]

Thanks very much for taking the time to do this, Chris. It's a timely one for me, as I've been putting together an FPR order for a while now. Might pick up an ultra flex nib to play with while I'm at it. Re: modern flex nibs in cheaper pens (noodler's etc)... when cleaning doesn't solve the flow problems, I have had good luck with (very carefully) widening the feed channel by running a .0005" brass shim down it several times. It's slower than using an xacto blade, but a lot safer for both one's hands and the nib. I'm sure you've done this many times, but if anyone reading this comment hasn't and wants to give it a go, the usual caveats apply... will void your warranty, don't try it on expensive pens for your first attempt, do it at your own risk etc etc. Check your work as you go, just like nib smoothing - if you go too far, you can't put back what you've shaved off and may have ink flow issues due to altering the mechanics of the surface tension and/or the ink/air interchange ratio. That said, also like nib smoothing, it's pretty hard to screw up irreparably with a brass shim as long as you do work slowly and check your work often. The thicker brass shims can be found on ebay - they generally come in a pack that includes a .001 sheet, a .002 sheet, a .003 sheet, and the .005 sheet. The .001 can be useful for flossing nibs and the .002 is generally what's sold at pen supply stores in tuning kits - can be used for either flossing or tuning. (Again, I'm sure you know this already, but leaving this here for anyone who might not!) .003 is less useful (can be used for widening a nib slit in a hurry, but it's just as easy to overdo - I tend not to use the .003 unless it's a very broad, *very* stiff nib). And .005, as I said, good for widening that feed channel without stabbing yourself in the hand or slicing a feed in half.

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks for adding your experience. I did 1 video on nib & feed tuning, kzbin.info/www/bejne/boTYm4qapN2JY5Y . I've used stainless steel shims & a scalpel to open up feeds. As you say a slow process. For these pens I did not see flow as an issue, when pen writes great ink flow, just not consistent. Felt it was more due to feed & nib contact. An ebonite feed would have given me option to heat set it.

[@Indusxstan]

Fantastic video👌

[@peterhofmann8292]

Chris, thanks for the video and sharing your experiences with the pen / nib combinations. Truly a testament to patience and exploration! That Chestnut swirl is truly unique, will have to pop over to the FPR site.

[@tobymulder196]

Thank you, Chris for this very comprehensive review. I have been thinking about doing what you have just done and this will help me immensely. I have bought similar pens from Kevin and have always wondered why he sells ebonite feeds for a no. 6 flex nib but doesn’t sell a pen that will accept it. I plan to discuss with him more at the Dallas Pen show. I greatly appreciate your efforts in this nib year.

[@dominictolentino2744]

Thank you for introducing the FPR brand to most of us. I was surprised that fountain pens are also being made commercially in India. Hopefully, they are also available via local ebay (Philippines). My interest was also piqued with the use of steel flex nibs. Love that eyedropper pen...

[@WhatIInk]

Love the demo with the Waterman nib in the 992...it really drives the point home.

[@wayneclarkson375]

Chris really liking all three pens and the ebonte pen is very attractive indeed. Some interesting nib designs as well Very impressed with the vintage Waterman nib and like the colour of the green ink must get me some of that for sure. Thanks again excellent video.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Great review, Chris. I did not have a good time with the Himalaya. The converter fell apart. I got a replacement and that fell apart. Then I eyedropper the pen and the pen burped ink like a dam broke. So, I gave up on it but kept the nib. I don't know if I would ever get another pen from FPR. Ebonite can be eyedropper filled. People have told me it will stain the ebonite. Well, if it stains on the interior, so what? I was careful not ot overfill the pen.

[@helenmcdonnell2585]

Thanks for your feedback, I was on the verge of purchasing a FPR Himalayan Ultra flex, now after seeing a few reviews, including your impression, I think I will only consider getting the nib, and try find suitable housing. Do you know if the FPR ultra flex would fit a Noodlers Ahab or Konrad by any chance? Thanks from Derry Northern Ireland UK 🇬🇧

[@paulmchugh1430]

@@helenmcdonnell2585 I had it in an Ahab. It was a very tight fit. I don't know about the Konrad

[@HellorHighWater01]

I love the Indus as a pen, however, for the ultra flex nib, the plastic feed works okay once you prime it, but for really what I think is pretty amazing flex, try the Guru with the ebonite feed and the Ultra Flex nib. It'll still have some issues from time to time but it's much more consistent than the Indus.

[@meh8982]

If you get one of the FPR pens with an ebonite flex feed, like the Jaipur or the Himalaya, those feeds are insanely wet (he has both flex and non-flex ebonite feeds) and being ebonite can be heat set to your nib. I think that might work better than the plastic feed you were trying out, although I find that my Indus works pretty well with the native FPR flex nib. (Though I see you fixed it at the end!)

[@AnzanHoshinRoshi]

Thank you, Chris. I do like a nice ebonite chestnut swirl.

[@chrisrap52]

Maybe it will find a new home. 🖋 ✍ 🙏

[@Innieminnie]

I have this Himalaya v2 with the FPR's normal flex nib and ebonite feed (the $18 package). Noodler's brown runs very very wet in this pen. I don't really mind it to be honest since I use FPR nibs mainly for drawing. I also have the purple Mardi Gra ink by FPR, and that ink runs quite dry in my other pens. I suspect FPR inks are designed to be used with FPR nib/feeds. On a separate note, a flex nib in one of those Muft pens with its stock feed has been my favorite drawing pen so far. It absolutely NEVER railroads, and it's light and nimble for drawing.

[@chrisrap52]

Noodler's brown must take days to dry. Glad you enjoy drawing with these pens. Thanks for watching.

[@no_handle_required]

Just got a white Himalaya with the ultra flex and I love it. Ordered extra nibs in #6 to outfit a couple other pens. They really did a good job on these.

[@chrisrap52]

Good to know. I suspected the #6 would be even better than the #5 I have.

[@no_handle_required]

I didn't mention I got the ebonite feed, but even there it had to be cleaned and very slightly adjusted. This thing throws down so much ink you have to use a feather touch to keep it "fine". What I like most compared to the Conklin and other similar cuts, is that FPR didn't sacrifice nib integrity by cutting in such a way as to bend the nib when it flexes so that it actually bends and stays. Not the tines, but the body. The FPR doesn't even need to fully utilize the body cuts to impress.

[@13noman1]

I put my Himalaya (resin, V1) the other day and forgot what a nice writer it is. The converter is Ok but unlike yours, mine does tend to "auto-uncap" in my pocket at times. When it happened today I remembered why I had it in storage!

[@chrisrap52]

Sorry to hear. Maybe use a rubber gripper to torque it down.

[@JasonBarnhart]

Finally got one of these. It’s been great with Birmingham swift formula ink on Tomo River and Rhodia. Wish I’d gotten one sooner. Really do appreciate your reviews. Thank you!

[@chrisrap52]

Glad you like em! Great combo.

[@Richard1855]

As I have mentioned in my previous comments I introduce "newbies" to our fountain pen world by gifting them with the standard JINHAO 992. I have lost count of the number I have given away and always having some in reserve, must have bought 3 lots of the 6 colours sets in both clear and opaque . In my opinion the humble 992 is a good starter as it is extremely reliable, no frills, non- pretentious and above all a good workhorse. Well done JINHAO! I say.

[@qwerty_artist]

Thanks for the video- I've been waiting for one before ordering an fpr pen with ultra flex nib

[@davidanderson3425]

Thanks Chris. Nice to see the process to get a nib to work. The Himalaya looks like a Gama I own. I hope you give us your thoughts on the 'free' pen from FPR.

[@TheUnaBooBoo]

Thanks, Chris. This was a really great and informative video.

[@billcrabtree8700]

You might want to look at the tipping on those hard starting flex nibs. There’s a good chance the gap between the tipping is too wide or that it’s wider on the bottom than the top. Especially if it works when reverse writing.

[@chrisrap52]

Will look at that.

[@brettthorndike1079]

I like the Green ink, I will look for it on Amazon....Great video, Thank you !

[@kaarinponsford1136]

Thank you for the comprehensive exploration. I really enjoyed it. I have a Conklin duraflex that I love, not for the flex in writing but for the pleasant bounce as I write. That is all I ask of it and it performs well. I would love to know the green blue ink in the fpr pen.

[@billcrabtree8700]

The jowo feed might just fit the nib better. If the feed puts too much pressure on the nib it will cause the tines to splay.

[@gusmarrero]

Have pen love it

[@MrAndrew1953]

Flex nibs are a challenge but when you get a really good one for calligraphy, it's a good way to relieve stress. I have a calligraphy book that I practice letters and handwriting with. FPR JAIPUR V2, Himalayan v2, Kanwrite, Fine Writing Fenestro with a 1.5 mm stub for an Italic effect. A lot of good pens, nibs in the $30-50 range.

[@chrisrap52]

Great tip! I have tried calligraphy, took a class & find that my hand will not learn. I have the same challenge trying to play the piano. I expect that if I practiced more I might learn to almost be proficient. Don't have the time now.

[@MrAndrew1953]

@@chrisrap52 Overall it's a great way to maintain interest in fountain pens, relevant nibs and inks. It also helps me focus on a narrower range of fountain pens and nibs that are useful tools. There's a lot of pens I don't bother with because they're too expensive or don't have a particular purpose.

[@paulwyand6204]

I won a Indus from a Facebook giveaway from FPR and I thought it was very poorly put together. I thought the piston was poorly designed, not nearly as functional as a much cheaper Chinese pen. The fit and finish was not very good, my clip was on crooked generally looked like it was put together with little care. I wound up losing it at work and was never bothered by that fact. I also had several Swerwix pens from them as well and they were also pretty poorly put together and a few of them leaked from the feed badly. I was intrigued by the Himalaya but figured the quality would not be much better but that material looks nice.

[@chrisrap52]

There are some inconsistencies with lower priced pens. Indus I have matches quality of my Chinese pens. Somewhat higher price but more nib choices & FPR customer support.

[@deanandreoli1975]

the best fit for my FPR untra flex nib turned out to be a moonman M2 or that HYL copy. every other pen i tired with it was very skippy. something about the M2 just works with that ultra flex nib. maybe it's just me?

[@chrisrap52]

M2 has a good feed. Works well with many nibs.

[@eileengoldenberg270]

Thanks so much for your great reviews, I have been able to find many cool pens on eBay! I was looking for an architect nib and I see bobby has one, and I have a Jin Hao 450. I don’t know if it is a #5 or 6 nib.. he didn’t know, claims he never heard on Jin Hao... thanks for you info..

[@chrisrap52]

The Jinhao x450 takes a #6 nib, Bobby's architect nib fits well.

[@DealerBoy]

Chris:. Sorry if I missed it, but I was wondering what the first green ink you used was. The ink you used in the FPR Ultraflex. Thanks for another informative video.

[@chrisrap52]

Robert Oster Australian Ten Dollar Teal.

[@DealerBoy]

Nice looking ink. Thanks for the info.

[@raphael52]

Oh oh. Bobby's nib is nice and beautiful but useless. Constantly skipping and hard start. No Bueno. FPR's CS from Kevin is excellent. It has made me a collector of FPR pens and nibs. He makes no excuses and will go out of his way to fix any problems you encounter. 👍👌

[@SlimTony]

WIth modern Flex nibs, it it possible to build a flexing feed? One that is curved up by default, straightens out and is under tension if it's in a pen because it's being pushed down by the nib and then springs back into an upwards curve when the nib flexes on the paper.

[@chrisrap52]

Good question, easy answer yes. How much would it cost? How long it would retain its flex? As much as some want a flex nib, the actual market is small. Hard to justify the expensive to make vs number sold. Modern flex nibs have a high return rate which erodes profit.

[@KevsoldLandy]

What about the eye dropper freebie pen though? Please do a quick review of this one :)

[@chrisrap52]

In my queue. Maybe in a week.

[@KevsoldLandy]

Thank you :)

[@billcrabtree8700]

Speaking of swapping nibs, I’ve been meaning to tell you that platinum 3776 nibs can fit on pennbbs pens.

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks. Never thought of that.

[@korling99]

Good video

[@ProximaCentauri88]

Short Answer: "Modern Flex = frustration" Save for vintage flex. I hope you could review a KANWRITE HERITAGE (Indian pen) with a modified wet noodle 14k nib.

[@chrisrap52]

I do enjoy & have vintage Flex pens. I do not enjoy this pen enough to swap in a vintage flex nib.

[@stuffstuffstuffyay]

i am comparing my ahab and waterman 52 and the ahab cant get the same fine line unflexed- do you think this ultra flex can match the fine of the waterman ideal nib?

[@chrisrap52]

No. I had me Ahab romance a few years ago. It was short lived.

[@stuffstuffstuffyay]

chrisrap52 months later with my ahab & with it leaking, allll the time on my trip, I have just ordered a Himalayan, in a 5.5 ultra flex. Hoping I love it! Almost got the #6 but hoping I made the right choice for nib size

[@vikvicious1]

I do believe you should not compare gold to steel as I've heard that the fact that it's gold has a different effect on ink on a molecular level than steel does. Then again I could be wrong. Anyways I really enjoy your videos as I really love that you keep up with the Chinese pens as I feel the value on them is through the roof.

[@billcrabtree8700]

I don’t know about the nib material affecting the ink. I have heard that certain iron gall inks can corrode steel nibs but that’s about it.

[@chrisrap52]

Can't verify that by my experience. I have a few new Chinese pens to show. Videos in the works.

[@vikvicious1]

Not sure of that myself either, the Pilot Falcon is the best "flex" pen I've ever owned. No issues with the feed at all, i adore it. Might I suggest taking an old timey razer blade to the feed, like a old school hollow ground very thin edged blade. It works for me beautifully to increase ink flow on all my pens. Love to see what you have in the works by the way! Let this truly be the year of the nib!

[@TheGunmac10]

that jinhao 992 leaks if the feed is stock its because it doesnt stay all the way in because W's #2 is thicker or has a different shape .These fins should not be filled with ink especially the bottom ones because they are the last bit of defense against burping .I had quite a few of these and with a stock feed they would never do this even if ED . On the other hand I've "modified" some of these feeds to leak like this until I got it right (all the jinhao 992s I had cracked so whatever). The point is this is unacceptable because even a little shake and ink is flying everywhere imagine having an important document with a lot of signatures on it ruined because of this.

[@TheGunmac10]

What I'm tryin to say is its not that hard to make a wet feed however its extremely hard to make a wet feed that doesn't leak and starts right away. And while vintage feeds can be very wet they usually take a second or two to get the ink flowing and more prone to leakage . Most fountain pen users want their pens to be safe to use,reliable and wet in that particular order I think thats why we don't see many wet feeds out of the box not because it's hard to make but because it's not the only one neither the first requirement .

[@chrisrap52]

You & I have different experience & views. Watermans spoon feeds very generous support extreme flex do not leak & start up instantly. I've used many as EDC with no issues. Most leakers I had were from weak sacs or small cracks in section not due to design. I've been using Bock Titan nibs in my Karas Kustom pens, very wet, start instantly & no leaks. Pens that don't start up are usually due to cap not sealing allowing ink to dry out.