Fude vs Flex: A Comparison for Artists

[@GurtTarctor]

I think one of the biggest factors for me that has me preferring to go with a fude nib is that it's not pressure dependent, which is important when I'm using a small sketchbook in one hand and a pen in the other. I need to be able to draw very lightly and still be able to get good line width and texture, a fude nib is great for that and offers much more feedback than say a brush pen (which are also very nice).

[@mkompan]

That's a great reason that I hadn't considered. I tend to favor fude pens for outdoor sketching as well, because the larger variety of line is better for landscape. Plus my best performing flex pens are expensive and rarely leave the house. BTW, you posted a link to your sketching set-up a while ago, but it got blocked (or erased). Not sure why.

[@GurtTarctor]

@@mkompan Yeah pressing a nib onto a more flexible surface probably favours a sturdy nib, when the paper is flat on a table then flex would perform at it's best. Yeah I think KZbin automatically filters any links, probably to minimise spam. I think I reposted the comment when it didn't show up but with spaces between the dot com, hopefully that worked. It's a great little pocket sized setup, I've gone through quite a few of those A6 sketchbooks with 130GSM smooth cartridge paper, which is ideal. They're dead easy to make.

[@dancinswords]

I really enjoy the imagery of the phrase "puddle-like lines"

[@mkompan]

Thank you. It’s nice to know that my efforts at word smithing are appreciated.

[@adrianmuino3412]

I am an amateur and for me they fell and handle very differently, so IMO it is a matter of taste more than results. Great video!

[@mkompan]

They are very different in technique but can be used to achieve similar results, which is why I felt it would be interesting to make a comparison.

[@rincewind2828]

Your videos really are top notch …. So much useful info. I have definitely been well and truely enlightened… some factors that I had not fully appreciated Thank you and keep ‘em coming !

[@mkompan]

Thank you! I'm glad that my videos are useful to you.

[@Deedster56]

Thank you for another GREAT video, Marc! I am anxiously awaiting my customized ‘Jowo #6 into Fude’ nib which I will install onto a TWISBI Eco, based on your recommendation 😊 I now have about 5 Sailor de Mannens (need one for each ink colour, of course!) and the fat litttle Moonman which I love because of its juicy lines. I appreciate your very informative and inspirational videos very much as I have learned so much from you in the short time that I have subscribed (and tried to catch up). All the best 🤗

[@mkompan]

Thank you for your kind comment! I’ve been away from fudes lately. I think it’s time to get back to them.

[@ThatLazyStray]

I love using a flex nib for precise clean line work for my watercolours, and using fude nibs for rough sketches and value studies with water soluble ink and a water brush. they're both extreemly fun to use when you get used to them and i think it's good to know the differences, though i wouldn't consider them interchangable myself

[@mkompan]

Thanks for your comment! Both are super fun and of course not always interchangeable.

[@marcb6444]

I ordered a Sailor de mannen pen (Green) to try the fude nib as I usually use a flex nib (Noodlers Ahab) for sketching. Honestly, I always grab the flex pen especially when I am sketching on location. I will continue using my fude and hopefully, can get the hang of the switching line variations with it. Very nice comparison.

[@mkompan]

Thanks, Marc. Working with a flex pen is more intuitive, but if you're patient with the fude, I think it actually becomes easier to use than the flex pen.

[@EPeltzer]

The green plastic Sailor is a real gem despite it being inexpensive $12 or so and even kind of cheap feeling. I just love drawing with it though for the nib that has a beautiful interesting line for the right kind of drawing. It's an absolute no-brainer for someone who's never used a food a nib to get a feel for it. I use a lot of flex pens too but I pretty much agree with everything this guy is saying in the video.

[@marcb6444]

@@EPeltzer I’ve been using my de mannen pen for months now. Yes, I use it for sketching more often that I usually don’t bring a flex nib pen like I used to do before.

[@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess]

You should've picked the blue one, the green one has a bigger angle. For a someone who's starting with fude pens the smaller angle would've been ideal, that's why you had a negative first impression of fude I honestly like both. I used flex nibs first because they're like dip pens used to draw manga, but I don't care for the constant dipping to get more ink, so I chose to go with a fountain pen with flex nib, the more rigid ones you don't press and get thick lines accidentally

[@marcb6444]

@@MybeautifulandamazingPrincess Honestly, I was thinking that I should’ve bought the blue one instead of the green. But, as I use it almost daily, I got used to the line variations quickly. I still use my Noodler’s Ahab especially if i know that my sketch will include mostly hatching. Just recently, I am eyeing on the Sailor 1911 with a Zoom nib. Are you familiar with it? If ever, do you recommend it? Thanks 👋

[@belindalarmour5457]

A very informative comparison, thank you. I have recently started drawing with fude pen, after years of painting and then some fineliners for line and wash. I will stick with the fude for now, as I know I have a lot to learn, so one thing at a time.

[@mkompan]

Glad you found this useful! I’m actually in the middle of making another video on a few different ways of using a fude nib.

[@BombusMonticola]

A thrilling race...The tortoise and the hare

[@mkompan]

I'm not sure who the hare is in this race. Both are very steady and determined competitors.

[@ordinaryimages]

FWIW: I swapped a Duke 209 Fude [nib only] into my TWSBI ECO with good results.

[@mkompan]

Thanks for letting me know! The fude nib on the 209 is fantastic, but its slick and thin pen body makes it hard to use.

[@sandfly60]

Unfortunately your hand is covering up what you’re actually doing with the nib, which makes it a little bit hard to see what’s going on.

[@mkompan]

Sorry about that! I’ve started using better camera angles in my more recent videos.

[@MrG0CE]

IN DAILY WRITING, CAN U USE THE FUDE NIB TO TAKE NOTES AT LEAST NORMALLY/DECENTLY?

[@mkompan]

You can. At a normal writing angle it puts down a double broad line. You can also write with the nib facing up to get a XF line.

[@MrG0CE]

@@mkompan THANK U VERY MUCH ! I SHOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THIS CHANNEL EARLIER !

[@DavidLayM]

why no both?

[@mkompan]

I never suggested you shouldn’t use both.

[@2Spunck]

Thanks! You've been helping me to improve my pen selection. I have a tiny mobile Traveler's Company fountain pen I otherwise love with a pretty stiff fine nib. I would imagine it's a No.2? SO I thought how could I find a swap-out with flex as you suggest and found at Kiwipens a set of 3 vintage Ambitious No.2s. Contacted them. Most unhelpful response, telling me they had no flex as they're not labeled "flex" and I should search by that word. Do you have any thoughts on those nibs' probable flexibility, or another nib suggestion (fude somewhere?) for such a tiny beloved pen?

[@mkompan]

Sure thing! It looks like the Traveler's Company uses a Schmidt FH241 nib. If you buy this nib and housing from FPnibs.com you can get it custom ground into a fude. They also custom grind this nib into a semi-flex. Both options are relatively inexpensive, but they only ship DHL internationally, which adds to the cost. Here are the links: www.fpnibs.com/products/schmidt-fh241-steel-nib-unit www.fpnibs.com/products/viconti-size-5-steel-semi-flex-ef-tip I don't know anything about the nibs from Kiwipens, but there's no reason to deal with rude sellers.

[@lisadale7605]

Thanks so much. I greatly appreciate this guidance.

[@SevenDeMagnus]

Amazing combo of demonstrators and nibs. I'm a ultra flex person, when I draw. Did you buy the ebonite feed for the ultra flex? Though, isn't the TWSBI 580 US$50 but the Franklin Christoph Mode 31 (Antique Glass) is US$175? What's your favorite brand and paper type? Lastly would a Jinhao X450 (or is it 450) fit nicely with the Ultraflex nib? God bless, Rev. 21:4

[@mkompan]

Yes, the Franklin Christoph has an ebonite feed from flex-nib factory, but it's not perfect. The setup that fully keeps up with the super ink hungry FPR #6 is the Noodler's Ahab with a custom made overfeed. I have short tutorial on how to make one on my channel. The Franklin Christoph was a silly, impractical purchase, but I fell in love with that antique glass material. I bought it with a Franklin Christoph steel flex nib, which turned out to be a very poor performer. The addition of the ebonite feed and the FPR nib has made it one my favorite pens. The Jinhao with the #6 FPR performs remarkably well (again, I have a little video on this combo), even though it has a plastic feed. The debate between plastic and ebonite feeds is actually quite complex. There seems to be more to the performance of the feed than just the material. As for paper brands, I've been really liking the multi-media Art Creations sketchbooks made by Talens. The paper is smooth and doesn't feather or bleed through, even with wet flex pens, and also has the added benefit of working well with watercolors.

[@SevenDeMagnus]

@@mkompan Cool. Thanks for the info. Is Talens as good as Tomoe River's paper? By the way I'm trying onion skin paper, it's great. The brand I have is the Esleeck onion paper (leftover from dad's office), it's 0.07mm thick only but under magnification, it's great, maybe it even matches Tomoe River. It's also smooth to write on and it's a way cheaper paper but I could be wrong. I tried it with an extreme wet "broad nib" (actually a screwdriver dipped in Noodler's black bulletproof ink, to test the paper to the extremes- it did well). God bless, Rev. 21:4

[@mkompan]

@@SevenDeMagnus I haven't used Tomoe River paper, because I use my pens for drawing in combination with watercolor or wash. I usually work on either multimedia or watercolor paper that can stand up to heavy applications of aqueous media without buckling. Onion skin paper seems to be a popular topic these days, and I'll have to try it. It looks like an interesting surface to work on.

[@SevenDeMagnus]

@@mkompan Yup, I love onion skin paper (I have the Esleeck brand, I think it's rare now). The one I use sparingly coz' it's hard to find, is 0.07mm thick (if you make a flipbook animation, you can have the most pages in a notebook but it'll still be thin) but it's smooth to write on, the ghosting is alright, there's. I love how crisp this paper is.

[@phillange166]

The structure of your comparisons is sound. However, your 90 degree camera angle means that your hand hides your work, we only see your marks after you move your hand. A camera angle perhaps 45 degrees from the left would let us see what you are describing.

[@mkompan]

Thanks for the constructive feedback, Phil. I’ve actually been implementing that camera angle in my more recent videos.

[@amats3]

How does this flex nib compare to the pilot custom heritage with FA nib?

[@mkompan]

This nib is slightly more more flexible, but not easy to get to work right. The FA is far more reliable.

[@amats3]

@@mkompan thank you for the reply. I did purchase the fude ground nib (and an eye dropper) from FPN. Really looking forward to drawing with it. Thanks again.

[@nope8535]

Ive been debating this for a few weeks, my own abilities this the flex wins, as a gift for another knowing their drawing style who has far better skills than me the Fude wins.

[@mkompan]

It is very dependent on skill level and drawing style, but I don’t think fude nibs are harder to use. One just needs to get used to working with them.

[@menuhin]

What feed do you pair with the #6 FPR on this FK?

[@mkompan]

I bought the Franklin Christoph with their proprietary steel flex nib, which turned out to be pretty bad, so I switched it out with the FPR, using the original feed. I assume that F-C modified the feed, because it does a decent job keeping up.

[@MarkNiceyard]

Great review of nib competence.

[@mkompan]

Thanks!

[@larryglatt2548]

I wish you spoke slower, older people like me may have trouble keeping up with you.

[@mkompan]

Sigh, yes, I'm working on it. Some of the non-native speakers have asked me to slow down as well. I'm using a better microphone in my newer videos, which should help.

[@larryglatt2548]

@@mkompan Good. Thanks.

[@Rita123xyz]

You can slow down his speaking under settings (looks like a flower) to whatever playback speed you like. Hope this helps.

[@tompotter8748]

Totally respect others’ needs; simultaneously, speaking for myself, I love the rate you speak and benefit from it, since I end up feeling your comfort and familiarity and get captivated in your world! (Feels nicer than turning up the playback speed, which sounds artificial)

[@mkompan]

@@tompotter8748 thank you Tom! I’ve been trying to slow down and enunciate, but at a certain point It feels stilted. It impossible to please everyone, and I’d rather speak in my natural tempo, with a few concessions for clarity.

[@ppmppm7010]

Slow down for goodness sake

[@mkompan]

No need to be rude about it. You can slow down the video yourself if you’re having problems keeping up.

[@Deedster56]

⁠@@mkompanI have to agree with you, Marc. I was just thinking how nice the interchange with @larryglatt and the other previous commenter(s) was. No rudeness there, just constructive conversation and helpful solutions being discussed. Geez, some people 🙂‍↔️