Ultra Flex - FPR Himalaya v2 Review

FPR website: fprevolutionusa.com/products/...
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Figboot on Pens
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Measurements music by Dan Pacaldi: www.danpancaldi.com

[@TheYupibear123]

This is probably my most used and abused pen, may not be good for a daily writer on crappy paper (not even close) with the Ultraflex nib, but its incredible when you want to have fun and put ink to paper (a lot of ink). Just keep in mind to use really, really good paper, as seen from the video and from personal experience, even Rhodia doesn't cut it. To sum up my praises sung of this pen: Its a lovely wet and juicy writer, with dip pen and dare I say vintage pen levels of line variation, and an EBONITE feed that can keep up with the demand, for less than $50USD. I have no idea how Kevin and his crew do it.

[@mikemooney9124]

Good thorough review as usual David... detail and thoroughness is definitely your strength. Well done!

[@peaceguy90]

Great review! I've been waiting for this!

[@michellestephenson1680]

Well, I think you’ve helped me find my first flex nib! This one looks good. Also, I will really be looking forward to your review of the Schuylkill. It is one of my favorite pens. Thanks for this review!

[@asmrshorts7428]

I got this exact setup to start experimenting with calligraphy style writing. I'm loving the FPR setup and enjoying my first fountain pen as I familiarize myself with everything.

[@JavierArellano]

Thanks for another great review. That ink feathers like crazy on your Rhodia

[@catwhisperer911]

Very nice modern day flexing steel nib. I might just pick one up for myself. Thanks for sharing.

[@littletweeter1327]

It’s honestly the best modern flex you can get without spending your entire paycheck. Plus the pen itself is really great. Super comfy.

[@mickmckigney4177]

Excellent and comprehensive review from the (currently) great bearded oracle. Seems an interesting and value for money pen. 👍☺️

[@martinlebl631]

If you want ebonite pen for cheap, then great, and I enjoy that part a lot, if you can live with Indian fit and finish, which isn't what you might be used to. But the flex isn't great, as it starves the feed way to easily, and the many if the nibs fail to perform entirely. So it is a mixed bag. Eventually gave up on the flex nib, and even replacement nib from Kevin didn't fix the issue. Put in a stub nib from a German manufacturer, and it is now a pleasant feeling pen. FPR has pretty good customer service, but the QA on the flex nibs really lets them down. If you want to buy one wait till they have one of their 15 or 20 percent off sales they run a few times a year, and then buy over $49 for free shipping. They stock Rhodia notebooks, so you can always thrown in couple of those to get the free shipping. Just buyer beware on those flex nibs.

[@AhumadaMauricio]

Nice review, I will into this pen thanks to you.

[@thewetpen]

Nice review! It's worth noting that the Himalaya V1 pens with chrome hardware (rather than gold) seem to have #5.5 nibs rather than #6, which is a significant difference. I've been using the FPR Ultra-Flex nibs in several of my pens since last winter, and I love them.

[@TheYupibear123]

The Himalayas originally had chrome trim and #5.5 nibs which only came with the standard nib sizes and the original steel flex. Then they released a model called the Himalaya (#6 nib), which did have a #6 nib and featured the first release of their Ultraflex nib as well as only coming in gold trim. Around a year ago they released the Himalaya V2, which came only in silver trim and replaced the Ultraflex with the Extra Fine Ultraflex nib. Naturally the previous generation of Himalayas then got a V1 stuck on the end. Even more recently they released the Himalaya V2 GT, which has all the same features of the Himalaya V2 except it comes with gold trim. So I wouldn't say that the first portion of your comment is necessarily true :)

[@thewetpen]

@@TheYupibear123 Fair enough! :-) I was only talking about what is currently for sale on their website, but I suppose it's always helpful to have historical information, too.

[@danmagoo]

I am really enjoying this pen, for drawing. Thanks for doing this.

[@mjpete27]

So many differing opinions on these flex nibs! I am going to keep looking, thank you for sharing your expertise and oh yeah, nice beard!

[@rembrandx]

I have the same exact version, also with the ultra flex. Like many other reviewers on KZbin (as I found out), I had nothing but problems to get the ink flowing properly and had to have some conversations with customer service. Ultimately I had to modify the feed, clean it multiple times, reassemble it in a particular way (because of irregular shape of the section hole, there needs to be some open space ABOVE the nib) and I even modified the nib a bit. Luckily, I like to tinker with things. I have no flow issues anymore, no railroading at all even at fast writing, it's no longer scratchy and has a wider range in thin/thicknesses. It turned into a very nice pen in the end. Customer service and communication is fast & good, but ultimately, the product quality control is just plain bad. I would ONLY recommend this pen if you are comfortable tinkering with feeds or if you have the time/can deal with having to ask for replacements. I hope this helps someone before they decide to make the purchase.

[@Dawn24Michele]

I'll never understand why they just can't make nibs like they were bank in the day. Vintage nibs were flexible without having any problems at all. They weren't advertised as flexible and their steel nice were softer than today's gold. I still just stick a zebra g in my pen and go to town. If today's manufactures could make a nice like the mabie Todd Swan or the waterman then I'd buy it in a heartbeat

[@jamerelbe]

I had similar problems with my Himalaya V2s when I first received them - and also had some back and forth with Kevin from FPR. They have since modified the pen by using a shorter feed, which results in a much more consistent flow. [This was only ever a problem with the ultraflex nib, though - with a regular F nib the original feed worked perfectly well!]

[@rembrandx]

@@Dawn24Michele I wondered the same thing. As far as I understand, they just don't have the right equipment and materials for flexible nibs anymore. Fountain pen fashion went in the direction of harder nibs because handwriting preferences changed and manufacturing & materials followed. Unfortunately the market for flex is deemed too small to reinvest in, which is why modern flex nibs are just plain nibs which are 'hacked' to be more flexible by cutting into them, instead of making them from scratch in the correct shape and such. A zebra nib pen is a great idea. I have built one in the past but it turned out to be a very fussy pen, either leaking or not flowing at all. Would love to find one that works well consistently .

[@rembrandx]

@@jamerelbe mine should have the shorter feed as well, but one problem was that the lines from the channel weren't cut out properly so I had to deepen them myself using an x-acto blade to be a consist line.

[@TheYupibear123]

I don't know if I've just been incredibly lucky or what, because I've ordered three Himalayas before, V1 Flex, V1#6 Ultraflex, and V2 Extra Fine Ultraflex, all wrote perfectly coming out of the "sleeve". The only one I've had issues with was the original Himalaya #5.5 steel flex, but it was probably due to me pushing it too far too fast, I learned to respect its limits and it hasn't given me issues since. The V1#6 was able to be pushed to absolute limit for a decent amount of time ~3-5s before railroading, the V2's endurance at full beans is just ridiculous, highly reccomend getting because even if you are faced with issue out of the box, FPR's customer service is second to none.

[@frankbruno7122]

Hey there David.. great work over the years. You put love and care into your efforts.. love them all! And.. that is a beard! I cannot get far.. too many thin spots on my face.. you did it! Very best! Frank from Boulder

[@martinlebl631]

Some people are lucky on the beard front while the rest of us might have a lock down beard not suitable for non-pandemic times. I hate I have a few spots in mine where it just won't come in well, or at all.

[@animula6908]

I bought one of their cheapest with the ultra flex and I love it so much I ordered an ebonite one, which I haven’t inked up yet. So nice to do calligraphy practice without having to use dip pens. I can just cap it and go when things interrupt as they are wont to do in life.

[@jimblackie5476]

I’ve been looking for a replacement of my now-broken vintage Waterman flex and prices for vintage pens are sky rocketing. Thank you so much for this review - I placed my order as soon as I saw your writing sample.

[@martinlebl631]

Not going to be a replacement for that. Vintage flex is just a different ball game, so much easier to flex, and such a better ink flow. Both of those are going to be frustrating here in comparison. But modern flex on the cheap has many limitations, and good ones cost in three or four digits and can be hard to get.

[@pat412pear]

I have both the V1 and V2 of the Himalaya and almost always have one inked. I do like the UFX version slightly better, the Extra-Fine nib, when writing without pressure is excellent. This pen is definitely the most “bang for the bucks” pen I own. I highly recommend!

[@pat412pear]

Ira Abramov The V2 is still a bit smelly at first, but a good soak in soapy water eliminated most of it and after about a week left out to air, the smell was almost entirely gone. Now there is no smell at all. I did just buy a FPR Guru pen, and it’s smell is the same as the V1.

[@gusmarrero]

I bought the ebonite version with the ultra flex nib and I am in love. Bought because of this review. Thanks.

[@drcarbon6254]

Can i ask, was the ultra flex nib the two tone version?

[@ravkesef]

Fine review, David. One suggestion: when it comes to a nib like this, I would like to see it in action with regular writing, demonstrating the flex qualities of the nib, rather than simply a decorative pattern

[@Emily_M81]

thanks for sharing! I'm fortunate enough for Kevin to be local, and he's very patient and knowledgeable. I went home with a Jaipur V2 ultra flex and an ambassador for everyday writing. I think my biggest "gripe" is it's hard for me to find FPR bodies I liked >_>

[@mariopellegrino7661]

"Green with envy" - the ink I gotta use when I pull out my fountain pen in front of everybody at the doctor's office when I sign myself in.

[@mikestevens6800]

There are also drawing styles that require flex, and I use an eye droppered Himalaya 2 with Ultraflex as my main drawing pen. The converter leaked at first, and silicone grease will cure that problem, but I still don't use it. Himalaya holds days of drawing ink when eye droppered. No o-ring is required; the threads are fine and there are a lot of them. Silicone grease is all that is needed.

[@luisguillermoperezmejia7907]

Excelente revisión. Soy un seguidor de sus opiniones. ¿Estos nibs de FPR serán capaces de mantener su capacidad de flexión y retorno por varios años o será una propiedad temporal?

[@horseshoe_nc]

I just received a FPR Jaipur with the #5.5 UltraFlex nib. I gave it a flush with some soapy water followed by a rinse. Then inked it up with Diamine Red Dragon. The pen wrote extremely well right out of the box. The UltraFlex nib is a lot of fun to write with. It flexes quite easily. I've only managed to get some railroading two or three times. I've heard, one sometimes has to heat-set ebonite feeds. I understand it is an easy process. However, one I didn't need to do. Only other "flex" nib fountain pen I can personally compare it to us, Conklin DuraFlex Freedom. To be completely honest, Conklin's DuraFlex nib doesn't stand a chance against the FPR UltraFlex nib.

[@Thulnos23]

After a bit of messing with, you can unscrew the top of the cap and center the clip however you want. At least in the V1 you can.

[@FigbootonPens]

I had tried twisting the finial a bit, but it wasn't budging. I didn't want to put too much pressure on it and break the pen before I did the review.

[@AndyP126]

My Himalaya 1 requires two and a half turns to unscrew. If the v2 can unscrew in 1 1/2 turns, that's an improvement right there.

[@gusmarrero]

I got mine today and yes. 1.5

[@UARELOVE1010]

Good review. Is this an ebonite feed?

[@Kawabxl]

I'm interested on the nib more that on the pen personaly. Did you try the nib on other pen or it's a proprietary size ( if I can say it like that). And great review by the way.

[@AdamGarrett72]

I have successfully used the FPR #6 nib in a Jinhao x750 just fine. There's also a #5.5 that will fit into a TWSBI Eco.

[@Nick-cp3sr]

Great. Video... 📼 ⁣ ⁣ Awesome Beard! 😎

[@humanfirst11]

Awesome video and pen! Sad that it's so hard to get in India!

[@ipelcastre]

As far as I know, all the FPR nibs are made in India by Kanwrite, who also offers Ultra Flex nibs in different sizes,(i.e. UF-F, UF-M, and even UF-B), I am pretty sure that you can find these Kanwrite FP or Nibs in India, at least on-line. I hope you find this information useful, and sorry for my english (I am and native spanish speaker). Regards.

[@anishmenon1485]

Excellent videos as always. I had a question. Do you weigh the pen inked or uninked? Thank you so much.

[@FigbootonPens]

It varies. But the difference would be very slight.

[@anishmenon1485]

Figboot on Pens Thank you so much. I know this might be a weird question but do you remember whether you weighed the Nakaya Dorsal Fin 2 inked or unlinked? Thank you so much once again. Really love your videos and will miss your beard.

[@martinlebl631]

Unless it is a ink dropper with a large body cavity it isn't going to be a huge difference, and even then it will be hardly noticeable.

[@123four...]

it seems to feather a lot, is there a better paper for a pen like this?

[@covfefe8971]

Except for the thicker band, this Indigo Blue Himalaya V2 looks exactly like the Noodler's Konrad Lake Baikal.

[@pewpew1943]

I really want to get an Fpr pen, The shipping price and how long it takes to arrive just ticks me off. (CA)

[@meljenkins1016]

Is this pen as good as the Waterman 52V?

[@deanfukawa3260]

Aloha David, it looks like a lot of feathering with this ink/paper combination. Is this a product of the ink or the paper, (looks like Clairefontaine).

[@TheYupibear123]

I've never used FPR ink before, so I cant comment on that, but the paper seems more like a rhodia to me for reasons I will get into later. I think the feathering is mostly a product of the pen being WET. This is probably the wettest pen I own, because it has to keep up with the varying demands of the flex nib, you cant get dip pen levels of line width without flow to match. I've put Diamine, Monteverde, Pilot Iroshizuku, and Noodler's in mine at various times, its always super juicy and will feather on anything that is not top quality paper, it has feathered on me on Rhodia, Life Noble, Leuchtturm. It isnt enough to have fountain pen friendly paper with this pen you need to shell out for the best to bring out its full potential. With a disciplined hand, you can get around a western fine line with no pressure, and will work with the above mentioned papers in that circumstance. The pen while flexing has worked wonderfully on Mnemosyne, Tomoe River 52, Clairefontaine Triomphe, and surprisingly, mid to high end Muji Notebooks.

[@mlbumller]

There is a new ink colour, Tangerine Dream

[@rebeccawhite2582]

Does the ebonite feed need to be heat set?

[@mae1813]

Does the converter remove from the pen? Alot of pens I've seen from over there they have an unremovable converter with a plunger that well that breaks or has issues and the pen is worthless (example the Piano, converter won't remove and i did not know that when i purchased and paid a ton to ship 1 pen here)

[@FigbootonPens]

Yes. The converter can be removed.

[@mae1813]

@@FigbootonPens thank you ordering one now.

[@ginopagnani7286]

If the pen was set up as an eyedropper , would you expect less railroading?

[@FigbootonPens]

The flow on this pen was very good. It took me pushing it quite a bit before it railroaded. In my opinion, the only reason to eyedropper would be for the additional ink capacity. The performance didn't lack.

[@davecharvella4854]

@@FigbootonPens And, I'm sure, having that ebonite feed helps significantly with the flow keeping up.

[@MrAndrew1953]

I bought a Jaipur V2. To date it has been an absolute fire hose despite my efforts to flush it with water and Monteverde Fountain pen flush. I will have to take it to a pen retailer whose father is an expert. I was very disappointed after waiting 2 months for it to get from Texas to Australia due to Covid-19.

[@Dawn24Michele]

Aren't they supposed to be a fire hose? Most complain feeds can't keep up

[@MrAndrew1953]

dbeezy This is ridiculous. I can't even right, it just drips onto the page. As I may have said, I paid US$86.00 for this Pen and it took 2 months to get here.

[@FountainPenRevolution]

@@MrAndrew1953 Hi Andrew. As we have discussed many times at this point, I apologize that global post has been so slow lately and that you appear to have gotten a bad nib unit. As we discussed a replacement nib unit is already on the way.

[@colinmartin9797]

I prefer the #5 models to the #6, but that's just because I find the Himalaya to be a superb base for swapping. My original 5.5 ebonite Himalaya has a pelikan CN nib and eversharp skyline feed. Unbelievably good I would reckons you check out the cheaper guider mini ebonite eyedropper. Super thin, tiny ultra fine nib. Mine needed a touch of adjustment but I adore it, using it regularly above my thousand dollar pens

[@dcarp71]

It looks like there is some feathering with the ink. More so than other inks you have used.

[@taylorshephard4905]

Anyone know how this compares to the Conklin duraflex?

[@bobbob-br2jk]

It’s has more line variation and is easier to flex than a duraflex. In my experience, the duraflex has been a semi flex at best, and has not worked to well. For the orginal omniflex nib, I could not get it to write/flex for the life of me. With the improved omniflex, it works pretty consistently now with the occasional railroad after alot of nib grinding and self tinkering. So far, I would say that fpr flex pens probably offer the best flex in terms of modern flex pens. Other than that, you’d wither have to get a nib meister or search ebay for a vintage pen to a better flex.

[@romany8125]

Had nothing but issues with omniflex. FPR works with more consistency despite occasional burping.

[@mrchristian0457]

Anyone who is knowledgeable about flex nibs and fountain pens, particularly as they've developed in history, why is it that modern flex nibs are hit-or-miss, but older, vintage flex pens seem to be very desirable? Are older flex nibs just better? Why would that be?

[@CiDirkona]

Bring the beard back!

[@kakaonkaka]

Woah the beard! looks good

[@viggen232003]

Even though this is a rather old review I like to chip in my 2 cents. I'm not criticizing the nibs, but the abysmal quality of the material and the workmanship of this nibholder. After less than a year of disuse, the gold paint (I stupidly bought the "GoldTrim" version) had cracked and was covered with spots all over the area, as was the lower ring of the cap. India is a very hot and high humidity country so they should know how to prevent spots originated by hot and humid weatherconditions.Not enough, no, the plastic of the screw-in converter was broken at the top edge. FPR and its Indian subcontractor are definitely having some serious problems about quality and a non focus towards customer satisfaction.

[@colinmartin9797]

Jesus David comb and oil that sea captain beard

[@davideselmin8018]

No, indian pens....no. And there is nothing flex.

[@dch2896]

Love your reviews but gotta give a thumbs down for the extremely distracting mid videos ads.

[@Kenjiro5775]

The mid video ads are there because of a google / youtube policy change. Looks like you will be giving thumbs down for every video you watch now.

[@dch2896]

@@Kenjiro5775 I have seen plenty of videos without them. Other channels have placed them at the front of their videos or at the end. Having mid video ads popping up with loud Volume and things not related to the video just kills all the hard work the creators put in.

[@FigbootonPens]

@@Kenjiro5775 ^^^this

[@Kenjiro5775]

@@dch2896 Channel owners get very little say about ads except whether to show them, or not. Sure, some vids don't have ads in the middle, but again that was a very recent KZbin policy, change. It would be infinitely more effective for you to launch a multi-media blitzkrieg against Google, which owns KZbin, than it is to mention it to channel owners. Came back to say that volume equalization is also out of the hands of channel owners too. Since the days when television had three channels and the screens were the front of giant vacuum tubes, commercials have been broadcast at louder volumes than the programming. Advertisers pay for content, not the content providers, then and now. They want you to hear the ad even if you step away from your screen. Mention that to google as well.

[@martinlebl631]

@@Kenjiro5775 Trouble is the recent change put in mid roll ads in videos under 10 minutes, and overruled other ad settings, so unless the creator goes back to all their past videos, and messes with the ad setting and placement they are there. This was pretty vile of KZbin, but I am sure allowed them to sell boatloads of extra ads, and I am sure crsators aren't complaining too loudly about the extra revenue. They can change the setting after all, so if they don't, then they are fine with it, or at least can't be bothered. Getting 8+ ads in 5 or 7 minute videos is getting really annoying, and here even in the nearly 13 minutes that isnt great. Complaining to creators is best we can do as they can change settings in short term, and bubble up some feedback to KZbin long term.

[@oseenerby3031]

thumbs down for 3 times advertising breaks in this video and wrong usage of the nip.

[@mlbumller]

1. He doesn't have much control over advertising. Btw I only had one. 2. Wrong use of nib? Wth you talking about.

[@chrislj2890]

I didn't see any nips thank goodness, but how does one use their nip. 🤔

[@tictac9074]

It's a good review