The Flex Pen Trials

I’ve always loved calligraphy, and I received my first glass pen when I was around ten. It wasn’t until I was older that I actually started attempting to try my hand at calligraphy. And that all happened with dip pens and nibs. My favorite of which is the Nikko G nib.

So trying flex pens was a natural next progression for me. My first inclination is to try and find a flex pen that rivals a dip pen. Not an easy task. Below are three flex pens I’ve tried.

First up, is the Noodler’s Ahab Flex demonstrator.

This is a good starter flex pen, mainly because of its affordability. Otherwise this isn’t a pen I would recommend in any other capacity, the flex of the nib is very limited, but it gets the job done. It’s good for practice, but it isn’t anywhere near as clean and versatile as a Nikko G, or a Brause rose.

Next on the list is the Pilot Heritage 912 with Falcon nib.

The falcon nib is very flexible, very bouncy, and it makes a nice thick or thin downstroke depending on how much force you use. It’s very clean and smooth and a pleasure to write with. However, it’s the most expensive pen of the three. I have yet to try the Pilot Falcon pen, which is on my list to try, but if this pen is anything to go by, I’m sure that I’ll love the Falcon flex pen too. As an everyday flex pen, this would be my first recommendation to anyone. It doesn’t of course compare to a Nikko G nib, but I think it’s in a category all its own. If you love hand lettering, which I do, this makes it a breeze. Very easy to handle, I give the Falcon nib four stars.

Third on the list and for the moment, last. Is the Osprey Milano with Zebra G nib.

Now this is a real calligraphy nib, that Osprey allows you to purchase as an accessory for this pen. The nib doesn’t attach to a converter so the pen itself becomes an eyedropper pen to accommodate the this nib. I think this is the closest that a flex pen will ever get to a calligraphy dip pen, which makes this pen the winner, so far. It’s also less expensive than the Pilot Heritage 912 and the Pilot Falcon Pen, so that’s even better.

This is the type of nib you WANT to flourish with. It’s easy to use, with smooth clean lines. Not as much flex as the falcon nib, but that’s just fine because it has a thinner line on the upstroke than the falcon nib, so the line variance is just as noticeable regardless of the flex.

There are so many other flex pens to try that I’ve only really scratched the surface, so I’m sure I’ll be adding to list list in the future.

Let me know what flex pens you love, and which ones you want to try out in the future.

Thank You For Reading!