Sexy Flexy
3/4 of the pens I had inked up this fortnight had a soft nib of some description.
2/3 of these required a modification, or hacking; one more than the other..!
Although not flexy, the other pen was still quite sexy!
If you could say that about a pen…
…I needed to force a rhyme
TWSBI Eco: A Pen To “Swan” About
Specifications:
- Filling System: Piston
- Nib: Medium-lined vintage flex (Mabie Todd Swan modification)
- Nib material: Gold
- Price Range: £30 + £5 for nib (if you’re savvy, patient, and know where to go)
- Ink: Diamine Marine
I will often pick this pen up just to swan about with the nib. See what I did there?
Vintage nibs are fun, and vintage nibs in modern pens are even funner. To the point where using such a franken-pen feels just a touch naughty? Like I’m living life on the edge and breaking rules.
Maybe I’m overstating my bad-boy credentials, but I’ll let you be the judge of that when you read what I did in the next section.
While fun to use, it wouldn’t be worthwhile if it wasn’t also practical for day-to-day usage.
Indeed, the pen holds up for extended writing sessions without issue. There’s no drying of the nib, skipping, or anything of the sort.
It took a bit of work to get it to perform as it does; when I first made the modification it was very reluctant to work. The main thing I had to do was flatten the nib, and this sorted out the inconsistent flow.
Overall, the modification works well and the flow fights strong when you push this nib to extremes. While my flex handwriting isn’t the greatest, I have used this pen to perfect my flexy “Hello”.
Wanna give this this pen a spin? Visit this link.
Gotta Break A Few Eggs to Make an Omelette
And you gotta break a few feeds to make nib modifications, sometimes.
…this is one of those sometimes
I had to clip the tip of this feed so the nib would sit correctly. I guess Mabie Todd didn’t have TWSBI in mind when they were designing their nibs, hmm.
I’ve thought about trying to recreate the pointed tip of the feed, but as discussed above, the pen writes wonderfully as is.
So, uh.. if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?
Also, this was a long time ago that I made this modification. I have noticed some of the fins in the feed are broken. While I do have a recollection of this happening, I don’t remember how. Anyway. It still works.
Thankfully.
Leonardo: From Zero to Hero in a Momento
Specifications:
- Filling System: Cartridge/converter
- Nib: Wide cursive italic
- Nib material: Titanium
- Price Range:
- Ink: Diamine Shimmertastic Brandy Dazzle
A stunning pen with a kickass nib to go along with it!
For anyone who hasn’t used a titanium nib before, it’s a real experience. The material is very soft, which gives some impressive line variation, as well as the opportunity to very easily spring your nib.
(This has never happened to me… Touch wood…)
What I also enjoy about titanium nibs is the feedback, which can be quite intense. If you like a nib with tooth, like a Platinum 3776, you’d most likely get on with a titanium nib.
This nib didn’t come with the pen, and from memory I made the switch because the original one I got was crap and the pen was incredibly dry and wouldn’t write.
Serendipitously, the colour of the nib contrasts wonderfully with the blues of various hues, as well as the gold furniture. It being a cursive italic just adds to this striking aesthetic with a cut-off tip (ouch)
I bought this pen sometime in the spring or summer of 2019 and each model is individually numbered. A nice touch; a limited edition pen bearing the exact number adds to the specialness.
I also remember this pen smelling amazing when I got it. Unfortunately that smell has gone, unlike my custom John Twiss pen that I wrote about in [[what’s the DEAL with fountain pens]].
Which, as it turns out, also has a Bock titanium nib.. I have no clue where I got these from lol…
Pilot Custom 74
Specifications:
- Filling System: Proprietary cartridge/converter
- Nib: Soft Fine
- Nib material: Gold
- Price Range:
- Ink: Pilot Blue
The Pilot Custom 74 has a long and slim profile. It makes a pretty standard (black with gold furniture) design stand out a little bit. Where the Montblanc 149 is a big fat tie, the Custom 74 is more akin to the skinny tie that the youth are wearing these days.
Are they wearing ties anymore? I’ve stopped… Anyway, different discussion.
I appreciate a nib that writes like hot butter on glass, but my love is for the rough and tough of a feedback-y nib. I like it when I can tell I am writing. It isn’t as harsh as a 3776, but it’s pleasant for sure. Some might describe it as pencil-like.
But, deep down, you know it’s a softy at heart, mainly when treat-time is nearing (don’t think I don’t see what your game is, Tia), and that’s because this is one of Pilot’s soft nibs. While I wouldn’t call it a flex nib, there is definitely some line variation to be had over and above what you can normally get from a gold nib.
I wouldn’t be pushing this as hard as the Swan, however.
Staedlater TRX: The Pen You’ve Never Heard of Before
Specifications:
- Filling System: Cartridge/converter
- Nib: Medium
- Nib material: Steel
- Price Range: £35-50
- Ink: Kaweco Red
Before COVID came along and ruined, er, everything, there used to be a monthly pen club I’d attend in London, and this pen was kindly gifted to me by a friend I met at these meets. I had never heard of this pen before, and I’ve never seen any mention of it since.
He wrote his own review of the pen, and you can read his review here
In comparison to the others I’ve had inked up, the nib felt very rigid, being your run of a mill steel nib. Despite the relative hardness, I thoroughly enjoy writing with this pen; the writing experience is smooth, it puts down a good wet line, and overall the TRX feels good in the hand.
I found that the nib would dry out slightly when writing for a long time, but it’s by no means a dry writer. I think some pens are like that and are prone to laying down more ink when they’re first picked up.
And who am I to stop this pen from being a little excitable?!
Marmite German Design
The TRX has a triangular barrel and cap, which I reckon is what makes it a Marmite pen. Triangles in pens seem to split opinion, such as the Lamy Safari…
However, unlike its German cousin, the Staedlater TRX has a cylindrical grip section, which is smooth (but not slippery). The matte barrel feels nice in the hand and rests well when writing.
Though, if you’re one to rotate the pen while writing, you might have a different experience with this sort of barrel shape.
Some, including the original owner, have also remarked that some parts of the pen are sharp, and with a triangular shape, this becomes even more pronounced.
I agree; when writing with a pen I like to obsessively push the bottom of the cap into my thumb. I don’t know why. But this cap hurts, let me tell you that.
Despite all of this, and much like the famous (infamous?) yeast extract, I love it!
Conclusion
It has been a productive two weeks. I’m proud of all the things I got done, and had a lot of fun using my fountain pens for it.
I visited the London Graphic Centre, which is a cool little shop in Covent Garden - it’s also close to Choosing Keeping, another famed stationery shop in London. I felt like a kid again exploring the pen aisles of Ryman or WH Smiths!
Speaking of Ryman, I have been using my Uni-ball Signo UM-120 (review incoming..) a lot lately, and I bought a UM-153.
I discovered the metallic pen will write on a lot of things, and so I’ve been decorating my journals with it!
As for my next rotation.. I can see an overlap..!
More of my stuff: