How do I write with a flex nib fountain pen?Updated 10 months ago
1. Clean out the pen
Ink flow is of utmost importance to a flex nib pen. Flexing demands a higher flow of ink. Ensure optimal ink flow by making sure the nib and feed are clear of any residual manufacturing oils or ink from testing. Rinse the pen nib and feed with cool running water and dry off with a paper towel or let air dry.
2. Choose your ink wisely
A well-behaved fountain pen ink with a moderate or wet flow is ideal to keep up with flex writing. Examples would be Waterman, Taccia, Sailor, J. Herbin, and Robert Oster. For that reason, I would caution against using any supersaturated, sheeny or shimmery inks when filling your flex pen for the first time. Highly-saturated inks tend to write a bit drier and may lead to skipping or railroading in a flex pen.
3. Fill it up
Fill your flex pen to the fullest, you'll be using a lot more ink than with a standard writing nib. If you are using a cartridge/converter filling pen, opt to use the converter.
4. Ink the Friendly Paper
Select a fountain pen friendly paper to use with your flex nib fountain pen. When flexing the tines, ink is flowing at a higher rate that will cause feathering and bleedthrough on cheap, recycled paper. Clairefontaine, Rhodia, and Tomoe River are examples of paper that will hold up to liberal amounts of fountain pen ink.
5. Angle and Pace are Key
Hold the nib at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the surface of the paper. Use this as a starting point to find the optimal angle to write with the pen while flexing the nib. If the pen is angled too high, the nib won't flex much. Too low and you'll hazard hitting the feed on the paper while you write. Start off slowly and make gentle strokes of the pen on paper. Pretend like you're petting a cat with the nib.
6. Pressure ONLY on the downstroke
Keep in mind that pressure should only be applied to the nib as it is being pulled on the downstroke. The tines should spread apart evenly, so make sure not to roll your hand as you flex.
7. Start Off Simple
Before scribbling out your favorite quotes and flourished signatures, practice basic movements that are commonly found in letterforms. Loops, humps, swirls and the like. This will help get a feel for how responsive the nib is, how much it can be flexed, and whether there is an issue with ink starvation.
8. Practicing Safe Flex
I advise against pushing the flex too far. Although a flex nib fountain pen nib is designed for such strenuous activity, there is still a point of no return where a nib can bend permanently out of shape. To practice flex nib writing, try copying your favorite quotes, passages from books or writing a pangram like "the quick brown fox..."