I got mine today, and I am VERY pleased. It's amazingly versatile, with a wide range of line widths. Interestingly, when you fill it with their Lexington Grey ink, the lines vary in value too...thinner lines put down less ink, so are grayer. Press on the nib to flex for a wider line, and you get quite dark ones! (You do need to wait a bit for those dark ones to dry...)
The pen is lightweight, which I like, and it writes and draws smoothly, particularly on this paper--Fabriano Hot Press. No feathering or sinking in in blobs...
It has a screw cap, which I like and my husband doesn't--I LIKE it to stay put. It has a built in piston so you don't need a separate converter or a cartridge to fill it, and little translucent "windows" so you can see how much ink you have left.
All in all, I am well pleased...it was worth the wait! For $14, I am in LOVE.
I got mine from Goulet Pen Company, who were very nice to work with, but I understand there are a few other places that sell them, like ISellPens.com. They go fast, though...looks like Goulet's mostly out again!
For this price, they can't be beat...and I'm delighted that they flex as much as my beloved antique Waterman 152, which wants to leak all over the place!
*Note: There have been some negative reviews too, please read the comments below...
And nope, I don't get a cut from Noodler's, I don't work for them, I just trust Nina's judgement and had to try one. As I said, for the price I am delighted!
Goulets were out in 12 hours! They are the nicest couple. I got my flex pens (red and blue) from them. Have never owned one and am just trying to get used to using one. I think they are much easier (and fun!) to draw with than to write with--LOL! But I want to attempt to learn something more Spencerian with the writing, if possible. If not--I'll use them both for drawing with different colored inks--hehe! Not that anything I can draw would look as beautiful. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input, Kate! I´m glad you like it too - yes, it is an unbeatable pen for that price.
ReplyDeleteAbout your Waterman 152 - if you love to draw with it, send it in for a repair! I have done so with an old Wahl-Eversharp that we found in a box, and which was totally wrecked - the nib was unusable, and the filling mechanism was in shards inside the pen. Now it is as good as new, with a new (vintage) W-E super flexible nib. Totally worth the money to get this oldie working again. Now I´ve sent my mum´s old Montblanc in as well. :)
Before this, I didn´t know that you could repair old fountain pens, but there are some really enthuiastic experts out there... :)
Thanks you two! Rita, it does indeed take practice to write with...I find mostly I keep the same pressure then for uniform lines, but I want to learn the varied style too...it works fine for non-cursive lettering, for me, though. I guess that's more like drawing...?
ReplyDeleteNina, thank you, indeed I have done that to have the old Waterman cleaned and the sac repaired, but it still wants to throw out a big blop once in a while! I've mislaid the letter from my pen repair person, she told me it might need something else, and that's probably it. :-D
Having fun with the Noodler's! Roz is right, it does have an odd smell (new plastic?) but happily it doesn't bother me...
Well, I ordered my flex months ago. I still do not have my flex pen and it was paid. I have never heard back from the seller a reputable Pen Company. I am glad everyone seems to like this pen. However, I have read several reviews that say: Do not bother, it leaks and the fix does not fix the problem. Have you had any leaking problems?
ReplyDeleteOh dear, sorry you've had problems! Have you contacted the seller lately? Yes, I've read some negative reviews, too...for an inexpensive pen I imagine there are some that are not up to snuff. I was a little cautious myself for that reason, I'd heard some of the nibs were scratchy. Mine's terrific!
ReplyDeleteIt did make a couple of small spatters but I had swung at a bug and figured that was it! (My old Waterman, which has a flex nib, does the same thing...maybe it's something flexible nibs are more likely to do since they seem to deliver more ink? Nina, any problems with that?)
sounds quite fun and it sounds like maybe I could put watercolors in it?
ReplyDeleteOh, that DOES sound like fun!
ReplyDeleteGot mine, too. After one day's use they seem to work more smoothly, and give a better flex. I am pleased I got it.
ReplyDeleteAs it is a Piston, I personally would be cautious of filling it with watercolours, although it appears this pen can be totally disassembled.
Such great comments. I just purchased one for myself. It's good to know the in's and out's. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteI haven´t had any leaking problems with mine, though Platinum Carbon ink likes to seep up on top of the nib - but that might be the ink´s fault, because it does that on some other pens too. Different inks have different flows...
ReplyDeleteI too have experienced that the Noodler´s flex pen flexes better once you have forced it a bit. Check this video to see how much you can actually flex it (though I can´t write that beautifully...):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyutFobyPr0
Thanks, Nina, that IS gorgeous!So far, mine flexes just fine...I've played with the nib adjustment a bit so it flows more smoothly, too.
ReplyDeleteI'd noticed that about the ink on top of the nib too...I just try not to get my fingers in it!
The Noodler's Flex can need some tweaking. I kind of knew that but was afraid to mess with mine too much until I saw Brian Goulet's video.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/user/TheInkNouveau#p/a/u/0/8h2UDPDs2rI
What do you think of the Pilot Parallel pens for sketching?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the video, Rita! Yep, I tweak mine frequently. LOVE the nib, don't care that much for the ink-delivery, which is what needs tweaking.
ReplyDeleteTanya, I don't know, never tried them. Anyone?
I just joined the Workshop and have been opening the BLOGs and FLICKR pages listed on the right. How amazing inspirational. I invite everyone to check out Robin Poteet's wonderful page. http://www.robinpoteet.com/rp_sketchbooks.htm
ReplyDeleteIf you wish to peek at mine, go to: http://www.robinpoteet.com/rp_sketchbooks.htm
Lee Kline (Sketchrboy)