Noodler´s flex nib piston fill pen
If you have followed this blog for a while, you have probably noticed I am an avid Lamy Safari user. I draw with them, I write with them, I use them every day at work, and they are lovely. I never clean them, I just keep filling them up with Noodler´s bulletproof ink, treat them badly and keep on using them.
Last week, however, I ordered two Noodler´s flex nib pens from the Goulet pen company in USA. I have read a little about fountain pens with flex nibs online, but they all seemed to be vintage, and you have to be more or less a rich fanatic to even get hold of one. Then I found a review on the $14 Noodler´s pen, and I was curious to try a nib with more flex than the Lamy, so I ordered a couple. The pens arrived yesterday – surprisingly fast, in my opinion, for an order from the US.
I have only used them for a few hours yet, but I love them. As in LOVE them. So far. The flex in these nibs has to be spelled in capital letters, they are really FLEXY. They are super sensitive to the way I draw, just a slight change in pressure against the paper surface gives a lot of variety in line width.
So what could go wrong? Well, they could start leaking. I hate that. And they could become scratchy, or start dripping. They could skip, or dry out so I´d have to clean them. I hate that too. (I know you´re supposed to clean fountain pens, but the Lamy Safaris have set the standard for how often I do it. Which is never.)
I´ll keep drawing with these fellas for a few days and let you know how it goes.
18 x 14 cm, Noodler´s flex nib pen with Noodler´s Lexington grey and Noodler´s Fox Red ink on small Moleskine sketchbook spread.
Hi Nina! thanks for the informative post – I like you NEVER clean my lamy’s either but use them every day. I love your sketches as well!
Beautifully graphic!
Your review makes me want to try them! Here’s my difficulty with fountain pens (I use Micron pens). I’m left-handed, and the ink in the fountain pens doesn’t dry fast enough to prevent smearing it as I draw. I’d love to use them, if only the ink would dry faster …. of course, that might mean you’d have to clean them once in awhile! lol nancy
I love your style and drawings! Will subscribe to your blog instantly
Beautiful line work. I like the contrast between the black and red.
Isn’t Brian of Goulet Pens the greatest guy? Love him.
Don’t forget to mention his SUPER interactive online ink comparison page, called the Swab Shop. “View and compare nearly 300 ink colors”. Great stuff! —-> https://www.gouletpens.com/Articles.asp?ID=144
Jan
After a frustrating search for “just the right pen” I started using Lamy Safari pens and Noodlers ink because of your recommendations and I love them! Thanks so much for your informative posts about the tools you use. Now I am excited about the flex nib pens and look forward to hearing how they work for you. Your demo page is just beautiful. The hand with the red background and the red and black tulips are wonderfully done.
Yeah!! Finally, a flex nib pen that doesn’t cost a fortune! I’ll be looking for updates on it, before I jump in though! Wonderful page!
I notice you often use the Lexington Gray noodlers ink. Is it waterproof?
Thank you for the info – I especially like the news that your existing pen works in spite of not being cleaned–that is GREAT! Oh and I love your drawings!
Thank you for the info and the beautiful way you’ve presented it!
Thanks for the information. I used to write with fountain pens in my twenties. I bought expensive ones. I will look into my old stuff whether I have some left which still work.
These look wonderful. I’ve bookmarked the site but they’ve sold out :>( All your readers rushing to buy ???? :>D
and lovely sketches too
I think Noodler’s Flex pens are great for their price
Bear in mind these nibs are nothing like vintage flexible nibs but they are nice nevertheless, I also don’t think I’d carry around an 80+ years old pen just for sketching, even if my pens are cheap bargains from flea markets!
Hi Nina,
Been following your blog and your work is lovely and inspiring.
Thank you so much for this recommendation. Seems like the best pen for me. Ordering it right away. And thanks for pointing out that awesome website which sells them as well. They seem super customer-friendly.
Best wishes,
Pratyusha.
Hi Nina — great info! I’ve been using Noodler’s ink since Mattias Adolfsson told me that’s what he uses. Mostly putting it through my grandmother’s 1930 Parker Duofold (fantastic pen), a 1990 Pelikan and, since you use one, a Lamy Safari (wonderful, sturdy, fun). But this sounds like something to try. Thanks!!
Oh, to raena — yes, Lexington Grey is waterproof.
Var köper du dina Lamy Safari pennor i Stockholm?
(Where do you buy your Lamy Safari pens in Stockholm?)
Thanks a bunch for all your comments lately! I´ve been lousy at getting back to you, being busybusybusy, but ok, here goes:
@nancy: I can see how it is a problem being left-handed with fountain pens. I have seen or read about (can´t remember where) about fountain pens for left-handed, but I don´t know how they are different. Have you tried one?
@Janene: I´m glad you like the Lamy, I would feel a bit guilty if you didn´t, after my recommendations!
@raena: yes, the Lexington gray is as waterproof as it gets for a fountain pen. However, Noodler´s Bulletproof inks are tricky – their behavior depends a lot on what kind of paper you use. They need a bit of cellulose to ‘bond with’ to become waterproof, and I have had serious problems with some high quality watercolour papers and other colours of Noodler´s bulletproof inks. The Lexington gray is the only one I have tried so far that performs well on almost any kind of paper.
@vivien: I know, these pens seem to go fast from the Goulet pen shop, but I´m sure they will have more soon.
@Pratyusha: great! Let me know what you think of them when you get yours! It´ll be fun to compare!
@Anthony: I saw too that Mattias A uses Noodler´s. Let me know what you think of the flex nib pen too, it would be interesting to hear!
@Zarkon: NKs pappersavdelning längst ner. Fast de har inte mycket att välja på längre. Jag har beställt från http://www.penshop.se/ också, de har fler färger. Och är billigare.
Not wishing to ask a silly question but here it goes … is the Lexington gray ink black or is it actually gray? I am tempted to try it since it appears to be fairly waterproof but I wouldn’t be interested in an ink which wasn’t very very dark. Lately I’ve been using Faber-Castell Pitt pens (which are waterproof) but I’d like to experiment with something else.
P.S. Your website is wonderful and I enjoy your sketches.
Michael,
the Lexington gray is gray. Definitely. Not black, and not very dark, I´d say.
I´m glad you like my stuff. : )
Nice info! I wonder how much the nib can be flexed under pressure? Near 1.5mm? more, less?
thx!
p.s it seems at gouletpens this pen is now out of stock:-/
Nina, I alsojust received the noodlers pen.I find it is a wet pen and drawing for me is hard it comes out fast. Have never tried the safari would you thinkthis will do better for me? What do you think of the noodlers pen since you have been using it? Are you having the same problem being its wet? I can not explain this so I’min hope this is explained well for you:) Thank you,
Linda
Amazing drawing. Very interesting discussion on pens. It was while I was spending hours researching waterproof drawing pens that I came across ‘urbansketchers’! Best discovery I ever made!
Anyway, I eventually plumped for a Sailor fountain pen with a very fine nib. This is working very well for me alongside a Pentel brushpen, which took some getting used to for drawing work, but is beautifully sensitive.
PS I might well go for a Lamy ‘flexi’ for a red pigment . Thanks for the info.