Stylosuite Flex Nib Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

I was using one of my Leonardo Momento Zeros that had a flex nib from Les Sheely of Stylosuite and just inked up another, which got me channeling my inner Right Said Fred and singing “I’m Too Flexy For My Car”, except it’s NOT too flexy by far! I first met Les 4 years ago at the Chicago Pen Show (omg, the Chicago Pen Show is next week already!) but I never got around to spending much time at his table because people were always there! I finally made a point to check out his table at last fall’s Chicago Pen Show and now I know why people spend so much time there.

Les is known for his flex modifications - just check out his Stylosuite IG account to see examples of what his pens/nibs can do - but he also does italics, cursive italics and other grinds too. When you sit down at his table, Les will hand you several pens and asks you to write with them and tell him what you like or dislike about them. Is the pen too big/small? Too fine or too broad? Flexy enough? Not enough? Too sharp, scratchy or smooth? Based on those answers, he will take away certain pens and replace them with different ones for you to try, and this goes on for however long it takes the customer to figure out what they want. Les says that it’s common that a customer says they start out wanting something specific but ends up realizing it’s something totally different.

Les Sheely of Stylosuite at the 2021 DC Pen Show.

Before I go any further though, here’s a quick intro to “what is flex”. Flex is what you get when applying pressure to the tines of the nib. The separation gives a wider line than what you’d normally get when unflexed. Most nibs are not meant to be flexed but they may vary in how much “bounce” you might get when applying a little bit of pressure. Releasing that pressure allows the tines to go back together and write as normal. Apply too much pressure and your tines may never fully go back to their original position and your nib is now “sprung”. As they say, every nib is a flex nib…once. So, don’t ever press your luck too far with any nib, flex, dip or otherwise.

This is what a regular Leonardo nib looks like with no pressure (Leonardo uses Jowo 6 nibs for many of their pens.)

Same nib with almost too much pressure, and there’s still barely a gap between the tines.

Unflexed EF X-Wing Harpoon.

EF X-Wing Harpoon, flexed with a lot less pressure than I applied with the first nib. (I wrote the pen dry during this review so there is no ink between the tines.)

Alright, back to Les/Stylosuite. I knew what I wanted ahead of time and that was flex. And I wanted it in a Leonardo Momento Zero body (he also sells other brands like Opus88), after I told him which model I wanted, he proceeded to hand me several pens (I wish I took pictures of the pens I was playing with). The first one I picked out was a Fine Cursive Italic Flex, so he then pulled 3 more pens (along with the one I picked) and then asked me which of those I liked best. They all had FCI Flex nibs, but they all felt slightly different. Les likes to say it’s like children, they all have Mom and Dad’s DNA and they may look similar but they all have different personalities. One was slightly stiffer (more of a semi-flex), another one was a bit more flexy, another one was a “crispier” italic, while the other was slightly smoother. So I sat there and made figure 8s and wrote random words until I picked out which “kid” had the personality I liked the most. I also ended up liking the “Extra Fine X-Wing Harpoon” and did the same trial and error with a few other nibs until I picked what worked for me.

My scribbles from the Chicago Pen Show last year.

So after paying the bill, which I genuinely do not remember, but it was something like $350 for the Leonardo Momento Zero with the FCI flex nib. I also gave him another Leonardo and had him modify that nib to be an EF X-Wing Harpoon. He usually doesn’t offer nib-only as an option but since I was also buying a pen, he did it this time.

Leonardo Momento Zero Iride with the EF X-Wing Harpoon (Left) and Figboot on Pens LMZ with the FCI Flex.

Unlike most pen show purchases, you won’t get to walk away with a new flexy pen. Instead, you fill out a form with your address (and he includes notes about what you liked/disliked) and then you wait for 2-3 weeks. Les goes back to his workshop where he cuts and grinds your nib/ feed so that it behaves the way you want it to. He replaces the plastic feed with an ebonite one; this is important because ebonite feeds channel ink better than plastic feeds, ensuring you don’t experience railroading when flexing. He may make other feed modifications to produce the desired flow before heat setting the nib and feed into your pen. Because of this, he does not recommend pulling the nib/feed from the housing because it can cause the nib to not perform properly.

EF X-Wing Harpoon (L) and FCI Flex.

Regular plastic feed (L) vs ebonite feed.

In my experience, Leonardo’s don’t always pull ink very well with the converter attached, so I usually ink up the converter separately, then screw in the converter and saturate the feed before using it. After saturating the feed (including dipping it into the bottle of ink), the nibs wrote great. I generally use an ink that has average to slightly wet flow and I haven’t had problems with flexing either nib, even if I haven’t used the pen for several days, even up to 2 weeks later.

I just finished my first fill of the EF X-Wing Harpoon and am on my second fill of the FCI Flex (I couldn’t resist re-inking it again). I enjoy writing with both nibs but find that the FCI is a bit more versatile as I can get the line variation from the cursive italic without doing any flexing. Neither nibs were so flexy as to be uncontrollable while flexing or too bouncy when not flexing. If you write too quickly while flexing, you may experience a little bit of railroading (where there are parallel lines with no ink in the middle) near the bottom of the stroke, but I don’t usually write very fast when I’m flexing so this hasn’t been an issue for me.

Unflexed and flexed writing samples.

Comparison of the EF X-Wing Harpoon and the Fine Cursive Italic Flex.

I really like both of these nibs and plan to make a stop to see Les at the Chicago show next week to see if there’s anything else I should try. If you see him next week or at any other pen show, consider stopping at his table and check out what he has to offer; just wait until after I finish my order! :-)

In Praise of the Big Nib

(The is a guest post by Andrew Coon. You can find more of Andrew’s fountain pen favorites on Instagram.)

I like big nibs. A lot. Over the course of exploring the various nooks and crannies of the pen world, I have managed to acquire and play with most of the big nibs that are in production today. I thought there might be some use in collating my impressions and experiences with the big nibs, so here are a few thoughts.

First, though, why bother with big nibs? Simple – the longer the nib, the more character there can be to the writing experience based upon how the manufacturer uses that length. Different nib geometries/shapes, as well as differences in what metals are included in the gold alloy, can lead to dramatic differences in how the nibs write. Yes, a nib that is 14K or 18K is either 58% or 75% gold, but what are the other metals used? And how is that nib shaped, to allow that metal to move, bounce, and flex? Is the overall nib thicker or thinner? Different combinations of these factors determine how each nib feels.

One final note, a caveat. What I write is based upon the nibs that I have used, so the sample size is small. If your experience is different, please let me know. With all that said, here we go.

From L to R: Pilot 15, Pilot 30, m1000, Bock 8, King of Pen, Yard O Led Grand Viceroy, Jowo 8

The Pilot 15, commonly found on the 823, is the smallest of the group of big nibs. It is beloved by almost everyone who gets one, and is commonly referred to as a workhorse of a nib. A bit of bounce, with the expected level of detail to tuning that Pilot gives to its nibs, and this is the nib that many people love. It is not much bigger than the Jowo 6, but it is just enough bigger that it does perform differently. I do wish that Pilot would make the 743 available in America, so that more people could experience the full range of what this nib can do. The 823 only comes in F/M/B, and the 743 has the full range of Pilot’s nibs.

(The Namiki 20, found on the Yukari Royale, is the same length of nib as the Pilot 15, and has a similar performance in my limited experience.)

The Pilot 30, only found on the Pilot Custom Urushi, is a nib that is elastic in character. Using terminology which I learned from Leigh Reyes, I describe this nib not as a flex nib, but as an elastic nib. Flex is the classic Western “wet noodle,” which has significant line variation when pressure is applied. Elastic nibs do not do this – they are more like brushes. They bounce, but can easily railroad. Due to this, a light hand is needed, and may take some practice to get used to. But, it is worth the effort. This is one of the most distinctive nibs of all the big nibs – my only critique of it is that it is only available on the rather expensive Custom Urushi model, which can be a touch too girthy for many people.

(Watch what happens when pressure is applied to the first nibs used, which are elastic, as compared to what happens when pressure is applied with the nibs at the end of the video. If you want to experience elastic nibs without the cost of buying a large nib, look at a Pilot FA nib or a Platinum Soft Medium.)

The Pilot 50, found on the Namiki Emperor, looks like it should be an even more extreme version of the Pilot 30 and be the nib that is as bouncy and expressive as is possible. This is not the case. It writes like a perfectly tuned Jowo 6. I really don’t know what to say about it, other than it is such a surprise that this is the case.

I have not written with one and so can't speak from experience, but the large nibs by Tohma seem to be everything that a Pilot 50 would be expected to be. Produced in small batches, they are brutally expensive. (See more here.)

The Pelikan m1000 is a polarizing nib - some love it and some cannot stand it. Being among the last of the modern line of Pelikan Souveran models to launched, being released in 1997, it uses a very different nib than the m800. It is the same shape as the smaller Pelikan nibs, but as I understand it, the m1000 is made with thinner metal. This leads to it commonly being experienced as "mushy." That has been my experience. I have one that I enjoy now, but it suffers from the common trend across all Pelikan gold nibs - my m1000 xf writes likes a juicy medium.

The Bock 8 is the vanilla option among the big nibs. It is not the perfectly tuned Pilot 15, nor the bounce of the Pilot 30. It is not the firehose of the Pelikan, nor available in all the options of tip size like a Mont Blanc 149. Like with many other Bock nibs, they frequently have to be tuned to write well. Both of mine had to be tuned by nib workers before they worked well. Once tuned, I enjoy a Bock 8 more than almost any smaller nib … and I enjoy almost every other big nib more than a Bock 8.

Montblanc makes the nibs for the 149 in house, and makes these large nibs in a wide variety of sizes. From Extra Fine to Double Broad, there are also options beyond Double Broad. The Bespoke options include an impressive Music Nib and the truly ludicrous Signature Nib. Modern 149 nibs are rather similar to Bock 8, in that they are good, but not particularly unique or expressive in character. In previous decades the 149 nibs have had more character, bounce and flex. To explore the history and variety of Mont Blanc nibs is beyond my expertise, other than to say that older is preferred.

The Sailor King of Pen may very well be the perfect nib. This nib is the perfect combination of bounce, flex, with a touch of feedback. Using one of these, you are always aware that it is a large and wonderful nib without having to worry about railroading, not being tuned out of the box, or misbehaving in any way. I have three of these, and cherish them. Yet the pricing is so crazy that I would never recommend buying one. The bodies are just injection molded plastic. There is a piston filling version, but it is nigh on impossible to find, and so the best of the large nibs is stuck using one of the most despised converters on the market. It would be nice to have an option other than Medium or Broad. I could complain about this pen all day, but once the nib actually touches the paper, it is clear that this is indeed the King.

Yard O Led also makes a larger nib, the nib that they use on the Grand Viceroy. I don’t know who makes their nibs, but they do seem to be different in shape than any other large nib. They are tuned in house, and among the examples I have used, I can vouch for whoever it is that is setting their nibs. They are masters of the craft. The best comparison would be to the Pilot 15 - it is a workhorse of a nib in that it is distinctly different than the smaller Jowo 6, and completely comfortable for extending writing sessions. Plus, it is a snap cap. A large nib with a snap cap is exceedingly rare.

Even more rare is the Jowo 8, which may seem surprising considering the dominance by Jowo in the smaller, 6 sized nibs. I recently was able to use a Jowo 8, and now understand why it is so rare. It is a bit short compared to the other oversize nibs, not capitalizing on the opportunity to be a longer and more interesting nib. In addition to being rather bland as a writer, there seems to be something off about the feeds of the Jowo 8. If I carry one at all, the ink falls off the feed and pools in the cap. The maker who sent me this nib has had this experience with multiple Jowo 8's, and does not use them anymore. I will be following his lead. While the Jowo 8 does seem to be available to purchase from FPNibs.com, I would pass. The Jowo 8 seems to be as finicky as the Jowo 6 is dependable.

The titanium Bock 8 is, by far, the most affordable large nib. Titanium is a polarizing material - a bit too easy to spring, and more soft than bouncy, it also has a tendency to "sing" as you write. The matte finish can also be hard to match to the trim of a pen, clashing with both rhodium/silver and gold. I have used these, and have not owned one. This, along with the Pelikan m1000, are probably the nibs that you most need to try before buying.

A common accessory to these large nibs are collars/feeds from Flexible Nib Factory. Here you can find affordable and dependable options for using King of Pen nibs in Bock 8 based pens, as just one example. It is worth knowing what options are out there, as a person explores these large nibs. More options are being introduced each year, so it is worth checking back to see what the new interesting permutation is.

When buying the larger nibs, they are usually coming on more expensive pens. I wish that meant that each one would be perfectly tuned before being shipped, but that has not been my experience. Though it happens less often than with less expensive pens, multiple of my large nibs have needed attention by a nibmeister before living up to their potential.

Except the King of Pen. They have always been amazing, from the first downstroke. But I am not recommending them. Nope.

Did I miss any? Has your experience of any of these been different? Let me know.

(P.S. If you want to get into the vintage large nibs, look up the Waterman 10, the Parker 12, the Parker Giant, and the Bexley Giant #12. And I hope your credit card survives.)

Esterbrook “The Journaler” Nib Review

It’s rare when I review a stand-alone nib product on The Pen Addict, but in the case of The Journaler, I think that it is more than worthwhile to discuss.

The Journaler is a collaboration between Esterbrook and Gena Salorino, of Custom Nib Studio. The idea behind this product was to create a nib grind that would mimic the experience of a vintage Esterbrook nib. In this case, the 9314M - a classic medium stub grind.

So to get us all on the same page here: A pen company I like is working with a nibmeister I like to create a modern version of a vintage nib style that will work perfectly my handwriting.

You had me at hello.

Before I get into the performance of this nib (Spoiler: It’s great.) I want to discuss the idea of this nib. Pen companies that go out into the community to work with other creators will always get my attention, and support. It’s a sign to me that these companies get it. I love to see it, and I will love seeing this continue, not only with Esterbrook, but with other brands who do the same.

To quote from Esterbrooks product page for The Journaler:

“The idea is that it’s smooth and friendly enough for everyday use, gives your writing some flair, all without being too huge for practical writing.”

I think this description is exactly right. I’ve been able to use The Journaler regularly over the past month, and it gives a perfect medium stub line. Being a steel nib it is firm, and the line variation is moderate. Vertical strokes are wide - I’m guessing somewhere around 1.0 mm - and horizontal strokes cut the line width approximately in half to give your letters a great look.

While this nib grind is tailor-made for my block printing handwriting style, cursive writers will enjoy smooth lines and good variation as well. All in all, it’s a complete joy to write with.

The Journaler, top, vs. TWSBI 1.5 mm Stub.

I chose Robert Oster Blue Water Ice to use with this nib to see what shading I could get out of it, and it was a solid choice for that. The way stub nibs work is that the wide part of the nib on the downstroke pulls the ink down, giving the top of the line a lighter color than the bottom, where the nib lifts up and the ink pools. Shading is the best feature of fountain pen inks, in my opinion.

The Journaler has been a great nib for me, and I think many of you would like this as an option if you are looking at picking up a new Esterbrook Pen. This nib isn’t available separately, but is available as a $50 upgraded nib choice (check the dropdown) when buying a Standard or Oversized Esterbrook Estie. That puts it in line with getting a custom grind on your nib at any pen show.

I love this product, and I love this concept even more. I can’t wait to see what’s next from Esterbrook, and from other brands who are looking to work with other makers in our community.

(Kenro Industries provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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