Flex Review: A Modern Flex Monster – Fountain Pen Revolution 14K Gold Ultra Flex Nib

FPR 14K Gold Ultra Flex writing sample — *FPR 14K Gold Ultra Flex Nib Writing Sample (Paper: Rhodia 5mm Grid Notepad; Ink: Ostrich - Brook Blue)*

I got to say Fountain Pen Revolution really live up to their name and surprised me again. Their 14k gold ultra flex (UF) nib came out last year. Ever since it was released, I’ve been eyeing on it, but I was hesitant to pull the trigger as there are not many reviews/comments on the internet.

Until recently, I got a vintage Waterman 12 PSF, which is quite stiff to reach its maximum flex. I realized I want a flex nib that can do super flex at ease. So, I decided to try out the new FPR 14k UF nib.

This is not the first FPR pen/nib I ordered. I had 2 Himalaya V2 with steel UF nib. I kind of already know what to expect with Himalaya V2, so I ordered the same model but with the gold UF nib.

As always, I included my opinions across all the flex nib-related parameters as followed:

Appearance:

*Comparison between FPR steel and 14k gold ultra flex nibs*

Judging by the name, it is not hard to tell that the gold UF nib is related to its steel counterpart. With side-by-side comparison, they look almost identical. One of the differences I found is that the iridium tip on the gold UF nib is slightly larger than that of the steel one. The other difference would be the monotone gold color and the 14K gold marking on the gold nib. For the rest, the curvature of the cutout, length of the slit and even the thickness of the two version nibs look extremely similar.

Flexibility:

*Maximum flex of FPR 14k gold ultra flex nib - 3mm*

Since I called this nib a flex monster in my title, there is no doubt that this nib has a great amount of flex. But guess how much? 3mm. I am not even joking. That’s how flexy I measured from this nib.

However, just to clarify, my estimation is based on my experience of using flex nibs. It is not official. FPR officially advertises that this nib has a maximum flex of up to 2.5mm. This estimate could be on the modest side since they are a business. For inexperienced flex users, just take it as 2.5mm for the safety of the nib. Even with 2.5mm flex, this nib is still a flex monster.

Hairlines:

As for hairlines, this nib is mediocre. The slit in the gold UF nib is slightly wider than the steel UF nib. Combined with the larger iridium tip size, the minimum line width is between 0.4-0.5 on Maruman loose leaf paper. One thing to note is that this nib writes very wet, especially with flexing. The ink from downstroke flexing can easily pool into the hairlines, making them thicker.

It would be tricky to maintain the hairlines as thin as possible but there are some ways to solve this issue.

Here is some bonus information regarding how to maintain thin hairlines:

• Write slower and withdraw the pressure way before you hit the bottom of the downstroke.

• Use drier inks and drier paper

• Use lighter/more pastel color inks to visually make the hairlines thinner.

• Don’t connect the downstroke and upstroke in one stroke. Finish the downstroke first, then connect the upstroke with the downstroke separately.

Softness:

Fountain Pen Revolution 14k Gold Ultra Flex Nib — *FPR 14k Gold Ultra Flex Nib*

The gold UF nib is quite soft. To compare, it is softer than Pilot #10 FA nib and Bluedew flex nib but not as soft as my FPnibs’ Jowo 14k gold #5 semi flex or CY’s Pilot 742 SM full flex nib. If I were to rank the softness according to my previous flex comparison chart, it will be somewhere between 6.5-7.

Snapback:

Due to the wet ink flow, it was a bit difficult to determine its snapback. After trying different dry inks, I would say the snapback on the gold UF is similar to the steel UF nib. However, due to the same ink pooling issue, it is tricky to get a very crispy transition. I will have to use some of the methods mentioned in the Hairlines section to keep the stroke transition crispy.

Smoothness:

Same as the steel UF nib

Ink flow:

I ordered the Himalaya V2 model, and it comes with the ebonite feed. The ebonite feed can very well supply the ink required. I haven’t seen any railroading even with maximum flexing. In fact, it writes even wetter than the steel UF, creating the ink pooling issues. I’m not entirely sure if this is because of the wider slit.

My thoughts on this nib:

This FPR 14k gold ultra flex nib makes wet noodle flex nib no longer a legend or inaccessible. For the price and flexibility, there is no modern or vintage fountain pen on the market that will beat this nib. For everyone who is looking for very flexy nibs, I would highly recommend this.

However, there is still a lot of this pen that needs to be improved. The Himalaya pen model is not made of the best quality nor the best quality control. I have ordered so many Himalaya V2 (more than 30) before, for myself and for my friends in China. More than half of them come with deplating and/or tarnish issues. I don’t mind them as long as the pen writes, but these are the small things that may bother others.

It is also difficult to swap the nib onto other pens because the ebonite feed only fits FPR pens. If you don’t use the ebonite feed, you are very likely to run into a railroading problem. I’ve tried cutting the FPR ebonite feed to fit other #6 size nib units or fitting the nib onto FNF ebonite jowo #6 housing. They work ok, but still less than optimal. It is a big headache to swap the nib on other pens.

As for the hairlines not being thin enough for calligraphy lovers, this is actually an easy fix. You can just send it to a nibmeister and regrind the tip to needlepoint or Japanese EF to get the best potential out of this nib. Regrinding the tip shouldn’t affect flexibility. However, ink pooling issue will be something to keep in mind, if you are looking for a nib for calligraphy purpose. You will need to use one or combine different methods I mentioned in the Hairlines section to maintain your crispy line variation and the expressive hairlines.

Overall, this nib performs far beyond my expectations for how much it costs. I considered this nib a revolutionary product as a lot of flexy nibs are either vintage, which are rare to find, or modified nibs from nibmeisters, which you may have to wait for a long time and pay more. The best part of this nib is that it is readily available (at least for now). There is no turnaround time for it to be modified and you don’t have to pay a fortune to get a soft, super flex (2mm+) nib.