Further practice with the customised flex-nib pen (Metal Namiki Falcon). I am getting more used to how this pen feels.
It is weightier than the resin Namiki Falcon, but only by a little. It feels like it catches on the paper on up-strokes sometimes.
I like Carl Sagan.
Pen: Spencerian-customised metal Namiki Falcon
Ink: Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun
Paper: uhhh cheap crappy Officeworks crapThat is gorgeous work!
Who did the nib customisation for you, can I ask? A Spencerian-customised Falcon is the very top thing on my wishlist at the moment!
And how does it compare to a Gillott 303 or a Hunt 101 for scratchiness and catchiness?
And and and was the shipping to Australia good and is the pen amaaazing? I JUST WANT ONE SO MUCH OMG.
First off, thank you for the kind words!
Now to the pen: I bought this, complete with customisations, from nibs.com:
http://www.nibs.com/PilotFalconMetal.htmlAll up, it cost $383, which included the customisations and priority USPS shipping to Australia. I have forgotten exactly what the exchange rate turned out to be.
Nibs.com replied to my order promptly, were very friendly, and shipped very quickly—I cannot fault them at all. They even customise to your specific requirements, test the pen prior to sending it out, and provide instructions/recommendations for its use.
The only disappointing thing is USPS… they are always slooooow and the tracking is useless. “My package is in Australia? FINALLY! WHERE IN AUSTRALIA?!” Regardless of US supplier, I find most USPS packages take a little over a week to arrive in Adelaide. Sometimes once USPS says it is in Australia, you can use AusPost’s website to track it locally (and sometimes that’s just as useless).
With regards to scratchiness, my comparisons will be a bit poor, as my Hunt 101 is VERY old. I’ve never been sure if it’s scratchy because of its age, but the Namiki Falcon is MUCH smoother. Writes very nicely, although I get occasional railroading and feathering—I am unsure if it is the ink or not, and will flush the pen and try something else soon.
This is a pen I plan to use almost every day. Prior to purchasing this, I had a standard Namiki Falcon, which I used to practice most days (I write a to-do list each weekday morning). I’m confident I can do the same with this pen too!
It looks SO GORGEOUS. And I am absolutely sneakily trying to copy your t-bars right now, because I can never get mine to look decent and I love your curls.
Do you have a Noodlers Flex, or the Ahab? How does it compare to those?
$383 isn’t sooooo expensive, really. Tax return plans: MADE.
I’ve a Noodler’s Flex, and I’d say both the Namiki Falcons I’ve tried have been smoother to write with, even with the customisations.
The Noodler’s Flex is a lot of fun, and if you’re not afraid to play with the nib/feed positioning (and get very inky fingers), you can experiment a lot with a Noodler’s Flex. The Namiki Falcon doesn’t have a removable nib/feed, so it doesn’t offer that same variety/experimentation, but it is smoother to write with.
I recommend both but then I think pens are like Pokémon and that I need to own all of them. :) I’d be more inclined to use a Noodler’s for drawing with than the Namiki. :)
