#so im not always picky about nib size. but i AM also rlly picky about pen body shapes and a lot do NOT speak to me

[venomgaia]

what's good about a pilot falcon?

HI! The Pilot Falcon (older generations were sold in the US as the Namiki Falcon for whatever reason) is a japanese fountain pen manufactured by Pilot!

it's often referred to as the best modern flex pen, or the best gold nib for a beginner! Tldr for people who aren't pen nerds, a flex pen is a pen that...well, flexes! Most pens have some sort of "flex" to them that results in some sort of line variation, but flex pens can handle a relatively higher amount of pressure. Think like a G nib used in a lot of manga. Old pens were the MASTERS at this, and a good bit of that is due to the nibs being made of gold, which naturally has a "bounce" to it that modern steel nibs have a really hard time living up to. Most people wax poetic about Waterman or other vintages like that because of it. Even modern gold nibs can't really keep up with the gold nibs of yore, but the Falcon is considered to be one that can. I do think legally it's considered a "soft" nib, meaning it's not truly a flex pen but has a lot of flex qualities to it, but some terms that get used are used interchangably so. idk. True flex nibs aren't really a thing in fountain pens these days outside of Noodler's Ahab and Konrad (which are their own nightmare and a half tbh).

The Falcon prized amongst artists for it's very fine nib, which Japanese pen manufacturers like Pilot and Platinum are known for. A Japanese Fine is comparable to a Western (Kaweco, Lamy) Extra fine, and a lot of these pens come in an EF, F, and M. It gets alot of nice line variation despite being so small, and is really an all-around great pen, if legend is to be believed :] An alternative to buying the Pilot Falcon would be getting the Pilot 912 FA, which has something called the "Falcon Nib," not to be confused with the actual pen. They actually look pretty different. The FA nib (right) has these weird cuts on their side that help with flexing and allow it to mimic a full-flex nib, but again. According to legend, modern pens don't flex like vintage pens do, but it IS pretty close.

(sources mentioned in alt text)

I've never used either myself, but I'm pretty picky about my pens and so I don't know if I'd ever pay upwards of $200 unless I got familiar with the nib first tbh....The falcon's nib isn't offputting to me like many feel about it, but I'm particular about aesthetics and the feedback on paper and I can't tell if I like them just from looks alone lol. Right now, I don't have much experience with pilot nibs, but if i were to get a pilot pen, tbh I'm looking at the Pilot Elite/e95s in a fine or medium, or a vintage platinum pocket pen.

Anyways that's that and this is also that. *twirls so elegantly and then collapses onto the ground in slapstick fashion*

#im a dweeb #im picky enough about pens that if the nib isnt particularly pleasing (good examples are Visconti Pelikan or Parker nibs) #or particularly unique (examples are Regalia Crossflex and Trilogy or most Music Nibs) #im not particularly drawn to them. superficial and so on #I really like inlaid/inset nibs like the Platinum Carbon or old Pilot desk pens. or the aforementioned Pilot Elite #The Shaeffer Quasi-imperial is PARTICULARLY sexy in design with the diamond inlay tbh #a good flexy or at least bouncy pen can be EF or F for me (sometimes F is actually too large like with the Platinum Preppy) #i tend to benefit from thin nibs anyways (and gold but bouncy steel is good too) because the inks i use are wet #so im not always picky about nib size. but i AM also rlly picky about pen body shapes and a lot do NOT speak to me #I like desk pens bc of the tapered tail but they really aren't suited for travel. but i dont care much for the classic cigar shape of pens #i like how twsbi pens are shaped. i strongly dislike lamy's shape these days. flat top and torpedo pens are better imo #Benu makes both beautiful and gaudy pens and the dream would be a regalia crossflex in either a benu or something truly atrocious #like a custom fountain pen themed after my lonesome cowboy by takashi murakami. no i wont elaborate no dont look that up #alas fountain pens are an expensive hobby and ppl can be a bit dickish about 'lower quality' pens so its not very newbie friendly #esp on reddit. some ppl are so obnoxious tbh. i like the tumblr fp fans way better theyre a lot more helpful and not married to brands #OK THATS ENOUGH SORRY YOU GOT THE RAMBLINDS OF A LUNATIC ITS MIDNIGHT GOOD NIGHT ANON #not art