Why are there no modern wet noodles?

[AndyT]

... a dip pen nib in an oblique holder is a better choice.

Agree 100%. But ardegee's interest is in drawing, so it might be something to play with. It occured to me after I'd posted that I might have to put my money where my mouth is and actually have a go at butchering a nib and a feed, but sounds like you've let me off the hook.

[Musinkman]

I have a Noodler's Ahab, and I really have a strong aversion to that pen. I would not mind doing surgery upon it (with no anesthesia and a dull scalpel). I probably would too, except for a couple of things...1) I've exhausted myself trying "fixes" and "adjustments" to the Ahab, none of which ever worked. 2) I would not insult the Brause 76 Rose by installing such a fine nib on such a horrid piece of stinky plastic (or whatever it is made of). LOL!

[Manny]

I have a Noodler's Ahab, and I really have a strong aversion to that pen. I would not mind doing surgery upon it (with no anesthesia and a dull scalpel). I probably would too, except for a couple of things...1) I've exhausted myself trying "fixes" and "adjustments" to the Ahab, none of which ever worked. 2) I would not insult the Brause 76 Rose by installing such a fine nib on such a horrid piece of stinky plastic (or whatever it is made of). LOL!

Send that puppy to me, I'll tame that sucker.

[79spitfire]

I have a Noodler's Ahab, and I really have a strong aversion to that pen. I would not mind doing surgery upon it (with no anesthesia and a dull scalpel). I probably would too, except for a couple of things...1) I've exhausted myself trying "fixes" and "adjustments" to the Ahab, none of which ever worked. 2) I would not insult the Brause 76 Rose by installing such a fine nib on such a horrid piece of stinky plastic (or whatever it is made of). LOL!

Send that puppy to me, I'll tame that sucker.

I'll bet he would too!....

At any rate, a modern 'wet noodle' pen is likely to never come about due to all the factors mentioned in this thread. Their has been some reported success in 'noodling' a Noodler's Ahab by grinding the sides of the nib, but it likely still takes some mad sumo-flex skills to make it flex, let alone 'noodle'. My best writing 'modern flex' nib actually has almost no flex but some spring (Konrad Ebonite), and I don't want to muck it up trying for more (it really is the best Noodler's nib I have!)

The FPR 'flex' nibs show some promise, but aren't 'wet noodles' by any stretch.

I only have a couple of nibs that come close to 'wet noodle', both are Waterman's, a 52 and a 3v. For daily use they are a bit frustrating, as they tend to pick fibers off of the cheap paper commonly used now, and flow enough ink that drying times become a problem. Given the way modern life runs, we might have to be happy that you can still get Brause and Gillot nibs that perform so well.

[Jon Szanto]

At any rate, a modern 'wet noodle' pen is likely to never come about due to all the factors mentioned in this thread. Their has been some reported success in 'noodling' a Noodler's Ahab by grinding the sides of the nib, but it likely still takes some mad sumo-flex skills to make it flex, let alone 'noodle'. My best writing 'modern flex' nib actually has almost no flex but some spring (Konrad Ebonite), and I don't want to muck it up trying for more (it really is the best Noodler's nib I have!)

Indeed.

The amount and variation in the flex of vintage nibs is a pretty wide range, and what none of the modern versions of 'flex' that I've tried come even close to is the ease of flexibility. That a nib can go from hairline to wide and back isn't really the issue, it is how easily, smoothly, and quickly this can be done. If you have to bear down, if you have to make each and every motion and pressure a calculated move, it is hard to imagine you can get a beautiful script that flows.

I have a variety of older pens with gold flex nibs, and they run from "easily flexed yet can write without it" to what I imagine is a true noodle. The nib on a little Wahl gold ring top just sits there, you look at it and - BOOM - it looks back and says "What? You wanted me to flex, didn't you? I mean, you thought that, right??"

All good fountain pens, flex or not, should make ink flow on paper as an extension of your thought process. Bearing down on a modern steel nib just doesn't do that for me.

[AndyT]

... what none of the modern versions of 'flex' that I've tried come even close to is the ease of flexibility. That a nib can go from hairline to wide and back isn't really the issue, it is how easily, smoothly, and quickly this can be done.

Quite so, nicely expresssed.

I think this business of flex writing is subject to a lot of unrealistic expectations. Classic Spencerian is certainly achievable with a fountain pen, but making a serious attempt at Ornamental styles or engrossers script means using an oblique penholder and some very twitchy nibs - not a trivial undertaking, certainly too much for me. So I think that the best one can hope for from a fountain pen is that it will make light to moderate shades with a pleasing ease, and that's what the old Mabie Todds and Watermans do so well, amongst others.

Yet it seems that some people buy a Noodler's pen and expect to be able to write like Louis Madarasz, which is a shame because it sets them up for a keen disappointment and it's rather unfair on Nathan. What you get in fact is a pen with a bit of a spring in its step, and some interesting design features not usually seen at the price point ... which is pretty good really. The Ahab's form factor doesn't suit me at all, but I do like the Nib Creaper for general writing, and they're both admirably easy to clean and service.

[Manny]

Don't know if anyone else has seen this link. I came across it while perusing that "other" place.
I didn't come across any flex nib info, but the description of how nibs were made (pages 8 -10) was kinda sorta interesting.

Phil Hull Memories