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ColinP
3
Dec 18, 2018
Flex pens are all quite expensive, not easy to produce and not too high of a demand means the cost needs to be higher to justify smaller production. Cheaper than vintage 14k flex nib fountain pens.
maspe
3
Dec 18, 2018
ColinPNoodler's, Fountain Pen Revolution, and Monteverde (to mention just three) produce flexible nib pens for under $100. Vintage flexible nibs, even in 14k, can be found for $100-$150 in lesser-known brands. That being said, the Montegrappa Nationale above is a lot nicer than any of those that I mentioned.
ColinP
3
Dec 18, 2018
maspe Not having hands on experience with any of the cheaper STEEL flex nibs, but the more comparable 14K GOLD nibs that are in that price range are quite nice. (Pilot Falcon nib), and sure you can find the odd deal on the no-name vintage brands (I got a couple name brand ones for less than $60 CAD) but it is getting increasingly hard. The big thing is if the feed is custom for the Flex pen, I have heard a few of the budget flex pens can't keep up.
(Edited)
maspe
3
Dec 18, 2018
ColinPYes, I should have made it clearer that the inexpensive modern flex pens have steel nibs.
bobtheaxolotl
104
Dec 18, 2018
ColinPThe Pilot Custom 74 is about $100, and has a 14k gold flex nib. There's absolutely nothing in this universe that justifies the absolutely absurd cost of this Montegrappa pen. They are not in fact more difficult to produce, and the amount of actual gold is minuscule. What we have here is a company massively jacking up the price in order to put more cash in their coffers, and nothing more. This seems to be the case with most of the fountain pens I've seen for sale on Massdrop. They often ask premium prices for very plain looking pens made of very average materials. The pen we're commenting on is a plastic pen with a bit of resin and silver trim, with a 14k nib. The maximum reasonable price for these materials would be in the $200 range. Just get a Custom 74.
ColinP
3
Dec 18, 2018
bobtheaxolotlI wish they brought those into Canada at that price... I may need to do some hunting for a decent shipping price on one of those.
willentrekin
40
Dec 19, 2018
bobtheaxolotlI wouldn't consider Pilot 74s to have a "flex" nib, regardless of line size. I have several Pilots (74f, 92fm, 912f, and 823f), as well as a metal Namiki Falcon(f). Of those, the 912 and Falcon have some flex (the 912 has more). That's not to say that they don't have great nibs -- the 74 and 92 are terrific, and if I had to have only one pen it would mostly likely be the 823. But still, not really flex like the 912. Adjectives like "absurd" and "reasonable" are subjective.
bobtheaxolotl
104
Dec 20, 2018
willentrekinIt's $579 for a pen made of average materials. If you think this is sensible, there's a problem with the inside of your head not working properly.
willentrekin
40
Dec 20, 2018
bobtheaxolotlDid you read the description? It's made from celluloid, which isn't really as readily available as you seem to think. The pen itself retails for more than a grand, and is in as limited supply as the materials from which it's made. Further, the gold flex nib and the piston filler are both more premium elements than other nib materials (besides palladium, perhaps) and a cartridge-converter mechanism, respectively. If you want to learn more about fountain pens, I'd suggest Pen Habit's videos (which, sadly, are no longer being produced) or the website for Goulet Pens. Have fun, and write on!
mathguy1015
11
Feb 20, 2019
willentrekinAbsolutely agree. Toss in that almost no one is making celluloid anymore, because it's not easy and takes years to cure. Piston mechanism, flex nib and the Montegrappa premium, so I'm betting wholesale on this pen is 300-350, thus the asking price isn't bad. Sure, you can get a serviceable pen like a low to medium range Pilot, but that's not the market for this pen.
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