There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Noodler is the only brand I know to offer semi-flex pens like the Konrad at sub-20USD prices but you're gonna need to do some fiddling on the nib and feed to achieve a proper flow (It also smells weird).
Happy Hunting!
Kaweco Sport - mint Lamy Safari - charcoal Iroshizuku ink - syo-ro ...and I'm getting my first drop on Massdrop: Pilot Metropolitan
If you like flex and decide to venture into vintage pens, they can be a ton of fun but the temptation to always get another can be really hard on your bank account. Well, Massdrop is also hard on my bank account so I probably shouldn't be on this site right now. ;)
towards the top of your budget you should be able to find a nice vintage skyline. the best flex experience is going to be from a waterman or mabie todd from the 20's or 30's, but you'll want to carefully look at the nib in photos to make sure it hasn't been damaged--a little bargain hunting on eBay and you should be good. Don't be afraid to get one that needs a new sac, sometimes you can get an awesome deal on a pen just because it doesn't currently write and you can send it out for very little and have it fixed.
also, a quick guide on using your new toy without damaging it: http://www.vintagepen.net/how-to-use-flex-nibs.html
that site has a wealth of information, the guy knows his stuff. I also sent him an m205 which he put a nice wet noodle in for me that only needed some slight tuning when it came back.
You should also join the Facebook group "Fountain Pens" run by David Issacson, I think you'd enjoy it.
I like the mabie todd just because it has a number 4 nib as opposed to the number 2 on the waterman. I don't have a 52 1/2 V, but I do have a swan lever full of a slightly earlier vintage, very fun pen. Although, it looks like both are good options. It bears noting that you can restore the color of the hard rubber pretty easily. you can also get an awesome discount on an otherwise pricey pen when it has been personalized like that waterman has--I don't buy personalized pens unless they are exceptionally rare (neither option you have is particularly unusual), but it's just personal preference.