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
Right.
It is generally accepted as fact that there is no modern substitute for the vintage flex nib. The closest one can come to superflex, in a modern fountain pen, is a custom job on a Pilot 912 FA (there's also the W-E Decoband, but that's fodder for another ink spill). Now, after close to a hundred fountain pens over the years, I know exactly what I want in a modern fountain pen, I know exactly what to look for and what to avoid. However, I have no clue when it comes to vintage flex fountain pens.
Thw1990 to the Rescue
With the first few strokes the 912 FA immediately made an impression on me with how easily it flexed and then with how challenging it was to write with. I have to point out here that without the Spencerian mod the 912 FA is just a modern semi-flex, a very good one, but still just that.
This is not the case with 912FA, you have to momentarily pause between down strokes and side strokes, to allow the nib to reset. Fluid uninterrupted transitions are almost impossible. And then there's the railroading.
No. God No! The modified Pilot Custom 912FA is a an awesome pen, the more you write with it the more it grows on you. If you are already skilled with a flex nib, mastered Spencerian or Copperplate, or just want to enjoy some casual line variation every once in a while the W-E is your pen. They really don't make them like that anymore. However, if you are committed to learning Copperplate or Spencerian script and want to dedicate some serious time to your newfound passion, then I actually recommend you start with a Spencerian 912FA first, and get a vintage later.
The 912FA challenges you, it literally forces your hand to learn a radically different cursive script. You see, it has become apparent to me that writing your contemporary cursive with a flexible nib just completely misses the point.
*To find out more about the Mottishaw Spencerian customization go here:
https://www.nibs.com/content/spencerian-customization-fountain-pens
Please thank Thw1990 if you enjoyed this post.