Editing Flex (section)

= Fountain Pens =

Formerly, many fountain pen makers produced pens that came with flex nibs. These were usually gold tipped with an iridium alloy; in contrast to dip nibs, these are durable/non-disposable, tipped for a smooth writing experience, and had varying levels of softness.

Modern fountain pen manufacturers do not produce a "full flex" nib similar to this, however you do have a few options:
* Use a dip nib, as detailed above. These are un-tipped and will not be a smooth writing experience. But they do provide the most flex.
* Pilot's FA nib is generally regarded as the flexiest production nib available. The feed for these is designed for Japanese calligraphy, which involves shorter strokes than western scripts - so many writing in western scripts have had issues with ink starvation. If you are willing to void your warranty, you can [https://flexandotherfollies.wordpress.com/2017/02/17/pilot-custom-kaede-modified/ remove the breather tube] to increase ink flow.
* [[Wahl Eversharp]] has also started producing flex nibs that compare with Pilot's FA. Aurora also came out with a limited edition flex pen in 2017.
* Various other manufacturers do have "soft" nibs. These are not intended to be flexed, but do provide some limited line variation.
* Noodler's and Fountain Pen Revolution produce steel flex nibs. These are intended to be flexed, but require substantially more pressure than vintage pens. The popular [http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/240492-noodlers-ahab-ease-my-flex-mod/ ease my flex mod] removes some of the nib material to reduce the required pressure.
* Some nibmeisters will add flex to an existing nib. 

== Why are full flex nibs no longer produced? ==

Ask a pen manufacturer.

However, some likely reasons are:
* They are easier to spring, so manufacturers would expect more returns/warranty-claims. 
* They may be more difficult to produce, so would be more expensive.
* The market for flex may be small.