Opus 88 Jazz Black with Secretary of De Flex EF
Please note that while this is a brand new pen, due to thorough testing, there may be ink residue and or staining.
The Jazz is an eyedropper filler with a Jowo #6 housing, The Secretary of De Flex nib sports a Flexible Nib Factory Ebonite Feed. As an eyedropper it will have the most control options to limit both burping and railroading, though both are possible.
These flexible nibs are inspired by the pioneering efforts of Ralph Reyes of Regalia Writing Labs. His pursuit and break through methods proved that modern steel nibs could indeed be as flexible as their gold counter parts.
This is Pen Realms very own custom flex nib offering.
Secretary of De Flex Stats: EF line width .35 mm to 1.75+ mm
1.1 stub line width .35 mm to 2.3+ mm
PLEASE NOTE – Warranty and return is void if nib unit is disassembled.
Evan (verified owner) –
This is a review of the nib itself, rather than the unit. I ended up switching the feed out for one that worked better in my extremely specific circumstances, but I don’t suspect this to be a common requirement for most people.
The nib flexes well and snaps back quickly. The upper bounds of how wide you should flex the tines feel very intuitive, so it’s not likely that you will exceed that width unless you’re really gunning for some fat flex lines beyond reason.
The tines flex very easily, so even though with zero force you can still write with it as an Extra Fine nib, it’s more likely that with the tiny amount of force exerted by normal handwriting, that you’ll probably be closer to writing as a Fine nib, or at the very least seeing some parts with Fine line variation.
I do think the cross-cut flex style of nib does require even more proper technique than a standard flex nib, because if your angle is off by very much, there’s a chance for the tips of the tines to overlap slightly. This is more of a user-error issue though, and not a reflection on the quality of the nib itself. I’ve only had it happen to me while writing quickly with lots of line variation. You should be more impressed by the fact that this nib lets you write quickly with lots of line variation than off-put by the fact that if you mess up while doing that, the tines can overlap.
This is definitely pricier than most other modern steel flex nibs, but there are also less issues. Five stars.
MP0123456789 (verified owner) –
If you’re wondering if you should get it. The answer is yes. Yes, it’s that good. Just get one. Get the eyedropper setup and try an Opus 88. It’s divine.
Emma –
I have the rare 1.1 Stub Secretary of de Flex, it is FANTASTIC. I have a dozen modern nibmeister flex nibs, and this might be my favorite of them all! With non-flex writing it’s incredibly bouncy and juicy, with barely any pressure flexing it has insane line variation from the stub/flex combo. I’m never not going to have this nib inked!
Terea (verified owner) –
I really like this nib grind. It is VERY wet and flexes effortlessly. I am learning how to write with such a wet nib but the work Kirk does is outstanding. I ordered anther grind from him and I’m equally impressed.
Damien Ancruem (verified owner) –
This is the flex-perience I have been seeking for the past year. I’ve spent thousands on other flex-nibs, some that weren’t even really flex nibs *cough* Franklin Christoph*, Vintage flex pens, modifying other cheap flex nibs and trying to build my own flex nib.
I should have just bought the “Secretary of De Flex” flex-nib unit. When I first saw this nib I wrote it off as a gimmick….A whole year wasted on trying other things…only to find out this nib is THE TRUTH!!!
I am going to pick up the 1.1Stub unit next month and another Opus-88 Demo.
The search is finally over…THANK YOU!!!!
Dennis Kim –
This is my first stub nib with flex and I love it!
The variation width variation and how smoothly it operates surprised me, evenwith some expectations from reviews I’ve seen ahead of time. The tines spilt very gently and naturally, and I think I need to practice to use it to its full potential.
Without flexing, the stub itself is also pleasant to write in italic. I love it!