Noodlers Konrad Nib Mod

     Further into the exploration of fountain pens led me to the discovery of "flexible nib" fountain pens. These are different from most modern fountain pen which is mostly referred to as "nails". A fountain pen with a flexible nib allows variable line width by applying different levels of pressure as you lay down your stroke. These pen are rare these days, always too expensive and mostly available online. Fortunately, Noodlers company came up with an affordable user-configurable flex fountain pen and it is available in the Philippines though Scribe Writing Essentials!
    There are mixed reviews about the pen on various forums and blogs. The owners either love the pen or hate it. I have decided to get one. Out of the box, the pen provides variable line width but requires a considerable amount of pressure. That is if you really want a huge difference between your thin stroke and your thick stroke. In my case, in attempting to write in copperplate/script style, my hand will be tired after finishing the pangram, "The quick brown fox..." . For normal writing, I think you'll be mostly fine. The ink flow is smooth and the nib glides smoothly.
     I'm really interested to learn how to white in copperplate/script style so my search led me to this thread from Fountain Pen Network. Its about how to modify your Noodlers nib to ease the flexing capabilities.
     This mod suggest that a portion of the nib be removed to reduce the amount of pressure required to achieve the widest possible stroke.

The tools you need for the mod.Clockwise from top left: eye loupe, another eye loupe with a different magnifying power, A Dremel with a grinding stone, some nail buffs for smoothing the nibs.

Comparison of the untrimmed (top) and the trimmed nib (bottom)

Writing sample after the mod. Still getting the hang of it but it writes softer than before. Using Noodlers' Black Swan in Australian Rose and Muji Double ring notebook.

     I think I can still trim off some metal for additional softness and line variation. I'm not trimming the metal in one go since mistakes would truly be costly. Right now, I'm still on my second installment of the trim I'm positive that the writing experience will still improve.

Credit goes to Pterodactylus of Fountain Pen Network for this idea and inspiration!

Note:
    Be sure to research first to understand  what you are doing if you decide to perform this mod. I believe you have to  have a fair amount of understanding regarding the physics of nibs, capillary action, air flow etc. It would also be helpful to read the whole thread linked above before performing the mod.