Fountain Pen Review: BlueDew Pens Flex Strontium Flame

I have used many fountain pens, most of them with medium, broad, and stub nibs and I love writing with them. There's another nib that many fountain pen users love but I am scared of—the flex nib. For me, using a flex nib is almost expecting the nib to break apart. But I love looking at cursive writing, and I admire people whose hands can do Spencerian calligraphy. A few weeks ago, I saw a new pen brand from Singapore that makes beautiful pens with stainless steel full flex nibs. BlueDew Pens, a promising pen brand offers a unique flex pen experience to keep beautiful penmanship alive.

BlueDew Pens Flex in Strontium Flame finish.

I received the Strontium Flame Flex and it's such a beautiful pen. I don't have many red fountain pens to compare it with, but the barrel and cap in deep, rich, strawberry red are very attractive. The gold-plated clip and nib complement the barrel color perfectly. The Flex pen is available in six other colors, including White, Ancient Ice (aqua blue), Emerald (dark green), Mulberry (purple), Tortoise Shell (brown), and Blue.

The Flex is a well-designed pen meant for comfortable flex writing. It's a light pen with the center of gravity at approximately 1/2 to 2/3 from the fingertips to the first knuckle for easier pen control and a comfortable balanced grip. The Flex pen's cap is designed to be fully airtight to ensure that the nib is wet and ready to write even if it was capped for days. The cap takes only one full twist to cap and uncap.

BlueDew Flex Strontium Flame has a deep, rich, strawberry red color complemented by the gold-plated clip and flex nib.

BlueDew Flex can be filled with ink using standard international cartridges, or through a converter supplied with each pen purchase.

BlueDew Flex has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.5 in | 14 cm
• Length, uncapped: 4.9 in | 12.4 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.3 in | 16 cm
• Full pen weight: 30g | 1 oz
• Body material: Resin
• Colors: White, Ancient Ice (aqua), Strontium Flame (red), Emerald (green), Mulberry (violet), Tortoise Shell (brown), and Blue
• Trim: Gold
• Cap: Screw-on; postable
• Clip material: Gold-plated steel 
• Nib: Stainless steel that does not rust
• Filling mechanism: Standard international cartridge or converter (supplied with purchase)

BlueDew Pens flex nib is the most interesting part of this pen. These flex nibs are designed to be very flexible with excellent line variation from Japanese EF to BB without any discomfort. Unlike dip pen nibs, this stainless steel nib is rust-resistant. It will not rust even with iron gall inks. These nibs were designed from the ground up, taking inspiration from modern No. 6 and dip nibs. They don't have any tipping material to achieve finer lines which are important to flex nib writing.

The creator of this unique flex nib included two design considerations to ensure excellent ink flow, an important requirement for flex pen writing. First, the large, embossed B—which is also the brand's logo—serves as an ink reservoir as extra ink pools underneath. Secondly, the nib wrapping closely around the feed keeps ink in the fins so that ink is supplied to the nib during flexing.

The Flex nib's interesting design is meant to ensure generous amounts of ink towards the tip for flexing.

The barrel is engraved with the brand's name, BLUEDEW.

BlueDew Flex is a full-sized fountain pen with a comfortable grip section. Capped, it has the same size as most regular pens including a Lamy Al-star, Platinum Prefounte, and PenBBS 323. Uncapped, it shares the same size as the Prefounte and Sailor 1911 Profit Junior.

From top: Lamy Al-star Ruby Red, Platinum Prefounte, BlueDew Pens, PenBBS 323, and Sailor 1911 Profit Junior.

Uncapped, the BlueDew Flex is almost the same length as a Prefounte or Sailor Profit Junior.

To test this red pen, I first filled it with Monteverde Valentine Red, a matching red ink. It was too wet for this pen's flex nib and feathered and bled badly. I then switched to a dry ink and used Pelikan 4001 Blue Black. I have tried pens with flex nibs before, and I wasn't too happy with them. I'm amazed at how easy I can write with BlueDew Pens' flex nib. It's nice to use for my thin stick letters and even better for my sore attempt at cursive writing. With this beautiful nib, I may have to take flex writing seriously.

I loved writing with this flex nib. It's very easy to use and I did not have any skipping at railroading, two common problems with flex writing. Also, this quote belongs to the great Abraham Lincoln.

Every BlueDew fountain pen comes in a pen box designed to be a protective case. This sturdy case has a magnetic closure that makes it easier to use.

The BlueDew Pens Flex is a happy and exciting pen surprise! It has a beautiful body, and an even more wonderful nib to try. It is well-designed for flex writing, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to try flex nibs or calligraphy. It's an affordable pen with a modern flex nib for long-term use. If you want to try a new writing experience, BlueDew Pens Flex is for you! Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks BlueDew Pens for providing the Strontium Flame for review purposes. The Flex pens are available at BlueDew Pens where they retail for US$88 each. To learn more about BlueDew Pens, visit their website or follow them on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueDewPens
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluedewpens/