Gold nib dip pens from the Victorian era (referred to as "gold pens”), have disappeared completely within less than 200 years. Apart from dedicated pre-war pen collectors, few are familiar with this category of writing instrument. As an enthusiast of gold nib dip pens, I couldn't bear to see such a glorious era forgotten, hence I've penned this informative piece to shed light on a lesser-known past.
The most comprehensive modern flex nib review and comparison you can ever find on the internet! This post aims to provide comparison between different parameters of 18 modern flex nibs, including Magna Carta Mag 600 flex fountain pen, FPR #6 steel and 14k gold ultra flex, Pilot 912 FA, Pilot 743 FA, FPnibs steel and 14k gold semi flex, Bluedew flex, Secretary of de flex, Majohn steel flex nib, nibmeister-modified flex nibs, and more. [Updated in 2026]
This post is about how I found my first stub nib fountain pen and how I did the Frankenpen work to make it happen!
Continue from my previous article, when I discussed how the predecessor of fountain pen was gold nib dip pens of the Victorian era. In this article, I want to introduce a couple more gold nib dip pen manufacturers from the 1800s, including Albert G. Bagley, Edward Todd, Mabie Todd, E. S. Johnson, A. Morton and Aikin Lambert. Particularly, I am interested in exploring development of their business and those intricate relationships among these pen makers. If you are also interested in these fine writing instruments back in 1800s, this blog post is for you. ;)