7.0 Why do fountain pen nibs seem flexible?

In truth, some nibs are more flexible than others. Some modern examples of pens with more flexible nibs are the Pelikan 800 or some larger Omas pens. The Waterman Carene and Parker Inflection have relatively inflexible nibs. Then, there are other "vintage" pens with extremely flexible nibs, like the Eversharp Skyline or some early Watermans. Flexibility can rank from "wet noodle" to "horseshoe nail", and both of these descriptions are quite appropriate.

Some opinions have it that flexible nibs haven't been made in years, and that only collectible (or "vintage") pens have flexible nibs. Since nibs aren't made out of concrete, there will always be some degree of variation among brands, and even different amounts of flexibility among the same size nib in the same family of pen. Personally, I found differences between different brand-new Montblanc 146 fine point nibs when testing the pen for a possible purchase.

By the way, I currently own and use a Namiki Falcon with a true flex nib - and this pen was manufactured in 2002.