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Desiderata
Modern Flexible Pen
A model in Desiderata's fountain pen lineup. Specs below reflect the typical configuration across Desiderata's core range.
A solid mid-range option once someone has decided fountain pens are a habit worth investing a bit more into.
Specs
About Desiderata
Desiderata Pen Company is a one-man workshop founded in 2013 by Pierre Miller in Chicago, Illinois, which manually machines its pens in small batches. Its speciality is flex writing: the pens take Zebra G steel dip nibs fed by custom-made ebonite feeds, and can also be fitted with standard JoWo #6 steel nib units. Models such as the Daedalus, Icarus and Soubriquet run from about $90 to $350.
How to fill the Desiderata Modern Flexible Pen
Unscrew the piston knob at the back of the pen, submerge the nib fully in a bottle of ink, and slowly turn the knob counter-clockwise then clockwise to draw ink in. Piston fillers hold significantly more ink than a standard cartridge — often enough for several weeks of regular writing — at the cost of being limited to bottled ink only.
Choosing a nib size
Nib size determines line width, not writing pressure — fountain pens are meant to glide, never press. Extra-fine (EF) suits small, dense handwriting and thin paper; fine (F) is the most broadly recommended default; medium (M) shows more ink character and shading; broad (B) and stub grinds favor bold, expressive strokes and calligraphy-adjacent writing.
Keeping it clean
Because Desiderata Modern Flexible Pen holds a larger ink reserve, a full flush every 4–6 weeks (or whenever you switch colors) keeps the feed running cleanly. Inktend's cleaning reminder is tuned to a 21-day baseline and adjusts naturally to how often you actually refill.
Pairing inks with the Modern Flexible Pen
High-capacity fillers like this one are the natural home for sheening and shading inks; you'll actually see the color develop across a full page instead of running out mid-paragraph.
Frequently asked questions
More from Desiderata
Specs reflect the typical configuration across Desiderata's core lineup rather than this exact model — check current listings before buying.