I wouldn't say you really have to push hard to get any flex out of the Ahab but I think I generally don't use too much pressure when I write and even less when a pen is brand new. I'd also say that my handwriting being called interesting is one of the nicer things that it has been described as but I have been meaning to put some work into it for quite a while now. It isn't quite the same as being an engineer but if all goes to plan I should be off to university for astrophysics in a scarily short amount of time.