Noodler's Ahab pen

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I'd seen a lot about Noodler's pens and inks, mainly on US websites and YouTube, and wanted to see whether they are as good as their reputation.

There is now a UK source for almost all things Noodler's, so I treated myself to an Ahab fountain pen in the "Pequot" finish, a bottle of Noodler's "Monkey Hanger" blue permanent ink, and some refillable Noodler's cartridges.

The pen is about 5 1/2 inches long when capped, and just over 1/2 inch diameter at the thickest. The cap is a screw fitting. The pen generally resembles the Indian ASA/Ranga/Varuna ebonite ones that I've gone mad for, although I think it's made of a resin.

The nib is a steel fine to medium flex nib, which writes well enough from new, but I expect to improve with use. As with most flex nibs, it's necessary to write a bit slower to get the right efffects.

The pen can be filled three ways. It comes equipped with a push-pull piston filler, which screws onto the nib section. This has a small snorkel type breather tube to aid filling, and needs two or three actions to fill the reservoir. This model can also handle user-fillable hard plastic cartridges. These have a screw cap on the end which attaches to the section, and which allows a loose filled cartridge to be carried about. When the cartridge is screwed into the pen, the cartridge cap is screw-posted on the other end; a very neat idea. Finally, with the aid of some silicon grease, it can be used as an eyedropper.

There are,by my reckoning, 34 different colours of the Ahab model, including clear and coloured demonstrators. There's something to suit almost anyone.

The pen, with the piston filler installed, cost £18.50, and 5 of the cartridges cost £4.95. That, to me, and given the quality of the pen, is incredible value.

P.S. Delving in the paperwork which arrived with the pen, I found a very helpful leaflet, which is attached. This describes the pen as made from "a celluloid derivative", and with the help of people from several US States and India. This last explains my earlier comparison with other Indian-made pens.
Noodlers_PX302538.jpg Noodlers_PX302540.jpg Noodlers_PX302541.jpgPGP-117.jpg
 
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I'm looking to get one of these but not sure if I would like a flex nib (though you can easily swap it for a #6 standard nib). I know he is a divisive figure but I am one of Nathan Tardiff's supporters. I don't care about his politics but I appreciate his desire to bring affordabilty and value for money to the market place. I think this is why so many of the big boys and the pen establishment have it in for him even though he is a one man artisan like Darron and Kerry of Wickham and Phoenix and Beau.I don't use expensive pens as I am interested in tactile writing rather than hoarding pens in a box. However I have never had a problem. Here is a fascinating interview with him.

 
And for any of our Hartlepool Member's I see Noodler's do a nice shade of blue bottled ink entitled "Monkey Hanger" , called that after the owner was told the tale about the washed up monkey in Hartlepool during the Napoleonic War's , I might have to buy some , interesting that a American company used an English tale to name a pen ink though .
 
I'm looking to get one of these but not sure if I would like a flex nib (though you can easily swap it for a #6 standard nib). I know he is a divisive figure but I am one of Nathan Tardiff's supporters. I don't care about his politics but I appreciate his desire to bring affordabilty and value for money to the market place. I think this is why so many of the big boys and the pen establishment have it in for him even though he is a one man artisan like Darron and Kerry of Wickham and Phoenix and Beau.I don't use expensive pens as I am interested in tactile writing rather than hoarding pens in a box. However I have never had a problem. Here is a fascinating interview with him.

Very interesting. Speaking personally as one who desperately wants his small grandsons to be able to write properly, I'm all in favour of someone who is bringing affordable, and, more importantly, useable fountain pens to the market. Whilst some expensive pens have some advantages over the cheap'n'cheerfuls, it's possible to write well with modest equipment. I started writing at about 5 with dip pens, and my earliest fountain pen was a Platignum of schoolboy grade.

Having bought the Ahab, I think I might purchase one apiece of the other low-cost models, Konrad and Nib Creaper.
 
@The Geordie Shaver Monkey Hanger and Britania Blue, Pride of the Commons etc are inks he has made especially for the UK market and Pure Pens. He is a one man band and can't really supply Europe as he says in interview but he has a good relationship with these guys.
 
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Very interesting. Speaking personally as one who desperately wants his small grandsons to be able to write properly, I'm all in favour of someone who is bringing affordable, and, more importantly, useable fountain pens to the market. Whilst some expensive pens have some advantages over the cheap'n'cheerfuls, it's possible to write well with modest equipment. I started writing at about 5 with dip pens, and my earliest fountain pen was a Platignum of schoolboy grade.

Having bought the Ahab, I think I might purchase one apiece of the other low-cost models, Konrad and Nib Creaper.
noodler's roller ball that uses fountain pen ink is actually pretty nice. I used it with my bay state blue and i loved it.
 
I am torn between an Ahab and a Konrad :/

I saw Nathan's demonstration of the roller ball with Bay State on youtube. That is a notorious ink on the forums. It looks a gorgeous colour though.
 
Just bought a Hudson Bay Blue demonstrator Ahab over a Konrad as it is simpler than a twist piston and i like the plunger, cartridge, eyedropper flexibility of the pen. Plus you get a spare standard nib in with the Ahab. I find the instruction sheet ( same as above but with pounds not dollars quoted) really useful and has great artwork on the other side! I will have to get used to the flex nib: you are right you do have to write slower but will stick with it for a bit before swapping to the regular. I just need to practice getting line consistency with it.

Another great Noodlers pen is the little Charlie Eyedropper pen that you get with "Heart of Darkness" I love the simplicity of these pens and the fact you can tinker. Not everyone likes Noodlers but I like hos philosophy od archival pens and cheap functional fountain pens that a geek can keep going. I have no real desire to get anything more expensive like the Neponset as not sure I would like a Music nib. Can't see point of getting a Konrad now as same nib. I already have a piston filler in a TSWBI Eco another great value pen.
 
Is there a UK source for Noodler's refillable rollerball? I have a J.Herbin rollerball which takes fountain pen ink and it performs really well - it's a bit short though unless posted.
I've seen Noodlers are available through purepens.co.uk but not the rollerball.
 
Purepens are Noodlers only European stockist if not you will have to go to Goulet Pens in the US which carries a bigger range of Noodlers but their shipping is high. Might be good to email Pure Pens to see if they will stock in the future. They are helpful. However you are right they only sell the fountain pens. Goulet do the Konrad rollerball but add another $15 for shipping.

https://www.gouletpens.com/noodlers-rollerball-pens/c/149

A rollerball attachment for Ahab did come with 4.5 oz bottle of the (notorious) Bay State Blue ink but I don't know if Pure sells that.
 
And for any of our Hartlepool Member's I see Noodler's do a nice shade of blue bottled ink entitled "Monkey Hanger" , called that after the owner was told the tale about the washed up monkey in Hartlepool during the Napoleonic War's , I might have to buy some , interesting that a American company used an English tale to name a pen ink though .

haha :D far out!! ill have to get me some of that!! ill pass it off as bespoke :D
 
well its arrived, mine didn't have the info sheets included though. nice pen, been playing with the "flex" ink is good too, i normally use diamine in my pens.

the issue is that i now have 3 pens inked up and i normally like to keep it to 2 max! will have to do some more writing.

have a good weekend
steve
 
I have been buying some Indian ebonite pens. If you like traditional ebonite feeds there are some lovely eyedroppers to be had. I can't really get on with the flex nib and have changed it to the standard. My favourite Noodlers pen is the Charlie which is free with the 4.5 fl oz bottles. It is a lovely little eyedropper.
 
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