2011 fountain pen of the year

Well, another year has passed and while we don't know what 2012 will bring, I can say that 2011 was fairly kind to me. 2011 also marks the year when I got into this whole fountain pen and ink business. As such, I'm  not a big expert on the subject but I have learned a lot about the hobby this past year.

I have decided, on these last days of the year, to show you which fountain pen I consider to be the best I've used in 2011, or ever, for that matter. I have reviewed a fair number of fountain pens these past months but the winner is very easy to pick.

By a wide margin, I declare the TWSBI Diamond 530 (and later the 540) to be the king of my collection and the best fountain pen I have used in 2011.

The TWSBI is so good, in fact, that I have a feeling it could easily grab a "$50 or less fountain pen of the year" award if such a thing existed.

It is not hard to see why the TWSBI is such a big hit. If you haven't already, read my review, but here are some quick bullet points:

• very good build quality for a very affordable price ($40 for the 530 and $50 for the improved version, the 540)
• impressive industrial design which is both modern and timeless, comparing favorably to the Pelikan M800 both in size and weight
• very comfortable to hold thanks to the large size
• great writing quality and an easily replaceable nib unit in BB, B, M, F and EF sizes
• great modularity which makes it easy to disassemble for cleaning or repair
• great customer service which became apparent when the owner, Speedy, replaced any component that failed, without hesitation, no questions asked

The 530 wasn't perfect. A minor quibble was the fact that the cap threads were too tight but that was easily fixed with some abrasive paste. Another "flaw" was the lack of secure posting for the cap, which for some people was a deal-breaker. For me this was a non-issue because I never post the cap since the pen is so hefty. And then there's the issue of certain defects like small leaks from the piston or tiny cracks in the plastic. I never experienced any of these but this pen is so new that certain problems were to be expected. Nevertheless, as I already mentioned, the owner was amazing in replacing any defective part at his own cost.

In conclusion, the TWSBI Diamond 530 has really won my heart in 2011. My only fear is that I won't find another pen in the next year or two that offers such great value for my money.


But wait, there's more. If I were to pick a second favorite pen, it wouldn't be too hard. This happens to be one that I bought recently and I am referring, of course, to Noodler's Ahab. Once again, if a "$20 or less fountain pen of the year" award existed, the Ahab would win it hands down.

Compared to previous Noodler's fountain pens, the Ahab is a big improvement in quality and usability. At $20, it is also the most inexpensive modern flex pen, disregarding the original $14 flex pen to which the Ahab is such an improvement that it is worth every extra penny.

The Ahab's body is "fat" and very comfortable to hold for long periods of time. The piston plunger ink system is innovative and has a large capacity, not to mention that the pen can be easily converted to an eyedropper for even bigger capacity. The pen can be very easily taken apart which makes cleaning a cinch. The nib is not a wet noodle but it's a great intro to the art of flexing.


These are just two of the fountain pens that I have bought and used in 2011 but they are among the best that you can find on the market for $50 and $20 respectively. The future looks every brighter: both TWSBI and Noodler's are slated to introduce new models and designs in 2012. I can't wait to be a part of this future! What was your favorite fountain pen in 2011?

Noodler's Ahab flex pen review

Noodler's Ahab is the latest fountain pen from Noodler's Ink but it is also their latest pen with a flexible nib. It is a departure from previous models both in price and in how the pen is built. Both are higher: the price slightly, from $14 to $20, but the quality the modularity of this pen is so much better than those of its ancestors. I won't leave you hanging until the end and I will say it now: the Ahab has superseded its predecessors in one swift blow and is now, in my humble opinion, the best Noodler's fountain pen yet.

The Ahab is only Noodler's second pen with a flexible nib, following the original Noodler's flex, but it has subtly moved upscale without a corresponding increase in price. Yes, the price is up slightly but you get so much more with this pen than with the first flex. It is worth every extra dollar, but read on, don't take my word for it.

Body and materials

The Ahab is made from Noodler's usual material: vegetal resin. As a result, you will be confronted by the peculiar smell that, those of us who have sampled Noodler's pens before, have gotten used to. The smell offends some people and leaves others indifferent. I'm somewhere in the middle but I've learned not to sweat it. The smell does go away after a while. To speed it along, I would recommend washing the pen with water and soap before you use it the first time.

My pen is yellow, or more precisely Mandarin Yellow. It is my second yellow fountain pen and it's a very bright color at that. My other yellow pen is the Pilot Prera and I just had to compare the two side by side to show you how similar the colors are.

To me, the Prera does have the more enjoyable color, as its yellow is warmer. The Pilot pen also has better materials and a better finish but Noodler's is not far behind.

Going back to materials, Ahabs come in various color schemes. I said "color schemes" deliberately because most of them are one main color with swirls of another color intermixed. There's the inevitable clear demonstrator and I know that some colored demonstrators are about to be launched shortly. This Mandarin Yellow pen is one of the few that are a single color. Another reason to like it, for me at least.

The Ahab has a twist-on cap which takes about 2 1/4 turns to come off. The cap features a wide silver trim band with the words "Noodler's Ink" inscribed on it.

The cap posts easily and securely on the end, but I never feel the need to do so, because the pen is large enough to make this unnecessary. In either case, balance remains very good, thanks to the low weight of the pen.

A large finial holds the interesting-looking clip. The story behind the clip is that Nathan Tardiff, Noodler's owner, wanted it to resemble a whale, and it does. In fact the pen itself is a sort of homage to the infamous Captain Ahab from Moby Dick, and it's meant to represent the Captain's wooden leg. The clip is, indeed, unique in the world of fountain pens. It, too, has the words "Noodler's Ink" engraved on it. The clip is not too stiff but it holds on to a shirt pocket well enough. Being smooth, it also slips on easily.

Dimensions and weight

The Ahab is Noodler's largest fountain pen, so far. That's just one of the many reasons why I purchased it. To me this feels like a proper "fat" pen. Not only is it much easier to hold than the piston-filler/original flex, but it is also much more comfortable when used for extended periods. Here are some quantifiable dimensions:

Length capped: 140mm / 5.5in
Length uncapped and un-posted: 128mm / 5in
Length of cap: 60mm / 2.36in
Length of nib: 21mm / 0.83in
Length with cap posted: 170mm / 6.7in

As I already mentioned, the Ahab is surprisingly light. While this is perfect for me, others may find that posting it gives it better balance. I find it very well balanced without needing to post the cap. I only post caps as a last resort, when the pen is too short or too light but this is not the case.

Because I don't have a scale, I will try to give you another point of reference: the Ahab is a bit lighter than the TWSBI Diamond 530 but not by a lot.

Filling mechanism

In my short career as fountain pen appreciator, this is best filling system I have come across. It even beats the TWSBI, although the latter is more precisely crafted. Where the Ahab excels is the modularity and ease of disassembly. The following image shows how the pen can be taken apart into its base components. I chose not to remove the rubber o-rings and the clip but those can also be removed if you so desire.

The Ahab's piston filling mechanism is amazing for several reasons.

First, the ink reservoir is not friction fit. Instead, it screws on to the section. This makes for an extremely secure connection. There's no guessing if you stuck it in correctly or worrying that it might leak. Besides, it also features a rubber seal where it meets the section, to ensure an air-tight fit.

Second, the piston can be removed easily by unscrewing the black nub and pushing the shaft out through the large opening (the one with the threads). The piston o-ring can also be easily replaced by slipping it off. Speaking of the o-ring, this particular version is already obsolete. There's a new, double wall o-ring that's supposed to be even better, and newer batches of Ahabs should have it pre-installed. In my case, I opted to buy a set of 2 replacement o-rings along with my pen, for only $1 extra. And that's just for peace of mind because I don't anticipate this o-ring to ever go bad.

Third, the piston rod itself is hollow. Yup, when filling with ink you should pull the piston once, then push it in to expel the ink and remaining air, then pull it once again. If you do this correctly, ink will go both inside the piston rod and the ink reservoir. This makes for even more capacity. Notice the ink-filled rod in the image below.

But wait, there's more! This is a flex pen after all. Flex pens have a tendency to gulp gallons of ink, potentially requiring you to refill often. If you are still not satisfied with the ink capacity of the Ahab's reservoir (which, by the way, is bigger than the original Noodler's flex), there's one more solution for you: remove the piston and use the entire barrel as a reservoir, converting the pen to an eyedropper with an incredible 6ml of capacity. If that is your intention, I would recommend a transparent demonstrator so you can always see the ink levels.

What can I say, I don't have enough words to praise this system. Despite all this you will still think I'm crazy when I am going to tell you that I used a syringe to fill this pen. Yes, I know, that's sacrilege, but I happen to think that using a syringe is way less messy than dipping the whole section in ink. Not only does it prevent a mess, but it is also more economical because no ink is wasted and the ink bottle won't be contaminated with who-knows-what when you dip the pen in it.

Nib and feed

In classic Noodler's tradition, the Ahab sports an ebonite feed but this time it is much larger than previous pens, and so is the nib. The nib, in fact, is humongous. It has the same general design as the original Noodler's flex: the nib is split along more than half of its length, and it doesn't have a breather hole. This design allows it to flex, despite being made from steel. Steel, unfortunately, doesn't flex as easily as gold but you can't have gold in a $20 pen, can you?

Whatever Nathan did with this nib, it worked, because it seems to flex more easily than the previous pen. Here's a comparison between the nibs and feeds for the two pens, first with the feed shown from above...

and then with the feed shown from below.

Notice how much larger both of them are. One interesting thing I've noticed about the feed is that the large central groove on the top side is not centered. I was afraid this might have a negative effect on ink flow but I shouldn't have worried.

At the end of the big feed is a hole which takes a thin breather tube. This tube will fit inside the piston rod when it is pushed all the way down. It helps draw ink into the rod when filling with ink. Removing the breather tube apparently has no effect on ink flow, as reported by other users of the Ahab.

There's one more thing that I would like to mention, and it's about how the nib and feed are inserted into the section. As before, they are friction fit. Previous models, however, did not offer any means of helping you align the two. The Ahab, though also friction fit, has a small groove cut in the section that helps you align the nib and feed by allowing them to be inserted only in a certain position. Notice the following image:

The nib goes above the two arrows (the smaller arc), while the feed goes below (the larger arc). This is a great feature because it was always hard to get the perfect alignment before. I discovered it entirely by chance while cleaning the pen for the first time.

As usual, you can adjust the depth of the nib and feed inside the section, which modulates the flow of the ink.

Once again, I applaud the simple, yet well thought design of the section, nib and feed.

Writing experience

But how does it write? I'm happy to report that the Noodler's Ahab flex pen writes very well.

You can use it entirely without flexing the nib one bit, and it will produce a smooth line between a fine and a medium. I would go as far as to compare it to a Japanese fine.

The ink flow is very good and there's no skipping whatsoever. More importantly, the nib is very smooth, without the slightest trace of scratch. Compared to the previous flex, the Ahab managed to surprise me with another feature: it doesn't seem to dry up after prolonged rest. I can pick it up after two days of inactivity and it will start right away. That's great news considering that the ink would actually dry up in the old piston-filler type pens, in just a few short days.

Yes but does it flex? Let's get one thing straight: the Ahab is not a wet noodle. That would be beyond the reach of a $20 pen with a steel nib. Having said that, it does flex fairly well, although you will need a bit of practice until you can get comfortable with it. Remember: apply pressure on the downstroke, release on the upstroke.

It's very subtle but it feels that the Ahab's nib is more willing to bend than the first Noodler's flex. It also feels that the tines spread just a hair more, producing a larger variation.

I mentioned that the flow is very good, and this is also true while flexing. Occasionally, however, you might end up starving the nib of ink. This usually happen if you write too quickly and the tines are spread too much. To correct, slow down a little. Writing with a flex nib is not a speed competition but rather a calculated, deliberate endeavor.

One other thing that requires mentioning is that it is highly advisable to clean your Ahab well before using it for the first time. Take it apart and wash all the components (particularly the piston/section/nib/feed) with soapy water (use a couple of drops of dishwashing detergent) and let it soak in that water for a while. Draw some soapy water inside the piston, expel, repeat several times. Finally, rinse everything well with clean water and let it dry. You can even use a little ammonia solution instead of (or in addition to) soapy water.

Why is this important? Because in many cases there are machining oils left on the internal components of a brand new pen. These oils will prevent the ink from flowing properly and you will get poor ink flow. It's all preventable though, just follow the steps I outlined above.

Wrap-up

I have nothing but praise for Noodler's Ahab flex pen. For the very low price of $20 this pen has managed to attain fountain pen Nirvana. There is nothing wrong that I can find with it, because everything was done right. The light but wholesome body, the good balance, the elegant silver trim on the cap along with the interesting clip, the excellent large capacity filling mechanism and the smooth nib... all these conspire to make for a wonderful writing instrument that simply cannot be defeated at this price point, especially if you consider that this is an actual flex pen! If I were to nitpick, I could complain that it isn't a wet noodle but that would be disingenuous because there are simply no cheap wet noodles on the market today.

While the extra $6 for the Ahab compared to the original flex pen might seem like a premium to someone on a budget, believe me when I tell you that this pen is light years ahead, in every way imaginable. In fact I would be surprised if Noodler's Ink continued to produce the older pens. I hope they go the way of the dodo because the Ahab is to that one what humans are to chimps.

Here's a sample written on Clairefontaine 90g paper in Noodler's Nikita ink. This ink doesn't shade, unfortunately, but it is very bright and shows off the line variation well.

Ahab in da house!

I just wanted to brag about my new Noodler's Ahab flex nib fountain pen! I actually got it a couple of days ago but I only managed to photograph it today. I also inked it up and "test drove" it a little. My preliminary conclusion is that it's even better value than the original Noodler's Flex Pen I reviewed in my last post. Stay tuned for a full review!

Noodler's Flex Pen v2 review

The Noodler's Flex Pen I am reviewing today is the most inexpensive fountain pen with a flexible nib on the market today. At $14 no other flex pen comes close. Not only that, but the overwhelming majority of fountain pen makers do not want to produce pens with flex nibs, probably because those pens belong to a bygone era. Well, the truth is there simply isn't a big market for them nowadays.

I am calling my pen "v2" not because it's an official designation but because it is part of the second large batch of flex pens produced by Noodler's Ink. Between the two batches there was a long delay of many months in which people were driven to distraction because they couldn't get their flex pen fix.

As far as I know, the only thing that differentiates pens from batch 1 and 2 is the fact that batch 1 pens needed to have their feed heat-set by hand, while the second batch improved the manufacturing process such that manual setting wasn't needed. This also allowed these pens to be produced quicker, eliminating the shortage.

Body and materials

Noodler's Flex Pens are identical to their piston fillers. Same body, same materials, both use a piston filling mechanism. The only things that differ are the nib and feed. For that reason, I will direct you to my previous review of Noodler's piston filler where you can read all about the body, since the same observations apply here.

Something must be said about the materials used. My piston filler was a clear demonstrator while the flex pen is an opaque blue with white swirls which Noodler's calls Lapis Inferno. It's quite a nice color; the blue is vibrant and cheerful. Having said that, I believe that the plastic used in flex is different than the piston filler.

The piston filler is made from some sort of "vegetal resin", which also gives it a very pungent smell (or stench if you will). The smell goes away after a while. I didn't notice the Lapis Inferno pen having such a powerful smell. At any rate, I cleaned it with rubbing alcohol to kill the smell in the crib.

The material of the blue pen also seems a bit rubbery to me, in contrast with the demonstrator which gave me some trouble and ended up in the trash. Note to self: don't soak Noodler's pens in ammonia solution for extended periods of time.

Nib and feed

The nib and feed of the flex pen are different than those in the piston filler. Both feeds are made from ebonite  but the one on the flex pen is longer and has an additional ink channel on the front. Is the extra length meant to give improved flow as more of the feed sits inside the section? Perhaps.

The nib on the flex pen is split down the middle all the way into the section and apparently this is what helps it flex. It doesn't have a breather hole like the nib on the piston filler.

Ink flow is good - once you get the pen started. This seems to be the one problem that Noodler's piston fillers/flex pens suffer from: the ink tends to dry up in it if you don't use it for a longer period of time.

The trick with Noodler's pens is that you can easily adjust ink flow, something that much more expensive fountains pen don't allow. My understanding is that for more flow the feed must be deeper inside the section. For less, more of the feed needs to be outside.

This is a pen that requires experimentation to get the best out of it. Try moving the feed in or out of the section. Then try doing the same with the nib. Vary the distance between the tip of the feed and the tip of the nib. The beauty of it is that you can do all this on the fly, with the pen inked up. Grab a bit of paper towel or a rag, pull out nib and feed, adjust distances, stick them back in. Rinse and repeat until you get the perfect flow.

Writing experience

This being a flex pen, the line drawn by the nib varies in width between 1/4mm to almost 2mm. I don't believe you can push it beyond 2mm because at that point railroading starts to appear. Railroading is the term that describes the situation where the tines are so far spread apart that the feed can't supply ink to the nib anymore, creating 2 parallel lines instead of 1 continuous, thick line.

At the fine setting (un-flexed) the nib is reasonably smooth but to me it seems just a tad less so than the piston filler.

Using a fountain pen with a flex nib is quite an art and I will admit that I am less than a beginner. But one thing I've learned even before I got the pen is to only apply pressure on the down-stroke, while releasing pressure on the up-stroke. With this technique, even my poor handwriting seems to acquire such a special quality that it can almost be confused with calligraphy by someone who doesn't know any better.

A word needs to be said about the stiffness of the nib. In a flex pen, I've learned, this is very important. Though I have no prior experience with flex pens, I have heard a lot about the so-called "wet noodles" (and by the way, the Waterman 52 in that link is one of the pens I dream of) and this nib ain't it. A wet noodle is a nib which flexes very easily under the slightest pressure (or rather the tines spread very easily), also giving a lot of variation. A very nice wet noodle can produce a line which varies in width between a hair's thickness to 3mm or so. So Noodler's Flex pen requires a fair amount of pressure. I will have to admit that if I use it for more than a few minutes at a time my forearm starts to tire from the constant pressure. On the other hand I have a suspicion that my faulty technique is to blame.

The Noodler's Flex pen requires a bit of practice until it starts to feel natural. As I said, the nib requires some degree of pressure and it may not seem very satisfying at the beginning. When I first started using it I wondered what the big fuss was about. After practicing with it for a longer period, I started to get the hang of it.

Wrap-up

Noodler's Flex pen is, hands down, the most affordable fountain pen with a flexible nib on the market today. If you are curious to explore calligraphy using a flexible nib, there is no better option, unless you are willing to spend a few hundred dollars for a vintage pen. You could also go the cheaper route and use a nib holder and a special calligraphy nib but that route is not as easy as just loading a fountain pen with ink and not worrying about the ink running out every few strokes. Writing with a flex nib can be a lot of fun but I wouldn't use such a pen in an office or business setting. Personally I can't write quickly enough with this pen, perhaps also because the nib doesn't flex so easily.

As I write this, there is already a second inexpensive flex fountain pen on the market: Noodler's Ahab. In fact, the one I ordered has just arrived today in the mail and I will review it as soon as time permits. While the Ahab isn't much more expensive, at $20, the original $14 flex pen is a steal. One of these pens is a must in any fountain pen collector's stash.

Here are a couple of samples that I wrote using the Noodler's Flex. Both samples are from my reviews of J Herbin Gris Nuage and Noodler's Hunter Green.

3rd Goulet Pens haul

The past week has been the "week of the Noodler's flex pen" it seems. Goulet Pens, in particular, was assaulted by orders for the latest batch of Noodler's flex fountain pens and I was one of the lucky ones who managed to get their hands on a Noodler's flex in Lapis Inferno (aka blue with white swirls).

The title of this post is a bit dishonest because I've combined two orders into one post but that's only because the first order only contained ink samples plus a few notebooks (and this is not a blog for notebooks and paper), while the second order had another batch of ink samples, plus the 3 pens.

Here's what this order contained:

Pens:

• Noodler's Flex in Lapis Inferno
• Pilot Parallel 3.8mm
• Pilot Parallel 6.0mm

Ink samples:

• Diamine China Blue
• Diamine Coral
• Diamine Prussian Blue
• J. Herbin Bleu Azur
• J. Herbin Diabolo Menthe
• J. Herbin Vert Pre
• Lamy Red
• Noodler's Baystate Blue
• Noodler's Bernanke Blue
• Noodler's Fox Red
• Noodler's Georgia Peach HL
• Noodler's GI Green
• Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng
• Noodler's Mandalay Maroon
• Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia
• Noodler's Polar Green
• Noodler's Shah's Rose
• Noodler's Dragon's Napalm
• Noodler's Firefly Yellow HL
• Noodler's Hunter Green
• Noodler's Year of the Golden Pig HL
• Private Reserve Daphne Blue
• Private Reserve Electric DC Blue
• Private Reserve Invincible Aqua Blue
• Private Reserve Invincible Black
• Sailor Jentle Apricot
• Sailor Jentle Grenade

Just a quick word about the Noodler's flex pen. I like the color and I'm glad I picked it instead of another. It also happened that the blue pens were the second most popular after the clear ones. I believe I have loaded the pen with the wrong ink because I used a very light gray which may not be the best option for a flex nib. Though I wasn't expecting much from this pen, at this point I'm not particularly impressed with its flexible nib. I'll have to play some more with it before I can review it though.

From the looks of it, I'll have enough ink samples to review for the next year. Can't wait to use them all!

How to destroy a Noodler's piston filler fountain pen

In my review of Noodler's North African Violet ink, I promised I would tell you the story of how I managed to destroy my Noodler's piston filler fountain pen.

It is a sad story but life is sometimes like that and we can only learn from such tragedies.

The saga started when I used North African Violet in my Noodler's demonstrator. I did notice that the ink was staining the interior of the pen but I thought nothing of it.

I believe I had a hand in destroying this pen because I left the ink in it to dry. Unfortunately, I've come to realize that Noodler's fountain pens aren't very well designed. Ink either leaks if you store the pen with the nib pointing down, or it dries up if you store it in any other way.

Truth is, I just had a few drops left in it, that's why it probably dried like that. In about 2 weeks the ink was gone.

I tried cleaning the pen in the usual way, by removing the nib and feed and flushing the inside with water. That didn't work. It was clear that North African Violet likes to stain.

The next step was to disassemble the piston and dunk the piston assembly and the barrel in an ammonia solution overnight. That didn't help either. I barely managed to get a tiny bit of purple stain off.

Next, I used a q-tip with rubbing alcohol on the inside of the barrel. This helped a little but the plastic was still stained almost as bad as before.

Finally, I decided to soak the barrel and piston assembly in a more concentrated ammonia solution and I left it there for a couple of days. When I took the barrel out, not only was it still stained but it was ruined.

I immediately noticed that the plastic material of the barrel had developed some tiny bubbles and a very thin layer of plastic seemed to be peeling off. I guess the ammonia had dissolved the resin from which the pen is made. Worse, when I tried to re-assemble the piston, I couldn't. It wouldn't fit through the barrel anymore.

It looked like the barrel had shrunk. Moreover, it was bent out of shape. I had placed the barrel in a small bowl filled with the ammonia solution and I suspect that it sagged in the middle while supported at each end by the sides of the bowl. I didn't know that ammonia could be so nasty.

So now I'm left with a useless fountain pen and I don't think there's anything left to do that can save it. You can tell from photo how badly the barrel is affected.

After all this, I'm still not sure what single factor contributed to the destruction of my Noodler's fountain pen. I admit that I'm largely to blame for letting the ink dry and then soaking it for too long in the concentrated ammonia solution but at least I will know better next time and I hope others will see this as a cautionary tale and avoid the same mistakes I made.

Noodler's Piston Filler fountain pen review

Noodler's is first and foremost known for their awesome, inexpensive inks that are Made in the USA (for now). I'm a big fan of these inks but when I learned that Nathan, Noodler's owner and operator, also tried his hand at creating a cheap piston filler fountain pen, I had to have it. I will spare you the history of how this pen came about and all that because I'm sure you've heard it before from better sources and in more detail.

Nathan wanted to prove that an inexpensive fountain pen can be... made entirely in the USA hmm... sold... and he has more or less reached his goal but, as you will see, there are still some nagging issues that prevent it from being the absolute best option under $20. Speaking of price, the piston fillers are currently $14.

Noodler's piston filler is on the thin-and-light side. Mine is a transparent demonstrator. I love demonstrators so if a fountain pen comes in both opaque and transparent, I'll probably end up getting the transparent one in most cases. I just love seeing the color of the ink and the fountain pen's internals.

Here are some dimensions for those interested:
length capped: 13cm  (5 3/16")
length uncapped: 12cm (4 3/4")
cap length: 5.5cm (2 1/4")
length posted: 14cm (5 1/2")

Though the body is thin, it is not as thin as the Sailor HighAce Neo. As a result, it is more comfortable to hold. It is also not as shiny as the Sailor, which again makes for a good holding experience. The cap is a screw-on and it's something I like because I don't have to worry that it might fall off. It takes 1.5 turns to unscrew.

The pen tapers down to the piston knob but despite this, the cap can be securely posted on this end because it isn't actually held by the knob itself but rather it goes beyond it and catches on the barrel.

Apart from the looks, one of the first things that will assault your senses when you unbox one of these Noodler's fountain pens is a powerful chemical smell which emanates from the material the pen is made from (vegetal resin from what I hear). I haven't smelled this in any pen before but I knew what to expect because everybody else had complained about it. Don't worry though, in a few weeks most of the smell goes away. Some people have mentioned washing the pen thoroughly with water and soap and perhaps surgical alcohol.

One of Nathan's goals with these pens was that he wanted them to be easy to maintain and he accomplished this by allowing the user to disassemble them to their basest components. Self-maintenance is always a desired featured and, in my case, it came in handy right at the beginning because the nib and feed weren't aligned properly. No problem. I pulled both of them out using my fingers, re-aligned them and then stuck nib and feed back into the section. Since the nib/feed combo is friction-held inside the section, this is easy to do.

I haven't taken apart the piston mechanism but that is also doable if one desires to do so. Removing the nib and feed also comes in handy when cleaning the pen because you don't have to flush it a dozen times by only using the piston. Instead, you can just pour water inside the wide opening in the section and flush it this way.

The nib is a generic steel affair with the words "Noodler's Ink Co" embossed on it. It is not a flex nib, of course. The width is given as a rather ambiguous  M/F but I find that it writes in between these two designations. The feed is rather interesting, being made from ebonite, which I hear is always a good thing.

I've now arrived at one of the major disadvantages of Noodler's fountain pens. This pen cannot be stored with the nib pointing down because it slowly leaks ink. I've been lucky to notice this behavior with the demonstrator because an opaque cap would have left me oblivious until all the ink had drained out. You can still see tiny drops of green ink in the cap, in the photo below. To be fair, this isn't the only fountain pen which leaks ink if stored like this but it is certainly the worst example. I used to store my pens with the nib downward so they would start right away but since I caught my Noodler's leaking, I've flipped them all around.



One other thing that bugs me, but I can't quite put my finger on it, is the impression that ink evaporates from this pen. Maybe I'm just hallucinating but until someone else confirms or denies it, I'm stuck with my suspicions. There's a breather hole in the cap and I covered this with scotch tape and now I'm imagining that the ink isn't evaporating so quickly. Again, maybe I'm spouting rubbish but if you have experienced a similar issue with yours, drop me a line.

Before I get to the writing experience, let me mention one other annoying thing. This fountain pen tends to dry up rather quickly and it takes some time to get it started. Often I will have to twist the piston knob to get some fresh ink on the nib before it will even consider writing. I guess that's the price you pay for simplicity of design.

The nib, as mentioned, is somewhere between a fine and a medium. In fact it is almost exactly like a Japanese medium, like the Pilot Prera I reviewed a while back. Once the pen starts, inkflow is consistent and I would put it on the wet side. Writing feels very smooth and it's certainly up there with my best writers. There's no skipping and no scratchiness whatsoever. It doesn't quite match the dime-a-dozen Noodler's eyedropper creaper which is included with Noodler's Nikita but that pen is helped to a large extent by the flexibility of its nib. Speaking of which, I'm seriously wondering if the nib/feed can be transplanted between these two pens.

My major regret in buying the Noodler's piston filler is that I didn't opt for the flex nib variant. At the time I bought mine, the flex nibs were in stock. Now, alas, it's impossible to get one. I'm sure a flex nib would improve on the good points even more.

To summarize, Noodler's piston filler fountain pen is probably the most inexpensive piston-fill pen on the market and one of its major strengths is the fact that you can completely disassemble it for cleaning, maintenance and adjustment. Likewise, the nib and feed can be adjusted to change ink flow. If you can put up with a few annoyances such as the strong initial smell, the dripping ink and the slow start, the smooth writing should convince you to give this pen a try.

The two writing samples I've included are done on photocopier paper and a Staples journal (which I'm discontinuing starting with my next ink review), in J Herbin Vert Olive. I'm not sure this is the best ink with which to test how a fountain pen writes but hopefully my next review will showcase an ink better suited to the task, which was also loaded in this pen.

Here are some videos by Nathan Tardiff, explaining how to:

- adjust the nib and feed

- repair and restore a piston filler

Noodler's nib creaper eyedropper fountain pen review

If you're wondering what a "Noodler's creaper fountain pen" is, I don't blame you because currently you can't buy this fountain pen from any store (online or not) on its own. This pen is included with certain inks and mine accompanied the 4.5oz bottle of Noodler's Nikita.

These pens come in several colors depending on the ink. Watch the video below where Nathan, the owner of Noodler's, explains which pen is found in which ink.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aVXYsZ476w

To summarize, it seems that these are the permutations:

red - Nikita
yellow - Dragon's Napalm
blue/green - Polar Blue / Borealis Black
gray - Lexington Gray

My own pen is red, just like the Nikita ink. It's not a flat red but it has light and dark swirls and the plastic is actually translucent, if you hold it to the light. Being an eyedropper, it has a huge transparent reservoir. On the side of the transparent barrel the words "Noodler's Ink" are embossed.

In true Noodler's fashion, this pen stinks when brand new. The smell is hard to describe and it seems that everyone has their own opinion about what it reminds them of. I will keep my opinion to myself. The smell comes from the plastic material used but it goes away after a few weeks so it's not such a big deal for me.

There isn't a lot you can expect from a free fountain pen included with an ink bottle and this particular model turns out to be the cheapest looking pen in my collection. The finish is really bad and the only decently looking feature (apart from the nib) is the silver trim on the cap.

Being entirely made out of cheap plastic, the pen is on the light side. The body is thicker in the middle and tapers at both ends.

Moving on to the cap, I appreciate that it is a screw-on design. I like screw-on caps because I don't have to force them off and on. The cap unscrews in exactly 1 turn and it posts securely. I don't use it posted though.

As mentioned, the fact that the pen is an eyedropper gives it huge capacity and makes it easy to fill with ink. I inked mine up with Nikita, of course, using the integrated eyedropper.

Noodler's fountain pens are known for the way they can be taken apart and this one is no exception. You can easily extract the nib and feed for cleaning, adjusting or aligning and you can even remove the clip from the cap if you so wish.

One big negative that I've noticed in both my Noodler's fountain pens (I also have a piston filler) is that I can't store these pens with the nib pointing down for a longer time (for example overnight) because they both drip ink into the cap. I've only noticed this effect thanks to my other pen which is a demonstrator. Afterward I watched for it happening in the Nikita pen. They both suffer from the same affliction. The solution is, of course, to store them with the nib pointing up.

Here's where the other problem occurs. The ink which is so eager to drip out, is just a eager to drain back into the pen, drying out the nib and feed. This means that after storing the pen for a while, it takes some time to get it started back up again. My method is to gently shake it up and down but not too hard because then it will spit drops of ink on my desk or paper.

You'd be forgiven to think at this point that these fountain pens from Noodler's are too much trouble and not worth the hassle but here's where things are finally turning around. The nib on this cheap pen is great. It easily rivals the nibs on my more expensive pens.

The "creaper" designation is, from my understanding, a play on the word "creeper" which in turn means that the nib exhibits creep. Nib creep refers to ink coming out from between the tines and staining the nib on an almost permanent basis. It seems that nibs without breathing holes, such as this one, are prone to this effect. Ironically, mine doesn't seem to have a lot of creep. Nonetheless, this ink is unique in my collection both for the lack of a breathing hole and also for the way it flexes.

Whoa, hang on for a second! Did I just say that this nib flexes? Well, just to get this disclaimer out of the way, it is by no means a true flex nib and it is not, I repeat, NOT, the same nib as on the actual Noodler's flex pens, although it looks very similar.

Here's the actual flex nib as comparison.

Still, this nib is the flexiest one I have, despite being made of steel. The nib itself is probably an F though there is no official designation. It does write fine indeed and if you press hard, you can get some line variation but only on the downstrokes. Although it springs back to its original form, I wouldn't advise flexing it on a regular basis. Again, it is NOT a true flex nib.

I don't know if it's the flexy nature of the nib but it writes very smoothly and the ink flow is excellent (after you've got it started). It lays down a very nice and wet line. You can actually see the ink glistening between the tines and between the nib and feed, which is always a good thing in my book. The nib is smoother than the Sailor HighAce Neo F I reviewed and almost on par with the TWSBI Diamond 530 (review to come). It just glides across the paper with the least effort.

A word about the feed. I believe it is ebonite. I've been conditioned to think that ebonite = a good thing so I'll leave it at that.

To summarize, this fountain pen has a bunch of drawbacks and one big benefit which more than makes up for all the negatives.

Negatives:

• poor build quality
• stinky smell for a while
• ink drips from the nib if stored nib-down
• takes a long time to start if stored nib-up
• spits ink if shaken too hard

Positives:

• screw-on cap
• huge ink capacity
• easily disassembled
• nib is incredibly smooth, with good flow and a wet line, and slightly flexy to boot!

I do not advise anyone to carry this pen around, unless it's clipped in a breast pocket but even then it could be risky. Instead, it makes a good desk companion. I use mine mostly for drawing and it's a pleasure every time.

If you are curious about this fountain pen, the only way you can get your hands on a new one is by buying one of the aforementioned inks. I was glad that my bottle of Nikita came with this pen. It is certainly more unique than the Platinum Preppys these large bottles usually come with and it writes much better as well. So if you ever have it in your plan to buy one or more of these inks, do give it a try. I'm sure you won't regret it.

Next, I'm reattaching the samples from my Nikita review, which were written with this pen.

1st Goulet Pens haul

With this post I'm almost up to date with blogging about my fountain pen and ink purchases. I know that I should probably review what I already have but since some of the pens I got at the beginning were filled with inks that I got later, I wanted to outline these purchases first.

Goulet Pens is a wonderful business run by a couple who are passionate about inks and fountain pens: Brian and Rachel Goulet. Their customer service is outstanding and they give a personal touch to each transaction that is almost unmatched in today's corporate-controlled market. What attracted me to Goulet Pens apart from the stories of excellent customer care was the fact that they offer a complete range of Noodler's inks (well, at least the ones that are currently being produced). Since I have quickly become a big fan of Noodler's inks, the Goulet store was the obvious place to shop.

This first haul was a significant one, if not necessarily in terms of cost, then definitely in terms of items.

Going from left to right and top to bottom, I have the following:

A 4.5oz bottle of Noodler's Nikita ink. I wanted a red ink and, after reading a bunch of reviews, this one seemed perfect, especially since it comes with an actual Noodler's fountain pen. The artwork on the bottle is a hoot.

A 3oz bottle of Noodler's Gruene Cactus Eel ink. This would become my "main" green ink. I planned to use this in the Sailor HighAce Neo fountain pen that I discussed in my previous post regarding my 2nd JetPens haul.

A bottle of J Herbin 1670 Anniversary Rouge Hematite ink, or in other words, another red ink. This is my most expensive ink to date and I decided to buy it despite the cost due to its unique bottle and even more unique shading properties. Oh and also because it is supposed to be a limited edition and I didn't want to miss out on it.

A bottle of Diamine Orange ink. I struggled a lot with the many choices one has when deciding what orange ink to buy and all I can say for now is that I don't regret buying this ink one tiny bit. In fact my very next review is likely to be of this ink.

A bottle of J Herbin Vert Olive. I wanted a lighter shade of green that I would use more for shading when drawing. Yeah, I'm not an artist but I sometimes pretend to be one.

A J Herbin glass dip pen. I bought this pen because I thought it would make it easier for me to quickly sample an ink without having to ink up a fountain pen. In this aspect it is very useful. On the other hand its writing qualities aren't much to speak of.

Next is the Noodler's fountain pen which came with the 4.5oz bottle of Noodler's Nikita ink. This is an interesting pen because not many people know about it. Usually Noodler includes Platinum Preppys in their 4.5oz bottles but this is an exception. This fountain pen is also an eyedropper so I promptly filled it with Nikita ink. It also has a "creaper" nib which in Noodlerspeak means that the nib doesn't have a breather hole.

Finally, there's my first true Noodler's fountain pen with a piston filling system. It has a non-flex nib and in retrospect I regret not getting the flex nib for the same price, especially since now they have been (and will continue to be) out of stock for a long time. In the photo it is filled with J Herbin Vert Olive ink.

I won't give any spoilers but suffice to say that after using all of the above for a few weeks, I am nothing but pleased with each and every one of them. To tell the truth, the dip pen is the only thing over which I'm not ecstatic, but given the choice, I would buy it all over again.

Rest assured that I will review each and every one of these purchases going forward, if all goes well. In fact, the next review that I have scheduled is for the Diamine Orange ink, so stay tuned.