Noodler's PENS

[RHVette]

We've all heard of Noodler's and I doubt there's a single person out there who's had a bad experience with their inks, but has anyone tried one of their pens? I've never seen these before, but the price is right and I definitely trust their ink. http://www.noodlersink.com/ebonite.html http://www.noodlersink.com/pistonFill.html Personally, I like the ebonite one more, but they're both pretty nice.

[Scooterman]

I have the greenish ebonite one. I'm not real crazy about it. It seems harder to start after not being used for a day. I like my Pelikan or Lamy Safari better. I do love their ink!

[orchestrion]

I have the piston filler in burgundy and while it's only my second fountain pen after a Hero 616, I enjoy it a lot. It does take a bit to start up after not writing with it for a day or so but for the price ($14.00) I think it's an exceptional value. It's designed to be easy to take apart and clean and the piston fill system is simple and effective. I'd say give it a try!

[Epicurean]

I also have the burgandy piston fill. When I got it and filled it it wrote very wet. I pulled the feed and nib ad reset them. The pens are designed to be very simple work on. I got mine writing very well (almost to dry).
They are also designed to take any #2 nib so the pen is very versatil. It can be a note taker or a calligrapher.

The two downsides I have had with mine have been,
A) it takes some work to get a full pen while filling it. I have to fill it, turn it nib up, twist the piston closed some and then refill
B) If it rides in my pocket all day without being used then it is hard to start and may take a twist on the piston to resaturate the feed.

Over all I don't think it is a bad pen for 15 bucks.

Oh yeah. They stink for a few days after you get them.

[Groat]

I have one, a demonstrator piston fill, and I really don't like it. First of all, it stunk to high heaven for weeks, making it unsuitable to take out of the house. It was only after a nice long bath in ammonia that the smell has subsided. Second, the pen is tiny. I find it too small and thin to use comfortably for any period of time. I find the function of the pen lacking, as well. They dry out and become hard starters extremely easily because they have a breather hole in the cap. I found the nib to be too toothy for my tastes as well.

I do have a couple good things to say, though. I've found that it's easy to take apart to clean. The piston only requires the use of a Q-Tip to remove. The nib and feed come out pretty easily, so you can customize it to your liking.

My advice (for any new FP user especially) would be to skip the Noodler's pens and get something like a Safari instead. The TWSBI is another option; at $40 it's an amazing deal for a piston fill pen.

[bythbook]

I have a bunch of 'em (I fell for the flexible nib innovation!) - as much as I want to love 'em, I don't. They are hard to start - and I find the piston filler sticky and a pain.

I have had somewhat better luck with the freebie eyedropper pens (Noodler converts 'em from some other maker) included with big eyedropper bottles of Noodler inks. One of them is a dream to write with - starts always and is very smooth; a second is a little less smooth, has a finer line and doesn't always start right up (I keep Bay State Blue in that one, so...); the third had a flexible nib & was impossible from the start - that went in the trash.


edit: I forgot about the ebonite eyedropper I have - it is a pleasure to write with - the weight is nice, a good diameter - but it starts hard & I haven't inked it in a while. (Maybe I'll fire it up next week....)

[mark the shoeshine boy]

Any one of you would like to sell one of your pens for me to try, let me know.

thanks,

mark

[DunEdinRanger]

I have the blue piston fill and the Christmas flexible nib. Never had a problem with the blue one but the flex nib is a bit picky if you haven't used. It in a while.

[RHVette]

So it looks like the reviews are pretty mixed and leaning towards the cool side. Thanks. I'll probably just use the money I would have wasted on them to get my old Sheaffer up and running properly.

[LouieGrandie]

Any one of you would like to sell one of your pens for me to try, let me know.

thanks,

mark

Mark I have a few Chinese pens that I am not currently using and I will be happy to give you one if you will PM me your mailing address.