Nooder's Konrad releases this week

[oc_in_fw]

I actually find it very interesting given the shaving focus of this board that there seems to be more criticism of the Noodler's pens here than on FPN. By the same token, it probably makes sense. If I understand how you guys shave, it's a lot of hassle I wouldn't want to get into (I'm a full beard type of guy) but it's hassle you have chosen because it gives you pleasure. Some people fix up motorcycles for pleasure or keep bonsai trees. Some people shave the way you guys shave. Still others make a hobby out of collecting inks, fixing up vintage pen finds, or even messing around with low end pens which is what I think very much describe the Noodler's pens but also include things like Wality, Hero, Serwex, Kaigelu, Chelpark, orJinhao.

In the end, people just have different expectations about their hobbies. If you're coming at the Noodler's pen from the perspective of what is common at FPN for a new user: the student who bought a Pilot Varsity and wants something better for next school year, that's not the Noodler's pen. The Noodler's pen is for two demographics, I think:

1) Artists (as seen by the art contest and a lot of relatively unexpected to me Noodler's retailers)
2) Hobbyists

Other people on the whole just aren't going to be as satisfied with these pens. My impression of artists is that they are accustomed to putting work into their tools as a necessary evil of their hobby. Those of us who just love pens are also signed up for that type of thing.

I ride a 30 year old HD- I expect to work on it from time to time, not every damn time I hop on it, though.

[Chadtheguru]

Brian FINALLY has a review up. :)

http://www.inknouveau.com/2012/05/no...flex-pens.html

[Dave258]

Brian FINALLY has a review up. :)

http://www.inknouveau.com/2012/05/no...flex-pens.html

You were talked out of buying a TWSBI, but you are going to spend 25 bucks on one of those...
Good luck!

[Chadtheguru]

I think it will be fun to tinker with. And I'm confident I'll be able to pass it on if I hate it.

[ouch]

Brian FINALLY has a review up. :)

http://www.inknouveau.com/2012/05/no...flex-pens.html

I listen to a different Brian.

[Doc4]

I listen to a different Brain.

... and here I thought she was just going to be President of the USA ...

[Etoyoc_Rebmos]

Brian FINALLY has a review up. :)

http://www.inknouveau.com/2012/05/no...flex-pens.html

Despite my earlier posts, I like the tortoise look. I may just get one to tinker with and stick a knox nib in. I have no care for the flex but I like Nathan's mindset of making pens to tinker with. I may be fed up with my other noodler pens, but honestly I had fun playing with them. Seeing that Brian said the weird catch in the channel for the feed isn't there, I should be able to put other #6 nibs and feeds in with less problems.

[gaj90027]

I couldn't resist and ordered the new Roaring 20's Brown - love the look of it.

If the nib is a dud and I want to get a Knox nib - which one do I need, K26 or K35?

[jwhite]

I couldn't resist and ordered the new Roaring 20's Brown - love the look of it.

If the nib is a dud and I want to get a Knox nib - which one do I need, K26 or K35?

I cant say for sure without seeing a pen up-close, but if you have any of the others you can compare the ahab takes a k35 the piston fill takes a k26. The vendor could probably tell you which pen it shares a nib with as well.

[miatapaul]

Let's see ... I'm thinking of buying a new car that needs to go to a mechanic's shop so that I will be able to drive it, but I also may have to work on it myself every time I want to go somewhere.

We're going to pick up a new TV but the shop says to let another guy work on it first because it may not function in order for us to watch it and even then it cuts out sometimes during the show but it's a great deal.

I'm sticking with my good pens, they just work.

To me it is more like buying an old British sports car. No one expects it to be reliable, but when they run there is nothing like it. I ran through a stream of MGs, Triumph, Jensen's to know that none of them were reliable, but when they ran they were a blast. Heck I had an MG Midget in college that the longest time it went between breakdowns was less than 500 miles. I drove that car for 3 years. It was a blast to drive and I was in college living on or near campus, so the worst that happened is I did not make it home for a Sunday dinner. I knew that car from front to back and loved it. Now I got tired of the breakdowns and bought a VW it ran very well but was not nearly as much fun.

So the Ahab is like an old MG, you got to tinker with it. It is certainly not for everyone. But on the other hand you will never have as much fun in a Camry, but it will get you there. Nice thing about pens is that you don't have to have only one. So having one that takes playing with is ok in my book. I just would hate to see someone get it as there first pen!

[Artimid]

So, trying to write with this, and what I find is that if I almost barely touch the paper, it seems to dump the ink out. It writes like a medium with no pressure, and I might as well spill the ink on the paper with any minor amount. This might be going onto BST or something, not sure how well I like this.

[jwhite]

So, trying to write with this, and what I find is that if I almost barely touch the paper, it seems to dump the ink out. It writes like a medium with no pressure, and I might as well spill the ink on the paper with any minor amount. This might be going onto BST or something, not sure how well I like this.

Take a paper towel and press the feed in a mm or two at a time to reduce the flow.

[Chadtheguru]

I got mine today and I love it. It works great right out of the box. I'm not disappointed at all for the price, especially with Todd's bottle of Platinum Mix-Free thrown in!

[ddustinn]

My Konrad worked perfectly out of the box. No flushing, no adjusting, it just worked. It's not a particularly wet writer, and it will railroad if I try to flex it farther than it needs to, but with some adjustment, I think it would write as wet and wide as my Ahab. I also bought it from Fountain Pen Hospital, who had the first batch of Ebonite Konrads that had heat set feeds done personally by Nathan. I'm not really sure if mine was heat set or not, but it writes beautifully.

From what I understand, the machining oils that caused most of the flow problems for Ahabs was only used for the breather tube hole, which the Konrad does not use.

Personally, I love the fact that I own a pen that: 1) Will last for years, maybe the rest of my life, 2) Is easily repaired for often less than $1, should any parts wear out, and 3) Greatly reduces my impact on the environment, though this comes with any fountain pen.

[Jimmy James]

It is definitely the K35 for the Ahab and the Konrad. I think perhaps the xfountainpens people don't put that information on the site either for fear that they'll drive business to those pens instead of their pens or because they fear some liability. I don't know. It has been suggested to them and they haven't done it yet. I'd personally think they could do gangbuster business just becoming a Noodler's reseller and fitting the pens with their Knox nibs.

I don't think the only reason for machining oil was the breather tube hole, but I think that the breather tube hole required a LOT more machining oil in order to be drilled. I say this because the machining oil issue persists on virtually every fountain pen maker's pens from time to time save for those who test every single nib like Lamy, Pilot, or TWSBI (I think that list is accurate). Additionally, my understanding is that it was discovered that the first batch of Ahabs had feeds that were too smooth and the feeds for the Konrads and the newer Ahabs have been roughed up a bit for better flow characteristics. That may explain why people who have gone so far as to use a toothbrush on the Ahab feed have had good results.

That reminds me that apparently the Cardinal Darkness Ahab has been changed from black on red to red on black. Since there is currently a mix of old and new feed Ahabs at retailers, if you want to be 100% sure of getting an Ahab with the revised rougher feed, your best option is to buy a Cardinal Darkness Ahab from Goulet Pens because they have sold all of their earlier models and just got in a shipment of the red on black ones.

[chuckr9]

I find it fun to "play" with the Noodler pens. They are great to "test" ink sample, for making journal entries at home, and I don't worry about them.
For work, and signing Treaties, and important Contracts I still prefer my Pelikans, MB's, Visconti's, Montegrappas, etc.