Noodlers Ahab Fountain Pens Reviews

So glad I finally got one of these! It's very comfortable to hold and so smooth to write with. The resin has a really nice feel too. Yes, it smells funny... two weeks later it still smells somewhat but I don't care! I love writing with it and am really glad I finally bought one (probably the first of many).

I like the flex nib and the color is pretty, but I can’t get over the smell. The pen smells like vomit. I’ve tried washing it and disinfecting it and curing it under UV and nothing has lessened the smell. I had heard that Noodlers pens have an odor, but hadn’t realized it would smell like THAT. Yuck.

Got the Ahab in Truk Lagoon; mine looks bluer and cloudier than the picture. Thankfully, my pen worked right away (I did flush it with water first, as per the instructions). I'm new to flex pens, but I was having fun with this in no time! I love how it's so versatile: you can use the piston converter (with or without the breather tube), eyedropper it, or use refillable cartridges; you can switch out the nib with any #6 nib; you can adjust the flow and the flex by repositioning the nib and the feed....

I've already ordered another Ahab to use with a Jinhao #6 fude nib :)

I've nearly one in every color and two or even three in some. I stand by my initial feeling after my very first purchase when they hit the market - they are the most fun you can have with a flex pen for under $25. I'm still buying them and replacing nibs on originals when needed all these later. If you haven't tried one, shame on you. I've taught children and adults alike the fun of writing with flex and they've all thanked me for it.

These are the famous, or infamous, Noodler's pens people in the hobby talk and get flustered about. The pens are made of an Indian vegetal resin that gives them that wispy look and color. Also makes them quite lightweight which means a lot to a writer and are quite comfortable to hold, Filling system is through a piston type converter which is proprietary so no international anything for these pens. With this also comes a bit of smell from the resin used. Some have more problems witht that than others. It does dissipate. The nib is where the work can come in because these bad boys have ebonite feeds and a flex nib. They can be somewhat temperamental and may require slight movements of nib and feed to work properly. Make them great pens for those that tinker and desire an introduction to the world of flex. I have set mine up as a daily writer and it does an excellent job. As a beginner pen, it could pose some trouble. But for those with a little experience and some desire, you really need at least one. Here at Pen Chalet the price is also unbeatble.

This is my second Noodler's pen. I also own an ebonite Konrad I bought from Pen Chalet as well. I found I had tons of trouble with the flex nib in the Konrad and after much fighting, gave up and put a different one in. When this pen went on sale I decided to give the flex nibs a try again and picked an Ahab up. I have been pleasantly surprised with the nib this time and have had no problems with it so far. It's not what I would consider truly flexible, of course, but it is certainly a semi-flex with decent line variation.

As to the pen's functionality; It works fine and holds a nice amount of ink, but I can definitely attest to the "Noodler's Odor™!" The vegetal resin has an odd, semi-chemical, semi-burnt smell that never fully goes away. I also wish the pen had an outward swell at the end of the section. I hold pens with my fingertips right at the end of section near the feed and I wind up with ink-stains almost every time I use the Ahab. A bit of a ridge or flare would be a welcome finger-stop. The section diameter is comfortable for me, I just slide down the pen and wind up in the feed.

Aesthetically I think the pen is fairly pedestrian-looking. It's perfectly functional, I just don't find it terribly attractive personally. And the weirdly humped clip is just strange. It's far, far more protuberant than, say, a vintage Sheaffer's Balance humped clip. It works OK, it just looks very odd to me.

I'm happy to have found a working Noodler's flex nib and I do keep this pen in my EDC rotation, but I think I like the look and functionality of the Konrad a bit more.

I really like this pen. I did clean it with some dish soap and water, used a toothbrush to clean the feed, and heat set the feed and nib when it first came. Now it works very well and I enjoy the flex. Also, the shipping speed and service from Pen Chalet was great.

Looked so much nicer in the picture. Don't get me wrong - it is pretty, but it is also plastic feeling. The price is probably the best indicator. I have purchased hand-turned resin pens for more and they are gorgeous, have a nice heft to them and a depth in the body's color(s) that make them hard not to love. This is more of a daily pen.

This is a very good fountain pen with flex nib. Smooth on the paper; a delight to write with.

This pen holds loads of ink, but I found it messy to use. The grip doesn't have a little flare before the nib which allows the ink to creep onto your fingers. Other than that, as a sketch pen it's ok. Quick enough.