on saleNoodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen - Black

Product Code N15001

In Stock

out of stock

on saleNoodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen - Black

Product Code N15001

In Stock

out of stock

$27.75
ENHANCEMENT OPTIONS
Noodler's 308 Refillable Cartridges (5-Pack)
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Noodler's 308 Refillable Cartridges (5-Pack)

Product Code N18070

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Noodler's Ahab/Konrad #6 Steel Nib - Flex
Add a Spare Nib + $7.50 Noodler's Ahab/Konrad #6 Steel Nib - Flex
Nib Type:
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Noodler's Ahab/Konrad #6 Steel Nib - Flex

Product Code N18094

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$7.50
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The Noodler's Ahab flex pen features a steel flexible #6 nib and a slide piston mechanism. If you'd like, you can even remove the piston mechanism and use the pen as an eyedropper for a massive 6ml ink capacity. This solid black Ahab is made of a celluloid derivative and is technically biodegradable and formed from a "renewable resource". The vegetal resin body of this pen may show particles or striations within the material. This is most noticeable in demonstrators and bright colors.

The Noodler's flex pens were designed for the hands-on tinkerer - they are made to be taken apart and adjusted. The nib and feed pull right out and can be adjusted and heat set for optimal performance. Don't be afraid to get a little ink on your fingers while you learn how to use this pen.

As a simple rule of thumb for writing with a flex pen, just apply slight pressure on your downstrokes, which will spread the tines and increase the line width, achieving that optimal line variation. Make sure to go slowly so that the ink can keep up with your writing. As with any flex pen, it just takes practice!

Due to the residual machining oils used when cutting the feeds for these pens, we highly encourage you to give the pen a good flush before use. We recommend any of the following options: distilled water, water with a touch of dish soap, a pre-packaged pen flush, or a solution of 10% clear ammonia to water. This should resolve most ink flow issues!

Click here to download the printable PDF instruction sheet for the Noodler's Ahab.

Condition
New
Brand
Noodler's
Type
Fountain Pens
Color
Black
Demonstrator

Whether or not the barrel of the pen is translucent, allowing you to see the ink and filling mechanism inside.

No
Body Material
Resin
Cap Rotations

For pens with a screw-cap closure, how many rotations it takes to uncap/recap the pen.

2.25
Cap Type

How the cap is opened/closed from the barrel of the pen. Some common options include Snap-Cap, Screw-Cap, Magnetic Cap, or Capless (no cap).

Screw-cap
Compatible inks & refills

Which ink this pen will accept. Choices include bottled ink and various styles of pre-filled ink cartridges.

Bottled ink
Filling Mechanism

How the pen fills with ink. Click here to watch our video tutorial on common filling mechanisms.

Eyedropper, Piston
Grip Material
Resin
Nib Size
Flex
Nib Color
Silver
Nib Material
Steel
Postable

Whether or not the cap fits securely onto the back of the barrel when open.

Yes
Retractable

Whether or not the nib/tip can retract into the body of the pen (usually for click or twist-open style pens).

No
Trim
Silver
Diameter - Body
14mm (0.6in)
Diameter - Cap (without clip)
15mm (0.6in)
Diameter - Cap (with clip)
20mm (0.8in)
Diameter - Grip (mm)

Measured from the place most people choose to rest their fingers, which varies with each pen.

9.9mm
Length - Body

The measurement from the back end of the barrel to the tip of the nib.

128mm (5in)
Length - Cap
60mm (2.4in)
Length - Nib

The measured length of the visible portion of the nib when it is installed in the pen, from grip to tip.

20mm (0.8in)
Length - Overall (Closed)
139mm (5.5in)
Length - Overall (Posted)

When the cap of the pen is posted onto the back of the pen body, this is the measurement of the entire pen including the nib.

170mm (6.7in)
Weight - Body

If a converter is included with the pen, this weight is reflected in the total.

12g (0.4oz)
Weight - Cap
6g (0.2oz)
Weight - Overall (g)
18.0g
Max Ink Capacity - Eyedropper

The maximum volume of ink that can fit in the pen when filling the entire barrel of the pen via eyedropper.

6.17ml
Max Ink Capacity - Piston Vac

The maximum volume of ink that can fit in the pen when using the built-in piston or vacuum filling mechanism.

2.00ml

Customer Reviews

Based on 87 reviews
53%
(46)
22%
(19)
15%
(13)
6%
(5)
5%
(4)
T
Timothy O.
Great for large arthritic hands

Easy to grasp and manipulate. Smooth ink flow. Has enough weight to feel it in your hand, but not too heavy.

M
Monica L.
A Tinkerers Pen

I watched quite a few videos regarding this pen before I made my purchase, so I was not disturbed by needing to tweak it a bit. First and foremost this pen really does need to be cleaned thoroughly. I followed some old Goulet video recommendations for adjusting and heat setting and I'm very pleased with this pen now. I don't get the wide sweeping flex widths I saw on the videos. That's ok with me because my handwriting is by most people's standards quite small, and I get enough flex to suite my taste. All in all I've learned a lot and I'm happy with my purchase.

E
Elly
Not a good pen

I would not purchase this pen again. The piston filler is not smooth and when I'm trying to fill it I often end up with ink everywhere; the internal works of the pen often become clogged up with ink where ink shouldn't go and I have to clean it out with a syringe and water; the seal of the pen is bad so that even a full piston of ink dries up within a couple of weeks even if the pen is capped tightly; and of course the infamous stench takes over a year to dissipate. The flex of the nib is fine but absolutely not worth the enormous trouble of using the pen. I have much cheaper pens that work much better.

A
Anonymous
Noodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen - Black

Love using the pen. The only minor issue I have is that I didn't realise that one had to unscrew the cap.

J
Jane
Heed the reviews�this is a bad pen

I received this pen as a gift and was excited to try the flex nib. Unfortunately, I experienced the same issues with this pen recounted in many of the reviews. 1) It leaks ink all over my fingers literally every time I use it, and no matter how thoroughly I think I've cleaned it out. Trying to achieve any line variation results in fat droplets of ink spilling all over your page.2) It smells awful. Like really awful, and I've had it for months now�the smell has not gone away or even abated. It smells like being in the home of a very sick person who maybe hasn't felt up to cleaning in a month or three. 3) It looks and feels cheap. A Pilot Metropolitan is cheaper and feels much higher quality. Taken together, all these flaws make the pen very unpleasant to use. And for a $25 pen they are truly baffling. My Pilot Preppys are infinitely preferable to this pen. Heck, I'd reach for a $0.10 Bic ballpoint before this pen.

FAQs about Fountain Pens

How do I fill a fountain pen with ink? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

It depends on the pen's filling mechanism, which you can find in the Technical Specs section above. 

Here's a quick definition of the most common filling mechanisms:

  • Cartridge - A small, disposable, sealed plastic reservoir that holds fountain pen ink. These come pre-filled with ink, and typically you just push to insert them into place and you'll be ready to write! Check out our quick guide here.
  • Converter - A detachable and refillable ink reservoir that allows you to use bottled ink in a cartridge-accepting pen. Typically you will install the converter into the grip section, dip the nib/feed into the ink, and twist or pull the converter knob to draw ink into the converter. Here's a video for how to fill a cartridge/converter pen using a LAMY pen as an example.
  • Eyedropper - A pen that utilizes the entire barrel as a reservoir for ink. Ink is directly filled into the barrel, allowing for a high ink capacity. Here's a video on how to do it!
  • Piston - A type of filling system that uses a retracting plunger inside a sealed tube to draw ink into a pen. They are typically either twist or push-operated. These pens cannot accept cartridges or a converter, and only fill from bottled ink.
  • Vacuum - A push-style piston that uses pressure to fill the large pen body with ink. They seal the ink chamber when closed, making it ideal for flying without risk of leaking. Check out our video on how to use a vac filler here.

Check out more info on these filling mechanisms including a video on how to fill each one on our blog.

How do I clean a fountain pen? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

It depends on the filling mechanism, but it mostly comes down to flushing it out with water, and sometimes a little bit of Pen Flush if the ink is really stuck. 

It's a bit easier to show than to tell, so we've put together a few quick videos showing you the process:

How often do I need to clean my fountain pen? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

We recommend a good cleaning every 2 weeks, and any time you change ink colors. 

Water will usually do the trick, but we recommend you use our Goulet Pen Flush if the ink has been left in the pen for a while and could have dried up, or when you’re switching ink colors.

My pen won’t write! What do I do? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

First things first... make sure you have ink in the pen! Be sure that the ink cartridge or converter is seated properly in the pen, and that you aren't out of ink.

We always recommend you give your pen a good cleaning first, using our Goulet Pen Flush, or a drop of dish soap in some water. New pens often have some machining oil residue left in the feed, so a good cleaning often does the trick first.

If that still doesn't work, try priming the feed. This consists of either dipping your pen nib and feed in ink, or forcing ink from the converter down into the feed. 

If it’s still not working after that, please reach out to us so we can help! 

What's your return policy? 8EDA1617-F73A-4DAF-8245-6D2BF4ABEB7B

You can submit a return request within 30 days of your order date. You can read all our Return Policies here.

To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.

Please note we are unable to accept a return of any Namiki or Sailor Bespoke fountain pen for any reason once it has been used with ink. Please thoroughly inspect and dry test the pen before use.