on saleNoodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen - Hudson Bay Fathom's Blue

Product Code N15042

In Stock

out of stock

on saleNoodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen - Hudson Bay Fathom's Blue

Product Code N15042

In Stock

out of stock

$27.75
ENHANCEMENT OPTIONS
Noodler's Ahab/Konrad #6 Steel Nib - Flex
Add a Spare Nib + $7.50 Noodler's Ahab/Konrad #6 Steel Nib - Flex
Nib Type:
$7.50
$7.50

Noodler's Ahab/Konrad #6 Steel Nib - Flex

Product Code N18094

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out of stock

$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 translucent turquoise demonstrator 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
Blue
Demonstrator

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

Yes
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
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 54 reviews
67%
(36)
22%
(12)
6%
(3)
2%
(1)
4%
(2)
C
Colin F.
Great writing experience that you might have to work for

The flex nib on this pen will be a disappointment for those that are expecting to do a lot of fancy intricate calligraphy. The nib does flex, and gives some great line variation, but it takes a fair bit of pressure to get the tines to spread, and they don't bounce back easily to smoothly transition between thicknesses. That said, it behaves like a European Extra Fine stainless steel nib with some spring in its step when you write with a light touch, and gives the option to get a little bit creative with your lettering. The pen wrote a little dry when I received it. I heat set the nib a couple of times and then eventually carved a small amount of material from the ink channel in the feed itself to get it running a little wetter, and now am really happy with its performance. It's a lot of fun to write with. It does leak/belch ink occasionally - be sure to uncap it carefully and check lest you get ink all over yourself. I took it out and about with me in a satchel exactly once and learned that its best left at home on the desk for that reason. (It leaked pre feed-modification).At the end of the day it's an inexpensive pen that you don't mind tinkering with but if you can put up with a little fuss and a little muss, it's a really enjoyable writing experience.

A
Anonymous
I love this pen!

It writes like a dream. I love the flow and the way it feels in my hand. The Goulet company were excellent and will have my business for all my pen and ink needs.

W
Wyatt S.
Great Entry Flex Pen

I didn't even have to tinker with the pen. A good flushing with water + dish soap was all I needed. Pen really has to be pushed beyond what is reasonable to get railroading, so the feed is more than capable of keeping up with ink demand! Smooth nib unflexed given it is equivalent to a western EF/Japanese F. Would recommend if one wants to try out flex before getting a custom ground nib or a 742/743 with an FA nib + aftermarket ebonite feed, as those options easily run over $250, as do vintage flex nibs.

J
Joel N.
Great pen for drawing and journaling

Love this pen gets better the more I use it. Took a little while getting used to the flow of the pen.

J
JZ
Noodler's Ahab - A Unique and Fun Pen

I don't have many fountain pens (a few Lamys and a few TWSBIs), but out of all of them, the Ahab has provided the most unique and fun writing experience. I performed all the recommended prerequisite rituals, cleaning and heat setting the feed, inked it up with Noodler's Black, and it seems to be writing great (if a little on the wet side). As to the infamous smell, I can tell you exactly what it smells like. If you've ever purchased a set of new screwdrivers (maybe only certain brands apply), the scent is exactly like those new plastic handles. At least the set of Husky tools I purchased recently. Also, if you ever been fishing with artificial bait, it smells a lot like certain brands of plastic worms. If you had experience with either of these items, the smell will be instantly familiar to you. I'm not saying it's pleasant, but it's not as bad as some reviews seem to overplay.

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.