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

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.

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.

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.

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