on saleNoodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen - Ahab's Pearl

Product Code N15043

In Stock

out of stock

on saleNoodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen - Ahab's Pearl

Product Code N15043

In Stock

out of stock

$27.75
ENHANCEMENT OPTIONS
Noodler's 308 Refillable Cartridges (5-Pack)
Add Refillable Cartridges + $6.90 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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$6.90
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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 pearlescent white 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
White
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
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 26 reviews
50%
(13)
31%
(8)
12%
(3)
8%
(2)
0%
(0)
J
J.H.
Not a fan - too much noodling and no writing

After many YouTube videos / tutorials and noodling and tinkering I have yet to get the Ahab to write with an adequate amount of ink. Unless you LOVE spending your time working on your fountain pen instead of writing or doing art then I cannot recommend the pen.

e
eve c.
After giving it a really through cleaning, I love my new Ahab.

I know people complain that the pen is scratchy and it smells. The smell is really not that horrible, and it goes away after it's been out of the box for a while. However, when I first used it, I failed to actually read Nathan's advice on how to prepare it and instead eyedroppered it and tried to write, but it was so scratchy I almost gave up. Then I actually followed directions and gave it a cleaning in warm soapy water and even scrubbed it. Now it writes smoothly, without any scratchiness and I love how ink pools when I write with it.

B
BJLO
An Old Standby

I purchased this pen in 1917 or 1918, so that was four or five years ago. It works wonderfully well if you attend to all the aspects of care specified in the instruction sheet -- basically, disassembling the pen and washing all the parts in soapy water, rinsing, and then re-inserting the nib and feed so that nine lines on the feed are visible -- and also heat set the nib. There's a wonderful video on YouTube in which a person describes with great specificity how he cares for his Ahab. I wouldn't say that the nib is a fully flexible nib, but it does have enough give to allow for some gorgeous line variation. If you don't press lightly and heavily to produce a variated line effect, the pen still lays down a fine-width line that I find pleasing. Some have stated that the pen has an unpleasant odor. I never noticed that, and my "sniffer" is usually pretty sensitive. And now, after probably five years of use, I don't notice any particular odor at all. The pen does leak sometimes if I store it with the point facing downward. And it can hard start if I leave it unused for a few days with the point facing upward. I have found this with just about every pen except for the TWSBI, which has an insulated cap that keeps air out. All and all, I find that I have enormous affection for this pen, which I use with Noodler's Black ink. I sometimes also use Noodler's Black American Eel ink in this pen and all my piston fillers, just to keep the pistons lubricated.

S
Sue D.
Noodler's Ahab flex pen - love at first write

I had a lot of self control when my Ahab arrived and followed Nathan Tardis' (Mr. Noodler himself) instructions to the letter. I completely disassembled my new Ahab, vigorously (and lovingly) gave it a warm and soapy bath, dried, reassembled, and heat set the feed. I even greased the plunger gasket with silicone grease. I did not miss anything. Then I inked Ahab up with Noodler's Heart of Darkness which I had in my small stash. I was very impressed with the way the pen felt like it belonged in my hand, the ease with which it wrote, and the lack of pain in my hand and wrist from using it. I have a small hand (barely 3 across my palm at the ball of my hand, wear a size 6.5 wedding ring, and have osteoarthritis. The only way I can describe it is love at first write! I am not quite sure why there is all the grumbling I have heard about flex nibs. This one is a great performer. I am not interested in using it for calligraphy, but I do like the subtle line variation I can get if I really want to. I like that I can write fine enough to work on college ruled paper, Ahab doesn't balk at my Dollar Tree composition notebooks/journals, and the ink capacity of the plunger fill system is more than enough for me. I thought I wanted to dropper fill the barrel, but that is not even necessary. IF I ever get to travel again I will just pack some extra ink just like I would pack travel bottles of toiletries and all will be well. This is a workhorse of a pen, it is user friendly, and don't be put off by the aroma you hear about. It was very mild and not unpleasant - like a well aged cheddar cheese. After Ahab's bath you can hardly tell he had any odor at all - and I have a very efficient sniffer! I really like the fact that Nathan designed this pen so that anyone can maintain it, and items you may need to replace are commonly found in your local hardware store.

K
Katherine B.
Beautiful Pen

For the price, this pen is perfect for beginning calligraphy or refreshing old skills. There is a little bit of ink leak on the middle finger after use but you really can't beat how it writes!

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.