on saleNoodler's Konrad Flex Fountain Pen - Clear

Writes better than people say it does, but oh my god it stinks.Couldn’t even use it for a week without airing out a room, but after leaving it in some coffee grounds it’s bearable

I'll start by saying that, if you want a pen that works out of the box and requires little to no attention, move on. If you're not mechanically inclined and aren't the tinkering type. Move on. If you're still reading this and you're the tinkering type or really like to get down and dirty with your pens. This is the pen for you. I'll take you through the steps to set it up.1: completely disassemble the pen.2: scrub the nib and feed clean with dish soap and an old toothbrush. Rinse out everything else with warm soapy water.3: put it all back together.4: heat set the feed (watch a Goulet video to learn how)5: ink up the pen6: test out how it writes.7: if it writes too wet. Move the feed in. 8: if it writes too dry. Move the feed out.10: enjoy your pen. The trick on the nib and feed placement is to strike a balance on the amount of ink you're looking to put down. If you run the pen a little drier, the pen might not keep up when you're flex writing. If you run it too wet for regular writing it will dump ink when flex writing. You'll need to find a happy medium with the pen for your style of writing or drawing. To sum up, this is a pen that gets a lot of disrespect because people have ridiculous expectations for this pen. It's a utilitarian tool that costs less than $25 dollars. It's not a magic wand that will make all your dreams come true. What it is, is a good flex nib pen at a very good price that will really reward you for your tinkering once you've learned its quirks. You will learn its quirks and after setting the pen up, you'll likely fall in love with it. I have with mine.

My kick is artist-writer, which is relevant merely to underscore this pen gets heavy use. I must replenish its ink supply every other day. Beat that. (Though I have several favorites among Goulet's offerings, Noodler's Ink Polar Black in this Noodler pen is top of the heap.) Actually, this review is incident to my buying a replacement Noodler Konrad. (The Konrad suits my hand-experience better than the Ahab, which I also own. I reserve the Ahab for tight work.) My first Konrad has been breaking down steadily. When the nib started leaking, I bought a couple of 'O' rings at my local hardware ($0.79 a piece�it needs two): these meliorated an ostensible problem; that's to say, not entirely. The larger problem was the body casing of the pen has developed cracks. I repaired many with various glues and slaps of tape. But the handwriting is on the wall for its ultimate demise. So, why bother? The flex nib, I tell you, just gets better and better with use, with wear. It's exquisite after a breaking-in. No other pen I've owned�take it back: Rotring Art Pens beat anything else I've ever used, though the bold line is like swinging a bat at an intimate wine-and-cheese gathering; but they're no longer made, and I cozen the three I own like my own children�is so satisfying at every contact with a page. Is there a cremation ritual for nibs? I'm going to work this last one until even I am forced to admit it's done. I bought this replacement pen in anticipation of that tragic eventuality. Maybe a Viking boat-pyre is called for. If you're seeking a tidily precise pen with boringly scientific precision�same personality of line every time--this is not your style. If you cringe at ink-stained fingers while writing, flee! And the initial stink of the pens? Well, I have nothing to say for you. It goes away, especially with good, hard use. Politely: Get over yourself. I expect rare and wonderful things to occasionally bother me. I'm married, and I smoke a pipe. Need I say else? Magically, if one is very, very fortunate in life's chances, what was a bother becomes an incommensurable charm. A thing�amulet, a talisman, a touchstone (choice of a metaphor more plentiful than pens!)---you would not do without, you answer yourself: could not contemplate being without. My Noodler Konrad's kind of like that. (My old-and-irascible bird-dog is a different case, but only lately. We work it out, always.) And who among us isn't a relative mess when feeling and working at a state we feel our utmost best? I recommend this model pen unequivocally, but only if you decide it suits the you-YOU you believe you are.

I like this pen better than the ahab model. However, for a flex nib I don't think this pen is the best. But, it wasn't expensive so there's that.

The Konrad ticks a lot of boxes for me. 1-clear demonstrator. 2- piston filler. 3-#6 nib. 4-Who doesn't love Noodler's? At the shallow end of the pool where I play, an inexpensive piston filler is a win: a) it has more capacity than a cartridge converter, and b) it still lets you goose the feed when you hit a dry patch. (how do you goose the feed with an eyedropper or vac filler? (I'm jes' a newbie ..) Konrad measures a bit smaller than the Ahab, -which I love- and I worried about that -- I don't like small, slim pens for extended use. But Konrad doesn't feel small at all. And while I do like the Noodler's flex nibs, I don't really do much flexing, and like to swap in a Goulet EF. My handwriting is smallish, and broader nibs don't like small detail.