The Noodler's Ahab Flex Fountain Pen is easily the weirdest pen that I've ever reviewed, and mostly in good ways. It's a lightweight pen that has a resin body, utilizes a piston-fill mechanism, and comes in many different color and design options.
The Noodler's branding is delightfully obscure. Various animals, including an Auspicious Catfish Dragon, adorn Noodler's ink and pen boxes. The Ahab comes sealed in plastic in Noodler's signature box. I ordered the Poltergeist Pumpkin version, since Halloween is my favorite holiday and it's now close enough to October 31st to celebrate without judgement from friends. I ripped open the plastic sleeve and a foul oder, somewhat reminiscent of grade school upchuck, hit me with full force. I thought that this may have been the "Poltergeist" in my pen, but it turns out that the pen is made of a biodegradable vegetal resin that has a natural stench. Fortunately, this smell goes away after a day or two, but it may be wise to turn your nose away when opening the pen. I've read about this odor in other reviews, but they didn't prepare me for just how bad the pen smells.
I was concerned that the Ahab would look/feel cheap, considering its low price, but I was pleasantly surprised. Although the pen is a bit light for my liking, its design features are polished and intentional. The clip resembles a whale fin, while the piston converter resembles a pirate's peg leg. The pen comes with a detailed letter explaining the design choices, and I'll venture to say that Noodler's is one of the most creative pen/ink brands out there. The branding may be heavy-handed to some, but I love the its quirkiness, and the Ahab delivers quirk in full force. The Poltergeist Pumpkin design may not be the most sleek or creative design of the bunch, but it's fun, and fun is really what this pen is all about.
The Noodler's Ahab is sturdy, in the sense that all of its pieces fit snuggly together, and there's no creaking or jiggling to be found. The pen can be posted and its comfortable to write with either posted or unposted.
The Ahab uses a piston filling system and is converter only. The provided converter screws snuggly into the pen body, meaning that there's little chance of leaks. Theres a tiny straw inside the converter that allows air to exit the converter, as ink moves in. The straw is small, so be careful not to lose it when cleaning! The plunger is hollow, so ink fills both the converter as well as the cavity of the plunger. This is great for ink capacity, especially for the thirsty flex nib, which lays down a thick generous line of ink on the page. Although the extra capacity is a nice touch, it's difficult to empty the excess ink out of the plunger without the use of a syringe. This is a major drawback, since I purchased this pen to try out new inks and plan to change them often.
The nib on the Noodler's Ahab is all about flex, and flex it does well. I couldn't let myself plop down $200 for a Pilot Falcon when all that I wanted to do was play with a flex nib. The Noodler's Ahab delivers substantial flex for %15 of the price of the Falcon. The nib and feed have a friction fit, which means that they can be slid in and out, independently in this case, of the pen body. Mine worked well out of the box, but it's very easy to adjust the nib and feed until a desired flow/flex balance is achieved. I would cringe at the thought of messing with the feed of a more expensive pen, but this pen begs to be played with and is easily replaceable. It's certainly not a throwaway pen, but it's nice to be able to push a pen to its limits without fear.
The Ahab's steel nib moves from a Twsbi-like fine line with little pressure to a generously wet stub-like line with a lot of pressure. The pen is a smooth writer but does tend to railroad when an excessive amount of pressure is applied. This varies with the lubrication properties of the ink used.
The Noodler's Ahab is a solid performer for the price. This pen isn't meant to be a daily workhorse, but it's an inexpensive option for those looking to doodle or practice their ink sketching or calligraphy.
First Look: The Gist By Tactile Turn — The Pen Addict - After much deliberation, I backed the Gist with stainless steel grip and finial. It was a tough decision between this and a Lamy 2000, but I'm looking for a sturdy everyday carry, and the Lamy 2000 just seems too fussy for that. Maybe one day.
Noodler's Ahab Flex - Poltergeist Pumpkin - I've been looking for a cheap pen with a flex nib to doodle with, and Noodler's is one of the best options. I'll have a review posted soon!
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The Kaweco Skyline Sport is a true pocket pen. I reviewed the mint version a few weeks ago and am still in love with the pen's design and performance. The pen is full-sized when posted but tiny when capped. The threaded cap ensures that the pen is leak free as it tumbles around in a pocket or bag. I usually throw my pen into my Timbuk2 Messenger Bag, which is full of cavernous pockets and pen slots. It's easy to lose the pen amidst the chaos of my bag, and there's no way to secure the pen for easy reach, since the Kaweco doesn't come with a clip.
I found a Kaweco clip while browsing JetPens, but the reviews mentioned that it slides around on the pen cap and is too loose to be trustworthy. The clip is also pretty plain looking, considering the beauty of the pen, and I wasn't prepared to pay for shipping for a three dollar item.
I searched around the net and found that there is a pen store in downtown Cincinnati that just happens to carry the full Kaweco line. I ventured downtown and asked the friendly store owner about the clips. He pulled a small plastic bag from under the counter containing the clips that I saw online, but he also pulled out a deluxe version. I splurged and walked away with the deluxe version, which looked to be much sturdier than the basic version and matched the pen in level of design and attention to detail.
I slid the clip onto my mint Skyline Sport and was on my way. The clip hasn't budged since. It holds firmly in place, and the clip itself is incredibly sturdy. It takes some effort to clip the pen to anything thicker than a piece of paper, but this means that the pen won't slide off during travel. I typically clip the pen onto a bag pocket, but I wanted a more rigorous test, so I wore it clipped to my pants pocket for an entire day. Eight hours later and my pen was still firmly attached and hadn't leaked a drop.
At six dollars, the Kaweco Deluxe Clip is a no brainer. Its elegant design and etchings match well with the cap emblem on the Skyline Sport, and the clip looks like it was on the pen all along. Just be sure to buy the right color to match your pen's logo, since the clip comes in several colors. I am extremely satisfied with the deluxe clip and think that it's a must-have for any Sport owner.
The TWSBI Diamond 580AL is regularly at the top of the list for fountain pens between $50 and $100. In fact, TWSBI is one of the few manufacturers that offers a fountain pen in the price range. I spotted the orange version of the TWSBI Diamond 580AL a few weeks ago, but this version is no longer in production. I love the Dyson-like look of the orange version, but the silver version is a close second. The Diamond 580AL is a demonstrator, so it takes on the character of the ink inside. All I need is a bit of Diamine Pumpkin, and the TWSBI is fit for any Autumn day.
I'll be using Noodler's Bulletproof for most of this review, but Diamine Pumpkin just looks so darn good in this pen! Who's ready for Fall?
I ordered my TWSBI from Amazon, since the company sells directly, but for what it's worth, my goto pen site is typically Pen Chalet. My package arrived a few days later, and I opened the envelope to find a sturdy cardboard box, emblazoned with the orange TWSBI logo. I'm a sucker for orange, and I just can't get over how great this logo looks, especially on the cap of the pen. A plastic display case was padded inside the cardboard. Aside from the pen, the box also included a small wrench, piston grease, and a set of instructions.
The TWSBI Diamond 580AL is the Aluminum version of the TWSBI Diamond 580. My version came in silver, but TWSBI also offers the pen in purple (not quite my style). The pen is approximately $10 more than the Diamond 580 but comes with an aluminum grip, piston mechanism, and piston housing, which are easily worth the price bump. Apparently TWSBI pens are notorious for cracking, and the aluminum pieces, along with new o-rings in the 580, are meant to address this issue.
The Diamond 580AL is larger than the pens that I have traditionally used, and the plastic body has a surprising amount of weight. I couldn't help but compare this demonstrator with my other demonstrator, the Lamy Vista. The orange TWSBI logo on the cap is crisp and high quality, while the Lamy logo looks like a sticker. The TWSBI nib is etched with intricate nib designs, while the Lamy nibs, as usual, are plain. The Lamy is an excellent pen, but it's easy to see where TWSBI spends some of the additional money. The TWSBI clip does seem weak in comparison to the Lamy clip, but the Lamy clip is Hulk-like.
The TWSBI Diamond 580AL features a threaded cap, with an o-ring to ensure that the cap is secure. I first experienced a threaded cap on my Kaweco Skyline Sport, and I love knowing that the pen won't accidentally come uncapped in my pocket or bag.
Most TWSBI pens come with a piston filling system, which is usually reserved for much more expensive fountain pens. This means that the user simply has to dip the pen nib directly in ink and twist the post-end of the pen to draw in ink, instead of using a cartridge or converter. Most TWSBI pens also have quick-fill ports that can be exposed by unscrewing the nib. TWSBI makes a custom ink bottle that makes it easy to fill via the port . The ink chamber in the 580AL holds a massive amount of ink, and I've used the same fill for weeks now.
Twist this piston mechanism to draw in or push out ink. Think of this pen as a giant converter.
The TWSBI Diamond 580AL can be posted, but I find it much more comfortable to use when unposted. Posting the pen looks absurd and completely throws off the balance in hand. This is a big negative for me, since it's a pain to keep up with a loose pen cap.
The extra length may seem minimal, but it completely throws off the balance of the TWSBI.
Aluminum touches add a quality look and feel to the pen, but the aluminum grip section becomes slippery after long periods of writing. I find myself mashing my fingers together to keep the pen grip from slipping. While short spurts of writing are fine, hand fatigue is a common occurrence over longer writing sessions.
Noodler's Bulletproof is known for nib creep, but it compliments the beautiful etchings on the TWSBI nib.
I ordered the fine-nib version of the TWSBI Diamond 580AL and am positive that I made the right choice. It's worth noting that TWSBI nibs can easily be unscrewed and replaced with different sizes. The pen produces a line that's somewhere between a Kaweco fine and a Lamy fine, both thicker than their Japanese counterparts. There is little nib flex, as is common with most steel nibs. TWSBI nibs are very smooth. I did notice occasional skipping when using my Diamine Pumpkin ink, but had no problems with Noodler's Bulletproof.
The TWSBI Diamond 580AL Silver pen is a good fountain pen for the price. I use the generic term "good" because there are several issues holding this pen back form absolute greatness. The slippery grip is the biggest obstacle, since long writing sessions result in hand cramping and fatigue. The aluminum touches are a clear plus, but the few remaining black plastic components and o-rings seem out of place and cheapen the pen's look. The nib did have occasional flow issues with some inks but performs well most of the time. I'd rather forget how poorly the pen posts.
Should you buy the TWSBI Diamond 580AL? If you're looking for a classy demonstrator with a huge ink reservoir and piston filling system for an affordable price, this very well may be the pen for you. If you're looking for a comfortable writer for epically long writing sessions, you may want to look elsewhere.
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Metallic Vanishing Point Collection - Goulet Pens - I'm on the edge of buying a Desert Orange Vanishing Point, but I want to see one in person first. I'm worried that it's too sparkly for business. Thoughts?
Kaweco Sport Fountain Pen Brass F Nib - Amazon - I love my Kaweco Skyline Sport, but this beauty is weighted perfectly. Maybe one day. (Note, Affiliate Link, since not available on JetPens).
Thanks for checking out this week's issue of Casual Sunday. Check back in on Tuesday morning for a brand new blog post or subscribe to the RSS feed at the bottom of the page. Thanks for your support!
