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Noodlers Ahab Q


ScienceChick

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A brand-spankin' new Ahab arrived today and it's big fun to write with. :bunny01: I can only imagine what a really flexy pen would be like. Anyhoo: the installed O-ring split (and went spronging across the room); am I correct in assuming one only needs the O-ring when using it as an eyedropper? I'm not going the eyedropper route but, being a belt and suspenders kind of girl, I smeared a little silicone grease on the section threads. Should I also replace the O-ring/will I regret it if I don't?

 

I also see that there's ink above the diaphragm so that seal isn't great. Is that typical for this pen?

Edited by ScienceChick

Life's too short to use crappy pens.  -carlos.q

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Okay, the pen does not have a diaphragm, but a seal inside. The whole idea of the filling system is to fill the whole syringe filler even up into the skinnier tube just under the black ''knob''. So there is very likely no leak, just a different filling system from what you are used to. Secondly, my Ahab had the O-Ring underneath the filler unit or ''converter'' as some people call it. The instructions say to move the ring down from where the filler threads on to the top set of threads on the section (top if the nib is facing towards the ceiling) that would give you a good seal if you needed to use it as an eyedropper. However, I don't think they have changed the design or how the pen is shipped out. Twist the filler unit off of the section and look closely at the threads, is there an O-Ring there? If so don't worry about it, if not, you may still be okay, but I would recommend buying the Platinum Preppy O-Rings from Goulet Pens and put one where the insulated filler sits. Honestly with plenty of silicon grease you may not have any issues, but I really think that in this case it is much more advisable to spend the extra dollar on a future order and be safe. There may have been a change in how they are shipped which might mean they supply an O-Ring in each place, this advice only applies if they are shipped exactly as they were six months ago. Like I said, check, replace, fill, enjoy.

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I wonder which O-ring you are referring to: the Ahab can be fitted with two of them, one between the "syringe filler" and the small thread at the back of the section, that is standard and should be hard to take out. Then there is a bigger one that goes between the barrel and the big thread at the back of the section, which is an optional extra, recommended for eyedropper use but not needed if you use the syringe filler. Applying silicone grease there serves no purpose whatsoever.

 

The "diaphragm" is the piston seal, there should not be any ink behind it, but it does not affect use. That said, a bit of silicone grease in the groove on the side of this piston seal should fix that.

No, I am not going to list my pens here.

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There are two (possible) o-rings. The first is between the internal "syringe" filler and where it screws into the section. The second is larger, between the body and the section.

 

The first is probably required. All of my Ahabs came with one.

 

I have purchased new Ahab pens that didn't have the second. Since I don't use these as an eyedropper, I have never had a problem. I have never had ink leak into the body from the internal filler.

 

The pen holds quite a bit of ink using the internal filler, especially if you leave the fill tube i place. For me, there is no need to fill as an ED.

 

If I filled the body and used as an ED, I would probably put the second in.

 

I do put a small amount of silicone grease in the internal filler before first use, and on the filler threads. I don't know if its really needed, but it does make the movement a little smoother. Probably just an old superstition......

 

 

.

...

"Bad spelling, like bad grammar, is an offense against society."

- - Good Form Letter Writing, by Arthur Wentworth Eaton, B.A. (Harvard);  © 1890

.

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Sorry to use the wrong terminology and to be incomplete or unclear. I was referring to the piston seal as the diaphragm. The smaller tube is filled with ink and I now understand that's how it should be. Thanks for explaining.

 

This pen came with one O-ring and I wasn't sure where it belonged because it went flying as soon as I unscrewed the cap. I know it split because I found it. It was significantly smaller in diameter than the Preppy O-rings (I have some). I'll try one and will head off to Home Depot tomorrow if it's too big.

 

Again, sorry to be unclear and thanks for the education.

Life's too short to use crappy pens.  -carlos.q

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As soon as you get comfortable with the nib, do the Angel Wing mod to it....also called the Ahab Mod. There is a very good article in one of the two Pen sections on that.

It is a do at home, or get a nib from Pendelton Brown....

 

Your Ahab nib needs semi-flex pressure to spread it's tines. That is very much pressure for a flexible nib. With the nib mod, it takes it two flex stages higher to Easy Full Flex, the step under a wet noodle.

My Ahab went from in the box to always in rotation with that mod.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Sorry to use the wrong terminology and to be incomplete or unclear. I was referring to the piston seal as the diaphragm. The smaller tube is filled with ink and I now understand that's how it should be. Thanks for explaining.

This pen came with one O-ring and I wasn't sure where it belonged because it went flying as soon as I unscrewed the cap. I know it split because I found it. It was significantly smaller in diameter than the Preppy O-rings (I have some). I'll try one and will head off to Home Depot tomorrow if it's too big.

Again, sorry to be unclear and thanks for the education.

Yes, this is correct. When designing the Ahab, Nathan Tardif (CEO, Designer, chemist, employee of the month, every month) of Noodles wanted the maximum ink capacity he possibly could get in the Ahab. For this he decided on a plunger design with a hollow tube for a plunger. This means a nice easy fill with no space wasted on the filling system. So yes ink SHOULD be in the tube behind the plunger. If not give it an extra couple of pumps and you should be good.

 

 

As for the O Ring, I wouldn't worry about it. It is really there as a last line of protection against leaks. As long as you use some silicon grease on the threads for the converter you won't need it. It won't leak. I have 2 Ahab's that I have taken the o ring off and they haven't had a single issue.

<p>Currently collection:<strong>Lamy Safari's</strong> x5, <strong>Lamy Al Star's</strong> x3, <strong>Lamy Studio's </strong>x2, A <strong>Lamy 2000</strong>, <strong>Kaweco Sports/AL Sports</strong> x7, <strong>Noodlers pens (Konrad and Ahab)</strong> x10, <strong>Noodlers Konrad Ebonite</strong> x2, <strong>Hero 616</strong> x10, <strong>Reform 1745</strong> x10, <strong>Sailor 1911m</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor 1911 Realo</strong> x3, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Realo</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black</strong>, <strong>Sailor 1911 Sterling Silver</strong>, <strong>Visconti Opera Club Cherry Juice</strong> (M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib), <strong>Visconti Opera Elements </strong>x3 (Amber and Black with M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib, Blue with M Gold Nib), <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel Age Maxi</strong>, <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age</strong>, <strong>Montblanc 146 Le Grande</strong>... Plus I am sure I have forgotten some.

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Good to know, thanks. Looking into the nib mod.

Life's too short to use crappy pens.  -carlos.q

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Yes, this is correct. When designing the Ahab, Nathan Tardif (CEO, Designer, chemist, employee of the month, every month) of Noodles wanted the maximum ink capacity he possibly could get in the Ahab. For this he decided on a plunger design with a hollow tube for a plunger. This means a nice easy fill with no space wasted on the filling system. So yes ink SHOULD be in the tube behind the plunger. If not give it an extra couple of pumps and you should be good.

 

 

As for the O Ring, I wouldn't worry about it. It is really there as a last line of protection against leaks. As long as you use some silicon grease on the threads for the converter you won't need it. It won't leak. I have 2 Ahab's that I have taken the o ring off and they haven't had a single issue.

 

msolok,

 

The syringe filler design (a "plunger filler" refers to a totally different design) in the Ahab is quite different to others, for it has a hollow piston shaft for accommodating a breather tube through which it is filled. In that sense, the ink is still completely contained in the space forward of the seal, and never behind it.

 

By the way, the Ahab has no converter: a converter is a gadget that is effectively comparable to an ink cartridge, that converts a cartridge-loader into one that uses bottled ink; thus "cartridge/converter pens". No Noodler's pen takes cartridges.

No, I am not going to list my pens here.

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msolok,

 

The syringe filler design (a "plunger filler" refers to a totally different design) in the Ahab is quite different to others, for it has a hollow piston shaft for accommodating a breather tube through which it is filled. In that sense, the ink is still completely contained in the space forward of the seal, and never behind it.

Yes that is correct, but not what the OP was talking about in this case.

Imagine you don't know about the Ahab, it's design or how it operates. If you hold the Ahab looking at it's converter side on it's clear to see the piston seal and what looks like a separate piston tube. After you fill it it looks like the seal has leaked. I was simply trying to describe it in a simple way for anyone who might not have much experience with these things can understand. While your description is correct, for people not in the know it can be hard to follow ;)

 

 

By the way, the Ahab has no converter: a converter is a gadget that is effectively comparable to an ink cartridge, that converts a cartridge-loader into one that uses bottled ink; thus "cartridge/converter pens". No Noodler's pen takes cartridges.

You are correct. No Noodlers pen uses cartridges (Due to Nathans views on the costs and wastes of such disposable refilling methods) they all use some other method of filling. The Flex and the Konrad both use Piston filling systems, while the Ahab uses this Syringe filling system. While the system on Ahab is not, in the most technical terms, a converter, it is the most accurate description of it. It is a removable filling system that attaches to the pens section to allow filling from ink bottles.

Edited by msolok

<p>Currently collection:<strong>Lamy Safari's</strong> x5, <strong>Lamy Al Star's</strong> x3, <strong>Lamy Studio's </strong>x2, A <strong>Lamy 2000</strong>, <strong>Kaweco Sports/AL Sports</strong> x7, <strong>Noodlers pens (Konrad and Ahab)</strong> x10, <strong>Noodlers Konrad Ebonite</strong> x2, <strong>Hero 616</strong> x10, <strong>Reform 1745</strong> x10, <strong>Sailor 1911m</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor 1911 Realo</strong> x3, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Realo</strong> x2, <strong>Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black</strong>, <strong>Sailor 1911 Sterling Silver</strong>, <strong>Visconti Opera Club Cherry Juice</strong> (M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib), <strong>Visconti Opera Elements </strong>x3 (Amber and Black with M <span>Dreamtouch</span> Nib, Blue with M Gold Nib), <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Steel Age Maxi</strong>, <strong>Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age</strong>, <strong>Montblanc 146 Le Grande</strong>... Plus I am sure I have forgotten some.

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One of my Ahabs has no o-ring and seems to work fine, even without silicon grease.

Edited by discopig
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