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Ahab Feed - Update From Nathan (Mr. Noodler's)


SamCapote

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I had a nice conversation tonight with Nathan who is doing well. He VERY MUCH appreciates people's interest, support, and feedback both positive and negative so he can fix problems. He reports that approximately 19,000 Ahab pens have already been sold world wide (some of those may still be in the retailer's hands), so the scope of problems/complaints/questions we have seen need to be put in context. He told me a number of useful things that I was not previously aware of, and I think people will appreciate reading. If I had known these things, I would have included it in my Ahab review thread here, and/or also in the "Opening Up Fin Vents" thread here.

 

1) As soon as he started hearing about the problems with ink flow (skipping, stopping), he began inspecting existing new Ahab pens, and found the source of most of these problems. It turned out that the team in India needed to use a lubricant to drill the hole in the middle of back of the feed for the breather tube to insert into. A second drilled hole is also made on top, in the "air channel" under the nib, to connect with the back breather hole. His original instructions were for them not to use drilling lubricants knowing they would repel water (ink). After the drilling was started, lubricants were required to keep the drill bits from overheating and melting the ebonite, but the feeds were not cleaned afterwards to remove the oil. Air bubbles needing to move from the front of the feed into the ink chamber were getting trapped mostly at the top "blow-hole" in the lengthwise air channel.

 

He said the ones that they have cleaned and brushed have a more matte, less shiny appearance of the ebonite feed. I just got all the transparent color Ahabs from Goulet Pens, and when I lifted the nib off the (removed) feed, I could see with a loupe, some shiny oil and tiny particles in vents/center channel that wiped off on my finger....so I think these all should be user cleaned until the early ones get bought by us anxious guinea pigs.

 

2) After several thousand feeds were produced and shipped out, some of them had enough of this oil residue to cause problems. When Nathan discovered the problem, he immediately had them add the step to ultrasound treat/wash the feeds in a soapy dilute ammonia solution, and use a small brush to clean the feeds--particularly the top lengthwise air channel. Apparently there are still some uncleaned feeds/pens in the distribution chain, so this may be an ongoing problem for a while longer. He had no problem with Watch_Art's having used Formula 409 to clean up the feeds, but they should not be soaked in it. Otherwise, people can use a couple spoons of household ammonia and a drop or two of dish soap in a drinking cup to clean their feeds. A toothbrush is very effective at removing any stubborn residue.

 

3) I mentioned in my "Opening Up Fin Vents" thread that on the top side (under the nib) the left and right slits were not lined up (concentric) with each other, and one side did not seem to be fully cut into the center air channel. I speculated that this may be causing some of the flow problems people were experiencing. I was wrong. The way the slits are cut, and not lining up like you see with most feeds is intentional. Nathan found that the current slit position cuts allowed the nib/feed to be friction inserted on a faster production scale, while keeping the tines and slit in the proper position. Other concentric slit cuts would result in too much slit separation and/or one tine being higher than the other.

 

Previous to this feed vent/slit design, he was having to do a "Heat Set" of each nib/feed by hand. I didn't know what that entailed, so Nathan explained that he would need to properly position the nib over the ebonite feed, making sure the tines and slit were lined up. Then the assembly was held in place and exposed to either a flame or heat gun, softening up the ebonite which molded to the proper nib position, and released after it cooled off. It was a lot of time/work just to put out a couple hundred with this heat set step.

 

4) I thought that the fin vents should have been fully cut on both sides of the top lengthwise air channel. Again, I was wrong. He found that most pens had an adequate flow for typical writing if he kept one side mostly unopened. If he had supplied the feed with all the vent slits fully open on both sides of the air channel there would be too wet of a flow. When his instructions said to open up some of the first few vents, he meant to start by opening the first 3-4 on the one side that were intentionally not cut all the way into the channel. If you further widened the vent slits like I did in my above linked thread, that would also work but result in an even more generous flow. Apparently artists already know all about this, and in some of their applications, they want a really dramatic increased flow. I write very fast, almost at live conversational level, so my modifications in that thread would likely be too much flow for others. Again, Nathan designed this feed with one side of top vent slits not cut all the way into the lengthwise air channel to give a lot of custom flow variability, starting out on the lean side.

 

5) He had the team in India start using the double O-rings somewhere in the middle of this run of 20,000 pens. He wants people to know that years from now, if their o-ring ever fails, they should be able to get a regular O-ring from a hardware store. All of the colored transparent Ahabs I just got from Goulet has the original O-ring. That one still works, but you have to pinch the small black capped plunger rod to control the initial release push if you have ink in your plunger cartridge. Once it starts moving, it remains smooth until it sits for a longer time again.

 

6) I had a nice chat with him about nib retipping which has been discussed recently. He has an interest in teaching people how to do this, and has a good deal of supplies, including Ruthenium to get people started who are interested....BUT does not have the time to do anything with the topic right now. He recently shared a video with a person in MA on how to use Ruthenium as a "crucible" to melt Ruthenium since it has a 2334 °C melting point. It's on his list of things to contribute to our community.

 

We talked about a bunch of other things, but this is already getting too long.

Edited by SamCapote

With the new FPN rules, now I REALLY don't know what to put in my signature.

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"""""but this is already getting too long. """""

 

Wrong.

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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Well I don't think I better talk about all the other things he is working on....but I was awestruck.

 

I did add a few more things to the first thread.

Edited by SamCapote

With the new FPN rules, now I REALLY don't know what to put in my signature.

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Well I don't think I better talk about all the other things he is working on....but I was awestruck.

Confound thee, Giraffe-face!

 

You and your rumours and hints that promise of great things to come!

 

They're enough to drive one to madness!

 

(RAWR!)

Edited by Silent Speaker
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Wow. All for a $20 product too - I don't "need" more pens, but by golly I'm going to buy at least one Ahab to support his endeavour in my own small way. The care for what he does, and the ethos that the pen should be user serviceable are all too rare these days, sady.

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"""""but this is already getting too long. """""

 

Wrong.

This.

 

 

And well done, Sam. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to contact Nathan and also to let us know what you found.

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Thanks for the updates SamCapote! (Also your giraffe always makes me smile, such a great avatar!)

 

I just got my Ahab last night, and I think I might have finally found my white whale. The fit and finish is nice, and the nib is surprisingly smooth.

 

The pen is just the right width, although if a shorter version were made with the same width I would be a real happy fellow!

 

This is quite a nice pen and a steal for $20. I hope Nathan keeps up the good work and I am glad he listens to his user base, not many manufacturers are that diligent anymore.

The Pen Is Mightier than the sword.

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I do enjoy all of the things that Nathan dreams up. It's inspiring to find a really creative grown up in this dismal age. I also enjoy the tar out of you, Sam. Your intense enthusiasm for pens and ink is always, well, edifying.


 It's for Yew!bastardchildlil.jpg

 

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...although if a shorter version were made with the same width I would be a real happy fellow!

 

You will be happy.

 

Oh and did someone say celluloid?

With the new FPN rules, now I REALLY don't know what to put in my signature.

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i just ordered an Ahab from gouletspens (and some Noodler's ink) this evening as a gift for my brother. i am both excited for and jealous of him...

"Hell Verde Conquered."- Percival Harrison Fawcett

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Celluloid

This post contains 100% recycled electrons

http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae8/Catriker/Pen%20Pics/SmallCzarNikolai.jpg

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It's interesting to me that my first two Ahabs (from isellpens) seem to have no flow issues but both of the ones I got later from Goulet (after the colored translucent pens came out) have flow issues. I filled the pens without cleaning just to experience for myself what the issue is, and I certainly don't blame or credit the retailers for any issues or lack thereof. I mention their names just in case somebody wants to figure out if the early pens went to Todd and the reason I don't see problems is because mine were made before the lubricant was added to the process.

 

I love these pens, and I'm sure after I scrub the two newer pens all four of them will be outstanding.

<a href="Http://inkynibbles.com">Inky NIBbles, the ravings of a pen and ink addict.</a>

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Did he mention anything about Konrad with a flex nib? I'm pretty excited about that one

 

Yes, but I don't think I should say a lot more about all these things without his permission. I think the expectation and previous discussions about a music nib is already out there. Obviously, they need even more generous ink flow.

 

 

It's interesting to me that my first two Ahabs (from isellpens) seem to have no flow issues but both of the ones I got later from Goulet (after the colored translucent pens came out) have flow issues. I filled the pens without cleaning just to experience for myself what the issue is, and I certainly don't blame or credit the retailers for any issues or lack thereof. I mention their names just in case somebody wants to figure out if the early pens went to Todd and the reason I don't see problems is because mine were made before the lubricant was added to the process.

 

I love these pens, and I'm sure after I scrub the two newer pens all four of them will be outstanding.

 

Jimmy, I think it is more a case of their trying to avoid lubricants for a short initial time, which was taking too long for the bits to cool down. Then when lubricants were used (unbeknownst to Nathan), there were those feeds that got a larger lube dose than others, leading to the air bubble being repelled as it was trying to travel through the top air channel. Knowing how things go, and the work being done hour after hour, day after day....I can also imagine that there is going to be variation in how meticulously the feeds are brushed, ultrasound cleaned, and inspected. The main thing is for people to know there is a rational explanation for their observations, and relatively easy ways to resolve it.

 

Nathan was really thrilled that for many FP users, this was the first time they ever pulled a nib/feed from the section, or even learned the terms of various pen parts. I didn't know for a long time after joining FPN what the "Section" meant. I made up and called it the "Hub" until I realized I was the only one using that term. :embarrassed_smile:

With the new FPN rules, now I REALLY don't know what to put in my signature.

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i just ordered an Ahab from gouletspens (and some Noodler's ink) this evening as a gift for my brother. i am both excited for and jealous of him...

Which is why you get to take it for a joy ride before giving it to him... assuming you're giving it to him in person. :thumbup:

Assume no affiliation to recommendations.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc453/NoodlersCreaper/sig0001.jpg

Alternative Noodler's Ahab Nibs

 

"Free" Custom Fountain Pen Cases

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Us fountain pen nuts, wants yesterday, today.

And at 'yesterday's' price.

 

Those of us who understand the problems inherit distant procurement where 'shortcuts' can be made in production, of their trying to keep a bigger profit margin than agreed upon, can deal with having to fiddle a bit more than planned.

 

Many of those who complain don't understand it was not just to make a cheap pen, but to make a pen made unlike any today, at a most reasonable price. That requires that we take hand in finishing the production of the item.

That we get to tune the pen, so it is as we want and need, for the inks and papers we use.

 

I hate the word 'gifted', even though it is a logical word.

As I age, I can understand, those who bought Franck Sinatra records before he went bald, that hated words that slipped into the English language in my day of a under 30 Mick Jagger; that they saw no need of.

To think that all the Rolling Stones are still alive...even Keith. :yikes:

 

Trust no one over thirty, has become trust no one under thirty. :ltcapd:

 

I was given a gift of the 25th of December Ahab, and will soon, be taking it apart to fiddle with it. To look at the feed and start to experiment with setting up the pen to make it write as I wish.

 

Sam could you ask Nathan, is there any chance that Nathan will make a series of feed sizes so we can fiddle with old pens with out turning pens into the parts box?

 

 

Well the English language is the worlds largest with 1,500,000 words. We steal words from any language and invent them on the run.

To run Amuck is little brown brother foaming at the mouth charging with a sword.

Berserker is a big blond foaming at the mouth charging with a sword.

 

 

Second is German with 750,000...which explains why the speakers of those two languages can talk with their hands in their pockets.

 

Third is French with 250,000 and the poor Italians got to use their hands and feet when speaking, they only have 125,000 words.

 

I was gifted.....I was given a gift.

I gifted him.....I gave him a gift.

Bah humbug.

 

It was a great unexpected gift. :notworthy1:

 

:headsmack: Whodathunkit**, I'd turn into an English language obstructionist.

 

** Also a four corner cross road country 'town' in northern Mississippi. Was destroyed in the great Hurricane of 1936 and rebuilt.....for some odd reason.

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

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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Great report Sam. Thanks.

 

Two things astound me. I had no idea of the size of the market for pens, but 19,000 Ahabs sold? In just a few weeks? Yikes!

 

The care and effort that one-man-band Nathan takes in developing and more importantly improving an inexpensive product is amazing. I can think of a lot of other producers that could stand to learn a lesson or three from him.

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