Noodler's Nib Creaper Piston-Fill Rollerball Pen

[arandur]

First Impressions (8)

Not a bad looking pen, but it is nothing fancy. The ink capacity looks to be quite large, and I like that it is a piston-fill.

 

Appearance (9)

Upon closer inspection, I realize that this pen really is classier than it initially appeared. The simplicity of the design actually lends beauty to the pen, and its smooth lines give this pen a feeling of greater cost than it actually is.

 

Design/Size/Weight (9)

The pen itself is quite lightweight, even when fully filled. The cap screws on (much appreciated), and the clip is thin and strong. The grip of the pen is a hard, black plastic (quite the contrast to the transparent remainder of the body). The blind cap over the piston grip fits well with the body.

 

Nib (7)

The tip of this rollerball is a nice fine point and quite smooth. I would say that it is less scratchy than the Platinum Preppy rollerball.

 

EDIT: After some time of use, I have found that the tip will leak ink in large drops, possibly on account of changes in the weather, even when the pen is sitting on a desk and more than half full. The nib score has been lowered from a 9, and the Conclusion score has been lowered from a 9.

 

Filling System (9)

With a large ink capacity and a nicely-hidden piston-filling system, this pen fills very easily, drawing ink into the chamber from all around the nib.

 

Cost and Value (9)

For $14 retail, this pen appears to be a worthy workhorse that will serve its user well with many hours of smooth writing. Plus, using a refillable rollerball is quite a bit more cost effective than purchasing disposable pens.

 

Conclusion (8)

Overall, this is the best fountain pen rollerball I have yet used. This is not saying much, as I have only the Platinum Preppy to which to compare it, but it will definitely hold a special place in my daily carries for quite some time.

While my initial impression was not high, I believe this pens un-presumptuous nature increases its attractiveness.

EDIT: If it were not for the nib leaking issue, this pen would be nearly perfect.

[PenCity.com]

Nice review. I was particularly interested in this, as we plan to carry these as a regular featured item at PenCity. Thanks for the effort.

[arandur]

Nice review. I was particularly interested in this, as we plan to carry these as a regular featured item at PenCity. Thanks for the effort.

You may want to also look at the J. Herbin rollerball. It takes short, standard, international cartridges. I believe that a Monteverde Mini Converter could also be used in it. I just got one and will post a review as soon as possible, though there may be others with reviews already here.

[Gloucesterman]

The Monteverde also has a refillable roller ball-fountain pen. In fact you can get it with a medium or a fine point. It's part of the Invincia Cold Fusion series and has worked very well for me. The only way I could think to improve it from my perspective would be an extra fine roller ball. But I am very partial to xf points/nibs anyway.

[r100ridr]

I can confirm that the Monteverde mini converter works in the J.Herbin rollerball.

[pokermon]

I like my Noodler's RB, but I dropped it recently and got a crack... My own fault, so the pen gets a 8.5/10 from me for being a rollerball that is great for different work situations or quick jotting down scenarios.

[arandur]

Posting these pictures here, since it would not let me edit my original post:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/morvaltur/Fountain%20Pens/NoodlersRollerball1.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/morvaltur/Fountain%20Pens/NoodlersRollerball2.jpg

[Charles Skinner]

I have one. It leaked a huge dot of ink soon after I got it. There was about 1/4 of a full load of ink. I emptied it and then completely refilled it. It has not leaked since then. It usually put down a very thin line, much more so that I like. Also, how do you know when to change out the "nib?" Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

C. S.

[cjr]

I have used the Noodler's Rollerball. The first ink fill was with Noodler's Fox Red. I let the pen sit unused for a couple days and the fiber tip dried out. Soaking in water wouldn't clear it, so I replaced the fiber tip (easy to do) and filled with Nikita red. This time, I got large drops of ink coming out of the feed and drowning the nib. Not sure if it was the fiber tip I used or the ink.

 

Anyway, I cleaned the pen and put it away. Switched to my J. Herbin rollerball that I converted to an eye dropper. Loaded it with Noodler's Black and it performs nicely. More scratchy than the smooth Noodler's Nib Creaper, but it doesn't drip ink!

 

I also have a Levenger Chesterton Covertible Rollerball pen and a Visconti Eco Rollerball. They both use the same nib assembly and give a more medium line. I like them both.

[Charles Skinner]

Mine has put down a huge "blop" of ink TWO different times! I may just chalk it up to a "bad buy." I fear to use it anywhere near important papers.

 

C.

[Donald2]

How do you fill this rollerball pen with ink? Can you do it with the rollerball nib on the pen or do you need to do it with the rollerball nib taken off the pen? Does the ink go through the rollerball nib and into the barrel when filling it with ink?

[doriath19]

The pen reviewed in this post is the older Noodlers rollerball. The newer Konrad rollerball is apparently a little improved and a fairly reliable pen. To answer your question about filling, you simply place the nib section in a bottle of ink just as you would a fountain pen. No need to disassemble anything. Not exactly sure of how it sucks the ink into the pen, but it works very well.