Noodlers Boston Safety Pen

[KKay]

WhatTheFlex, I hope that you like your pen as much as I love mine. My friend bought 3 of the Chestnut, and one of them was for me. He knew how much I loved the black Boston Safety Pen. I think I am set now. I am going to keep the standard nib in this pen. I was surprised I didn't have to make a slight adjustment. Maybe I lucked out. I have had to tweak the Konrad nibs a bit. So I expected the same here. I was very surprised at how great the nib wrote. Maybe Dan touched it up, but I didn't think he did that for the BSP. All I know is it is perfect for my writing.

[SteveID]

I have to say, having fought my way thru this thread to the end, that this absolutely singular writing implement seems absolutely more trouble than it's worth.

Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on one to prove myself wrong, but I won't lose any sleep over never getting that opportunity.

[WhatTheFlex]

SteveID , even if it takes a bit of tinkering, it's worth the fight. Hopefully the kinks are out as far as production goes and the makers have hit the groove. Maybe, like KKay's new pen, you won't have to worry about any adjustments. Whatever the case, this has become my go to daily carry and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to any fellow fountain pen user.

[KKay]

WhatTheFlex, I did take the nib and feed out to clean them. There was a particle in the feed, but it washed out easily. I nailed the nib and feed position once I put them back in, the first time. The nib did not need any adjustments at all. The nib and feed were probably pressure fit, and tight. I doubt if you go with that setting as is, that it will be the right one. I just wanted to clear up any misunderstanding on that. The first pen's nib was really good, but not as great as this one. This one was perfectly tuned for me, if it was tuned. Both of my pens were brand new, I also want to make that clear. They came from the seller, and they were not previously used or owned.

[benbot517]

I'm getting a chestnut one from Dan, and I paid the extra to have him tune it up. I've heard enough about noodler's pens to know it could very well be worth every penny.

 

I really wanted the Boston safety pen because I have a larger waterman 46 that I'm just not as comfortable taking out into the world.

Edited March 18, 2018 by benbot517

[wallylynn]

My beeswax washer seems to be doing the trick, preventing leaking from the back. I'm comfortable keeping it in my pocket now. The seal at the cap/nib needs some work. It doesn't leak, per se, but ink does get on the threads, I'd like to reduce that if possible.

[KKay]

I think you should contact Luxury Brands about your pen. Beeswax isn't a good idea.

[chalkdust]

My fountain pen habits have driven me to only have a pen uncapped when I am writing with it. So If I have a short note to jot I uncap-jot-cap. I never leave a pen uncapped when it is not writing.

 

Up to now.

 

The Boston safety takes more effort to start using: uncap-extend-write, and to cap: turn upright-retract-cap. So short jots were a pain. Then I got to thinking....that nib and feed are saturated with ink when I extend the nib, so I bet it will not dry out as quickly as other pens....I wonder how long I can leave it uncapped and still write with it?

 

In my case, the answer is long enough to be a useful work pen and jotter. I have left it uncapped for twenty minutes with NO problems. I live in North Texas where the humidity is middle-ish, not too high, not too low. So your experience will differ from mine. But I am finding this pen to be revolutionary, and in a very useful way.

 

I am enjoying my Noodler's Boston Safety for both long sessions and for short jots and for carrying around with very little fear of leaking. I can see why they were popular long ago.

[inkstainedruth]

I pulled mine out the other day, after not having used it for a few weeks. To my surprise it wrote immediately (although there was only enough ink (Noodler's Luck of the Draw LE) left for about a half a page of journal writing. The pen -- as do all the currently inked up pens -- was relatively tightly capped and nib up in a metal canister.

I am having some trouble judging how much ink to put in it, so when I refilled it a day or two later, I had some blurping of ink when I went to write; but after writing a bit it settled down. (It's a learning curve...).

Overall, I'm glad I got it, but I would not call it my favorite pen. What I like? The fact that it's ebonite, and that it didn't dry out even though I hadn't used it for a while. What I don't like? Well, it's an eyedropper -- so that means it's prone to burping in with changes of air pressure, *especially* when it's not full. And that it's hard to judge what constitutes "full"....

Oh, and I don't recall ever joining the Black Pen Society....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[bluebellrose]

O think Nathan just made a sharpie ink. However it can only be used in the Boston Safety Pen. Can't be used in a Preppy marker. Wish it could though.

[eharriett]

Not sure about anyone else, but at least one of my Boston Safeties has been in use nearly every day, Well, a few days ago, one of them was getting tougher and tougher to move, so I opened it to see if it was going to need a cleaning. I removed the rod and noticed it actually began warping. I gave it the slightest touch to see what was happening.

 

**CRACK!!**

 

The rod broke in two!!

 

So I now have parts to a safety pen.

 

If anyone else has a safety that they are parting out for whatever reason, should you have an intact rod (don't need feed or nib), please contact me. I would very much like to put this pen back into use. I rather enjoy them.

 

*Edited for typos*

Edited September 19, 2018 by eharriett

[wallylynn]

I was just about to ask if anyone's been actively using their safety pens. I sent mine back to the seller in May, and after several months got a "surprise" package.

 

 

So I've been using it for the past 2-3 weeks. The replacement doesn't leak. Not at the cap, not on the shaft. Perhaps a bit of baby bottom causing hard start. However, the shaft very tight. I have difficulty retracting the nib. I'll add a bit more grease. Other than that, I'm enjoying it. I mainly wish it was shorter: there's slack to cut an extra 1/4" off the cap, and 1/2" off the shaft.

 

I'm not sure how long I'll use it as EDC. I don't write much during the day, only random notes. Uncapping and recapping is a bit of a chore. My Hero 616 does that much better due to the hooded nib and slip cap.

[eharriett]

You made a good point, wallylynn, that I should clarify: neither of my inked safeties are EDC's. They're too darn long. But they sit at two tables where I am likely to write notes or long letters with.

[The Good Captain]

I'm looking forward to getting mine - Chestnut. Just trying to decide which ink to use in it...!

[sciumbasci]

How fare lefties with the noodlers nibs? Can they be used at all as side writers?

[eharriett]

How fare lefties with the noodlers nibs? Can they be used at all as side writers?

I'm a lefty. A mostly overwriter, sometimes sidewriter.

 

No flex works like it does for a rightie, unfortunately. At least, not to my experience. However, flex is still flex. You get line variation, but if you aren't used to getting line variation out of your nib, you're going to learn when and how to push and pull that pressure. It just will not look like flex from someone who rights right-handed. But I'm sure, like me, you are used to that

 

Regarding Noodler's flex, I've not been a fan of the flex in the Boston or the nib creaper. It just doesn't get enough in the right places. I enjoy writing with both, but not for the flex. That being said, the Ahab is an unusually good flex pen for the way I write. I have a Neponset that flexes even more, but the Ahab seemed to react just the way I want it to for flex. Not sure how other lefties feel about that though.

 

In general, when I need something to show line variation, I have to switch to a 1.5 italic Lamy nib.

[eharriett]

To followup on my cracked Boston Safety story:

 

On a whim, I contacted Pen Chalet, where I bought it from, who I did not expect any response from because I bought it well over 6 months ago, but I told them what happened and they had a new insides sent to me the next day, complete with nib and feel (incredible standing behind their product, by the way. I remember things like that!).

 

When I got it, I immediately screwed the sides together and while they fit, this was slightly bent too, so I didn't screw it together tightly. I assembled it, and it almost immediately came apart at the screwed in sides ... and one of the o-rings fell out. So I tried putting it back on and it broke. Fortunately, I have two spares from the last one.

 

I decided to quit while I was ahead. I am going to the Ohio Pen Show next month with a pile of pens I cannot fix and I'm going to have various people work on them. I've now got the parts for a working pen. While I have (theoretically) all working parts, I'm going to quite while I'm ahead and hand this to a pro to get it working again.

 

I've got 3 others of these and not only do I have no problem with any of them, but all three are great writers in my opinion and I use two regularly, This one pen is cursed!

[GardenWeasel]

Mine leaks onto the cap threads, then onto the section, and onto my fingers. I’ve switched inks, taken it apart and scrubbed it, siliconed the threads, no luck...I love the pen, but I surrender. It’s no longer in use.

[BaronWulfraed]

Haven't had seepage past the threads (yet), so my fingers have stayed clean there... But I /have/ had seepage at the join where the pocket clip is held on.

[wallylynn]

 

This one pen is cursed!

Makes me wonder if the pen body itself is the problem. PC's service was good to me too. They took mine back, no additional question. The replacement took months since they were out of stock, but they sent it without my bugging them.