Noodler's Ahab Troubles

[ljkd13]

I was very excited to get my Noodler's Ahab Demonstrator in the mail, however after inking it (Noodler's Black) I can't seem to get think ink to flow at all! I'm certainly not giving up on the pen, but I'm bummed I can't use it yet.

 

I've taken it completely apart several times, cleaned the feed, re-positioned the nib 3 or 4 times, pulled ink in and out of it until my fingers turned black, but I still can't get the thing to flow.

 

The usual stuff I do to all my other pens don't seem to work this time. Anybody have a similar problem with their Ahab?

 

Also, does the ink always fill the section right down to the nib?

 

Thanks!

Edited November 21, 2011 by ljkd13

[stuartk]

I was very excited to get my Noodler's Ahab Demonstrator in the mail, however after inking it (Noodler's Black) I can't seem to get think ink to flow at all! I'm certainly not giving up on the pen, but I'm bummed I can't use it yet.

 

I've taken it completely apart several times, cleaned the feed, re-positioned the nib 3 or 4 times, pulled ink in and out of it until my fingers turned black, but I still can't get the thing to flow.

 

The usual stuff I do to all my other pens don't seem to work this time. Anybody have a similar problem with their Ahab?

 

Also, does the ink always fill the section right down to the nib?

 

Thanks!

 

I don't have this problem with either of mine. Since it's brand new, I'd contact the people you bought it from. Maybe they can send you a replacement, or offer some advice on how to fix it. (It could be a number of things.)

 

In the clear demonstrator Ahab that I have, the ink is visible through most of the section, except where the nib or feed are tight enough against the section wall that no ink can get in.

[i.like.whiskey]

Please keep us posted on what it ends up being. I'm thinking about getting one of these if consensus seems to be positive in their favor. Thanks.

Edited November 21, 2011 by i.like.whiskey

[watch_art]

Have you tried to floss the feed? You can use a stiff piece of something flat, maybe the back edge (not the sharp side) of an xacto blade, and check to see if there's any bits of ebonite chunks stuck in there. I've had pens with ebonite feeds that had this problem before. Not a big deal to fix.

 

Good luck.

[stuartk]

I was very excited to get my Noodler's Ahab Demonstrator in the mail, however after inking it (Noodler's Black) I can't seem to get think ink to flow at all! I'm certainly not giving up on the pen, but I'm bummed I can't use it yet.

 

I've taken it completely apart several times, cleaned the feed, re-positioned the nib 3 or 4 times, pulled ink in and out of it until my fingers turned black, but I still can't get the thing to flow.

 

The usual stuff I do to all my other pens don't seem to work this time. Anybody have a similar problem with their Ahab?

 

 

 

Just curious... what did you flush the pen with? Did you try some water with a drop or two of detergent and also a few drops of clear ammonia? There are evidently some oils used when cutting the feed, and they can cause issues.

Edited November 21, 2011 by stuartk

[ljkd13]

I was very excited to get my Noodler's Ahab Demonstrator in the mail, however after inking it (Noodler's Black) I can't seem to get think ink to flow at all! I'm certainly not giving up on the pen, but I'm bummed I can't use it yet.

 

I've taken it completely apart several times, cleaned the feed, re-positioned the nib 3 or 4 times, pulled ink in and out of it until my fingers turned black, but I still can't get the thing to flow.

 

The usual stuff I do to all my other pens don't seem to work this time. Anybody have a similar problem with their Ahab?

 

 

 

Just curious... what did you flush the pen with? Did you try some water with a drop or two of detergent and also a few drops of clear ammonia? There are evidently some oils used when cutting the feed, and they can cause issues.

 

I ran a razor blade through the top of the feed, but not the fins. I haven't flushed it yet, so that will certainly be my next step, as well as "flossing" the feed. I'm not ready to send it back, as I know this kind of thing happens to a lot of pens, I just wondered if anyone else had the same problem and already fixed it.

[Scribblesoften]

I also had some problems getting one of my Ahabs to work correctly. One of the things suggested by the distributor to remedy this symptom is to use a toothbrush with the dilute soap solution on the feed. This seems a very effective way to remove any persistent machine oils. I hope it sorts out.

[ljkd13]

I also had some problems getting one of my Ahabs to work correctly. One of the things suggested by the distributor to remedy this symptom is to use a toothbrush with the dilute soap solution on the feed. This seems a very effective way to remove any persistent machine oils. I hope it sorts out.

 

 

Thanks - I think it must be a minor issue like that because all of the parts seem fine - nothing looks like a defect.

[JimB]

I was very excited to get my Noodler's Ahab Demonstrator in the mail, however after inking it (Noodler's Black) I can't seem to get think ink to flow at all! I'm certainly not giving up on the pen, but I'm bummed I can't use it yet.

 

I've taken it completely apart several times, cleaned the feed, re-positioned the nib 3 or 4 times, pulled ink in and out of it until my fingers turned black, but I still can't get the thing to flow.

 

The usual stuff I do to all my other pens don't seem to work this time. Anybody have a similar problem with their Ahab?

 

 

 

Just curious... what did you flush the pen with? Did you try some water with a drop or two of detergent and also a few drops of clear ammonia? There are evidently some oils used when cutting the feed, and they can cause issues.

 

I ran a razor blade through the top of the feed, but not the fins. I haven't flushed it yet, so that will certainly be my next step, as well as "flossing" the feed. I'm not ready to send it back, as I know this kind of thing happens to a lot of pens, I just wondered if anyone else had the same problem and already fixed it.

If you haven't flushed it, I think you've revealed the problem. Flushing it with water and a drop of dish detergent is almost a requirement. I'd try that before picking up a razor blade...

[Fabienne]

Yea, flushing is necessary with every pen, I find. By the way, buying an inexpensive loup is almost necessary, too. You need to be able to see how the tines line up and how the nib relates to the feed (I had a pen which was not sitting right on top of the feed and it skipped badly). Good luck.

[stuartk]

I ran a razor blade through the top of the feed, but not the fins. I haven't flushed it yet, so that will certainly be my next step, as well as "flossing" the feed. I'm not ready to send it back, as I know this kind of thing happens to a lot of pens, I just wondered if anyone else had the same problem and already fixed it.

 

I don't think I would use a razor blade first thing on a new pen. I'd recommend flushing it out first thing (I do this to all my pens when I first get them, new or used.)

 

If the pen doesn't write well after that, then I will start looking for other thing to try. Sharp or pointed objects are the heavy artillery, only to be called out when you really need them.

Edited November 21, 2011 by stuartk

[ljkd13]

I ran a razor blade through the top of the feed, but not the fins. I haven't flushed it yet, so that will certainly be my next step, as well as "flossing" the feed. I'm not ready to send it back, as I know this kind of thing happens to a lot of pens, I just wondered if anyone else had the same problem and already fixed it.

 

I don't think I would use a razor blade first thing on a new pen. I'd recommend flushing it out first thing (I do this to all my pens when I first get them, new or used.)

 

If the pen doesn't write well after that, then I will start looking for other thing to try. Sharp or pointed objects are the heavy artillery, only to be called out when you really need them.

 

I didn't scrape the feed - just ran it through to make sure there were no obstructions - don't worry!

[stuartk]

Yea, flushing is necessary with every pen, I find. By the way, buying an inexpensive loup is almost necessary, too. You need to be able to see how the tines line up and how the nib relates to the feed (I had a pen which was not sitting right on top of the feed and it skipped badly). Good luck.

 

I agree about the loupe. You can get an inexpensive 10X Chinese one for under $10 on Ebay or Amazon. They will work well enough to let you see what's going on with the nib.

 

I actually have a higher quality loupe, but I spent $30 on it. I use it a lot for looking at rocks and minerals, plus now it's for pens too. Mine is a BelOMO, but there are other brands that are good too, like Bausch & Lomb, Zeiss, Nikon, etc. (I think the BelOMO gives you just as high quality optics as the more expensive brands do.)

[JonB55198]

+1 on flush. I usually take a mouthwash cup, fill halfway with ammonia and add 2 drops of dish liquid. I then cycle the filling mechanism about a dozen times to rinse away any machine oils and manufacturing remnants. After this, I fill another cup with water, and cycle the filling mechanism. Change the water, repeat. Finally change the water one last time and cycle again. This should clear any ammonia out of the system.

 

Then let the pen dry by capillary action. Put it on a Kimberly clark lab wipe (lint free) so that it draws water out of the nib and feed. Once dry, add your favorite ink.

[ljkd13]

I'm trying not to be annoyed...

 

I went to flush the pen out tonight and try everything to get the ink flowing, I couldn't push the plunger down. Knowing that it sticks, I pushed with a little bit of force and ejected the feed into my bottle of ink. Not only did I spill ink all over the place, but I broke the tip of my feed off.

 

I emailed Todd Nussbaum to see whether he could possibly find me a new feed.

 

So much for getting a jump on using my new pen.

[shaylenwilliams]

I'm sorry you're having troubles. I half expected to with mine, but I rinsed with water and dish soap before inking, and with Iroshi ku-jaku I've have nothing but fun.

[smodak]

I agree with whatever the others are saying but I do not understand why we have to do all these after paying $20.00 for a pen (I know flex and all). I bought a number of Pilot 78Gs for $9.99 from pokydaddy and all of them worked brilliantly out of the box. Noodler's has good intentions but IMHO their QC sucks.

[ljkd13]

In emptying my ink bottle, I didn't find the broken piece, which makes me think it must've arrived with a broken feed and I just didn't notice it. If that's the case, it explains why it never worked.

[rwilsonedn]

Well, yes, depending on how it's broken, a feed missing its end could cause the problems you were having. The ink may never have been getting down to the slit in the nib. Or possibly air was getting into the feed channel and blocking capilary flow. As long as the slit is in that flex nib, though, that seems unlikely.

But the fact that you were able to launch the whole feed into the ink bottle with the plunger suggests there was another problem--a completely obstructed feed. Otherwise you shouldn't have been able to build up that much pressure.

It sounds like the Ahabs are going to be a repeat of the original Noodler's Flex--do it yourself pen kits labeled as fountain pens. But you may have discovered a whole new application for them: single-shot rubber-bullet pistols. Very useful for control of quite small riots.

ron

[Winchester]

Yea, flushing is necessary with every pen, I find. By the way, buying an inexpensive loup is almost necessary, too. You need to be able to see how the tines line up and how the nib relates to the feed (I had a pen which was not sitting right on top of the feed and it skipped badly). Good luck.

 

Strange, never flushed my regular Noodler's flex, just filled it up with ink and been using it ever since, oh and a nib/feed adjustment.

 

Also I see the Ahab's are still in stock on gouletpens, weird, the flexpocalypse wasn't as severe for the Ahab's as the smaller flex pens... and

 

I was in such a hurry to get that clear demonstrator I didn't bother getting anything else.