Noodler's Ahab Pen Writing Adjustment?

[testrider]

HI all,

 

I just got an AHAB and I like it a lot. This is my 1st flex pen so I'm trying to figure what was wrong here:

 

While I can apply varying pressure to create different line width, but right after I applied a heavy pressure down stroke then lifted it up (by applying no pressure) to try to create a fine line, it always came out much thicker. See the attached picture. The word on the left was written normally and this is the line that I like to create on the up stroke of the 'M' (arrows), for example. I moved the feel from all the way in to almost all the way out and there was no change. I would be very happy if the up-stroke line on the right word can look like the line on the left word.

 

Did I do something wrong or is this the way it is? It seems that after applying a heavy pressure to make a thick line on the down stroke, then immediately followed by a no-pressure up stroke, the up-stroke line is always much thicker, may be due to the ink was still gushing out by the down stroke? Is there a way to change this? I really don't see any other way as I already tried moving the feed. The feed vents are as they were from stock.

 

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

-mike-

 

PS: this is the Noodler's Heart of Darkness black ink.

Edited December 4, 2011 by testrider

[andybiotic]

Its what I call the returning line variation, it has a lot to do with the shape of the tip of the nib, there is nothing you can do about it except for grinding it. It may help to use some drying ink though... See my explanation below from another post.

 

I've learn the importance of the other characteristics of flexible nibs other than just how much flex it has. I used to chase after the softest wet noodles (well... I still am in a sense...) but I now think that the returning line variation is much much more important. That is, the thin line after a thick stroke. Many flex nibs are able to write a XF line before any flexing (just light handed regular writing) and is capable of flexing up to 2mm in width but the thin line immediate after that may not always be the same XF line, it is ofter thicker, a F or even a M line and I hate that! Some may call this the nib's responsiveness and it is to do with how springy or how quick the tines snap back together but there are many other factors I think that goes in making the returning line as thin as possible. The shape at the tip of the nib is also very important. You may notice that although a nib may not be as pointy as another and yet it is able to write a similar line width. That is because the contacting surface areas that actually do the writing are similar. However, when you have a pool of ink that covers the tip (i.e. from a thick flex stroke) then the surface area now is different between the two nibs. One nib may now have less contacting surface area that transfer the ink from the pool to the next stroke. The nib with a shallower tip where the pool of ink is now cover the entire blunt tip, will transfer a lot more ink and making the subsequent stroke a lot thicker than it normally writes.

 

Phew.... anyway, what I am trying to say is I am more willing to settle for a semi or full or maxi/flexi flex nib with returning line variation consistent to the nib's width rather than a super wet noodle that advertises to have a XF nib but the returning thin stroke goes to M instead! The noodler's flex lacks that sort of returning line variation. The one I have, yes, it can produce a 2-3 mm line but the returning line width is a B to a BB!

Edited December 4, 2011 by andybiotic

[andybiotic]

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/CIMG7680.jpg Edited December 4, 2011 by andybiotic

[testrider]

Thank you for the explanation and this is exactly what I saw. Since this is my first 'flex' pen ever, so I thought it was something that can be adjusted. If this is the way it is of the AHAB pen, I guess I'll get a 'real' flex pen... :-)

 

Could anyone post a couple of words of your sample with your AHAB pen while writing words with varying pressure?

 

Thanks again!

-mike-

[testrider]

Did you grind it yourself? How did you do it?

Thanks!

 

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/CIMG7680.jpg

[SamCapote]

What Andy said that older vintage nibs give an easier result than the $20 Ahab. However, you can get more delicate/thin upstrokes by learning to lift the pen slightly more. It is hard unless you slow down because you muscles are in a downward flexing contraction, and there is some delay until you learn the skill at being able to lift the nib faster. Most of us have no training or experience on pressing down and lifting up with parts of a stroke.

 

This is a thumbnail to show the before and after I enlarged the feed vent slits. You can see some variations where I tried lifting my nib. Please understand that I have not yet spent any time on my penmanship or lettering quality. Writing larger characters gives more time to lift and thin the upstroke. As I write more beyond the image below, I am finding the modified (wetter) feed makes it easier to use and get variations because less pressure is required now.

 

I am not saying this writes like a $400-500 vintage flex nib that has been checked out and verified to work well...but then it's $20. Imagine trying to hack your Vintage pen feed like I did here.

 

 

 

http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h75/pike444/pens/Ahab/IMG_1474s.jpg

 

 

Edit: Just saw those samples from Andy. It would be nice to know what you did to modify it for that result.

 

I guess it's also good that I post my cat scratch too so you can see Flex writing skills vs. no skills (yet). :embarrassed_smile:

Edited December 4, 2011 by SamCapote

[Edgar Allan Bo]

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/CIMG7680.jpg

 

Wow, much finer hairlines I was planning to do the same when my Ahab arrives.

 

Recently I got some VERY flexy DEGUSSA steel nibs (OM) from Bo Bo Olson and turned them into EF/F's - the result is almost the same as your sample above.

[Winchester]

Somebodys gonna have to make a guide of this nib grinding now!

[andybiotic]

Yes, I grind it myself but I am not a nibmeister or a profession pen restorer, do you really want to listen to me? :embarrassed_smile: It was kind of a trial and error thing. Although it is not the first nib I've grind , I am really not sure if I am able to tell anyone how to do it.... I am not trying to hide anything, I don't make a living with this. First, I don't think I can explain it clearly with words and that could cause a lot of problems to your nib(s), there was a few errors and corrections involved which complicate things significantly. Second, I don't want people going off grinding and ruining their nibs using my so called "guide" (not just the noodler's but also vintage ones too!) as I, too, have ruined my fair share of nibs...

 

Also, don't get toooo excited, even though the nib is capable of fairly good returning line variation after the regrind, you'll notice that the curve of some of the thick strokes are not smooth, crooked even. E.g. the "s" in "is" and the "b" in "nib". This is the result of the nib not being able to glide smoothly over the paper when flexed because of the amount of pressure I need to exerted on it in order to get such thick strokes. If it has problem with regular round hand flex, it may be quite difficult to be used for writings with lots of curves such as this here (an early attempt of copperplate) which is written with a true vintage flex:

 

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/Antiquelandb.jpg

 

I forgot where I've seen someone else wrote that phrase (GClef on youtube?) but I just love it especially when writing the word "antique"!

 

By the way anyone notice that there are a LOT of Ahab related threads here... As of this moment, there are 8 Ahab thread on the first page of this writing instrument forum!

Edited December 4, 2011 by andybiotic

[Ernest]

I am with Andy.

Grounded mine to a cursive italic.

 

 

[USMCMom]

Grinding your own nibs ... you all are SO talented and even brave! If I attempted that, there would be music playing in the background ... Jaws and Psycho and totally ruined nibs (a lot of them). I think it's great you're able to do this!

[testrider]

Thanks for all the replies. At least now I know it's not just me, but rather the limitation of the AHAB. I saw a post here : post #62 https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/208562-noodlers-ahab-troubles/page__st__50

 

with some really nice line variations with a stock AHAB nib.

[MrMGWard]

I don't want people going off grinding and ruining their nibs

 

Very good point. ^^^

 

So many people have been starting Ahab topics lately, heh it's like a game trying to keep up with them all. I have been only lurking/reading them all till now. I wanted to chime in and give my thoughts on nib grinding with the Ahab, and writing with a stock Ahab. I write primarily with vintage flex pens and dip nibs, and love them! That being said, I really like my Ahab, and have been using it a LOT since I got it. I will admit I do have plans of grinding the tip to a slightly finer point, and have since I first got it. I have a little experience with grinding, not a lot, and figured it would be a good experiment. (heh congrats Andy on beating me to it)

 

An Ahab pen takes a completely different style of "flex" writing technique, than a vintage flex. I think to many people are trying to compare the two head to head. Like comparing apples to bananas. Sure it takes a lot more pressure, we all know that already, we have read it in a billion threads since the Ahab release. There is more to it than that though. In order to write beautifully with the Ahab, one must practice control with a heavy hand. The variation in heavy and light strokes is huge!

 

I hope this thread makes sence, heh Im still half asleep. All Im trying to say is, its possible to get beautiful controlled writing with the Ahab. Just not using conventional flex techniques. I have been practicing a lot, and I feel making progress with smooth heavy strokes, but have a long way to go still I think.

 

Stock Noodler's Ahab - Noodler's Black Swan In Australian Roses - 9mm lined paper used as a guide.

 

Edit: I should mention, that the quote I wrote comes from Mauricio's article/thread The Beauty Of A Great Flexible Nib - Part 2

 

Swavey

Edited December 4, 2011 by Swavey

[Silas]

Swavey, that is just EXCELLENT!!

 

It's what I hoped an Ahab could do on its own.

 

Thanks for your comments on writing with it...I can see it takes a different technique.

 

Just wondering: did your Ahab write well out of the box or did you have to "fiddle" with it!

[MrMGWard]

Just wondering: did your Ahab write well out of the box or did you have to "fiddle" with it!

I (like so many others) got my Ahab, inked it up and took it for a spin. Results were nice at first, but very quickly degraded heh. As expected. I then made up a water/ammonia/dish soap mixture and filled/flushed the pen a good 20 times or so. Then dismantled the pen and gave it a bath in the same mixture, as well as a little "toothbrush massage." It was like an Ahab Spa... It sounds like a lot, but honestly its easy and only took a very small amount of time to flush the pen, and let it soak. After I got it put back together, I inked it up and tweaked. I inserted the nib all the way into the section, and then played with different feed positions till I found something that wrote nice and dry on the thin strokes and yet was able to keep up with me while being flexed. I like where it is now, but I very well may play some more to see if I can get it better. I am reminded of something I read of Mauricio's from this thread on writing Copperplate with a Fountain Pen. I hope he wont mind my posting it here.

 

It took me many hours setting this nib up into this pen to get the ideal ink flow for all different flexy writing demands: Different line variations, different writing speeds, different ink demands, different writing directions, etc.

There are so many variables when setting up a nib/feed. I personally play till I get it right

 

Swavey

[andybiotic]

Yes, but like in many many many other posts said, there are some quality control issue with the stock (factory made) nib.

 

I would like to point out that there a degree of variations within the stock nibs, the one I grind was not the best one. It gave poor returning line variation, that was why I grind it. I just assumed that people know about this kind of problem and also assumed that the OP has a bad nib as well. There ARE good stock nibs out there that don't require any grinding in order to write like Swavey's sample.

 

Just to show you what I mean, here is a sample written with another pen I have with a stock nib.

 

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/Noodlerstockflexnib2sb.jpg

 

Cheers

Edited December 5, 2011 by andybiotic

[testrider]

Andy, yours looks excellent! May I ask how are your nib/feed adjusted? How many lines are showed on your feed? Was your nib pushed in all the way?

Thanks.

 

 

Yes, but like in many many many other posts said, there are some quality control issue with the stock (factory made) nib.

 

I would like to point out that there a degree of variations within the stock nibs, the one I grind was not the best one. It gave poor returning line variation, that was why I grind it. I just assumed that people know about this kind of problem and also assumed that the OP has a bad nib as well. There ARE good stock nibs out there that don't require any grinding in order to write like Swavey's sample.

 

Just to show you what I mean, here is a sample written with another pen I have with a stock nib.

 

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/Andybiotics/Noodlerstockflexnib2sb.jpg

 

Cheers

[andybiotic]

I didn't adjust much, to be honest, I have two pens and two nibs but only one feed... I have heat set the other feed to fit dip nibs... so every time I want to use the other nib I have to take the whole thing out and resemble it and I don't "count" how many fins on my feed exposed... I can say though that the tip of the feed is approx 2mm below the tip of the nib, and push the whole thing in until it won't go further.... if that helps?

 

Cheers

Edited December 5, 2011 by andybiotic

[testrider]

Thank you Andy, yes, that helped, as mine is pretty much the same as yours, but your writing sample is so much better. I guess every nib is different... :-(

 

 

I didn't adjust much, to be honest, I have two pens and two nibs but only one feed... I have heat set the other feed to fit dip nibs... so every time I want to use the other nib I have to take the whole thing out and resemble it and I don't "count" how many fins on my feed exposed... I can say though that the tip of the feed is approx 2mm below the tip of the nib, and push the whole thing in until it won't go further.... if that helps?

 

Cheers

[Chevalier]

I have currently 3 piston fill flex pens, 2 old Nib Creapers (rollerball body) and 1 AHAB left at home and every nib is a little different. I think it's not easy to get a constantly good returning line variation on every nib of this kind. I've been especially unlucky with vintage flex pens too. Only a few I've seen gave a fine returning hairline without special effort. It's possible to get a nice returning hairline with this nibs, but it's not easy (maybe too hard for people new to flex nibs?).