Noodler's Eyedrop filler

[jabberwock11]

This Fountain Pen isn't exactly a brand, but it does come free with many of the eyedropper bottles of Noodler's Ink and seeing as so many folks out there enjoy Noodler's Ink I figured that this pen deserved a review. My pen came with a bottle of Noodler's Heart of Darkness and has only fed on this particular ink.

 

At first glance this pen's design is what you might think of when buying a cheap ballpoint. It consists of a plastic see through barrel with a plastic see through cap. The cap has a slightly opaque clip and cap top for accents, but is otherwise unremarkable. While it is not a pretty pen it is a pen designed with function in mind. The clear barrel allows the ink level to be monitored without any difficulty (in an eyedropper filled pen a see through barrel is an excellent idea).

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nib is a black steel, straight as an arrow, stiff as a board set up with it's fins encased in the end of the barrel. The nib flows well and has zero skipping issues, but does write a bit too scratchy for my tastes. The output of ink is consistant and the line put down is what one would expect from a fine tip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When filled with ink the weight of this pen is a bit heavier than what would be expected from a plastic pen, but is not heavy enough to be a real complaint.

 

The eyedropper filled barrel design feeds the nib consistantly and with enough ink in reserve to drown a small gerbil. At first I was a little worried that the barrel might leak, but after continued use at work I have had zero leakage issues from either the barrel or the nib. I was so impressed by the eyedropper fill design that I began looking for more fountain pens with this set up.

 

Overall this pen is a well designed-if somewhat spartan writing instrument. It will never make my top ten list, but it does write consistantly and has a truely great filling/nib feed system.

 

 

[cafzal]

My issue with the pen is that the o-ring seal is so delicate, that if you tighten the pen too much or leave it too loose you have a serious leakage problem. I have had fingers full of Baystate Blue and Concord Grape, after using the two different pens that came with each ink.

[skinnyPens]

I do believe this is the same pen as the Pilot Varsity, reconfigured from cartridge to eyedrop fill. edit: oops, not varsity, Preppy.

 

I recently received mine with an order of ink, and filled it with the St. Patty's Eire. It is such a wet writer, that even as a fine it works really well as a highlighter.

 

The other handy feature of this pen, is that it can double as a bubble level.

Edited July 8, 2008 by skinnyPens

[Tricia]

You can sometimes buy them without the ink purchase from Pendemonium, but they've been out of them for a while now. I have one and want more. The one I have is currently filled with J Herbin's Larmes de Cassis. Beautiful!

 

I believe that someone has to convert them to be EDs (in other words, they don't come that way from Preppy). Also, at least in the past, they come in different colors, but you can't select the one you want.

 

The nib makes a bit of noise when I write with it, but mine doesn't feel scratchy. I haven't figured that one out yet, but I do enjoy writing with it. The paper, maybe? I've used it primarily in my Moleskine, but also on Clairefontaine and Levenger's paper. Puts down a nice medium line.

 

Thanks for the review. Nice to see an everyday pen reviewed.

 

(Edited to correct the spelling of the ink name.)

Edited July 8, 2008 by Tricia

[jockeys]

the Preppy is from Platinum, not Pilot. great pens, though, I love mine. had one break from overtightening, but other than that, the others have been good.

[Noh]

At first I was a little worried that the barrel might leak, but after continued use at work I have had zero leakage issues from either the barrel or the nib.

 

That wasn't my experience at all. I have two of these, and was constantly having problems with leakage from the barrel with both of them. You apparently have to find that exact right magic pressure on the O-ring: too loose and it can leak from the barrel and the nib (poor seal, too much air flow), too tight and the O-ring deforms causing a bulge where the ink creeping up the threads finds its way onto your fingers, as Cafzal said. It's also extremely easy to crack the barrel if you accidentally over-tighten it.

 

I don't want to make out like I'm too down on the pen though, it was free after all. It is kind of a neat little pen, and a fairly decent writer once it gets going, but I was never able to trust it enough to get much use out of it. If I could find a thicker/stiffer/tighter O-ring for it, I'd probably like it a lot better than I do now.

[WillSW]

I converted a Preppy, just using silicone grease. Works fine. Before I had silicone grease I used some very carefully applied rubber cement, but I don't know how safe that is. Mine writes like a medium and it's kept filled with Legal Lapis in case I ever need some permanent lettering.