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Hi all! After reading a lot of review about this Noodler's Konrad, I finally get one recently. I love writing (and fixing) with this pen. But i notice the pen is leaking ink to the cap when I don't use it. A full filled pen would only leave one drop of ink overnight, although it doesn't leak any when I'm writing. I found this is a quite common issue with this pen but I couldn't fix it after heat-setting, tuning and resembling the pen. I wonder is it because there is a space between the nib and grip section (see below). If so, how can it be fixed? Thank you!

Those of us who are fans of Noodler's for whatever reason have probably seen the YouTube video on how durable Noodler's pens are. If not, it starts out with Nathan Tardif getting into a vehicle and running over a Charlie eyedropper pen and a clear demonstrator Konrad rollerball pen. First on bare ground, then on wet asphalt. He then proceeds to fire another set of said pens from a 10ga over-under shotgun (according to Nathan, it's not something you can legally get away with anymore...). Here's a link to the video: Now, what this tells me at 4am is that the Konrad appears durable enough to clip to a hip pocket of a pair of jeans and carry that way throughout a typical day. I normally carry a Tuffwriter Precision Press aluminum pen in that same position and have had only occasional problems with the mechanism being activated as I move about. The Precision Press is a clicky-type ballpoint/rollerball/gel writer depending on what refill you use, and sometimes mine ends up being in the 'clicked' position when I remove it from my pocket. The tip of the pen also tends to start unscrewing a bit as well. I blame that on the 3 small o-rings on the front part of the pan, myself. What this boils down to is a question, of course. Would a Konrad rollerball be able to withstand the abuse of being clipped to a hip pocket and basically sat on during a normal day? I'd hate to find out the hard way that my pen cracked and leaked a pen's worth of ink all over my pants.

Which one would you buy and why?

Does anyone know if the Noodler's Konrad Brush 'unit' is interchangeable with the 'conventional' Konrad Section/Feed/Nib ? Putting it another way, is the barrel and piston identical for the nib and brush versions of Konrad. Thanks..

I had been waiting for some time to try and snag one of the ripple ebonite Konrads from Noodler's. I have always been impressed with Noodler's Ink. I am not going to tote them as the perfect brand... because I am not sure one exists. I have been using their ink for a long time, and I trust it. I liked the original Nib Creeper pens, and really like the Ahabs. I was a little disappointed in the original Konrad. I did not think the fit and finish was there. I really thought the ebonite Konrad would be a big improvement. Like anything else, however, I am easily distracted when it comes to pens. Then I saw a video Nathan (Noodler's CEO, Chief Chemist, etc) posted on you tube about the acrylic Konrads ... . I am not a big fan of white pens... The picture below show most of the pens I have at the ready. I have more in boxes and drawers, but these are the ones that are usually in active rotation. I think I have a white Lamy somewhere... I am really a fan of blue or black... but the acrylic Konrads are really pretty. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UdV1S7vglG4/UYnAlBPSStI/AAAAAAAAB6E/4s8xFSHL5e4/s640/IMG_0985+(1156x1280).jpg I almost bought the John Mung pen. The one I kept ogling, however, was this one... the Rattlesnake and Adrenaline acrylic Konrad. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AgxcvnWMKO4/UYnAbB_VkcI/AAAAAAAAB40/wWAN01kotcI/s640/IMG_0912+(1280x497).jpg No, it does not come in a pretty sleeve .. it comes in the same box that all the Noodler's pens have. I do think the white background really accentuates the chatoyance of the material. It is somewhat transparent. You can see a few threads about mid-way up the body of the pen. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KIPHrTufpFQ/UYnAbgy6QEI/AAAAAAAAB44/YncHQgzj9Mc/s640/IMG_0919+(1280x853).jpg The fit and finish is excellent. There are no stray pieces of plastic, or metal fittings that slip. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pOJgNtv7Ptk/UYnAdQ4NDYI/AAAAAAAAB5I/BNFBw3Fb8-I/s640/IMG_0922+(853x1280).jpg I have only had this pen a few weeks, but I have used it quite a bit. It is really a lovely pen. I took more pictures than I normally do... simply because it is so hard to express in a photo how pretty it really is. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xVo1fSdA37s/UYnAcxyxRKI/AAAAAAAAB5E/7kTFLW-TjyM/s640/IMG_0938+(1280x760).jpg That is not the stock flex nib on the pen. I have a Jinhao 159 turned into a desk pen that has a wet medium nib. It has one of the wetter feeds of all my pens. I use it at school on my desk to write notes on cheap paper, write discipline referral slips on REALLY cheap paper, and the like. I wanted a finer nib... and after using the stock nib on this Konrad... I knew what I was going to do. The desk pen now has a flex nib. This is the 7th or 8th flex nib I have gotten from Noodler's and I will say it is superior. I don't know what is so different about it, but it is easier to get it to flex and is far more consistent. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eg2jZmg55Bo/UYnAe277e1I/AAAAAAAAB5c/DEZ3OJnH1aI/s640/IMG_0943+(1280x754).jpg I used the opportunity of getting a new nib to try out Jowo nibs. I usually get Bock nibs as replacements, but the Goulets have started selling branded Jowo nibs. It is a nice nib, smooth and stiff... I prefer some give... but I have learned what to expect from modern steel nibs. The jury is still out as to whether Jowo beats out Bock. It is a nice nib. I got a Broad... It fits the pen nicely. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OLpCEhmjKlY/UYnAdq8yn0I/AAAAAAAAB5M/hFFiIC956pg/s640/IMG_0939+(1280x811).jpg The first inking was Waterman Florida Blue... then Noodler's Black... in the above picture it is filled with Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo. At first I thought a colored ink would mess with the visual balance of the pen, but I find that I really like the bluish tinge that comes through. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Nv6WCbA2BA/UYnAfdKscMI/AAAAAAAAB5g/4T7BT_qEYaY/s640/IMG_0944+(1280x735).jpg If I were to have a complaint with the looks, it would be this little patch of air bubbles that settled in the acrylic. You can see them in the picture above... just to the right of the ink window. On the other hand... it almost looks like a batch of scales... it is called Rattlesnake and Adrenaline after all. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9InwH59_fc/UYnAfc48dxI/AAAAAAAAB5k/Lf2ekF9pmEU/s640/IMG_0946+(499x1280).jpg It is a comfortable pen... for me. I thought the original Konrad was a bit small. This one is comfortable. I do not post my pens, but because the piston nob is under a blind cap, you can do so without risking turning the piston. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CWSXKLaETys/UYnAiC06_jI/AAAAAAAAB50/abmmyZlN5cg/s640/IMG_0965+(1163x1280).jpg Compared to the other models of Noodler's I have, it is definitely one of the bigger ones. From left to right: Neponset, Acrylic Konrad, Ahab, Original Konrad, Nib Creeper. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IU3EvulURjg/UYnAkGCPv2I/AAAAAAAAB58/TVtpo7i-eyg/s640/IMG_0982+(1195x1280).jpg Compared to some of the better known pens, I think it can still be considered a larger pen. From left to right: MontBlanc 149, Noodler's Neponset, Noodler's Konrad, TWSBI 540, Sheaffer Legacy II, Lamy 2000. I will buy another acrylic Konrad when more colors come out. If nothing else, these are a great price for a beautiful pen. 40$ is nothing compared to the money you could spend on an acrylic pen from one of the bigger companies, or to have one custom made. I think they are very comparable to a pen from one of the major brands, but I think the fit and finish of a custom pen is still superior. If you have been holding off from getting a Noodler's pen because you got frustrated with an early model Ahab, or have just been waiting for the Noodler's to put out a true "user grade" "works out of the box" pen... this is your pen. This is not just a pen for tinkerers... etc... this is a solid, beautiful, functional fountain pen.