Jump to content

Ahab Outer O-Ring


iRabb

Recommended Posts

My brand-new Ahab did what I have been reading about: the outer O-ring either came broken or broke as soon as I screwed the top back on the pen. I replace it with a ¼ inch ring (3/8x1/4x1/16) which fit in place, but was too thick for the top to screw back on the body.

 

In looking at the pen, it seems to me that this outer O-ring, the one that goes around the top of the wider section of body threads, is really unnecessary unless you use this pen as an eyedropper. I'm going to use the piston fill, so I wonder: do I really need that o-ring at all?

 

If I do, does anyone know what size I need? Even the supplier seems to carry only the ring for inside the piston, and does not know the size of the outer ring. Calling the number on the Noodler's web site always gets an answering machine.

 

While we are on the topic, is there a significant difference between 90% and 100% silicon grease?

 

Thanks so much for your help.

 

Ben

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 8
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • iRabb

    5

  • MINItron

    4

I've read your post over and over, and it does confuse me a bit. There should be an o-ring at the head if the narrower threads where the filler screws onto the section. This one is squeezed when you screw on the filler. That same o-ring can me moved up to the larger set if threads if one is filling the body as an eye dropper fill. There is no need for a ring between the section and body when using the piston filler. It is just overkill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've read your post over and over, and it does confuse me a bit. There should be an o-ring at the head if the narrower threads where the filler screws onto the section. This one is squeezed when you screw on the filler. That same o-ring can me moved up to the larger set if threads if one is filling the body as an eye dropper fill. There is no need for a ring between the section and body when using the piston filler. It is just overkill.

I must have been unclear. I am referring to the same ring you are describing. Sorry if it came across otherwise.

 

Thank you for putting so much effort into trying to understand and help me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not 100% positive, but I believe that the rings that Gouletpens sells for the conversion of the Platinum Preppy are the right size. Most of the o-rings you will find in the plumbing section are going to be too thick. One really needs a hardware store that carries a good selection of o-rings for other applications. I wish I knew what size to tell you. I never unscrewed my piston, I just pulled out the nib and feed when I did the initial cleaning of my new pen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not 100% positive, but I believe that the rings that Gouletpens sells for the conversion of the Platinum Preppy are the right size. Most of the o-rings you will find in the plumbing section are going to be too thick. One really needs a hardware store that carries a good selection of o-rings for other applications. I wish I knew what size to tell you. I never unscrewed my piston, I just pulled out the nib and feed when I did the initial cleaning of my new pen.

 

Since posting the question, I learned that you are correct. The PP o-rings, according to Goulet's, are not identical but close enough to work. Goulet's is sending me a packet of those now.

 

Thanks again.

Edited by iRabb
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hope your pen is soon working as well as my Ahab. It is a wonderful pen to write with. Smooth and effortless even on cheap government supplied paper.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FYI, for interested parties, the PP rings from Goulet arrived the same day as an envelope from Pen Boutique. PB sent me two of the exact o-ring used on the Ahab. The PP rings are much larger, however Goulet says they do work, and they probably do. I imagine they simply require less stretching to install. I was afraid of tearing the correct size o-ring from stretching it so much to install it.

 

Bottom line is it did go on fine, and now I have one more plus 4 PP o-rings as back-ups (and my daughter loves PP's). If you need an o-ring for your Ahab (NOT the one in the filler piston), it seems as there are two options available.

 

Hope this helps someone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks! It's good to know the government is not overspending on something!

Given the vast amount of paper that the Navy uses they have to buy the cheap stuff. This is funny since all I heard when I joined over 17 years ago was nonsense about the "Paperless Navy". I swear we use more paper now than ever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...