Noodler's Ahab Ghastly Smell

[GreenMountain]

OK, Folks,
Love the pen, but after 6 months the smell is still horrible. Tried leaving in the sun for a few weeks, in the shade for a few weeks, in the fridge, in the freezer, in a drawer, Fabreeze, bleach, vinegar, and it still stinks. Should I just give up? Every time I open my desk the smell is nearly overwhelming, and it gets on my hands when I write.

[Retro-user]

Sounds like a case of the emperor's new clothes

[mke]

I have an Indian pen where the resin is, ahem, perfumed. I had another word in mind.

What does it smell like? Perfumed? Or rotten? Or?

[mke]

There are several threads regarding this - just google for "noodler's ahab smell"

 

e.g. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/240408-noodlers-ahab-pen-getting-rid-of-smell/

https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/6gu1zg/that_noodlers_ahab_smell/

 

Someone said, it is from India - so it is perfume.

[inkstainedruth]

I don't have an Ahab, but I do have several of the resin Flex Creapers and Konrads. And honestly, I have never noticed the odor (which is kinda weird, because my mother used to have me smell the leftover meat in the fridge to see whether or not it had gone bad... ).

I know that a lot of people have complained about the smell on the Noodler's pens, though.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for typos

Edited December 23, 2018 by inkstainedruth

[Uncial]

Eau de Cat Sick now available from Tom Ford with the subtle scents of rehydrated dried food nuggets, grass and half digested fur with a lingering top note of bile. The 'perfumed' Noodler's are a a special 'delight'.

[bass1193]

I recently bought a vintage (1980's or 90's) Indian pen made of the same "cotton butyrate", as Nathan calls it in the depths of one of his videos, and it still smells a bit. It diminishes, but never really goes away.

[TSherbs]

I like the smell of which you speak. Eau de Modernity.

[PAKMAN]

Got rid of my Ahab due to the smell.

[Ron Z]

Think of it as an authentic experience - the smell of a sailor after months at sea.

[DrDebG]

Mine is in a plastic bag in my unused pens drawer. Ich! Probably should pitch it.

[TSherbs]

Mine is in a plastic bag in my unused pens drawer. Ich! Probably should pitch it.

PIF !!

[bass1193]

Think of it as an authentic experience - the smell of a sailor after months at sea.

So true

[Tweel]

I recently bought a vintage (1980's or 90's) Indian pen made of the same "cotton butyrate", as Nathan calls it in the depths of one of his videos, and it still smells a bit. It diminishes, but never really goes away.

 

That pen may have just the beginning of "the stink". That is, the smell (butyric acid) should keep getting stronger as the material (CAB, cellulose acetate butyrate) ages and degrades.

Edited December 25, 2018 by Tweel

[mke]

the aging of CAB can be retarded at 4 degrees - so keep your pens in the fridge 😁

[bass1193]

Thank you for confirming that it's cellulose acetate butyrate! I assumed that's what Nathan meant by cotton butyrate, but I could find nothing in the polymer literature for cellulose butyrate

[missclimpson]

I have two of their first flex pens that I cant use because of the odor. There must be other materials they could use to make their pens. Do the ebonite pens stink too?

[Geegeee]

Mix some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in water. Then dismantle the pen and wash it with that solution. Will get rid of most of the smell. The baking soda solution will convert the volatile butyric acid (which is the smell) to non-volatile sodium butyrate (which doesn't smell). The alkaline solution of baking soda in water will also help wash away the butyric acid better than just water and soap, so that there's less smelly stuff left on the pen.

[Dedalus4]

On 7/8/2019 at 3:06 AM, Geegeee said:

Mix some baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) in water. Then dismantle the pen and wash it with that solution. Will get rid of most of the smell. The baking soda solution will convert the volatile butyric acid (which is the smell) to non-volatile sodium butyrate (which doesn't smell). The alkaline solution of baking soda in water will also help wash away the butyric acid better than just water and soap, so that there's less smelly stuff left on the pen.

I know this was posted a year and a half ago, but if it helps anyone, Geegee's suggestion here definitely helps. My pen has gone from god-awful to mildly unpleasant. And I can live with mildly unpleasant! 😃

[Stompie]

I like my smelly Ahab - at least I know I don't have Covid!   😉