Noodler's Piston Filler's secret identity

[PenFan95]

I talked to Nathan on the phone about this issue, so I'll help to clear things up. There is just so much misinformation in this thread it's almost scary. I think part of the confusion is that there's a certain 'mystique' about the way that Nathan does things. Nathan's priority is value, so he's shopping for parts wherever he can get the best value to pass on to his customers. Noodler's pens aren't made by Chelpark. Chelpark is a company, like Nathan, that has sourced out readily available pen components and built their own pen. They don't make pens.

 

Nathan used a pen body that was already designed, because custom injection-molding molds cost around $250,000, which would GREATLY increase the cost of the pens and kind of defeat their purpose. The point of his designing these pens was affordability, not using a pen body that no one else had ever used before. The body design is similar, that's undeniable. But Nathan's assured me that the resin is different, the feed comes from his own source, and the nibs are his own design. The nibs are a fairly plain and generic design, and I'm sure you can find lots of nibs out there that look similar, but Noodler's nibs are made just for Nathan.

 

As far as the rumors about where his inks are made, I don't even know how that all got brought up in this thread. Nathan makes all of the ink himself, by hand in Massachusetts. I don't know where he gets the components for the ink, no one does. For years people have been trying to figure out how he makes his inks and I imagine there are few (if any) other people in the world that know what he does about it. To talk about how he makes his inks and where his components come from is pointless, you might as well be talking about unicorns and pots of gold at the end of rainbows. What matters is the end result, and that he's one of the most passionate, mysterious, and formidable people in the fountain pen world.

 

Hopefully this clears some things up. I'll be addressing this thread in my broadcast tonight since there's more to talk about than I can sit and time at the moment.

 

So he makes his inks by grinding up unicorns in gold pots now? Oh the iniquity! Oh the betrayal!

 

 

 

(Well, if we are going to generate rumours and baseless innuendoes generated by not reading threads properly, I think that's a pretty good one...)

 

Ground unicorns themselves are not a major part in all the inks...the Bulletproof inks, however, require grinding 3 unicorns, 4 uninked Parker "51" Fountain pens and a lot of slow-working Aquaregia. One litre is used for making 2 litres of ink.

Edited April 2, 2011 by PenFan95

[PenFan95]

 

Perfect, sensible. Thank you for clarifying everything. I will continue purchasing Noodlers Pens / inks. I thought it was funny how quickly the word 'betrayed' blew everything out of proportion.

It couldn't happen anywhere but here. This place is too much fun!

True

[ImolaS3]

This is one of the oddest threads I have seen. Betrayed?????

 

You lot are strange people!!

[PenFan95]

This is one of the oddest threads I have seen. Betrayed?????

 

You lot are strange people!!

 

Glad you think so

[Jimmy James]

As far as the rumors about where his inks are made, I don't even know how that all got brought up in this thread. Nathan makes all of the ink himself, by hand in Massachusetts.

 

I was just dissecting this thread and think this hasn't been addressed so I'm going to address it. I think the only part about where inks are made was me speculating about Chelpark ink. This is what I was saying and what I know:

 

In the past, Nathan himself has written in posts on this very website that he makes or in the past has made mass quantities of one or more varieties of very low cost ink that he has shipped overseas to somebody for sale as their own private label ink. My speculation was that perhaps this is what Chelpark ink is. It was only meant as speculation, and it was meant as speculation about where Chelpark ink is made, not where Noodler's is made. I am highly confident that Nathan makes all of his ink himself in Massachusetts. I value his contributions to nib grinding, ink making, and pen selling. I think he's an honorable maverick who does things his way.

[amyx231]

1 size? darn it! i thought fines were just sold out, when i couldnt find any for sale....

[John Cullen]

I wish someone would sell individual nibs. I know from posts that I am not the only one who got a pen with a nib that should never have passed QC.

 

j

[hari317]

I wish someone would sell individual nibs. I know from posts that I am not the only one who got a pen with a nib that should never have passed QC.

 

j

 

I do have several Beena/Lincoln GP steel nibs F in stock that should fit the Maverick well. however I am afraid the registered shipping might be prohibitive just for the nib.

[Eternally Noodling]

I wish someone would sell individual nibs. I know from posts that I am not the only one who got a pen with a nib that should never have passed QC.

 

j

 

 

 

Ever contact Dick Egolf at Luxury Brands Inc.?

 

 

 

A little perspective on the QC issue...another manufacturer disclosed a 21% rate of return and/or replacement for cracks, just cracks alone. I had an Ahab caught by accident in a door that was slammed on it- no crack...just a marring of the plastic. Another one we drove a car over by accident - and it wrote/filled/functioned (though was pretty ugly interms of finish and the cap became super tight). Thus far - no cracks. Nib replacements on a number of pens sold that exceeds the same competitor by a factor of nearly 300 pens to every 1 of theirs sold...is under 40 nibs total. Still under 40 among thousands. Still under approx. 75 feeds replaced (almost every one due to snapping the feed - ebonite snaps when being forced....remember to PULL it out, never yank down!). Vintage style clips and trim use a brass/bronze base metal for its spring among many other reasons (think Parker Vac or Sheaffer Balance, which used the same base metal)...but will be changed to steel soon so that no plating or fill at all is required - WITHOUT altering the cost to the consumer.

 

 

 

Lubricating wax in the air vent of the feed - which can be removed by passing a thin blade (or a firm brush with thin bristles and soapy water) through the central channel to run it out (a very simple and intuitive two minute procedure that I'll post a video of along with other maintenance techniques for general use in fountain pen upkeep for the long term - and is specified even more clearly in the latest Ahab instruction sheet) is something that hit the first two production runs at a higher level than desired - but was still mid single digits. It is now under 2% - and will be 0% soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Each Noodler's eyedropper has its own o-ring (oh...the o-rings are all US, if you care...the eyedroppers are assembled here too...and are not going to ever be in abundant supply as a result), Noodler's branded eyedroppers all have ebonite feeds....and......they are FREE with a pretty large bottle of ink....ink that is made in USA with a 4.5 oz bottle from just west of the Mississippi and that is incredibly behind schedule because - yes - the ink is the main bottleneck and not enough can be made and bottled here in the US. These eyedroppers will be phased out - because steel trim and a more durable set of mounts will soon be available (the current eyedroppers have classic vintage style trim, though free...will be continuously improved so long as I am living and can find ever improved materials/alterations/etc...eventually I want them to be so competitive that at least the rational among us will smile upon opening the box and discovering the surprise inside, though I know of a few on this forum that will NEVER be happy with Noodler's no matter what is done). The preppies will continue in certain dropper bottles (again, FREE - the cost was the same before and after they were added...any profit that existed paid for them..NOT a price increase! Nobody likes "millionaires and billionaires" in America anymore...would never want to become one of those!! sar.) & because people like them - a lot - ...and enough want to hurt me if I even imply they might be changed in those particular inks (HOD, for example).

 

 

 

Does that clear a few things up, I hope? At least put the QC issue into greater perspective? I'm also pleased that the Ahab is self filling and NOT a crack prone cartridge filled pen mentioned by somebody here...being able to survive a door accident....and a car driven over it...and NOT be priced at $50. ;-)

Edited June 12, 2012 by Eternally Noodling

[wallylynn]

Thanks for the suggestion to contact Dick. I have a nib creaper that's scratchier than I like and if fiddling fails, now I know where to get a replacement.

[P.A.R.]

If I'm not mistaken, every single Noodler's pen produced thus far has had a slip of paper with both instructions and a short explanation of the origins of the pen, including a mention (though perhaps not explicit) of how the pens are collaborations between nations in the gathering of the components.

 

Bryan's clarification makes a lot of sense: there is no need to reinvent the wheel for the sake of reinventing it. Anyone who has read those instruction sheets or watched his videos can tell that he has certain influences but also makes a lot of his own decisions to create quality products.

 

And, looking in my backpack... yep, all of the pens I have inked are made by Noodler's: with a still further and more effective a international collaboration made by my opting for Knox K35 and K26 nibs. They have earned their place as my favorite brand as Nathan has found a way to create quality products that often already exist available and affordable.

Edited June 12, 2012 by P.A.R.

[ddustinn]

If I'm not mistaken, every single Noodler's pen produced thus far has had a slip of paper with both instructions and a short explanation of the origins of the pen, including a mention (though perhaps not explicit) of how the pens are collaborations between nations in the gathering of the components.

 

Bryan's clarification makes a lot of sense: there is no need to reinvent the wheel for the sake of reinventing it. Anyone who has read those instruction sheets or watched his videos can tell that he has certain influences but also makes a lot of his own decisions to create quality products.

 

And, looking in my backpack... yep, all of the pens I have inked are made by Noodler's: with a still further and more effective a international collaboration made by my opting for Knox K35 and K26 nibs. They have earned their place as my favorite brand as Nathan has found a way to create quality products that often already exist available and affordable.

 

What about the Konrad? Does it have an Indian counterpart?

[P.A.R.]

ddustinn: Forgive me if I paraphrase incorrectly, but in a video Nathan said he based the Konrad design on some of the most popular features of modern German fountain pens.

[ddustinn]

ddustinn: Forgive me if I paraphrase incorrectly, but in a video Nathan said he based the Konrad design on some of the most popular features of modern German fountain pens.

I remember hearing that. It just seems that every other Noodler's pen has a similarly constructed Indian counterpart.

 

For example:

Original Nib Creaper flex/Nib Creaper Rollerball: Dollar 717i

Piston Fill/Nib Creaper Flex - Chelpark Maverick

Ahab - Camlin SD

 

I haven't seen any other pen that looks similar (or exactly like) the Konrad.

[myn]

Eagerly awaiting my Noodler's Ahab and Noodler's Inks - come on mail - hurry it up already.

 

Thanks Brian for bringing clarity to this topic.