Noodler's Flex Nib Adjusting

How to make adjustments to your Noodler's flex pen nib, to give you the best writing experience with these flex nib fountain pens as possible.
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Brian & Rachel Goulet started The Goulet Pen Company in 2009 and you can see the evolution of our mom and pop into a full-blown company through this channel. We run a dedicated online store with fountain pens, ink, paper, and other fine writing accessories. Our goal with this channel is to provide fountain pen fans at all levels of experience with comprehensive product reviews, round ups, and how-to videos to answer all the fountain pen questions you may have. Shop at www.gouletpens.com.
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[@roxannpatzman2703]

This video may be 10 years old, but it's still helping newbies like me. My pen came with zero directions. None. Zip. Nada. I tried to fill it several times, watched a few videos until I found this one. Where you explain that it MUST be submerged all the way to the collar. I can now use my pen. Thank you so much for doing this video.

[@allieeverest]

Omg! I knew there had to be a Goulet tutorial on noodler flex pens! You make the best tutorials Brian! That's really all there is to tinkering? Sheesh! People make it sound so hard! It just takes patience and trial and error. I already did a lot of this with my Charlie pen. Now confident I can handle an Ahab

[@HiKimiko]

I've ordered from you previously and as a customer I am very greatful that you reach out and try to help your customers with tips like this. Putting together a wishlist for my next order!!

[@Gouletpens]

ink on the hands is a right of passage ;) Glad it's working better for you!

[@SameerKarim]

Thanks for this very helpful video! After adjusting my new Ahab last night I finally got it flowing well, though I also got ink all over my hands in the process. :) Great pen! I'm a new fountain pen enthusiast, so while it's surely obvious to many of the experienced folks out there, the biggest problem I was having was my nib and feed channel weren't perfectly aligned. I didn't even notice it until I looked very carefully, but that slight realignment and feed depth made all the difference.

[@sonjavonk368]

I just got two Noodler's pens, and this has been very helpful; thank you! They write wonderfully :)

[@norikokikhio]

Thank you Brian and Goulet Pens! I got a Noodlers Creaper this week and have been worried since the first try. Ink would flood out the nib and feed at random times. Mostly, I would catch it and turn the pen upright to coax the ink back down inside or wipe it off, but I felt that couldn't be normal. This is the first time I've had a pen where the nib and feed are adjustable. This video has taught me so much, and your assurances on the intention for experimentation for this pen have given me such relief. I have begun to have fun and happily tinker with it now. You guys are awesome.

[@Gouletpens]

I'm glad my video helped! Yes, the feeds on all of the Noodler's pens are hand cut, actually.

[@johnsteele55]

Thanks for the good tips for my Noodlers flex pen. Removed nib & feed, water cleaned, dropper filled with Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki, realigned nib and feed, and found it to write so much better. Now, to learn about smoothing the rough steel nib.

[@rohit_mohapatra]

This channel has the solutions for all pen issues

[@cldavis33]

Wow - You just fixed both my Noodlers pens with this simple advice on adjusting the feed and nib positions.

[@jamdiversified9698]

I think pens are one of the first things we fiddle with, I mean who hasn't pulled a pen apart for no reason at all while sitting there in class or at home! Noodler's promote this and this hits me right in the soul!

[@mybabychihuahua]

Thank you so much!!! I was hating my pen last night!!! today I am loving it!!! thanks for your video!!!!

[@TheChameleon2008]

Sweet, the water heating trick did the job so thank you and thumbs up on the video!

[@tarar.8625]

Thank you for this great demo on adjusting!! I heard some issues and now I know how easy it is to tweak it...going to throw one in my basket!

[@Gouletpens]

Tara R. You're welcome! If just tweaking and adjusting like this isn't enough, check out how to heat-set the feed, too: Heat Setting a Noodler's Ebonite Feed- Ink Nouveau -Brian Goulet

[@Gouletpens]

@svendmusic, it's Noodler's Apache Sunset, one of my favorites!

[@KiaAlvin]

This popped up on my home screen and I clicked watch. I was like "who is that?" Had to check the date on this, hahah.

[@Gouletpens]

Thank you! I'm happy to help, I like doing these videos....not only does it make me more proficient with what I'm doing but it's helpful and gets more people into fountain pens, which is just cool to see :)

[@redhairedwriter]

So glad I found this! I just ordered my Flex from the Goulet's in Medieval Lapis, and I can't wait to start playing around with it. Now I'll be ready.

[@normamcbride2673]

Finally purchased this pen and this was so helpful!

[@codybaumeister3734]

I just bought two from Brian today. I can't wait to write with them. I also bought two 3 oz Noodler's ink bottles as well. So happy.

[@Gouletpens]

cody baumeister Awesome! Enjoy :) -Margaret

[@thekill1197]

I've been trying to adjust the pen for a while, but I finally got it to where I want it! Thank Amigo for the help! The people who complain are the ones who don't like to take their time to adjust the pen.

[@738polarbear]

When you buy a new pen why the fuck should you HAVE to adjust it FFS?

[@Sweeper5]

Very nice video...as informative as could be for a neophyte pen guy like myself. Many thanks to you sir.

[@mjpete27]

Good video, thanks for sharing your information about this new to me art supply!

[@holzfallen]

This is awesome, thank you! I have a Noodler's pen that I got free with a large bottle of ink -- it's the kind where you fill the barrel itself directly. I had great excess flow, where I couldn't write more than a few words without big drops of ink leaking from the nib. Following your video, I pulled my feed out relative to the barrel, and pushed the nib back relative to the feed. Fixed on the first ty, what luck. Thanks!

[@EL95GE]

holzfallen what ink and from where do they give you a free flex pen?

[@vermis8344]

EL95GE I think Noodler's give you a free pen with each 4.5oz bottle. I could be wrong. Personally, I got a free Noodler's Charlie pen (my first proper fountain pen) with a big bottle of Noodler's Heart of Darkness black ink, a few years ago. I had similar problems to Holzfallen, even after trying to adjust the nib and feed, and I didn't keep the pen around for long. I regret that now, after watching Brian's videos and his huge enjoyment of Noodler's products, although I still think Noodler's pens are a bit tricky for the novice. But now, I'm itching to get my hands on an Ahab.

[@coleenh1028]

check out Goulet's website - it is there with some of the Noodler's 4.5oz inks that they give you a free pen, but not all of them

[@Gouletpens]

No worries! I made this video a long time ago, and I realize now that I should have written more when I did it. I do have other videos using the flex pens more, and I'll try to make some more.

[@travellerabbey2409]

Thanks! I was so worried about newly received Ahab flex! I fixed it!!! Thanks thanks

[@creativesolutions902]

Thank you very much this is extremely helpful, I just ordered this exact pen because I wanted an alternative to my depends for drawing when I travel.

[@creativesolutions902]

LOL alternative to my dip pens!

[@Moostery]

I was playing around with my pen while watching the video. I guess 54th Massachusetts just railroads super easy because i changed it up about a dozen times and it just loves to railroad. it doesn't stay between the nib when flexed like it does in the video.

[@yawninggreyhound]

Thank you for this video! I decided to start really using the free Tinkers/Charlies Mr. Tardif has so generously included with some of his really excellent inks. I had a Tinker take Whaleman's Sepia and start writing with it after one priming dip and then I had a Charlie that went through an entire barrel of Cayenne. It just kept blurping out the end in between writing with a perfect flow and feel. The last time this happened with a Tinker, Dragon's Napalm went all over my jeans (got it out!) and I'd decided to clean it again and start over and I cracked that barrel screwing in the nib unit too aggressively. (Lesson Learned) Long story short, I've heatset, fiddled with the feed, re-heatset, fiddled with the feed and the magic spot has been found, but the evening's early! Wish me luck!

[@MrCabimero]

Mine is burping ink. Can you suggest what I should do? thank you

[@stefanlaskowski6660]

Just ordered a Noodler from you today. Can't wait to see how it performs!

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks for the support! Let us know if you have any questions! - Drew

[@Gouletpens]

Yes, they always have been, technically. The smallest pens are the Nib Creapers, and there are two other models of Noodler's Flex Pens, the Ahab and Konrad.

[@HerroVincey]

Thank you for the informative video!^^ I recently started writing letters back and forth with a friend of mine, and I was really interested in learning to write with a fountain pen:) This is one of the first vids I've seen about fountain pens, and it really opened a lot to my eyes. And I discovered your website too! Ahh, I'm ecstatic to learn now!!:D

[@helenmcdonnell2585]

Thanks Brian, very helpful

[@HiGuy1236]

From the start, I haven't had any problems with this pen. I made sure to clean out the system with a 10% ammonia to distilled water solution, and everything since then works wonderfully. :)

[@MsCreativeMom]

Great video! I just purchased a calligraphy set and was sorely disappointed until I watched this video and made some adjustments. I still am not pleased with the amount of flex in the nibs, but they will do for now.

[@sdovas]

Nice way to demonstrate the Noodler's Flex pen as a pen that remains a constant source of irritation. My Konrad works fine and required only minor adjustments at the outset and is now one of my.preferred drawing pens. Thank God I didn't watch this video before buying it.

[@Gouletpens]

Noodler's pens just tend to be finicky and not necessarily perfect out-of-the-box. But having that understanding, you can really work with them and get a great writing experience. - Colin

[@shanedaniel7]

Who makes Konrad? Is it a flex?

[@Gouletpens]

I wouldn't get too down on this pen before you even have it. Thinking you'll need to adjust the nib every few words is a bit extreme, most of the pens I've used haven't needed any adjustment, or only need them when certain inks are used. The fact of the matter is that this pen can do some pretty amazing things, but it is one that demands more tinkering than conventional fountain pen nibs. A lot of that is the nature of the flex nib, and part of it is the low price point. Don't count it out yet.

[@Gouletpens]

oh awesome, thank you! You'll have to let me know what you think. Apache Sunset is just a killer shading ink!

[@grimartificial]

I love the music in your videos.

[@Gouletpens]

They definitely take some getting used to, that's for sure. Your situation is atypical though, there are a lot of people out there enjoying the Ahabs. They aren't perfect, but believe it or not I see a lower percentage of defects on the Ahabs than some other pens....

[@Gouletpens]

These pens do have a bit of a learning curve on them sometimes, but once you get it down, they're awesome :) Ink on your hands is a right of passage, just look at how often my fingers are inky in my videos!

[@TheresaRobertsonLROL]

I just received this pen (2018) and have all the issues noted in this video. Good to know I’m doing the correct steps to get it to work (including heat setting) but it’s a bummer that it still doesn’t write well.

[@Gouletpens]

You're very welcome! Sorry you had to see my messy (former) bedroom as your first introduction to my videos, haha! If you're on my site, go to the Fountain of Knowledge, specifically Fountain Pen 101. That's the best place to get a good foundation before you get overwhelmed with everything else!

[@MsStevieman]

@TheInkNouveau I just bought my Apache sunset and the cobalt blue flexpen off of gouletpens just now!!! I can't wait to get it in!

[@soulcomfort1]

Nice! Exactly what I needed. Helps me to be braver with them. ;)

[@burtonurquhart3141]

I have just bought a Noodler's Creeper Flex Pen - had loads of issues with the nib. Some of which has been addressed by this video. But it is still VERY scratchy and even snags on the paper. Otherwise I love the colour - Lapis Inferno - love the piston fill & the smell is pleasantly interesting. Shame there is not a regular replacement Noodler's nib as for the larger Ahab. I also find the nib very fine, More like a Japanese fine, Would love it with a conventional broad nib!!

[@Gouletpens]

I'm glad to help!

[@Gouletpens]

One of my favorite words!

[@adurgh]

It’s just some feeds are dry and others wet. The results from these adjustments are very short-lived according to my experience. I have two. One with generous flow and one very dry one that will not adjust to more generous ink flow for more than a minute or two.

[@crystaltigress]

Holy cow how things have changed! Going from seeing the laundry to professional looking pencast.... and what's up with the eyebrows, Brian?

[@natasharivera]

Thank you! This is so helpful. Now I have ink all over my hands but the pen is good. LOL :D

[@Gouletpens]

@Giblinono, try taking it apart and putting it all back together, like I did in my other video entitled "Cleaning a Noodler's Flex Pen"

[@Gouletpens]

Haha, I'm glad I could help!

[@Gouletpens]

Noodler's makes a good number of pens, but they're still relatively new and aren't that widely distributed. Plus most art or office supply stores wouldn't know what to do with these pens if they had them. Noodler's doesn't want any discounting on these pens at all, so I can sell in bulk, meaning as many pens as you want (if I have them), but they'll be at their listed price.

[@Gouletpens]

Perhaps. We fill our samples to be at least 2ml, sometimes it's closer to 3.

[@ll1100000]

thank you for this great video, I am going to buy one for sure. I am wondering once you pull out the nib, does the ink will become very easily leak out from the nib even thought you put it back? The reason that I don't like a fountain pen is just because the ink is so easy to leak out from the nib.. even though you put the fountain in your pocket while walking.

[@Gouletpens]

@PoliticalPars, this is something I plan to go over in a future video. This video already ran pretty long! @soulcomfort1, glad to hear it! These are fun pens to mess around with :) @geminica, I'm sorry about the trouble with the first one, I'm really glad your new one is working better for you! I think Nathan is constantly tweaking and improving these pens, I've heard better things about this batch than previous ones.

[@davidhendricks4233]

Thanks Brian, I'll be hitting you up.

[@Gouletpens]

If you can pull the feed out completely, try scrubbing the feed end to end through the ink channel (the channel that's cut lengthwise in the feed) with a toothbrush and dish soap. Wash it with water and replace it in the pen again. If that doesn't work, contact whoever sold you the pen and see if you can exchange it.

[@Gouletpens]

You're very welcome, right back atcha :)

[@Gouletpens]

The breather tube is only used to fill the pen, it's not a factor in how the pen writes. What's likely happened if the pen won't write at all, is that there is air in the feed and the ink isn't allowed to flow like it needs to (it works by capillary action). Try forcing some ink down the feed by pushing the piston down a bit, and see if that helps. What ink are you using?

[@GwynethSleuth]

I did that, Brian (as Nathan showed on his video how to flood the feed) Also tried realigning the nib and feed several times. I'm afraid I messed up the nib since I heard a small "ding" sound when I twisted the nib/feed. If I shake it, the ink comes out but won't write. Initially, I used PR Chocolat, but my Apache Sunset arrived so I cleaned the pen & switched. No luck. I love the feel of this pen in my hand. It's beautiful. But the nib won't release the ink.

[@Gouletpens]

I'm sorry to hear that! If you got it from my company, shoot at email to orders (at) gouletpens (dot) com and we'll help you out :)

[@TheRiz52]

This vid was integral in getting my first Ahab flex (purchased from Goulet Pens) to write just the way that I want. I also washed the nib and feed first to clean out any oils. Are the feeds on the Ahab also hand cut? btw. Just ordered two more Ahabs after just one day of writing with the first.

[@Gouletpens]

That's Rhodia 80g Dotpad paper there, and I got it from...me :) I sell it, so I have easy access to it. You can find Rhodia paper in a lot of places though.

[@carolenelson6763]

Actually my pen wrote very smoothly right out of the box. I'm a little scared to press down because I know you are only supposed to flex on the down stroke & that's hard for me to get used to. But, I think that's the reason it's not flexing & I hate to start adjusting when it may just be my fault because I keep the same pressure all the time. Maybe I just need to practice more?

[@Gouletpens]

oh, well sorry about that. I'll try to write more in future videos

[@gobot90]

Compared to using a dip pen for drawimg, this is a great pen. I wouldn't use it for everyday writing though.

[@mufc1905]

I love this pen i don't use it thought i use a pilot Prera for everyday use. You cannot go wrong with a prera.

[@zmw96]

Hey, nice video. Would love to get started on it, but am having troubles with the feeder and nib- they are so stubborn and won't come out. Any suggestions?

[@wildelgado6571]

there are several references to flex nib? much is that used in the video?

[@svendmusic]

What ink is that? I love the tonal range it gives.

[@TuesdayShark]

For filling the pen without a syringe, would pouring ink into the cap and then putting the cap on and turning it upside down and then using the piston work?

[@SneakyGroper]

Can u use cartridge with these? If so, which converter would u recommend? I'm new to FPs and I like the idea of a flex nib but I'm not sure about filling

[@Gouletpens]

This is the original, the Nib Creaper Flex (the $14 one).

[@claudea.thomas5381]

I just change my nib I put the diplomat magnum nib on the noodler's creeper fountain pen and I put the noodler's nib on the diplomat magnum I thought it would work I wish those pens came in fine point or extra fine point

[@Kyodaikuma]

I want a flex pen that has piston filler mechanism like the montblancs any sugestions? not noodler.

[@kylenazarchuk7838]

My Noodler's Konrad tends to railroad l, but the nib/feed won't budge, how would I fix it?

[@Gouletpens]

Thanks! iMovie all the way :)

[@ThePsphakr]

I did that with my creaper flex :c. Pushed it in too hard, had to lightly use pliers but it still damaged the feed and squeezed the nib quite a bit. I bought a loupe and I'm going to try my best to fix it, but I don't know what kinds of results i'll get from it. It's only $14, so I'm not too sad.

[@SergeyArsitov]

Hi Brian, do you have any experience with Namiki Falcon adjustment? Is it possible disassembling \ remove the nib, same way as Noodler's?

[@stevehuffman7453]

How adjust for flex in a number 6 nib pen that isn't a Noodlers pen? I have a Noodlers "flex" nib in one of my Jinhao X450. Zero flex. The feed and nib positions are fixed. Feed out to far, the stub may not be in the ink cartridge or converter. If the nib is out to far, it messes up the ink flow, and the nib may be damaged, if too much pressure is accidentally applied.

[@Gouletpens]

I wouldn't worry too much about the sound you heard, that was likely just the tines rubbing on each other. That would normally be a bad thing for a pen, but because these tines are flexible, it's much easier to move them and have them make that sound. There's really only one reason why ink wouldn't flow through this pen, and that's because something is obstructing it. Likely, there's something blocking the ink channel.

[@MrCabimero]

Brian- no railroading for me but it burps ink. Can you please help me? I love the pen but the burping is a pain. Secondly, if you pull the feed forward or backward, it won't leak later?

[@Gouletpens]

@Lukergamer best dang $14 flex pen ever made!

[@MooreFaure]

My ebonite konrad has ink drip out of the feed. Is this common?

[@arlhecnovelas4614]

Is it normal for flex pens to start hard (ink dosen't flow) after a break caused by fast writing (as what happend to Brian in this video)?

[@Gouletpens]

+Arlhec Novelas very normal, yes. Some inks handle this better than others though -Brian Goulet

[@Gouletpens]

It's okay! You can still use the pen without it. You'll only be able to fill about 1.7ml instead of 1.9ml in the pen, but that's about the only difference you'll notice :)

[@Gouletpens]

Well, if you can't get it out, then yeah :( Maybe you can push it out though...unscrew the body from the grip section, take out the breather tube, and using something firm but with a soft exterior (like a wood dowel) try pushing the nib/feed out of the grip section from behind.

[@3dmoddeler]

LOL! NICE WRITE ON :)

[@MsStevieman]

So I got my flex pen in the mail today and I tried to remove the feed and nib but it isn't even moving I have tried twisting it and pulling but it isn't nudging at all I have also tried running hot water soap and ammonia and still nothing... what should I do?

[@kelyrin-douceuretdessin9476]

I’m trying to hard but I absolutely can’t manage to take the nib and feed off 😞

[@SemicolonExpected]

Great video. Im having the issue where my creaper is puking up ink

[@Gouletpens]

Have you heatset the feed on it? (kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6PLl4uZd9SAlbM) If you haven't done that yet, it can cause some flow issues. - Colin

[@chupie]

I had no idea it was that easy to mess with these. Most of mine are fine, but my Ahab railroads quite a little.

[@Gouletpens]

Oh yeah, Noodler's pens are made for tinkering. You may not choose to do so, but the option is there. - Colin

[@lbr218]

I pushed my nib/feed in too far (on an Ahab) into the wrong place (I wasn't aware of the guide lines on the Ahab) and now it's stuck. I've tried to pull it out using rubber bands, gloves, etc., but it's not coming out. Did I ruin my pen?

[@GwynethSleuth]

I can't get my new Ahab to write, either. Initially, it wrote a bit then I watched your video on adjusting it for more flow. However, Brian, now it won't write at all. I watched Nathan's video, too, and I saturated the feed and made sure the breathing tube is ok. In fact, I ran water through it, and I see the water to go the feed, but it just won't come out of the point! When I removed the point and feed to adjust it, could I have broken the tip? It won't work long or short on the feed. :-(

[@StonedBoo]

Is it possible to special order the hand set feed flex pens?

[@Kakele808]

Latex finger cots!

[@lexi29]

With the machine-cut feeds in newer pens, do the nib and feed still have to be submerged completely? Also, what paper pad are you using?

[@Gouletpens]

Alexis W. Salim Usually, yes. It doesn't really have anything to have to do with how the feed is cut, but rather where the filler hole is on the pen, which is usually tucked up under the grip of the pen on the backside of the feed (opposite the nib). -Brian Goulet

[@lexi29]

The Goulet Pen Company thank you for the information. I really enjoy using my flex pen, and this video made it easier