Tripletail instructions

A general "how to" demonstration of the Noodler's Ink "Tripletail" fountain pen. Disassembly, component parts, filling, utilities, etc...
It is the most flexible with the widest line width range of any steel tipped nib - from a hair thin line width at 0.2 oz pressure, to about 3 mm at 16 to 18 oz pressure. It writes with many different inks, but the user will find that some inks are "faster" to feed and enable one to flex very quickly and over vast areas of paper drawings...yet other inks may require more care and slower/more deliberative movements for a line with depth and perfect contrast. For a more detailed set of writing demonstrations - see the "long version" Commonwealth of Massachusetts pen show video for Sept. 2019.

[@Tine_of_Nice_Dreams]

As a beginner this pen has been so challenging i've spent more time messing with it than all of my other pens combined. Your instructions here are so clear and helpful, I was able to determine some problems with the nib and feed that disassembly/reassembly should hopefully correct. I'd love to be able to simply use the pen without having to constantly tinker with it!

[@monoolho_mestre]

I bought one in november, it finally arrived yesterday (I live in brazil, and the mail service is being privatized and it's total anarchy). I've got to say, finally! A fountain pen that works just right for me. The nib is astoundingly smooth and soft, the flex is great, the wetness is "gushy" (just what I've always wanted) and the complete disassembleable body and nib is just perfect for me. I've already tried a few inks on it and I have to say this is the one I've most enjoyed until today. (I do own a couple of gold nibs, but they have the pricetag guilt bound to them) This tripletail is exactly what I've always desired in a pen. Mr. Tardif, I have to thank you very much for this, and I plan on buying a lot more of these. (In case you are wondering, I've got them through Goulet Pens, really love their service). While I did not need to watch the video (i had done all of this the moment I took it out of the box), I have to say it is quite informative and well explained. It's fun to watch some kindred spirit messing around with inks and pens. And I'm sure I will be making a similar video in portuguese linking to yours for the non-english speaking pen users in a not-so-distant future.

[@randy-9842]

Nathan - thanks for all your products and your "how to" videos. Your videos and pens have taught me to not fear working on my pens (carefully) and your pens allow me to try those techniques without risking catastrophic expense. Your Triple Tail pen is one of my favorites and I have far more Noodler's inks than any other brand.

[@Rita123xyz]

I ordered this pen from Goulet Pens. I have no experience with fountain pens. I washed it, heat set it, inked it and I CANNOT PUT IT DOWN!!!! At first I was pressing so hard and saw railroading. I don't know why i pressed so hard but maybe because i kept reading about steel nibs and how hard they are to flex. I stopped putting pressure and it writes beautifully. I love this pen SO much. I have another fountain pen to ink but cannot stop playing with my Triple Tail. Thank you so much for making an affordable music nib for us. Bullet proof Black Noodlers ink works so well with this pen.

[@annieccurtis8795]

Another one I'll need to get! I'm very happy with the Boston Safety I've got, and the various inks of yours I've acquired over the years! Thanks!

[@MJFallout]

What a delightful mess-around-with-ink session. 'Appreciated.

[@aumshanti2514]

I didn't realise the capacity of the 308 cartridges, but then why wouldn't I expect excellence from Noodlers? Very excited about the new pen! Have really loved my Ahabs and arsenal of Neponsets. Thank you for creating these instruments of joy and for all the incredible inks.

[@kaleyhepp8078]

Loving every moment. Can’t get enough of ur videos! KZbin won’t notify me when you release videos!

[@LA-mg7rv]

Thank you for the lesson! As a newbie I've just followed along and you instructions are really clear and easy to follow. I had put mystery black from mont blanc in the pen when I got it. It made the pen very juicy indeed and so need to clean it out ready for another ink to try. Your instructions have allowed me the confidence to do that.

[@rebeccaneef6070]

Great to see this video, as my Triple Tail should be here in a few days! Thanks for the intro to the pen.

[@instructordominguez5272]

Dear Nathan, many congrats on the Triple Tail. I own 2 Nib Creapers, 2 Ahabs, and a Konrad. I also own several inks. All Noodler’s. Love them all. I really enjoy your videos, especially the long ones such as the Ahab and Neponset videos. Currently, I’m saving my pennies for a Neponset Red Rebellion. Perhaps my favorite video is “The Bamboo and the Brush.” Let me just say I admire how you use pen, ink, and paper to express what you believe is right. Bravo.

[@InkNeedLastForever]

Thank you for your kind words...I should try to make time for youtube more due to such kind sentiments. ;-) Sometimes a youtube video is deleted/re-done 8 or 12 or more times...before I like it - or at least find it acceptable enough to post. That somebody else finds it useful always spurs me on to eventually force time to make another...

[@instructordominguez5272]

InkNeedLastForever Hi, Nathan. Thank you for your response. Picked up a bottle of North African Violet and Forest Green. Really looking forward to using them. Your videos are very instructive. I learned to dismantle and reassemble all my pens successfully. Very meditative. But also your videos often tell stories. I’m amazed by the strong narratives and imagery. I love the props on your desk and the images that inhabit the stories themselves. For example, the video that introduces the Nib Creaper Ivory Darkness tells a story about a child challenging Mother Nature, and those are my favorite videos. Keep telling stories. Story telling is as ancient as the desire to record, and thus story telling and ink go hand in hand.

[@randy-9842]

@@instructordominguez5272 and ​ @InkNeedLastForever Nathan, I echo Instructor Dominguez sentiments. I look forward to your videos partly because they demonstrate a new product, but also because they teach me how to tinker with a pen AND I very much enjoy the "behind the scenes" stories. Bravo and I hope you continue to produce more videos.

[@MrAndrew1953]

A lovely pen that I've had for several trouble free years. I always use a Noodlers purple ink with this pen.

[@NutCase]

Thanks for the video. I lost my paper, and could figure out how to take the nib area apart. But I was able to fix it so it writes so nicely now.

[@lez7767]

Nathan you’re the Maestro . You are an absolutely wonderful innovator of the fountain pen and ink... Just be careful in your little kayak we love you too much for you to get eaten ❤️💙🧡 Best wishes to all PenPeople LeZc @@

[@InkNeedLastForever]

I stay inshore now. If you see gray seals...just stay away.... No worries. ;-) Thank you for the kind words.

[@shawnz241]

Can't wait to try this pen!

[@AnzanHoshinRoshi]

Thank you, Nathan. I really enjoy mine.

[@danialk8435]

Hello Mr. Nathan, Thank you so much for adding to the community! Will the triple tail be available in different colors in the near future? If so, when?

[@AwesometownUSA]

Yeah definitely - you can get a Tripletail in any color you want… as long as it’s ‘Clear’ :D

[@FriedPi-mc5yt]

4 years late, but mine just arrived in the mail. I’ve got quite a few Ahab pens and like the way they write once I get them tuned up. But the grip sections aren’t very comfortable for me over a longish writing session. I like the feel of the Konrad pens, but I can’t easily carry extra ink with me. So I’m hoping the Triple Tail will be my perfect artists pen. Can the Triple Tail accept the nib and feed from the Ahab and Konrad?

[@colinmartin9797]

I like the new nib, it doesn't railroad as much as the old vishnu victory, and doesn't misalign itself either. Mine did have some generic misalignment and babys bottom and would hard start on one tine regularly. It required some pretty extensive regrinding to make it a proper crisp italic, but once I ground it into a perfect italic, it writes a gorgeous, super flexible 1.3mm italic now. No smell at all on the new plastic and way better clarity. I would love to buy another one in ebonite, similar to the neponset. Overall, it was okay with the normal nib as is, but once I ground it nice and crisp, it's incredible.

[@InkNeedLastForever]

I'll never object to the personal customizing of a pen to the user's habits and preferences. In fact, I think it is a key advantage we have as fountain pen users.

[@davecharvella4854]

Excellent!

[@AshutoshKumar-sb7nj]

Thankyou...

[@michaellmikeyymike]

I have and love a triple tail. is there a difference between the nibs of the triple tail and neponset? I'm not one who cares what the body looks like, I care about what the nib does. I was just curious if it would be wise to get a neponset or not.

[@yusef1735]

Great Video, Nathan! Are the new triple tail nibs comparable with the ahab or Conrad bodies? I have a friend who loves the flex of the triple tail, but their hands are too small to hold the pen comfortably.

[@InkNeedLastForever]

It is a decent sized pen...but if you own one of the other pens already - with a little tinkering you can fit the nib to those other pens that your hand prefers due to the smaller size. It is an extremely versatile fit, however...a bit of work went into it and many prototypes.

[@OPRoadtoRecovery]

❤️

[@drpoppyseed]

Mine was working great with the last ink I used (American aristocracy), but when i cleaned it and moved to using 54th Massachusetts, it started leaking very aggressively. I'm not sure it's the inks fault, but I'm not sure what I may have inadvertently bumped or twisted to make it leak so. Do you have any tips? This pen is my favorite writer, but I can't stand to lose all the ink to the inside of the cap all the time. I'm using the two-stroke self-filler.

[@__mader__]

Should the fin vents of this pen be open (like the Ahab/Konrad's feed fin vents) or is the feed already set for flex mode flow?

[@TC-rv6sz]

Hi Nathan, is there a guide/document/video available detailing or explaining which Noodler's inks are safe to mix with each other? I have about 5 bottles of Noodler's ink that I use regularly and I'd love to be able to switch between them without washing (as was demonstrated here with Rome Burning and American Eel).

[@AwesometownUSA]

As a heads up - the yellow ink in the video is Harold’s Hearse :)

[@constantinosthrasyvoulou2553]

Hi. I would like to know if the TT under no pressure for normal writing, writes as broad as a Lamy broad which is a little thick for my taste. If it writes something between medium and broad Lamy Safari it will be great. Can I have your comments please?

[@tiffanybluetarot]

The section & nib housing on my Triple Tail seem to be stuck together. I can remove the nib & feed, but that’s all. Any suggestions as to how to get them separated again? There’s some residual ink stuck in there that I need to clean out… Thanks!

[@MatthewHilbertsBaritone]

Are you going to sell spare sleeves? That way we could have multiple No6 nibs ready to go and just swap them out.

[@InkNeedLastForever]

Eventually more parts will be available, yes...but can't give a specific date yet.

[@MatthewHilbertsBaritone]

Great.

[@nicolasramirez3944]

Wow

[@santauxia]

Can you use the pen whithout breather tube??

[@generic_asian_]

Will the Tripletail ever have more colours?

[@budthecyborg4575]

Hey Nathan, As you mentioned mixing compatible inks I had the thought: "Can You Make Baystate Black?" Firstly because some people like the semi-permanent nature of the Baystate formula, but also because right now it doesn't seem like there's a way to mix your blue or purple Baystate inks into darker shades. I feel like there's something missing from that line of inks without a Baystate Black.

[@InkNeedLastForever]

Those dyes just do not have a full color spectrum. There was a Baystate green and red, but they lacked contrast and were only perhaps 20% of the dramatic contrast of Baystate Blue. If that ever happens, the ink MUST compete or at least hold a candle to the contrast of Baystate Blue. Right now, industry does not have much that can be justly compared to that incredible level of dramatic contrast with those properties and still have compatibility. The blue is still striking to me every time I use it...even now, after all this time. When you have Noodler's Black and its properties....its incredible durability on paper yet also possible to wash it off plastic with just water..and its intense depth/contrast....and then Borealis Black - which can be washed off most things and is conventional in every way etc..yet has great flow and contrast - a Baystate Black would have to be absolutely spectacular on the page in some very unique way to be justified. Noodler's now makes a black for most segments/desires - many in fact...not to say there won't be new ones in the future - but the bar has simply gotten higher as things have progressed.

[@zac_in_ak]

Can you eyedropper this?

[@InkNeedLastForever]

Yes, but the air bubble will expand with vigor due to any temperature changes (I would use a thin application of teflon tape to the section threads after removing the filler and some silicone grease for sealing/waterproofing against an ink seepage). I must stress that it has MUCH greater controlled flow when the ink is insulated and the atmospheric pressures are balanced with the breather tube. If you needed that gargantuan a supply of ink for a "one fill/one continuous use" project that involved vigorous and constant flexing/deep & wet lines in say: classic calligraphy, victorian/edwardian script, or just sketching....it would work. However, if I'm keeping mine in a good dress shirt pocket - I'm using it with the self filling unit or a 308 cartridge. Eyedropper filling should probably be set aside only for use in an art studio or when drawing a poster sized item...it holds more than even some of the most generous vintage eyedroppers...just massive capacity (but a massive air bubble to be aware of comes with it).

[@nameissturdy1390]

If it were a neat demonstration I wouldn’t trust it. Ink stained fingers are the tattoos of pen and ink lovers.

[@kingprone7846]

arghh how does he set his up so they dont railroad

[@AwesometownUSA]

What ink are you using? I’ve found that I have the best luck when I stay within a certain viscosity range...

[@colinmartin9797]

Here's a video with the triple tail's nib reground into a nice smooth italic. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXTFgKpoYtGskLM Once the nib has had some tuning, it's easily one of my favorite italic nib pens now. None of the misaligning after flex and railroading that the vishnu victory had, but all of that sexy, sexy flex. I'll happily buy another if you release them in ebonite, Nathan!

[@InkNeedLastForever]

I like watching you write with it, especially those characters...even though you used a competitor's ink. lol Ebonite feeds have simply proven themselves to enable a wider range of inks to function in them than any other feed material...with second place consideration to felts and brushes imo. Thank you for making that video.

[@hibana_oonana728.psn.9]

You didnt... clean out the pen

[@MJFallout]

Well, well well. How did Noodler's know that just now I'm in the market for a new all-day, clip-to-pocket user pen (A rather important class really)? Of course a flex pen wouldn't fit, but something, Noodler's, now that you're mentioning it, from your stores might. Are they still making that airship one, the one with the name, difficult to remember; or maybe a Conrad, never had an ebonite one? Well, this shall warrant some pondering.

[@InkNeedLastForever]

No flex at all? A Charlie pen has a clip and has NO flex...and is included free with many 4.5 oz bottles of Noodler's Ink...and each Charlie has a unique/one of a kind cap color. You could also obtain a standard Noodler's nib (has a classic vent hole at the end of the cut) and replace the flex nib of an ahab, konrad, neponset, or tripletail....or simply write with those pens as is and avoid applying pressure. They won't flex without pressure and will simply generate a fine to medium line that way for as long as you wish. Then...if you ever want to make bold letters to get somebody's attention more effectively...just write with some pressure and take advantage of the flex for that purpose.

[@MJFallout]

@@InkNeedLastForever These are all good suggestions. I had had that 'freebie' pen that you included before there were Charlies. That was great as a pocket pen (with an extra fine kanwrite nib) A pen I miss but not regret giving away to one of my pupils. So Charlie will be considered I've always liked the Ahab, but maybe the extra big, wet, bulbous feed would not make it pocket friendly. In my mind I had also thought of a modified, filed off nib, and not the standard, which would indeed work just fine. Konrad to be considered. Tripletail, have to watch a review to see the size better. Have to stop by asa also to see what they have been up to recently. Thank you for your reply, input, the videos you make and all your work really.

[@MJFallout]

Having considered this a bit further, I have decided that I'm going to try the *Konrad Rollerball.* This has many advantages: - Something I have never tried before, - Can buy from a company that I like and also from an online vendor I like; - Can, whilst there, have an excuse to, pick up about 2 more bottles of ink, too. And, they will be shades of the glorious kind, that that no one else dost make: Certainly Dragon's Napalm (loving it) and Rome is Burning (which will feel right at home next to my multiple bottles of Platinum Citrus Black). - - Still on the fence on Upper Ganges Blue, probably the most interesting blue I tried this year, but I have already some good go-to blues at the ready. - The 'Galapagos Tortoise' veg. resin reminds me so strongly of an inexpensive Indian eyedropper I once had enjoyed very much, back in the days when I had far fewer pens and inks and everything. So yeah, will be nice I'm sure. Thanks again for input.

[@MJFallout]

Expanding on myself here, be it so: I did buy the Konrad Rollerball (Galapagos Tortoise colorway), in fact I bought 2 of them (after having lost a few pens recently) Can say they are very similar in fitment, in color, and the one I picked to use for now is working flawlessly. The line is like a skinny M/ chubby F width, certainly not to dry. I like it quite a bit. Did buy Rome is Burning and Dragon's Napalm also (as described) and have been using the 'R.i.B.' for about 2 weeks in the rollerball, very interesting, agreeable ink (if you like brown of course) Now switching to a Royal Blue blend, settling for like longer term use. Very happy with them, would certainly buy again (same as with other Noodler's products in the past) Thx.

[@billinrio]

Out of the box, I was getting puddling from my Triple Tail (using Apache Sunrise) so I wanted to remove the nib, separating it from the feed so that I could try to heat set it. But .... I couldn't get the nib separated from the feed. I note that here you try to do so and just give up, saying that "nine out of ten people" shouldn't do it. So, I don't feel so incompetent, and I assume that both you and I are among those nine people. Also, the printed instructions that you show here no longer come supplied with the pen. I complained to Goulet and was told that in an attempt to save the planet you are no longer putting printed instructions in your boxes. For me, its pretty much a pain in the ass, since now I have to go to your web site to download the instructions. I'll probably print them out. So, Noodler's, what did the planet gain with this?

[@stevenpetrillo9527]

Every person who need not print it saves it but by bit, and you still have the freedom to print it yourself!

[@johnetheridge2346]

Does anybody know the name of the lovely 'gold' ink that is first in the pen, please?

[@howardduckington6177]

Harold’s Hearse 9:45

[@__mader__]

thanks!