Why the Noodler's Ahab is One of My Favorite Pens
by Tony Thomas I love Noodler's Ahabs. At around $23 or so, they are affordable and the epitome of frugality. They are also very comfortable in my hand (and I have large hands). Ahabs are sturdy, hold an ample amount of ink, and they can be easily converted to an eyedropper if you need a truly massive amount of ink. They have a unique piston cartridge converter and can also use the recently released 2.7 mg re-loadable cartridges. Also, I find the design very attractive and they come in a wide range of colors as well as a clear, demonstrator version. Like many other pens from India, they are made of vegetal resin and have a funny smell. The smell dissipates with time and I have found that it grows on you. And if you throw an Ahab into a landfill, the pen body will reportedly biodegrade, making it environmentally friendly. Besides its perfect size, one of my biggest attractions to the Ahab is its easily modified ebonite feed and its ability to use standard #6 nibs. As I have