My very first working Nib Creaper was gifted to me by the very lovely Yvonne (
@woosang) - she actually parted with this so I could finally use my first working Noodler's - before I got my Konrad! Thank you Yvonne. This thing gets major use. XOXO.
ABOUT
Body Material: Resin
Trim: Metal
Length (capped): 5.18"
Length (uncapped nib-end): 4.64"
Length (posted): 5.48"
Barrel Diameter: 0.42"
Section Diameter: 0.33" - 0.35"
Nib material: Steel
Weight: 10 g
Fill type: Piston-filler
Price: $15.25CAD
$14.00USD
Where to buy:
Wonder Pens
Goulet Pens
PACKAGING
This was a gift, but as you know, Noodler's pens come in a cardboard box with artwork on it,wrapped in the Noodler's informational paper, inside a plastic sleeve. I think it's perfectly acceptable packaging. I like getting information on the pen (that's useful), and I like that it's all recyclable, and doesn't take up much space. Also, interchangeable between other Noodler's pens.
APPEARANCE
The Nib Creaper fountain pen is a fairly small pen, with a tapered body and slightly rounded off ends. The whole body is clear, including the section, so you can see the ebonite feed inside. The clip is wider at the top and tapers at the bottom, and says Noodler's Ink on it. It is chrome coloured, along with the center band and the ring around the bottom of the section.The piston is also clear and fully visible through the barrel. The threads are also clear plastic and the section is smooth resin to match the rest of the pen. It's a pretty straight forward appearance with little to complain about!
NIB & PERFORMANCE
The nib is a small steel nib that is very simple - it has a slit up the middle, no breather hole, and it says Noodler's Ink Co. on it.
My pen writes like a medium and it is nice and wet, which I really like. The feed is unadjusted (i.e no modifications), and with moderate pressure, the nib tines will spread to a nice double broad line. I think the line variation is really nice and the ink flow keeps up pretty well, which really impresses me. It does eventually railroad, but that isn't unexpected, and it picks up pretty quickly after that.
I have used this pen extensively for my ink reviews and have been very satisfied with its performance. I also really like how easy it is to clean - easy to disassemble, wash out the inside, the nib, and the feed, and put it back together. Even a relatively new fountain pen user could figure it out!
My own Nib Creaper was a pain in the butt. I flushed the pen and feed with water and dish soap, I ultra sonicated it, I scrubbed the feed, I deepened/opened up channels to increase the ink flow... nothing got it to work. I sent it to a friend for him to try and get it to work and he got it writing but it couldn't flex at all; it would just railroad as soon as pressure was applied. So, having used two of these pens - one worked, one didn't. I love this one though, not mine.
IN HAND
The Nib Creaper is a nice, light, comfortable fountain pen. It's easy to use unposted, and because the cap posts snugly and securely, it's great to use posted. The issue with the pen is that it has a slender body, so if you have large hands or grip your pens really tightly, this may be an issue for you.
It is much smaller than the Noodler's Ahab, and the nib is smaller as well. The pen is also smaller than the common Lamy Safari.
PROS & CONS
OVERALL
At ~$15 per pen, if it's within your budget, I think this pen is worth the risk. I really learned a lot about fountain pens while I struggled in frustration trying to get it to work. I took it apart, I analyzed every piece of it, I did plenty of online research, watched videos, trying to figure it out. In a way, I had bought myself a course in learning about fountain pens. I also learned a lot about flex nibs. It got even better when I was gifted the opportunity to use one that worked! If you can spare the cash, I say give it a shot. If you have all your hopes hinged on this ONE PEN being the ONE PEN and the ONLY PEN that ever works for you, well, maybe dispel that dream. If you're willing to learn about fountain pens by tinkering with this pen, it's not too shabby an idea. It's really satisfying getting a pen that doesn't work that well, tinkering with it, then ending up with a pen that does work. Plus, it's a decent flex nib!
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