Noodler's Flex Pen Cleaning and Disassembly

There are a lot of Noodler's Flex Pens floating around out there, and I thought a video on how to completely disassemble and clean them would be helpful to a lot of you out there. This is a great pen for experimentation because it comes apart completely with just the use of a Q-tip!

I spend some time towards the end of the video on adjusting the nib and feed to suit your writing style and the ink you use, but I plan on covering that more thoroughly in another video. The main point I want to get across in this video is that you shouldn't be afraid to take this pen apart and learn it inside out. The more familiar you are with your pen, the better you'll be able to adjust it for yourself and the more enjoyment you'll get out of it! The silicone grease I use in the video can be found here, but lots of other kinds will work too (just don't use silicone CAULK, that's not going to end well for you).

Noodler's Ahab fountain pen

I also want to mention that it's important to clean your brand new Noodler's flex pen before use. Since the release of the latest Noodler's flex pens, I've had several people emailing me mentioning that they were having trouble getting their new pens to flow properly. They tried shaking, pushing the ink down the feed with the piston, and dipping the nib, but to little avail. 

In any case, it's a good idea to go ahead and flush your pen out before inking it up, just like I show in the video here. Just use water, dish soap like Dawn, and a bit of ammonia. Flush it with clear water after that, then you should be all set. If that doesn't do it, then the friction-fit nib/feed may need a bit of adjustment like I show in this video.