Noodler's 54 Massachusetts

[aardvarkbark]

only use this in cheap pens.. not going near the visconti's i guess its alright and is definitely better then earlier bullet-proofs but its just too high maintenance and dry definitely not a go to ink for me.

 

I don't find it excessively high maintenance (albeit with very limited experience). I cleaned three pens last night. I'd been using 54th in an Omas Milord with converter. It required a few more minutes of flushing with water to eliminate all traces of color on paper towel or in fresh water than did a Montegrappa that had MB Toffee Brown in it and an Omas vintage-style paragon with Diamine Denim. Based on the comments about clean-up in the review, I then flushed the Milord with water containing a couple drops of Dawn and <10% ammonia, and got only the very slightest trace of color on a paper towel. Admittedly, I didn't disassemble the nib and feed, but I'm not under the impression that there is enough residue remaining after water-only cleaning to deter me from using this regularly (though I recognize Sandy1 says residue was observed even after use of water/ammonia/surfactant flush).

Edited November 18, 2013 by aardvarkbark

[PrintersDevil]

I received a bottle of this ink free of charge from Goulet Pen's 5,000 FB likes promotion. When I received the ink I swabbed it out and was initially disappointed to find it was blue-black. I have never been a fan of blue-black; the color combination just doesn't appeal to me. So I set the bottle aside. A couple of weeks ago I decided to load it into my Pelikan Souveran 800 with a broad nib. Long story short, this is my new favorite ink. I liked the color much better than I thought it would.

 

I did not know it was a "bulletproof" ink, but I did write a few words on a piece of paper. I let the ink dry and put the paper under a faucet and ran the water. The ink didn't move! Ink permanence has been an ongoing concern for me. I have a couple of notes I wrote and put up on my cubicle wall and I have noticed that a number of them have faded. That is not going to be a problem with this ink.

 

The ink does have a noticeable odor to it which I presume is associated with its bulletproof properties. After using my pen for most of a day, I did notice that it was hard to get the ink flow started the next day. I solved this problem by turning on my water faucet and quickly touching the tip of the nib to the water stream. I blotted the tip with a tissue and my ink flow problem was solved. This was an easy and quick fix. I would highly recommend this ink. It's top notch.

[85AKbN]

I think I learn more reading your reviews than lurking First Stop - FDT. I did google virga and the first hit was this review! I have no idea what that refers to in a pen. I think I can guess since it refers to nib dry out - and the cloud term virga describes precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground - so nib virga is when the ink dries above, rearward of the nib?

 

I would never think of dipping a non-starting FP in water. Is it really that simple? Just up to the "virga" point, if you can see it?

 

I can see these reviews take a lot of time and effort - Thanks.

[Sham69]

give this ink a go with 30% mix of distilled water, really helps the nib dry out and ever so slightly lightens the shade of the ink, a great improvement in my books! since i have started doing that i am liking this ink a whole lot more

[Sandy1]

No salad spinner for the clean-up, just plenty of time. I soaked it and filled it -MANY- times with plain water, then switched over to a water/ammonia mix. That seemed to do the trick, as my next filling with JB Pen Flush brought out nothing.

 

The Aristotle is very impressive. I've only run it through one pen so far, a Lamy Safari with an EF nib, and it shaded significantly. Now I get to look forward to your review of it!

 

UPDATE: I just ran my P51 through my normal "Are you really clean and ready for bed?" flush, and the JB was not perfectly clear.

 

Hi,

 

Oh my! Inky residue after JB Pen Flush? I've not used that, so cannot pass along any tips.

 

I was really encouraged that things were going along well, which I thought was due to the low amount of dry / concentrated ink, courtesy of the hood on the Parker 51.

 

It is an awkward nuisance when one does a chemical treatment, then goes to a water rinse only to find that more chemical treatment is needed - without either carrying forward too much rinse water or letting the pen dry out. Not a big deal, but with a persistent ink that's hard to dislodge once dry, it does seem a good idea. Or one could charge the pen with a 'safe' ink, then carry on with fingers crossed that prolonged contact & use will deal with the inky remnant, but with the unique formulation of BP inks, I'm not sure how effective that might be. (?)

- See also 'You've got your first found in the wild Parker 51 in your hand - now what?' : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/223983-youve-got-your-first-found-in-the-wild-parker-51-in-your-hand-now-what/?p=2379577

 

My bottomless To Do List says I should spend some time with OSA if/when it arrives, so a sort of 'first look' Review should follow in 2014 - even though the usually well mannered Diamine Sapphire & others are growing impatient to have a go on FPN.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 19, 2013 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

 

I don't find it excessively high maintenance (albeit with very limited experience). I cleaned three pens last night. I'd been using 54th in an Omas Milord with converter. It required a few more minutes of flushing with water to eliminate all traces of color on paper towel or in fresh water than did a Montegrappa that had MB Toffee Brown in it and an Omas vintage-style paragon with Diamine Denim. Based on the comments about clean-up in the review, I then flushed the Milord with water containing a couple drops of Dawn and <10% ammonia, and got only the very slightest trace of color on a paper towel. Admittedly, I didn't disassemble the nib and feed, but I'm not under the impression that there is enough residue remaining after water-only cleaning to deter me from using this regularly (though I recognize Sandy1 says residue was observed even after use of water/ammonia/surfactant flush).

 

Hi,

 

Many thanks for sharing your experience with N54M clean-up, especially being specific about the pen, and giving us the context of the clean-up of other ink+pen combos.

 

The Milord is one of the *OoooLaLa* 'cotton resin' offerings from OMAS.

 

I'm glad that you followed the water flush with a chemical treatment, and that your formulation was effective. My DIY recipe uses a much lower concentration of ammonia ( 0.5 - 1%) with the benign/archival Kodak Photo-Flo as the surfactant, which may well be the reason that I choose Rapido-Eze as my escalation, rather than goose my simple easy-going recipe. (As the chemists at work keep telling me, "Sandy, you're not a chemist - get out of our lab.")

 

Clean-up involves a lot of personal nuances, which can change depending on the pen, the ink, and how they were handled prior to clean-up, let alone one's time & patience available, so there doesn't seem to be a 'one size fits all' method; rather I think that by sharing our experience & thoughts we can learn, hence make informed choices along the way.

 

Wheee!

 

Bye,

S1

 

Edited November 20, 2013 by Sandy1

[PrintersDevil]

Regarding pen flushing liquids, I purchased a bottle of Goulet Pen's flush to use just in case. I got like a 6 ounce bottle for less than 10 dollars so it seemed a good deal. The way I used it was to clean my pen thoroughly using lukewarm water. Then I drew up some pen flush and let it sit in the pen for about 5 minutes and resumed rinsing with the warm water. I thought it worked pretty well. After a couple of weeks use, I might empty the Noodler's 54th and flush it just to keep things moving along smoothly.

[Sandy1]

I received a bottle of this ink free of charge from Goulet Pen's 5,000 FB likes promotion. When I received the ink I swabbed it out and was initially disappointed to find it was blue-black. I have never been a fan of blue-black; the color combination just doesn't appeal to me. So I set the bottle aside. A couple of weeks ago I decided to load it into my Pelikan Souveran 800 with a broad nib. Long story short, this is my new favorite ink. I liked the color much better than I thought it would.

 

I did not know it was a "bulletproof" ink, but I did write a few words on a piece of paper. I let the ink dry and put the paper under a faucet and ran the water. The ink didn't move! Ink permanence has been an ongoing concern for me. I have a couple of notes I wrote and put up on my cubicle wall and I have noticed that a number of them have faded. That is not going to be a problem with this ink.

 

The ink does have a noticeable odor to it which I presume is associated with its bulletproof properties. After using my pen for most of a day, I did notice that it was hard to get the ink flow started the next day. I solved this problem by turning on my water faucet and quickly touching the tip of the nib to the water stream. I blotted the tip with a tissue and my ink flow problem was solved. This was an easy and quick fix. I would highly recommend this ink. It's top notch.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

It seems we were both beguiled by N54M once it was put onto paper - and I'm a huge fan of BlBk inks.

 

The scent from the bottle is a bit sharp on the nose, but thankfully not noticed whilst writing.

 

Its good to know that even without wiping the nib before letting the pen rest overnight that a quick dip in water was all that was needed to start afresh. My dislike of nib creep has me wiping the nib during use, which is pointless - the ink just creeps forward like some nightmare creature. Even festooning the writing table with wreaths of garlic was to no avail, so perhaps bagpipe music …

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 20, 2013 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

I think I learn more reading your reviews than lurking First Stop - FDT. I did google virga and the first hit was this review! I have no idea what that refers to in a pen. I think I can guess since it refers to nib dry out - and the cloud term virga describes precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground - so nib virga is when the ink dries above, rearward of the nib?

 

I would never think of dipping a non-starting FP in water. Is it really that simple? Just up to the "virga" point, if you can see it?

 

I can see these reviews take a lot of time and effort - Thanks.

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

I'm glad you're learning from reading my Reviews. My approach is quite broad, taking in the pen and the paper and manner of writing. I've always thought it passing strange that we have more samples of how pens perform in the Ink Review Forum than the Pen Review Forum.

 

Yes indeed - I did bend the metrological definition of 'virga' to describe the change in ink volume put down on the paper from a somewhat parched nib, but doesn't require restarting the flow by priming.

 

If one looks very closely at the Written Samples, the 440 on HPJ1124 and the PPP on Rhodia have a few mm of virga at the leading 'f'. The Pilot on the HPJ1124 doesn't show virga so much as my inept searching for the sweet spot of the narrow nib. As my natural hand is rather large, such instances often go unnoticed, yet illustrators and those who write in a small compact hand might be irked by virga.

 

How deep to dip to prime a stalled nib? I suppose the length of the nib slit would be a minimum, but I just dip the nib+feed up to the section then blot the excess. As mentioned, for inks with a high dye load, the bit of water carried forward would be inconsequential for general work, and may off-set any concentration caused by evaporation.

 

Bye,

S1

 

[iveyman]

I like this ink and I use it daily to write. I don't smell any bad odor at all.

[Sandy1]

give this ink a go with 30% mix of distilled water, really helps the nib dry out and ever so slightly lightens the shade of the ink, a great improvement in my books! since i have started doing that i am liking this ink a whole lot more

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with diluted N54M!

 

Many of the low value (dark) inks with a high dye load can be diluted to fine tune their appearance to match a given pen+ink combo, with little downside potential. The extent of dilution is very much a matter of personal preference, but I find somewhere from 10 - 30% is typical.

 

The ICS&T Forum next door is the repository of my dilution samples of other inks, which go into things in more detail. As I found no surprises when N54M was diluted, I saw no point to adding repetitive information in a new Topic.

 

This post may be of interest: Dilution - A Rough Guide @ Post № 23 : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/218161-need-help-selecting-my-first-japanese-pens/?p=2315439

 

Bye,

S1

[Sham69]

Thanks heaps sandy Ill check it out now I almost only use noodlers diluted thse days but 54m is the only one I take to 30%

[Ghost Plane]

For the record, bagpipes should be reserved for OBB nibs only. They do nothing to repel nib creep or vampires, but do tend to annoy every cat in the neighborhood, especially during mating season. A fine set of pipes combined with a full load of DeAtramentis Plum in a 149 OBB works wonders during NaNoWriMo, but is beyond the purview of this thread.

[Sandy1]

Regarding pen flushing liquids, I purchased a bottle of Goulet Pen's flush to use just in case. I got like a 6 ounce bottle for less than 10 dollars so it seemed a good deal. The way I used it was to clean my pen thoroughly using lukewarm water. Then I drew up some pen flush and let it sit in the pen for about 5 minutes and resumed rinsing with the warm water. I thought it worked pretty well. After a couple of weeks use, I might empty the Noodler's 54th and flush it just to keep things moving along smoothly.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for letting us know how you got along with Goulet Pen Flush. Not to plump Goulet Pens, but they do offer a sample size of GPF, which could be used to see what if anything remains after a DIY pen cleaning solution before committing to a larger purchase.

 

I noticed that Organics Studio offers their Cuddles' Flushing Aether (great name!) It is reassuring that chemists who put ink together also know how to take it apart.

 

It would be a good thing should the ingenious Mr Tardiff bring us a Noodler's pen flush specifically to 'unfriend' members of the bulletproof family of inks.

 

And Member ibhdju has contributed a Review of JB's Perfect Pen Flush : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/210871-jbs-perfect-pen-flush-review/?p=2196177

 

I look forward to your update after using N54M for a couple of weeks.

 

Bye,

S1

 

[Sandy1]

I like this ink and I use it daily to write. I don't smell any bad odor at all.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with N54M!

 

I'm glad you don't "smell any bad odor at all." Some people are put-off by some smells that other people don't mind, so that's a matter of sensitivity I suppose.

 

As you find N54M suitable to use on a daily basis, I look forward to learning from your long term experience with that ink.

 

As always, it seems that some people adopt an ink that others do not care for - we are indeed spoiled for choice!

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Thanks heaps sandy Ill check it out now I almost only use noodlers diluted thse days but 54m is the only one I take to 30%

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome!

 

Ah, I think we might've been a bit inconsistent in expressing dilution: So far I'm using the ink somewhere around 75% strength, which is 3 parts ink into 1 part water. When I mentioned 'extent of dilution 10 - 30%', it would've been more consistent to have expressed that as 70 - 90% concentration.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

For the record, bagpipes should be reserved for OBB nibs only. They do nothing to repel nib creep or vampires, but do tend to annoy every cat in the neighborhood, especially during mating season. A fine set of pipes combined with a full load of DeAtramentis Plum in a 149 OBB works wonders during NaNoWriMo, but is beyond the purview of this thread.

 

Hi,

 

Many thanks for setting the record straight, and adding your insight into off-label use of bagpipes!

ETA: Wiki 'NaNoWriMo' : http://nanowrimo.org/

 

As I prefer to dilute N54M, I might be able to defeat nib creep by switching from distilled water to those said to have special properties. e.g. Lourdes, River Jordan, ZamZam, Ganges.

 

Bye,

S1

 

Off Topic: My parents had me try Highland dance, but it was subsequently considered unwise to give me such easy access to swords & dirks, so that fling was short lived. I was taken by the kit though, so still have kilts, blouses, jackets, hose &tc in my wardrobe.

 

Edited November 22, 2013 by Sandy1

[Ghost Plane]

A kilt on well-proportioned legs is a thing of beauty! In 80kt winds at Edinburgh Castle, they are the stuff women's dreams are made of. Not that I was ever stationed in the UK during major storms or anything.

 

Back vaguely on the topic of dilution, I cannot recommend the water of Florida rivers as most are so choked with algae from fertilizer runoff as to be dangerous to manatees and other wildlife in addition to causing SITB.

[Sandy1]

A kilt on well-proportioned legs is a thing of beauty! In 80kt winds at Edinburgh Castle, they are the stuff women's dreams are made of. Not that I was ever stationed in the UK during major storms or anything.

 

Back vaguely on the topic of dilution, I cannot recommend the water of Florida rivers as most are so choked with algae from fertilizer runoff as to be dangerous to manatees and other wildlife in addition to causing SITB.

 

Hi,

 

It is indeed as source of amusement to see the effect of a gusty breeze on men wearing kilts.

I haven't told the lads about using curtain weights or lead line in their hems - that would take the fun out!

 

Pity that Florida doesn't have the mythical Fountain of Youth or other special waters that might defeat nib creep.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 24, 2013 by Sandy1

[Ghost Plane]

Living a 40 minute drive from the advertised Fountain of Youth, I can tell you the water is hard & prone to leaving water spots. (Not that a high school classmate's family used to own the attraction or anything.) I suspect mineral deposits would only add to the creep.

 

The best I manage is a good wipe down of the nib before inking to leave as clean a surface as possible.