Noodler's Coral Sea Blue.

[Inka]

A good friend of mine had shipped me 4x ink sampler bottles of inks to try, that arrived today.

One of the four is Noodler's Coral Sea Blue from Australia, an ink I'd wanted to try since the first time I'd seen it.

The others I've not yet tried, but once I do I'll review those as well.

What a great friend I have!!!

Thanks, my good friend, you really have made my day!!!!!!!

 

I really like [actually, I really LOVE!] Noodler's Coral Sea Blue, so far, but @ $40+ per bottle shipped to the U.S., once I run out I'll be heart-broken.

 

I couldn't possibly afford to buy more any time soon, unless someone here has a full bottle they'd like to trade for some full/unopened bottles of Noodler's inks I still have.

 

Here's my hand-written review of this ink ...

 

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/Noodlers-Coral-Sea-Blue-Re.jpg

 

I did a wash-test too, to see just how Eternally "bulletproof" this ink really is.

As usual, I first flushed with running water until the paper was fully saturated.

Followed by 91% Isopropyl Alcohol on a swab, trying to swab out the ink [nearly pure alcohol hardly touched it].

Next was Dawn dish washing liquid on a swab, trying to swab out the ink [liquid soap did wash some off but not much at all].

Next and final test, 100% undiluted Clorox Bleach, again it hardly touched it!].

So yes, this ink is most definitely an "Eternal/bulletproof" ink and now more than ever I'd like to get more!

Here's the test sheet, for all to see just how resilient this ink really is to water and even caustic chemical washes...

 

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/Coral-Sea-Blue-WashTest.jpg

 

One of these days I'll be gin doing UV testing, to see if the inks I've reviewed are also light-safe.

I hope you all enjoy the new review!

Once again, if anyone out there has a full bottle of this ink that you may not care for, maybe even an opened/undiluted yet nearly full one and would possibly like to trade, drop me a PM & let's talk!

 

[dizzypen]

Strange. This doesn't look like the other scan of Coral Sea Blue... :hmm1:

 

 

ETA: Nevermind... I looked again and there is a resemblance. I think it's just the way the scan appears on my screen.

Edited June 23, 2009 by dizzypen

[Inka]

I've found my old Canon scanner is better than most peoples' scanner for exact color reproduction and my PC hardware perfect for rendering colors.

I've been told by a few people my scans are spot-on, that the colors I post are identical to what people are seeing with the naked eye.

To me every scan I've made of my hand-written ink reviews looks exactly as the inks do to my eyes in real time, while many other scans/reviews of inks I've tried don't always look so close.

 

Update: I've just last night found that Coral Sea flows differently on different paper types, so when I said it leans dry in my review I found it leans wet on fibrous paper like 3x5 cards.

I'll do more paper & CSB comparisons over the next few days and post my findings on different paper types when using this ink.

[all my hues]

Wow. I have Coral Sea myself, and this definitely looks a lot duller than the one I have. My own bottle is very vivid, no matter what paper I use it on.

 

Also, $40+ to have it shipped to the US? Wow....I went through Pendemonium, and for me it was about $20 to have 1 bottle shipped.

[Inka]

Wow. I have Coral Sea myself, and this definitely looks a lot duller than the one I have. My own bottle is very vivid, no matter what paper I use it on.

 

Also, $40+ to have it shipped to the US? Wow....I went through Pendemonium, and for me it was about $20 to have 1 bottle shipped.

If I write using Coral Sea on slicker paper, say Staples sugarcane bagasse, it's much darker and brighter, better shading too.

I get better results using Staples Premium Inkjet Ivory paper in 25% cotton as well, better color and darkness.

I really don't like using inkjet printer paper for ink reviews but since I'd started doing this for FPN it seemed most reviews are written on some sort of printer paper.

Trying to stay with the flow, I print out all my ink review sheets on some sort of inkjet paper, definitely not what I'd use to write letters with but it's cheap and common-place.

Another thing, are you using Coral Sea in a pen with a Fine nib, or something broader?

It's definitely darker and brighter when I tried it in a Medium Cursive Italic I'd ground, shades heavier too, but no real surprise there.

 

Not $40 to have it shipped, over $40 to get it including S&H and I'm talking about going through Pendamonium as well.

Here's their ad, copied/pasted straight from the Pendamonium Website:

"NEW RELEASE - AUSTRALIAN EXCLUSIVE

 

4090 - Coral Sea Blue - 90ml Bottle of Eternal ink. Waterproof & fade resistant. Can be safely used in all brands of pens. $39.95."

So it's @ $39.95 for the ink, then adding S&H of IDK how much extra it's way too expensive for my blood.

You got it for $20 a bottle? Now see, that's far more reasonable to me and if that's the case then the prices have doubled since you bought yours.

Here's the Webpage at Pendamonium where they're selling this stuff, scroll down nearly to the page bottom and it's listed right underneath the big ol' Whiteness of the Whale picture.

All their Noodler's inks are selling for far more than I've ever paid, for example a standard 3oz bottle of "anything" sells there for @ $22.95 and I usually pay juast $11.50 for one and if 2 or more I only pay @ $8.74 a bottle.

So if I want to buy a bottle of let's say, Coral Seas;

Coral Seas = $39.95

GST [Tax] = $3.63

Shipping Overseas = I have no idea, had to create an account just to get this much information. It says "Overseas Orders... We will contact you to organise shipping" when I get to this point.

So anyway you look at it, I'm already up to $43.58 just for a single bottle of Coral Seas plus the tax.

Having no idea what they charge to ship from Australia to the U.S., thinking it's not going to be cheap, it's waaaaaaay too expensive to buy from Pendamonium if you live where I live.

[feiye]

Wow. I have Coral Sea myself, and this definitely looks a lot duller than the one I have. My own bottle is very vivid, no matter what paper I use it on.

 

Also, $40+ to have it shipped to the US? Wow....I went through Pendemonium, and for me it was about $20 to have 1 bottle shipped.

Not $40 to have it shipped, over $40 to get it including S&H and I'm talking about going through Pendamonium as well.

Here's their ad, copied/pasted straight from the Pendamonium Website:

I think all my hues meant Pendemonium rather than the Australian one.

[celthana]

Also, don't forget that the Australian Pendamonium website lists its products in AU$, not US$ (note the .com.au at the end of the web address). This makes it somewhat more affordable for you American buyers.

[all my hues]

No, I did get it shipped from Australia. And, I should have clarified -- once I did the currency exchange, it was around $20 to have one bottle shipped. Sorry for the confusion!!

 

Actually, it doesn't matter what nib width or paper I use -- it's a very vivid blue throughout. Did you shake the bottle? I made the mistake of not shaking the bottle the first time around and had a decidedly duller color than after shaking it.

[inkdesigner]

I think I have to agree with Inka on this ink. I have absolutley fallen in love with the color . It has become my go to daily ink in my Sheaffer Triumph with a medium nib that Richard Binder smoothed for me. The color is just fantastic. I too order from the Australian Pendamonium. Communication with them was great even if the price is a bit higher than we pay here in the States for eternal ink. Using the currency converter HERE, the price per bottle in US dollars is about $31.80. I can't remember what I paid for shipping, but I did order 2 bottles at that time and I hope it will last me a long while, although with the pace I am using it at both my jobs, I'm afraid it won't go as long as I would like .

 

With any luck, perhaps in time this Australian exclusive will begin to be carried by other suppliers here in the States , much like the Russian and English exclusives are now carried by more than one supplier here. Hint Hint Nathan .

 

Inkdesigner

[Inka]

Every time I've gone to the U.S. Pendemonium Site all I see under Noodler's are Legal Lapis, Violet Vote [iraqi Indigo] and Eternal Brown.

Then there's an apology at the top saying "We apologize for being out of stock of so many different Noodler's Inks".

So is that all they carry, or am I missing something?

Plus if Coral Sea is an "Australian Exclusive" doesn't that mean you can only buy it from stores/vendors in Australia?

 

Thanks for the info on Aussie dollars vs US dollars, crossed my mind but didn't make the full connection.

Still, at $39.95 AUD and @ $32.25 USD, not including S&H, it's still sadly way out of my price range.

 

@ all my hues;

Yeppers, shook the bottle fully before use, but mine was a sample bottle from the original and not the original label.

I believe the friend that sent it to me knows enough to shake a bottle, although I've never asked if it was shaken before drawing out the sample amount.

It may very likely be the inkjet paper I wrote the review on that makes it appear duller than yours since my scan is exactly what it looks like in real-life, , not sure.

On other paper types it shades better and the color does seem brighter, especially on slicker paper like sugarcane bagasse.

 

I've actually created an ink blend that looks almost identical to Coral Sea, still working on it to get it to be an "eternal" blend.

I'm not done experimenting yet but once I hit on the exact formula and ratios I'll post it on the Inky Thoughts/Ink Recipes, with a Link from here to there.

I still need some Noodler's Hunter Green Eternal to complete the mix, don't even have the money for that at the moment.

If successful [and I believe I will be] I should have a duplicate made from 100% American Noodler's inks, 100% "bulletproof" and costing 1/3rd as much as Coral Sea to make it myself.

 

 

 

[blopplop]

Anyone ever ordered it from this place? I'm on their site right now looking into it.

Penaffair.com

 

Dave

[Inka]

Anyone ever ordered it from this place? I'm on their site right now looking into it.

Penaffair.com

 

Dave

I have them Bookmarked since I found their prices are far better than at Pendamonium.

I haven't ordered from them yet and I'd like to hear some feedback too from those that have [EDIT: especially S&H costs to the U.S. from Pen Affair; Qld Australia, if possible].

 

On another note, I wrote with the Coral Sea Blue on Staples sugarcane bagasse for those wanting to see what it looks like on different paper.

I've also added a line underneath, written using my Plumpster/CI-A nib and my first attempt at making a "blend" that's like Coral Sea but without the high cost.

I call my new blend "Polar Seas", since 80% of the inks used to make it this far are Noodler's Polar inks, the other 20% by another brand and not even water-resistant.

Once I get a bottle of Noodler's Eternal Hunter Green, I'll be reformulating it so it's all 100% U.S.A.-Made Noodler's "bulletproof" inks, so it should be just as Eternal as the Coral Sea from Australia.

 

I think I'm getting close to having matched the color and shading, pretty much spot-on already, it's close to nearly "bulletproof" now with the exception of the non-Noodler's ink.

So take a look and tell me what you think; is the color spot-on now, keeping in mind my Pelikan has a rounded nib that writes consistent lines and the Plumpster nib is a Cursive Italic that has line variations and shades differently...

 

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/CoralSeaPolarSeas-compared.jpg

Edited June 27, 2009 by Inka

[wlwesq1]

Your mixed ink is looking very, very good. Please don't delay in sharing the recipe with us!

[Inka]

Your mixed ink is looking very, very good. Please don't delay in sharing the recipe with us!

Thank you.

I was going to post exact amounts but since it's still a formula "in the making" I will do so when it's complete.

I should be getting a bottle of Hunter Green Eternal later this week, so if the darker green still works and ratios remain the same I'll be very happy to share.

Since the green I've used to get this far is in no way even water-resistant, I want nothing but "bulletproof" and/or Eternal inks in my recipe and both Polar Blue & Polar Black already are.

With luck the new formula will also retain the traits of the Polar majority, remaining a lubricating ink that's also freeze-resistant to sub-freezing temperatures, things I'll be testing as well.

With even more luck the new blend will also have less nib-creep and feathering than pure Polar inks are known to have too.

If I can succeed at doing this, I already have a new name for my new blend, would very much like to send a sample to Nathan Tardiff and ask if he'd be interested in making it a standard Noodler's U.S. ink.

To me this blend would be the best of all worlds, an ink with a color I can live with for daily carry, properties that allow it to work well at all temperature extremes, lubricates piston seals and is also completely fraud-proof & Eternal.

Add to all that making it more available to people in the U.S. than Coral Sea Blue is and more affordable, seeing as Noodler's is a U.S.-based company and Coral Sea is an "Australian Exclusive" that I cannot afford, it would easily become my favorite ink.

 

[topcattcw]

Your mixed ink is looking very, very good. Please don't delay in sharing the recipe with us!

Thank you.

I was going to post exact amounts but since it's still a formula "in the making" I will do so when it's complete.

I should be getting a bottle of Hunter Green Eternal later this week, so if the darker green still works and ratios remain the same I'll be very happy to share.

Since the green I've used to get this far is in no way even water-resistant, I want nothing but "bulletproof" and/or Eternal inks in my recipe and both Polar Blue & Polar Black already are.

With luck the new formula will also retain the traits of the Polar majority, remaining a lubricating ink that's also freeze-resistant to sub-freezing temperatures, things I'll be testing as well.

With even more luck the new blend will also have less nib-creep and feathering than pure Polar inks are known to have too.

If I can succeed at doing this, I already have a new name for my new blend, would very much like to send a sample to Nathan Tardiff and ask if he'd be interested in making it a standard Noodler's U.S. ink.

To me this blend would be the best of all worlds, an ink with a color I can live with for daily carry, properties that allow it to work well at all temperature extremes, lubricates piston seals and is also completely fraud-proof & Eternal.

Add to all that making it more available to people in the U.S. than Coral Sea Blue is and more affordable, seeing as Noodler's is a U.S.-based company and Coral Sea is an "Australian Exclusive" that I cannot afford, it would easily become my favorite ink.

 

So Inka ... how is this recipe coming?

[Inka]

I actually have two formulations now.

After midnight here, just about to go to bed after cleaning and de-fragging my PC.

I'll get the "recipes" together ASAP and come back with the results.

[Inka]

So Inka ... how is this recipe coming?

I finally wrote and scanned the results of my "Last Blend" as I'm calling it, since I have no intention of ever trying to take this further.

I began the blending using actual drops from a glass eye-dropper, dipping nibs and writing to test and once satisfied it's as close as it's going to get I'd then converted to ml amounts.

You'll find the amounts listed in this hand-written review of my new and last blend.

By the way, the main reason this blend was so difficult to produce was the differing paper properties thus making the colors change.

For example, I'd get the color near to spot-on writing on printer paper, then when writing on something different [e.g. sugarcane bagasse for example] it looked completely different.

it would look overly green on one type of paper and the same ratios and pen would make it look overly blue on another paper type, a real pain in my brain putting it mildly.

The goal was to re-create Coral Sea Blue-Black using inks that were readilly available in the U.S., those that would reproduce the same color every time regardless of paper used, the hardest mixing task I've ever undertaken.

So anyway, here are the results and the measurements all writtten on Staples sugarcane bagasse in this shot.

I've also written with it on 3x5 cards, Day-Timer Desk-size, Rolla, Xerox & MaxBrite printer, Staples Premium 25% cotton LaserJet, Georgia Pacific card stock, ... all looked nearly identical compared to pure Coral Sea using this blend.

I am definitely NOT ever making more of this stuff, after having to use 5 different inks and 2 Eternal inks that were very expensive to obtain, it's just not worth it unfortunately...

 

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/CoralSeaCloning-results.jpg

 

Note that pen & nib-types make a major difference in how this ink blend looks by comparison, more in a contrast context than actual color matching differences.

My Plumpster, for example, makes my blend look darker than Coral Sea but then I've re-ground a B Plumpster nib into a Specialized Medium Cursive Italic on the underside, made an Accountant XXF on the inverse.

The Dollar Demonstrator is a Finer nib than my M800 is too, so that pen made the "Last Blend" also look a bit lighter in contrast to 100% Coral Sea from my wet-writing Pelikan M800 Fine nib.

My first blend was approximately a 7:2:1 ratio of Polar Blue:Quink Green [now discontinued]:Polar Black, only 3 inks and if Quink Green was more available a far easier to re-create blend to be sure.

 

 

[topcattcw]

So Inka ... how is this recipe coming?

I finally wrote and scanned the results of my "Last Blend" as I'm calling it, since I have no intention of ever trying to take this further.

I began the blending using actual drops from a glass eye-dropper, dipping nibs and writing to test and once satisfied it's as close as it's going to get I'd then converted to ml amounts.

You'll find the amounts listed in this hand-written review of my new and last blend.

By the way, the main reason this blend was so difficult to produce was the differing paper properties thus making the colors change.

For example, I'd get the color near to spot-on writing on printer paper, then when writing on something different [e.g. sugarcane bagasse for example] it looked completely different.

it would look overly green on one type of paper and the same ratios and pen would make it look overly blue on another paper type, a real pain in my brain putting it mildly.

The goal was to re-create Coral Sea Blue-Black using inks that were readilly available in the U.S., those that would reproduce the same color every time regardless of paper used, the hardest mixing task I've ever undertaken.

So anyway, here are the results and the measurements all writtten on Staples sugarcane bagasse in this shot.

I've also written with it on 3x5 cards, Day-Timer Desk-size, Rolla, Xerox & MaxBrite printer, Staples Premium 25% cotton LaserJet, Georgia Pacific card stock, ... all looked nearly identical compared to pure Coral Sea using this blend.

I am definitely NOT ever making more of this stuff, after having to use 5 different inks and 2 Eternal inks that were very expensive to obtain, it's just not worth it unfortunately...

 

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/CoralSeaCloning-results.jpg

 

Note that pen & nib-types make a major difference in how this ink blend looks by comparison, more in a contrast context than actual color matching differences.

My Plumpster, for example, makes my blend look darker than Coral Sea but then I've re-ground a B Plumpster nib into a Specialized Medium Cursive Italic on the underside, made an Accountant XXF on the inverse.

The Dollar Demonstrator is a Finer nib than my M800 is too, so that pen made the "Last Blend" also look a bit lighter in contrast to 100% Coral Sea from my wet-writing Pelikan M800 Fine nib.

My first blend was approximately a 7:2:1 ratio of Polar Blue:Quink Green [now discontinued]:Polar Black, only 3 inks and if Quink Green was more available a far easier to re-create blend to be sure.

Well Inka - while I agree that it's a complex recipe - I really like what you've done here - if you haven't nailed it exactly... you came very, very close! Maybe you should send this recipe to Noodler's .. maybe it will give them the incentive to either copy it - or just make Coral Sea available in the U.S.

Either way ... GREAT JOB! ... and Thank You!

Edited August 3, 2009 by topcattcw

[Inka]

Thank you, TC, means allot to me just to get some recognition for not just hours but actual days trying to get the blend right.

After having gotten this far, I believe I at least have a better understanding now of what colors are needed to get not just another color but ink characteristics as well.

For example, making a working blue-black is easy, making one that also shades exactly like a pre-mixed ink is far more difficult.

I'd still like to try getting some Noodler's Aircorp Blue-Black and some Noodler's Navajo Turquoise, use those two with inks I already have and try making a new blend.

Right now I'm all tapped out on my ink funding resources, so doing some ink-swapping with a close friend is all I'll be doing for some time to come.

I'd love to see Noodler's make an ink like Coral Sea, for those of us in the U.S., one that's just as permanent and "bulletproof" as is the original from Australia is.

That's another thing I hadn't posted, yet I also did my typical wash-testing on my "Last Blend" and it survived a HOT water soaking, 91% Isopropyl swabbibng, 100% Clorox bleach, pure ammonia and liquid soap.

The liquid soap was the only thing that really showed, left the Pelikan Turquoise in a halo-effect around the area where I'd swabbed but it couldn't remove the writing from the paper completely, all still very legible.

[Bleep]

Just wanted to say well done on all the work on that Blend. I have the genuine stuff, and the scans you show look identical to how it comes out of my VP Fine (and yes I shake thoroughly): NOT a vibrant colour as some have described it, but it has grown on me, and of course I'm using it for stuff that needs to be eternal.