Noodler's Highland Heather

[QM2]

http://queenmargot.com/heighlandheather_sample4.jpg

 

Noodler's Highland Heather

Eternal Ink from the UK Series

 

The descriptions I've read of Noodler's Highland Heather so far have been mixed at best, with complaints of serious flow

problems and muddy colour. The colour was actually what attracted me to this ink: It has been described as a muddy

brown-gray with hints of mauve and green, which is just the sort of colour I tend to like. I was hoping for a more saturated

version of Herbin's Cacao de Bresil. When I learned that recently Noodler's reformulated their eternal UK inks to address the

reports of flow problems, I decided to give the ink a try, hoping to get the infamous colour without the infamous issues. I

ordered my bottle from Swisher's in December 2008.

 

http://queenmargot.com/heighlandheather_sample1.jpg

 

The good news: I believe Nathan has indeed address the flow problems, because my Highland Heather flows well in several

(albeit durable) pens I have loaded it in so far (more details about this further down).

 

The bad news (at least for me): The colour seems to have been changed as well. Rather than a muddy brown-gray, this is a

classic muted mauve, leaning towards pink.

 

The sample at the very top of the review was done with a Lamy Studio, EF nib, on Moleskine grid paper. The large

sample above was done with a Speedball dip pen (C3 italic nib) on white watercolour paper. The handwritten sample below

was done with a Lamy Studio, EF nib, on Moleskine grid paper again. Electronic text follows the handwritten comments.

 

http://queenmargot.com/heighlandheather_sample2.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/heighlandheather_sample3.jpg

 

Flow: I have this ink loaded in a Lamy Studio (14K nib), and it is perfectly behaved so far. It starts immediately and

there is no skipping. No signs of drying out after not using the pen for half a day. It does not even behave like a particularly

dry ink. I have not tried this ink in more delicate pens, and I admit that I do not want to risk that just yet. But a Lamy Studio

is a fairly popular pen, so an ink that flows well in it is accessible to a large portion of FP users.

 

Drying time: The ink dries almost immediately on paper; I would say 5 seconds or less.

 

Feathering: As can be seen on the scanned sample, there is zero feathering on Moleskine paper, which can normally be

rather feather-prone.

 

Water Resistance: This is an "eternal" (waterproof) ink.

 

Colour: As stated earlier, the colour is a saturated, but muted pastel mauve, leaning towards pink. Personally, I had been

hoping for a truly "muddy" colour that would lean more towards brown or gray -- but I think most people would find this

variation more enjoyable than the older version. The ink dries to an opaque and very matte finish.

 

Here is a comparison of Noodler's Highland Heather with several other inks in the muted mauve family: Herbin Poussiere

de Lune and Private Reserve Burgundy Mist:

 

http://queenmargot.com/inks_poulune.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/inks_highlandheather.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/inks_burgundymist.jpg

 

And here is a comparison between Noodler's Highland Heather and Herbin Cacao du Bresil, showing how much more

vibrant and colourful the Heighland Heather is:

 

http://queenmargot.com/inks_cacaobresil.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/inks_highlandheather.jpg

 

Hope this was useful,

QM2

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2009 by QM2

[MDI]

Does it look similar to MB Sepia?

[DanF]

I like it!

 

Dan

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

Thank you for these comparisons.

[sharpclaw]

The colour was actually what attracted me to this ink: It has been described as a muddy brown-gray with hints of mauve and green, which is just the sort of colour I tend to like. I was hoping for a more saturated version of Herbin's Cacao de Bresil.

I like the new pink shade of Noodler's Highland Heather ink; thank you for sharing!

 

The sample of Herbin's Cacao de Bresil looks like the ink mix that I recently created and call "sepia" when I feel generous and "why I should measure and record what I do when mixing" when I want to be accurate. I must have created over an ounce of the stuff. I still have at least half an ounce left and using it just reminds me that I dumped a lot of Noodler's bulletproof inks into what looks just muddy brown-gray.

Edited January 9, 2009 by sharpclaw

[Titivillus]

It doesn't look like the older bottle of the stuff I had, the muddyness of the ink always worried me so I sold it off.

 

Kurt

[QM2]

Does it look similar to MB Sepia?

 

Overall no. But when MB Sepia bleeds through thin paper, the colour that comes through the back looks similar.

 

The sample of Herbin's Cacao de Bresil looks like the ink mix that I recently created and call "sepia" when I feel generous and "why I should measure and record what I do when mixing" when I want to be accurate. I must have created over an ounce of the stuff. I still have at least half an ounce left and using it just reminds me that I dumped a lot of Noodler's bulletproof inks into what looks just muddy brown-gray.

 

Cacao de Bresil does not look like a Sepia either, when compared to other sepias and browns. It is a gray-taupe colour with only a hint of brownish to it.

 

Here is a comparison of Highland's Heather next to MB Sepia and PR Copper Burst, then followed by Herbin Cacao de Bresil.

 

http://queenmargot.com/inks_highlandheather.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/inks_mbsepia.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/inks_copperburst.jpg

http://queenmargot.com/inks_cacaobresil.jpg

 

[QM2]

It doesn't look like the older bottle of the stuff I had, the muddyness of the ink always worried me so I sold it off.

 

I will probably sell this one because it is too pink for me! From what I hear, I would have liked the old colour (though not the old no-flow properties).

[sharpclaw]

Cacao de Bresil does not look like a Sepia either, when compared to other sepias and browns. It is a gray-taupe colour with only a hint of brownish to it.

 

Here is a comparison of Highland's Heather next to MB Sepia and PR Copper Burst, then followed by Herbin Cacao de Bresil.

Thank you for the comparisons! Once again, I am grateful for samples that people provide here, since color names mean little. All of the art supplies I own -- ink, markers, and pencils by various brands -- that provide a brown called "sepia" have a color much closer to the gray-taupe Herbin's Cacao de Bresil than to the reddish MB Sepia (which I like a lot from your sample, but never would have considered because my experience conditioned me to think of sepia as much grayer).

[QM2]

Once again, I am grateful for samples that people provide here, since color names mean little. All of the art supplies I own -- ink, markers, and pencils by various brands -- that provide a brown called "sepia" have a color much closer to the gray-taupe Herbin's Cacao de Bresil than to the reddish MB Sepia (which I like a lot from your sample, but never would have considered because my experience conditioned me to think of sepia as much grayer).

 

In oil paint language, Sepia also tends to be a colder colour. But in inks I have noticed that it is really all over the place. I used to own Noodler's Seminole Sepia, which was a yellow-brown amber colour.

[Souldrifter]

It doesn't look like the older bottle of the stuff I had, the muddyness of the ink always worried me so I sold it off.

 

Kurt

 

Same here. I just sold mine as part of a lot. I tried very hard to like it.. it's the signature Scottish ink, after all, and I have a keen interest in Scottish history and culture, but I just couldn't like the color. It didn't remind me of heather at all. I was very sad.

[QM2]

From what I understand, several of the UK eternal inks, including the Heather, Matahari, and Royal Mint, have been reformulated to improve flow and spruce up the colour. So you may want to give this one a try again, making sure to buy it from a shop that carries the new stock. Mine is from Swisher's, so I suggest ordering from there.

[fuchsiaprincess]

Hi QM2, when you're ready to move it one, could you please send it my way, if someone else hasn't already put their hands up for it. I think the one I have must be one of the old batches. I much prefer yours.

 

Thanks!

 

Regards,

Soki

[QM2]

Hi QM2, when you're ready to move it one, could you please send it my way, if someone else hasn't already put their hands up for it. I think the one I have must be one of the old batches. I much prefer yours.

 

Hey, sorry -- I haven't checked this thread in a few days and did not see your message. I am sending you a PM.

 

An update I wanted to add:

I had left my Lamy Studio filled with this ink for 3 full days without using it. Then I tested it. There has been no drying out after this time period. The pen started up right away and put down a solid wet line. No skipping or any other flow problems. So I am getting increasingly encouraging results re how the reformulated Highland Heather behaves.