Search the Community

Ink Review: Noodler's Ink - Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia. Grade: 75.00%. Paper Tested On: Norcom Composition, 20lb Staples copy paper, and 85g Clairefontaine paper. Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia (MNS) is an ink that makes you wonder if the story behind the label is better than ink itself. MNS has some very unique properties: Not only is it bulletproof/eternal, it is listed as being fluorescent and will change from a dark sepia to a red when exposed to bleach. It's a wet writing ink that dries very quickly, but unlike other fast drying inks, it's resistant to feathering and bleeding. I've not tested it with bleach yet, but when I exposed MNS to water, hand sanitizer and nail polish remover, it held up extremely well. MNS looks very thick and viscous. Steven Brown said that it reminded him of chocolate milk in his review, and I agree. I can't help but think that it reminds me of a Double Fudge Yoo-Hoo. MNS left a residue in the Kaweco cartridge that I used while testing this ink. It came off with a little scrubbing, but I noticed that the ink became a little tacky as it sat in the pen over time (especially in my Ahab). At the end of the day I am still wondering if the story behind the label is better than the ink. It's a great wet writer that flows smoothly and is great for practicing calligraphy, but it's also a sepia/brown, and that's not going to be everyone's first choice. I like the fact that MNS has all these interesting properties, and is definitely a work appropriate ink, I just don't know if it will work its way into my daily rotation.