Another water test

August 20, 2006

Okay, I"ve learned not to take a photo, but to scan to get better results to upload. I was interested in the water resistance of non-Noodlers inks since I am having nib creep with Noodlers in my Sheaffer steel nib. In this scan, I used Noodlers Black in my Namiki VP, and using the fine nib, there is no smearing. I tried to smear the dry section, and I also smeared the first letter of the wet section to show that actually Noodlers Black looks great, but does smear a little wet, while Namiki Black fades, but has no smearing. The surprise was the resistance of Levengers Always Greener. Levengers claims their inks are water resistant. This is the only Levengers ink I have.

August 21, 2006

I would suggest a tougher trial. While the 30 sec. under running water properly represents a letter or package getting caught in a rain shower, an hour or more in a quart of water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent to increase the wettability of the water will give a better idea of how the letter would look if submerged in a bag of mail for a prolonged time.

Resistance to UV can be approximated by sticking the written sample out in the sun for several days. Here in Southern AZ that's an easy test to set up!

Nathan further subjects his Noodler's inks to really difficult bleach and other chemical exposure testing if the product is to qualify for "Bulletproof" on the label.

August 21, 2006

Very interesting--Always Greener is one of my favorite inks, but it never would have occured to me to use it for envelopes, which is the main thing I worry about with water resistance. I use NCR checks with rollerballs (although Noodler's bulletproof black would be more secure), so I'm not so much worried about bleach or check washing, just standard rainstorms and the like.

August 21, 2006

so I'm not so much worried about bleach or check washing, just standard rainstorms and the like.

If that's enough for you, it opens up a huge assortment of inks.

Get a copy of Clark's Ink Sampler, and any of his ratings that are VG or higher in water resistance will leave enough of a legible line after a short shower to make it to their destination.

August 21, 2006

I do have the Ink Sampler, which I love, but I should get an upgrade. Mine is a few years old now.

August 21, 2006

Mine is a few years old now.

Mine is only 2005, but it is way out of date what with all the new inks out.

His ratings are the only things that I find useful. The Q-tip color swabs are sometimes good, but often as not, they're way off. He's got Noodler's Black showing, in my copy, as the most washed out anemic looking shade of medium grey that you've ever seen. That's just one example of many. I understand the variables in what he's doing, but when a highly used product like that is so poorly portrayed it bespeaks "too much hurry and not enough lookin' at what you have done". That said, it is still the most comprehensive compilation of fp inks that I know of.

August 22, 2006

I haven't seen this book. But aside from Noodlers, does it concur that Duke, Pelikan and Namiki Black are reasonably water resistant--or any better suggestions?

August 22, 2006

I haven't seen this book. But aside from Noodlers, does it concur that Duke, Pelikan and Namiki Black are reasonably water resistant--or any better suggestions?

He lists the three blacks that you asked about as:

Duke = Fair

Pelikan = Very Good

Namiki = Good

His gradations are: Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent. Contract and Eternal are a step above Excellent with Bulletproof at the very top of the pile.