Noodler's Ink being corrosive - is it just a rumor?

[AlasAllTooHuman]

What is your opinion on this topic?

[chud]

I haven't seen any evidence of a problem yet. Of course I've only been using it for 3-ish years, which is not a lot compared to the useful life of pens and nibs (hopefully at least!).

 

Of course, I just filled a Parker Duofold with Diamine Registrar's Ink, and if either is likely to be a problem at all it's probably the Diamine. My thought was that in a button-fill Duofold, the gold nib is the only metal part that contacts the ink, so I feel fairly safe about it.

 

Anyway - my 2 cents: don't worry about it.

[cerberusdog]

Just an opinion from someone that uses Noodler's Bay State Blue, Tienanmen, Widow Maker, and Zhivago - the folklore is interesting, but the fact is that it isn't. Please, if you are going to say it is, tell us what one you actually used and in what pen. Not "my aunt knew a woman whose sister knew a man whose pen burst into flames...."

Rick

[Tweel]

I've read rumors of that rumor, so to speak (and something about Noodler's Black leaving malevolent particle-demons hiding inside of pens). Generally speaking, I haven't seen any evidence, either directly or in posts, that it's true. Nathan Tardif, the maker of Noodler's, prizes pH-neutrality and non-corrosiveness.

 

Of course, there could always be specific exceptions, in which case, like cerberusdog, I'd like to hear the specifics. There's the Baystate Blue and Lamy issue, but that seems to be a matter of some chemical reaction, other than corrosion, with certain plastics. And, it might not be confined to that pen brand and that ink, either.

 

-- Brian

[welch]

No, safe enough if we mean the "ordinary" Noodlers.

 

Yes, and well documented if we talk Baystate Blue vs Lamy Safari.

 

For the "eternal" and "sub-zero" and other specialties...don't know, but I would doubt it. From all the Noodlers threads, it appears that "ordinary" Noodlers is more likely to dry and clog, but not to corrode. There are plenty of threads to document Noodlers against repair specialists. Richard Binder has an essay on ink at his site: essentially, be careful with heavily saturated inks. Flush often. Private Reserve and Noodlers and whatever.

 

BSB is a whole different topic.

[Lloyd]

Recognize, pH-neutral water is corrosive on many metals given ample time.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Lloyd

[Feanor]

The only combination to watch out for is BSB and Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star, and it sounds like that was a bad batch of feeds and should be fine now. BSB does have a tendency to stain things other inks (including other Noodlers) don't, and I can say that from experience. Watch out for that (probably in the other Baystates too), and that's all you need to worry about.

[AlasAllTooHuman]

I'm really interested in the Dark Matter ink I have their original (I think) black ink with a catfish on it. Dark Matter just has TOO COOL of a story to pass up.

[stevo]

  On 3/18/2010 at 9:44 PM, Lloyd said:

Recognize, pH-neutral water is corrosive on many metals given ample time.

 

 

How is that? I've never heard that.

[stevo]

  On 3/18/2010 at 9:30 PM, welch said:

No, safe enough if we mean the "ordinary" Noodlers.

 

Yes, and well documented if we talk Baystate Blue vs Lamy Safari.

 

For the "eternal" and "sub-zero" and other specialties...don't know, but I would doubt it. From all the Noodlers threads, it appears that "ordinary" Noodlers is more likely to dry and clog, but not to corrode. There are plenty of threads to document Noodlers against repair specialists. Richard Binder has an essay on ink at his site: essentially, be careful with heavily saturated inks. Flush often. Private Reserve and Noodlers and whatever.

 

BSB is a whole different topic.

 

But I think Baystate isn't truly corrosive if you use the word to mean "metal corrosive". I think it's high ph means it might be caustic, but I think not to metal?

[stevo]

I'm not sure where this would even come from. They've been accused of being clogging, staining and just about anything else but I've never heard corrosive. Since they're all ph neutral except BSB, "corrosive" is not something that would apply to Noodler's in a relative sense when compared to something like Aurora Blue. (Lovely ink by the way.)

[bluemagister]

Neutral pH water will NOT corrode metal as long as it's deionized. If Noodler's ink contains metallic ions or salts as part of the dyes or binders or whatever, those might react with steel nibs (gold would be OK, though) over a long period of time, especially if ink crusted up on the nib. However, nothing I've read indicates that Noodler's inks (with few exceptions) are designed to be anything but safe for pens.

 

Basically, only Mr. Tardiff can answer the question as to whether or not his inks contain ions that could react with steel nibs.

[SamCapote]

  On 3/18/2010 at 6:23 AM, cerberusdog said:

Not "my aunt knew a woman whose sister knew a man whose pen burst into flames...."

 

Was that Ida LeBlanc? I think I heard of her. :roflmho:

[Nitesiter07]

  On 3/18/2010 at 9:48 PM, Feanor said:

The only combination to watch out for is BSB and Lamy Safari/Vista/Al-Star, and it sounds like that was a bad batch of feeds and should be fine now. BSB does have a tendency to stain things other inks (including other Noodlers) don't, and I can say that from experience. Watch out for that (probably in the other Baystates too), and that's all you need to worry about.

 

I've been using BSB in my Lamy Safari on and off for a number of months and not seen any issues at all.

 

I do admit to putting it in there to see what would happen.

 

Yes, I was the kid in school back in the day that would blow up GI Joes.

 

Gladly, after trying it there are no problems and everythings peachy. The converter on the Safari hasn't even stained, although it did stain my Cross Centuty II converter.

 

Dave

[stevo]

  On 3/19/2010 at 3:45 AM, bluemagister said:

Neutral pH water will NOT corrode metal as long as it's deionized. If Noodler's ink contains metallic ions or salts as part of the dyes or binders or whatever, those might react with steel nibs (gold would be OK, though) over a long period of time, especially if ink crusted up on the nib. However, nothing I've read indicates that Noodler's inks (with few exceptions) are designed to be anything but safe for pens.

 

Basically, only Mr. Tardiff can answer the question as to whether or not his inks contain ions that could react with steel nibs.

 

Well, if that's the requirement, Mr. Tardiff has spoken over and over again on this subject - his inks are not corrosive.

[tonybelding]

  On 3/19/2010 at 3:24 AM, stevo said:

  On 3/18/2010 at 9:44 PM, Lloyd said:

Recognize, pH-neutral water is corrosive on many metals given ample time.

 

 

How is that? I've never heard that.

 

I learned in chemistry class that pure water is the closest thing ever found to a universal solvent. The teacher showed us a glass of water and said, "The water is leaching molecules from the inside surface of the glass right now, it's just a really slow process. But give it millions of years, and that's how the Grand Canyon formed."

[karmakoda]

Short answer, for my pens, no.

 

I have been using Noodler's Inks for just under one year, and have not noticed any problems with corrosion. My greatest apprehension was to use the infamous Baystate Blue, but, so far, no difficulties to report. Using Noodler's did make me more aware of regular pen maintenance, and my former practice of keeping too many pens inked for too long.

I'm surprised to say Baystate Blue is now on my favorites list, along with Tiananmen, and Marine Green.

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN! Tell us about yourself.

[Freddy]

Greetings and salutations...which pen(s) do you write with...any favorites?

 

Take care.

[cjjohnst]

  On 3/19/2010 at 3:45 AM, bluemagister said:

Neutral pH water will NOT corrode metal as long as it's deionized. If Noodler's ink contains metallic ions or salts as part of the dyes or binders or whatever, those might react with steel nibs (gold would be OK, though) over a long period of time, especially if ink crusted up on the nib. However, nothing I've read indicates that Noodler's inks (with few exceptions) are designed to be anything but safe for pens.

 

Basically, only Mr. Tardiff can answer the question as to whether or not his inks contain ions that could react with steel nibs.

Neutral PH water WILL corrode ordinary steels.Not SS or gold which is what most modern nibs are made from.