Most Disappointing Ink Buy

[Sandy1]

Visconti purple. No shading, kind of a pink/magenta not the stately picture I saw on someone's scan. Sold it quickly.

 

+1

 

That one fell far far short of expectations. It does have the good manners of the Visconti marque, but I've since declared a hiatus on Purple inks . . .

 

Bye,

S1

[Buizel]

Noodler's Operation Overlord Orange... All the scans and swabs I've seen have been fairly nice and saturated, but my bottle seems almost like it's been watered down. It lacks much of the saturation I was hoping for. Instead, it's quite flat and looks almost tan/brownish. Guess I should have gone for a sample, first!

[maryannemoll]

Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses, much to my surprise. It just refused to shade for me in any nib. Maybe I lack experience with flex nibs, but other inks (Apache Sunset, R & K's Alt Goldgrun) have all performed admirably, so I don't understand why BSIAR refuses to perform.

 

It's a shame, because I -really- want to like this ink, but it just doesn't like me...

 

Hmm. I seem to have the opposite experience with this ink. It shades very well, especially on the ivory-colored 85g Clairefontaine paper that's being used in the Quo Vadis Habana. Shades very well with the medium nib and the 1.5 italic.

 

PR Shell Pink... Something is up with my bottle.... its not pink - its pink + brown... Quite an ugly shade in my opinion

 

+1,000,000 you beat me to it

 

I HATE THIS INK

 

Private Reserve Shell Pink is the world's worst ink.

 

Aaack! I just ordered this ink last week and it's on its way to me now. I was looking for something in between the J. Herbin Bouquet d' Antan (too washed out) and Diamine Hope Pink (too loud).

 

Sailor Epinard. A fantastic color. It would be my everyday ink except it has clogged EVERY pen I have used it in including 2 TWSBI's, a Visconti, and Esterbrook, a Lamy 2000 and a Edison Hudson. Every couple months I fill another pen and within a few days the pens start skipping.

 

 

 

That's fascinating. I've used Epinard in my Duofold Centennial with a CI nib since I got the ink back in April, and it's smooth and even a bit wet, gorgeous shading. So sorry you're having skip problems.

 

My S.O. has had Sailor Epinard in his daily use pen since the beginning of the year and it has worked just fine. No skipping at all. Maybe you got a bad bottle?

 

Pretty much every Herbin ink I've bought as well. I know people love the vintage look and the softer color palette and stuff, but to me they just come across as weak and unsaturated to the extreme. Plus, their 30 mL bottles are just about useless for filling 75% or more of my pens after...one fill. Definitely never again.

 

 

Same here. I purchased a Bouquet d' Antan years ago, tried it with an assortment of nibs and pens, and used up half that tiny bottle just trying. It was okay with a dip pen, but that meant I could only use it when desk-bound. I forgot all about the bottle, and then ended up buying another one recently. I gave that new bottle away. Now I don't know what to do with my remaining half-bottle. Maybe add some black to make it a darker rose color.

 

(I also had Vert Reseda before, a gift from my dad. Yet another washed-out ink, but since it was a gift from my dad, I stuck with it, and just used a dip pen exclusively with it, but it wasn't really disappointing. Just wanted to echo your comment about the weakness of the ink colors of J. Herbin.)

 

I keep reading threads about favorite inks, best blue inks, etc. I was just wondering what ink(s) have been the most disappointing to you, and why?

 

Noodler's El Lawrence (first batch). I just loved the color, but the performance was just too much trouble. Any pen inked with it was a very hesitant starter when first uncapped. If a pen was left uncapped for any period at all, the ink would dry in the feed. Being enamored with the color I desperately wanted to make this ink work, trying it in a wide variety of pens over a (frustrating) period of several months. Trying so hard and repeatedly being frustrated is why I would label it "most disappointing."

 

 

Dave

 

+1 for Noodler's El Lawrence. I was completely in love with the color and the shading, but that only happened if I got the ink to start! I often had to dip the entire nib into the ink bottle several times before the pen would start, and then it would stop after a couple of paragraphs, and I have to dip the pen in again. I gave it away.

 

Another disappointing Noodler's ink would be Mata Hari's Cordial. It had absolutely no shading, no matter what nib or paper I used. It made me look as if I was writing with a felt-tipped pen. I also gave it away.

 

Zhivago, on the other hand, is just heavenly. It's been one of my staples for quite a few years now. I always buy a new bottle when I'm halfway done with the previous one.

 

Diamine Woodland Green - Whilst it performs well, I have realised I prefer my greens to have yellow undertones as opposed to blue. I much prefer Diamine Meadow and Kelly Green.

 

I, too, love Diamine Kelly Green. It's one of my favorite inks. Lamy Green, however, was just hideous. Giving it away on the PiF thread.

 

All these people who are disappointed with Iroshizuku inks scare me... I wanted to pick up a bottle of one...

 

I wonder if part of that is because of the price. Maybe it's not that the inks are bad, per se, but that the expectations are higher because it's just so expensive.

 

Now I am hesitant as well. I have been eyeing Chiku-rin, to load into the Lamy Safari LE Lime.

 

I bought Montblanc Jonathan Swift ink but hated the colour when I saw it. I managed to sell it on ebay though

 

I have been eyeing this, too, but now I'm hesitant. What don't you hate about the color? Too washed out? Too yellow?

 

Montblanc British Racing Green is one of my favorites. I still have half a bottle left.

 

The most disapoointing ink buy was Montblanc ruby red Art. no. 16110 (allegedly containing "super cleaner SC 21") ink cartridges for the use with a MB 144 fine nib. Being a lawyer by profession, I have to dictate and to correct a lot, and so I wished to use a vivid red ink instead of a red felt tip pen. But - within months, the ink seemed to disappear through the cartridges plastic wall. It simply wasn't there any more! Just a few red stains were left inside the cartridge when I cut one open to see what has happened to it. The wall and the ball plug were fully intact! The solvent seemed to have vanished through the walls while being stored in my writing table drawer.

 

I have this, but in a bottle, which I bought from a Montblanc store here. (Now that store is long gone.). The label looks rather old, and the box was pretty banged up. I ended up taking just a vial of the Ruby Red, mixed it with a little Montblanc Black, and came up with a pretty usable magenta.

 

I find the lubes/surficants in many Noodler inks make for weird performance, despite the colors remaining rather vibrant. Noodler's inks are the most intriguing, but also the most bizarre. Yer never quite sure what yer gonna end up with, but you know it will be a ride, one way or the other.

 

I soooo agree! My latest Noodler's purchase is Rome Burning, and I have yet to load it into a pen, for fear of what it will bring me. I have tried it with a glass pen, though. It looked decent enough. And it does turn into a pale purple once the brass washes off.

Edited January 28, 2013 by maryannemoll

[akustyk]

 

I find the lubes/surficants in many Noodler inks make for weird performance, despite the colors remaining rather vibrant. Noodler's inks are the most intriguing, but also the most bizarre. Yer never quite sure what yer gonna end up with, but you know it will be a ride, one way or the other.

 

I soooo agree! My latest Noodler's purchase is Rome Burning, and I have yet to load it into a pen, for fear of what it will bring me. I have tried it with a glass pen, though. It looked decent enough. And it does turn into a pale purple once the brass washes off.

 

I also agree. Sure, I support the brand with my $ and have bought inks and pens, but some of the inks are quite odd. For example, the 54th. looks blueish, greenish in some reviews, yet my sample is gray, and looks like dried mud. It's also quite milky when you look at it in the bottle. It is the only ink that dries up in my pens and causes them to hard-start. The Liberty's Elysium is somewhat milky, too, and feathers badly even in my EF nibs. The only ink that I really like is the Black. It flows very well, dries fast, doesn't feather, and is a good, all-around black ink. But it's good to have the choice and the value (the volume) is unquestionable.

[TheGreatRoe]

I'm a fan of Noodler's but I agree that there are some strange variants in the Noodler's family. Which is probably why I like them so much. But another one to add to the list of strange inks is Noodler's Tchaikovsky. I got a sample, not a bottle, so I wasn't out any $.

 

The color and consistency in the bottle looks a lot like pepto-bismol, but a little more purple. But it's thick and a little clumpy. I didn't put it in a pen, just used a dip pen. The color is spectacular. Even after it dries it looks electric. But seeing the way it performs in the bottle I'd be leery about putting it into a pen. The biggest problem with it is that every time I see the test I did with it, the color calls out to me to buy a bottle.

[Garageboy]

I've got a new worst ink of all time: De Atramentis Fir

 

Not only is the color chalky, washed out and flat, but it literally smells like PineSol. NOT ONLY THAT but it ate one of my vintage pens! I really think it shouldn't be sold. It's got some kind of solvent in it I think.

 

 

Details???

 

Yup, I made the mistake of loading it in to one of my old Watermans. It was a newly sack'd pen I bought from a professional and the stuff literally ate through the sack in three days. I had the pen with me when I was out, and when I picked it up I got ink all over my fingers so I took it home and started to clean it out and the ink and water were pouring out of the lever hole. It turned out the ink had literally melted the rubber.

 

 

There are a few batches of bad sacs out there...don't be too quick to blame the ink.

 

Waterman Florida Blue - after reading about how it's a wonderful true blue, it looks just like every other school blue

Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue- this is purple... not blue

Diamine Blue Black (pre reformulation)- WOW, wonderful color! 3 days later, why won't my pen write? ::scrapes crust off nib slit::

Noodler's Bank Note Green- cool! This matches the serial numbers on dollar bills! My Blue/Red Lamy Safari was still that color when I sold it in disgust

[maryannemoll]

 

I find the lubes/surficants in many Noodler inks make for weird performance, despite the colors remaining rather vibrant. Noodler's inks are the most intriguing, but also the most bizarre. Yer never quite sure what yer gonna end up with, but you know it will be a ride, one way or the other.

 

I soooo agree! My latest Noodler's purchase is Rome Burning, and I have yet to load it into a pen, for fear of what it will bring me. I have tried it with a glass pen, though. It looked decent enough. And it does turn into a pale purple once the brass washes off.

 

I also agree. Sure, I support the brand with my $ and have bought inks and pens, but some of the inks are quite odd. For example, the 54th. looks blueish, greenish in some reviews, yet my sample is gray, and looks like dried mud. It's also quite milky when you look at it in the bottle. It is the only ink that dries up in my pens and causes them to hard-start. The Liberty's Elysium is somewhat milky, too, and feathers badly even in my EF nibs. The only ink that I really like is the Black. It flows very well, dries fast, doesn't feather, and is a good, all-around black ink. But it's good to have the choice and the value (the volume) is unquestionable.

 

And now for the verdict on Rome Burning. Disappointing! Loaded into a medium Lamy nib, the writing looks like a long blob! It looked like I was writing with a felt-tip marker. I switched to a fine nib, and while the writing no longer looked like a blob, the pen turned into a very very dry writer.

[terminal]

There are a few batches of bad sacs out there...don't be too quick to blame the ink.

 

Well... two points.. first if you saw *how* it failed you too would blame the ink. Second, it wasn't my opinion but that of a professional.

[Pinkys.Brain]

De Atramentis Atlantic Blue. Color is nice, but the ink is so drrrrrrryyy and there's a lot of feathering.

 

Sandy1's review calls it fairly wet...so maybe it's just me.

Edited February 2, 2013 by Pinkys.Brain

[WaskiSquirrel]

My most disappointing ink was Noodler's Periwinkle Blue. I like Noodler's, but not this one.

 

It has terrible flow problems with every pen I've tried. It writes when I first put it in, but then I have trouble starting it, and it does not continue working. It also dries quickly in the nib making restarting very difficult. Currently I'm using it in an eyedropper converted Platinum Preppy and having some luck. It was miserable in the Noodler's pens and my Parker. It also bleeds quickly through most paper. On the paper, it is a washed out color and not really special at all. It also is supposed to look good under a UV light, but I only see this feature when it is in the bottle. Dried on the page, I don't.

 

All in all, disappointing.

[Sandy1]

De Atramentis Atlantic Blue. Color is nice, but the ink is so drrrrrrryyy and there's a lot of feathering.

 

Sandy1's review calls it fairly wet...so maybe it's just me.

Hi,

 

The ink that I used was the stinky scented version, which might account for such a difference in flow. (?)

 

I prefer unscented inks, so I don't have the breadth of experience with scented inks to do more than speculate.

 

Bye,

S1

[K. Cakes]

There have been quite a few inks I've been sorely disappointed with (even though I always sample first!), although many more that were welcome additions!

 

Noodler's Golden Brown - I've tried to get this ink to work out, but it is just getting ridiculous. It seems to change color every time I pick up the pen and for no reason whatsoever.

 

Noodler's BSiAR - I liked the color, but shortly after I purchased the bottle of BSiAR I tried DeAtramentis Elderberries which is very similar, but far more rich and aesthetically pleasing (in my opinion). But they're far too similar to justify purchasing both.

 

Private Reserve Copper Burst - Meh. I'm not even sure why I bought this one.

 

Noodler's Antietam - Lovely shading, but the color just didn't do it for me.

 

J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche - Another sort of meh color.

 

Stipula Musk Green - As much as I love the color I just cannot get it to look anything like I've seen in reviews. It looks black in all of my pens, and while diluting helps out with the color it sadly removes all the shading as well.

 

 

I'll eventually get around to PIFing them all whenever I find a few extra dollars for shipping, except Antietam and Bleu Pervenche which I already got rid of.

[Pinkys.Brain]

 

Hi,

 

The ink that I used was the stinky scented version, which might account for such a difference in flow. (?)

 

I prefer unscented inks, so I don't have the breadth of experience with scented inks to do more than speculate.

 

Bye,

S1

 

Ah, sorry for overlooking the little difference.

 

What added to my disappointment was, that is my second most expensive ink so far (beaten only by a LE Kobe ink).

[maryannemoll]

De Atramentis Atlantic Blue. Color is nice, but the ink is so drrrrrrryyy and there's a lot of feathering.

 

Sandy1's review calls it fairly wet...so maybe it's just me.

Hi,

 

The ink that I used was the stinky scented version, which might account for such a difference in flow. (?)

 

I prefer unscented inks, so I don't have the breadth of experience with scented inks to do more than speculate.

 

Bye,

S1

 

I'm always afraid to put scented inks into fountain pens. I heard it takes forever to get the scent out when you want to change inks, even after much flushing and soaking. Right now my only scented ink is De Atramentis Christmas 2012, which looks nice and smells nice, but I always use it just with dip pens.

[brewerjeff]

 

+1,000,000 you beat me to it

 

I HATE THIS INK

 

Private Reserve Shell Pink is the world's worst ink.

 

Come on now. I have the Shell pink, and while I quickly became indifferent to it I think "The world's worst ink." is a bit strong. Its just, limpid? I can see it going into the dump bottle some day, but not down the drain.

[mhphoto]

My most disappointing ink was Noodler's Periwinkle Blue. I like Noodler's, but not this one.

 

It has terrible flow problems with every pen I've tried. It writes when I first put it in, but then I have trouble starting it, and it does not continue working. It also dries quickly in the nib making restarting very difficult. Currently I'm using it in an eyedropper converted Platinum Preppy and having some luck. It was miserable in the Noodler's pens and my Parker. It also bleeds quickly through most paper. On the paper, it is a washed out color and not really special at all. It also is supposed to look good under a UV light, but I only see this feature when it is in the bottle. Dried on the page, I don't.

 

All in all, disappointing.

 

I hear you. I was almost at a "crushed" level of disappointment with Periwinkle because I'd been wanting to try it for about a year prior to actually getting it. I always looked at pics of it online and loved its hue, and just how soft it was. But when I started writing the review for it things went downhill fast. If I went back through my reviews and picked my top ten inks that both feather and bleed through on Rhodia, it would be near, if not at, the top of the list.

Edited February 3, 2013 by mhphoto

[mhphoto]

Noodler's Golden Brown - I've tried to get this ink to work out, but it is just getting ridiculous. It seems to change color every time I pick up the pen and for no reason whatsoever.

 

I know what you mean! It's almost as if the darker components of the ink creep back up into he pen, so after it's been sitting a while and you start writing all you get it a (pretty enough) rusty-yet-vibrant orange that lasts for a line or two until he other colors join the party. It happens in every pen I use it in.

 

Buuuuuut... I still love it!

[mhphoto]

Noodler's Golden Brown - I've tried to get this ink to work out, but it is just getting ridiculous. It seems to change color every time I pick up the pen and for no reason whatsoever.

 

I know what you mean! It's almost as if the darker components of the ink creep back up into he pen, so after it's been sitting a while and you start writing all you get it a (pretty enough) rusty-yet-vibrant orange that lasts for a line or two until he other colors join the party. It happens in every pen I use it in.

 

Buuuuuut... I still love it!

 

Here's an example of what we're talking about:

 

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q712/FiveCatKnittery/5326DEB2-FF8D-46C6-9D1B-D908A30930CD-13050-0000023724D2A537.jpg

[K. Cakes]

Noodler's Golden Brown - I've tried to get this ink to work out, but it is just getting ridiculous. It seems to change color every time I pick up the pen and for no reason whatsoever.

 

I know what you mean! It's almost as if the darker components of the ink creep back up into he pen, so after it's been sitting a while and you start writing all you get it a (pretty enough) rusty-yet-vibrant orange that lasts for a line or two until he other colors join the party. It happens in every pen I use it in.

 

Buuuuuut... I still love it!

 

Yes! I even swirl the pen around to try and mix it all together again, but it doesn't seem to work Mine isn't the rust color you describe though, it domes out a dirty-muddy sort of brown. I'm going to try a sample of Diamine Golden Brown as it looks somewhat similar, so I'm hoping it will fill the Golden Brown void left by Noodlers

[terminal]

 

+1,000,000 you beat me to it

 

I HATE THIS INK

 

Private Reserve Shell Pink is the world's worst ink.

 

Come on now. I have the Shell pink, and while I quickly became indifferent to it I think "The world's worst ink." is a bit strong. Its just, limpid? I can see it going into the dump bottle some day, but not down the drain.

 

Ok, well, fair enough; that was partly exaggerated for fun. There are worse inks because there are pen-eating inks, or as I like to say calamum manducans atramentum