Noodler's Manhattan Blue

[Pickwick]

Sadly Art Brown has now closed down. I liked Noodler's Manhattan Blue ink which I used to order as it was made exclusively for him. Is there a similar color ink which might come close to this?

[SallyLyn]

I would contact Goulet pens gouletpens.com and ask them if they can suggest a good match. I did that for an ink Swisher had. Goulet's suggestion was pretty good. My understanding Noodler's doesn't reproduce an exclusive ink even if they go out of business. That may depend on the contract.

[wallylynn]

I'm glad I have my bottle. Sad that it'll be my only bottle. Also sad that I never did buy that bottle of Legal Blue.

[Pickwick]

I would contact Goulet pens gouletpens.com and ask them if they can suggest a good match. I did that for an ink Swisher had. Goulet's suggestion was pretty good. My understanding Noodler's doesn't reproduce an exclusive ink even if they go out of business. That may depend on the contract.

Thank you for the information. I have sent them an email. It says on the label, "A New York exclusive, only at Arthur Brown."

 

I'm glad I have my bottle. Sad that it'll be my only bottle. Also sad that I never did buy that bottle of Legal Blue.

If I find an equivalent ink, I'll fill my bottle with it!

[tfwall]

Thank you for the information. I have sent them an email. It says on the label, "A New York exclusive, only at Arthur Brown."

 

If I find an equivalent ink, I'll fill my bottle with it!

 

In the short term, you might check around to see if any is in stock with non-USA retailers. Hopefully, Art Brown will keep this color in their online shop.

 

In the long term, you should contact Noodler's distributor to let them know that you'd like to still be able to get this ink, either as Manhattan Blue or as part of the Bernanke line.

[welch]

Simplest would be to contact Noodlers business manager / distributor. Luxury Brands? Nothing keeps Noodlers from making the Art Browns inks generally available, or available through Fountain Pen Hospital, the remaining pen shop in Manhattan.

[wallylynn]

Well, I suppose it's possible. If memory serves me, which it may not, Whaleman Sepia (and possibly Kung-te-cheng) was a Jetpen exclusive. Jetpens stopped carrying Nooders and somehow the goulets managed to snag it.

[RLTodd]

Art Brown closed?

Didn't anyone offer to buy the business?

[welch]

Art Brown closed?

Didn't anyone offer to buy the business?

 

The rent was raised far above what they could afford. Warren and Marilyn Brown's kids managed the store the last few years. I'm sure the kids would have kept the store open if at all possible. Terry Wiederlight, co-owner of Fountain Pen Hospital, said as much on Friday. He had just spoken with Marilyn.

 

Store-rent in midtown has increased stupendously. It used to be that land-value was unreal on the avenues and the big cross-town shopping streets. Now the in-between cross-streets, like 45th between 5th and 6th (Art Browns location) can only support expensive quick-lunch places, up-scale restaurants, luxury hotels, luxury condos, and "Class-A" office buildings. Other areas, like the East and West Village, NoHo, are filled with expresso shops, trendy bars, and designer clothing stores.

 

I suppose Art Browns could have moved to a place with lower rents, but Brown's customers came from the offices around mid-town.

 

An example of midtown land-value: the NY Public Library is selling its main circulating library, which used to be a 5th Avenue department store (as best I remember). They will move part of the lending collection to space in the famous 42nd Street research library, while they move books from the research library out to a warehouse in New Jersey. The money from the building sale will help to keep the library system a bit longer.

 

Another problem, I think, is that people no longer buy pens that they keep. They use throw-away pens, like the Papermate Profile, which you buy in a big-box office suppply store...or which your office orders. A store like Joons in Grand Central, which competed with Art Browns until four or five years ago, made a decent business selling fountain pens as well as Mont Blanc ballpoints and the $100 ballpoints that competed with MB. In the '90s, I went to business meetings in which the senior people all had "regulation issue" MB ballpoints. The next level people would have a Cross ballpoint. No more.

[RLTodd]

thanx for the explanation.

 

evolve or die seems to be supporting ole Spencer's & Darwin's ideas.

 

bummer.

 

I just dislike loosing choice at they would mail order.

 

too bad about the library, selling capital assets to keep operations going is always a bad sign.

 

a little flag always used to go up when I saw a suit with a rolex or mb ballpoint on them.

 

sad, we shall cope.

[MrsGouletPens]

I already touched base with Noodler's about the Manhattan Blue ink. As it was very popular, they'd like to see it continued, and preferably to a NYC dealer (I'm thinking FPH? Not sure who else is there). But I asked if we could have it if they can't find a NYC-based home for it.

 

So don't lose hope... if it's a popular ink, they'll find a way to keep producing it.

[Elizabeth in NJ]

Anybody know how popular the other ones were? I have a bottle of Pinstripe Homage, which is quite a nice dark teal.

[CaptainDan]

I just posted about this on the thread in 'Marketing' relating to Art Brown's closing - Manhattan Blue was one of the first two bottles of ink I ever bought, and in person at Art Brown's to boot. At this point, I am considering sealing my lone bottle in a deposit box in Switzerland.

 

In all seriousness, though, I would love to see this continued - there seems to be an easily discernible demand for it in the FP community that would ensure, at the very least, the speedy sale of any surplus stock.

 

A special shout-out is warranted to the Goulets for their efforts on our behalf - they are a retailer that all others should emulate!

[wallylynn]

I already touched base with Noodler's about the Manhattan Blue ink. As it was very popular, they'd like to see it continued, and preferably to a NYC dealer (I'm thinking FPH? Not sure who else is there). But I asked if we could have it if they can't find a NYC-based home for it.

 

So don't lose hope... if it's a popular ink, they'll find a way to keep producing it.

Huzzah!

[RobbW]

I already touched base with Noodler's about the Manhattan Blue ink.

Thanks! It would be great if the other exclusive inks could be kept alive, as well. Legal Blue is fantastic, all the easygoing characteristics of Legal Lapis, but without the green. Brooklyn Brawn and the others are great, too.

[CaptainDan]

Thanks! It would be great if the other exclusive inks could be kept alive, as well. Legal Blue is fantastic, all the easygoing characteristics of Legal Lapis, but without the green. Brooklyn Brawn and the others are great, too.

 

 

I readily concur!

[amberleadavis]

Wow, what a bummer. Another pen store out of biz.

[isaacrn]

Any update on the status of this ink?

[Bemo]

I thought I read in another thread that Fountain Pen Hospital was picking it up. I think I read that in the long thread on Art Brown's closing. Hopefully someone with a better memory will chime in here. I really want to try this ink next.

[Cyber6]

I called them a couple of weeks ago.. and they told me it will be coming in the next couple of weeks..

 

 

I have been refreshing their screen since Monday... .

 

 

 

C.