Noodler's 54 Massachusetts

[Sandy1]

➤ Please take a moment to adjust your gear to accurately depict the Grey Scale below. As the patches are neutral Grey, that is what you should see.

• Mac: http://www.computer-darkroom.com/colorsync-display/colorsync_1.htm
• Wintel PC: First associate the colour profile sRGB IEC61966-2.1 with your monitor at the operating system level, then deploy Calibrise http://www.calibrize.com/index.html

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/27ddb717.jpg

- http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/ff436a47-7ee9-4e1d-a2c6-2e8cc820f845_zps965c2bdf.jpg -

Fidelity

One may compare the appearance of the ink I used to the depiction on the Noodler's site: noodlersink dot com

 

Note Well: I give all Noodler's inks of their 'bulletproof' family an almighty shaking prior to use, wait for the froth to subside and the ink to return to ambient temperature, then charge the pen.

Figure 1.
Swabs & Swatch
Paper: HPJ1124.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK212_zpse01f6deb.jpg

Figure 2.
NIB-ism
Paper: HPJ1124.
Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.
Distance between feint vertical pencil lines is 25mm.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK211_zpsba49fd56.jpg
L → R: Pilot, 440, 1745, PPP, P99, Carene.


WRITTEN SAMPLES - Moby Dick
Ruling: 8mm.

Figure 3.
Paper: HPJ1124.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK219_zps2046d495.jpg

Figure 4.
Paper: Rhodia.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK218_zpsc1abbbef.jpg

Figure 5.
Paper: G Lalo.
http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK216_zps8883ebb9.jpg

Figure 6.
Paper: Royal.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK217_zpsf0000066.jpg

Figure 7.
Paper: Staples.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK214_zps283c8b4e.jpg


OTHER STUFF

Figure 8.
Smear/Dry Times & Wet Tests.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK213_zps8ed5efe2.jpg

Figure 9.
Bleed- Show-Through on Staples.
(Reverse of Figure 7.)

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK215_zpseb120fcc.jpg


N54M Diluted
Pen: Rosetta North Star + steel Schmidt B nib.
Paper: HPJ1124.
Samples on Rhodia & Staples held no great surprises, so are not shown.

Figure 10.
Written Samples:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK220_zps4d52a86b.jpg

Figure 11.
Smear / Dry Times:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK221_zps16eaf583.jpg

We thank Member composertp for written samples of diluted N54M at Post № 23 https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/246357-noodlers-54th-massachusetts/?p=2693483

 

Hi-Res Samples
Originals are 60x30mm.

Pilot on HPJ1124:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK224_zps8944ee2a.jpg

1745 on Rhodia:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK225_zps91350e45.jpg

PPP on G Lalo:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK227_zps793998b2.jpg

Carene on Royal:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK229_zps23094018.jpg

N54M @ 60% from Rosetta on Rhodia:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK223_zps271724df.jpg


GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Type:

• A member of Noodler's family of 'bulletproof' cellulose reactive fountain pen inks.

Presentation:

• Bottle.

Availability:

• Available when Topic posted.

Daily writer?

• For the committed.

A go-to ink?

• When a robust high-performance dark Blue-Black ink is desired.

USE

Business:
(From the office of Ms Blue-Black.)

• Suitable for business correspondence devoted to gravitas.
• For personal work product, the very pleasurable writing experience supports longer writing sessions, even with very narrow firm nibs on toothy paper.
• Performance on 'lowest bidder' copy/print papers is admirable, and two-sided use is a reasonable expectation.
• Even though I am a right handed under-writer, the long S/DTs would have me using loose sheets that could be hung in a warm breeze until dry and/or using blotter sheets, so perhaps not the best pick when hastily sorting out a bale of bumph.
• Readability is quite high, though I find inks so close to Black to be rather stark, and don't roll along so quickly during the longer read, which may be off-set by the reader increasing their coffee intake. Those who use Black inks may find N54M to be fleet-of-foot, so may switch to decaf.
• The robust qualities of N54M will be appreciated by those whose work is exposed to the risk of accidental exposure to various liquids, or may be subjected to mauling by highlighters.
• Too close to Black to be used for mark-up & annotation of material printed in Black, and wouldn't be my pick for dedicated forms work or 'legal' signatures. Lacks the zap needed for error correction or grading.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• Yes indeed.
• For charts & graphs, N54M could be used as a substitute for Black for both area and line formats.
• Trials on frosted draughting Mylar^® were quite encouraging, was atypical performance for an FP ink. (Also demonstrated the persistent nature of N54M.)
• Any table draughting aids, such as zee tea square, would need to be kept free of N54M in the same manner as inks for technical pens.
• Given the long S/DTs, extra care is needed to avoid smears & smudges, so not the best pick for gesture drawing.
• Due to clean-up and dry-out foibles, I would use N54M from pens, setting aside other applicators such as brushes, though those so inclined are likely to find work-arounds.
• Contrary to my experience with wet FP inks, I found N54M was quite compatible with steel dip pen nibs, to the extent that even I could achieve passable results from nibs without aux reservoirs.
• Lubricity was much appreciated when using very sharp nibs on coarse paper.
• As a watercolour, the very high water resistance supports overworking with wet media with little risk exposure to ink coming adrift from sheets that were soaked to remove sizing; and the dye/s seem to behave in concert, so washes should be of consistent hue across gradient values.

Students:

• If one can avoid nib dry-out during stop-start note taking, (and commits to pen maintenance), N54M offers a pleasant writing experience, strong performance even on 'lowest bidder' papers, and very high durability.
• Likely to be acceptable for assignments, though when/if a something more than mundane scribbling might be generated, consider an ink with more of a 'bright bulb' appearance, such as PR American Blue.

Personal:

• Here I am again, setting aside an ink as it comes for personal personal writing - it is just too close to Black, especially viewed under indoor domestic lighting. As Member composertp and I choose to dilute this ink for personal use, I can only speculate on how others would use this ink for personal writing.
• Given that this is a wet ink, I trend toward dry pens that keep the value high enough to avoid the appearance of full-on Black.
• That said, it is apparent that the field is open to explore a range of pen+paper combos, so have at it!

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

Please Note: N54M is not to be mistaken for Waterman Mysterious Blue, so my cautions might seem rather loud, yet my intention is to enable enjoyment of inks that take a bit of special care & feeding to reach their potential. As N54M has some idiosyncrasies, those might not be evident in all cases; and I don't doubt that I've missed a few, especially those which are revealed over time or extensive use. I strongly encourage dear readers to gather more information from other Members' Ink Reviews, Replies and other trustworthy sources.

Flow Rate:

• High.

Nib Dry-Out:

• There was occasional nib tip dry-out from pens left uncapped for a few minutes, resulting in some virga.
• Pens left uncapped too long gave a choppy result, as shown in the circled areas on Figure 7.
• Some Members previously mentioned that slight dilution was a work-around for that vexing behaviour.

Start-Up: *

• Immediate from capped pens that were recently charged.
• Some capped pens that were left idle overnight needed a quick dip in water to be roused from their slumber.

Lubricity:

• High.
• A very 'fast' ink, even from narrow nibs on coarse papers.
• With my brisk light hand, an effort was required to keep the plump wet Pelikan tethered to the Rhodia.

Nib Creepies:

• Yes.
• One of my pet peeves.
• Even though the Carene is Red, I could see it blushing from the embarrassment of having its exquisite nib defiled.

Staining (pen): **

• Not seen after three days.

Clogging: *

• If a pen is left uncapped for too long, the ink exposed to air will dry out, requiring an effort to get ink flowing [evenly] again.
• There did not appear to be any upstream stoppage high in the feed or in the reservoir.

Bleed- Show-Through:

• All pen+paper combos used here were greenlighted for two-sided use.
• Not to rain on the parade, but at least one Member has depicted bleed-through on cheap & nasty paper.

Feathering / Wooly Line:

• Not seen on papers used.

Aroma:

• Not noticed whilst writing.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not evident.

Clean-Up (pen): **

• Deceptive - much residue remains after a plain water flush, even though rinse water was clear.
• Wet ink was quite readily removed from the ink reservoirs, but cleansing the nib units and sections required use of a commercial pen cleaning solution for draughting pens. e.g. Koh-i-Noor Rapido-Eze. (My DIY pen cleaning solution containing water, 1% ammonia & surfactant did not have enough oomph.)
• An ultrasonic cleaner was also effective, and minimised time exposed to clean-up chemistry.

Mixing/Blending:

• Discouraged.
• In addition to the usual perils of mixing, the robust properties of N54M may be compromised.
• Other Noodler's 'bulletproof' inks just might be tried.

Archival:

• Claimed.

__ __ __
* Other Members also mentioned instances of hard starting.
- To alleviate that nuisance, I suggest that at the end of a writing session, one remove excess ink from the nib+feed.
- Those using N54M as a daily writer may find that charging their pen at the start of the day also helps to remove ink concentrated by evaporation from the nib+feed. (Ms Fussy would keep the nib+feed immersed in water to prevent dry-out, blot the nib+feed, then charge the pen. As N54M has a very high dye-load, the bit of water that might creep up the feed or otherwise be carried forward should be inconsequential for general work.)
- Pens with a hooded nib could alleviate dry-out during use, but due to clean-up challenges exacerbated by nib creep, I would prefer not to use N54M in a pen with a fixed hood. e.g. I'd choose a Parker 45 not a Parker 51.

** Of the FP inks I've used to date, N54M is the most persistent.
- Pens should be scrupulously clean before charging, not allowed to dry-out, and thoroughly cleansed after use.
- Internals of caps & barrels should be cleansed; and one might expedite clean-up if the pen may be safely disassembled to the extent that one is confident it can be re-assembled afterwards.
- Some practitioners are reluctant to use such persistent inks in pens which may react adversely to chemicals used for clean-up and/or are inherently tedious to remove the last vestiges of ink. e.g. Vacumatics, Snorkies, Visconti Power Fillers. Members have shared their thoughts & experience on cleaning certain models of pens in this Topic: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/244152-easiesthardest-pen-in-your-collection-to-clean-for-ink-changing/page__view__findpost__p__2658017
- A set of samples similar to those in the Topic Noodler's Benevolent Badger Blue - Adhesion On Mylar & Aluminium Foil was also prepared, so if you're profoundly curious about those, please send a PM. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/233669-adhesion-noodlers-benevolent-badger-blue-on-mylar-aluminium-foil/page__view__findpost__p__2512103
- See also: Limit to Soaking? https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/229245-limit-to-soaking/page__view__findpost__p__2453755


THE LOOK

N54M does not have the chalky appearance of some 'bulletproof' inks, though it is without lustre.

Presence:

• A respite from full-on Black.

 

Saturation:

• High.
• A fully-inked line is typical.

Shading Potential:

• Not even imaginary.
• Dilution reveals shading.

Line quality:

• Very high.

Variability:

• Pen+nib combos used: ^†
  • None - N54M is too saturated to generate appreciable variation.
• Papers used:
  • Very little.
  • Typical of wet saturated inks, one should watch for more than the usual line width variation, which depends on the papers' absorbency, coating, etc.

Malleability:

• Decidedly low, which is an attractive property for a daily writer ink, when consistent appearance & performance across a range of pen+paper combos is desired.

___ ___
^† Noodler's offers suggestions as to their preferred nib set-up. http://noodlersink.com/adjusting-nibs/
As ever, I do not cherry pick or adjust the pens used in the review process to match an ink, rather I prefer an array representative of common pens. I believe the Written Samples show that it is not necessary to use an unusual nib set-up, which is a very good thing indeed.

PAPERS

Lovely papers:

• All.
• N54M ♡ ♥ ♡ paper!

Trip-wire Papers: ☠

• Not seen.

Copy/Printer Paper:

• Impressive results.
• Writing experience was pleasurable, line quality was high, and no bleed- show-through with pen+paper combos used.

Tinted Papers:

• A likely pick.

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Very much a matter of preference over performance.
• Personally, coated papers seem too slick for my hand.
• High-end papers that are uncoated, have a low degree of calendering, or have low resistance to bleed- show-through seem likely dance partners.

ETC.

Majik:

• No - just not sufficiently malleable to conjure.

Billets Doux?

• Impossible from yours truly.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• The Pilot 'Lady' on Rhodia.
• The hard nib generates a very narrow line, which keeps the visual weight of the dark line from plummeting through the sheet.
• The slightly warm tint of the Rhodia cossets the narrow line by reducing simultaneous contrast, and the coated surface keeps the line crisp & taut.

Yickity Yackity:

• My first impression of this ink was formed by the Review by Member iliadodyssey, then firmed-up by Member arkgray in his Review, so I was not too keen on adding another Teal-leaning Blue-Black that runs on rails to my array. As these things sometimes go, a friend acquired a bottle, liked the ink, so gifted me with a sizeable sample, along with an encouraging, "You really must try this one." (She also liked Standardgraph vergißmeinnicht!) So I gave N54M a whirl, liked its potential, then diluted it, and liked it more. But I've no inkling if it'll be replaced when the 15ml bottle runs dry, though as I keep diluting it, that decision has become less pressing. And the Benevolent Badger is unlikely to relinquish its sett.
• Ah kushbaby, can yet another high maintenance robust Dark Blue-Black ink wriggle its way onto your ink shelves?

= ==== =

NUTS BOLTS & BOILERPLATE

Pens
- Written Samples:
A. Pilot 'Lady' (White) + H882 Fine nib.
B. Sheaffer 440 (Burgundy) + steel F nib.
C. Reform 1745 + duo-tone steel nib.
D. Platinum President Purist + 22K B nib.
E. Pelikan P99 Technixx (Blue) + steel B nib.
F. Waterman Carene + 18K factory stock Stub nib.
- Figure 11, 12: Rosetta North Star + steel Schmidt B nib.
- Lines & labels: Omas Turquoise from a Pilot Penmanship + EF.

Papers:

• HPJ1124: Hewlett-Packard laser copy/print, 24lb.
• Rhodia: satin finish vellum, 80gsm.
• G. Lalo Verge de France: natural white, laid, 100gsm.
• Royal: 25% cotton, laser/inkjet copy/print, 'letterhead', 90gsm.
• Staples: house brand multi-use copy/print, USD4/ream, bears FSC logo, 20lb.

Imaging

• An Epson V600 scanner was used with the bundled Epson s/w at factory default settings to produce low-loss jpg files.
• No post-capture manipulation of scanner output was done, other than dumb-down by Epson, Photo*ucket, IP.Board s/w, and your viewing gear.

Other Inks

• This Review uses the same Written Sample format, atrocious handwriting and some pen+paper combos common to most of my previous Reviews of Blue-Black inks. Consequently, ad hoc comparisons through manipulation of browser windows is supported.
• Should that functionality not meet your requirements, I welcome your PM requesting a specific comparison. Additional scans may be produced, but the likelihood of additional inky work is quite low.

Fine Print
◊ The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of matériel used.
◊ Ink does not require a label/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc.
◊ As always YMMV, due to differences in materials, manner of working, environment, etc.
◊ Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy.

-30-

Tags: Fountain Pen Ink Review Sandy1 Noodler's 54th Massachusetts Blue-Black 54 Fifty-four Fiftyfourth BlueBlack 2012 2013

Edited November 14, 2013 by Sandy1

[Ghost Plane]

Either my monitor is off (possible) or your sample is darker than the bottle I just gifted to a dear friend. I found my lot to be more of a gray-blue than the near black of your review & so close to one of the dark Iroshizukus as to be nigh interchangeable. Really liked the feel of it on the page from a B nib.

[aardvarkbark]

With Diamine Denim and PR Midnight Blues as my blue-blacks, this IS my black, and I like it very much.

[Sandy1]

Either my monitor is off (possible) or your sample is darker than the bottle I just gifted to a dear friend. I found my lot to be more of a gray-blue than the near black of your review & so close to one of the dark Iroshizukus as to be nigh interchangeable. Really liked the feel of it on the page from a B nib.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

If you're able to accurately render the Grey Scale at the Review header, then your monitor should be more than fit for purpose - especially as the variation you mention is more about value (light - dark) than hue.

 

I am curious about the saturation though. Even though the ink in your bottle has a higher value, does it demonstrate any shading potential?

 

I think the feel of the ink is very nice, much improved over some of the earlier BP inks, such as Legal Lapis & Lexington.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 14, 2013 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

aardvarkbark, on 14 Nov 2013 - 12:52, said:

 

With Diamine Denim and PR Midnight Blues as my blue-blacks, this IS my black, and I like it very much.

Hi,

 

Oooo - nice picks!

 

PR Midnight Blues remains one of my go-to Dark Blue inks. Diamine Denim is a relative new-comer, so comes out to play quite often.

 

I consider PRMBl very much a Blue ink, while DDen can bridge the continuum between Blue and Blue-Black. I like DDen for the very strong Indigo aspect, which I find adds some sparkle to such a dark ink. N54M leans towards Teal, so is more languid on the sheet.

 

A wee comparo, with N54M on the left hand side with DDen on the right. Both from the slightly dry Platinum President Purist + 22K B nib on HPJ1124:

 

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN_2013/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%2054%20Massachusetts%20N54M/INK231_zpsb0441f10.jpg

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

My Review of Diamine Denim : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/205256-diamine-denim/

Edited November 15, 2013 by Sandy1

[The Good Captain]

It is a nice ink but I tend to use 4001 Blue-Black far more often.

[Bemo]

Hmmm. So for those of us who can no longer get Pelikan Blue-Black, perhaps this might be a stand in.

[Sandy1]

It is a nice ink but I tend to use 4001 Blue-Black far more often.

 

Hi,

 

As mentioned, I'm using diluted N54M, usually around 75% - perhaps close to the value/saturation mentioned above by Member Ghost Plane. Given the inherent high lubricity of the ink, dilution doesn't cause the writing experience to become the least bit bothersome, and some might prefer the greater sense of control.

 

Ah, P4BlBk remains above the clouds on my ink shelves, so any newcomer has a job of work ahead of it to reach those heights, let alone stay there for years on end.

 

Bye,

S1

[Sham69]

i only use this baby in safari's its not going near the visconti etc..

[Sandy1]

Hmmm. So for those of us who can no longer get Pelikan Blue-Black, perhaps this might be a stand in.

 

Hi,

 

Even though it is still early days for N54M, I strongly doubt that it would be a stand-in for P4BlBk.

 

Certainly there are some similarities, but the differences are significant.

 

I've posted a wee Review of P4BlBk which uses a compatible template, and has Written Samples with some pen+paper combos in common with this Review. By reading across points and manipulating your browser windows to manage the images, I hope that a reasonable ad hoc comparison can be done. As ever, should you care to address any specific aspect, there are many Members who will be glad to respond; and I can make new 'same page' scans.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

My Review of Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/192761-pelikan-4001-blue-black/

[Sandy1]

i only use this baby in safari's its not going near the visconti etc..

 

Hi,

 

I'm glad that N54M has found a happy home.

 

Inks that have nib creep often find themselves hanging out with my Charcoal Safari, which has a selection of Black nibs, and the Parker 45 cadre

 

Bye,

S1

[WayTooManyHobbies]

Wow! As usual, your review is a tour de force!

 

I just finished a rotation of this ink in a Parker 51 vac, and it is truly a challenge to clean out. Nevertheless, the ink is very pleasant to use. I had no dry-out issues, presumably thanks to the hooded nib an collector.

 

I also noticed that 54th and Organic Studios Aristotle bear a striking resemblance to each other.

[Ghost Plane]

No shading. Just a well performing ink that somehow just missed being the right color for me. Vaguely antique in feel & bang on for the color of Union uniforms.

[LagNut]

Just picked up a bottle of this and of Noodler's Whaleman's Sepia. Started out with this in an Ahab, and will confirm the hard starting aspect of this ink in that pen. Just put it in a Pilot Prera, and I'm liking the fine line I get from that pen. That pen also seems to have a cap that seals really well, so I'm hoping that will help with the hard starting aspect of this ink. The other property of this pen is that the nib is childs play to remove for cleaning, which looks like a near necessity for me to clean w/o an ultrasonic bath and my less stellar pen hygiene reality. I'm getting better, but I still will find pens that escaped my notice for a good part of a year since being used.

 

Its too early for me to tell how this color will sit with me. I'm intrigued by the range of looks from the undiluted N54M in different nibs on different papers. I have not diluted this or the Sepia, though the charge of the Prera was preceded by the vigorous shaking you suggest above. The charge for the Ahab was preceded simply by the panic I always feel when opening Noodler's bottles the first time to find the ink level at the bottle rim. This particular bottle was opened on top of my personal work journal, and thankfully went without incident, though I couldn't help marvel at the idiocy of that choice of opening locations. The sepia was opened on paper towels, also w/o incident thankfully.

 

As always, your review was chock full of valuable tidbits, If I read the smear tests correctly, diluting this ink makes it dry significantly faster, and the slowest drying paper was the HPJ1124, where at full strength, it dried faster on Rhodia than even the Staples? These dry times are all bit long, but I am seeing somewhat the same behavior, but my Hammerhill "copy Plus" is pretty close to the Rhodia in dry times with the probably dry writing Prera (F nib) which I get at under 10seconds. I am getting a lot of variation with that metric, but I've had some dry in 5 s, and some not dry at 10. I also am noting that my dry times are decreasing as I'm doing this test, so I suspect I'm paying closer attention to not stopping as I write and improving the dry times. And if anything, the Hammerhill is more likely to smear at 10sec.

 

One final note, the Prera has been much better than the AHAB in just starting, ant that is in my usual "finish writing, put the cap back on" mode. I'm liking that little pen more and more. It's sufficiently field stripable and cheap enough that I can see using it with these high maintenance inks and my high probability of leaving them fallow for months on end.

 

Cheers,

Mike

[Mac in Alberta]

No shading. Just a well performing ink that somehow just missed being the right color for me. Vaguely antique in feel & bang on for the color of Union uniforms.

I was wondering if the ink was close to the colour of American army uniforms of the period. Very appropriate. It does look antique, Ghost, but sometimes I think that almost anything is old-fashioned looking, except the perky blue of most ballpoints or an almost fluorescent gel-pen ink.

I just got a bottle of N54M from Stylus in Edmonton (no affiliation, but let me say delivery by Canada Post was the day after it was mailed to Calgary). It reminds me of P.R. Midnight Blues or Waterman blue black. Those are the inks that make me like blue black. I find Legal Lapis too light and I have been using Noodler's Black for a highly resistant ink. 54th Massachusetts might take its place.

[Sham69]

only use this in cheap pens.. not going near the visconti's i guess its alright and is definitely better then earlier bullet-proofs but its just too high maintenance and dry definitely not a go to ink for me.

[Sandy1]

Wow! As usual, your review is a tour de force!

 

I just finished a rotation of this ink in a Parker 51 vac, and it is truly a challenge to clean out. Nevertheless, the ink is very pleasant to use. I had no dry-out issues, presumably thanks to the hooded nib an collector.

 

I also noticed that 54th and Organic Studios Aristotle bear a striking resemblance to each other.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the compliments!

 

I appreciate reading of your experience with the 51 Vacumatic. I'm glad you were up to the clean-up challenge. Did you use one of those 'salad spinner' devices to expedite the task?

 

Good to know that the hooded nib + collector of the 51 seems to avoid dry-out; and that we share the opinion that N54M is pleasant to use.

 

I have yet to receive a bottle of Aristotle. I hope it has oodles of the charisma typical of iron-gall inks and far greater shading potential than the bulletproof N54M. Fingers crossed!

 

Bye,

S1

[Sandy1]

Just picked up a bottle of this and of Noodler's Whaleman's Sepia. Started out with this in an Ahab, and will confirm the hard starting aspect of this ink in that pen. Just put it in a Pilot Prera, and I'm liking the fine line I get from that pen. That pen also seems to have a cap that seals really well, so I'm hoping that will help with the hard starting aspect of this ink. The other property of this pen is that the nib is childs play to remove for cleaning, which looks like a near necessity for me to clean w/o an ultrasonic bath and my less stellar pen hygiene reality. I'm getting better, but I still will find pens that escaped my notice for a good part of a year since being used.

 

Its too early for me to tell how this color will sit with me. I'm intrigued by the range of looks from the undiluted N54M in different nibs on different papers. I have not diluted this or the Sepia, though the charge of the Prera was preceded by the vigorous shaking you suggest above. The charge for the Ahab was preceded simply by the panic I always feel when opening Noodler's bottles the first time to find the ink level at the bottle rim. This particular bottle was opened on top of my personal work journal, and thankfully went without incident, though I couldn't help marvel at the idiocy of that choice of opening locations. The sepia was opened on paper towels, also w/o incident thankfully.

 

As always, your review was chock full of valuable tidbits, If I read the smear tests correctly, diluting this ink makes it dry significantly faster, and the slowest drying paper was the HPJ1124, where at full strength, it dried faster on Rhodia than even the Staples? These dry times are all bit long, but I am seeing somewhat the same behavior, but my Hammerhill "copy Plus" is pretty close to the Rhodia in dry times with the probably dry writing Prera (F nib) which I get at under 10seconds. I am getting a lot of variation with that metric, but I've had some dry in 5 s, and some not dry at 10. I also am noting that my dry times are decreasing as I'm doing this test, so I suspect I'm paying closer attention to not stopping as I write and improving the dry times. And if anything, the Hammerhill is more likely to smear at 10sec.

 

One final note, the Prera has been much better than the AHAB in just starting, ant that is in my usual "finish writing, put the cap back on" mode. I'm liking that little pen more and more. It's sufficiently field stripable and cheap enough that I can see using it with these high maintenance inks and my high probability of leaving them fallow for months on end.

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

Hi,

 

Many thanks for describing your experience with N54M in such detail!

 

I very much agree that to avoid hard starting, one should choose a pen with a good cap seal. I have a Prera, so will give it a whirl with N54M. I've also a Platinum Plaisir whose cap seal is excellent. (IIRC that design feature is also available on some of their more upscale models.) As mentioned elsewhere, when a pen starts misbehaving, its time for a clean-up, 'cause things won't improve on their own.

 

I prefer to set the Noodler's bottles inside a glass [coffee] mug before opening and whilst charging the pen. Also, as the ink level drops, I add clean glass marbles to raise the ink level and lower the centre of mass.

 

I have no idea what to expect when/if a pen loaded with N54M escapes your notice for over a year. I dread to read your update, especially if posted in the Repair Q&A Forum, but until then tsk tsk tsk.

 

Ah yes, the Smear/Dry Times:

- It seems that the BP inks are not so 'linear' or predictable as simple inks, and for a while I wondered if my manner of sampling was deficient or I'd come across an Achilles heel idiosyncrasy of the BP inks. S/DTs are very dependent on the the papers' characteristics, and the mechanism/s by which an ink dries, which seems to be influenced by the bulletproof bonding, in addition to absorption & evaporation.

- When I ran S/DTs for other diluted inks, I found that dilution was not a practically useful means to alter S/DTs, and that paper remained the dominant factor.

- On the N54M dilution sets, the S/DT samples for Rhodia & Staples (not shown) indicated a significant drop in S/DTs only at 60% concentration, but at 60% that's not nearly the same ink as comes in the bottle.

- As ever for this sort of sampling, I try to be consistent in the execution, so the values shown are most useful when put in context of my previous results from reviewing some 136 other inks.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 18, 2013 by Sandy1

[WayTooManyHobbies]

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the compliments!

 

I appreciate reading of your experience with the 51 Vacumatic. I'm glad you were up to the clean-up challenge. Did you use one of those 'salad spinner' devices to expedite the task?

 

Good to know that the hooded nib + collector of the 51 seems to avoid dry-out; and that we share the opinion that N54M is pleasant to use.

 

I have yet to receive a bottle of Aristotle. I hope it has oodles of the charisma typical of iron-gall inks and far greater shading potential than the bulletproof N54M. Fingers crossed!

 

Bye,

S1

No salad spinner for the clean-up, just plenty of time. I soaked it and filled it -MANY- times with plain water, then switched over to a water/ammonia mix. That seemed to do the trick, as my next filling with JB Pen Flush brought out nothing.

 

The Aristotle is very impressive. I've only run it through one pen so far, a Lamy Safari with an EF nib, and it shaded significantly. Now I get to look forward to your review of it!

 

UPDATE: I just ran my P51 through my normal "Are you really clean and ready for bed?" flush, and the JB was not perfectly clear.

[Sandy1]

only use this in cheap pens.. not going near the visconti's i guess its alright and is definitely better then earlier bullet-proofs but its just too high maintenance and dry definitely not a go to ink for me.

 

Hi,

 

I'm glad to have enabled inky enjoyment by giving you enough information to support your decision that N54M is "not a go to ink" for you.

 

I didn't find the ink 'dry' - the the flow was far greater than Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue, which is generally recognised as being dry.

 

There's lots of inexpensive pens that might be a good match to the characteristics of N54M and the personal nuances of pen handling, such as the Platinum Plaisir, Parker 45 & Safari I mentioned above. The line-up of Noodler's pens also seem to be a good match - some of which can be modified/adjusted and readily fitted with an array of third-party nibs; and most can be taken to bits which lowers the maintenance overhead. Oh, the Pilot Plumix & Penmanship too - the cap seal is excellent, which I've enhanced by adding a film of pure silicon grease.

 

Bye,

S1

Edited November 18, 2013 by Sandy1