Noodler's Switch To Plastic Bottles

[El Gordo]

[...]

 

If it had been my business I simply would have switched to 2 oz glass bottles, ordered new boxes, and printed new labels if necessary. An annoyance yes, but glass is truly inert, and I do not trust plastic bottles to fully meet that requirement. I already have at least one OS ink (Blue Merle) that has changed from its original color. While I cannot be certain that the ink itself was stable, it's the only brand I have that is in plastic bottles.

 

[...]

 

would have been my choice as well, but also from my personal customer side: I typically have 4 pens in rotation, each with different ink (and colour), all with ~ 0.6 ml converters. So a 3 oz (or topped up to 86 ml or so) ideally results in ~ 140 loadings, with 1 filling every fortnight on average. Makes about five and half year between orders for that typical ink. Two oz would already allow me to enjoy a purchase every three year and seven month. And have a "fresh" bottle sooner. And a smaller barrier to try new ones (I don't use samples).

OK I could start writing even more, load all my pens with one colour and move from fine to wet noodle triple B nibs, but that’s not me. Anyhow the option of 32 oz or larger would not be a problem for me, other people might have different needs

Edited October 25, 2015 by El Gordo

[Charles Rice]

Did anyone ever consider how many nice pens you could buy instead of all that ink that you will never use?

[Ink Stained Wretch]

Did anyone ever consider how many nice pens you could buy instead of all that ink that you will never use?

 

I've considered how much ink that I mix and use I could buy for the cost of some expensive fountain pen that needs to be immediately sent off to someone to fix and then, after having been fixed, ends up writing about as well as some very inexpensive fountain pens that worked just fine without needing any work at all.

 

So in the end I have a lot of ink, and fountain pens that can write with it. I consider my choice to have been prudent.

[Charles Rice]

 

I've considered how much ink that I mix and use I could buy for the cost of some expensive fountain pen that needs to be immediately sent off to someone to fix and then, after having been fixed, ends up writing about as well as some very inexpensive fountain pens that worked just fine without needing any work at all.

 

So in the end I have a lot of ink, and fountain pens that can write with it. I consider my choice to have been prudent.

No criticism meant as I plead guilty on way too many inks, also. I look at my ink supply and think that I could have bought that pen I have been lusting after for the last ten years three times over had I not blown it on ink.

[mhosea]

Did anyone ever consider how many nice pens you could buy instead of all that ink that you will never use?

The short answer is yes, but I have no regrets based on that. I have indulged on pens, too. Fortunately, I don't spend my spending money on much else.

[inkstainedruth]

 

No criticism meant as I plead guilty on way too many inks, also. I look at my ink supply and think that I could have bought that pen I have been lusting after for the last ten years three times over had I not blown it on ink.

I think that way sometimes too. But I'm a color junkie....

I'll admit I'm not nearly as OCD as mhoea is. I keep my inks sorted by brand in nice boxes from IKEA. I like the bottles that come in boxes because they're a bit easier to store.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Randal6393]

I really don't care about the bottles. Plastic or glass, I will probably put the ink in an old Montblanc shoe that I have had for years. Or an even older Skrip inkwell bottle. As for ink, I do buy a lot of samples, searching for the perfect ink and loveliest colour. Well, like inkstainedruth, I plead guilty to a bit of OCD. I think many of the people frequenting FPN also meet that criteria.

 

My grandfather used one fountain pen, his pride and joy. Still, he had a couple of cups on his desk, filled with ballpoint pens. Each one had an advertising logo on it, from a different company. My father only used ballpoints, hated fountain pens for being so messy. Really irritated him when I started sending him letters in italic, with a variety of ink colours. So of course, I continued doing it for many years. Maybe that's why I still practice my hand today.

 

Enjoy,

[inkstainedruth]

My grandfather used one fountain pen, his pride and joy. Still, he had a couple of cups on his desk, filled with ballpoint pens. Each one had an advertising logo on it, from a different company. My father only used ballpoints, hated fountain pens for being so messy. Really irritated him when I started sending him letters in italic, with a variety of ink colours. So of course, I continued doing it for many years. Maybe that's why I still practice my hand today.

 

Enjoy,

Great story. My mom was also of the school of "Why would you *possibly* want to use some something that's messy and finicky to use?" (I suspect that she grew up with 3rd and 4th tier pens, because my grandfather was a coal miner during the Depression; my mom typed even personal correspondence (except for stuff like Christmas and birthday cards).

Of course she didn't understand "arty" people like me either ("What are you going to do with a degree in Art? Forge Old Masters?") although she didn't push me towards a "practical" degree, fortunately (she double majored in Speech and Biology -- the latter so she could have a job as a lab assistant, and which then got her jobs as a Med Tech and later doing research for a pharmaceutical company; she WANTED to radio plays... ); she herself was a self-professed "verbal" -- the "arts" gene skipped a generation, and she was all thumbs, which was bad because my grandmother, who did all sorts of arts and crafts stuff, generally wanted her to help....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[TSherbs]

only are today's shoppers sooo acquisition crazy

 

and they collect at FPN, which enables the behavior

 

clearly, one pen and one bottle of ink is sufficient for most worldly endeavors

 

(and, yes, I own more than one of each)

[mhosea]

 

I think that way sometimes too. But I'm a color junkie....

I'll admit I'm not nearly as OCD as mhoea is.

 

 

My desk (both at home and at work) would like as second opinion on that diagnosis, and there are more reasons than one why photos of anything on my desk get cropped.

 

I am a "color junkie" as well, and I have no desire or intention of using up all the ink that I have. I nevertheless use all of them, save perhaps a few.

[Jinx18]

I read the whole thread and here is my opinion for whatever it is worth. I prefer the glass. I would pay extra for the glass. However I see the reasoning for the plastic. I think people would be way more supportive of the plastic if maybe there was an option to buy just labels. I wouldn't mind decanting into another glass bottle but I would like to have the original label.

[mhosea]

I wouldn't mind decanting into another glass bottle but I would like to have the original label.

 

Someone above mentioned that the original label peeled off easily enough, though it would be cool if there were an extra label in the box (if there is a box).

[Barkingpig]

I read the whole thread and here is my opinion for whatever it is worth. I prefer the glass. I would pay extra for the glass. However I see the reasoning for the plastic. I think people would be way more supportive of the plastic if maybe there was an option to buy just labels. I wouldn't mind decanting into another glass bottle but I would like to have the original label.

I posted earlier about my surprise @ how easily the label peeled from the bottle. I also retained the original label from the empty Noodlers' glass bottle after sterilising it in a pan of boiling water atop the stove. (I was prepared to "lose" it but was surprised to find it floating in the top of the pan of boiling water.) I would estimate 30 minutes total time spent to restore the ink from the plastic bottle (after removing it from the BOX it was shipped in) to the repurposed Noodlers' bottle after sterilising & allowing it to cool a bit before refilling.

 

AND Mr. Tardiff was certainly accurate in his explanatory video when he said there were going to be additional fillings of ink when shipping in the plastic bottle because I found probably three converters left in the plastic bottle after I transferred the ink.

 

I don't prefer the plastic & would certainly have been happy to have paid more for the option of a glass bottle but since it was NOT an option I found this not a big deal to enjoy the ink I wanted @ it's already low price. In fact I might call it "EASY PEASY." It certainly seems less problematic that the recent Sailor option of higher prices in glass bottles that have no benefit to the user when filling a pen when their glass bottle became unavailable for the BungBox inks.

[WaskiSquirrel]

My recent Noodler's purchase came in a plastic bottle and the ink had leaked around an improperly tightened cap onto the inside of the box. None of the ink came outside the box, so the box perhaps contained a messier spill. Makes me wonder if the plastic bottle-to-cap seal is as effective (but I know that this one experience doesn't make a case). But I have never had ink leak from a bottle en route before. So this is one-for-one (first plastic bottle). We'll see.

 

That's a good point. I've had two with this problem. One was a Noodler's that leaked and only ruined the label. The other was an Iroshizuku with a cracked cap. So, maybe the additional protection is good.

[Morphling27]

 

That's a good point. I've had two with this problem. One was a Noodler's that leaked and only ruined the label. The other was an Iroshizuku with a cracked cap. So, maybe the additional protection is good.

I can attest that the recent plastic switch is odd with the caps. I got a couple Noodler's inks off the web for cheaper because the labels were stained. Obviously nothing had broken and no ink was on the outside of the box. Heck, one only had a bit of dribble hardly going on the label. So, something isn't right with the sealing with these new bottles or some first runs didn't get as good of a QC inspect as they should.

[akustyk]

I can attest that the recent plastic switch is odd with the caps. I got a couple Noodler's inks off the web for cheaper because the labels were stained. Obviously nothing had broken and no ink was on the outside of the box. Heck, one only had a bit of dribble hardly going on the label. So, something isn't right with the sealing with these new bottles or some first runs didn't get as good of a QC inspect as they should.

 

I recently bought Noodler's Blue-Black, and it came in a plastic bottle, with a small leak. The top was on tight, but the plastic is somewhat soft, so when squeezed (in transit), it must have leaked. I immediately decanted to a glass bottle left over from Pilot Black ink (awesome bottle, by the way).

[sirgilbert357]

My opinion has been evolving on this topic...I think I'm at the point where I would pay extra for a glass bottle too, but I would still like to see it be 3 oz. However, I actually would not care if its made in the USA or not. My interest in Noodler's lies with the ink after all...

 

Anyway, I've been buying empty Pelikan Edelstein ink bottles from Goulet to decant my recent Noodlers ink purchases into and its been fine. There is obviously some ink leftover since the Edelstein bottles are only 50ml, but I figure I will use the ink left in the plastic bottle fast enough that it'll be fine in the plastic until its used up. The painted writing on the Edelstein bottles is also easy to scrape off with a butter knife, which is nice.

[Danny Kaffee]

I've been buying empty ink bottles from Goulet Pens as well. I do not like the current plastic bottles from Noodler's. I'd pay extra for glass (and, in fact, I am).

[jmccarty3]

I've gotten three or four of the new plastic bottles--no leaks so far.

[JonSzanto]

Odd, I thought I had commented in this thread.

 

Does it still seem to be the case that Mr. Tardiff intends on moving back to glass if/when he finds a good price point supplier? Or is plastic the future container for Noodler's products?