Is Noodlers ink good?

[white_feather]

I was wondering if Noodlers ink was any good? I have Noodlers Luxury Blue and it seems cool. I have five Different Private Reserves and they are nice although I am having a hard time warming up to the Shell Pink. I also have two Pelikan ink and I like them. I thought I read somewhere that Noodlers lubricates pens. Is this true? I don't have any vintage pens as of yet but I may get one someday. I like modern pens the most but vintage stuff is cool as long as upkeep isn't a pain in the cartridge. Let me know.

[Johnny Appleseed]

Well, the official 2006 Limited Editions ink for FPN and the forthcoming 2007 FPN ink are both Noodlers, so I think you will find a lot of people here like it.

 

It is great ink, with lots of different colors to choose from and some truly unique inks. There is one of his lines of inks - the American Eel inks - which claimed to have lubricating properties for piston fillers. Many of his inks are "bulletproof" which means waterproof, as well as immune to bleach, ammonia, UV fading, etc.

 

Because he has so many, they have many different flow characteristics, so you will have to look around. Some of his inks are extremely resistant to feathering, but tend to be slow drying. Others are faster drying but more feather-prone. Some flow in different ways.

 

But in general it is good ink.

 

John

Edited June 18, 2007 by Johnny Appleseed

[sleek_lover]

In a brief turn of phrase--it is out-***kin'-standing ink. So is PR. So is Quink. So is Sheaffer. So is Herbin.

 

But then, I have only been using PR and Noodler's since they came on the market so what the hell do I know...

 

Bill

 

PS MB is an ink to be avoided at all costs.

Edited June 18, 2007 by paircon01

[Bill Smith]

I became a convert to Noodlers ink from Private Reserve. I find while I love the colours from PR (especially their blues) due to the saturation they tend to smudge on the my left hand ( I am a leftie overwriter).

 

I am partial to Noodlers

 

Eel Blue,

Aircorp Blue Black,

the tiny sample of bullet proof blue Ann Norton sent me and

The limited edition (only in Canada you say, pity) Plains of Abraham Blue (also from the Bulletproof series)

 

Bill

 

[jsonewald]

I am happy with the Noodler's I have: Polar Black, Zhivago, Navy Blue, Luxury Blue, and Devil Red. The blues and the red cause nib creep on nearly every pen I put them in, but it doesn't bother me much. I have found that it is a good idea to flush the pen a little more often with Noodler's than I would with a conventional ink.

 

I have several Private Reserve inks, but have stopped using them because of left handed smearing and their lack of water resistance.

[Lloyd]

PS MB is an ink to be avoided at all costs.

This is NOT a rule but an opinion. We all have our own opinions and, happily, we can peacefully express them on these boards. Several of MB inks, e.g. British Racing Green and Seasons Greetings, are liked by many here. MB also has one of the best bottle designs in the business.

[meanwhile]

PS MB is an ink to be avoided at all costs.

This is NOT a rule but an opinion. We all have our own opinions and, happily, we can peacefully express them on these boards. Several of MB inks, e.g. British Racing Green and Seasons Greetings, are liked by many here. MB also has one of the best bottle designs in the business.

 

A lot of MB inks are said to be manufactured by Lamy. As far as I know, the only one to avoid is Blue Black, which is an iron gall ink. (These are hell on pens, and MB recommend you rinse your pen out every couple of weeks while using it). Bill was possibly attempting an in joke.

 

Noodlers can be excellent. The properties vary ink to ink; they have a large range and some are more successful than others. Their Eternal Black is a standard, their UK Eternals are disasters, some inks are father prone, some aren't. Navaho Blue is a vibrant fast drying turquoise and a favourite of mine. I might stay away from using them in pre-WW2 pens.

 

 

[inkysmudges]

Great stuff, no question about that, but your results will vary from pen to pen and paper to paper, as the others have said. One of the best waterproof inks around, especially if you're into the colours thing.

 

FYI, I have the following Noodler's inks and they are what I base my comments on:

"Bullet Proof" Black - a deep, rich black; can run a bit thin (will "shade"); great on most papers (won't bleed through); fairly free-flowing

Polar Black - bit of a tendency to feather; can be sticky in some pens

Polar Blue - as above, but less feathering

"Eternal" Luxury Blue - very little or no feathering; good on a wide range of papers; a bit sticky in anemic pens

Ratter Red - good, all round rich red; NOT waterproof

"Eternal" Fox Red - slightly less rich in colour than the Ratter; this one is fairly waterproof; no feathering or bleed-through

"Eternal" Hunter Green - good, deep grass green; nicely waterproof; not prone to bleed-through; reasonably free-flowing

UK "Eternal" El Lawrence - great colour, "dirty motor oil"; occasional feathering; occasional bleed-through; slightly sticky in anemic pens

Lexington Gray - slightly blue-green darkish gray; occasional feathering; seldom bleeds-through; reasonably free-flowing

Golden Brown - great colour!; best described as "semi-waterproof", orange/yellow bleeds out leaving a dark gray/green remainder

 

If you find a given Noodler's ink isn't flowing quite as smoothly in your pen as you'd like try adding the teensiest bit of liquid dish-washing soap, as in 1 drop of soap per bottle of ink. For convenience I put 1 drop of soap in 20 ml of distilled water and then add 1/2 drop of this mixture to a converter full of ink. In my (ongoing) tests the soap does not affect the light-fastness of the ink and only slightly impacts it's waterproofness. The upside is that it can make the Noodler's flow A LOT more smoothly; some otherwise unworkable pen/ink combinations can become quite satisfactory because of this procedure.

 

As ever, YMMV (your mileage may vary).

 

edit: correcting the "waterproofness" of Golden Brown

Edited June 19, 2007 by inkysmudges

[white_feather]

Thank you so much for the info. I am going to look into the Noodlers black. I do have Waterman Black. Is that a good one? I have never used it, it came with the Phileas kit. On another point, how do you pronounce 'Phileas'?

[FrankB]

This is an innocent question over which bullets may fly and people may die! I have seen reports from some folks who really do not like Noodler's. Personally, I like the ink. I am currently fond of the bulletproof inks for business and check writing. But I like the ink shades, too. Some of the bulletproof inks are pale, but I see that paleness as pastel, which I like. Other Noodler's inks can be quite bright and fun. As someone said, a lot delends on the pen and paper you use.

 

I am not sure how the reference to Monty B inks came into this discussion. I am fond of MB inks, including the blue-black. When I use the BB, I flush the pen regularly. I have had no problems with it.

[Melnicki]

actually, Golden Brown is indeed semi-waterproof. This color, along with Zhivago and Green Marine and a handful of others are wonderful because they are bold colors that don't have nib-creep yet are permanent. Nearly all of the completely waterproof ("bulletproof") colors unfortunately turn a bit pale once they bond with cellulose. But these near-bulletproofs are really the prize of Noodler's, in my opinion. You can mix such colors yourself, by the way, by combining a bulletproof with a non-bulletproof. The result is a bold and deep color, and writing that will remain after you spill your tea on it.

 

To boot, Golden Brown is an incredibly unique color, though these days I've been mixing my own GB-type color by using Swisher's Goldfinch (an "eternal" color that is too bright to use by itself but is a great mixing yellow. Think of the belly of a goldfinch, the bird.)

 

(Sorry to keep repeating this but I think it's awesome): Sonia_Simone once confessed to me that she thought GB was the sexiest ink around, and she then said "va va va voom" (on paper, don't worry).

 

Edited June 19, 2007 by Melnicki

[inkysmudges]

actually, Golden Brown is indeed semi-waterproof.

 

Granted, it does leave a very "El Lawrence" remainder though it readily bleeds out the yellow and orange tones.

 

I'll go back and update the post.

 

And while we're at it:

 

"Golden Brown", The Stranglers, "La Folie" (1981)

 

Golden brown texture like sun

Lays me down with my mind she runs

Throughout the night

No need to fight

Never a frown with golden brown

 

Every time just like the last

On her ship tied to the mast

To distant lands

Takes both my hands

Never a frown with golden brown

 

Golden brown finer temptress

Through the ages she's heading west

From far away

Stays for a day

Never a frown with golden brown ....

Edited June 19, 2007 by inkysmudges

[14lines]

The limited edition (only in Canada you say, pity) Plains of Abraham Blue (also from the Bulletproof series)

 

Bill, where do you get this ink? I haven't seen it at all in Ottawa. Sadly, not nearly as ubiquitous as Red Rose Tea...