Noodler's Polar Brown

[yazeh]

Polar Brown is one of my favorite inks. Ironically, I’m not a fan of the color. It’s somehow bland. It can be a frustrating and finnicky ink, depending the pen used. But in this day age, where the veil on life’s non-permanence and uncertainty has been torn to bits, an ink, as permanent as the paper it bonds with is a source of comfort.

 

 

When I first got into inks, being too lazy, I ordered a bunch of mystery samples. There were two Polar Browns. When I inked my pen, I told myself, what have I done to deserve such an ink in double amounts.

But it grew on me, to the point that I bought a bottle, and I always have a couple of pens inked up, just in case, I have to jot down some important information, words of wisdom, sign a check or write a shopping list. Not a pleasant feeling when your painstakingly craft list melts after an impromptu drizzle or stray snowflake……

 

It dries in less than 10 seconds with a wet medium nib, and 3 with a fine on Rhodia dotpad.

On copy paper it’s instantaneous.

However, it takes forever to dry on Tomoe River with a wet nib, but it shades. With a fine nib, 45 seconds, until smudge free…

It is also one of the easiest inks to clean out of a fountain pen. I’ve tried it even in a vintage Waterman and cleaning was a breeze.

 

Personally, this is one of those rare inks that I would not use with a stub/ oblique nib/ fude.

With a wet/ wide combo it would ghost and bleed through unabashedly. Though sometimes I prefer that dark rich brown, haunting the paper, than the mild muted brown it usually is.

 

I’m not sure if it would be happy in a dry pen.

I have had it in a Jinhao 992 for a year with no problem. In a Jinhao 450 with a fude nib, it had flow issues but when I changed the nib to a medium it was much better. When it flows, it’s a joy to write with. And unsurprisingly Polar Brown, loves Noodler’s nib creeper.

 

On Rhodia dot pad

 

 

Rhodia Back

 

On Tomoe River

Swab comparaison

 

On Amazon Copy paper - Front

 

Back

 

On Hilroy - King of the fountain pen unfriendly notebooks

Back

 

 

 

 

Yesterday it was raining. So, I decided to do a permanence test....

Note the Black Swan in English Roses was actually Sailor Yodaki...

Before

 

After 2 hours under rain/sleet/snow

 

After 18 hours under constant rain

 

Finally I subjected the visible texts to swabs of alcohol on the left side and bleach to ride side....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2020 by yazeh

[txomsy]

Great review and wonderful comparison test. Thank you so very much, it is most interesting and useful.

[Eclipse157]

What a nice review! Thank you so much. I love the look of polar brown on TR! However the amount of bleedthrough and feathering on rhodia is more than enough to make me squirm

[yazeh]

Great review and wonderful comparison test. Thank you so very much, it is most interesting and useful.

 

 

What a nice review! Thank you so much. I love the look of polar brown on TR! However the amount of bleedthrough and feathering on rhodia is more than enough to make me squirm

 

 

Great review and wonderful comparison test. Thank you so very much, it is most interesting and useful.

 

Most welcome

What a nice review! Thank you so much. I love the look of polar brown on TR! However the amount of bleedthrough and feathering on rhodia is more than enough to make me squirm

I did that on purpose. A Jinhao 450 with a fude nib, leaves a lot of ink on paper. I wanted to stress upon it.

However, with a medium nib, there's just some minor ghosting....

 

I forgot to add the Back page of Tomoe River, so I'll add it here.