Noodler’s La Reine Mauve

[yazeh]

Noodler’s La Reine Mauve

This ink could be the doomed sister of Kung Te-Cheng. They have the same distinct scent, viscosity, and behavior. The colour is not "mauve" in my book

 

Ink comes in 1 oz/30 ml bottles and is thus more expensive, it's supposedly guillotine-proof, though I won't dare to test it, in the regard

 

It isn’t as bad as I thought, but I won’t recommend to people who are not used to permanent inks. I recommend it for well-sealed pens that can be easily dismantled and cleaned, and dunked in a c leaning solution for 30 minutes.

 

It is pen/nib/paper dependent. It bled through TR 68 gr/ Mnemosyne and copy paper with all nibs.

 

It’s best for Midori, Rhodia and thick absorbent paper (like Peter Pauper) notebooks.

 

I had to prime my pens a few times, but in general it was a pleasant writing experience. At one point I had to change my Kakuno’s EF nib to M. In Lamy it behaved reasonably well, I enjoyed journaling with a Stub as much as with the Ef nib.  

 

Let's start with the uninspiring chroma:

 

Writing Samples:

 

Note: this quote is apocryphal

 

 

Photo:

 

Comparison:

Water test:

and finally an artwork: La Reine Mauve inspired by a portrait of Marie-Antoinette:

The background is Noodler's Socrates.

 

 

 

·      Pens used: Plilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B, 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate nib

·      What I liked: Gorgeous colour, short drytimes.

·      What I did not like: Scent, and some flow issues and bleed through.

·       What some might not like: It stains and the scent can induce headaches.

·      Shading: None.  

·      Ghosting: Yes, on copy/ TR 68gr/Mnemosyne papers

·      Bleed through: Same as above.

·      Flow Rate: Medium, viscous

·      Lubrication: Above average

·      Nib Dry-out: Not really.

·      Start-up: Did not notice.

·      Saturation: Very

·      Shading Potential: Nope.

·      Sheen: No.

·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Didn’t look for it.

·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: Didn’t notice.

·      Staining (pen): It stains be forewarned.

·      Clogging: No.

·      Cleaning: Not as bad as I thought. I rinsed and soaked with water and then let the feed/section rest in cleaning solution as a safe measure.

·      Water resistance: Excellent.

·      Availability: 1 oz, 30 ml bottle.

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

 

 

 

[lapis]

Thanks again. Hmm... I don't know whether I like it or not. Who cares? I don't like N's inks in general (who cares ² ?) The colour is okay to nice but for me a bit too chalky. Permanence is no problem, as long as it's wet enough. Sooo... I'd give it a chance. The bottle size is also no problem. My/Nathan' Fox is in such a vessel, anyhow.

[yazeh]

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:19 PM, lapis said:

Thanks again. Hmm... I don't know whether I like it or not.

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  On 1/8/2024 at 8:19 PM, lapis said:

Who cares? I don't like N's inks in general (who cares ² ?)

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You do, and that's the most important, isn't it?

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:19 PM, lapis said:

 

The colour is okay to nice but for me a bit too chalky. Permanence is no problem, as long as it's wet enough. Sooo... I'd give it a chance.

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You might like better the De Atramentis Document/ Artist Violet. Wet, well lubricated  I'm gonna post the Artist review next week

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:19 PM, lapis said:

 

The bottle size is also no problem. My/Nathan' Fox is in such a vessel, anyhow.

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Yes, it belongs to that series with Periwinkle,  Luxury Blue etc.  

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

Hmmm.    How would you characterise 'mauve?' I actually do like the ink's color.  JH Violet Pensee seems close, and I have a bottle of that so I guess I'm safe!  
 

Thanks, @yazeh, for another Ink-sploration.  The water test is grimly tongue-in-cheek but Kitteh makes a splendid Marie Antionette!

[yazeh]

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:32 PM, Sailor Kenshin said:

Hmmm.    How would you characterise 'mauve?'

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Well @inkstainedruth posted this link:

https://htmlcolorcodes.com/colors/mauve-taupe/

To my untrainted eyes this is purple/ violet

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:32 PM, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

I actually do like the ink's color.  JH Violet Pensee seems close, and I have a bottle of that so I guess I'm safe!  

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Sigh

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:32 PM, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks, @yazeh, for another Ink-sploration.

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A pleasure!

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:32 PM, Sailor Kenshin said:

 The water test is grimly tongue-in-cheek but Kitteh makes a splendid Marie Antionette!

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Well it was a nod to the famous apocryphal quote by Marie-Antoinette, If people don't have bread give them brioche (cake)

 

[lapis]

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:32 PM, Sailor Kenshin said:

Hmmm.    How would you characterise 'mauve?'

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Not trying to butt in, but I'll buy the Oxford Dictionary's explanation: "Any of a range of dull shades of purple between lilac and maroon".

[LizEF]

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:08 PM, yazeh said:

This ink could be the doomed sister of Kung Te-Cheng.

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The opening line doesn't bode well for our review ink.  Will it survive to the end?  Read on....

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:08 PM, yazeh said:

It bled through TR 68 gr/ Mnemosyne and copy paper with all nibs.

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Some things baffle me - like selling an ink that bleeds through good paper...

 

The chroma may not be interesting, but the color is nice...  Terrified of being bored?  She must have been an extrovert.  De Atramentis Artist Violet looks awfully saturated.   The water test drawing: But what is Mousey doing up there with his umbrella?  Kitty-Antoinette is looking very regal there in her portrait!  Well done, @yazeh!  Thanks for another most enjoyable ink review!

[inkstainedruth]

From what I recall, my batch of La Reine Mauve looked more in color like the swatch in De Atramentis Alexander Hamilton (I just looked at my inventory of inks and see that La Reine Mauve is crossed out -- meaning that I either gave it away or just tossed it outright, it was so badly behaved for me.  

For me, it was "Nib creep, section creep how the [bleep] did I get this on the HEEL of my hand creep...?"  Even given how thick Kung Te Cheng is, and how cloggy it gets, at least my bottle of that is an interesting color (very dark indigo blue with purple undertones) and it is pretty much "everything proof" when it comes to stuff like addressing envelopes or signing checks -- it was one of the two inks I routinely used at my old bank before they got bought out by our current bank -- and the old bank said, "You must sign checks in either blue or black ink!"  But never batted an eye at EITHER Kung Te Cheng (which could be categorized as "blue" for SOME definition of blue) OR Noodler's El Lawrence (which, let's face it -- is basically the color of used motor oil, but dark enough that it came through okay in the scans of checks.  (I was REALLY good and didn't NOT sign checks with Noodler's Upper Ganges Blue, which is really a REALLY pale a color -- so pale that I was afraid it would be categorized as a "non-repro" blue...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:39 PM, lapis said:

Not trying to butt in, but I'll buy the Oxford Dictionary's explanation: "Any of a range of dull shades of purple between lilac and maroon".

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Mine is different

mauve | môv, mōv | adjectiveof a pale purple color: blossoms with mauve and white petals. 

noun1 a pale purple color: a few pale streaks of mauve were all that remained of the sunset | glowing with soft pastel mauves and pinks. 

2 historical a pale purple aniline dye prepared by William H. Perkin in 1856. It was the first synthetic dyestuff. DERIVATIVES mauvish | ˈmôviSH, ˈmōviSH, ˈmäviSH | adjective 

ORIGIN late 18th century: from French, literally ‘mallow’, from Latin malva.

[yazeh]

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:46 PM, LizEF said:

The opening line doesn't bode well for our review ink.  Will it survive to the end?  Read on....

Expand  

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:46 PM, LizEF said:

 

Some things baffle me - like selling an ink that bleeds through good paper...

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De Atramentis has some inks like that  It's purportedly guillotine proof. Though I won't risk my neck for it

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:46 PM, LizEF said:

 

The chroma may not be interesting, but the color is nice... 

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That was my thought too

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:46 PM, LizEF said:

 

Terrified of being bored?  She must have been an extrovert. 

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That is if the quotes "attributed" too her, are actually hers

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:46 PM, LizEF said:

 

De Atramentis Artist Violet looks awfully saturated.  

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It's very well lubircated, maybe too well

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:46 PM, LizEF said:

 

The water test drawing: But what is Mousey doing up there with his umbrella? 

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Trying to release the guillotine to cut the brioche 😛

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:46 PM, LizEF said:

 

Kitty-Antoinette is looking very regal there in her portrait!  Well done, @yazeh!  Thanks for another most enjoyable ink review!

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A pleasure 🙏🙏🙏

[yazeh]

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:55 PM, inkstainedruth said:

From what I recall, my batch of La Reine Mauve looked more in color like the swatch in De Atramentis Alexander Hamilton (I just looked at my inventory of inks and see that La Reine Mauve is crossed out -- meaning that I either gave it away or just tossed it outright, it was so badly behaved for me.  

Expand  

That looks like mauve to me

 

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:55 PM, inkstainedruth said:

For me, it was "Nib creep, section creep how the [bleep] did I get this on the HEEL of my hand creep...?" 

Expand  

  On 1/8/2024 at 8:55 PM, inkstainedruth said:

 

Even given how thick Kung Te Cheng is, and how cloggy it gets, at least my bottle of that is an interesting color (very dark indigo blue with purple undertones) and it is pretty much "everything proof" when it comes to stuff like addressing envelopes or signing checks -- it was one of the two inks I routinely used at my old bank before they got bought out by our current bank -- and the old bank said, "You must sign checks in either blue or black ink!"  But never batted an eye at EITHER Kung Te Cheng (which could be categorized as "blue" for SOME definition of blue) OR Noodler's El Lawrence (which, let's face it -- is basically the color of used motor oil, but dark enough that it came through okay in the scans of checks.  (I was REALLY good and didn't NOT sign checks with Noodler's Upper Ganges Blue, which is really a REALLY pale a color -- so pale that I was afraid it would be categorized as a "non-repro" blue...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

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I have had KTC in a Kaweco Sport. for over few years now. It has always been reliable, though with the same paper soaking behaviour. When I had to c lean the pen, it was surprisedly super easy. I thought, I'd be there with few day, but a bit of water soak and then a little snooze in cleaning solution and the feed was clean as a whistle

 

[LizEF]

  On 1/8/2024 at 9:59 PM, yazeh said:

Trying to release the guillotine to cut the brioche 😛

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Of course! Clever Mousey!

[Lithium466]

What a lovely color! Thank you for the review

The behavior...another ink I won't buy, I guess. Violette pensée will have todo.

[Uncial]

I like the colour, but for me I just couldn't cope with the smell

[Surlyprof]

Thank you for another great ink review @yazeh.  I had already ruled this one out of my recent purple sample order because so many had already said it was so poorly behaved.  Too bad as it really is a beautifully rich, deep, blue-based purple.  Mauve does seem a bit of a misnomer.  I did get a sample of the Kung Te Cheng with my samples today.  I'll have to pay attention to that smell everyone's writing about.

[yazeh]

  On 1/8/2024 at 11:19 PM, Lithium466 said:

What a lovely color!

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  On 1/8/2024 at 11:19 PM, Lithium466 said:

Thank you for the review

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🙏

  On 1/8/2024 at 11:19 PM, Lithium466 said:

The behavior...another ink I won't buy, I guess. Violette pensée will have todo.

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[yazeh]

  On 1/9/2024 at 12:34 AM, Uncial said:

I like the colour, but for me I just couldn't cope with the smell

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Yep, that's the thing with this and KTC

[yazeh]

  On 1/9/2024 at 1:23 AM, Surlyprof said:

Thank you for another great ink review @yazeh. 

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Your thread inspired my purple series 🙏

 

  On 1/9/2024 at 1:23 AM, Surlyprof said:

I had already ruled this one out of my recent purple sample order because so many had already said it was so poorly behaved. 

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It's manageable but there are better options around

 

  On 1/9/2024 at 1:23 AM, Surlyprof said:

 

Too bad as it really is a beautifully rich, deep, blue-based purple. 

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The colour is gorgeous! 

 

  On 1/9/2024 at 1:23 AM, Surlyprof said:

 

Mauve does seem a bit of a misnomer.

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Indeed!

  On 1/9/2024 at 1:23 AM, Surlyprof said:

 

  I did get a sample of the Kung Te Cheng with my samples today.  I'll have to pay attention to that smell everyone's writing about.

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You won't be able to miss it

I don't know if you got a sample of De Atramentis Artist Violet. Though colour wise it might be the same as Document...

[InesF]

Thank you, @yazeh, for the comprehensive ink review. 

 

I like the colour; I dislike the inks properties; I like Lady Cat Marie! Although trying hard, I can't imagine what guillotine proof means and how to test.   I suggest to initiate a workshop at one of the upcoming fountain pen shows. 😎

[yazeh]

  On 1/10/2024 at 10:47 AM, InesF said:

Thank you, @yazeh, for the comprehensive ink review. 

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You're most welcome

  On 1/10/2024 at 10:47 AM, InesF said:

 

I like the colour; I dislike the inks properties;

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  On 1/10/2024 at 10:47 AM, InesF said:

I like Lady Cat Marie! Although trying hard, I can't imagine what guillotine proof means and how to test.  

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 if we were to go in time and douse Marie-Antoinette's neck with the ink, the result would be the same :p, unless @LizEF gang will do a magic trick

 

  On 1/10/2024 at 10:47 AM, InesF said:

 

I suggest to initiate a workshop at one of the upcoming fountain pen shows. 😎

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