The risks associated with the naming of an ink

[Eternally Noodling]

Can anyone here think of any problems or objections to references hinting at the "Dark Side" of 19th century literature? References to certain Russian authors seems to have been well received, as well as a recent reference to perhaps the most controversial of all the chapters in one of Herman Melville's works.

 

Now, how about Joseph Conrad? Does anyone dislike him as an author? Does he offend anyone?

 

If he does....I would like to know if he offends people for the right reasons. ;-)

 

Some inks have virtually no profit margin (dare I say, a few rare dyes now sell at a loss....but there will be no price increases and the value add per oz. will be the same as always - we don't have cartridges made in Slovenia or bottles made in Paris - all dollar based with the exception of the free pens from Japan included with the Golden Year of the Pig/Polar Blue 4.5 oz bottles)....so payment (not monetary) is in part received through the pleasure of selecting the name and artwork for the label. A certain ink may be introduced soon that has a remarkable name....incredibly appropriate for an ink of its nature. I just would like to know what fellow pen users and collectors think of the author Joseph Conrad.

 

Hint as to the name....Joseph Conrad was well read in France...and Belgium. Although I believe King Leopold would have disliked him to an extreme degree.

 

[BillTheEditor]

I don't think "Heart of Darkness" would offend anyone. However, at least one title of a Conrad novel would probably be a bad choice for an ink name.

 

Joseph Conrad was and is one of the masters of the English language. Not bad for a guy whose mother tongue was NOT English. Personally, I like his writing.

Edited September 29, 2007 by BillTheEditor

[limesally]

I don't think "Heart of Darkness" would offend anyone. However, at least one title of a Conrad novel would probably be a bad choice for an ink name.

 

Joseph Conrad was and is one of the masters of the English language. Not bad for a guy whose mother tongue was NOT English. Personally, I like his writing.

 

I'm fairly sure that I'm thinking of the same novel as BillTheEditor in terms of the potentially offensive name

 

Heart of Darkness made a lasting impression on me, though. I tried reading some of his other works but none made the same impact as Heart of Darkness.

 

I like the idea of the 19th c literature theme!

[captnemo]

No offense here. But I'm very hard to offend.

 

And kudos on naming your "Red Black" ink. My first impression was "Gee, what a dumb name for an ink. Surely he could do better than that." But then I got the ink, and used it, and tried mightily to come up with a better name, and ended up deciding Red Black is the best name for it. Haha.

 

[Huffward]

Personally, I'd like names to reasonably indicate the colour. "Heart of Darkness" would give few colour clues beyond ruling out the paler shades. You'd be better off with Shakespeare: "Othello" (black), "Richard III" or "Julius Caesar" (blood red), "King Lear" (grey), "Arden" (leaf green).

 

 

[Possum Hill]

Personally, I'd like names to reasonably indicate the colour. "Heart of Darkness" would give few colour clues beyond ruling out the paler shades. You'd be better off with Shakespeare: "Othello" (black), "Richard III" or "Julius Caesar" (blood red), "King Lear" (grey), "Arden" (leaf green).

 

Napalm in the Morning - orange with yellow highlights, to continue the Conrad and Heart of Darkness theme.

[Paddler]

Our high school English lit teacher had us read a couple of Conrad books and write book reports on them. My lasting impression is that Conrad was an accomplished writer, but not memorable. My feelings about him are totally neutral. Naming an ink after him or one of his works would not attract my interest except for the meaning of the words in the name itself.

 

Paddler

 

[Chip]

Can anyone here think of any problems or objections to references hinting at the "Dark Side" of 19th century literature? References to certain Russian authors seems to have been well received, as well as a recent reference to perhaps the most controversial of all the chapters in one of Herman Melville's works.

 

Now, how about Joseph Conrad? Does anyone dislike him as an author? Does he offend anyone?

 

If he does....I would like to know if he offends people for the right reasons. ;-)

 

Some inks have virtually no profit margin (dare I say, a few rare dyes now sell at a loss....but there will be no price increases and the value add per oz. will be the same as always - we don't have cartridges made in Slovenia or bottles made in Paris - all dollar based with the exception of the free pens from Japan included with the Golden Year of the Pig/Polar Blue 4.5 oz bottles)....so payment (not monetary) is in part received through the pleasure of selecting the name and artwork for the label. A certain ink may be introduced soon that has a remarkable name....incredibly appropriate for an ink of its nature. I just would like to know what fellow pen users and collectors think of the author Joseph Conrad.

 

Hint as to the name....Joseph Conrad was well read in France...and Belgium. Although I believe King Leopold would have disliked him to an extreme degree.

 

I'd argue that his best novel was "Victory," but I don't know what color that would suggest. I think you've already worked the Iraq angle, and it's hard to associate that title with the war there, unless you are a Islamic radical, and even for them, it doesn't seem that clear cut.

 

[Eternally Noodling]

 

I'd argue that his best novel was "Victory," but I don't know what color that would suggest. I think you've already worked the Iraq angle, and it's hard to associate that title with the war there, unless you are a Islamic radical, and even for them, it doesn't seem that clear cut.

 

 

That label was made soon after Saddam's army was defeated - a military victory. It is now history, because the next production run it becomes "The Violet Vote" with a classic painting of the ancient Tower of Babylon and an ink stained finger suspended in the sky with a "V" of purple ink stained upon its tip - to be interpreted as one sees fit...probably get death threats over that one too, but one gets used to even those if there are enough of them. One of the more artistic labels...when one accounts for the number of colors involved in the classic painting used and the detail that can be seen under magnification (like currency in its resolution).

 

I received enough hell about that to last a lifetime - but I continue to believe that history will show the use of ink in those elections to be historic whether or not one sees it all for the good or the bad.

[Viseguy]

However, at least one title of a Conrad novel would probably be a bad choice for an ink name.

You could call it "The Children of the Sea: A Tale of the Forecastle", but that would be hard to fit on the label. I've got it: "Wait"!

[Chip]

That label was made soon after Saddam's army was defeated - a military victory. It is now history, because the next production run it becomes "The Violet Vote" with a classic painting of the ancient Tower of Babylon and an ink stained finger suspended in the sky with a "V" of purple ink stained upon its tip - to be interpreted as one sees fit...probably get death threats over that one too, but one gets used to even those if there are enough of them. One of the more artistic labels...when one accounts for the number of colors involved in the classic painting used and the detail that can be seen under magnification (like currency in its resolution).

 

I received enough hell about that to last a lifetime - but I continue to believe that history will show the use of ink in those elections to be historic whether or not one sees it all for the good or the bad.

 

Violet Vote seems good. I like that ink, as well as most of the others I've tried. Keep up the good work. If memory serves, "Nostromo" involved a silver mine, if you ever get around to that color. Keep up the good work. It's good to see someone in the USA making a superior product.

Edited March 20, 2008 by Gerry
fixed quote

[Tricia]

Obviously, you have a somewhat rarefied market for fountain pen inks, but on the whole I think a lot of folks would think "Heart of Darkness" was a Bruce Campbell movie more often than they would think it the title of 19th century fiction. :blink:

 

I'm just sayin'...

 

 

[scribbler77]

In my opinion, Conrad is one of the great writers of the English language. If those who read him in school found him unremarkable, they should give him another chance when they have lived a little and gained some maturity.

 

I don't see how naming an ink for Korzenowski would offend anybody, though it will be just as well to avoid the one title already alluded to. If the color is attractive, it should find a good market in Poland. There is a monument to him overlooking the harbor in Gdansk, and even though he wrote primarily in English, the Poles seem very proud of him.

 

I am not sure what color you would associate with "Heart of Darkness." Blood red for the blood spilled?

 

Nostromo is also a fine novel; as someone has suggested, it would fit silver if you ever do that color.

 

The Secret Agent is another candidate, but then, which color would you choose? A reddish orange for the bomb that exploded by accident?

 

Good luck!

 

And--by the way--subject for another thread: could you give us some idea of how the various black inks you have made differ? (I don't mean the formulas, but aside from Polar black and the black in the eel series--whose salient features are clear--I am not sure how to distinguish the others.) I have about four aside from Polar and eel and have trouble distinguishing one from another in application.

[rattybad1]

A lot of my profs love Heart of Darkness, but I was having a conversation with the other Ph.D. candidates and I brought up my theory that, in 20 years, when our profs are retired, no one will care much for Conrad. I know only a few grads who don't think he's insipid. His images are terribly obvious; he treats his subject matter too simply; and there are far better works of 20th century colonial fiction to choose from, particularly V. S. Naipul's A Bend in the River, Joyce Cary's Mister Johnson, and Doris Lessing's The Grass is Singing--all far more enjoyable, more crafty, and more involved in the colonial experience. I think Conrad is passé. Whenever I hear someone mention his writing, all I can think of is, "The horror! The horror!"

Edited September 30, 2007 by rattybad1

[FrenchConnex]

For the record, I think au coeur des ténèbres is a great name for an ink - I loved the Russian ink names for much the same reason. I'm not entirely sure if the average ink buyer will make the connection between that and The Heart of Darkness - Conrad was a native Polish speaker who wrote in English - but hey, that's half the fun of literary inks, isn't it? IMHO, the name matters almost as much as the color ... I write for a living and frankly, the fountain pen, the paper, and the ink are all important elements of my writing time.

 

I find nothing offensive about a Joseph Conrad inspired ink - and in fact am enthralled by the idea of a 19th century lit line of inks - especially one that crosses national boundaries. Part of the fun is where the name leads ... Violet leDuc (the 19th century architect who spearheaded the renovations of Notre Dame) "sounds" like a purple ink and the name might just be the inspiration for a "user" to do a bit of research. It's like getting two products for the price of one. One gets to write with the ink on an ongoing basis, and revel in the knowledge that buying it brought them.

 

For the record - I'm a Noodler's fan (Squeteague and Nightshade in particular) - and think you do a great job of the ink, the packaging AND the naming.

 

FrenchConnex

 

 

[cowdad]

It would be possible to pick some names from Conrad that the Reverend Al Sharpton would probably object to. I didn't even see one specific title mentioned in any of the replies--too politically incorrect to even mention, I suppose.

 

I've got over 50 bottles of Noodler's inks--and I don't think I regret buying a one of of them, but I'm not so wild about the labeling and names of many of these inks. I've thought someday I might make up some new labels--with no catfish on the labels. Le Coleur Royale and Ottoman Rose are my favorite names and labels (I think).

 

Iraqi Indigo--I hide most all my ink, but I make sure that one is hidden out of sight. Leaving this ink could cause about as many arguments as the picture of General Sherman I used to have on the wall, under which I wrote, "When I come back, no more 'Mr. Nice Guy'." I live in Columbia, SC, which Sherman burned to the ground, which is why people want to argue--they want to argue that Sherman unjustly burned Columbia, but I've got other thoughts on that one: When you start a war--and the Articles of Secession" were signed right here in Columbia, well, as the people who signed those articles found out soon enough--when you start a war, you might not win it, and you might even get burned, even to the ground.

 

I'm more in favor of naming inks after Americans than foreigners. Here are some suggested names for inks in the future:

 

Rumsfeld Red--Rumsfeld on the label

Sherman's March--a red orange, the color of fire, with the label having Columbia or Atlanta or some plantation house burning in the background.

Cheney's Chagrin--a bright yellow, in honor of his five deferments.

Bush League--with a picture of Bush with the "Mission Accomplished" banner behind him.

 

If you got plans of making a politically incorrect ink that is racially incorrect--which is what it sounds like to me from your talk of Conrad--I'd suggest you drop the Conrad and just make two inks, one called "Redbone" and the other "High Class High Yellow". I don't think African Americans would object to these terms as much as they might to certain other terms. But I don't know.

[Eternally Noodling]

 

 

If you got plans of making a politically incorrect ink that is racially incorrect--which is what it sounds like to me from your talk of Conrad--I'd suggest you drop the Conrad and just make two inks, one called "Redbone" and the other "High Class High Yellow". I don't think African Americans would object to these terms as much as they might to certain other terms. But I don't know.

 

 

I had two African American college professors who liked Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" because of the reality it depicted of the true horrors of the Belgian Congo - and they often referenced the work. It brought the horror to the surface...at a time when most people ignored it or simply did not care. My greater concern in this post was "how radical and nuts have the politically correct gestapo become"? The day we can no longer discuss Conrad will be the day free speech and the freedom to discuss ideas and concepts between rational people....will be at an end.

 

Given that only one post seems in that line (and they might note later that a devil catfish appears on the tropical theme label....a little more artistic and symbolic than our other devil catfish seen upon the ink "Devil Red" - who is seen impishly smiling among a sea of flames), there will likely be a "Heart of Darkness" ink....with a free fountain pen enclosed with each bottle.

 

My last question would be: feather resistant and super smooth or faster dry time and thus also - drier writing/not as smooth-slick? Chemistry permits it to be an "either or" question due to the variety of paper grades any fountain pen ink must function upon.

[penRN]

I had two African American college professors who liked Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" because of the reality it depicted of the true horrors of the Belgian Congo - and they often referenced the work. It brought the horror to the surface...at a time when most people ignored it or simply did not care. My greater concern in this post was "how radical and nuts have the politically correct gestapo become"? The day we can no longer discuss Conrad will be the day free speech and the freedom to discuss ideas and concepts between rational people....will be at an end.

 

Given that only one post seems in that line (and they might note later that a devil catfish appears on the tropical theme label....a little more artistic and symbolic than our other devil catfish seen upon the ink "Devil Red" - who is seen impishly smiling among a sea of flames), there will likely be a "Heart of Darkness" ink....with a free fountain pen enclosed with each bottle.

 

My last question would be: feather resistant and super smooth or faster dry time and thus also - drier writing/not as smooth-slick? Chemistry permits it to be an "either or" question due to the variety of paper grades any fountain pen ink must function upon.

 

I like inks that are wetter and smoother rather than dry writing so I would vote for the former. What is the free pen going to be like?

 

-----Michael

 

 

[captnemo]

I vote for feather resistant and smooth writing. I can deal with slow drying time by altering my behavior.

[Eternally Noodling]

I had two African American college professors who liked Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" because of the reality it depicted of the true horrors of the Belgian Congo - and they often referenced the work. It brought the horror to the surface...at a time when most people ignored it or simply did not care. My greater concern in this post was "how radical and nuts have the politically correct gestapo become"? The day we can no longer discuss Conrad will be the day free speech and the freedom to discuss ideas and concepts between rational people....will be at an end.

 

Given that only one post seems in that line (and they might note later that a devil catfish appears on the tropical theme label....a little more artistic and symbolic than our other devil catfish seen upon the ink "Devil Red" - who is seen impishly smiling among a sea of flames), there will likely be a "Heart of Darkness" ink....with a free fountain pen enclosed with each bottle.

 

My last question would be: feather resistant and super smooth or faster dry time and thus also - drier writing/not as smooth-slick? Chemistry permits it to be an "either or" question due to the variety of paper grades any fountain pen ink must function upon.

 

I like inks that are wetter and smoother rather than dry writing so I would vote for the former. What is the free pen going to be like?

 

-----Michael

 

Black tone trim demonstrator eyedropper - Platinum pen. Similar to the blue tone model in the Polar Blue 4.5 oz dropper bottle/pen combo packages.

 

Slower dry times were traditional 100 years ago...people liked smoothness too, and blotter paper was very common as well as various pounce powders (old ink desk sets often include a pounce jar and blotter paper rocker for exactly these reasons). My worry is that new users who have used rollerball pens all their lives....might not adapt to such an ink as well as to a faster dry formula. Your thoughts?