Noodler's Year of the Pig Review

[Mameluke]

Hi guys and gals

 

I just got my Noodler's Year of the Pig and a refillable Preppy highlighter that came with it.

 

Refilling is easy using the eye dropper and thanks to the grease as well as the rubber ring the ink will not leak out of the highlighter.

 

The color as one might expect is a very bright yellow.

 

I have done the water test, using the hottest tap water and the ink is indeed bulletproof.

 

The bottle is quite large (4.5oz or 133ml) and will probably last me forever.

 

Since this review is about a yellow highlighter I will not take any pictures but rather use the picture i got online from Pendemonium (ok ok Lazyness has a lot to do with it too )

 

I should mention that on cheap paper I see very little smudging when highlighting fountain pen ink.

 

However, on expensive paper where some ink tends to remain unabsorbed but dry, there can be a bit of smudging. I particularly saw this on Clairefontaine, and to a lesser extent on Rhodia.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

 

Mame

Edited January 30, 2008 by Mameluke

[Sousy]

I'll add an additional comment in regard to "Golden Pig" and the eyedropper highlighter: it's absolutely perfect for book highlighting. The ink seems to sit on top of the page, even on a newsprint-style paperback, with little to no bleedthrough to the other side.

 

I used Golden Pig and the highlighter to mark up a copy of Allan Bloom's "Closing of the American Mind", along with my eyedropper (fine point) pen that came with a large bottle of Legal Lapis. The two are the perfect combination for tearing into a book - I dare say that the combination has changed the way I've been reading my backlog of 'serious' books.

 

// But the librarian sure was (whoa there)!! *rimshot*

[tfwall]

I agree with book highlighting. It's a very bright color and being permanent, I don't need to worry about my highlighting running next time I am caught in the rain with some ridiculous book.

[Melnicki]

A book has a holy status, and transcends humanity because many have outlasted lifetimes, if cherished or cared for. Many persons find highlighting or annotating a book (with a permanent ink!) to be a crime against these wonderful creatures. You may avow that the book is only for your use, but what about the person after you? What makes you so bold as to assert certain lines as prominent? Transplant them in a lovely notebook, a quotebook, or use a light pencil in the margin, my dear friends.

 

I won't even think about writing in library books or else I'll unleash a tirade. I smolder and fume every time I see a library book abused...

 

On the contrary, take your Golden Pigs for a trot across a printout, a newspaper. But evade volumes!

[tfwall]

Many persons find highlighting or annotating a book (with a permanent ink!) to be a crime against these wonderful creatures. You may avow that the book is only for your use, but what about the person after you?

I think it adds character. A reader years from now can see what I thought was important or marked in the marginalia and maybe get some insight.

 

I should add though, that I only mark up textbooks or favorite volumes. I keep a small notebook nearby for musings when I read ordinary stuff that I only intend to read once and then pass on or sell.

Edited February 2, 2008 by Chemyst

[gumboot]

Generally, I consider highlighting or underlining an abomination and avoid books defaced in this way when possible. One exception was when I picked up a used copy of The Education of Henry Adams which had every single word in the entire book underlined. That, I thought, was pretty cool.

[Sousy]

Many persons find highlighting or annotating a book (with a permanent ink!) to be a crime against these wonderful creatures. You may avow that the book is only for your use, but what about the person after you?

I think it adds character. A reader years from now can see what I thought was important or marked in the marginalia and maybe get some insight.

 

I should add though, that I only mark up textbooks or favorite volumes. I keep a small notebook nearby for musings when I read ordinary stuff that I only intend to read once and then pass on or sell.

 

I agree with all of this - I only really mark up books where I find myself 'arguing' with the author - some books were intended to incite an argument, not merely exist as words in a museum. For everything else, I keep a commonplace book to take notes and comment.

 

I suppose the people who find my books long after I'm gone will get a glimpse into what effect the book had on me. One of the interesting things to see is a book from John Adams' library - Adams would do something very similar and write his arguments in the margins of the books he read. Joseph Ellis actually gained a bit of insight into what Adams found 'important' because certain books had a few different pens and inks used in the margins. Evidently, Adams returned to that book a number of times.

 

// Oh, and my library crack was a joke, and seemingly an inappropriate one as well - my apologies.

Edited February 2, 2008 by Sousy

[MacTech]

Mame I hope you don't mind me adding in some of my own thoughts/pics to your review, I figured it'd be more logical than starting another thread

 

I just recieved my YOTGP/Preppy Highlighter combo as well, and have had a lot of fun playing with this ink, it's simply the brightest highlighting ink I have used, I did some quick swipe tests at work, comparing it against a generic flourescent yellow highlighting pen, and an actual "Hi-Liter", the YOTGP was easily twice as bright, when I hit it with UV light from the flashlight we use to check paper currency, the difference was even more dramatic, try 75% brighter

 

When I got home, I took some pics and then put YOTGP to my alcohol/hot water torture test, which it passed with flying colours, it was unaffected by a 5 minute bath in 91% Isopropyl alcohol, or a 5 minute *HOT* water rinse, it's bulletproof, just as it's described

 

here are some pics, some have been "assisted" by my UV flashlight...

 

http://homepage.mac.com/mactechg4/.Pictures/YOTGP1.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/mactechg4/.Pictures/YOTGP2.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/mactechg4/.Pictures/YOTGP3.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/mactechg4/.Pictures/YOTGP5.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/mactechg4/.Pictures/YOTGP6.jpg

 

And just for fun, the final pic of a bunch of glowy things all together;

http://homepage.mac.com/mactechg4/.Pictures/YOTGP4.jpg

Noodler's YOTGP, the Preppy Hilighting pen, and my new Victorinox Rescue tool (with GITD StayGlow handle scales) sitting in a Vaseline glass dish with Vaseline glass marbles

 

Vaseline glass = normal glass with up to 2% Uranium Dioxide added to it, yes, the dish and marbles are slightly *radioactive*, but no more than normal background radiation or granite rock, it's safe to handle, just don't eat off it or drink from it

[BirdValiant]

A book has a holy status, and transcends humanity because many have outlasted lifetimes, if cherished or cared for. Many persons find highlighting or annotating a book (with a permanent ink!) to be a crime against these wonderful creatures. You may avow that the book is only for your use, but what about the person after you? What makes you so bold as to assert certain lines as prominent? Transplant them in a lovely notebook, a quotebook, or use a light pencil in the margin, my dear friends.

 

I won't even think about writing in library books or else I'll unleash a tirade. I smolder and fume every time I see a library book abused...

 

On the contrary, take your Golden Pigs for a trot across a printout, a newspaper. But evade volumes!

 

One could annotate with Noodler's Blue Ghost. That way, you could effectively turn the annotations on and off.

 

I still wouldn't do this to library books though... to me, it would seem like a form of vandalism. Sneeky vandalism, I suppose.

[tfwall]

I still wouldn't do this to library books though... to me, it would seem like a form of vandalism. Sneeky vandalism, I suppose.

Noodler's distributes UV ink for the purpose of marking pro-Western messages in Chinese library books. It was the impetus for the creation of Blue Ghost and YotGP.

[Mameluke]

Anyone know what the grease that is used to create the seal is?

 

Can any grease be used? Vaseline?

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Mame

[tfwall]

Anyone know what the grease that is used to create the seal is?

 

Can any grease be used? Vaseline?

It's silicone grease. It is chemically inert under most conditions and doesn't creep appreciably. You can get it from gas suppliers or some scuba shops.

 

Vaseline is a mixture of petroleum compounds and may dissolve in your ink or migrate to the feed channel and block your nib.

Edited February 4, 2008 by Chemyst

[RsqVet]

Can one use this ink to mix with others?

 

I don't think I would do that much highlighting in a lifetime however that color could add some real punch to other colors.

[purpledog]

Is Noodler's coming up with a Year of the Rat ink?

 

purpledog

[tfwall]

Is Noodler's coming up with a Year of the Rat ink?

I don't know, but the USPS stamps for the Year of the Rat are some of the nicer ones available right now.

[jowe]

Generally, I consider highlighting or underlining an abomination and avoid books defaced in this way when possible. One exception was when I picked up a used copy of The Education of Henry Adams which had every single word in the entire book underlined. That, I thought, was pretty cool.

I agree with this. I have always seen books as bearers of our culture and civilisation. I mean "real" books, not pulp of course.

 

[Deirdre]

I use highlighters when editing a copy of a manuscript I'm working on. I also use multiple ink colors. For that reason, the Noodler's highlighter colors are very neat to have. My mother's working on her Ph.D., so she's in the same boat of needing multiple highlighter colors.

[Rapt]

Just got mine last night. I really like the hi-liter and the colour so far, no issues with leaks, or drying out. Most hi-liters I have used tend to dry out rather fast in my experience.

 

The colour is almost identical to a BIC briteliner I happen to have at least when first applied. However within a few hours the Bic ink changes from fluorescent yellow to plain yellow while the YOGTP stay fluorescent like it was just applied.

 

And of course being refillable is a huge bonus, like the original poster I expect this 4.5oz bottle will last me a long time.

 

Another success from Noodler's in my books.

[merzig]

Has anyone besides MacTech tried YOTP as highlighter for FP inks?

 

Wondering how it reacts on the page with NON-bulletproof/washable FP inks (feathering? smearing? etc).

 

Had varying success with disposable highlighters and "regular" FP inks. Curious how YOTP measures up.

[tisfortorrey]

I still wouldn't do this to library books though... to me, it would seem like a form of vandalism. Sneeky vandalism, I suppose.

Noodler's distributes UV ink for the purpose of marking pro-Western messages in Chinese library books. It was the impetus for the creation of Blue Ghost and YotGP.

 

What? I've never heard this before! It would be really interesting if true. Can Nathan comment on this or can someone point me to a link/thread discussing this?

 

Edit: After looking at the bottle of YotP on Swisher's website, I see that there is a lengthy message on the back of the bottle, but the picture is not big enought for me to read it. Could someone post the text of it on here? I'm really interested in buying this ink for the coming school year, and this would just be one more reason to do so!

 

Edit again: Found this text on PenCity's website:

 

The Chinese Communist party banned all displays of any materials relating to the Golden Year of the Pig - a very highly regarded and popular holiday for the Chinese people. This was not the only violation of human freedoms of expression and speech that the founder of Noodler's Ink found to be disturbing enough to act upon... Thus every dissident group that would listen, respond to pleas, and assist in bringing various invisible inks to dissidents within China itself was contacted. In particular, a golden invisible ink was made due to its double political and visual meanings relating to the golden year celebrations...and approximately three dozen bottles made it to mainland China and were brought to people in libraries and universities for use upon communist texts by the likes of Mao Tse Tung....Karl Marx, Engles, the usual perpetrators of communist ideology.... Most other bottles of various invisible inks were confiscated by the communists, including many "Blue Ghost", golden, and white invisible inks produced for the purpose of promoting freedom for people who lack freedom, in general. However, many bottles survived and remain in Tibet, Beijing, and several places that will never be named in public.

 

"The Year of the Golden Pig" label artwork was made with freedom from communist tyranny in mind. The art depicts a communist pig - the subject of the party's ban in state media - wearing a Mao suit and holding Mao's red book, waving the communist flag and standing proudly before the main hall of the Forbidden City. The lion guards are instead giant catfish guards...as is a Noodler's tradition. The Chinese character for the Year of the Pig appears on the label. The rest of the text is self-explanatory...although a spelling error exists upon the first 140 bottles due to a direct quote from a Chinese dissident. Later bottles do not spell "intolerance" with two L's. The ink is water based, pH neutral, archival....it strongly resists bleach, UV light, carpet cleaners, solvents, the usual tools of forgers...and in general is the bulletproof version of "Firefly". An eyedropper filled highlighter pen with fully visual ink chamber is included with each bottle. Given the costs per disposable highlighters and the average word count per given volume of ink - this re-useable highlighter is extremely competitive (in several cases representing savings of more than $215 equivalent) with even the most aggressively priced disposable highlighters on the market. Noodler's Ink hopes this offering offers you both savings for your wallet, the environment...and a little humor at the expense of the Chinese Communist Party. Each bottle contains approximately enough ink to refill the highlighter pen 30 to 35 times (depending upon how full you chose to fill the pen barrel) - and each pen holds far more ink than most pens on the market today.

 

Edited June 28, 2008 by tisfortorrey