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Boofredlay · Newbie

Frustrated with Noodler's Eel

Scratch · Experienced

G'day Boofredlay,

I'm no expert but am wondering why you chose to use the Noodler's Eel range for your pen. From my understanding the Eel inks are designed for plunger pens and have a lubricant to help with the mechanism. This lubricant may indeed inhibit the ink from drying as quickly as you would want.

How about contacting the ink manufacturers directly and get a suggestion for a faster drying ink!

All the best,
Roger

Boofredlay · Newbie

I got the Eel inks from suggestions of a couple artists and
some friends as well. The color and ease of writing is very
nice but I just cannot handle the dry time.

Boofredlay · Newbie

Well after some more testing it seems that the Noodler's Eel Black
is the only ink that smudges however only in the Moleskine
Notebook (thin pages). In the Moleskine Sketchbook (thicker pages)
it dries pretty fast and does not seem to smudge after drying.
Now the Noodler's Eel Rattler Red ink dries in both pretty fast.
This seems odd to me, there must be something in the black ink
that is preventing it from drying on the thin notebook pages.

So... it seems it is the paper not the ink.

Chthulhu · Rawr.

I've seen a lot of complaints about the paper in Moleskine notebooks being unsuited to fountain pen ink in general.

DWL · ***

"So... it seems it is the paper not the ink."

I've had the same problem. Aurora black is very black & has a very fast dry time.

Boofredlay · Newbie

Thanks guys.

titivillus · Seasoned

Don't assume it is the paper only. Lots of people hate Moleskine's and take every opportunity to write vitrol about the paper and the company.

Writing or drawing is a combination of the pen, ink and paper. It is the combination of all of these that produces the results.

Boofredlay · Newbie

Absolutely. However it is just weird that the black
Eel line of ink smudges after days of dry time and
the Red Eel ink dries within seconds on the same
paper.

On a side note I am more frustrated with the rep
at Noodler's. I asked him a number of pointed
questions about his product and every response,
if there was one, was not helpful. Most notably
was my request for what he recommended as a
fast drying black ink. The response was only this.

X-Feather.

Well if he had read his own fact sheet, X-Feather
was formulated not to feather and takes longer
to dry.

http://www.noodlersink.com/xFeather.html

Poor customer service bothers me more than anything.

Boofredlay · Newbie

In case anybody is interested I got a bottle of Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin and it seems to dry pretty quick in the Moleskines.