Welcome to- The Fountain Pen Community!

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Noodler's reputation


Seasoned

Status: Offline
Posts: 140
Date:
RE: Noodler's reputation
Permalink Closed


WARNING: Long winded reply, had a nerve tweaked when I got the e-mail notifications. Sorry, in advance, for the run-on ...  lightbulb.gifeyepopping.gifpeace.gif

Had to chime in, being that I've been using Noodler's inks for a long time and having more than 20 variants I do have good experience in this area.
Noodler's has inks that cannot be purchased anywhere else, very specialized inks that many buy not reading what they're meant for or not caring until they try them and claim then they don't like them. They also have an enormous number of color variants which I love. Some write dry, some wet, some feather, some bleed, some are "bulletproof" permanent, some are nearly fraud-proof, ... meaning there's an ink for nearly every purpose under the Sun!

Basing opinions by comparing their inks to other brands of similar colors isn't the best comparison, as they're meant to be different. I too have, use and love Apache Sunset [despite being one of the driest inks I've ever used, needs a wet, a wide Oblique or Broader nib and that's OK by me], Ottoman Rose [a gorgeous ink, very well behaved in all pens I've used it in so far and looks fabulous from a Cursive Italic or Stub nib], even the Bay State Blue [that feathers rather badly on most paper until you find the right pen to combine BSB with].

When I get more time, I may compile a list of my Noodler's inks and may even post some of the hand-written reviews I've done.
As for MontBlanc British Racing Green I have plenty and it's one of my favoite green inks due to it looking nearly black from a Fine nib. Since it's been discontinued, I may go with Noodler's V-Mail G.I.Green that's been reformulated to look more like a British Racing Green than the old formula that looked too light like a minty green. I've also been interested in what the new Warden Series called Bad Green Gator might look like compared to MB Racing Green, since MB isn't the least bit waterproof and the Noodler's Bad Green Gator is supposed to be "bulletproof"
I haven't been around here much of late, lots on my plate and haven't been here or on any forums of any kind much so it's nothing personal.

I've lost count but I think I have over 50 different inks and most are Noodler's. Some are J. Herbin, Caran d' Ache, MontBlanc, Pelikan and more, many are 1/8 oz samples I got from friends. I've even recently tried those Civil War replica ink tablets you grind and mix with water to make a black ink much like those used during that period, one I may also do a written review on later. The ink tablets are a PITA to mix well enough to make a usable black ink, it smudges like charcoal art pencils once dry on paper, but it's tough as nails when it comes to water-resistance and chemical washes I've subjected it to. It's not an ink I'd use daily, would NEVER use the tablet ink in a fountain pen, but using a dip pen it work semi-OK and it's fun to use a historical replica.

What it comes down to is use what you like, use what works for you, enjoy the journey. Variation being the spice of life I personally choose to try as many different inks as possible, base my opinions on each ink and not just my comparisons to others. Yes, I do comparisons, of color, bleeding, feathering, wetness, dryness, even nib creep. Having gotten into dip pens I've found that inks that creep onto fountain pen nibs tend to work the best with dip nibs since the ink sticks and loads the nibs better than inks that don't creep on FP nibs. Again this shows another use for inks that some may not care for due to things like creep, while personally I'm not a "creep-freak" meaning nib creep doesn't freak me out as it does some folks. If I like an ink, like the color, like the properties, the creep isn't an issue for me and I'll continue to use and enjoy it regardless.

I like Noodler's inks, I will continue to buy them having used and owned so many. Not once have I had any of them destroy any fountain pen feeds including the use of Bay State Blue but that stuff does stain more than any other ink I've ever used. I have so much more to say about my experiences with Noodler's inks, both past and present, but I've rambled enough and must go for now. 

Good to see the Site getting more hits, good to see those I've not seen in awhile, I hope to see more of you all soon once my plate is cleared of the overflow. Be seein' ya!!


__________________
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try."
~Mark Twain~



Seasoned

Status: Offline
Posts: 110
Date:
Permalink Closed

sometimes small and other times large.  Nathan decided to become the boutiquest ink meaning tha sometimes the colors he produces not meanted to be limited are because he didn't have a large enough amount of raw materials.

unfortunate but not something that he is easily willing to admit to.  It's good that a person's grasp tries to be greater than their limits but sometimes it's nice to know that an ink you like is going to be around for awhile



__________________
Plaquemine 182-01


Seasoned

Status: Offline
Posts: 140
Date:
Permalink Closed

titivillus wrote:

 

"...Nathan decided to become the boutiquest ink meaning tha sometimes the colors he produces not meanted to be limited are because he didn't have a large enough amount of raw materials.

unfortunate but not something that he is easily willing to admit to.  It's good that a person's grasp tries to be greater than their limits but sometimes it's nice to know that an ink you like is going to be around for awhile"

____________________________________________________________

 

I wholeheartedly agree, that I too buy inks I find enjoyable only to have them too limited or later discontinued, how frustrating that can be. For one I really like Noodler's Coral Sea ink, but it's an Australian Exclusive ink that costs a small fortune to have shipped from Australia to the U.S.. That negates my being able to replenish the stock I had, no way I can afford to pay nearly $60 USD for a 3 oz bottle of my favorite ink and there's nothing else like it. Some Noodler's Limited Edition inks were made in such large quantities there's still plenty to be found but that too is not always the case. It's not just Noodler's, they just seem to be at the heart of it due to the overwhelming number of inks that have been and are being produced. The fact that another of my favorite inks was made by MontBlanc and is no[w] discontinued is evident that other companies are in the same boat, or in MBs case the cease of Racing Green production for reasons untold. that forced me to either find a replacement or stockpile what Racing Green is still available and neither is an option I care for or in the latter case can afford to do.

Back on the original topic, overly saturated inks clogging pens? So far the only ones I've had issue with from Noodler's has been Borealis black, Whaleman's Sepia and *Polar Brown [*original recipe, has since been reformulated]. Now these inks don't "clog" my pens but they do have heavy particulates that dry out under the nibs and in the feed channels, negating the flow until they've been wiped clean or the nib wetted with a damp tissue. Not once has any clogged a feed so badly that I needed to completely flush the feeds of the inks. That's why I say they don't clog, but rather they stop proper flow until wiped clean. The reds and yellows have never stopped flowing on me, they're heavy with color yet they don't separate like the blacks and browns do. I see this when a bottle goes unused for awhile, I've not once seen any sedimentation from Nikita red, Habanero or Apache Sunset and have never needed to shake them prior to use as I do need to do with some dark colors. I don't have nor have I ever tried Zhivago dark green but if it's anything like Hunter Green Eternal it may also separate while remaining static. Ink separation can be shaken to reconstitute in a bottle, but poses a real problem inside a fountain pen reservoir when a pen goes unused and unmoved for any period of time. While I don't see clogs, I do see these inks run light in color when first flowing and get darker as the ink has flown for a few lines and that's rather annoying.

I've had similar issues with inks that are not Noodler's brand and the worst have been the dark inks like blacks that tend to dry with non-use. This is even more evident when using them in a Pilot Vanishing Point with their tiny nibs & feeds, despite having a trap door covering the parts when they're not extended for writing. Try this, if you have a VP; fill a VP with just about any ink, leave it extended for writing and sitting on a desk for several minutes unused and you'll see what I mean. Pick it up, try to write, nothing happens. Run a damp tissue over the nib slot, touch the tip to tissue until the flow starts back up and they're good to go, not clogged but rather they just dry out and need coaxing.




-- Edited by InkaFX on Friday 11th of June 2010 09:16:22 AM

__________________
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try."
~Mark Twain~



Newbie

Status: Offline
Posts: 2
Date:
Permalink Closed

Noodler's Periwinkle (Eternal) and Lexington Gray (Bulletproof) inks are fabulous colors, but I've had a lot of clogging problems with them.

__________________
Cinci Girl


Newbie

Status: Offline
Posts: 17
Date:
Permalink Closed

While I have been one of those that have been avoiding using Noodler's due to its reputation. I also have learned that on a forum one negative  experience blossoms into a wildfire of negative responses. I personally have fallen for those negative posts. I also believe that most of this is an urban myth, that has mushroomed.

When I first journeyed into  fountain pens as a hobby several years ago. I had bought some bottles of Noodler's. As I my hobby grew, I put aside the Noodler's ink in favor inks such as Daimine, J.Herbin, Private Reserve. Recently I have purchased a bottle of Noodler's Sunset Apache.  I currently have it in a Parker Sonnet with a flex nib. The shading with the flex nib is very nice, love the color. I do not follow any rules of what colors I use, like being different. I do not any black inks.

__________________


Seasoned

Status: Offline
Posts: 110
Date:
Permalink Closed

I am enjoying Diamine & Pilot inks right now as my go to colors. BOth are dark blue as it appears that I have shifted my spectrum of use to that end from green.

Honestly it comes down to preference and chemistry. Find a color that you like and if it is a highly saturated ink you can use it just take a little more care maybe rinsing and washing out your pen at each refill & not letting the ink sit in the pen for weeks or months helps too.

This isn't rocket science, just dye & water with a hint of biocide and surfactants.

Use what you like and don't let anyone tell you different. There are lots of knockers out there who will say whatever they believe is true.


use and enjoy!



__________________
Plaquemine 182-01
«First  <  1 2 | Page of 2  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard