New with FP's - ink advice, top 3 (or so) Noodler's inks?

[Brandon P K]

Yes, I'm all over the Nib today. Trying to get some decisions nailed down so I can place an order & get rolling (well, no... er, gliding?).

Pen decisions aside, I'm also trying to choose some inks, of course. I'm not particular to just one color, but would likely use black, blue-black, blue, and possibly green and dark red - as I intend to use my FP's for correspondence, work notes, grading (which also means it'd be nice if they're waterproof).

I'm leaning toward Noodler's line (though I've taken notice of Diamine and Private Reserve, as well).

Do you have a collective recommendation for the top 3-5 Noodler's inks to start out with? I will likely try several samplers, but would like to narrow down my list.

Thanks!

 

[syngent]

I don't let noodlers in most o f my pens anymore but the ones I still use from time to time are liberty Elysium and 54 Massachusetts

Id have a harder look at PR and Diamine in which case the review sticky has some options to look at

I love my Diamine Eau De Nil

 

[Brandon P K]

I don't let noodlers in most o f my pens anymore but the ones I still use from time to time are liberty Elysium and 54 Massachusetts

I have noticed some mixed comments on some of his inks - why, particularly, have you opted for others?

 

[syngent]

A lot less problems

The ink creeps up on the nib... gets in the cap... in the nooks and crannies of my demonstrator
The ink writes great but i have a lot less pen problems with other ink

And parker quink is cheap and available at staples fyi

 

[Brandon P K]

I've also noticed in the reviews that they (at least those Diamine inks) seem not to be waterproof...

 

[Slivovitz]

My daily favorite inks are not actually Noodler's, but to answer the question as asked, there are nevertheless some good inks in their line.

For black, plain old Noodler's Black is reliable, bulletproof, and well, black.

Bad Belted Kingfisher is a nice darkish blue that might be called blue-black. I like the color. It's supposed to be bulletproof, but when I gave it my usual test of soaking a test page, I found that it actually runs quite a bit.

Bad Blue Heron is a lighter blue, and by my own test, much more water resistant.

Bad Green Gator is actually is my favorite green. It's darkish, so if you want a bright green it wouldn't be for you.

My favorite blue, though, is not Noodler's but Namiki Blue. Also like Private Reserve Ebony Purple.

 

[syngent]

That being said... you should check out goulet pens ink samples
You can get a lot of stuff to try and figure out what works best for you

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

Outside of Baystate Blue, I think if you practice regular pen maintenance - i.e. frequent cleaning and flushing even if re-filling with the same ink, etc. - there's nothing inherently wrong with any of the Noodler's inks. However, if you're the type that's going to let inked up pens sit in a desk drawer for a long time, you may want to look elsewhere. The biggest "issue" is how saturated the inks are, so much that they can cause clogging, skipping, etc. if left unattended. It's also up in the air as to whether additions that make some inks bulletproof, more lubricated, etc. can potentially cause any long term issues. That's why you'll see a lot of people either use Noodler's in less expensive pens or not use them at all.

That said, I LOVE Noodler's and use them regularly. Many others do also and report no issues at all with the inks. There's a lot of controversy about this particular subject, so I'd advise reading around the different fountain pen forums and see what you think.

Anyway, my most beloved Noodler's are as follows: Black, Blue, Blue Eel and Liberty's Elysium. All are very straightforward inks that have behaved really well in anything I put them in.

 

[Brandon P K]

Thanks for the recommendations - I maybe should've mentioned that these inks will likely be going in either my varsity-refill hacks, or possibly eyedropper'd preppy's.

(Maybe someday I'll get a Kaweco Sport, but for now I'd rather get some fun inks...)

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Noodler's are nice. They just creep bad. The really saturated colors can stain your pens and from my experience leave a lot of residue in the feed and nib gummy up the works over time. YMMV. I still have quite a few Noodler's inks and love Black Swan in Australian Rose. Noodler's Blue is also nice for a blue. Not waterproof or anything but it is a nice blue. Five O Clock Shadow looks nice but I think it and Benevolent Badger Blue were main culprits in gunking up my pens... But I don't know of anyone else who has had those issues with those inks.

 

[ubiquitous]

My 3 favorite Noodler's inks are Old Manhattan Black (very dark)/or the standard black (slightly lighter), and Zhivago which is a green/black that dries differently depending on nib width, etc. I've sometimes diluted mine to get it somewhat more green (murky swampy green) if that is your preference. I find these all great for work and all very water resistant.

 

[nemo]

Welcome to B&B and the Nib forum, ubiquitous! Glad to have you here.

 

[Doc4]

I'm also trying to choose some inks, of course. ... would likely use black, blue-black, blue, and possibly green and dark red - as I intend to use my FP's for correspondence, work notes, grading

(which also means it'd be nice if they're waterproof).

I'm leaning toward Noodler's line ...

I like most Noodler's inks, and they tend to be great. Nathan makes a lot of different inks, and sometimes pushes the envelope in terms of specific qualities, which can mean difficult performance in other areas, but that's just a few inks on the fringes, as it were. Most inks are fine.

I'll suggest you try ...

Noodler's black. Fantastic ink and totally waterproof as well as "bulletproof". This stuff rocks.

For a blue-black, I'd suggest you try samples of 54th Mass, Bad Blue Heron and Bad Belted Kingfisher. These are all bulletproof, and at least mostly waterproof (you may get some smudging when water gets on the dry ink, but the words will not be washed away.)

Blue ... I'm going to give you a different suggestion, and say try Midway Blue. It's quite a lighter blue, so very noticeable and "different" than the other inks, so it'll stand out from them.

If you want a red for marking I'm thinking you want some sort of "bulletproof" qualities, and those seem rare in reds. Some colours are easier to bulletproof and waterproof than others, depending on the chemicals needed to make the colours. A waterproof vibrant blue? Almost impossible. Anyhow, the reds would be either Fox or British Empire ... both of which are more expensive and neither of which I have tried. A non-bulletproof red that's really nice is Antietam.

I am also a great fan of Kung Te Cheng, which is a sort of blue-purple. It's going to be completely waterproof and bulletproof.

Get samples from the Goulets, and see which colours you like best!




A word on terminology ... many of the Noodler's inks are "bulletproof" and/or "eternal", which means that they are meant to outsmart the forger, and last "forever" rather than fade away in the sunlight (as so many inks will do over the decades.) Since a forger being able to wash ink of a page with mere water would be a "bad thing", any bulletproof ink has a good degree of water resistance, although many are not "water proof" in the common meaning of that phrase: that is, where none of the ink would budge at all, and once the paper dries, you won't be able to tell from the ink that the paper had ever been wet.

 

[andrew98]

Diamine Registrar's inks are waterproof. I'll put Noodler's in cheap pens, as I like a couple Noodler's inks for which there isn't really a Diamine substitute. Otherwise, I stick with Diamine, Pelikan, Waterman, and Parker Quink to be safe.

-Andy

 

[Jimmy James]

As far as Noodler's goes, I'd say this:

Including exclusives, I'd say Liberty's Elysium (Goulet), Legal Lapis (Pendemonium), Dark Matter, Tienanmen, and GI Green would be my choices that would give you a nice mix of properties and color palate.

Excluding those exclusives, I'd strike the first two and add Midway Blue and Baystate Blue (but read up on that ink's properties before buying).

If you go Diamine, I'd suggest Denim (my all time favorite), Majestic Blue, Graphite, Oxblood, and Delamere Green. If you want Registrar's, I'd say replace Graphite with it.

I am not sure why you'd want to stay with one family of inks to be honest. It would personally make more sense to me to go with something like an order at Goulet with exclusive Noodler's Liberty's Elysium, Diamine Denim, J. Herbin Cacao du Bresil, Aurora Black, and maybe Private Reserve Green Black or Diamine Oxblood so you could see how you like multiple brands in terms of bottle filling and the like.

 

[Mr5x5]

I like 5 O'Clock Shadow. A black with some green in it.

 

[Brandon P K]

As far as Noodler's goes, I'd say this:

Including exclusives, I'd say Liberty's Elysium (Goulet), Legal Lapis (Pendemonium), Dark Matter, Tienanmen, and GI Green would be my choices that would give you a nice mix of properties and color palate.

Excluding those exclusives, I'd strike the first two and add Midway Blue and Baystate Blue (but read up on that ink's properties before buying).

If you go Diamine, I'd suggest Denim (my all time favorite), Majestic Blue, Graphite, Oxblood, and Delamere Green. If you want Registrar's, I'd say replace Graphite with it.

I am not sure why you'd want to stay with one family of inks to be honest. It would personally make more sense to me to go with something like an order at Goulet with exclusive Noodler's Liberty's Elysium, Diamine Denim, J. Herbin Cacao du Bresil, Aurora Black, and maybe Private Reserve Green Black or Diamine Oxblood so you could see how you like multiple brands in terms of bottle filling and the like.

Yeah, I probably need to get over my compulsion to stick to just one brand. Thanks much for the cross-brand recommendations! Any more recommendations along those lines...?

 

[gmgaj]

My favorites are: PR black cherry and Noodlers navy. The navy is a terrific blue with a touch of green in it, and it is the only blue I use anymore. The black cherry is a deep red and is well named for the color. It is a beautiful color.

 

[Doc4]

Yeah, I probably need to get over my compulsion to stick to just one brand. Thanks much for the cross-brand recommendations! Any more recommendations along those lines...?

Blue-black/black-blue ... Sailor Sei-boku (Generally pretty waterproof, IIRC)

Diamine Oxblood for a darker red ... but no waterproofi-ness.


... seriously though, a good number of samples will keep you occupied for longer than you expect. The Goulets have pre-selected many of the best and/or most popular inks into colour-coded packages.

 

[jzuzphreek]

I have Noodler's Benevolent Badger Blue in my eyedroppered Preppy. I switch back and forth between that and Noodler's X-Feather (only because those are the only two inks of which I have a full bottle). I seldom have nib creep issues with the preppy. With my vintage Esterbrook, however, I empty more Noodler's ink into the cap than I do unto paper. I'm gonna try some Private Reserve and Diamine inks and see if that changes anything.