Noodly Goodness

January 19, 2015

Well, as expected, almost all Noodler's inks have been named :-)

My vote goes to:

1) Baystate Blue - you won't find an ink like this elsewhere (in good and bad), definitely a must-try, even if only as once-in-a-lifetime-experience

2) Golden Brown - gets the most compliments from all inks I use (blue is blue, red is red, black is black, nothing special for other people - but this one: is this gold? or is it brown? oh, what's that, never seen something like it!?)

January 20, 2015

Well, as expected, almost all Noodler's inks have been named :-)

My vote goes to:
1) Baystate Blue - you won't find an ink like this elsewhere (in good and bad), definitely a must-try, even if only as once-in-a-lifetime-experience
2) Golden Brown - gets the most compliments from all inks I use (blue is blue, red is red, black is black, nothing special for other people - but this one: is this gold? or is it brown? oh, what's that, never seen something like it!?)

Haha it seems that way. Doesn't he sell like well over 150 different inks that are readily available? I'm sure it's closer to 200 if you include previous ones, reforumlated but different clearly, etc. type inks

January 20, 2015

You can get some real fancy pants colors from Noodler's BUT don't miss the EXCELLENT job Nathan does on the classics as well. My 2¢ is as follows:

Noodler's Black---The most blacks in the most situations, and frightenly/comically waterproof. Honestly, it is such an intense black there is none blacker...even the wonderfully named Heart of Darkness is not so black.* Waterproofness? If you write on a piece of paper and put the paper in water after the ink dries, the writing will remain after the paper dissolves! OK, that is a slight exaggeration, but not by much. If I could only have one black, it would be Noodler's. Case closed.
Noodler's Blue--So very overlooked in the sea of foreign inks, tricky inks, disdained blue inks, fetishized blue inks. Blue is such a winner! A fetching shade of slightly green leaning blue which shades and behaves beautifully well.This one stands on the same level as Akkerman Shocking Blue, but has some serious American charm. It's the shading.
Noodler's Bay State Blue--The legend! Dedicate one pen to it and let the goodness of retina searing blue stain your very SOUL. I feel like a monk in Medieval times using pure lapis lazuli to illuminate manuscripts when I use this. It's the intensity of the blue. Does not shade and stains like mad but it's glorious.
Noodler's Apache Sunset---You have never ever had anything shade so wonderfully as Apache Sunset! Just fabulous.
Noodler's Cayenne--the color of dried blood. Wonderful for Halloween invitations!
Noodler's E.L. Lawrence and Zhivago---Tricky green blacks, really great for being fence sitters. E.L. Lawrence is browner, Zhivago is greener.
Noodler's Army---Very yellow green/camo/Army green. Shades beautifully. Don't miss it since they got their formula back to where it should be.
Purple? Well, I have tried a bunch of their purples and, well, I make my own mix (thanks to this forum) and it's called Black Swan in North African Violets. Shades like mad and looks fabulous. A combination of North African Violet and Heart of Darkness. Worth going through the trouble just to get a rare shading purple.
Golden Brown? The color of baby poo and shades like mad. MAD!!!! Fun to use, fun to try to figure out. I can't get enough of this color, the best high shading muzzy brown out there.
Navajo Turquoise-Great shading and very strong color
Blue Eel-slick writing and great shading as I remember. Fetching color.

Have fun!

January 20, 2015

Nice concise tribute to Bay State Blue Fabienne. I agree, a great ink, which, if used with just a little caution yields colorful pleasure. It is best to dedicate a pen to it's use. That issue has been discussed at length on this forum.

I'd add Borealis Black to the list - though as noted above it's not waterproof.

I also agree with Fabienne's assessment of Noodler's Blue, it's one of my regular blue inks

January 21, 2015

Noodler's inks are some of the best value I have seen. However, international

shipping can be brutal. Looks like cost of ink + 40% to 60% shipping. Consider

the economy of acquiring Noodler's inks in the 4.5 ounce (125 ml) bottles.

Do you know of other pen people ? Maybe you can save on a large shipment.

January 21, 2015

I only have two right now, but really like them. Texas Blue Bonnet is currently my favorite ink, and then I just got in some Black Swan in Australian Roses.. I'm planning on using them quite bit for work.

January 21, 2015

Okay, here is my contribution using the wonderful list above:

Noodler's Blue - Bright, pretty, a little slow to dry, but it always looks good and has never stained any of my pens.
Noodler's Bay State Blue--The legend! Dedicate one pen to it and let the retinas be stained. You must have this ink to complete any collection.
Noodler's Apache Sunset---You have never ever had anything shade so wonderfully as Apache Sunset! Just fabulous. Even I can convince it to shade.
Noodler's Cayenne--the color of dried blood. Wonderful for Halloween invitations! Habanero is similar and I like it a lot. Either is fine.
Purple - I adore the basic purple. I think it would sell more if it were called People Eater. Great all around bright ink.
Navajo Turquoise-Great shading and very strong color
Red Eel-I love the blue, but RED REMOVES STAINS.
Midway Blue - water resistant, fade resistant and mostly trouble free.

January 21, 2015

Noodler's inks are some of the best value I have seen. However, international
shipping can be brutal. Looks like cost of ink + 40% to 60% shipping. Consider
the economy of acquiring Noodler's inks in the 4.5 ounce (125 ml) bottles.

Do you know of other pen people ? Maybe you can save on a large shipment.

No, I know of no other people, I am quite alone in my hobby.

January 22, 2015

I haven't tried much of a range, but I'd seriously take a look at Red-Black. It's a beautiful ink that shades to a very dark color, and it behaves very nicely on all kinds of paper. It's underrated, but very nice. Review, for your consideration.

January 22, 2015

No, I know of no other people, I am quite alone in my hobby.

Check in the PIF forum, I think a group buy is underway.

January 22, 2015

I almost always have a pen inked with either Zhivago (it passes for black to most readers), General of the Armies, or Midway. All of the V-Mail inks are favorites, actually, but Midway is pretty much the perfect blue in my book.

For a straightforward black, with no tricks up its sleeve like Zhivago's green tint, Dark Matter is my go-to ink. It's not the darkest or most saturated black, but something about it just seems perfect for a fountain pen black.

Black Swan in English Roses is, in my book, a hugely underrated burgundy ink. It's dark enough that I have no problem using it as a plain-old writing ink or at work. But it's got enough color that it also serves well as a mark-up or correction ink. Great balance, and a much more consistent color than Black Swan in Australian Roses lately.

January 24, 2015

Antietam -- a lovely brown that has reddish undertones. Similar to Cayenne that can have a dried blood appearance (watch your inky fingers), but a bit more intense & has some slight shading with a bolder nib. Dances with a Pelican nib across Tomoe River paper.