Noodler's Burma Road Brown Review

[ThirdeYe]

I scaled down the images as per the FPN rules. For larger versions of the image, click here: Burma Road Brown Review

 

I should note that in the smaller versions of these images, it makes the ink look darker than it really is.

 

I just got a bottle of this ink and I really like it. I figured it would be perfectly suited to my 1940s Parker Vacumatic, being that this is a replica of inks used during that time period (Noodler's V-Mail series). From what I understand, it isn't a replica of V-Mail ink, but just of inks of that vintage. I tested it on a number of papers with varying results. It also doesn't like to flow very well in my Vacumatic, at least compared to the Quink Blue-Black I had in it previously. It takes a while to get it started, whereas the Quink Blue-Black started immediately. I have to shake the pen to get it going, and once it gets going it's fine.

 

My conclusion in a nutshell is that this is a great looking ink with some bulletproof capabilities. It is not completely waterproof/eternal, but it holds up well after being run under the tap and soaked for a while. It leaves behind the writing in gray (the bulletproof component of the ink) but some of the brown washes away. I would be completely gung-ho about this ink if it wasn't for the slight issue of it starting hard in my Vacumatic. It might just be the pen though, and I will update this in the future with my findings after I either try it in a different pen, or try a different ink in my pen.

 

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/8923/scan0001tg.jpg

 

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/1919/scan0002mx.jpg

 

http://img863.imageshack.us/img863/2198/scan0003q.jpg

 

Close-up (still looks a little darker than it is in real life):

http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/3461/closeupsample.jpg

 

-Derek (ThirdeYe)

Edited April 28, 2011 by ThirdeYe

[Biber]

I have found that a bit of watering down improves shading and makes this ink even better!

[saskia_madding]

This actually looks a lot like Rikyu-cha.

[ThirdeYe]

This actually looks a lot like Rikyu-cha.

 

I just looked up some reviews for Rikyu-Cha, and I believe you're right. They look similar to me, however I've had no experience with the Sailor ink.

[Signum1]

Good review ThirdeYe!

 

I have Operation Overlord Orange. Does the ink flow from your Burma Road Brown appears to be like a runny nose? My Operation Overlord Orange is very watery from the bottle. I hold my pen at a high angle (about 70 degrees) and I noticed a blob of ink accumulating on the tip of the nib with the Operation Overlord Orange. I would like to hear your thoughts on this V-Mail series.

[axolotl66]

Have to say, I didn't like the colour of this ink "in the flesh". The reviews I saw had it as a nice deep gray-brown but in my Pelikan Mxxxs of various nib widths it was too goose doo-doo green (greener than these scans look) for me. Other properties were just dandy, and I was sorry the colour didn't send me. I watered it down too to improve shading as I don't like too much saturation, but this just made it more obviously green! I have come to the conclusion (after looking at a number of greens), that I just don't like green ink too much.

 

Nice ink, just didn't like the green-ness.

Graham

[ThirdeYe]

Good review ThirdeYe!

 

I have Operation Overlord Orange. Does the ink flow from your Burma Road Brown appears to be like a runny nose? My Operation Overlord Orange is very watery from the bottle. I hold my pen at a high angle (about 70 degrees) and I noticed a blob of ink accumulating on the tip of the nib with the Operation Overlord Orange. I would like to hear your thoughts on this V-Mail series.

 

Thanks!

 

I do notice some ink blobbing out of the Vacumatic, coming from what appears to be the breather hole on the nib. It will sometimes "leak" a bit of ink out of it onto the nib. Not like the traditional nib creep that you get with most Noodler's inks, but rather a big drip of ink comes out of it at times. I think that could be due to me having to shake the pen to get it going though. :roflmho:

[stuartk]

Have to say, I didn't like the colour of this ink "in the flesh". The reviews I saw had it as a nice deep gray-brown but in my Pelikan Mxxxs of various nib widths it was too goose doo-doo green (greener than these scans look) for me. Other properties were just dandy, and I was sorry the colour didn't send me. I watered it down too to improve shading as I don't like too much saturation, but this just made it more obviously green! I have come to the conclusion (after looking at a number of greens), that I just don't like green ink too much.

 

Nice ink, just didn't like the green-ness.

Graham

 

I kind of like it. It seems to me to be close to a raw umber in color. My favorite is a much warmer brown, #41 Brown, but this cooler color is appealing too. It reminds me of some brown inks I saw in use when I was a kid.

[ThirdeYe]

Good review ThirdeYe!

 

I have Operation Overlord Orange. Does the ink flow from your Burma Road Brown appears to be like a runny nose? My Operation Overlord Orange is very watery from the bottle. I hold my pen at a high angle (about 70 degrees) and I noticed a blob of ink accumulating on the tip of the nib with the Operation Overlord Orange. I would like to hear your thoughts on this V-Mail series.

 

Thanks!

 

I do notice some ink blobbing out of the Vacumatic, coming from what appears to be the breather hole on the nib. It will sometimes "leak" a bit of ink out of it onto the nib. Not like the traditional nib creep that you get with most Noodler's inks, but rather a big drip of ink comes out of it at times. I think that could be due to me having to shake the pen to get it going though. :roflmho:

 

Just an update on this... I recently inked one of my Esterbrooks with this ink and it is now literally leaking out of the breather hole whenever I try to write with it. It'll sometimes drip right onto the paper. I can wipe it off and it'll come right back as soon as I start to write

Edited July 27, 2011 by ThirdeYe

[mstone]

I've never had trouble with BRB falling out.

[ThirdeYe]

I've never had trouble with BRB falling out.

 

I find it very strange that it's done it in 2 of 2 pens I've used it in so far. It did it in my Vacumatic and my Esterbrook. I've asked some of my penpals who have used it and they've had no issues... I'll have to try it in a more modern pen and see how it goes.

[KAC]

I'm curious for follow-up on this report on this ink in vintage Parkers. I've used Noodlers in rubber-bladder pens (e.g., my Lucky Curve Duofold Mandarin) with disasterous results. It seemed to work okay in my Vacuumatic extra-fine point but I pitched the ink after two bad experiences.