Noodler's 54Th Massachusetts Review

[iliadodyssey]

I Just received my bottle of Noodler's new 54th Massachusetts blue-black and had to share it with the world. Please forgive the quality of the pictures since it is night time and the only camera I had available at the time was a crummy iPad camera. I will try to get better pictures posted tomorrow.

Transcription for anyone who cannot make out my small handwriting in the picture: I have been looking for a good blue-black for some time now. Being an American History teacher who covers the American Civil War, it was almost irresistible to pick up this ink since it is themed perfectly for my class AND a blue-black like I wanted. I am getting absolutely no bleed on this paper, even when flexing the dip pen in the doodle! Show-through is minimal. Could this be a contemporary for Noodler's Black on behavior? I am seriously impressed by this first try [impression]. So far, the only drawback is the loooong dry times. This paper does not usually produce particularly long dry times, but Wow, 30+ sec is rather extended (lefties beware). The color seems to lean heavily to "Black" rather than "Blue" with a hint of teal. Paper towel chromatography shows blue-grey, a halo of plain blue, and a black core that did not separate. So far I am impressed. Only on the ultra cheap tablet paper does basic N. Black perform better (in the dip pen). This ink looks good for my teacher's seal of approval for really crummy paper, but I will wait a few days to make that call. I do need to point out one other drawback. This ink smells similar to a sharpie. Somewhat unpleasant. I also have to caution that this ink shows a lot of nib creap. I do not know if it is the pen or the ink (new pen).

The front of the reeeeeally cheap tablet paper shows just how this ink compares to some other favorites. Note that the feathering and bleeding is coming from the dip pen, not the fountain pen.

Back side shows that the Noodler's Black is still the champ of these inks, but 54th Mass has promise

Cannot even tell that the ink was exposed to water. The bleach almost moved a little of the blue, but just barely. It might not have been good and dry. The bleach changed the color of the paper more than the ink!

Finally, for anyone who is interested, here is the paper towel test.

[Miadhawk]

Thanks for the review, is the sharpie smell you mention very noticeable? The color and water/bleach resistance is great, nice testing.

[tnmike1]

This ink smells exactly like the Noodler's Russian series. Haven't experienced this yet, but the Russian series was horrible in not starting in a pen filled with the ink if you left it for a day or so. Also, if you have Legal Lapis, use your Q-tip and do a test. you'll be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and the Legal Lapis. Lapis has a bit of green; other than that, hardly a noticeable difference.

 

Thought I'd be more impressed with this ink than I am. too bad. Out about 10 bux. Back to either my vintage Skrip or Tsuki-yo which also shows signs of water resistance.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for your Review!

 

I was hoping for a Blue-Black without a Green-Teal aspect, so your efforts have helped me to avoid an unrewarding purchase - I'll stick with Noodler's Benevolent Badger Blue for the time being.

Did you find it necessary to use a weak ammonia solution to cleanse the pens? Or was plain water sufficient?

 

Bye,

S1

 

Edited November 14, 2012 by Sandy1

[iliadodyssey]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for your Review!

 

I was hoping for a Blue-Black without a Green-Teal aspect, so your efforts have helped me to avoid an unrewarding purchase - I'll stick with Noodler's Benevolent Badger Blue for the time being.

Did you find it necessary to use a weak ammonia solution to cleanse the pens? Or was plain water sufficient?

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

Unfortunately, after a thorough flush with plain water, I noticed that my pen still had a blue tinge to the underside of the nib. A quick flush with 10:1 water to ammonia with a drop of dish soap cleared it up quickly and with no visible color coming out into the solution.

[inkstainedruth]

I can't tell from the photos (I realize that they're not the best), but could you tell me if this has any shading to it? I'm willing to put up with long dry times (heck, that's what blotter paper is for) if the color is good and there's at least some shading.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[drwright]

How does this ink compare in color to Noodler's Blue-Black?

[tnmike1]

no color, no shading, just a very dark blue--almost black. someone called it the Zhivago of blue-black which describes it perfectly. Only real plus to this stuff is its permanence, something I can get with other Noodler inks.

 

Would love someone to comparre it to Noodler's Blue Black which I also found more black than blue

 

My search goes on for something to equal vintage Skrip Blue Black when my supply runs out or those vintage bottles are no longer available

[Daisy]

I can't tell from the photos (I realize that they're not the best), but could you tell me if this has any shading to it? I'm willing to put up with long dry times (heck, that's what blotter paper is for) if the color is good and there's at least some shading.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Hi Ruth! I have been playing with a Goulet sample of this and do not find that it shades more than a low average, regardless of paper. Part of this is because I have been using wet writers, but part of it is just that this isn't an extraordinary shader, and so far I've tried it on HPLJ #24, vintage onionskin, and Tomoe River. On pretty much every paper, I'd give it a 3 out of 10 for shading.

 

On the other hand, I think if I gave it a few drops of water it'd probably shade to knock my socks off, because the surprising thing is that it shades at all for as saturated as it is.

 

Personally, overall I think it's a very attractive ink on the page despite the relative lack of shading, but that's just me. YMMV, of course.

[CAG_1787]

It's a nice ink (and a very nice review, too). I have found it to be a hard starter after a few days, though. This was on a fine nib.

[ukobke]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for your Review!

 

I was hoping for a Blue-Black without a Green-Teal aspect, so your efforts have helped me to avoid an unrewarding purchase - I'll stick with Noodler's Benevolent Badger Blue for the time being.

Did you find it necessary to use a weak ammonia solution to cleanse the pens? Or was plain water sufficient?

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

 

⁺¹

Edited December 20, 2012 by ukobke

[georges zaslavsky]

That is why I stay away from Noodlers, they are an absolute pain in the ass to clean.

[mhosea]

That is why I stay away from Noodlers, they are an absolute pain in the ass to clean.

 

I think you must mean the cellulose reactive ones or the ones in the Baystate line are hard to clean out of pens. This is why I confine the use of those inks to certain pens. However, these types of ink account for less than half of available Noodler's inks. Most Noodler's Inks are very easy to clean out of pens. Noodler's Blue is especially easy.

Edited December 21, 2012 by mhosea

[MyDarnSnakeLegs]

Really nice review! I love this ink. I've got a sample of it, and it's in two pens right now. It doesn't feather on anything, and I really like that in a pen. I need to get around to reviewing it.