Noodler's Eternal Brown

[BillTheEditor]

Ann Finley asked me to do a review of this ink, since I normally have it loaded in a pen in rotation. I have done my best to correct the color of the scan below, and it looks pretty close on my monitor.

 

Noodler's Eternal Brown is a bulletproof, eternal ink. "Bulletproof" is Nathan Tardif's term, by which he means the ink will stand up to the efforts of a forger or check washer to remove or alter it. Basically, the paper the ink is on will turn to pulp or mush but the ink will remain unchanged because it has reacted with the cellulose in the paper and bonded to it -- forever. "Eternal" means the ink will not fade with time or exposure to light. In other words, what you write, as long as it's on something that has cellulose in it (including cotton clothing) is there to stay.

 

Eternal Brown is an ink that is exclusive to Pendemonium (http://www.pendemonium.com). Pendemonium's notes on this ink refer to it as "sepia." Well, ok, it's their ink. I'd call it a "medium brown." The color changes a bit as the ink dries and bonds to the cellulose. When it is still a bit damp, it looks to me as if it has some gray or even greenish overtones. But an hour or two later, it's noticably more brown. When you write your first lines with it, you probably won't like the color. Be patient. It's kind of cool. Eternal Brown also looks different in different lights. Under flourescent lamps, it looks worse. Under incandescent light or in sunlight, it looks much better.

 

As is the case with many inks, Eternal Brown looks different from different nibs. Generally, I think you will like the color better if you use a stub nib, or a wet writer.

 

Eternal Brown is well-behaved. It flows well, it dries fast, it's not especially prone to feathering, and it doesn't soak through most better-quality papers.

 

This seems to be a perfectly ok ink for personal use. I probably would not use it for business. It's not all that exciting to look at, really, but that's good -- it doesn't call attention to itself. You might find it interesting for use in journaling, for addressing envelopes, or for writing checks. I don't know how your sweetheart would feel about receiving a letter written in this ink. You could mix a little Noodler's Black with it to darken it without harming its bulletproof qualities.

 

 

Edited to add some points from Ann Finley's suggestions for what to include in an ink review:

 

Paper used: Levenger Circa paper, old stock from a stash that I've had for about 6 or 7 years. I have been doing all my ink reviews and samples on this paper, in order to have a consistent standard. I note that most inks will soak through Circa paper, even though they may be perfect on (for example) Clairefontaine. I also note that many inks are not as vibrant on Circa as they are on other paper. For example, Eternal Brown is different in appearance (more attractive, to my eye) on Ampad Gold Fibre paper than on the Circa stuff. But a standard is a standard, and at least the difference illustrates my oft-repeated point that the subjective experience of an ink depends as much on the paper as it does on the ink. It also depends on the nib and the pen.

 

Drying time and flow: Eternal Brown dries quickly, and does not smear once dry. It flows very well in every pen that I have had it in, and that is a lot of pens.

 

Does it dry up in pens quickly?: I can leave Eternal Brown in a pen for weeks and it does not dry up or clog. I can have the pen uncapped for several minutes and the pen will still start right up. For most pens. In a Hero 329, for example, it may take a little effort to get it started again, but that is true for many other inks as well, and even then the Eternal Brown does better than most.

 

Nib lubrication: I would call it "adequate." It doesn't make a wet nib scratchy. It doesn't make a dry nib like butter.

 

Nib creep: Little to none. At least in my experience. Your experience, as always, may be different. But I can't recall any nib in which the creep was enough to notice unless you were looking for it.

 

Does it shade?: I would say it provides moderate shading, especially in a stub or italic nib with good flow characteristics ("wet"). In a medium or fine nib, you aren't going to see much shading.

 

Sensitivity to hand oils: Not especially. No skipping that I've noticed.

 

Archival qualities: pH is 7.0, like all Noodler's inks. This is an Eternal ink, which means it is waterproof, resistant to detergents, and does not fade under ultraviolet light. I am not sure how different "Eternal" is from "Bulletproof" but I trust this ink enough to write checks with. In his descriptions of "Eternal" and "bulletproof," Nathan Tardif specifies that the Bulletproof inks cannot be removed with alcohol, but this claim is missing from the ones listed for Eternal inks. Whether this is significant or an oversight, I don't know. Maybe some day Nathan will tell us. I do note that Nathan says the term "Bulletproof" was added after another ink reviewer (Greg Clark) used that word to describe the fraud-proof inks. Maybe "bulletproof" wasn't Nathan's idea.

 

Papers it works on/doesn't work on: Apart from differences such as the ones I cited between Circa and Clairfontaine, I have to say that Eternal Brown works well on every paper I have used it on (including Moleskine pages) EXCEPT newsprint, on which it feathers a bit.

 

Similar ink colors: I don't have all that many brown inks (only 3 or 4), so don't take this as definitive, but I don't know of any other brown inks that are quite this shade of medium brown. Most brown inks I have seen tend to be darker and more reddish than Eternal Brown.

 

Packaging: Eternal Brown comes only in bottles -- no cartridges. You can get it in a 3 ounce bottle or in a 4 ounce bottle. The 3 ounce bottle is square and tall, and has no ink well. This bottle when full would probably tip over quite easily, and when first opened it is quite full. Use appropriate precautions. The 4 ounce bottle has no ink well, but it does have an eyedropper cap. I use my 4 ounce bottle to top up the 3 ounce bottle, since the opening of the 4 ounce bottle is small and it would be tough to refill (for example) a lever-filler from it once the level went down a bit. The 4 ounce bottle is round and stable.

 

Miscellaneous: Of all the inks I own, Eternal Brown and Noodler's Black are the two that are easiest to completely flush out of a pen. With very little effort, all of the ink comes out of the converter, feed, and nib, leaving them clean as a whistle. Eternal Brown does not stain converters. I don't know if I'd make that a blanket recommendation for using EB in your prized Pelikan Demonstrator (I don't own one to try it out), but I feel pretty safe with this ink not leaving permanent marks anywhere except on stuff with cellulose in it.

Edited September 27, 2007 by BillTheEditor

[captnemo]

Hmm, I am a big fan of brown inks. My current "main ink" is a brown I make by mixing Noodlers Golden Brown and Bulletproof Black. But your images here are intriguing. I like the depth effect.

 

What I am wondering is what is the difference between Eternal and Bulletproof? If this brown is bulletproof, why isn't it called Bulletproof Brown. If it had been, I would have bought it long ago, but I don't know what "Eternal" means. "Eternal" sounds less permanent than "Bulletproof" to me.

 

 

Edited to correct from Beaver to Golden Brown. (my brain slipped a gear)

Edited September 28, 2007 by captnemo

[southpaw]

Excellent review, Bill. Thanks for doing it and sharing with us.

[jd50ae]

I do not use brown inks at all but that was a very good review.

[BillTheEditor]

Hmm, I am a big fan of brown inks. My current "main ink" is a brown I make by mixing Noodlers Beaver and Bulletproof Black. But your images here are intriguing. I like the depth effect.

 

What I am wondering is what is the difference between Eternal and Bulletproof? If this brown is bulletproof, why isn't it called Bulletproof Brown. If it had been, I would have bought it long ago, but I don't know what "Eternal" means. "Eternal" sounds less permanent than "Bulletproof" to me.

I believe "Eternal" means it doesn't fade. But I am not sure. If I get a chance, I'll do a little more research and correct that belief if necessary. In the meantime, Eternal Brown is definitely one of the bulletproof inks.

 

Edited to add:

 

In an email to Mike Shea, Nathan said, "any ink that has the term "eternal" on the label is a specialty colored ink made to resist UV light, water once dried on cellulose paper, and most detergents once dried on cellulose...as well as being repelled by plastic (Verdun, Devil Red, Eternal Brown, Hellbender Red, Gulf Stream Blue...& more colors will be introduced as their formulas are perfected)"

 

This is posted on the Web at http://mikeshea.net/More_on_Noodlers_Ink.html along with Nathan's definitions for his other marketing labels (bulletproof, Polar, contract, American Eel, and Standard).

 

Hope this helps. I don't think I could find anything more definitive, but if anyone does, I'd love to have a link to it.

Edited September 26, 2007 by BillTheEditor

[CasmiUK]

"Eternal" sounds less permanent than "Bulletproof" to me.

I must admit I got a bit of a grin at the thought of a search for something that lasts longer than eternal/eternity.....

 

But this has nothing to do with ink........

Edited September 26, 2007 by CasmiUK

[captnemo]

"Eternal" sounds less permanent than "Bulletproof" to me.

I must admit I got a bit of a grin at the thought of a search for something that lasts longer than eternal/eternity.....

 

But this has nothing to do with ink........

 

 

Hehe, at chuckled at that too as I wrote the above, but I'm sure you get my meaning. We all know what Nathan means by bulletproof, so any ink that is not called bulletproof must be something less robust. But I think Bill's latest explanation clears it up completely for me.

 

Eternal probably means the ink will stand up "forever" against the reasonable things that a piece of paper might encounter (passage of time, UV light, water). But an Eternal ink will not stand up to deliberate / malicious attacks with boiling ammonia, bleach, carpet cleaners, etc., whereas a bulletproof ink will withstand these things.

[captnemo]

Hmm, I am a big fan of brown inks. My current "main ink" is a brown I make by mixing Noodlers Beaver and Bulletproof Black. But your images here are intriguing. I like the depth effect.

 

What I am wondering is what is the difference between Eternal and Bulletproof? If this brown is bulletproof, why isn't it called Bulletproof Brown. If it had been, I would have bought it long ago, but I don't know what "Eternal" means. "Eternal" sounds less permanent than "Bulletproof" to me.

I believe "Eternal" means it doesn't fade. But I am not sure. If I get a chance, I'll do a little more research and correct that belief if necessary. In the meantime, Eternal Brown is definitely one of the bulletproof inks.

 

Edited to add:

 

In an email to Mike Shea, Nathan said, "any ink that has the term "eternal" on the label is a specialty colored ink made to resist UV light, water once dried on cellulose paper, and most detergents once dried on cellulose...as well as being repelled by plastic (Verdun, Devil Red, Eternal Brown, Hellbender Red, Gulf Stream Blue...& more colors will be introduced as their formulas are perfected)"

 

This is posted on the Web at http://mikeshea.net/More_on_Noodlers_Ink.html along with Nathan's definitions for his other marketing labels (bulletproof, Polar, contract, American Eel, and Standard).

 

Hope this helps. I don't think I could find anything more definitive, but if anyone does, I'd love to have a link to it.

 

Thank you. I think that clears it up completely for me.

[Ann Finley]

Thanks much for the review, Bill! I, too, have this ink but am glad you were willing to do the review, as I have several other ink reviews lined up to do over the next few weeks, and the other mods & I are still busy re-structuring the ink forums.

 

I agree that this is a well-behaved ink. In my pens, it behaves better than our FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown, though I like the looks of the FPN brown, better. I can leave Eternal Brown in a Reform piston filler with an Esterbrook 2312 nib for months without needing to rinse between fillings. I can't do this with all bulletproof / eternal inks.

 

Thanks again,

Ann

 

 

[CharlieB]

I wonder what would happen if one were to mix Noodlers Walnut with Noodlers Eternal Brown. Would the chemicals react badly? Or would they combine nicely to form a waterproof, fadeproof ink that was darker than Eternal Brown and lighter than Walnut?

[Ann Finley]

I wonder what would happen if one were to mix Noodlers Walnut with Noodlers Eternal Brown. Would the chemicals react badly? Or would they combine nicely to form a waterproof, fadeproof ink that was darker than Eternal Brown and lighter than Walnut?

 

IIRC, all Noodler's inks are supposed to be safe to mix with each other. It has been said that mixing non-waterproof Noodler's with the waterproof would "nullify" the waterproof characteristics of the waterproof inks. But I think what was meant was that after mixing, you wouldn't have a completely waterproof ink--the non-waterproof component of the mix would run off in contact with water. Since Walnut has been upgraded to "near bulletproof" you may see little run-off, if any.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong about this.

 

Best, Ann

[BillTheEditor]

Added information to the basic review. Should now cover just about everything you want to know about Eternal Brown.

[captnemo]

I wonder what would happen if one were to mix Noodlers Walnut with Noodlers Eternal Brown. Would the chemicals react badly? Or would they combine nicely to form a waterproof, fadeproof ink that was darker than Eternal Brown and lighter than Walnut?

 

IIRC, all Noodler's inks are supposed to be safe to mix with each other. It has been said that mixing non-waterproof Noodler's with the waterproof would "nullify" the waterproof characteristics of the waterproof inks. But I think what was meant was that after mixing, you wouldn't have a completely waterproof ink--the non-waterproof component of the mix would run off in contact with water. Since Walnut has been upgraded to "near bulletproof" you may see little run-off, if any.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong about this.

 

Best, Ann

 

 

So far I have had no bad results from mixing Noodlers with Noodlers and even some non-Noodlers inks. The brown I use is made of Golden Brown (which is not waterproof) with Bulletproof Black. My current fave mixture is 30 drops Golden Brown and 6 drops Bulletproof Black. Each additional drop of black makes a very noticeable difference in color and each drop significantly improves the "waterproofness". But I must explain what I mean. The components that come from the Golden Brown are not waterproof--the yellow dyes continue to wash away readily, but the black component that I add retains its bulletproof qualities. So with my brown mixture, if exposed to water, will shed all of the brown color but a gray bulletproof component will remain. The more black I add the darker this remaining gray component becomes. The 30:6 mixture gives a nice rich brown color which if exposed to water loses all the brown and what remains is bulletproof writing that looks like #2 pencil. So if my writings with this ink are exposed to water, they will turn ugly but will remain permanently legible. In fact, if you end up with a smeary multi-colored mess from water damage, it's better to go ahead and complete the process and wash the paper well to get rid of all the staining and smearing and you'll be left with perfectly clear gray text.

 

Another nice combination is Noodlers Glacier Blue with PR American Blue. (American Blue is gorgeous but is the most washable ink I have ever seen--any water and it disappears completely.) 50/50 looks pretty good.

 

[RLTodd]

To me it looks like a tan with a greenish - yellow cast. Color is obviously a personal thing, but I find it rather unattractive. As it is an exclusive, and most likely a single batch run, it will be interesting to see how long it clears out of the store.

 

[BillTheEditor]

To me it looks like a tan with a greenish - yellow cast. Color is obviously a personal thing, but I find it rather unattractive. As it is an exclusive, and most likely a single batch run, it will be interesting to see how long it clears out of the store.

Single batch run? Nathan has been making it, and Pendemonium has been selling it, for three or four years.

 

Remember that all monitors are not calibrated alike. On mine, the image looks very close to the actual color and appearance. I wouldn't call it unattractive, and it isn't a "tan with a greenish-yellow cast." It's just -- brown. Not a beautiful brown, just an everyday brown. But de gustibus non disputandum, as the poet says.

[CharlieB]

Any ink made specifically for Pendemonium is going to be around for a while. Pendemonium is the heartland of ink sales in this country. They not only sell more inks than anybody else, but they take the time and trouble to describe each of the inks that they sell. Given those facts, I'm betting that Eternal Brown will be here for a good long while.

[scribbler77]

[

 

So far I have had no bad results from mixing Noodlers with Noodlers and even some non-Noodlers inks. The brown I use is made of Golden Brown (which is not waterproof) with Bulletproof Black. .

 

 

"Golden Brown" is listed as "near bulletproof." The bottle I have is quite water-resistant. Maybe Nathan changed the formula. I purchased mine a couple of months ago. Mixing it with bulletproof black makes it darker but has little effect on the water resistance of my batch.

[captnemo]

[

 

So far I have had no bad results from mixing Noodlers with Noodlers and even some non-Noodlers inks. The brown I use is made of Golden Brown (which is not waterproof) with Bulletproof Black. .

 

 

"Golden Brown" is listed as "near bulletproof." The bottle I have is quite water-resistant. Maybe Nathan changed the formula. I purchased mine a couple of months ago. Mixing it with bulletproof black makes it darker but has little effect on the water resistance of my batch.

 

 

Yes, after using and testing (brutally) a bunch of Noodlers inks I was shocked when I tried Golden Brown and found that with the least amount of water all the yellow and brown dye lifted right off, leaving a very pale gray permanent mark. Now with the black mixed in, I have both the color I really wanted and enough permanence that if something gets wet, it may make a temporary stained mess but I won't lose the information.

 

Nathan may have changed the formula but the advert shown when I bought the ink indicated "near bulletproof" and it ain't.

 

On the flip side of this is Socrates, a lovely purple ink that my daughter is crazy about is billed as not waterproof, and my tests show it to be not just waterproof but bulletproof and possibly the best behaved ink I've seen with no feathering and no smearing. Wonderful stuff. (Although it does creep but I don't care about that.) Unfortunately, it's a bit too "girly" looking for me to use. :roflmho:

[RLTodd]

To me it looks like a tan with a greenish - yellow cast. Color is obviously a personal thing, but I find it rather unattractive. As it is an exclusive, and most likely a single batch run, it will be interesting to see how long it clears out of the store.

Single batch run? Nathan has been making it, and Pendemonium has been selling it, for three or four years.

 

Remember that all monitors are not calibrated alike. On mine, the image looks very close to the actual color and appearance. I wouldn't call it unattractive, and it isn't a "tan with a greenish-yellow cast." It's just -- brown. Not a beautiful brown, just an everyday brown. But de gustibus non disputandum, as the poet says.

 

Or it could be they are still selling the out of the single batch, a bottle here a bottle there.

 

As I said, color perception is an individual thing. (All most all men are red/green color deficient to some degree) I have a dozen or so Noodlers inks and quite frankly, I am not fond of any of the color tones. They all seem a little muddy. I have a couple bottles of PR, mostly blues, and much prefer their tones. However, having said that I find the way Noodlers behaves on paper much more appealing to me. Since color is not really that important to me, if they sold if for $5 a 3 oz. bottle I would most likely buy and use the Eternal Brown.

 

Now. My monitor (Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 71) is not color matched but when I scan and post ink swatches they look about the same to me as the stuff I scanned on the paper. So, I am guessing, that if I saw the original up close, the unappealing off yellow / green tint would still be there TO ME and the way I see. I checked the swatch at Pendemonium and I saw the tint shift there.

[lefty928]

I don't recall noticing a yellow/green tint, but to me Eternal Brown is indeed an unappealing tan. But then, I purchased the bottle long before I had Bill's wonderfully thorough and evenhanded review to guide me!