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Noodler's Mata Hari's Cordial (new formulation)


kookychick

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This is Noodler's Mata Hari's Cordial, in the new formulation. The previous review was of the old formulation, from what I can gather, since the color of the other review looks closer to Pendemonium's swatch of the old formulation. I traded a fellow FPNer for a sample of this ink.

 

Here's a scan before color correction:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/2826680036_956c9ab680_b.jpg

 

In a post somewhere, Nathan said this color was "burgundy." I've never gotten anything close to that! I'd call it an eggplant color--it's purplish-gray, with a hint of reddish. The scan above looks more like Iraqi Indigo/The Violet Vote--in real life, the ink isn't nearly that violet.

 

Here's an attempt to color-correct a bit--this scan is a bit too purpley and not reddish enough (and the pinkish undertones around the Q-tip swab is an artifact of my color correction), but it's the best I could do. The text looks closer to the actual thing on my monitor, though.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/2826728846_2a728c4ed2_b.jpg

 

This is a bulletproof ink in the UK Series, sold exclusively in the US by Pendemonium.com. Their swatch looks a little redder than I've experienced. In the UK, Pelikan Pens sells it (probably among other places). Pelikan Pens' swatch is a little more violet on my monitor than I've experienced--Mata Hari's Cordial looks closer to their scan of Highland's Heather to me.

 

The ink dries about standard for a Noodler's bulletproof--not the fastest, but not the slowest. There was a little smearing even at 30 seconds, but that was on a particularly wet spot of ink where I finished the downstroke. I've never had a problem with smearing.

 

The flow is good--not fast, not slow. It doesn't widen the line that I can tell.

 

This ink is a good all-around performer--it did feather the tiniest bit on some papers (I was surprised by a teeny bit on Rhodia). However, it worked pretty well on cheap copy paper and never had more than a little bit on any of the 15+ papers I tried. It never bled through any papers I tried, but there was some showthrough on the thinner papers.

 

The color is reasonably consistent, though it does look a bit murkier on cheap copy paper, and shows up better on bright white, higher quality papers.

 

There's a little bit of shading (I'm not the best judge of this, though--I can never tell if an ink shades unless it's REALLY obvious).

 

This ink is very close in color to Noodler's Singapore Sepia, but the SS is even grayer and less reddish.

 

This is a nice ink, and I think I'll get a bottle (if it's ever back in stock), but this is not my dream BP purple! It's too eggplanty and not purpley enough.

Edited by kookychick

Inks currently in pens: Noodler's La Reine Mauve, Rachmaninov, Prime of the Commons Blue-Black, Naval Orange, MN Whaleman's Sepia, Verdun Green, Majestic Orange; J. Herbin Violette Pensée, Rose Cyclamen, Orange Indien

 

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Mata Hari's Cordial looks closer to their scan of Highland's Heather to me.

 

...

 

The old formulation of Highland Heather or the new? (I ask because I have the old version.)

 

Thanks for a great review. I've been looking at this ink for a while and I think you may have tipped me in its favor.

"He was born with the gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." - Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini

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...

 

Mata Hari's Cordial looks closer to their scan of Highland's Heather to me.

 

...

 

The old formulation of Highland Heather or the new? (I ask because I have the old version.)

 

Thanks for a great review. I've been looking at this ink for a while and I think you may have tipped me in its favor.

 

I don't have either, actually, so I don't know for sure! :embarrassed_smile: But here's the color swatch from the Pelikan Pens website I linked above:

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2834906232_2db28156e0_o.jpg

 

Mata Hari's Cordial looks closer to this swatch than the one they have for MHC on their website (I didn't post it here, because it's never looked like that in my pens--YMMV). MHC is a tiny bit more purple than the pic posted above, in my experience.

 

Hope that helps! :)

 

 

Inks currently in pens: Noodler's La Reine Mauve, Rachmaninov, Prime of the Commons Blue-Black, Naval Orange, MN Whaleman's Sepia, Verdun Green, Majestic Orange; J. Herbin Violette Pensée, Rose Cyclamen, Orange Indien

 

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I have this ink - the corrected scan looks just about right to me. Like many Noodler's inks, though, the intensity really varies - in a wet pen the colour is deeper and (in my opinion) even nicer looking.

 

I don't use it that often because I've had bleed issues in pens I've tried it in - but now I think I should try it in some different pens. I do like the colour.

 

eta: Hmmm, my scan isn't indexed in the review section. Here it is for comparison.. It's comparable in colour to CdA Storm and Herbin Poussiere de Lune.

Edited by limesally
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Is there any way to tell which formulation you have from the label?

i'm not sure, though the labels sometimes change from batch to batch (i recently compared a LL I got as a gift for my brother against my own bottle, and the picture was zoomed more in one than the other, with different wording too... i took a pic and will post soon).

 

but what i DO know is that old matahari is RED RED RED (more like a fuschia pinkish red), whereas new matahari is drastically different: a dark purple. i think the eggplant comparison by kookychick is probably accurate. and i imagine in a dry pen it will look a little redder.

 

highlands heather also changed drastically: it used to be a nice greyish purple, but now it is a reddish brown-grey. I imagine you might be able to tell from the liquid in the bottle: I have some new HH and it looks like clay or mud when it's liquid -- a murky reddish brown.

 

I've created a separate thread for a HH comparison...

Edited by Melnicki

Click for Ink Scans!!

 

WTB: (Blemished OK)

CdA Dunas // Stipulas! (esp w/ Titanio nib) // Edison Pearl

 

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Sorry--I can't help with ways to tell between the new and old formulations--I only have a sample! :embarrassed_smile: If you're in the US, the only place to purchase this CONUS is Pendemonium.com. Unless you live near them in Iowa, it'll be hard to try it out before you buy it! I believe they only have the new formulation, anyway.

 

In the UK, however, at least 2 places sell it:

 

The Writing Desk

17 Home Farm Lane

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk IP33 2QJ UK

Phone: 01284 752117 (International +44 1284 752117)

Fax: 0870 1242283 (International +44 870 1242283)

www.thewritingdesk.co.uk

 

Niche Pens Limited

9 Pye Corner

Rogerstone, Newport, NP10 9ES

Tel: 01633 897770 (International +44 1633 897770)

www.pelikanpens.co.uk

info@pelikanpens.co.uk

 

You could try emailing them to determine which formulation they have. They might even be so kind as to snail mail you a written sample, if necessary. I purchased some ink from Niche Pens (no affiliation beyond being a very happy customer)--they're really nice and VERY responsive to email! Plus, if you're in the States, remember, you get the VAT refunded. :thumbup:

Inks currently in pens: Noodler's La Reine Mauve, Rachmaninov, Prime of the Commons Blue-Black, Naval Orange, MN Whaleman's Sepia, Verdun Green, Majestic Orange; J. Herbin Violette Pensée, Rose Cyclamen, Orange Indien

 

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I'm a satisfied customer of both the Writing Desk and Niche Pens. I'll probably wait and see if there's any to be had at the London show next month before going the mail order route.

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  • 11 years later...

At first I tried this ink in two different pens and it flowed like an earthquake, or a water fall, ----- but in a third pen, it behaved nicely and is now a favorite. C. S.

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