Noodler's Periwinkle

[ToasterPastry]

Ink Color: Noodler's Periwinkle

 

Cost: Approximately $13 US

Size: 1 ounce (not 3 ounces)

Characteristics: Water based, pH balanced, “Bulletproof”

Pen: Well fountain pen with gold fine-flexible nib (seen below), and Osmia 64, steel nib, fine point

Paper: Journalbooks, ASI 91340, 15% recycled content

 

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/e3b6_1.jpg

 

Background:

 

The Periwinkle color is a desaturated blue-violet. Its name is derived from the lesser periwinkle or myrtle herb (Vinca minor) which bears flowers of the same color. Periwinkle is also called lavender blue. The periwinkle plant is a perennial, evergreen herb in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) that was originally native to the island of Madagascar. It has been widely cultivated both for medicinal and decorative purposes for hundreds of years. The plant can now be found growing wild in most warm regions of the world. The plants grow one or two feet high, have glossy, dark green leaves (1-2 inches long) and flowers all summer long. The blooms of the natural wild plants are a pale pink with a purple "eye" in their centers, but horticulturists have developed varieties with colors ranging from white to hot pink to purple.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/periwinkle.jpg

 

The periwinkle color became widely recognized with the introduction of the Periwinkle crayon by Crayola in 1949. To recreate the color on a computer monitor, simply type in “204, 204, 255” in the RGB additive color model when designating a font, or in this bulletin board by typing the hexidecimal triplet code “CCCCFF” to designate the font color, as is shown here in the sample below (unfortunately it is not well-visualized against a light-blue background):

 

 

---→ Noodler's Periwinkle ←----

 

Periwinkle is a common dye used in the fabric industry. Judging by the strong, unpleasant, organic smell of the ink, my guess is that no flowers were harmed in the creation of this ink.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/FittedKnits086PerfectPeriwinkleSM.jpg

Courtesy of the ToasterPastry modeling agency.

 

Lubricity:

Very little. This ink does not behave in a similar fashion as, say, Aurora Black. The ink writes dry, and I don’t get the sensation that the nib is hydroplaning across the paper on a thin film of ink.

 

Drying time:

Very fast. Within 3 to 4 seconds.

 

Shading: virtually none

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2098.jpg

 

Bleedthough: On a scale of 5 being the worse, I would rate this as a 3 to 4 because of its tendency to bleed-through cheaper papers. I also found bleed-through with Rhodia and Clairfontaine papers. This phenomena is not seen with other inks on the same paper. This may, in part be due to the pen. But I found this characteristic with other pens. This property is seemingly incongruous with its drier properties. Nonetheless, I stand by my observation.

 

Feathering: 1/5; it dries quickly.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2095.jpg

 

Color: The color alone is almost worth the price of the ink. In the strobe-lighted photographs below, it appears as a light blue. In darker light, it appears as a light violet. One casual observer called it a ‘light blue.’

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2093.jpg

 

The question of “Bulletproofness”: I am unclear why Mr. Noodler created a vanity-ink that could not be lifted from the paper. My guess is that the inherent properties of this dye, probably created for the fabric industry, prevent it from bleeding in water. My concern is not that I want to prevent the ink from running off the paper, but instead I want to ensure that any spills or drips can be removed from my clothing, especially with an ink that shows a tremendous amount of nib-creep as this ink did. In the photograph above, I demonstrate a bleach-test of a fabric seen in the left-hand upper corner. Bleach dispersed the ink, but did not remove it. You can see the bleaching of the fabric, but the ink stain remains at its center. Similarly household bleach could not remove the ink from the paper, seen in the lower right-hand corner of the page, as compared to control.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2100-1.jpg

 

In this photograph above, the writing sample shown previously, was soaked overnight in an ammonia and soap solution (approximately 8 hours), followed by an additional 10 hour soak in Oxi-clean in hot water. This was followed by an application of household bleach (seen in the encircled region). As demonstrated, the ink can be dispersed, the blue component is removed, but the red component remains.

 

Conclusion:

While the color is gorgeous, the performance of the ink is less than ideal. Left-handed writers, though, may appreciate the rapid drying time. I, on the other hand, am not a fan of Bulletproof inks, especially in a vanity-ink such as this one. Not only can it not be removed completely off the paper, but it also adheres to cotton cloth as well. While accidents occasionally occur with fountain pens, it’s always nice to know that any spill can be remedied. In this case, it’s permanent. Perhaps the ink should have been formulated differently. I suggest that fans of this color should instead hunt down Sheaffer Skrip Washable Blue, Diamine Washable Blue, or Noodler’s Polar Blue. For a similar price, and nearly the same color, you get three times the quantity of ink, and overall better performance.

Edited March 15, 2009 by ToasterPastry

[chkuo]

Thanks for the great review.

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

Thank you for this review -- I hadn't been thinking to try this ink, but you have changed my mind.

[ToasterPastry]

Thanks for the kind remarks. I demonstrated this ink to the local collectors today. We noticed similar bleed-through phenomenon with Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers. The review above was modified to reflect this change.

[dizzypen]

great review. while I love the periwinkle color, there is something about the bulletproof inks that scare me. I definitely see a need for them, but I am a touch accident prone.

[lefty928]

This is a fantastic review -- not only thorough, but I appreciated the light touch!

[crinina]

any US source?

[StephY]

Search on eBay - Greenman508 has a bottle for $13.50 last I checked.

[RevAaron]

My concern is not that I want to prevent the ink from running off the paper, but instead I want to ensure that any spills or drips can be removed from my clothing ...

 

That's why we use bulletproof inks though.

 

I second the suggestion of Polar Blue. It's an ink I really like, mostly for mixing with other blues. I think a mix of Polar Blue and Skrip Blue would make a color very close to this and, as you point out, perform much better. This looks a lot like a lighter Polar Blue, complete with the chalky look it as when dry. That chalky look is the main reason I don't use much in the way of bulletproof inks for anything other than mixing, with the exception of black.

 

There are so many newer Noodler's inks I've never seen samples of and for which we don't have reviews. Thanks for sharing your review!

[Grigio]

Thanks for the great review!

 

Your scan and the images on the noodlers web site here appear to be different. Your images appear more purple while the website shows a lovely light blue. Can you comment on how the ink on paper compares to the images on the website?

 

Thanks,

 

Ivan

[Pippin60]

Beautiful color but it looks so much like Luxury Blue. Is it my monitor or my eyes :hmm1:

[TwilightFury]

Ink Color: Noodler's Periwinkle

 

Cost: Approximately $13 US

Size: 1 ounce (not 3 ounces)

Characteristics: Water based, pH balanced, “Bulletproof”

Pen: Well fountain pen with gold fine-flexible nib (seen below), and Osmia 64, steel nib, fine point

Paper: Journalbooks, ASI 91340, 15% recycled content

 

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/e3b6_1.jpg

 

Background:

 

The Periwinkle color is a desaturated blue-violet. Its name is derived from the lesser periwinkle or myrtle herb (Vinca minor) which bears flowers of the same color. Periwinkle is also called lavender blue. The periwinkle plant is a perennial, evergreen herb in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) that was originally native to the island of Madagascar. It has been widely cultivated both for medicinal and decorative purposes for hundreds of years. The plant can now be found growing wild in most warm regions of the world. The plants grow one or two feet high, have glossy, dark green leaves (1-2 inches long) and flowers all summer long. The blooms of the natural wild plants are a pale pink with a purple "eye" in their centers, but horticulturists have developed varieties with colors ranging from white to hot pink to purple.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/periwinkle.jpg

 

The periwinkle color became widely recognized with the introduction of the Periwinkle crayon by Crayola in 1949. To recreate the color on a computer monitor, simply type in “204, 204, 255” in the RGB additive color model when designating a font, or in this bulletin board by typing the hexidecimal triplet code “CCCCFF” to designate the font color, as is shown here in the sample below (unfortunately it is not well-visualized against a light-blue background):

 

 

---→ Noodler's Periwinkle ←----

 

Periwinkle is a common dye used in the fabric industry. Judging by the strong, unpleasant, organic smell of the ink, my guess is that no flowers were harmed in the creation of this ink.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/FittedKnits086PerfectPeriwinkleSM.jpg

Courtesy of the ToasterPastry modeling agency.

 

Lubricity:

Very little. This ink does not behave in a similar fashion as, say, Aurora Black. The ink writes dry, and I don’t get the sensation that the nib is hydroplaning across the paper on a thin film of ink.

 

Drying time:

Very fast. Within 3 to 4 seconds.

 

Shading: virtually none

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2098.jpg

 

Bleedthough: On a scale of 5 being the worse, I would rate this as a 3 to 4 because of its tendency to bleed-through cheaper papers. I also found bleed-through with Rhodia and Clairfontaine papers. This phenomena is not seen with other inks on the same paper. This may, in part be due to the pen. But I found this characteristic with other pens. This property is seemingly incongruous with its drier properties. Nonetheless, I stand by my observation.

 

Feathering: 1/5; it dries quickly.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2095.jpg

 

Color: The color alone is almost worth the price of the ink. In the strobe-lighted photographs below, it appears as a light blue. In darker light, it appears as a light violet. One casual observer called it a ‘light blue.’

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2093.jpg

 

The question of “Bulletproofness”: I am unclear why Mr. Noodler created a vanity-ink that could not be lifted from the paper. My guess is that the inherent properties of this dye, probably created for the fabric industry, prevent it from bleeding in water. My concern is not that I want to prevent the ink from running off the paper, but instead I want to ensure that any spills or drips can be removed from my clothing, especially with an ink that shows a tremendous amount of nib-creep as this ink did. In the photograph above, I demonstrate a bleach-test of a fabric seen in the left-hand upper corner. Bleach dispersed the ink, but did not remove it. You can see the bleaching of the fabric, but the ink stain remains at its center. Similarly household bleach could not remove the ink from the paper, seen in the lower right-hand corner of the page, as compared to control.

 

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/IMG_2100-1.jpg

 

In this photograph above, the writing sample shown previously, was soaked overnight in an ammonia and soap solution (approximately 8 hours), followed by an additional 10 hour soak in Oxi-clean in hot water. This was followed by an application of household bleach (seen in the encircled region). As demonstrated, the ink can be dispersed, the blue component is removed, but the red component remains.

 

Conclusion:

While the color is gorgeous, the performance of the ink is less than ideal. Left-handed writers, though, may appreciate the rapid drying time. I, on the other hand, am not a fan of Bulletproof inks, especially in a vanity-ink such as this one. Not only can it not be removed completely off the paper, but it also adheres to cotton cloth as well. While accidents occasionally occur with fountain pens, it’s always nice to know that any spill can be remedied. In this case, it’s permanent. Perhaps the ink should have been formulated differently. I suggest that fans of this color should instead hunt down Sheaffer Skrip Washable Blue, Diamine Washable Blue, or Noodler’s Polar Blue. For a similar price, and nearly the same color, you get three times the quantity of ink, and overall better performance.

 

Thank you so much for this review.

[bossy]

Lubricity:

[kushbaby]

I found this in a desperate search for others' experience with this ink. I'm glad I'm not alone! I ordered it because I love the color, but it has misbehaved in almost all the pens I tried it in, including Lamy Vista XF, Rotring 600, a brand new Pilot Vanishing Point F, and a Waterman Expert M. Very, very frustrating!!!! I even thought my VP was defective at first (before I remembered the problems with my other pens).

 

But I managed to find one pen it works in - the Lamy Vista F. So I don't have to throw out the ink now.

[GOB Bluth]

This color did not work well at all in my Montblanc Starwalker. The start up was awful and it was inconsistent.

 

However, I just tried it in my Hero 329 and it works like a charm. I even set the pen down, capped, for ten minutes and returned and it was ready to go from the start!

[Alexandra]

This color did not work well at all in my Montblanc Starwalker. The start up was awful and it was inconsistent.

 

However, I just tried it in my Hero 329 and it works like a charm. I even set the pen down, capped, for ten minutes and returned and it was ready to go from the start!

 

That makes FOUR pens it works with!