I loaded my Cross Townsend FP (medium nib) with Noodler's Old Manhattan Ink to see how it wrote. It wrote very nicely. I capped the pen and put it aside while I played with something else. A few hours later, I started to write a note with the Townsend and discovered that most of the ink had moved from the pen to the cap!

As an experiment, I retrieved my Century II FP (medium nib) from the case and filled it with Noodler's. Same result, the ink ended up in the cap!

Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?

bt

Oh dear!!

Unfortunately, I haven't had a similar experience with these inks so I'm not sure how much I could help. While I have a few Cross pens, I've never used Noodler's in any of them - not intentionally, it just hasn't happened. I have noticed several posts about "nib creep" with certain Noodler's colors, so a search for that term might be a place to start. Then again, what you're experiencing seems a bit more serious that the typical nib creep...

Personally, I've had quite the opposite effect with some of Noodler's saturated colors - instead of flowing freely into the cap, they refuse to flow at all in some pens. An ink that flows well in one pen does not work well in another...

In my limited experience, I'm inclined to say that the behavior of these inks can vary considerably according to the pen with which they are used. If I were you, I'd try another ink in the same pen to see what happens. If you get the same results, it might be an issue with the pen. If the same pens "behave" with another ink, the excess flow may be a characteristic of the Noodler's. At that point, I would try the Noodler's ink in a different pen to see what happens. This should provide some sort of comparison. Not every ink works well with every pen all of the time...

Either way, please let us know what results you get.

Wishing you the best of luck,
Mike

I've used several Noodler's inks in my Century II (fine nib) (polar black, aircorp blue-black, and regular blue-black) and haven't had any problems.

I've used a few Noodler's inks in my Century II, M nib. I was very unhappy with the flow of most of them. Noodler's black, Marine Green, and Forest Green just poured onto the page. The M nib is rather broad and wet anyways, but this was like trying to write with a hose. Walnut is still quite wet, but not as bad. I didn't notice anything in the cap, but maybe it's related. Seems like Noodler's just flows too freely from the M nib.

The more time I spend using the Century II, the less happy I am with the nib. I'd really like to try a F or an XF.

In compairing my fine nib to ballpoints, I would say it's more like a medium then a fine. I am happy with it though.

Bogtrotter - I've experienced the same thing in other brand pens when using Noodlers.

I'm told if the cap is a good seal - taking the cap off creates a plunger effect and actually if the ink (noodler's) is runny enough it will actually suck ink out of the pen. It does actually make sense. I've got a waterman carene and it happens all the time.

Bill w

I have. And I don't now why have you found out yet?

I use my Cross Century II medium nib with Legal Lapis all the time. I will say that the nib creep is quite severe; however - oddly enough - I like it. The way Lapis is, it makes the nib look a bit old, even corroded. I like that kind of look...

(Of course, I wouldn't want ACTUAL corrosion!

Also - as someone here mentioned before - IMO, ink and nibs go together. There's no reason for them to be flawless.)

I have not, however, had the leakage issue you mentioned; I get very little leakage at all. The ink tends to hang on to the nib.

(On the other hand, the Fox Red does sometimes leak out of the Parker 51... but not enough to make it a big issue. )

I use Noodlers Legal Lapis, and Bullet Proof Black. Both in Century II FP nibs. I have no problems, and really appreciate the water proof nature of the inks. All you need is one letter being returned because it got rained on and the address is washed out to realize how impotant a true water porrf ink is for envelops.

I used to try to fill pens as full as possible. This was a mistake with Noodler's Blue-Black (a less-creepy, partially waterproof Noodler's) in my ATX. Now I don't try to fill my ATX or Century II as full as possible, no matter what ink I put in them.