Greetings! As the result of a fading Quink post I made here a couple weeks ago, I'm trying some Noodler Bulletproof samplers, and I like what I'm seeing/feeling. Most of all, I like writing with an ink I know won't fade. If I'm going to take the time to write something down, I don't want to see it grow weaker with the passage of time.

I'm looking at some Noodler's blue on my finger right now, though, and I think it might stay there for a while. That's ok, though. I'll pay the price. I guess now I'm seeking to learn what precautions folks take when using Noolder's, related to the following:

1. Tips on spill-proof filling -- or, just how to keep the staining to a minimum. I'm kind of a spontaneous guy, so please feel free just to speak as if I'm "very slow" to understand simple procedures.

2. Cautions/tips related to pen maintenace when using Bulletproof ink.

3. Any experiences/suggestions concerning removal from skin, clothes, rugs, etc.

4. Any other suggestions folks might have will be gratefully received.

Thanks very much!!

I haven't used any of the Baystate series, so my remarks apply to the other BPs. I use the Black a lot, and have used a sample of Luxury Blue.

*The permanence is based on a reaction with cellulose (a fiber in plants and plant products). It will wash off your hands well with soap and water. Try to avoid spilling it on cellulose that you are not writing on. If you do, try to rinse it before it dries, you might have some success. Once it dries, it has reacted with the cellulose and is now bulletproof. Cotton, in particular, works like paper as it is mostly cellulose (coated anti-stain, anti-wrinkle cotton might have some protection).

*Occasionally flush your pen well with clear water before refilling. Maybe do this a little more often than with regular inks, but it is not nearly as critical as with iron-gall inks (your only other choice for true waterproofness) which are corrosive. (I choose NOT to use iron-gall.)

*The liquid has odd surface tension properties:
-It may creep out between the tines onto the top of the nib (nib creep). It really annoys some people here, but it doesn't really hurt anything. Wipe it off if you want, or just accept it as the price of permanence.
-In my Parker Sonnet, it flows really well for the first 2/3 of the converter or so. For the last little bit, it clings to the sides of the converter and won't flow to the bottom into the feed. You can tap it, screw the piston part way down, or just refill early. The pen becomes quite tempermental for the last bit of the converter-full; I just refill when it does.

I find the "issues" minor and easily worked around, but I place a high value on the permanence. Others are less concerned with permanence and don't want to be bothered with the issues. YMMV.

Thanks for the thoughtful, thorough reply, John S. I've printed it and look forward to referring to it regularly until I feel I'm on top of the process.

Thanks again -- and best to you!

I find them pretty much like normal inks (though I've only used OM Black). My secret to ink removal is using a Brillo Pad. It removes ink pretty easily with some scrubbing. That should solve any inky fingers.

Amodex and Ink Nix are two skin-safe stain removers that get any fountain pen ink (except iron gall?), even Noodler's waterproof inks, quickly off of fingers and non-cellulose materials (silk, wool, polyester, nylon, non-porous vinyl, etc.). Ink Nix is stronger and has been known to lift factory-set dyes out of fabrics.

Least-mess filling is a personal technique, so Your Results May Vary.

One suggestion is to transfer the Noodler's inks that come in the 3-ounce bottles (square bottom, taller than wide) to ones that are wider than tall: Montblanc, Levenger, Namiki, Omas, Lamy, and the new Sheaffer Skrip. All but the last include some sort of convenient internal dipping well. The Lamy, Levenger and new Skrip bottles are especially easy to hold securely while opening, even when the caps are stuck for some reason.

Squeeze-fill pens ("aerometric" style, button-fill, "Touchdown," lever fill) bubble air through the ink in the bottle. Therefore, squeeze them gently. The important part is to release them quickly and allow about three seconds for some ink to get pulled in before you do the next squeeze. Three such squeezes should be enough.

Trying to "top off" a pen that tempts you to top it off (Parker 21/51 and similar models from Hero and Wing Sung, Lamy pens, the Platinum Preppy, the Vanishing Point or Capless from Pilot/Namiki) guarantees staining the fingers.

When you wipe the ink off the outside of the pen, hold the tissue paper so that an edge is far from your fingers, and use that edge to pick up the ink.

Don't bother trying to keep the visible part of a nib perfectly clean; one gentle pass toward the point with the tissue (don't press! gold plating has been known to wear off of steel that way) is enough for a visible nib. If your Noodler's is an aggressively-creeping color, an occasional light brushing with the edge of a tissue will keep it from ending up on the grip section.

If the collector comb is open to the air on the underside of the nib, follow Richard Binder's advice and use the tissue to absorb all the ink from it. It's not enough ink to call this a waste, and you'll prevent finger stains and drops that fall where you don't want them to end up (including inside the cap for the next time you uncap the pen and post it onto the back end).

Have fun and impress your family and friends!

(edited for grammar)