Noodler's Ottoman Azure

[Sandy1]

Please take a moment to adjust the brightness & contrast of your monitor to accurately depict the Gray Scale linked below.

As the patches are neutral gray, their colour on your monitor should also be neutral gray.

• Mac http://www.wikihow.c...te-Your-Monitor
• Wintel PC http://www.calibrize.com/

Gray Scale. http://i783.photobuc...10/INK576-1.jpg

 

=|-|=

 

Figure 1.

Swabs & Swatch

Paper: HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/5f6822ec.jpg

 

Figure 2.

NIB-ism ✑

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/fbc2356d.jpg

 

Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.

 

WRITTEN SAMPLES: Moby Dick

 

Row Height is 8mm.

 

Figure 3.

Paper: HPJ1124.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/2cdd4346.jpg

 

Figure 4.

Paper: Rhodia.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/0b668ecd.jpg

 

Figure 5.

Paper: G Lalo, Verge de France, white.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/a4d45cb4.jpg

 

Figure 6.

Paper: Royal, 25% rag.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/6420ce46.jpg

 

Figure 7.

Grocery List

Paper: Pulp. One-a-Day calendar page.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/c8156a0d.jpg

 

OTHER SAMPLES:

 

Figure 8.

• 'HAPPY!' on Glossy Card.
• Smear/Dry Time on Glossy Paper.
• Smear/Dry Time on HPJ1124.
• Wet Tests on HPJ1124.
• Wet Tests on Royal.

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/Ink%20Review%20-%20Noodlers%20Ottoman%20Azure/47f263d0.jpg

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

 

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Daily writer?

• Very possible.

A go-to ink?

• Possible.

USE

 

Business:

• Easily.
• NOA can encompass internal and external correspondence; and will be welcome in a group setting.
• It doesn't seem to have the vigour for mark-up, editing, etc.
• A bit short on zap for error correction or grading of assignments.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• Possible.
• In the lighter densities, where the colour is more apparent, it can be used as both a gradient and/or intermediary colour.
• In the darker densities, NOA can be used as a non-black anchor colour amongst the Blues and Aquas.
• In damp narrow nibs it can be of even density, so should be suitable for narrow lines, crosshatching, etc.

Students:

• Very possible.
• NOA had some minor trouble with woolly lines on the highly absorbent Royal, but did quite well indeed on the HPR1124. Consequently, with a moderately dry writer, it should be readily useable on 'lowest bidder' papers.
• It is sufficiently robust to survive domestic mishaps without total loss of what was written.
• I think NOA is an excellent pick for hand-written assignments.

Personal:

• I'm afraid I don't use NOA all that often for personal use; other inks are chosen more often.
• It seems to be ever so slightly too business-like for 'personal' personal correspondence; and does not have quite the charisma to offset that business-like bent.
• I find NOA most suitable for writing to acquaintances and distant family members, and those who are not in the fingers + toes Top Twenty of the speed dial roster.
• If I were to receive a letter written in Ottoman Azure, I'd notice that the ink was quite nice indeed, but a bit short on personality. Likely such a letter would be written by a distant family member or an acquaintance who never calls.
• For pro forma business writing, NOA would be a fine choice.
• NOA cannot be used for any sort of billet doux which I would write or entertain.
• I enjoy NOA from narrow to medium width mono-line nibs; it strikes me as 'clunky' from wider nibs. Perhaps it needs a fair bit of air: low %age coverage of the page. (?)

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

 

Flow Rate:

• Slightly high.

Nib Dry-out:

• Not noticed.

Start-up:

• Prompt.

Lubrication:

• Very normal.
• Unremarkable, which is a good thing.

Nib Creeping:

• None.

Staining:

• None after 3 days.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems unlikely.

Bleed Through:

• Yes.
• All writers save the 51 on the Royal.

Show Through:

• Yes.
• On the Royal.

Feathering / Woolly Line:

• Yes.
• Some feathering, and plump & wooly lines appear on the Royal.

Smear/Dry Time:

• Glossy: 2 - 5 seconds.
• HPJ1124: 10 - 12 seconds.

Water Resistance: ☂

• HPJ1124
  • -4-
  • "All legible, can be easily read and/or have light staining from re-deposit of soluble ink.
  • Use as-is for work papers & internal use.
  • Adjustments to a scanner may drop-out the stain."

  [*]Royal

  • -3-ish
  • "All legible, but either very faint and/or has heavy staining from re-deposit of soluble dye.
  • Needs recovery/restoration for anything beyond personal use."

Smell:

• Rounded esters.
• Reminiscent of ripe plums.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not noticed.

Clean Up:

• Faster than most.

Mixing:

• No stated prohibition.
• I see no particular reason to mix NOA.
• Once again, if one wants something different, then buy something different.
• That said, a bit of dilution might reduce the clunky appearance when run from wide nibs. (?)

Archival:*

• Not claimed.

*

At the time of writing, only one ink is claimed to be 'permanent', by virtue of conforming to ISO 12757-2, a standard for BP ink. That ink is not NOA.

THE LOOK:

 

Presence:

• Confident & clear.
• Lustre without luminosity.
• More a Merino scarf than a Pashmina shawl.

Saturation:

• Moderate.

Shading:

• Yes.
• Very attractive and subtle on the smooth-surfaced papers.
• Increasing the shading could be a good reason for slight dilution.

HiRes Sample: Estie on the Rhodia.

http://i783.photobuc...re/329c9b53.jpg

Variance depending on pen+nib combos used:

• For a dark ink, there was a little more variance than anticipated.
• Definitely reflects the character of the pen+nib combo, but does not amplify that characteristic out of proportion.

High Resolution Scans:

• From 51 on HPJ1124 http://i783.photobuc...re/0ef1d8c1.jpg
• From 502 on Rhodia http://i783.photobuc...re/f7f7f49f.jpg
• From Estie on G Lalo http://i783.photobuc...re/7b00623c.jpg
• From Safari on Royal http://i783.photobuc...re/4a89ad6b.jpg

FIDELITY:

 

Is the name appropriate?

• I have seen the tiles to which the label refers, so IIRC, the name is not so accurate, but acceptable.

Are swatches accurate?

• Swatches? We don't need no stinking swatches!!

SIMILAR COLOURS:

• Likely a fair few.
• I defer to other Members who chime-in.

PAPERS:

 

Lovely papers:

• Crisp white paper.
• Can be used with off-white papers; and handles those with optical brighteners.

Trip-wire Papers:

☠ Those which are highly absorbent.

Tinted Papers:

• I have come to enjoy NOA on the G Lalo Ivory from a wet nib.

PrePrinted Paper:

• Given the density and dark colour, NOA will do well on preprinted paper / forms. But the paper must be of adequate quality to avoid plump lines / feathering.
• For grids, charts, etc., NOA will tolerate such constructs without fussing about.

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Not really.
• I prefer The Look of NOA on the HPJ1124 over the Rhodia. (!!)
• More a matter of preference over performance.

OTHER THAN INK:

 

Presentation :

• Three ounces by weight.
• Bottle in a box.
• No HazMat warnings.

Country of origin:

• USA.

Container:

• A tall 38mm square clear glass bottle, 88mm tall when capped.
• Proportions are not conducive to stacking, and are 'tippy'.
• Neat-o label that gives anything from Mssr. Herbin a run for the money.
  
• Noodler's has a clear edge over the so-called competition: one of the few marques that may be preferred on the basis of artwork alone.
• Ink level can be easily determined.
• The centred round opening is 23mm ∅.
• Single tank, no sediment collector, no filling aid. Bah!
• The screw cap has adequate grip.
• The cap seal seems to be some sort of plastic-coated card. (~>_<~)
• The cap is not child-proof.
• OMG! It's a *naughty_word* tanker!! Kindly use a different bottle / ink well from which your pens may sip their fill.

Box:

• 41x89x41mm
• Lightly coated card stock.
• No swatch. GASP!!
• Ink name is written on top. Tsk Tsk Tsk
  • No kidding: Useless when inks are stacked, or at/above eye level.
  • Work-around: Use some of the ink to colour-in some of the figures on the box.

  [*]In consideration of the beautified box, all boxy shortcomings are moot-ified.

Eco-Green:

• OK.
• All should be recyclable or benign.

Availability:

• Pen shops, online retailers.
• Some of the larger (independent?) stationers.

ETC.

 

Majik:

• I'm afraid not. :-/
• NOA is not sufficiently sprightly or complex to be conjured.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• I like the Pelikan M200 on the HPJ1124.

Yickity Yackity:

• If NAO came in 30ml. bottles, I'd be on my second bottle; but not so sure about acquiring a third.
• Ah Kushbaby, why is it that I think you've re-gifted this one?

{=x◊x=}~{=w*w=}~(=-=+=-=)~{=w*w=}~{=x◊x=}

 

MATERIEL USED:

 

To be relevant to most members, I make an effort to use papers, pens & nibs that are readily available. For pens, I use those for which I paid $100 or less, new or used; and are 'factory stock' - not customised.

 

For the 'One Of The Ten' suite of inks, the same set of pens are used. (Yawn) http://i783.photobuc...cans/PEN836.jpg

A. Parker 51, Flighter^✩, Mark I + 14K XF nib.

B. Pelikan M200 + M200-series g-p steel XF nib.

C. Waterman England 502 + some-flex 14CT 2A nib.

D. Sheaffer 330 + inlaid steel M nib.

E. Esterbrook J + 9968 firm steel B nib.

F. Lamy Pink Safari + steel 1.1i nib.

 

^✩ I cannot determine if this pen is a true 'Flighter' - set-up for use at low atmospheric pressure.

 

For lines & labels:

• Pilot Penmanship + steel XF with Montblanc Racing Green.

On these papers:

• HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.
• Rhodia.
• G Lalo, Verge de France, white.
• Royal, 25% cotton rag.
• Pulp.
• Glossy paper.
• Glossy card.

_________________

 

IMAGES

• Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
• Figures shown were scanned at 96 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Scans were cropped and straightened; no other changes were made.

_________________

 

DENSITOMETER READINGS (FWTW)

Red 65

Grn 105

Blu 183

Lum 113

===============

 

-30-

Edited December 12, 2010 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Noodler's Ottoman Azure is the eighth ink to be reviewed in the 'One of the Ten' (OOTT) group of Blue inks.

 

When/if completed, the intention is to have the OOTT inks reviewed in the same manner, and compared in the same manner to the maximum practical extent.

 

Hopefully the OOTT reviews and comparisons will assist practitioners in choosing their lynch-pin Blue/s, and avoid unintentional purchase of equivalent ink/s. (As was seen in the comparisons of the Cd'A Blue Sky to Cd'A Blue to Sheaffer Skrip Blue.)

 

Also, the OOTT results should give common ground for claims, rumour and scuttlebutt to be discussed. Or be considered irrelevant, and so be ignored.

 

Bye,

Sandy1

[Sandy1]

COMPARISONS:

 

ad hoc:

• Diamine ASA Blue https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/165584-comparison-noodlers-ottoman-azure-diamine-a-s-a-blue/page__p__1653832__hl__diamine+asa__fromsearch__1#entry1653832
  
• Pilot asa-gao https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/165687-comparison-noodlers-ottoman-azure-pilot-asa-gao/page__p__1654957__hl__%2Bpilot+%2Bsandy1__fromsearch__1#entry1654957
  

Edited December 12, 2010 by Sandy1

[TWRDO]

Thanks for another great review!

[Triplet Mom]

Another OUTSTANDING review, Sandy1!!! This is my personal favorite Noodler's ink due to it's beautiful blue color and great shading properties. I typically dilute it with a little water for a faster dry time and even more shading. I especially love Noodler's Ottoman Azure in my Montegrappa Mediterranean Blue Emblema since it matches the celluloid so perfectly.

[mholve]

This is one serious ink review... Well done!

 

It does look like a lovely blue. A bit understated.

[Bearcat]

A great ink....Out of about fifty inks that I have tried, this one is in my top five favorites. Always have a couple of bottles on hand. When I give out inexpensive pens to students or family that show an interest in fountain pens, I fill them with either Ottoman Azure or the basic Waterman's Florida Blue.

[Sandy1]

Thanks for another great review!

You're welcome!

[Basset]

Brian Goulet slipped a sample of this in my last ink order (you know, that mad rush to grab 1670 and Noodler's Black Swan?). I was very impressed by it. It leans green, rather than purple, and is really quite nice - a nice compliment to Pilot's Tsuki-Yo, which also leans green.

 

Thank you for the reviews. I find the linked comparisons the most useful part of the thread.

[Sandy1]

Another OUTSTANDING review, Sandy1!!! This is my personal favorite Noodler's ink due to it's beautiful blue color and great shading properties. I typically dilute it with a little water for a faster dry time and even more shading. I especially love Noodler's Ottoman Azure in my Montegrappa Mediterranean Blue Emblema since it matches the celluloid so perfectly.

Hi,

 

I'm glad you appreciate the Review.

 

Thank-you for mentioning your preference for dilution. I mentioned 'slight' and you've mentioned 'diluting it with a little water ...' Could you please indicate you overall preference? e.g. 95% , 70% ...

 

This is an aspect of Ink Reviews that I try to address in some way, especially as many practitioners, such as yourself, choose to dilute certain inks for various reasons.

 

I feel somewhat constrained (my choice) by the IR, in that I want to review what;s in the bottle - not how the ink serves as a starting point. Yet I do mention 'Mixing'; and have posted samples of dilutions thither & yon.

 

It does seem that the stuff in the bottle has the fibre to be altered and still deliver the goods. So perhaps I was hasty to suggest that NOA cannot be conjured!

 

Thanks again!

 

S1

[acolythe]

What are the other 9?

[SamCapote]

This is an outstanding blue, and you showed it well. It is overlooked by many.

[Sandy1]

This is one serious ink review... Well done!

 

It does look like a lovely blue. A bit understated.

Hi,

 

I did try my hand a bit bit of humour! But obviously that is not my calling.

 

I do agree that NOA is a bit understated, and wish it was just that itty bitty bit less understated. More gusto; Fe tablets. (??)

 

Bye,

S1

Edited December 13, 2010 by Sandy1

[Sandy1]

What are the other 9?

The previous seven may be found by searching for "OOTT"; the last two will be known upon posting. -- S1

[Sandy1]

Comparison with Pilot asa-gao My link

Edited December 21, 2010 by Sandy1

[josephfabry]

This is one serious ink review... Well done!

 

It does look like a lovely blue. A bit understated.

Hi,

 

I did try my hand a bit bit of humour! But obviously that is not my calling.

 

I do agree that NOA is a bit understated, and wish it was just that itty bitty bit less understated. More gusto; Fe tablets. (??)

 

Bye,

S1

 

 

Are you kidding?

 

I laughed out loud when I read "distant family member or an acquaintance who never calls"

 

For an INK ?

 

That is priceless!!

 

I always get a laugh from your reviews, and your sense of humor.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Love,

 

Joe

[RayOski1]

Another OUTSTANDING review, Sandy1!!! This is my personal favorite Noodler's ink due to it's beautiful blue color and great shading properties. I typically dilute it with a little water for a faster dry time and even more shading. I especially love Noodler's Ottoman Azure in my Montegrappa Mediterranean Blue Emblema since it matches the celluloid so perfectly.

 

+1

[Sandy1]

Comparison with Pilot asa-gao My link

Comparison with Sheaffer Skrip Blue My link

[The Classicist]

What a fantastic and in-depth review. WOW! This is true love for the fountain pen manifesting itself.

[Bluefinntuna]

Very helpful review. I love how you compare the ink in different pens. Have you done a review for a brown Ink?