Noodler's Bank Note Green (FPH)

[Viseguy]

I had been planning to pick up a bottle of this new bulletproof Noodler's ink (sold only at the Fountain Pen Hospital in New York City) at the opening of the FPH Winter Expo on November 30. Then the anxiety set in. What if I arrived to find lines of people extending out the door, across Warren Street, down Broadway and over to the corner of Broad and Nassau, an unruly mob clamoring to exchange their increasingly worthless paper money for glittering bottles of Noodler's Bank Note Green? Fearing a run on the FPH depository, I decided to get in on the ground floor and buy my bottle now.

 

What a surprise! I had been expecting (and hoping for) a green-black similar to the well-known color of the front of the U.S. One Dollar Bill, or maybe the lighter green of the reverse side of the bill (images here).

 

But Bank Note Green (three words on the label, elsewhere "Banknote Green") is something else entirely. It's a distinctive bright green that matches the color of the serial numbers and the Treasury Department seal on the dollar bill. It has a translucent quality to it, putting it somewhere between a regular writing ink and a Firefly-type highlighting color. Not at all a green black. The flow is generous. It did not feather on Ampad note paper, but did have a slight tendency to "spread". Your F nib may write more like an M with this ink.

 

As I see it, Bank Note is more of a specialty or novelty ink than an everyday writing color. The bright, cheery color is ideal for year-end Holiday cards. Since it's waterproof, it can be used to address the envelopes as well.

 

Hot tip: The banknote label that adorns both the bottle and the box is worth the price of admission. It is sure to become a collector's item. You heard it first here!

[tonyv]

Old Manhattan is more like the green on the back of the "One Dollar" Federal Reserve Note in your link.

[Viseguy]

Old Manhattan is more like the green on the back of the "One Dollar" Federal Reserve Note in your link.

That's odd, since the FPH site describes it as "Blackest Black". I've been assuming it's similar to Noodler's Swishmix Nile Ebony, which is the blackest black I've ever seen. If there is a scan available, I'd be interested to see it.

[tonyv]

That's odd, since the FPH site describes it as "Blackest Black".  I've been assuming it's similar to Noodler's Swishmix Nile Ebony, which is the blackest black I've ever seen.  If there is a scan available, I'd be interested to see it.

I don't have a scanner, and I'm not good with digital photography, but I'd be happy to send you a snail sample. I don't find it to be a black ink.

[Viseguy]

That's odd, since the FPH site describes it as "Blackest Black".  I've been assuming it's similar to Noodler's Swishmix Nile Ebony, which is the blackest black I've ever seen.  If there is a scan available, I'd be interested to see it.

I don't have a scanner, and I'm not good with digital photography, but I'd be happy to send you a snail sample. I don't find it to be a black ink.

PM sent.

[mysta rave]

Saw this in the store today..but I ended up with Pelikan inks instead :ph34r: How much was it? I forgot to check the price...

Edited November 25, 2006 by mysta rave

[Viseguy]

Saw this in the store today..but I ended up with Pelikan inks instead :ph34r: How much was it? I forgot to check the price...

$16.50 for a 3 oz. bottle.

[Garageboy]

Well it IS a nice ink, but it leaves a stick residue? I colored in a dollar bill and it gave it a nice, ink dripping off look on the seal

[RLTodd]

Gosh but that looks a lot like new Skrip Green on my monitor.

[M4R1N4]

QUOTE (Viseguy @ Nov 23 2006, 03:14 PM)

Hot tip: The banknote label that adorns both the bottle and the box is worth the price of admission.  It is sure to become a collector's item.  You heard it first here!

Anyone have a picture of the label? I got on their website just to have something to drool over but there are no pictures.

 

And as an aside, is the Old Manhattan "Blackest-Black" really that black? All these blackest permanent blacks have me cornfused. I want to buy one but I don't know which is really the blackest permanent one, between Old Manhattan, Polar Black, Nile Ebony, the PR one..

[Garageboy]

I'll grab a pick of the label if my dad brings my digicam home...its like stock certificate, too bad the label color isn't a thing like the inks color

On my screen, the label color and the ink sample is dead on, but my ink is highlighter green

[Garageboy]

Images of the bottle and the box

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/roofdweller49/IMG_2322.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/roofdweller49/IMG_2321.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/roofdweller49/IMG_2319.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/roofdweller49/IMG_2320.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/roofdweller49/IMG_2317.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/roofdweller49/IMG_2313.jpg

[cowdad]

QUOTE (Garageboy @ Feb 19 2007, 03:14 AM)

I'll grab a pick of the label if my dad brings my digicam home...its like stock certificate, too bad the label color isn't a thing like the inks color On my screen, the label color and the ink sample is dead on, but my ink is highlighter green

Yeah, but I'm thinking about buying a bottle of it just for the box. The bottle doesn't have a label on it?

 

CowDad

[Garageboy]

Same label as the box

[Viseguy]

QUOTE (M4R1N4 @ Feb 18 2007, 10:39 PM)

And as an aside, is the Old Manhattan "Blackest-Black" really that black?

Not really, IMO. It's black with a noticeable green tinge. The blackest black I've found is Swishmix Nile Ebony.

[Bogtrotter]

Bank Note Green is a brighter and lighter green than I expected. I wanted a darker, more conservative green, like the back of the dollar bill. Didn't happen. Oh, well.

 

Noodler's Old Manhattan has become my everyday black ink. It's black enough for me. Blacker than Montblanc's black.

 

bt

[Viseguy]

QUOTE (Bogtrotter @ Feb 24 2007, 12:12 AM)

Bank Note Green is a brighter and lighter green than I expected.  I wanted a darker, more conservative green, like the back of the dollar bill. Didn't happen.  Oh, well. Noodler's Old Manhattan has become my everyday black ink.  It's black enough for me.  Blacker than Montblanc's black. bt

Old Manhattan can be added to Bank Note Green to make Funny Money, which may be the darker green you had in mind.

[Garageboy]

It also stains pens like crazy BTW. My Lamy Safari still has the remains of it

[scoutdickens]

Thank you for the review and images. I too was going to buy the ink, thinking it must be a dark greenish black (based solely on name) and now that I have seen the images, I will look elsewhere. I don't have the pennies to buy novelty ink. I am just getting started using a fountain pen at work instead of ball points. I bought a Safari with a medium nib based on reviews I read for a starter pen. I really love it. I am using the blue cartridge that came with it. On my cheap paper it looks blue with a hint of violet. I really want a black with a hint of green or a dark blue with a hint of green. That Noodler Aircorp Blue/Black looks pretty as does the Noodler's Squeteague. Any suggestions?

[Viseguy]

I really want a black with a hint of green or a dark blue with a hint of green. That Noodler Aircorp Blue/Black looks pretty as does the Noodler's Squeteague. Any suggestions?

Other Noodler's that might work for you: Zhivago (black with a hint of green), Midnight Blue or Manhattan Blue (dark blue with a hint of green). Manhattan Blue is sold only by Art Brown.