Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng

[mhphoto]

Okay, let me say that I understand when you buy this ink there are two pens included, and that it's "recommended" that you only use Kung Te-Cheng in those pens, even though it was designed to be used in fountain pens. I won't be buying this ink again, but I do appreciate it rich, luscious color and its history.

 

Please note that I normally do the entire review (except for the "Pens Used" category) with a Noodler's Flex (not flexing it, of course). But for this review I was having such a hard time with it gushing from the Flex that I used the Serwex 77TR as a dip pen.

 

On to the review (sorry about the superfluous hyphenation in the title).

 

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh494/gunsandlights/KungTe-ChengMedium.jpg

 

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh494/gunsandlights/KungTe-ChengPensUsed.jpg

 

It kept gushing downward from the nib in the Brause example.

 

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh494/gunsandlights/KungTe-ChengBrause.jpg

 

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh494/gunsandlights/KungTe-ChengObservations.jpg

 

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh494/gunsandlights/KungTe-ChengComparisons.jpg

 

Like I said, I like the dark color. But having to scrub every pen used afterwards and not being able to get a thin line, even from the Brause, has turned me off of this ink. But if you love it and it works for you, I'm glad you found it, because it's a very unique ink with a very unique origin.

[Vshin]

One more thing about this ink is that it's incredibly lightfast. The color won't fade even after months of direct sunlight. It's a very naughty ink but I haven't found an alternative with an identical shade of blue-purple.

[mhphoto]

One more thing about this ink is that it's incredibly lightfast. The color won't fade even after months of direct sunlight. It's a very naughty ink but I haven't found an alternative with an identical shade of blue-purple.

 

When I read "It's a very naughty ink…" I looked over at your avatar and pictured the dog saying it in an English accent. You gave me quite a laugh. :roflmho:

 

But thanks for adding that! I didn't know it was so resilient. I think I spend more time cursing at it today than I did thinking about its qualities.

Edited May 2, 2012 by mhphoto

[ravantra]

One of my favorite inks. I have kept a TWSBI 530 and a Visconti continuously loaded with this ink for over a year. I find that in the 530 it is a dry writer and a lot wetter in the Visconti. I like the waterproof and permanence qualities.

[MJ Vesuvius]

Love the color, but I am cautious about pen choice -- it acts

more like paint than ink. The included brush-pen is awesome!

 

-- MJ

[inkstainedruth]

I have a sample of this but hadn't tried it yet. Because of it's, um, "contrary" nature (based on this and other reviews) it was going to be pretty much near the end of the rotation. And that I may need a dedicated pen....

Does anyone know -- would diluting it with distilled water help with the thickness (without losing any of its good qualities, such as its waterproofess and permanence)? Also, which type of nib would work better -- thicker or thinner? It sounds as if (at least from this review) that a flex nib may not be the way to go.

Thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[PJohnP]

...would diluting it with distilled water help with the thickness (without losing any of its good qualities, such as its waterproofess and permanence)? Also, which type of nib would work better -- thicker or thinner?

 

Dilution in the range of 25% to 30% makes an enormous positive difference with the ink. With that dilution, almost all of the irritations disappear, but the positives of the ink, the colour, the waterproof and lightproof nature, remain. I do counsel carefully measuring the dilution, starting with a lesser amount and then increasing it until you reach your goal of flow.

 

I use this ink with a cursive italic nib from John Mottishaw, and find it provides what I refer to as "lusciously smooth" performance on most papers.

 

 

 

 

 

John P.

[79spitfire]

I dilute mine as well, and this ink does like pens that are 'gushers' with other inks. It also can be a chore to clean out if you've been naughty and let it dry up in a pen! (don't do that!)

 

As far as your writing sample I like the looks of it, you might want to work with a single pen and get it adjusted to work with the ink. 4.5 oz sitting there staring at you will slowly drive you nutters!

 

:ltcapd:

[EnviroDAWG2]

I have been using KTC in one of my Esterbrooks for months. No problems. It starts immediately . . even after many days left untouched. It does not bleed through my favorite paper (BlacknRed). It does not feather. It is not overly dry nor wet. The color is nice and punchy.

 

Are there vast differences in batches? It seems strange that we see vastly different results from different users.

Edited May 5, 2012 by EnviroDAWG2

[mhphoto]

Here's a 30% diluted sample.

 

http://i1248.photobucket.com/albums/hh494/gunsandlights/KungTe-ChengDiluted30Percent.jpg

[Ruminator]

Alright, that's it. I'm going to have to order this ink.

 

I'd been resisting, but I have no purply-colors in my stable and I think I need a new pen as well.

 

Has anyone used this in a Lamy Al-Star/Safari? Any nib recommendations?

 

(Wonderful review, as always!)

 

-=d

[shaylenwilliams]

I have this loaded into a "refilled" Pilot Varsity, slightly diluted (maybe 10-20%???) and it's a great waterproof standby pen! I often use it for check writing or addressing envelopes. The color is beautiful too, a pretty "chalky" light purple.

That said, so many of Noodler's Eternals that I've used (as someone said previously) do have a more paint-like property to them. I adore... ADORE the color of the Russian Rachmaninov, but it has a tackiness to it that scares me off of putting it into nicer pens. I've found that the Pilot Pens which have the fibre-core type feed (Varsity and Petit1) seem to get along with these inks better than traditional feeds. Mata Hari's Cordial is an oddball with good flow.

[Stompie]

Hmmmm, so this could work in my feather quills then being so thick?

[mhphoto]

Hmmmm, so this could work in my feather quills then being so thick?

 

I haven't tried the diluted ink in a dip pen yet, but, at least when undiluted, it's very gush prone. Anytime I'd try to get a good amount of flex it would just let loose and shed all the ink it had stored up. I've only written with a quill once, so I don't know how it would act in one, or even if it would be as gush happy. But I'll give the diluted ink a try in the dip pen again.

[fiberdrunk]

Has anyone ever had Kung Te-Chung chunk up in their pen? This was my very first Noodler's ink ever (purchased maybe 2 years ago). I put it in the free eyedropper pen that came with the ink and have kept it in there ever since (i.e. designated pen). I've flushed it from time to time as it's been prone to clogging. A couple weeks ago the nib was clogged, so I went to flush it, and then noticed the ink was nearly all a wet solid chunk inside the pen barrel. It was the weirdest thing. I scooped out the contents of the pen barrel and bleached the pen as well as I could (still has some stains). I put fresh ink in a new Platinum Preppy eyedropper. We'll see what happens. Anyway, I've always loved this ink. I don't know what happened-- maybe some of the liquid evaporated through the plastic? The remaining ink in the bottle seems fine (no chunks!)

 

Beautiful review, by the way!

Edited May 12, 2012 by fiberdrunk

[ravantra]

Has anyone ever had Kung Te-Chung chunk up in their pen? This was my very first Noodler's ink ever (purchased maybe 2 years ago). I put it in the free eyedropper pen that came with the ink and have kept it in there ever since (i.e. designated pen). I've flushed it from time to time as it's been prone to clogging. A couple weeks ago the nib was clogged, so I went to flush it, and then noticed the ink was nearly all a wet solid chunk inside the pen barrel. It was the weirdest thing. I scooped out the contents of the pen barrel and bleached the pen as well as I could (still has some stains). I put fresh ink in a new Platinum Preppy eyedropper. We'll see what happens. Anyway, I've always loved this ink. I don't know what happened-- maybe some of the liquid evaporated through the plastic? The remaining ink in the bottle seems fine (no chunks!)

 

Beautiful review, by the way!

 

As in a previous post the TWSBI 530 I have had inked for over a year has shown no signs clogging or drying out "chunks". I have not even flushed it between fillings. I do use it at least once a week though.

[79spitfire]

This is a high maintenance ink. Letting it dry in a pen will result in the pen being plugged.

[fiberdrunk]

This is a high maintenance ink. Letting it dry in a pen will result in the pen being plugged.

 

I didn't let it dry out in the pen. It was the pen barrel where the ink turned to chunks. The barrel was full of ink at the time. This didn't occur in the nib feed, but the pen barrel (eyedropper style). It was as if nearly the entire volume of ink inside the barrel had solidified. This wasn't little chunks... this was like sludge that I had to scoop out (most of it wouldn't even pour out). It was really weird. Now I wish I would've taken pictures. Makes me wonder if there was something in the pen plastic that reacted to the ink over time. I've never used the ink in any other pen.

Edited May 12, 2012 by fiberdrunk

[diensthunds]

Change in temperature and or barometric pressure?

[Vshin]

Probably a tiny crack or an air leak in the pen that is drying out the ink. If there's no "chunking" in the bottle, there's your answer.

Edited May 15, 2012 by Vshin