Noodlers'

[Inka]

I'd been noticing more and more members here have a liking of brown inks.

Having never been very fond of them myself, thinking the browns looked a bit like [no comment], so I've never tried any.

I do now have both Polar Blue and most recently acquired some Polar Black and so I wanted to complete the collection.

 

As such today I'd received my first ever brown bottled ink, Noodlers' Polar Brown and must say it is growing on me already.

Not sure exactly what it is about brown, maybe that it's different, further removed from the typical inks found in BPs, RBs and other pens.

It's definitely an unusual color for me, plus having the slick "Eel" properties of Polar inks and the "bulletproof" permanence, I may continue using it for some time.

 

Here's my written review of Polar Brown ink, written just a couple of hours ago...

 

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/Noodlers-Polar-Brown-Review.jpg

 

Just like my wash-tests with Polar Blue and Polar Black, this ink is tough and will not wash out with even 100% Clorox bleach.

For anyone having never tried a brown ink, it is unusual and a very interesting choice of color, a big departure for me having never tried one until now.

For anyone interested in truly fraud-proof or permanent inks, for journals, checks, signatures and the likes, this is a good choice.

I like it!

[penguinmaster]

Nice review. I have this color as well. Couldn't decide if I liked it or not. Had horrible nib creep on my submariner which irked me so I changed inks!

 

 

[Inka]

Nice review. I have this color as well. Couldn't decide if I liked it or not. Had horrible nib creep on my submariner which irked me so I changed inks!

 

Thank you.

It was your written review of this ink that actually got me to try it.

Thanks for that review!

As for nib creep, I use some of those micron-grade Mylar sheets between nib tines to smooth them out.

Once that's done, smoothing in progression from dark gray 3 micron down to the white .3 micron all the creep stops with all inks tried.

My Levenger steel nib had terrible nib creep with just about everything, especially the Polar inks, but no longer a problem.

Just a thought, as nib creep bothered me a bit too until I tried this.

Seems that often when nib slots are cut they can leave burs behind that loved to cause capillarity of inks to the topside of the nibs.

Knock them little critters off with something like the Mylar abrasives and it can and does for me stop it completely, even with Polar inks.

[Tribrach]

I have my first real fountain pen, a chrome Waterman Hemisphere. I really want to like this ink. What I was looking for is something that would not mess up my pen if I left it in the truck overnight in the winter, wouldn’t fade over time, waterproof and was brown. I searched everywhere I could looking for it and settled for Private Reserve Copper Burst which I really enjoyed writing with and it looked good. Beautiful shading and flowed very well. After bursting at the seams waiting for my Polar Brown to arrive it was disappointment from the start. It had a strong green hue which I found to fade over time. It skips and fails to start if I write very fast at all, particularly sideways. After several days, I found that if I will rinse off the nib and blot it dry that it writes much better but is not as opaque. It has noticeable nib creep which is quite annoying. I have continued to use it hoping that I will like it better but I feel like I am doing something wrong. Everyone seems to like this ink but I am having difficulty getting it to function properly in my pen. I would welcome any hints or tricks which might help me since I am new to fountain pens. I would also be open to any other brown inks that might be waterproof and fade resistant.

 

[Inka]

... settled for Private Reserve Copper Burst... Beautiful shading and flowed very well. After bursting at the seams waiting for my Polar Brown to arrive it was disappointment from the start. It had a strong green hue which I found to fade over time. It skips and fails to start if I write very fast at all, particularly sideways. After several days, I found that if I will rinse off the nib and blot it dry that it writes much better but is not as opaque. It has noticeable nib creep which is quite annoying. I have continued to use it hoping that I will like it better but I feel like I am doing something wrong. Everyone seems to like this ink but I am having difficulty getting it to function properly in my pen. I would welcome any hints or tricks which might help me since I am new to fountain pens. I would also be open to any other brown inks that might be waterproof and fade resistant.

 

I'm a bit confused, as there are references to 2 different browns in your post.

Which one are you saying has a "strong green hue", the PR-Copper Burst or the Polar Brown?

If Polar Brown, then I've tried my new Polar Brown in 4 different pens and not once have I noticed any green color.

I've not once experienced any hard-starts nor skipping with my new Polar Brown ink either, regardless of pen used.

Since Noodlers' "bulletproof" inks in general contain a high percentage of suspended particulates, the flow can be stopped or finicky if the feed channels of your pen are not kept clean.

All my Noodlers' inks are very wet inks, flow beautifully from all my pens but they can require more pen cleaning/preventative maintenance, something I personally have no problem with.

Prior to every refill or color change I completely flush out both nib and feeds prior to refilling, also running a shim of plastic or brass of @ .002" thickness down the feed channels about every 5th fill to make sure they're clear.

 

Nib creep is somewhat typical with many well-saturated inks and not just Noodlers' Polar Brown, from my own experience.

Unless you take steps to debur the tine slot on your nib, maybe even have to polish the nib surfaces themselves of all fine scratches, or send them off to an expert to do this for you, it's bound to happen.

Since Noodlers' inks and Polar types in particular have more surfactant and/or lubricants, seeing more creep on a burred nib is going to happen, especially nibs with fine macro/micro-scratches or plated nibs.

I like all my Noodlers' inks, yet I feel what you're experiencing since having this happen to me too, until I took it upon myself to properly finish each and every pen nib by hand.

The worst nib for creep, with all inks not just Noodlers' Polar, was the "kit" nib on my Xmas 2008 gift pen [seen as a pen & ink drawing in my Avatar].

The Small nib, marked "Iridium Point Germany" had thousands of micro-scratches on the gold plating and burs in the tine slot, plating looking almost frosted instead of polished when I got it.

That nib had serious creep issues with PR-Tanzanite, until I used some 2000 grit Wet or Dry paper in the tine slot and a good brown jewelers rouge on a low-speed cotton wheel to polish out all the surface scratches [which also nearly removed the thin layer of gold plating, so care needed to be taken to go slow and steady to remove scratches and not all the plating].

 

New to the brown inks in general I'll have to leave it to others that love the browns for a suggestion of other brown inks with waterproof and UV-resistant properties.

I'm also using Levenger Cocoa in one pen and it is in now way waterproof, barely water-resistant and I've not tested it for UV.

Hoepfully our brown ink fans will chime in and makes some suggestions, if indeed there are other permanent browns out there.

Your primary desire for a non-freezing ink may be only reserved to using Polar Brown, as I've never heard of any other brands/types with that quality.

If you're truly serious about wanting to "like this ink" as you say, your pen can most certainly be properly finished to perform beautifully with it, of that I am certain.

 

I hope some of this helps, even if it's not the answer you were hoping for.

I still hope it sheds some light on the issue/s you're having and even better if it provides you with some answers/remedies.

The above has worked for me and I'm certain it can work for you too.

[Tribrach]

I thoroughly appreciate your detailed response.

 

It is the Noodlers Polar Brown that had the green cast. The green does seem to fade though, particularly on the ink laid down after rinsing the nib.

 

I am interested in properly cleaning and finishing my nib. I will look for a post or a web site that fully explains the process.

 

The quality of a non-freezing ink is nice but not necessary. However, I would like a semblance of water and UV resistance. I am embarking on a major project which I would like to last. I also don’t want it to be destroyed if by chance it sustains water damage.

 

[Inka]

UPDATE:

 

After having read a few complaints by members saying their Noodler's Polar Brown ink causing problems in their pens, especially their Pilot VPs, I had to test this for myself.

I've not once had a problem with my bottle of Polar Brown when used in the few pens I had prior to getting this Vanishing Point pen, not even a problem using it in my Pelikan M800 "Old Style" with a F nib.

So I emptied the Noodler's Habanero back into its' bottle, flushed out the VP section with feed & nib, dried it out and refilled it with my Polar Brown ink and began to write.

I've tried it on Rolla [Circa] paper, Day-Timer Desk size paper, Staples Eco-Friendly sugarcane bagasse paper [2 types], 3x5 cards, AmPad Canary yellow Legal pad, Inkjet printer paper,... no problems whatsoever.

So I did a re-worked review sheet, an update if you will to both my Polar Brown and my VP reviews, uploaded it to Photobucket so I could shot the results [i'll be posting this on my Polar Brown review and the "Bad, bad, Polar Brown thread]...

 

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu56/InkaFX/Pilot-VP--Polar-Brown-Revi.jpg

 

To those that have problems with Polar Brown in any of their pens, all I can think of at this point is that "maybe" you did get a bad lot.

If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend calling Nathan Tardif of Noodler’s, explaining the problem, and sending it back to him to research for all the rest having any problems.

I've spoken with Nathan and he's easy to talk to, he cares about his product and would surely want to help if you don't talk to him with anger and disrespect.

I had thought to call him about the white residue in the bottle of Polar Brown once it's been sitting for some time unused, but since I've never had any problems I'd felt no dire need to call.

It's worth a try, my friends, instead of fuming over it and getting nowhere but angry, Nathan may have an answer or at least he may offer you an exchange for another ink if you just don't want to try another bottle.

 

Best wishes and good luck, would like to hear good outcomes as well:

 

Scott ~Inka~

[Inka]

...I am interested in properly cleaning and finishing my nib. I will look for a post or a web site that fully explains the process.

 

...I would like a semblance of water and UV resistance. I am embarking on a major project which I would like to last. I also don’t want it to be destroyed if by chance it sustains water damage.

 

Sorry I've overlooked replying to this sooner, stuff happens and distractions have been major in my life as well.

I can attest 100% and without a shred of doubt that Polar Brown is extremely waterproof, it is classified by Noodler's as one of their "bulletproof" inks and I've done extreme testing in this area.

HOT water won't flush it out once dry [and it dries very fast], not 100% Clorox bleach/ammonia, liquid soaps, nothing washed it out of paper in my tests.

I haven't done any extreme or lengthy UV tests yet but it is listed as being very UV resistant, so I would think this too should not be a problem for you.

Maybe one of these days I'll write samples of all my Noodler's inks marketed like this ink as being UV resistant, hang the page in a sunny window and let it fry, then post back the before and after results.

Just so much on my plate lately I keep forgetting to do this, although I have been meaning to.

[ladyinthemists]

Unfortunately for me, I have not written with any of my wonderful fountain pens for a very long time. I am ready to correct that inexcusable situation now. However, I will either need to do some pen repairs (if I am able to do so myself or even if I have to have someone else do it for me) or buy "new" (vintage) pens. I have always used Esterbrook and Sheaffer pens and I do have a Parker sterling silver pen and a Diplomat-Germany (that was a new one to me but a very pretty pen). I am also a lover of brown ink (among my many favorites). So, I am wondering whether this Noodler's Polar Brown ink would work in my pens. Does it come in ink refills that will fit my Sheaffer cartridge pens or would I would need one of those converters to be able to use bottled ink?

 

My favorite ink colors have always been:

- jet (darkest) black

- brown

- purple

- peacock blue

- emerald green

In the past I have always used Sheaffer Scrip ink but I am definitely open for suggestions for a really good ink for my Esterbrook, Sheaffer and Parker pens.

[Inka]

...Does it come in ink refills that will fit my Sheaffer cartridge pens or would I would need one of those converters to be able to use bottled ink?...

Noodler's inks, all of them, are strictly bottled inks, not sold in cartridges.

It is, however, a pretty simple task to refill a cartridge from a bottle of ink.

Using bottled inks opens up a whole new world of ink brands/types/colors too, once you go bottled ink you may rarely buy new cartridges other than for the convenience or to get a new cartridge to refill.

Seeing you live in the beautiful state of Tennessee, you'll most likely have a Tractor Supply Company not too far off.

You can go there and buy syringes used for vaccinating animals, veterinary use, very inexpensively.

I prefer the 3ml size and a long needle, the syringe is only $0.29 cents each USD, I already had the blunt needles from an Inkjet printer refill kit so I've no idea what they run.

The needles they sell are all sharpened and it's typically better to grind them blunt for safety reasons but not necessary.

I think you can get a 5-pack for @ $1.99, of the 18ga x 1-1/2" size disposables, but a fairly thick gauge and longer needle is best for ink refilling.

You can even use the syringe/needle combo to flush the old cartridge with water, let dry, then fill with your favorite bottled ink.

Sheaffer’s cartridges are pretty long and durable, so you can get many, many uses out of one used cartridge just by refilling them.

If that seems like too much trouble a converter is the next or best option, available from places like Swisher Pens for normally less than $10, depending on the brand.

 

Polar Brown has really worked very well for me, still does.

Some have claimed they may have gotten a bad batch or something and their Polar Brown clogged their pens but I've used mine in different pens without having any problems whatsoever.

Polar Brown looks like a melted milk chocolate to me, no shading to speak of and writes rather wet and slick.

 

There are many people on FPN that love their Esterbrook pens, so check out that section of the forums for more specific questions and answers.

I've not yet owned or even used an Esterbrook pen, so not the best to answer specific questions.

I have had just one Sheaffer's cartridge pen, used it a few times and only sold it because another member had been seeking desperately the exact pen I had.

I was uncomfortable using it, it was in near mint condition and very rare, plus it didn't quite fit me the way I'd like a pen to fit, myself needing large, heavy pens and this was neither.

I recall the cartridge though, they hold a lot of ink, so refilling yurs would in my opinion be the best way to get the most mileage out of a refill, the cartridge holds more ink than converters.

 

[ladyinthemists]

Thanks so much for all this great info, Inka, it's all very helpful. You are correct, I do live not too far from a Tractor Supply Company and will be in that area tomorrow so will check out the syringes. I used brown Sheaffer ink in college many, many years ago and always loved it. The Polar Brown sounds great to me as long as it will be safe to use in my Esterbrook, Sheaffer and Parker pens. The only cartridge pens I own are the Sheaffer ones so the bottled ink should work well once I either re-fill the old ink cartridges or purchase a converter. You're probably right, though, about getting more use out of the old cartridge. But...how do you get the old ink color out of the old ink cartridge?? Also, as I understand it the Noodlers' Polar Brown is also permanent (which I much prefer over washable)....am I correct on this?

 

BTW, may I ask you here...I'm curious to know which pens and inks you, personally, prefer and enjoy using? I would love to find a good old fashioned stationary shop (where I'm like a kid in a candy shop!) where you can purchase such things as pens, inks, great stationary, etc. but, alas, I'm afraid that such shops, along with wonderful millinary shops, are no more to be found. I did learn that there is a place in Asheville, NC that carries inks so I need to go over there and check them out.

 

BTW...I love your signature! NEVER, EVER lend your fountain pen to anyone else, I don't care WHO they are!

[Inka]

You can use the syringe & needle to extract the ink for the cartridges, if you have a small bottle you can even save it for later use.

I have a bottle of small amounts of cartridge inks that I've labeled "Trash Blend", although there's nothing trashy about it and I use it in my eye-dropper pens and for dip-pens.

If you can't get a long enough needle to get to the bottom of those long Sheaffer’s cartridges, you can most likely invert and squeeze gently over/in a bottle to get out the excess.

 

Until recently I've not had many pens, my daily writer for letters is a Pelikan M800 made in 1995.

I was recently gifted a Pilot Vanishing Point pen by an FPN member and keep that in my pocket Jotter.

Those two, I would say, are the ones I use most often and enjoy using the most.

I do have several free Platinum Preppy Eye-Dropper conversion pens that come free when you buy certain 4.5oz bottles of Noodler's inks.

Two inexpensive Dollar piston fill pens are also in the mix.

The pen & ink drawing in my Avatar is an actual picture of my hand holding a kit pen turned by a Master Carpenter friend of mine, a gift from last Christmas.

Inks I have are mostly Noodler's inks; a few are small sample bottles a good friend sends me from time to time to try something new out.

I also have Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black/Turquoise and Brilliant Red, plus one each Caran d' Ache "Colours of the Earth Series", one Storm violet and one Caribbean Sea turquoise.

I prefer Noodler's permanent or "bulletproof" inks for longevity, such as in Journals or form filling/signatures, but the non-waterproof inks in colors are also among my favorites.

So it's hard to pin down any particular ink, my moods change and so I change inks with my moods, finding no one brand really that preferable over another.

However, Noodler's inks are priced economically well and provide me with what I like and need for the most part.

 

I know what you mean about the lack of pen stores and good stationery shops, same here as other than Staples and OfficeMax there's nothing.

There are millinery shops downtown but I've not been in them, too hard to find parking for one plus it's $7 just to park your vehicle!

I've heard form those that have visited them the prices are always very high, they prey on the tourist trade and suck every dollar they can out of a sale.

I've heard that a simple glass dip pen that you can buy online for @ $20 sells for upwards of $100 just to fleece the tourists.

Or maybe because the rent downtown is so outrageously high the shopkeepers have no choice but to charge so much above retail, understandable but I'm not up to paying the premium.

 

Thank you for the compliment on my Sig, I made it myself, from things I've experienced first-hand and have heard others say.

Fortunately I've not lent a fountain pen to anyone that has destroyed it, I won't either, but I have had lesser pens messed up by people that must be thinking to themselves "What do I care if I break it, it's not mine!"

I swear some people would use an expensive pen as a hammer after asking to borrow a pen, just seeing one in my pocket.

I've loaned out tools and have had that happen, an expensive adjustable wrench borrowed by a friend no-less until he began using the side edge as a hammer, I kid you not!

Never again, I don't lend out my tools, my fountain pens, my only vehicle, nothing, unless I know beyond shadows of doubt the person will take care of what they borrow and those people are few and long-time good friends.

 

~Scott~

[Inka]

@ ladyinthemists;

 

Post Script:

 

Thank you wholeheartedly for honoring and placing value on my opinions.

I would like to ask that you look around, as ma[n]y members here have differing opinions on pens and inks and I value their opinions as well.

Before finding FPN, I had little idea just how many choices are out there, in both pens and inks [and ink colors as well], along with paper types and much, much more.

This forum is a wealth of information, finding myself learning something new every day pretty much and placing value above gold the knowledge I've gleaned from others here.

 

Enjoy!

 

EDIT: I still cannot type, had again come back to correct mis-typed words, so off I go to write some more with a fountain pen.

 

Edited August 26, 2009 by Inka