Noodler's Lexington Gray

[KingJoe]

Well, everyone...

 

After the fiasco with Noodler's Eternal Brown in my VP, I was a little leery of the bulletproof offerings. Lexington Gray has brought me back, though. While it's a little scratchy (less nib lubrication than I'd like) than most other inks I've tried in the same pens, it's a keeper.

 

This scan is about as close as I could get, actual review is a hair darker to my eye. It cut a little off all four sides, nothing major was lost, but below my name I underlined in both directions and skipping was evident on the right-to-left strokes, something this pen does not do with any other ink. Hey, it's my first scanned review...be gentle, eh?

 

Enjoy!

 

~~Mike

 

Pen: Lamy Safari

Nib: factory Fine

Paper: HP 20lb. "Multipurpose"

Edited October 28, 2007 by KingJoe

[fjf]

You get the same diluting with distilled water the regular noodelrs black (1/10). Ten times cheaper.

[Ann Finley]

I've never bought a grey ink, but the more I see some of the lighter greys, the more I like them.

 

Thanks for the review.

 

Best, Ann

[KingJoe]

I've never bought a grey ink, but the more I see some of the lighter greys, the more I like them.

 

You know, I don't typically use black ink because I find it "bland," so I never thought I'd try a gray. I picked this up for some mixing experiments and sort of fell for it straight from the bottle.

[PAKMAN]

I just can't get into gray ink, it just ends up looking like washed out black ink.

[fstop22]

I bought this ink as I don't like black ink and it leaves a nice finish to your writing in business without resorting to a bright orange!!! I also found the ink to be a little scratchy in my MB146 medium nib.

[kirianth]

Oh good, it's not just me... I tried the ink out... and it skips horribly on the downstroke for me in a rOtring Espirit EF. No feathering, but this is the first ink+pen combination that's forced me to start from the baseline to write with it!

 

(Pen does not skip with PR Arabian Rose or Quink Washable blue, so I was pretty sure it was the ink...)

[Melnicki]

no crazy feathering with this? I don't get any skipping; I get fractal-like feathering, but only on certain papers.

 

I REALLY like tinting this ink. It takes a very little bit to tint.

 

fjf -- have you been using a 1:9 ink:water mix of standard black regularly? Of course it is cheaper, but Lex Grey has lubricant to make sure it flows well in pens (apparently that always do the job well, or sometimes it does it too well.) Diluting the ink will dilute out the lubricant. I've been GREATLY diluting inks to use in flex (from 3:1 up to 9:1) and have definitely noticed a scratchier write, sometimes to my annoyance. (And does anyone know if writing with such a lube-less ink is bad for the health of the nib tipping, especially for vintage pens?)

Edited June 12, 2008 by Melnicki

[kirianth]

I lied, it does feather like mad on some papers, too...

 

Sometimes it looks fine, and then as it dries, it feathers.

 

Maybe mixing/tinting will make it less finicky.

[bwnewton]

I really like this ink for writing on higher quality paper. Bleed-through is a bit of a problem on lesser quality paper. It does offer some shading but provides a unique "liquid" pencil look. I personally think the regular Noodler's BP Black behaves better on more varieties of paper, but NLG is certainly adequate.

 

I especially enjoying using it with my Cross Century Classic EF that my wife gave me in the early 1990s. I use it primarily for writing in one of my journals, addressing envelopes and sometimes for writing letters on quality paper like Rhodia or Staples Eco-Friendly.

[tr3n1ty]

Thanks for the review!

 

I love this ink color. With the right pens it has really nice shading. When I used it at the bank drive through with a fine nib pen, the teller told me I needed to rewrite my slip with ink.

[nickyd]

Thanks for the review!

 

I love this ink color. With the right pens it has really nice shading. When I used it at the bank drive through with a fine nib pen, the teller told me I needed to rewrite my slip with ink.

 

Nice one! Don't you just love banks?

N.

[nickyd]

This was my first Noodler's ink that I purchased.I keep coming back to it especially as I eventually realized that it has 'bullet proof' qualities.

Thanks for the review--the scan appears to be accurate when viewed on my monitor.

N.

[Glenn-SC]

Thanks for the review.

 

I just can't get into Gray inks either though.

[minthe]

I really like this one! Should try diluting the black bulletproof next time. I've found that my dense writing looks much better and is more easy to read with a gray instead of a black (or Noodler's Zhivago, although I adore that shade)... Do you have other suggestions of warmer toned brownish gray water proof inks maybe (sorry for hitch hiking this thread)?

[obilot]

You get the same diluting with distilled water the regular noodelrs black (1/10). Ten times cheaper.

*Can* one really make this by mixing distilled water with Noodler's Black 10:1? Sometimes black ink has a lot of green, or blue, that will really become apparent if diluted.

[ac12]

My LG in a Baoer 388 comes out a DARK grey.

I was pleasantly surprised, and liked it.

The dark grey is not as harsh on the eyes as looking at BLACK ink on white paper.

Edited December 30, 2015 by ac12

[FPRebel]

Reviving this REALLY old thread, to say thank you for some great info on one of my first inks, and I still love it. THIS is a fantastic idea, and I have just mixed my first ever ink thanks to this suggestion!

NLG tinted with Diamine Marigold & a smidge of MB Corn Poppy. Lovely for fall!

quote name="Melnicki" post="638856" timestamp="1213303356"]no crazy feathering with this? I don't get any skipping; I get fractal-like feathering, but only on certain papers. I REALLY like tinting this ink. It takes a very little bit to tint.fjf -- have you been using a 1:9 ink:water mix of standard black regularly? Of course it is cheaper, but Lex Grey has lubricant to make sure it flows well in pens (apparently that always do the job well, or sometimes it does it too well.) Diluting the ink will dilute out the lubricant. I've been GREATLY diluting inks to use in flex (from 3:1 up to 9:1) and have definitely noticed a scratchier write, sometimes to my annoyance. (And does anyone know if writing with such a lube-less ink is bad for the health of the nib tipping, especially for vintage pens?)

[dvalliere]

Image sample of the tinted ink?

[FPRebel]

Experience is a great teacher! What began as a lovely gray-tinted orange ink (not the other way round) in my mix, sat a few more hours in my Ahab, and became a lovely.........BROWN! **curtsey**

 

To show you my brown shade, taa daa!!! For reference, the paper is a Leuchterrm journal - sorry it was photo'd with my iPad in ambient light. To me, the ink & paper are appearing too yellow. I love & will use this Ahab full to write letters with a lovely shading brown that unlike my other Browns, is a true BROWN, not reddish brown, surprisingly, given the additive inks.