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  1. Uncial

    Zebra G'ing A Neponset

    I spotted a post elsewhere that had a picture of a Neponset with a Zebra G nib, so I immediately got to work. Sadly, the Neponset ebonite feed curves downwards quite significantly. I recall this issue with the other one I have that I put a Goulet nib into. To do that I had to remove the Neponset feed and replace it with an Ahab feed and now it works perfectly and beautifully wet. The problem is I cannot for the life of me work out how the person managed to get the Zebra G nib to match the Neponset feed - mine are so far apart that you could drive a bus through the gap. They claim to have heat set the nib and feed, but I can't see how that would be possible without damaging both the feed and the nib....am I missing something? Presumably I could stick a zebra g into an Ahab if all else fails?
  2. I've been building a collection of Noodler's Ink, and I'm up to six bottles so far - five colors and a huge bottle of Heart of Darkness. For the most recent round of purchases, I first bought some samples from Goulet Pens, and I also received a sample of Ottoman Azure in an ink sample exchange with another FPN member. I was rather surprised by the variability in color between batches of Noodler's Ink. I got a Black Swan in Australian Roses sample vial from Goulet that looked a dark rose ink: The bottle of BSiAR I actually received was noticeably darker and more purplish: The sample of Ottoman Azure I received looked like a pure medium blue, that leans toward turquoise: The bottle of Ottoman Azure I received is a dark teal, which looks nothing like the sample, or the ink reviews I've seen on FPN: (Rhodia paper and the same Aurora pen were used for all samples. The pen was dipped). As I learned in another FPN thread (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/279515-did-black-swan-in-australian-roses-ever-really-change/), the issues with BSiAR are known and Nathan Tardiff of Noodler's claims it to be a feature. The variability is part of the anti-forgery features he designs into the ink. And Noodler's website does list BSiAR as being forgery-resistant. That leaves Ottoman Azure. The two samples I have are so far apart they should have different names and be sold as separate colors. According to Noodler's website, Ottoman Azure has no special properties. It almost looks like I got a bottle of Squeteague with the wrong label attached. Now, I'm not unhappy with the colors I actually received. I do like both these new shades. But they are nothing at all like what I was led to expect based on the ink samples I received. Is this extreme variability the norm with Noodlers? I can expect and accept some variability from batch to batch with hand-mixed inks, but two completely different hues isn't acceptable to me. I'm not sure I'll be buying much of their ink going forward if I don't have confidence in what color I get.
  3. white_lotus

    Noodler's Proctor's Ledge 2016 Le

    The third of the 2016 Commonwealth Pen Show Noodler's special, limited edition inks. This one is another waterproof ink, well nearly so, with just a little smearing. Similar to BB Espresso or Sailor Doyou in being a very dark brown, a rich earth color. In the images I couldn't get the brown, the contrast was too much and the camera just took it as black. But it's not black! It's deep brown. Trust me. The especially wonderful thing about this ink is DOES NOT wash red. It washes brown, like Parker Penman Mocha. Unfortunately, another unobtanium ink. There may be a few bottles left at GoldSpot, or perhaps not. If any are available, once gone, will be gone forever as the ink was made with a unique dye that Noodler's can't get. Since I received a generous sample I won't need a bottle. But I'd love to have an ink this color, regularly available, that washed brown like this, and was a cool brown. Things like this will get me attending the 2017 Commonwealth Pen Show. Pen: Edison Premiere (M-steel) Papers: MvL=Mohawk via Linen, TR=Tomoe River, Hij=Hammermill 28 lb inkjet, Rhodia=Rhodia 90g ivory. Camera: iPhone 7 Waterproof. Just a tiny amount of ink washes away, and none lifts. In the little halo areas where you see a light red, while drying that at first had an orange and a yellow. Very unique.
  4. Another of the 2016 LE inks by Noodler's from the Commonwealth Pen Show. This is a totally waterproof ink. A nice soft, vintage blue. Fast-drying on more absorbent papers. Even on Rhodia, mostly dry in 5 seconds. Totally unobtanium. So I'm very happy that someone sent me a generous sample. Thank you inky friend! The flow is really good in this ink, and I like it. Pen: Edison Premiere (F-steel) Papers: MvL=Mohawk via Linen, TR=Tomoe River, Hij=Hammermill 28 lb inkjet, Rhodia=Rhodia 90g ivory. Camera: iPhone 7
  5. I really am going to have to find something special to get for this inky FPN friend who has supplied me with generous amounts of limited edition Noodler's inks. Thank you inky friend! This was the third ink of the 2015 Commonwealth Pen Show special inks. And it might be the best of the three. Normally I don't go for such magenta inks as this, but when I started writing I realized this was the most beautiful ink I'd ever seen. It is really such a pity that this was LE. Gone! Unobtanium forever! Especially since the dye used in this ink was discontinued, or no longer available. A shame really. Pen: Aurora Ipsilon Deluxe (M-14kt) Papers: MvL=Mohawk via Linen, TR=Tomoe River, Hij=Hammermill 28 lb inkjet, Rhodia=90g Rhodia ivory This ink is extremely water resistant. It dries nearly instantaneously on somewhat absorbent papers, and quite fast on others. With wet pens you may get some show through. The Aurora I used here is not a very wet pen, and I didn't encounter problems. There is some light staining on the converter. I haven't emptied the pen yet, so I don't know if it will be difficult to clean, but it doesn't seem like much. So, that could be an issue for demonstrators, pens with clear barrels, and the like. Fairly rapid drying even on Rhodia. Quite water resistant.
  6. Thanks to a wonderful FPN inky friend I have a very generous sample of the limited edition Noodler's ink from the 2015 Commonwealth Pen Show. Sadly, not available at all, probably for any price. I didn't find any even on ebay, but there never was much of this available in the first place. This is a nice grass green ink, with some water resistance, very fast drying especially on absorbent papers. Drier pens might be better for this ink as experienced some show through using my M-nibbed, wet, Edison Premiere. It wasn't terrible, but for those writing on both sides of the paper, to minimize and problems keep your most wet pens for another ink. On Tomoe River there's red sheen wherever the ink pools. Pen: Edison Premiere (M-steel) Papers: MvL=Mohawk via Linen, TR=Tomoe River, Hij=Hammermill 28 lb inkjet, Rhodia=Rhodia 90g ivory While somewhat water resistant, the problem is that the ink penetrates the paper to the verso. So you might have difficulty recovering writing due to that. A most unusual ink droplet.
  7. white_lotus

    Noodler's Myles Standish 2015 Le

    I believe this was a limited edition ink produced for the 2015 Commonwealth Pen Show in Boston. As always Nathan Tardif produces some inks with the most intriguing properties. I was fortunate to receive a sample of this ink just recently coincidental to some discussion of the actual color of the ink. Some original reviews indicated the ink was a "blue-black". Others who recently used the ink discovered the ink was not a blue-black, but a chalky blue, much like a traditional washable blue. Well the vial I received was of a chalky blue. Thank you inky friend! The ink is supposed to be waterproof as I understand it, but I'll have more on that in a moment. In the Edison Premiere with a Fine steel nib, the ink wrote more like a medium and exhibited some show through and varying degrees of bleed through. This was even on high quality paper such as Rhodia/Clairefontaine. But when I switched to a Pelikan M205 with a Fine steel nib that is quite frugal the writing was as expected: the fine nib wrote like a fine, with a little show through but nothing problematic, no bleed through. So my guess is the Edison was just too wet for this ink. There is a pink dye component to this ink, but that dye is not waterproof. It is that dye that spreads somewhat and penetrates to the other side of the paper. The blue dye does not budge. So after the water the recto side appears fine where one could easily recover the writing, the verso has had the pink dye bleed through. I'm not sure what this would due to the readability of the text. Anyway, this isn't an available ink. Long long gone, and it was made using dyes that Mr. Tardif couldn't obtain any longer. Also, I'm not sure how well I did on adjusting the color in the images. It was quite difficult to get the right balance of desaturation and color in order to properly present the actual ink. The ink handled well except for the show through and bleed through. There was no staining on either the converter or the barrel of the Pelikan.
  8. antichresis

    Replicant Inks

    The title is inspired by the new Blade Runner 2049 trailer and the question by The Grand Tour's passing exhibit of Enzo Ferrari's purple ink: Which current (modern?) inks intentionally replicate or simulate lost or discontinued inks? This is an attempt to have a comprehensive list (like the Sailor ink thread) as the ones I'm aware of are mostly Noodler's inks and were brought up in an old thread here. Noodler's Dark Matter - unknown ink from Los Alamos Sailor Bungbox Sapphire - Parker Penman Sapphire (there's a whole lot of literature of course on which inks replicate PPS, but this is the one that I remember was intentional and not circumstantial) Noodler's V-Mail series Noodler's Borealis Black - Aurora Black (which is still manufactured) Noodler's Boston Brahmin Black - replica Noodler's Ellis Island Blue-Black - early 1900s government-issue blue-black Noodler's Blue-Black - 1930s blue-black Noodler's Manhattan Blue - "the color of the deepest blue vintage 1931 NYC ink" Noodler's Antietam - "The Oldest Vintage Replica Ink" Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia - whale sepia Noodler's Galileo Manuscript Brown Noodler's Legal Lapis Noodler's Baystate Blue Diamine Poppy Red - Montblanc Corn Poppy Red (which is still manufactured) I might as well ask since we're on the topic of whether Rick Deckard is a replicant: being aware of government restrictions (and multi-government restrictions) as well as economical availability of ingredients being a large deterrent on companies using the same formula or recipe, does anyone have a guess as to which inks have retained their colour/shade the longest? For example, Quink Blue-Black is a far cry from the old Quink Permanent Blue-Black with Solv-X (sorry, I like typing the long name out), which inks aren't like that? edit: English
  9. Why is Noodler's Baystate Blue advertised as being alkaline? The bottle says ph between 8-9, and various retailers advertise it as being slightly more dangerous to pens due to being basic. Yet, many sites including richardspens.com and a thread here quote the pH as acidic, in the 4-5 range, and when I pH tested my bottle in lab today with a ph probe I got a pH of 2.96, which is 1,088,484 times more acidic than the quoted pH. (pH is measured on a logarithmic scale with a pH value representing a Hydronium Ion Concentration of 10^-pH molar, so pH 5 is 10 times more acidic than ph 6, which is 10 times more acidic than pH 7, and so on). Could Nathan have meant to list 8-9 as the pOH? I can't really think of any other explanation. Edited to say: Even if he did mean pOH, that would only mean a pH range for the ink of 5-6. Measured values have been significantly more acidic than that, by a factor of up to a thousand.
  10. ToasterPastry

    Noodler's Proctor's Ledge Ink Review

    Noodler's Proctor's Ledge Ink Review Limited edition ink produced for the 2016 Commonwealth Pen Show, Boston I prefer boring inks. But I also think a dark suit should be punctuated with a splashy tie, which doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Inks, though, should be boring, business boring. There shouldn’t be a lot of color, sparkle or sheen. It shouldn’t draw attention to itself or make the reader lose focus. I once purchased an ink the color of bilious regurgitation, which probably reflects the prose more than I realized. My favorite business ink is Private Reserve 2004 DC Supershow Blue. It makes a statement without trying to look like it’s making a statement. I’m looking for an ink like that; splashy in a dark suit and bright tie sort of way. I don’t like obtuse. I want simple. I’m not planning to journal in my bathtub. I just want an ink that flows well from the pen, doesn’t feather or bleed through the paper. http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/ProctorsLedgeInkBottle.jpg I purchased this ink from Goldspot Pens via eBay. The ink was originally produced by Nathan Tardif as a limited edition ink for the Commonwealth Pen Show in Boston on September 25, 2016. There was a limited supply available of this ink, along with North Star Liberator (a sky blue), and Suffragette Carmine (a deep pink). Apparently there are no further quantities of the other inks available, and a limited supply of Proctor’s Ledge. The ink is available directly from Goldspot Pens. Proctor’s Ledge Ink is a memorial tribute to the 19 people hanged at the site Aug. 19, 1692 during the Salem Witch Trials. It was a dark time in colonial American history when people turned on each other, representing one of the most notable cases of mass hysteria. Researchers earlier this year confirmed the site of the hanging, most likely from a large tree on this rocky hill. The site is located in Salem, Massachusetts. It’s a wooded patch surrounded by houses and a Walgreens drug store. The ink is bottled in the traditional Noodler’s 3-ounce glass bottle, with ink filled right to the brim, a Noodler’s hallmark. The label features a large tree with four figures, probably women, being hanged by the neck. In the foreground is a cauldron with 19 skulls, representing the 19 people hanged on that day. How does it write? I loaded the ink into two pens. John Donne’s ‘Holy Sonnet 14’ was written with a 1930’s Gold Bond fountain pen (pictured). This is probably a Wahl Oxford rebranded for retail at Montgomery Ward. It looks just like an Oxford, thus I can assume Wahl Eversharp, and not National Pen made it. It once belonged to Verna L. Young, because the pen told me so. (Verna, I have your pen.) The nib is a slight left oblique medium stub. Although I’m certain Verna wrote lovely letters weekly to her nephew Lyle in Davenport, Iowa, it’s not one of my daily users. I also loaded the ink into a Platinum Preppy, which has been my daily user for the past two years. I decided to give it a much-needed vacation from continued daily use with Private Reserve’s DC Supershow Blue. I used this pen to write the other sample waterproof test. Most of my pens I place into and out of rotation, but the Preppy with PR’s ink has been in nearly continuous use. Once you find a pen and ink combination, it’s best not to upset the balance. http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/ProctorsLedgeInkSample.jpg http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/GoldBondPen.jpg Flow Compared to DC Supershow Blue in the same Platinum Preppy the Proctor’s Ledge was significantly drier, almost scratchy, but not chalky like some others of the Noodler’s line. On one occasion I had trouble starting the pen. With Verna’s Gold Bond, the flow was much better, but not ideal. Color This was perhaps the most disappointing. The color is somewhere between a very dark purple, and brown, resembling a very deep aubergine. On some paper and lighting it appears brown, on others it appears purple. Let’s call it mud, because when all is said and done, it looks fairly black. To be fair, I’ve mixed some of my own inks, and this would be a color I’d probably reject and dump the results down the sink. There is some red dye component within the ink. This has a slightly different flow characteristic. If you use a vivid black light, or a vivid imagination, you may be able to see these pink highlights. Another trick is to smear the ink onto the paper with a knife blade, or drop the ink onto a wet paper towel. Unfortunately, I don’t write with a knife blade, nor do I write onto a wet paper towel. Also, I don’t own a black light, nor do I enjoy spending much time around one. Drying time The dry time is almost instantaneous. This ink is very well suited for left-handed writers. Waterproof This ink is very waterproof. Once dried, there is almost no ink loss from the paper. http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/ToasterPastryphoto/ProctorsLedgeInkSample2.jpg Feathering and Bleeding I’m impressed: almost no feathering or bleeding with this ink. I tried it on various paper grades at home and work, and found this ink to be true to the page. Conclusion The dry time and resistance to water may be desirable features for some, especially in an ink that resists feathering and bleeding. However, I was a bit turned off by the muddy color and especially disappointed with the dry feel of the ink with writing. This ink is probably better for pens with medium or broad nibs.
  11. visvamitra

    Proctor's Ledge - Noodler's Le Ink

    Noodler’s is one of the companies that don’t need any introductions. Nathan Tardiff is a legend and his work is well known by fountain pen and ink afficionados. Not everyone is crazy about Noodler’s inks but I enjoy most of the ones I’ve tried so far. Proctor's Ledge was one of Noodler's LE Inks from limited materials made for New England pen show - Commonwealth in 2015. Proctor's Ledge, and the illustrated bottle label, is a memorial to the 19 innocent victims of the Salem Witch Trials that were hanged at this particular site. The ink is really wet and dark. It's brown but in some pens and on some papers it can appear almost black. The ink is water resistant and fluoroscent. It behaves well. I wouldn't mind owning a bottle of this one. Sadly it was LE ink so I'm going to enjoy the rest of the sample. Drops of ink on kitchen towel Color ID Color range Tomoe RIver, Kaweco Classic Sport, broad nib Leuchtturm 1917, Kaweco Classic Sport, broad nib Kokuyo Campus Myo, Kaweco Classic Sport, broad nib Water Resistance
  12. visvamitra

    North Star Liberator - Noodler's

    Noodler’s is one of the companies that don’t need any introductions. Nathan Tardiff is a legend and his work is well known by fountain pen and ink afficionados. Not everyone is crazy about Noodler’s inks but I enjoy most of the ones I’ve tried so far. Northstar Liberator was one of three Noodler's Inks from limited materials made for New England pen show - Commonwealth. The ink is 100% bulletproof and behaves pretty well - I appreciate the fact it doesn't feather. The color can be vibrant while used in broad and wet pens but the result is rather boring for my taste. Maybe if you collect Noodler's ink or need light water resistant blue this one will suit your needs / tastes. For me it's an ink I'll never use again. Drops of ink on kitchen towel Color ID Color range Tomoe RIver, Kaweco Classic Sport, broad nib Leuchtturm 1917, Kaweco Classic Sport, broad nib Rhodia, Kweco Classic Sport, broad nib
  13. Just before entering this forum, happened that I won an Instagram contest held by Goldspot Pens. Part of the prize of the contest was a bottle of their exclusive Noodler's Revolution Blue. Since you open the bottle a bright luminous deep blue colour catches your eye, revealing one of the most sneaky and charming ink i've ever had the pleasure to use. Look at that blue!, doesn't it just say "USE ME!!!" with an enchanting siren voice? This ink is so blue that I would be glad to check with Geiger Counter for its radioactivity! Looks like paint! But from great blue comes great attention: THIS INK STAINS PENS - BE AWARE - HANDLE WITH CAUTION. If used correctly and with the right attentions, this ink can be really gorgeous. On cheap copy paper it's just fine, behaves so and so. Dries istantly and it's completely waterproof, on the other hand has some annoying feathering and shows some nasty bleedthrough (seems like we're writing with a marker instead of a fountain pen). On more ink resistant paper, this ink really stands out. On Schizza & Strappa paper there is no feathering and no bleedthrough and there's a good ammount of shading especially on broader nibs. It takes quite long to dry, but I don't care: I love this blue and I'm willing to pay attention in order to use it. On tracing paper this ink is one of the shiniest I've ever seen. With every nib grade, on inkpools or when the ink gets darker, a majestic red sheen comes out. With broader nibs there's a lot of gorgeous shading. Really, it's a pleasure to the eye. In the end, it's this ink worth it? As I've noticed on some Noodler's ink, they can be a hit and a miss at the same time. This ink is a hit because has a gorgeous saturated Blue without being too much dark. Shades gorgeously and has a gorgeous sheen on the right paper. It's NUCLEARPROOF and has a work appropriate colour which makes it definitely a good choice for daily use. It's a miss because if, like me, you love translucent or demonstrator pens, this ink is going to leave a blueish patina all over your clear plastic, making you a really sad boy. Just to clean my lamy nibs, I had to wash them with a kitchen degreaser, which is not really a thing I'd recommend on regular basis. The first time I've tried it in a Pilot parallel: the section is still a little bluish despite my attempts to clean it completely. I love safe inks because I love my pens. So, if you're a US customer, and you're ordering from Goldspot.com, I think that for 12.50 $ you can give it a try, paying all the necessary attention it's worth every cent. If, like me, you live outside US, probably I wouldn't buy it because if you're willing to give up on the waterproof side of this ink, you could find some good cheaper alternatives on the market (something like Diamine Presidential Blue if I have to say) COPY PAPER SCHIZZA & STRAPPA PAPER TRACING PAPER SHEEN ON TRACING PAPER CROMATOGRAPHY INKDROP
  14. Gazcom

    Noodler's Apache Sunset

    When I first got into fountain pens, I was looking for a "grail ink" or at least to buy only those inks which was really impossible to do without. At the beginning i felt really sad to know that one of the most renown shading ink , Noodler's Apache Sunset, was almost impossible to find in EU dealers, at a reasonable price at least. I bugged badly a friend who went to NY to buy me a bottle for me at the Pen Hospital instead of the usual souvenir. For this reason, today I'm able to tell you my complex feelings on this particular ink. Apache Sunset is a "paper squeamish ink", has a beautiful colour and shows its beautiful shading properties just on the right paper at its own conditions. Do not expect shading on cheap copy paper because it will appear just a chalky orange. Do not expect a positive writing experience with gorgeous shading on too much "waterproof" paper like the tracing paper, because it's watery consistence causes issues in binding the ink to the paper. On the other hand, on schizza & strappa paper, which should be quite similar to the Tomoe River paper, this ink just looks and shades gorgeously, with all the nib grades but especially on broader ones, leaving nice reddish - orange dark shades where the ink forms pools (making it a fantastic ink for flex writing), and a neat legible warm orange-yellow on the less saturated areas. It really has the colours of the sunset, all in one ink. As said before, this ink is extremely watery consistent, tends to feather a lot on cheap paper and is likely to experience bleedthrough. The dry test shows an ink wich dries almost istantly on cheap copy paper (seems like sucked in the paper fibers) but takes ages to dry on other kind of papers (20 sec on schizza & strappa, more than 30 sec on Tracing Paper), making it a not left handed friendly ink. Has no water resistance and tends to vanish if put in contact with water. In the end, is this ink worth buying? I know there are lots of people that just look at this ink as the "choosen one" and I can understand that, because the colour is beautiful and the shading is massive and gorgeous. On the other side it's an ink that gives its best only on limited kind of papers, and especially when using flex writing, and is not work friendly or not even practical for taking notes; making it usable mostly for practicing calligraphy and drawing. In USA this ink is available for about 12$ for a 3oz bottle and that makes a really good value; but for an EU customer prices can get higher for custom duties, shipping and whatsoever, making it quite unattainable. In the end I like it (and I like it a lot) but I have it because someone went to the USA and gifted it to me. If I were to buy it on my own, I would probably be buying a bottle of Diamine Autumn Oak instead, definitely a cheaper choice. COPY PAPER SCHIZZA & STRAPPA PAPER TRACING PAPER CROMATOGRAPHY INKDROP
  15. I have 7 pens right now so I feel like I'm ready to try out a flex pen next. I want something cheap that I can play around with, without worrying too much about cost if something happens to go wrong - so I want to stick to one of the noodler's flex pens. I'm undecided between the nib creeper, ahab and konrad. I think I might be leaning more towards the ahab because it's got a bigger grip and I'm thinking would be more comfortable to hold while applying the needed pressure to flex. I know there's a lot of variance between all the pens, even within the same nib creeper, ahab and konrad families. But as my first one, any suggestions which is best?
  16. Noodler’s Konrad 1820 Essex- Long Term Review As some of you may remember, back in June I posted the following thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/309845-earned-25-want-to-spend-it-on-a-new-pen/page-1 asking for advice on a pen purchase. In the end, I went with a Noodler’s Konrad in 1820 Essex, and I have used it as one of my main everyday writers since then. After five months of nearly daily use, I am finally ready to present my long-term opinions on the pen. ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Appearance & Design (8/10) – Classic semi-transparent design When I first received the Konrad in the mail, I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed. The pen was slightly smaller than I had anticipated, slightly duller than I had anticipated, and slightly plainer than I had anticipated. But the design has grown on me. What I once saw as slightly dull I now see as understated elegance and beauty. The pen’s body is transparent, tinted the color of seafoam green. The cap and the blind cap are both an opaque white/sliver acrylic that gives the appearance of pearl. The clip is plain but sturdy and effective, stamped with “NOODLERS INK” and has the unique distinction of being in my opinion the best clip I’ve ever used. The nib is a plain looking steel nib, stamped with “NOODLERS INK CO” and with a slit running down all the way to the feed. The piston in the back of then pen is visible through the transparent body, in my opinion adding to the beauty of the pen. 2. Construction & Quality (9/10) – Solid all around, and an incredible Clip The Konrad is constructed almost entirely from acrylic, except for the clip, the small metal accent on the cap, the nib, and the ebonite feed. The papers that come with the pen claim the acrylic is biodegradable, but to me it feels like it’d last to the end of time. If I dropped my pen capped from any reasonable height, I wouldn’t be excessively concerned. It is well made and well-constructed, and feels sturdy enough. The clip warrants its own statement however. The clip is quite possibly the best clip on any fountain pen I’ve ever used. It isn’t the prettiest, it isn’t the shiniest, it isn’t the thickest, it isn’t the anything-est for that matter, but it just works. I use my pen clips quite often, and they are regularly clipped to the outside part of my pocket. This clip is the easiest to clip on, the easiest to grab off, the sturdiest, and the strongest-seeming clip I’ve ever had the -pleasure to use. The cap and blind cap both unscrew smoothly and easily, and the piston mechanism is smooth turning and feels sturdy. My one complaint about build quality would be that my pen had a quite noticeable imperfection in the acrylic in the cap of the pen, but it adds character to the design in the end and I’ve grown to like it. Another important thing to note is that the entire pen can be taken apart and put back together with no special tooling, making it a very easy pen to repair, service, or modify, should you ever need or want to. … 3. Weight & Dimensions (7/10) – Light, but not too light The pen weighs 15g capped and 11g without the cap, and in my opinion the experience feels most balanced when posted. The pen is on the light end, but not too light. It weighs around the same as a Pilot Custom 74, if that helps any of you picture it. … 4. Nib & Performance (10/10) – Wow. Just Wow. This is the part of the review where I go full on crazy. The nib on my Noodler’s Konrad is the best nib I have ever used. It is glassy smooth, lays down a wet yet controllable line, and, being a flex nib, has a ton of line variation. In terms of the line variation, I cannot claim to know what true vintage flex feels like, I can just say that the Konrad does it pretty gosh darn well. For the first two months or so, the nib was really only semi-flex, which is where I think a lot of the talk about the Noodler’s pens not being real flex comes from. After that however, I’ve been able to get consistent line variation with minimal pressure. The nib is truly a joy to write with. I should also say that upon arrival the nib was also not quite so smooth, and I adjusted it to my liking with micromesh and Mylar paper of 1.0 and 0.3 micron grits. The level of smoothness I get with my Konrad is paralleled in my experience only by complete nails, so to have the combination of the smoothness with exceptional line variation makes the Konrad something special. The ebonite feed keeps up with flow extremely well, and the pen writes with a consistent moderately wet flow, even when being flexed. I have heard complaints about inconsistent flow on other people’s Konrad’s, however, so if you do have flow issues I believe the best option would be to heat-set your feed. I have never had to do this with my Konrad, but it’s nice to know it’s an option if I ever have to thanks to the Ebonite feed. The nibs and feeds can both be easily replaced if you manage to mess them up, replacement flex nibs (tipped) are $5 and replacement feeds are $4. I would be wary to replace my nib, however, because as I said before it took about two months of daily use to truly “break in” the flex in the nib. … 5. Filling System & Maintenance (9/10) – Complete fill every time- worked like a charm for 4 months of daily use so far The Konrad is a piston filler, and has worked reliably for me through all four months I’ve been using this pen. The piston is a plastic nob under a blind cap at the back of the pen. One slight issue I found with the filler is that on a few occasions if I screwed the blind cap on too tightly I would unscrew the entire piston mechanism from the pen rather than the blind cap. The piston turns smoothly and comes pre-greased, but you can always add silicon grease to the piston threads if they ever become “squeaky”. … 6. Cost & Value (8/10) – Fairly cheap, but you might need to buy some stuff to go with it The pen costs $20, and is in my opinion well worth the price. It should be noted, however, that if you aren’t already slightly invested in the pen world it may not be worth the cost to you. For instance, if I didn’t have the micromesh and Mylar paper to smooth my nib, or the silicon grease to regrease my piston three months into use, I probably would not enjoy my pen as much as I do. These are not substantial costs, though, and many pen enthusiasts probably already have them around the house. … 7. Conclusion (8.5/10) – A great, unique pen at a great price, my new daily writer After using this pen for the past several months, I can say with great confidence that it will likely be my most used pen for many more months to come. I have prettier pens, I have more expensive pens, I have pens that feel slightly better in the hand, and I have pens with shiny golden nibs, but none of these pens compare to the simple pleasure that is the Noodler’s Konrad. It has the greatest nib I’ve ever had the pleasure to use, looks good, has great ink capacity, and is incredibly sturdy. What more could you want? All pictures are taken from www.gouletpens.com , the website where I purchased my Konrad. The shipping was quick, and the customer service was excellent. If you are considering the Konrad, I would highly recommend ordering from the Goulet’s.
  17. eelldan

    Noodler's Lexington Gray

    I really enjoy grey inks and this one is my favorite. I think it works great with cheaper copy paper which I use everyday at work. it's work friendly which is a bonus when I need to leave notes for the boss. Following are how it looks on different paper. I hope you enjoy. Rhodia Copy Paper 90g Copy Paper 75g
  18. ​Noodler's Qin Shi Huang Review & Election Week Giveaway Note: Note: this review is also available on my personal reviews site with more pictures and better formatting. If you'd like to take a look, click here. The giveaway is also only available through that site. Click here for more details. Red inks are a peculiar bunch. They come in all sorts of shades—from dark maroon all the way to candy red. Noodler’s Inks is no stranger to this as they have 16 different shades of red available themselves. One of these inks I have to review today: Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang Red (pronounced Chin-Shi Huang). The ink is quite fantastic as it is a bright, popping red ink that is not too painful to look at, and has a professional, teacher’s-red hue. The ink is named after the first Emperor of China: Qin Shi Huang, later named Qin Shi Huangdi, after he unified China and proclaimed himself the first emperor in 221BC. (He is also famous for having the Terracotta Warrior Mausoleum, which he had created for himself). The bottle and box are standard Noodler’s three ounce set; and, while polarizing to some people, I like the bottle quite a bit. The bottle is slightly tinted, allowing for good storage, and is very functional in its shape, allowing for the most ink in as small a package as possible. It is also very easy to organize in a collection thanks to its cubical form. The label of the ink is something quite interesting. Unlike most inks, the name of the ink is neither in English, nor is it front and center of the label. Instead, the name ‘Qin Shi Huang’ is in Mandarin Chinese, written as ‘秦始皇.’ The label, instead, is dominated by a painting of Emperor Qin’s boat, sailing to find immortality. I also believe that the label is an original painting, done by Noodler’s Founder Nathan Tardiff. The paining is, honestly, quite striking, and a beauty to look at. The bottle is exceptional, and I always appreciate the effort Noodler’s puts in towards having both wonderful form and fantastic function. The Qin Shi Huang ink has a very pleasing color. It is, to quote Noodler’s founder Nathan Tardiff, “A very red red ink,” and while somewhat confusing in terms of vocabulary, this sentiment runs true. The ink could never be mistaken for a pink, or a brown, or an orange, or anything but red itself. It’s a very red ink. However, despite the ink’s hue, it is not eye-gougingly bright or annoying to look at; it is actually quite pleasant. However, this ink is not serene, as it calls attention to itself on a page the way a teacher’s red pen may. The ink is also quite saturated—however, it does not have much sheening or shading to speak of (it is quite constant in color). The ink is also quite water-resistant. Even though it is not an ‘immortal’ ink, it is quite water resistant whilst maintaining relative ease of cleaning. It is a slow drier, however, taking about 50 seconds to dry thoroughly. However, it does not feather or bleed, unless it is only less expensive paper, where it will absorb immediately while feathering and bleeding like crazy. This is also one of the Noodler’s inks which also happens to be a weak acid (with a pH around 4.5 or 5). This means that it does not mix well with other inks, so it should only be used alone, as a reaction might occur when used in concert with other inks that may end up ruining your pen. So, please, use it alone (for the sake of your pens). The ink also has one quite cool property: it fluoresces under UV lights (also known as black lights). While not glow-in-the-dark per se, it does have a lighter, extra dimension, so to speak, when underneath a UV light. Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang Red is a very nice, well-behaved red ink with a few tricks up its sleeve. And, even though it is a red ink, it is not eye-popping or annoying to look at for long periods of time. It could even be used, albeit rather more dramatically than blue or black ink, for professional use. Regardless, I’d recommend you give it a try. It is available on Goulet for $12.50 and on Amazon for $13.50 with Prime Shipping (most of the time)—(this link is not an affiliate link). Hope you enjoyed this review, if you did, please consider subscribing—it helps a great deal. Plus, as a special for the 2016 American Elections, once you subscribe, you will be eligible to win a new bottle of one of the inks reviewed today. All subscribing requires is your email, and I promise not to spam your inbox.
  19. A local retailer is giving a discount on Dragon Catfish Green (it's now the same price as a 3oz bottle), and I'm thinking of getting it but the lack of reviews has given me pause. 1. Is it good highlighter ink? 2. Is it readable, if needed to be used to write words (in a jiffy)? 3. How is the performance on copy paper? Does it feather a lot, does it bleed through a lot, etc. 4. Any other thoughts/comments from users would be appreciated!
  20. Noodler's Lightning Blue Highlighter Ink Review Note: this review is also available on my personal reviews site with more pictures and better formatting. If you'd like to take a look, click here. Noodler's Lightning Blue (formerly known as Electric Blue) ink is one of the most peculiar inks I've come across. This is mostly due to the fact that, unlike most fountain pen inks, it is not meant for writing. Rather, it was designed to be a highlighting ink. There are only a few of these specific inks that are designed exclusively for highlighting. Matter of fact, there are really only two common brands that offer them: Pelikan and Noodler's. Pelikan's offering comes both alone and bundled with their M205 Duo BB highlighter fountain pen. However, Pelikan only offers these two colors: yellow and green. On the other hand, Noodler's offers many different highlighter inks, divided into the normal 'Electric Color' series, and the UV-glowing 'Dragon' series. Both of these series have a yellow, a green, an orange, and a pink offering. However, the blue ink, Lightning Blue, is exclusive to the Electric Color line. And for certain, Lighting Blue is a mightily peculiar ink. However, as opposed to some of Noodler's other inks (Ottoman Azure for example—reviewed here), Lightning blue's name actually seems to match its color, that of the shade of blue that lightning leaves behind just as it fades from the sky. In fact, the actual color of the ink is actually nearly indistinguishable from normal highlighter blue. However, that is where the similarities between this ink and plastic highlighters end, as this ink was designed with nibs in mind. However, the real question is, which pen works as a highlighter? Personally, I use a Pilot Parallel 3.8 mm pen, which is not only eyedropper-convertible, but it also is an extremely wide pen which allows for me to highlight the entire contents of a line of text. However, if you rather a narrow highlighter, it also works brilliantly in a normal fountain pen (currently I have it in a Jinhao X250 as well). The ink comes in the standard Noodler's box. And, just like all of the other 3 ounce tinted Noodler's ink bottles, it is filled to the brim (so be very careful when opening). The label of the ink itself has the Noodler's Catfish covering the picture, although he seems to have his tongue, as well as his pupils, colored in with the Lightning Blue so that he matches the ink. The label also features the standard Noodler's WordArt logo, along with the 'Electric Color Series' inscription on the left-hand side denoting its highlighting capabilities. The properties of Lightning Blue, for lack of a better word, are quite interesting. The ink takes between 20 and 50 seconds to dry (depending on paper). Copy paper dries almost instantaneously, however, with a gratuitous amount of bleed through. And as this ink is for highlighting, it does not have much saturation to it, which, personally, I do not mind. However, it does feather, bleed, and ghost quite a bit—not quite at the level of Baystate Blue—but close. Spotted bleed-through and ghosting even occurs on papers like Rhodia and Clairefontaine. However, unlike BSB, it does clean quite easily and does not stain (it's even decently easy to get off of your hands). As such, it is not water resistant in the least, and will be completely lifted from the paper with just one drop. It has mediocre shading (mostly due to its light color), and does happen to flow quite wet. And while some of these properties may sound somewhat discouraging, the ink does its job of highlighting on copy paper well—even though it will go through to the other side of the page. I also tested the ink with some highlighting. And, unfortunately, it did manage to make most inks blur—with the exceptions of Noodler's Black and Baystate Blue. Lamy and Montblanc inks failed the worst here as they became completely illegible. And, unsurprisingly, the 1¢ ballpoint pen fared the best out of all. On copy paper, the ink in the Pilot Parallel worked just fine—highlighting well, without smudging the inkjet text. However, it did manage to bleed through the copy paper all the way. In conclusion, Noodler's Lightning Blue is a picky, picky ink. However, this did not mind me so much given that this ink has a relatively difficult job to accomplish. It needs to be watery and light, and as such, does not have ideal properties. However, it does perform its job brilliantly, and I recommend trying it if you're looking for a highlighting ink. It is available on Goulet Pens for $12.50 and on Amazon for $13.85 with Prime Shipping (this link is not an affiliate link). If you liked this review, please considering subscribing. Every subscription helps, and I promise not to spam your inbox.
  21. I have searched a lot to read and see more comparisons between pelikan fountain pens and Noodler's. Noodler's are to be flexibel, they call the Pelikan m200 springy. Please, Could you help me with Some reflections and pictures? About design and writing and such? Thank you very much in advance.
  22. white_lotus

    Noodler's Army Green

    I had ordered some inks, and the shop included a free sample of this ink, Noodler's Army Green. While I usually like green inks, this one didn't capture my fancy. Nothing really wrong with it, just not my color. It shades quite well. I'm sure there are folks that will enjoy this color. A fairly interesting color drop. Not water resistant.
  23. white_lotus

    Noodler's Beaver

    Long ago, back in 2013, I traveled to visit friends and didn't want to take ink on the plane. So I bought a bottle at a local shop. I'd only had one ink at that time, a black, so I wanted something different. The shop didn't have a large selection but there were maybe a dozen Noodler's inks to choose from. So I ended up with Noodler's Beaver. This isn't an ink that you hear much about on the forum. I don't really know why. A lot of times when I look at my writing with this ink it almost looks like a muted burgundy than a brown. It almost reminds me of KWZ Brown Pink, but it doesn't have the kind of shading that ink has. Anyway I've always liked this ink, and finally have gotten around to actually reviewing it. The usual papers: MvL=Mohawk via Linen, TR=Tomoe River, Hij=Hammermill 28 lb inkjet. Not water resistant, but that wasn't expected. A most unusual droplet color.
  24. white_lotus

    Noodler's Colorado Spruce 2016 Le

    At the 2016 Colorado Pen Show, Noodler's presented a show exclusive "Colorado Spruce". Anderson Pens acquired whatever stock remained and that is how I obtained a bottle. The ink sold out quickly and is now unobtanium. So this is for historical reference only. This is a rich dark green, fairly muted, but not like KWZ Foggy Green or Rotten Green. Distinctly green though fairly dark, so it's not like Sailor Miruai or BB Dandyism. Has perfectly decent flow and handling, some shading, and some show through on papers that don't have that as an issue. It wasn't a real problem, but bears mentioning as it could be paper dependent. I like the ink. The usual papers: MvL=Mohawk via Linen, TR=Tomoe River, Hij=Hammermill 28 lb inkjet. The images of the ink itself look reasonably accurate, but the paper colors, well those are certainly off. Not sure if this angled shot shows anything worthwhile. Quite shady on TR. Not very water resistant, but the washing with clean water seemed to leave more ink behind.





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