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Thanks @JungleJim for providing such a delightful ink Just check the chroma: Squeteague is a first nation name for Weakfish, native to the North Eastern Coast of North Amercia. The colour of this ink is inspired by the teals colour of the spots found on its head and back. Photo curtsey of The Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association This is a delightful ink for those who enjoy dark teals with shading and who don’t care for very long dry times, or use blotters. Ink has decent water resistance.... a short line and sketch - with a freshly inked pen... text by Leonard Cohen Here you can the contrast with Akkerman SBRE Brown.. Paper Tomoe River 68gr... Text Song of Songs... Translated by Ariel & Chana Bloch Photo • Pens used: Lamy Safari Broad Nib • Shading: Massive • Ghosting: Depending papers • Bleed through: None. • Flow Rate: Excellent • Lubrication: Great • Nib Dry-out: No • Start-up: No • Saturation: Nice and dark • Shading Potential: Yes • Sheen: No • Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed… • Nib Creep / “Crud”: Didn’t notice. • Staining (pen): Easy to clean… • Clogging: Nope • Water resistance: Some • Availability: 90 ml bottles.

I’ve been enjoying this eye searing ink for quite a well. In general, most of the Russian Series ink are some of the best “bulletproof” inks I’ve tried, and Esenin is in that category. Sergei Esenin or Yesenin was a Russian Poet. In his young life he married four times. His 2nd wife Zinaida Reich, a famed Russian actress, was killed in 1939 by Soviet Secret service. His 3rd wife was famed American dancer Isadora Duncan. And his fourth wife a granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy. It is said that his last poem, was written with his blood, as he couldn’t find ink in the hotel room, he was staying. Hence this reddish eye searing colour. The next day, he was found dead in his hotel room, having committed suicide at age 30. Some say, he was killed by the soviet secret police and his suicide was staged. Poem (from wikipedia's translation) on Tomeo River 68gr. The pen is Kawrite Ultraflex. The smudge on the word "die" is intentional. The best way to describe his poetry is a quote from Wikipedia: The Empress told me my poems were beautiful, but sad. I replied, the same could be said about Russia as a whole," The ink with a fine nib has an orange red hue, but with the flex it shares more character. Ink is bulletproof and fluorescent. When I first inked, it, I was sketching foxes..... This is with the fine nib of a Kaweco Perkeo Here is another written text: from the Song of Songs.... this time on thin Tomoe River, pen Kanwrite Ultra flex... Savour the richness of the red... and the delicate chroma: In all this is a delightful red ink, for those who are for looking for an unabashed eye searing red Note the Russian series are more expensive than the other bulletproof inks. • Pens used: Kaweco Perkeo Fine/ Kanwrite Flex • Shading: Quite a bit • Ghosting: Not really. • Bleed through: Depends on paper nib/ combination. • Flow Rate: Wet • Lubrication: Great • Nib Dry-out: No • Start-up: No • Saturation: Eye searing… • Shading Potential: With flex and depending on paper • Sheen: None • Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed… • Nib Creep / “Crud”: Yes. • Staining (pen): Easy to clean… • Clogging: Nope • Water resistance: Excellant • Availability: 90 ml bottles

I've been trying to find an ink that would best complement my Pilot Custom 823 Amber <m> both in terms of color aesthetics and usability. I've used Iroshizuku take-sumi (bamboo charcoal black), Tsukushi (horsetail brown), J. Herbin Lie de Thé, Diamine Oxblood, KWZ Honey...and while some were really good (take sumi and Oxblood), others had lovely colors (Lie de Thé and Honey) but didn't write very well. I also sampled a bunch of brown inks ranging from Edelstein's Smoky Quartz (interesting color, but a tad too greyish/green tones for my taste) to Waterman's Absolute Brown (really nice, but looks better on some paper than others). Amongst those samples was Noodler's Kiowa Pecan, which is a lovely warm, caramel color that really matches the body of my Pilot Custom 823 Amber...and so far it writes really well, nice thick, wet lines with wonderful shading on Tomoe River and Leuchtturm paper. Now if I can only make my handwriting as pretty as my pen and ink 😜hah hah. (on Leuchtturm1917 paper) (on Tomoe River Paper)

Noodler’s Pushkin Agreeable muted green/blue. While it doesn’t capture the flamboyance of one Alexander Pushkin, it encapsulates the Russian spirit complexities and nuances. A bit about Pushkin before touching his namesake, considered the father of modern Russian literature. His great-grandfather was Abram Petrovich Gannibal, kidnapped from “Africa” gifted to Peter the Great, freed, and ennobled. Most of his works are in form poetry. And he was killed in a duel of honor, by his bother-in-law, a French Officer, in a duel at age 37. Now to the ink. I had difficulties reviewing this ink. This is the first Noodler’s which seemed to have flow issues. It absolutely disliked Ahab, especially when flexed. However, when I wrote with a light touch, the pen glided effortlessly. Chroma: However, compared to similar inks, i.e. Akhmatova, General of the Armies the writing experience was uneven to put it diplomatically. I enjoyed it however, in Lamy Safari. Ink even diluted, is waterproof. Here is diluted test: Ink is fluorescent, I would place it between Akhmatova (subtle) and General of the Armies (striking) General of the Armies... Writing samples: On Midori (photo)/ TR 68 gr (scan) Sketch on super absorbent paper (Peter Pauper) Swatches: Pros: Bulletproof/ very easy to clean/ doesn’t stain etc. Cons: Flow, and chemical scent. Note: Like most Russian series, this ink is more expensive than the typical Noodler’s ink. · Pen used: Noodler’s Ahab / Lamy Safari Broad/ Pilot Metro Fine/ Kanwrite Flex · Ghosting: Yes on thin papers like Stalogy · Bleed through: None · Flow Rate: On the dry side, sluggish · Lubrication: adequate · Nib Dry-out: No. · Start-up: Depends · Saturation: Yes · Shading Yes. · Sheen: No · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None · Nib creep: Yes, quite a bit. Though, Lamy has a black nib, so I didn’t see anything. · Staining (pen): None · Clogging: None. · Water resistance: Bulletproof · Availability: Only in 90 ml bottles

Noodler's Recreant Rhinoceros (RINO) I was attracted to this ink because it is quite a chameleon. I like inks that transform. This one writes from black and then dries to a Green/ Teal, depending paper. The name of this ink is intended to provoke. A marketing gimmick: pity as the ink is complex enough, to stand on its own. But we’re not here, to debate politics, but enjoy the creativity and diversity of inks Just check the chroma: And the water test. Check the back of the paper: I don’t have any ink, to can compare it with. Ink writes a grey black and dries to a variety of colours depending on your paper. Now some visuals on different papers: Midori Stalogy: Classic Tomoe River (Photo) Tomoe River 68gr: Hillroy absorbent Paper (front and back) and Peter Pauper - Thick absorbent Paper: · Pen used: Noodler’s Ahab / Lamy Safari Broad/ Reverse · Ghosting: Possible on cheap/ thin papers. There's ghosting on Stalogy, for ex. but that can be modulated by less pressure or a different nib. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Good. · Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. · Start-up: None · Saturation: Complex · Shading Yes. · Sheen: No · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: See for yourself · Nib Creep / A bit on Ahab… · Staining (pen): One of the easiest inks to clean. · Clogging: None. · Water resistance: Water resistant. · Availability: Only in bottle 90 ml bottles.

Noodler's Akhmatova Named after the great the Russian poetess, Anna Akhmatova. Famous and beloved before the Revolution hounded after, until death of Stalin. On a trip to Paris, she befriended an unknown and impoverished Modigliani, who drew her several times. She was famous for her signature shawl, even in the height of poverty, she managed to stay regal... The ink harbours a deep melancholy, recalling that of coniferous forests in the deep of winter under a grey day. It reflects well Akhmatova's soul. For the sake of this review, I have cropped pages, to give a hint of the dynamic of this ink and not my musings.... Chroma Comparison: This is one of the best, if not the best eternal ink I have ever tried. The ink is so will lubricated that beckons you not to force the nib but let the pen glide. I could buy this ink for the tactility of it, only. Ink is eternal/ bullet proof/ fluorescent. The shading is best experienced on white and bright paper. Dry time is super fast. Cleaning nothing was left. Water test: On Hilory one of the most absorbent papers I know: On Peter Pauper Paper (Thick absorbent paper) On Hammermill Multipurpose Paper 20 lb On Midori The ink is so smooth that I wrote a whole page with a reverse Lamy broad.... (midori) Tomoe River classic Tomoe River 68 gr (thicker) A couple of sketches... • Pen used: Noodler’s Ahab / Lamy Safari Broad/ Jinhao Medium • Ghosting: None • Bleed through: None. • Flow Rate: Wet • Lubrication: Out of the world. • Nib Dry-out: Needs a well-sealed pen. • Start-up: None • Saturation: Murky and dark. • Shading Yes. • Sheen: No • Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None. • Nib Creep / “Crud”: None • Staining (pen): It doesn’t stain. Very easy to clean. • Clogging: Nope • Water resistance: Waterproof/ Eternal/Fluorescent. • Availability: Only in bottle 90 ml bottles.

Black swan in English Roses I love inks with a story. This is one of them. The quintessential English rose, the Rose of York, is a white rose. Obviously this is not it. However, Nathan’s inspiration of this ink is the memory of a British Lady who visited her mother’s garden when he was a child. And this ink is indeed a homage to her, the first British person he ever met. The lady avoided looking at the poppies, reminding her of the loss she endured during the great war and focused on the roses. One can say that Black Swan in English Roses is a poppy by extension, and the title and artwork englobe the ‘innocence” of prewar and the “coming of age” of post war. You can check this video This is an extremely well-behaved ink and ghosting and bleed through are non-existent even on Hillroy copy paper, which ghosts bic and pencil. Ink is quite water resistant: Sample text on Tome River 68gr Dry time is reasonable on non absorbent papers, though apparently in its earlier incarnations it was not. Note the 20s dry time is for a broad nib on TR.... Hammermill Hp 32 Comparaison • Pen used: Noodler’s Ahab, Lamy Safari broad • Shading: Yes • Ghosting: None • Bleed through: None. • Flow Rate: Wet • Lubrication: Nice • Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. • Start-up: No problem. • Saturation: Rich and dark. • Shading delightful • Sheen: None, thankfully • Spread: None seen. • Nib Creep None • Staining: No. • Clogging: Nope • Water resistance: Water resistant • Availability: Only in bottle 90 ml bottles.

Noodler’s Ottoman Rose This is one the earliest inks I bought. One of those rare inks that can handle Jinhao 450 fude nibs with no problem and never dries out. Swab I do a lot of editing and I truly enjoy jotting notes and doodling with a fine nib. Ink has decent water resistance, i.e., most of your text will be legible with a minor spill. The only downside is dry time is high with wet pens and non-absorbent paper, Duh! This can easily be mitigated with finer nibs and absorbent paper, obviously. Suffice to say, if you’re lefty over writer who like wide nibs, wet pens and water-resistant paper and write from right to left, you’re in trouble! So, what make this ink special, besides it being very well behaved, wet, lubricated, and vibrant? The name. The name?! “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Indeed. I am not sure if Nathan Tardif had this originally in mind but here goes: The artwork is a scene from a harem. The name Ottoman Rose reminds me of a semi-double gallica (French) rose, La Belle Sultane. What does a French rose to do with the Ottoman Turks? Patience. The rose is named after Aimée Dubucq de Rivery, a distant cousin of Josephine Beauharnais, Napoleon Bonaparte’s love and first wife. Aimée was sent to France to attend an academy for young girls. On her return her to Martinique her ship was attacked by pirates, and she was sold off to the harem of the Ottoman King (Sultan) of the time. She gave birth to the future Mahmoud II. The rose was named after her. Now most of the story is false and seems out of the Angelique series. But then again, stories are here to take us away. La Belle Sultane, has not been as cooperative as the ink, this year, its flowers, due to the early heat waves, were pink and not that rich deep burgundy colour as above. However a slight wash did the trick. Here are some text samples. Midori - Text start with fude... finishes with medium. Tomoe River 68 gr - note the colour changed compared with Midori Comparaison: · Pens used: Pilot Metropolitan fine, Jinhao 450 fude nib · Shading: Depends on paper · Ghosting: Depends on the paper · Bleed through: On copy paper with a wide, wet nib. · Flow Rate: Nice and wet · Lubrication: Nice · Nib Dry-out: Nope. · Start-up: No problem. · Saturation: Unabashedly pink · Shading Potential: Wet flex nib yes. · Sheen: No · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Didn’t notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: None · Staining (pen): Nope. Easy to clean… · Clogging: Not at all · Water resistance: Won’t survive a flood but it will fight off a glass of water gallantly. · Availability: Only in bottle. Enjoy!

Noodler's Baystate Blue needs no introduction. I am just a few months into the fountain pen hobby, but even I know that there is no other ink that polarizes the fountain pen community as much as the Baystate Blue (BSB). You either hate it or love it. I bought a bottle of this ink because much of my work happens near water tanks and I needed a waterproof ink for signing documents. But after I ordered the BSB on Amazon, I came to know about another water resistant ink that is made by a part time ink and pen making medical doctor named Sreekumar who lives just 3 hours away from my home. He owns Krishna Inks and Krishna Pens. His waterproof ink is beautifully named as Krishna Lyrebird Water Sapphire Blue. So I got a bottle of that too. I now use BSB in office and Krishna Ink at home for signing the documents. The comparison of both inks, including their resistance to water and bleach, follows. 1. Colour The picture compares Krishna Water Sapphire and Baystate Blue with common inks like Lamy Blue, Sheaffer Blue and Camlin Blue on TNPL 80 GSM Platinum Copier paper. Without question, Baystate Blue is the best colour (in my opinion). In fact the BSB actually jumps out of the paper and my amateur photography skill doesn't do justice to its vibrance. All other colours including Krishna Water Sapphire look dull and boring in comparison. 2. Writing Experience I used two identical Camlin Elegante fine nib fountain pens and Rhodia paper to test the writing experience. Baystate Blue is wetter and and gives more line width. Krishna Ink has less flow but is no less smooth. 3. Drying time I again used identical Camlin Elegante fine nibbed pens on Rhodia paper to determine the drying times. Average drying time for both inks is seen to be about 10 seconds on Rhodia. I repeated this test on TNPL 80 GSM copier paper and the drying time was about 8 seconds for both inks. 4. Water Resistance a) Drip Test I dropped nearly equal amounts of water on the handwritten samples and let the water remain for 30 minutes. Photograph shows the condition after 30 minutes. Both inks showed some top layer run off, but BSB is more water resistant to Krishna Water Sapphire. b) Dip Test I dipped swabs of 5 ink different inks on TNPL copier paper in plain tap water filled tumblers. Before dipping: The next picture is taken just a few minutes after dipping. Lamy, Sheaffer and Camlin inks are no longer in the race. 30 minutes later: Krishna Ink is somewhat water resistant and we can still read the text. Baystate Blue is also not waterproof but clearly more water resistant than the Krishna Ink. 5. Bleach Resistance This was the most interesting of all tests. I used the same ink swabs which had undergone the dip test and poured a few drops of 0.5% w/w Harpic bleaching solution over them. 5 minutes after the exposure to the bleach, Baystate Blue had already started dissolving but Krishna Ink was holding up: 1 hour after exposure: Within an hour, Baystate ink was almost gone and the text was no longer visible. Krishna Water Sapphire was still holding up and the text remained legible. 2 hours after exposure: Part of the text written with Krishna Ink was visible even after 2 hours! Krishna Ink thus won the bleach resistance test. 6. Price (in India) Baystate Blue: INR 4888/- (US$ 66.75) on Amazon for 133 ml (4.5 oz) bottle, after a 75% discount. But you get a beautiful Noodler's Charlie pen for free with the ink. Krishna Water Sapphire: Rs 250/- (US$ 3.41) for 30 ml bottle. The math is left to you. 7. Staining Potential Noodler's Baystate Blue is notorious for staining various surfaces. But I have found it to be a non-issue so far. Bleach can easily remove it. Just be careful not to spill it over something that can't be bleached - like the currency notes, fine leather, costly carpets etc. Krishna Ink stains can be removed with water (and soap, if required) if you notice them immediately. But once the ink dries, those stains can be stubborn due to the water and bleach resistance. Be careful while handling either ink. The Verdict I like both the inks. Both Baystate Blue and Krishna Lyrebird Water Sapphire have character. I use both the inks regularly. So which one to buy? The choice is yours.

This collection has been made in an intensive attempt to find the most ideal and complete shades of brown color fountain pen inks over the internet and as long as writing with a medium size fountain pen is what I'm concerned of, the "infinity symbol" on a regular paper is the thing I've considered saving these samples. I've also benchmarked the index card samples for those which were not available in infinity sample. All the top-rated fountain pen inks – even those which are not mentioned here probably for the lack of a quality brown ink – have been taken into account. ~ Here's the list ~ Akkerman Hals Oud Bruin Akkerman SBRE Brown Chesterfield Antique Copper Colorverse #25 String Colorverse Coffee Break Daytone Havana Brown De Atramentis American Whisky Brown Gold De Atramentis Havanna De Atramentis Scottish Whiskey Diamine Ancient Copper Diamine Chocolate Brown Diamine Desert Burst Diamine Golden Brown, Carter's Harvest Brown, Diamine Raw Sienna Diamine Ochre Diamine Terracotta Diamine Tobacco Sunburst Faber Castell Hazelnut Brown J. Herbin Café Des Iles J. Herbin Caroube De Chypre J. Herbin Lie de The J. Herbin Terre d'Ombre KWZ Honey KWZ Iron-gall Aztec Gold KWZ Iron-gall Mandarin (Corrected Version) KWZ Old Gold L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Cannelle Leonardo Sepia Classico Monteverde Copper Noir Monteverde Joy Sepia Monteverde Scotch Brown Noodler's Golden Brown Noodler's Kiowa Pecan OMAS Sepia Private Reserve Chocolate Private Reserve Copper Burst Private Reserve Sepia Robert Oster African Gold Robert Oster Antelope Canyon Robert Oster Caffe Crema Robert Oster Gold Antique Robert Oster Toffee Sailor Kobe #22 Shinkaichi Gold Sailor Storia Lion Light Brown Scribo Classico Seppia Standardgraph Maisgelb by @lgsoltek Taccia Tsuchi Golden Wheat Vinta Heritage Brown Vinta La Paz Diplomat Caramel Krishna Bronze Leaf, Krishna Yellow Valley L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Anahuac L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Itzamna L'Artisan Pastellier Encre Classique Ocre Jaune Maruzen Athena Kinkan PenBBS #135 Beijing PenBBS #269 45th POTUS PenBBS #504 Vernal Equinox Platinum Mix-Free Earth Brown Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Benitsuchi Tono & Lims Kela Nuts Vinta Terracotta Vinta Ochre Note: the absorption of the ink to the paper could vary. Before purchasing any of the inks above be aware some of them are dry while the others are wet. Plus, based on the fountain pen model and paper you use, the colors could look different. Make sure to use fountain pen inks only, otherwise your fountain pen will clog. Stay away from drawing, calligraphy, lawyer, and India inks. They are not designed for the fountain pens. Platinum and Sailor have some pigmented-based inks; avoid them. Take all these into account.

General of the Armies I wasn’t planning to review General of the Armies. Musicman has done such a complete review there’s nothing more to say really, or I thought so. Disclaimer: This is one of my desert Island inks. The only thing I don't like about it is the name, it could have used a more poetic name. Bottle The ink is green but the blue permanent dye settles at the bottom of the bottle. However, what I’ve experienced is that it writes blue and then it turns into a soft muted green on good paper, with time and especially sunshine the green turn blue. On copy paper it writes green and soon turns into a soft “sea glass” colour. On cotton paper the transformation is almost immediate. This is one of the Noodler’s best-behaved inks. Despite being wet it dries fast. It writes best in my experience with broad/double broad/ flex combination, but it is equally enjoyable in fine and extra fine. Personally, I prefer it on Japanese papers, Midori, TR or even Mnemosyne. It’s also a bit gimmicky it’s a fluorescent ink. Feathering and bleed through are minimal but present on copy paper. The ink could be surprising at times and write in an odd overcooked broccoli soup colour, which can be disconcerting but soon it’ll return to what it was. It can be a distracting ink, when writing your great “whatever” novel with a double broad nib on Tomoe River paper and you’re struggling with a certain plot twist. I could just write nonsense to see the ink dry….. • Pens used: Ef Chinese pen, Pilot Metropolitan fine, Noodler’s nib creaper, Kaweco double broad • Shading: Subtle with double broad nibs. • Ghosting: Yes, especially with flex /double broad but acceptable… • Bleed through: On copy paper…. • Flow Rate: Nice and wet • Lubrication: Good • Nib Dry-out: Nope. • Start-up: No problem. • Saturation: A soft, muted green, then sea glass blue… • Shading Potential: With broad nib, faint…. • Sheen: No • Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: On rare occasions • Nib Creep / “Crud”: On fine/extra fine nibs yes. On Nib creaper a little, on Kaweco none… • Staining (pen): Nope. Easy to clean… • Clogging: Nope • Water resistance: The green component washes away…. • Availability: Only in bottle. Chromatography: Swabs - Note a fresh swab will look different... Amazon copy paper Note how it espouses the original colour... Midori Fluorescence Watertest: Note the fluorescent part washing down The next day Sheen on Tomoe River 68gr - It's not a sheening ink

Hello I am trying to research permanent and waterproof inks for fountain pens. I am an artist and I am on a quest for the past three years to find the perfect brown to lay OVER watercolor paintings. Not ink first than watercolor. Watercolor first then ink. My goal is to match the hue of the India ink I used in rapidographs Higgins Brown. Yes I know, not to use India ink in fountain pens. Noodler’s Walnut, DeAtramentis Document Brown, Noodlers Black, Platinum Carbon Black are all too dark. I’ve given up and I’m now using Birmingham Pen Co Soft Pretzel because it’s the brown I want - but it’s not lightfast or waterproof. I have to immediately place the finished work in plastic and in a box. Not good to display ever. Questions 1. Will DeAtramentis Dilution ink work to lighten an inks hue? 2. Am I limited to just DeAtrementis Document inks or can I use it on Noodlers, Diamine, Birmingham inks as well? 3. Any advise? samples attached

Noodler’s Zhivago Noodler’s was established in 2004, and is probably the smallest ink company in the world. Nathan Tardiff’s mission is to provide us affordable fountain pen inks with a decent colour selection. Most of his Noodler’s inks are bullet proof – meaning fraud proof and waterproof. The focus of this review is on Zhivago, a saturated green-black with a faded look. Zhivago comes in the typical no-nonsense Noodler’s packaging: a simple 3 oz bottle, filled to the brim. The ink is advertised as bullet proof. I personally don’t care about the fraud proof aspects, but appreciate the strong water resistance when using this ink in my EDC pens. As always with this type of ink, pen hygiene is important: regular cleaning of your pen can help avoid nasty surprises. The ink’s colour is a nicely saturated dark green-black. Almost black in fine nibs, but more of a murky green-black when used in broader nibs or dry pens. I personally like the washed-out look of this ink, especially when used in a dry Lamy Safari with a B / 1.1 nib. With this combination, the ink looks gorgeous. Zhivago is perfect for the workplace: a serious looking colour, and almost 100% waterproof. And the green undertone makes it look more interesting than a standard black ink. The ink itself writes a very saturated line with good lubrication in my Lamy Safari test pens. The dark colour and strong saturation make it an outstanding ink for EF/F nibs. Shading is almost absent in finer nibs, but with broader nibs the ink gains some depth, and becomes less one-dimensional. The ink has a fairly limited dynamic range, without much contrast between light and dark areas. To illustrate this, I did a swab where I really saturated portions of the Tomoe River paper with ink, pooling it on. With the right pen/nib combination, you can coax some great-looking soft shading from this ink. I personally love Zhivago’s looks when used in a Lamy Safari with 1.1 calligraphy nib. On the smudge test – rubbing text with a moist Q-tip cotton swab – there is quite some smearing, but the text itself remains crisp and clear. Water resistance is near-perfect. A bit of the green disappears, but all text remains undisturbed on the paper. Even with longer exposures to water (30 seconds under running tap water), the ink remains firmly attached to the paper. A waterproof ink indeed! The chromatography confirms this: the dyes remain firmly attached to the paper in the bottom part. You can also see that the coloured dyes in the mix are most likely to detach from the paper. I’ve tested the ink on a wide variety of paper – from crappy Moleskine to high-end Tomoe River. On each scrap of paper I show you: An ink swab, made with a cotton Q-tip 1-2-3 pass swab, to show increasing saturation An ink scribble made with a Lamy Safari M-nib fountain pen The name of the paper used, written with a Lamy Safari B-nib A small text sample, written with the M-nib The source of the quote, written with a TWSBI Micarta v2 with F-nib Drying times of the ink on the paper (with the M-nib Safari) Zhivago looks equally good on white and more creamy paper. It is a near-perfect writing ink: across my test set of paper types, I noticed no feathering, and very minimal bleed-through or show-through. The Moleskine paper forms the litmus test: no visible feathering, and even on this horrible paper there is only a tiny amount of bleed-through. Excellent technical behaviour! Drying times are around the 10 second range with the Lamy Safari M-nib. This Noodler’s ink not only looks good, it can also handle any paper you use. This includes typical copy paper you find at the office. As such, I can really recommend this ink for use in an EDC pen. I’ve used Zhivago in my Kaweco Liliput with F nib for the past month, and found the ink perfect for use at the office. At the end of the review, I also show the back-side of the different paper types, in the same order. Since scans alone are not always enough to give you a complete picture of the ink, I also provide you with a few photos for an alternative look at Noodler’s Zhivago. In this case, I think the scans capture best the way the ink looks in real life. Writing with different nib sizes The picture below shows the effect of nib sizes on the writing. Zhivago manages to look good in all nib sizes from EF up to the 1.9 calligraphy nibs. The ink writes a very saturated line, and as such works great in even the finest nibs. Shading is not the ink’s forte – you need dry pens with broad nibs to coax some shading from Zhivago. For my EDC pens, I don’t care too much about shading. For work settings, I appreciate Zhivago’s waterproof aspects, and the off-black faded green looks. Related inks To compare Zhivago with related inks, I use my nine-grid format with the currently reviewed ink at the center. This format shows the name of related inks, a saturation sample, a 1-2-3 swab and a water resistance test – all in a very compact format. I have a number of green-blacks in my collection, and they all look different. Zhivago is the only one though that shows true water resistance. Inkxperiment – Ghostwalker With every review I try to do a single-ink drawing that shows what the ink is capable of in a more artistic setting. The most fun part of every ink review: I really enjoy brainstorming the drawing’s setting, and the experimentation with different techniques. I’m constantly amazed at the broad range of hues/tones that one can coax from a single ink. Almost unbelievable. For this inkxperiment I used an A4-sized piece of HP photo paper. I taped out the tree trunks, and sponged in the background using a dish-washing sponge and heavily water-diluted Zhivago. For the sun, I used more concentrated ink applied in a circular pattern. Once dry, I removed the tape, and painted in the tree trunks with a piece of cardboard and pure Zhivago. I finally used a brush with pure Zhivago to add the figure of the ghostwalker. I was fairly surprised by the amount of green buried within the almost black looking Zhivago. Hadn’t expected this! Conclusion Noodler’s Zhivago is the perfect office ink: well saturated, can handle crappy paper with ease, is totally waterproof. And it looks great too! I like the washed out faded green undertones that are present in what appears to be a black ink at first glance. Highly recommended for use in an EDC pen. Technical test results on Rhodia N° 16 notepad paper, written with Lamy Safari, M-nib Backside of writing samples on different paper types

El Lawrence I really enjoyed this ink. It has slightly drier flow compared to the many other Noodler’s inks, I have tried. It dries almost instantaneously. I had it for a long while in my fountain pen and never had any problems writing. It is closest to Burma Road Brown and darker than R& K Emma. Burma Road Brown is partially waterproof. Afterthought: Besides being everything proof, this ink is also fluorescent. · Pens used: Ef Chinese pen, , Noodler’s nib creaper, · Shading: Definitely subtle… · Ghosting: None on Rhodia. · Bleed through: None · Flow Rate: On the drier side for a Noodler. · Lubrication: Good · Nib Dry-out: Nope. · Start-up: No problem. · Saturation: Yes · Shading Potential: Maybe with Ahab · Sheen: No · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Don’t recall · Staining (pen): Nope. Easy to clean… · Clogging: Nope · Water resistance: Archival….. · Availability: Only in bottle. On Rhodia dot pad Back Swatches I hope you don’t mind a touch of whimsy in form of an article 200 years from now: Martian Archeologist on a survey mission to Earth have found one of the most exciting finds of the decade, a document, believing to belong to the famed British explorer Lawrence of Arabia, thanks to an UV sweep. The document managed to survive the climate catastrophe of 2080. Ten years later the chief xeno-archaeologist of Europa colony, has concluded that the Notebook could not have belonged to the famed Lawrence and has tentatively carbon dated it to the early 21st century, to an unknown scribe. Searchers on Alpha Centauri have concluded that the following text belonged to a marginal sect thriving in early 21st century, the fountain pen worshippers. It is not clear what the purpose of this group has been. Much research has to be done now, as numerous other documents of this sort have been found.

I wonder if anybody could share a writing sample of Noodler's Baltimore Canyon Blue Ink and some experience (such as behaviour, cleaning etc.), comparisons, whatever actually? It is relatively new and there is only a couple of samples online (and they differ quite a lot). However the ink looks really nice from what I have seen. Also what is a bit weird... while most retailers accent there might be some sheen, almost every retailer also states it is not meant to be water-proof at all (but may have some water resistance eventually)... while Noodler's website says "water proof, archival, permanent". Thank you all!

I tried sending a message through the contact form on their website almost 2 weeks ago and again 2 days ago. No reply, just automated emails after completing the contact form. I also sent a Facebook message almost 2 weeks ago. Any ideas, please?

I've got a couple of Rangas and a very tightly-tined nib on a TWSBI that I like to fill with wow greens. I am searching for wet, lubricating inks that will help these pens flow. I like saturated colors, maybe some shade and sheen, and even some water resistance. Noodler's Eel Gruene has been my go to, but I'm not nuts about the color. (I prefer bright greens, nothing Army shaded with grays and blacks.) I've tried Diamine Woodland, KWZ Emerald. What else does the world offer? Unlike Veruca Salt, whose image I'm not allowed to post, I won't scream if I don't get it, but I will keep looking!

I think this is a "service" question, but if this is the wrong forum, I'm sure someone will tell me. ;-) I have a Noodler's Nib Creeper (among the first couple of production runs of it, I think) flex nib pen, which exclusively uses Bay State Blue. I am aware of all standard caveats about BSB. This pen writes SUPER dry. Just blotchy ink flow. Even after cleaning (standard soap to water, as well as some bleach and water, since that's a recommended approach for this ink). I've even take a little bit of light brushing to the ebonite feeder, and a bit of careful specific attention to the center feeder channel. On occasion, after a cleaning, the flow will be pretty good (not great), but if I don't use the pen for a few days (say 5-30), we go back to bad flow. Most reviews I have read of the ink indicate it is pretty wet in general, so this is all rather confusing/frustrating to have a dry writer with BSB. Especially with Noodler's own pen. What can I do? What am I missing? (I'd buy a new pen to test, but the ones that won't show BSB staining [dark blues] are sold out at my preferred retailer.) TIA!

I have way too many pens and inks, and I am trying to simplify. So I am offering 4 bundles of bottled inks. Unless indicated, bottles are 90% full or more. (some have had only a fill or two out of them). All bottles have been purchased within the last 12 months - most of them during COVID era. All of these inks are terrific and will make you happy. The rules are simple: First come, first served. State your selection in a thread reply, so everyone knows what's been taken.Send me a PM so we can work out shipping. Shipped free to CONUS. Outside of CONUS, you'll just pay the USPS shipping rates. Noodler's Lot (3 Bottles): American Eel Black (~ 70% full)Red Rattler American EelAir Corps Blue Black Waterman Lot (3 bottles) Mysterious BlueAudacious RedSerenity Blue (~40-50% full) Parker Quink Lot (3 Bottles - all ~ 70% full) BlackWashable BlueBlue Black Mixed Lot (3 Bottles) Noodler's BurgundyPrivate Reserve Sherwood Green Fast DryAurora Blue

Noodler’s Polar Green This is my 2nd Polar ink. I have the Polar Brown already and I’ve just filled a pen with Polar Blue. The inks are not at all similar. Polar Blue is the wettest. I’ve read that the Polar series could be mixed to create a variety of colours, which is fun. Green is not my favorite color, especially dark green. However, when I saw swabs of this ink, I knew I would get it. I got a sample just in case and the moment I filled a pen I knew it was my type of ink. Who is this ink for: For those who like bulletproof inks and can accommodate the ink’s idiosyncrasies and appreciate woolly lines (I do), and live in North America. I honestly don’t think it’s worth the shipping cost for overseas. I’m sure there are other alternatives available. Note the woolly line effect happens with a wet, flexed Kanwrite. When wet, the ink is Emerald Green, then dries to dark green, think boreal forest to sage, depending paper. This ink is paper/pen specific. Personally, I really like it with a Kanwrite ultra flex on Midori. I find the combination gives a vintage look. It’s a sage color on Tomoe River but one would need a blotter/copy paper underneath the page as the ink would bleed through several pages. It’s a bulletproof ink, with all it entails. The flow is not as wet 54 Massachusetts or Polar Blue…., I would say viscous, it reminds me of Kung Te-Cheng in this regard. People often say that it feathers badly. I’ve been writing pages with it, with different nibs and to be honest, I like the effect. See for yourself....I would not use it on copy paper... • Pens used: Kanwrite ultra flex – Jinhao 450 – Pilot Metro Fine – Nameless Kaweco type EF fountain pen… Note for testing the ink I filled the Pilot Metropolitan with the ink and left it for a couple of weeks to check if it would dry up. It didn’t. Longer periods might need some coaxing. Note the Pilot Fine nib seems finer than the Chinese • Shading: A bit only with flex nib on TR • Ghosting: Depending nib/ flow combination • Dry time: 2 seconds on Rhodia....Longest on TR • Bleed through: As above. • Flow Rate: Decent. It was least agreeable with a Chinese Kaweco style with an Ef nib….though after a second filling it wrote noticeably better. I won’t recommend it for dry writers…but flow is not wet, nor dry, I would say in between. I would say, when you start writing it might be a shy, but then it flows. • Lubrication: Average. • Nib Dry-out: It can happen…. • Start-up: Almost immediate. I noticed some skipping with EF nib. • Saturation: saturated • Shading Potential: Vaguely on TR • Sheen: Nope…t • Show-Through: With flex nib and fine wet nibs. • Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: On Midori with flex…gives a vintage look…I like it. • Nib Creep / “Crud”: Yes on all nibs… you’ll have a green patina on all your nibs. • Staining (pen): Don’t know yet • Staining (hands): Easy to wash. • Clogging: Nope • Water resistance: Bullet proof. • Availability: Only in bottle. Note on some scans I've written the type of paper with a greenish ink. It's General of the Armies.... I didn't add a swab as would time, it would revert to blue Swab comparison On Amazon copy paper Mnemosyne Midori Tomoe River Tomoe River 68 gr Full page Rhodia Rhodia Please feel free adding your scans, impression.... The more the merrier.....

I like my Noodler's Charlie when it actually writes, but I find that it dries out every day between the end of my work day and the next. I either have to run it under some water or dip it in the ink to get it to flow. I'm currently using it with Heart of Darkness. I know this has been discussed before, but short of taking everything apart, does anyone have any surefire tips to get it to stop drying out overnight? I store it nib down.

I really had to control myself not to buy a whole bottle of ink without trying a sample, despite the negative reviews. I’m sorry I didn’t. Noodler’s Blue Nose Bear was named after the famed Nova Scotian schooner, Bluenose and in homage to the Winnipeg bear, who inspired Winnie the Pooh. As a lefty underwriter, most important to me are water resistance and acceptable dry times and smooth writing. Shading is a plus. Most reviews have stated this ink feathers on most papers, bleeds through etc. I find that this while true not always valid. For example, flexed Ahab on Rhodia is awful, however endearing on Clairefontaine. It also ghosts and it could bleed have minimal bleed through with a very wet nib. With a wet Medium Jinhao it has lovely feathering. Yes, you read correctly the feathering is actually quite nice. To my surprise with a fude nib, it did not feather and shaded delightfully…… It is partially waterproof, and a greyish line would remain after extended water submersion. The ink is also fluorescent It seems that I don’t like “perfect” inks but inks that have imperfect perfection…. Rhodia dot pad - Front - In retrospect I was hasty in my handwritten review, condemning it. The feathering happens when there is an excess gushing with a flexed Ahab. Other than that it's minimal. Bleed through and ghosting are acceptable to me... Rhodia dot pad - back Tomoe River - Front Tomoe River - Back Comparaison Fude nib Ahab - Flex - closeup Some nice feathering on ClarieFontaine Florescence And finally an Ahab vs PensBBS fine nib comparison And water resistance after 18 hours under rain, sleet and snow...

This is the second brown ink I am reviewing together with the Vaikhari - it is a nice medium brown from Noodler's - called Kiowa Pecan. I haven't had much good luck with Noodler's inks - for one reason or the other, most of them havent worked well for me. This one though, is probably the Noodler's that I like the most and gives me least trouble. In comparison with Vaikhari and Iro Yama Guri. N-KP is lighter than both , though some shades are very similar to Vaikhari - However, the Vaikhari has auburn/ burnt sienna tinges on the lighter shades and Kiowa Pecan's lighter notes tend toward golden browns. Dry times are on the longer side; about 30 secs on these scrubbies with a Bock F nib. But real life writing seems to dry much faster. Overall: I really like the color and how the ink behaves with most papers. the shading is beautiful, encompassing a wide variety of browns. This is a great ink from Noodler's.

Since I do not own too many green inks, I cannot show very similar inks to compare. Instead I thought it would be useful to show where it lies in the spectrum between yellow/brown leaning greens like Krishna Ghat-green/ Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu and a teal leaning green like Diamine Aurora Borealis... Overall, I'd say its a pleasant color though not a very uncommon one - nothing screams out as unique or special about the colour or the ink's abilities but it is a nice pleasant green if you want only one green ink, and being Noodler's it is pretty inexpensive. Shame about the feathering though, this is not an ink which you'd pick if you write often on absorbent or average to cheap paper. Even when it doesn't quite feather, it spreads quite bit on absorbent paper. As my pic below shows - the line width of this ink coming out of my PenBBS mini-fude F is wider than even my medium Jowo, Bock or Montegrappa nibs (generally I find the mini fude to write slightly broader than a western fine on down strokes and like a western fine on side strokes). Note that probably 90% of my inks do not feather or spread on this Muji copy paper. Another picture of the feathering on cheap copy paper Note: the color variation in the 'whites' of the papers is native to the papers. I set white balance on a white card and then didn't edit for each picture - but some casts cannot be ruled out.