Search the Community

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.