Noodler's vs Private Reserve

[Joe in Seattle]

I love saturated colours. I adored the old Parker Penman inks - never had any sort of problem with them, though.

 

My "go to" ink after the Parker became Private Reserve: Sherwood Green, principally, Navajo Red for Christmas, then I discovered WONDERFUL Midnight Blues!

 

Waterman's was probably my second favourite ink: Havana Brown, Purple, and Florida Blue.

 

I was looking for the perfect blue and tried Bay State Noodler's - loved the colour, but it stained the heck out of my yellow Safari.

 

When looking for a perfect saturated black I tried Pelikan Brilliant Black which I found okay, and Noodler's Heart of Darkness (with a name like that, what's not to love?). I liked the Noodler's opacity, but in my pens both the blue and the black produced a broader line with an F nib that I cared for.

 

My question: What black would give me close to the darkness of Noodler's with the control of Private Reserve? Should I try PR Velvet Black?

 

Second question: Does Noodler's generally produce a broader line with the same nib that some other inks?

 

Finally: Noodler's just seems to coagulate, for want of a better word, in some of my pens. Is that typical?

 

Many thanks to those who bore with my post.

[MattN]

I have no idea how it compares in terms of line width (as I haven't used the HoD or Velvet), but Aurora Black is a very black black with what I perceive to be good control. Might be worth a try.

[dickens]

Herbin Perle Noir is a gorgeous, rich, dark black and has been very well behaved in all my pens, with all kinds of paper.

[GreenVelvet]

I am also a big fan of super-saturated colors.

 

Most of my inks are Noodler's and Private Reserve, for that reason.

 

I find the most behavior variance, within one brand, with Noodler's. They are just all so different. Some have great flow, some are more dry. So to answer your question about whether Noodler's generally produces a broader line than some inks, the answer for me is "sometimes - depends on which ink."

 

ALSO - the Baystate inks are known to be fussy! I haven't tried them because I just don't want to deal with that fuss, but please don't base your opinion of the whole Noodler's line on Baystate Blue! Good Heavens!

 

Keeping that "they're all different" rule in mind, I do find that the Noodler's "coagulate" in my pens more than others (with PR inks a close second, honestly). It's a price I pay for gorgeous colors, and high saturation. I've never had one clog or ruin a pen by any means; the Noodler's just requires a little more attention to flushing and proper filling than the other inks. (I have a bad tendency to let pens run dry, so I really do speak from actual experience here.)

 

I will say that I've found that Noodler's inks aren't going to be as easy and trouble-free as Waterman (and I own 3 Waterman inks and love those, too). But if you want more than 6 or so colors, you've gotta broaden your horizons.

 

That being said, the caveat is that I've only been using all these fancy bottled inks since this past summer, so I don't have years of experience upon which to draw.

 

But since it's Noodler's, and that's always good for a heated conversation, I'm sure you'll get a whole range of opinions on the matter. I look forward to reading all of them!

 

[GeGeLan]

Honestly I haven't tried PR.

 

I'm a confirmed Noodlers.

 

Its not so much coagulation as the water is evaporating from the pen even if ever so slowly and the ink is thickening.

 

If I find one doing that I'll just suck in a drop or two of water and lightly shake the pen.

 

While it may lighten the ink color it certainly doesn't hurt...and you may get a color Noodlers doesn't make just by thinning out a saturated regular one.

 

 

Standard Green seems to thin out to a very nice Kelly Green.

[Garageboy]

PR for me behaves better in my soaking wet Pelikan M200

PR inks dry a bit faster (well, actually dry all the way) compared to Noodlers.

[Randal6393]

i routinely use PR Midnight Blues, Blue Suede, Dakota Red, and Black Cherry. Also routinely use Noodlers Heart of Darkeness, Black, Walnut, and Midnight Blue. Have tried Noodler Legal Lapis, Baystate Condord Grape, and Luxury Blue.

 

Both PR and Noodler inks are fussy compared to older fountain pen inks such as Sheaffer Skrip. Quink, or Montblanc. But the colors are so vibrant that I feel both are worth the extra effort and attention. A bit of water added to a bottle once in a while is needed with both PR and Noodler as both inks seem to dry out a bit over of time.

 

If you find a color you love, jump on it and enjoy. And have fun!