Noodler's Navajo Turquoise

[carpedavid]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4472016744_49e6b2bebd_b.jpg

 

Noodler's Navajo Turquoise is a beautiful, medium-tone blue with a hint of green – very close to cyan, but just a bit darker. It is highly saturated, and I recommend shaking the bottle before using to make sure that the dye has not settled out. It exhibits a nice degree of shading in wide nibs, but is fairly consistent in fine nibs. While this ink is pretty on white paper, its true beauty comes out on cream-colored paper, where its green tones come to the surface – creating a beautiful jewel-like color.

 

Noodler's inks tend to flow well – unlike J. Herbin inks, which have a watery character, Noodler's inks feel slightly viscous and provide a slight lubricating quality. Each pen I've used them in tends to glide smoothly across the paper. Another characteristic of Noodler's inks is their resistance to feathering – on both Rhodia and Moleskine journals, Navajo Turquoise does not feather at all. Compared to Noodler's Black, Navajo Turquoise exhibits a slightly higher level of show-through, but it is still very low. Even in my wet-writing Lamy Studio, I've noticed almost no bleed-through on any paper – including the thin paper of a Moleskine cahier.

 

Dry time, though, varies quite dramatically based on the paper in question. On Moleskine journals and Rhodia notebooks, the ink takes upwards of a minute to fully dry (as one can see by the inadvertent smear on the scan above). On the more absorbent paper of an Ecosystem journal or on standard copy paper, however, it dries in 3 to 4 seconds – a dramatic difference. This is an odd behavior that I've seen with other Noodler's inks, and I'm currently at a loss to explain it.

 

Noodler's Navajo Turquoise comes in a 3 oz. bottle that is typically filled to the brim. Noodler's intentionally uses stock bottles and lids to keep their prices low, which means that they aren't intended to be attractive in and of themselves. They are functional and stable, but not something one would display on one's desk.

 

I've become a very big fan of this ink recently, and can see using it in a number of circumstances. While it is likely too bright for use in a conservative business environment, it would make for a good highlighting or editing color. It is dark enough to be easy to read – unlike a true cyan, which I personally find headache-inducing – which means that it is useful for journaling or other personal uses.

 

Note about the scan: this color is tough to get scanned correctly. The original has green undertones that do not appear on the scan.

 

Review materials: For the wide strokes, I used a Lamy 1.1mm steel calligraphy nib on a Lamy Safari. For the fine strokes, I used a Lamy 14K gold EF nib on a Lamy Studio. The paper is Rhodia 80g.

[Ladynib302]

Thanks! A very nice review leaving me with the desire to try this ink; have been a fan of Sheaffer's peacock blue for many years past; this may be a fun replacement; your review is nicely detailed.

[Ed Ronax]

Nice review, what a great colour.

[Enai]

Wow, nice review, thanks! Makes me want to buy this ink, ugh.

[OldGriz]

Thanks! A very nice review leaving me with the desire to try this ink; have been a fan of Sheaffer's peacock blue for many years past; this may be a fun replacement; your review is nicely detailed.

 

Mix this ink 50/50 with Watermans South Seas Blue and you have an extremely close replacement for Sheaffer Peacock Blue... I even fooled Richard Binder with it..

I find this ink to be one of the best behaved of the Noodlers line of inks... it works in every pen I have ever put it in.... add the Watermans and it is even better behaved.

[TonyWheeler]

Sort of off topic, but OP, did you train yourself to write that way? If so, what is it called. I love it! I'd love to have my hand look like that. Now it looks like a distant cousin, or something.

 

Great review, btw! Pretty ink!

[carpedavid]

Sort of off topic, but OP, did you train yourself to write that way? If so, what is it called. I love it! I'd love to have my hand look like that. Now it looks like a distant cousin, or something.

 

Great review, btw! Pretty ink!

 

Thanks, Tony!

 

I do have a post on my blog about how I started to learn calligraphy: how I learned to write pretty. I've only been at it for about a year, but I trained myself using a book that has lots of very good examples. The script in the post above is actually my own - I used a couple of different example hands and combined elements of ones that I liked, and then added my own touches to make it unique.

 

Perhaps that would be a good subject for another post. Would anyone be interested in seeing how that process works?

 

Dave

[Astropath]

Yes, I'd be very interested if you are willing.

 

Jim

[smoores]

Sort of off topic, but OP, did you train yourself to write that way? If so, what is it called. I love it! I'd love to have my hand look like that. Now it looks like a distant cousin, or something.

 

Great review, btw! Pretty ink!

 

Thanks, Tony!

 

I do have a post on my blog about how I started to learn calligraphy: how I learned to write pretty. I've only been at it for about a year, but I trained myself using a book that has lots of very good examples. The script in the post above is actually my own - I used a couple of different example hands and combined elements of ones that I liked, and then added my own touches to make it unique.

 

Perhaps that would be a good subject for another post. Would anyone be interested in seeing how that process works?

 

Dave

 

Would love to hear the process!! Please start a post!

 

And I LOVE Noodler's Navajo Turquoise...one of my favorite inks and incredibly well behaved. This ink will never leave my collection.

[xuan87]

it looks almost exactly the same as Iroshizuku's kon peki...

[SamCapote]

A beautiful blue ink. Wonderful shading. Thanks for the review, I had not heard of this one.

[carpedavid]

it looks almost exactly the same as Iroshizuku's kon peki...

 

That's interesting - I struggled with how to write this review without contrasting it against Iroshizuku Kon-peki. The scan doesn't quite do this ink justice, but it is lighter in tone and greener than Kon-peki. Kon-peki is a deeper and truer blue. They are distinct enough to both have a place in one's collection, but they are definitely reminiscent of one another.

[Scrawler]

I had been looking for the perfect turquoise for myself. I had previously been using Monteverde turquoise. On the basis of this review I ordered a bottle and am writing with it now for the first time. I am disappointed, what comes out of my pen does not look a bit like the scan above. It is darker and has a more greenish tinge to it. I am not sure what to do now, I cannot see myself using the whole bottle, and I will probably go back to Monteverde, if I can find it in bottles, not cartridges. :bonk:

Could it be the pen I am using? Perhaps it flows too well or something like that. When I have finished this fill I will try it in a dryer writing pen that I had been using for royal blue. If it turns out that the color problem is because my pen is too wet, then I shall be looking for a medium to broad nib that is dryer writing. Maybe it is because I did not shake the bottle, or make some sort of incantation while filling my pen. I just do not know and would appreciate any suggestions so that I can learn to enjoy this ink as much as others obviously do.

[Sandy1]

I had been looking for the perfect turquoise for myself. I had previously been using Monteverde turquoise. On the basis of this review I ordered a bottle and am writing with it now for the first time. I am disappointed, what comes out of my pen does not look a bit like the scan above. It is darker and has a more greenish tinge to it. I am not sure what to do now, I cannot see myself using the whole bottle, and I will probably go back to Monteverde, if I can find it in bottles, not cartridges. :bonk:

Could it be the pen I am using? Perhaps it flows too well or something like that. When I have finished this fill I will try it in a dryer writing pen that I had been using for royal blue. If it turns out that the color problem is because my pen is too wet, then I shall be looking for a medium to broad nib that is dryer writing. Maybe it is because I did not shake the bottle, or make some sort of incantation while filling my pen. I just do not know and would appreciate any suggestions so that I can learn to enjoy this ink as much as others obviously do.

Hi,

 

In general terms, these lighter colours - especially in the Blue+Green/Green+Blue part of the spectrum are very tough for Western males to discern the differences.

 

That said, if your result is darker - then it is a difference in the pen+paper combo.

I doubt that the colour is so different - one's perception of the same colour does change depending on light:dark. So try this: put a few drops of ink onto a white saucer / plate or similar - but it must be white. The drip some water into it and swirl it around. Are you starting to see a colour & density that resembles the scans for this Review? Don't try to match exactly - it's pointless; but just confirm that within reason the ink you have is capable of showing a colour like the Review. For my Reviews, I show swabs at various dilutions, which is especially important for dark inks that may not scan/display with great fidelity.

And here's the Turquoise inks that I have at present. Are they Turquoise or Peacock Blue? Who knows/cares, just check the colours:

http://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/InkyThoughts2010/FNP083.jpg

[bluemagister]

I use the Eel Turquoise and it looks just like this, with added lubrication. It's basically like writing with liquid ice and it has such a cool, minty jewel-like appearance on the paper that I find myself reacing for my Jinhao x450 with this loaded in it...pretty often.

 

I especially prefer it for editing or proofing as an alternative to red.

[ehebert]

I also LOVE this ink. I especially like how it works in extra fine nibs. Even the thinnest line has a rich color. I find it to be darker & slightly more green than the posted scan.

[Neuroform]

When my son wanted to order the Navajo Turqouoise, I looked at it and thought "this stuff will barely be readable - the color is too light." Boy was I wrong, and pleasantly surprised when it arrived and we tried it out. Beautiful, well saturated color that stands out well. Great review and great ink!