noodler's luxury blue

[Goodwhiskers]

I love Noodler's Old Manhattan black and I don't think I'd like Luxury Blue on its own, but I just ordered some Luxury Blue and Noodler's standard bulletproof black to try mixing them. I'd love to get a rich, dark blue like Pantone's Reflex Blue. I don't know that I'd use it always but I'd like to at least have it available.

 

I just looked up Pantone Reflex Blue and found out it's the color of the field of the EU / Council of Europe flag. The same webpage gives instructions for a close approximation in the four-color process.

 

When I mixed Noodler's Luxury Blue and standard Black, I got a very slightly greenish blue-black, like some of the blue-blacks one can buy ready-made.

I think this is because part of N's Black shows up yellowish-brown when I mark some on a wet paper towel.

 

The digital swab of Noodler's Upper Ganges Blue (at Pendemonium; they have the exclusive on this color for USA-domiciled retailers) looks very close to Reflex Blue on my monitor. They just got some back in stock, too.

 

Jeff, if N's Lux Blue is only a means to an end for you, I hope you have lots of other colors to try mixing it with.

I got a nice blue-black (not Reflex Blue) without any hint of green, very close to Namiki/Pilot Blue-Black, by mixing one part N's Black, six parts Iraqi Indigo and sixteen parts Lux Blue.

[HDoug]

I'm very fond of Luxury Blue, but it's similar to Upper Ganges Blue in my experience:

 

http://homepage.mac.com/hdougmatsuoka/images/pen/GangesLux.jpg

 

Just thought this might be useful...

 

Doug

 

P.S. The first "Upper" is a mistake. It's written in Legal Lapis...

Edited December 11, 2007 by HDoug

[Jeff Muscato]

Hmm.... On my screen, the flag looks nothing like printed Reflex Blue. Actually, the blue box behind "To Bear in Mind" looks much closer. For what it's worth, I've not been able to get a good Reflex Blue on my four-color laser printer, but I love the real Pantone color I use on my business stationery. If anyone's curious about the color, I'd be glad to mail a letterhead page (on which you should also try writing--I love this paper for fountain-pen writing).

 

I have no other colors to try mixing with the Luxury Blue, but I'm quite happy with Old Manhattan Black. (I'm just getting into fountain pens and don't have an ink collection.) Reflex Blue from a fountain pen would be nice, but I understand that it's probably not possible. I just don't think that a fountain pen will be able to get the dark, solid color that comes from a printing press. Above all else, I want a bulletproof ink, because I want to be able to use it on everything--checks, envelopes, etc. Noodler's says that mixing one bulletproof ink with another (non-bulletproof) ink will negate the bulletproof properties, which is why I plan to try their bulletproof black with the Luxury Blue.

 

If anyone wants a page of my letterhead, either to see Reflex Blue or to try writing on it (or both), just let me know.

[JohnS-MI]

I looked up Reflex Blue. That in a bulletproof ink is probably the Holy Grail, and I don't know know how to get there..

In "runs and hides from water" inks, PR DC Supershow Blue may be in the ballpark.

 

A mix of Luxury Blue and Noodlers (Standard) Black won't be that. It will be a less saturated blue-black. You can make it darker or lighter by varying the black, but you can't make it bluer, unfortunately. It is totally waterproof; I tested that. I did not try any of the "extreme" chemicals that are part of the "bulletproof" tests.

[Goodwhiskers]

A mix of Luxury Blue and Noodlers (Standard) Black . . . . is totally waterproof; I tested that. I did not try any of the "extreme" chemicals that are part of the "bulletproof" tests.

In Noodler's, the Lux Blue and standard Black are both in the "bulletproof" category, so mixing them probably wouldn't weaken the grip of the resulting product. Iraqi Indigo is also sold as "bulletproof" by Pendemonium.

[Goodwhiskers]

I'm very fond of Luxury Blue, but it's similar to Upper Ganges Blue in my experience

HDoug, thanks for that picture. One thing I can't tell from it is whether UGB is less "dusty" or "chalky" looking than LB. What have you seen? I don't mind the "chalkiness" of LB, but it would detract from any attempt to blend a Pantone Reflex Blue.

[Jeff Muscato]

For what it's worth, tonight I looked for a ubiquitous example of something close to Reflex Blue. The dark blue background behind the small "S.C. Johnson/A Family Company" tag on a bottle of Windex is close. Can anyone tell me if the Euro flag linked above looks similar to that on their screens? It doesn't on mine. Thanks.

[Jake]

As for the color itself, it has nice shading in my experience but it is somewhat light/chalky/faded as others have described.

 

I like it, but I wouldn't say I love it. I also have some Waterman's Florida Blue so I'll have to give mixing a try. There are some cautions about mixing that I'll have to find that IIRC, relate to Noodler's "bulletproof" inks.

 

Fascinating to hear this report, as I love the Waterman "Florida" (I still think of it as French) blue, though the appeal of "Bulletproof" inks holds my attention. I sometimes find my writing smeared when I drop water or forget that I just washed my hand; in an ideal world, I'd find bulletproof Waterman French Blue and be a marginally happier person.

 

Have you tried mixing them? What were the results?

 

(As a side note, this is my first post. Hello!)

 

-Jake

[fjf]

The luxury blue is a pale color used alone, but it makes a good mixer providing the waterproofness to the mix:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...=5242&st=60

 

As for the color itself, it has nice shading in my experience but it is somewhat light/chalky/faded as others have described.

 

I like it, but I wouldn't say I love it. I also have some Waterman's Florida Blue so I'll have to give mixing a try. There are some cautions about mixing that I'll have to find that IIRC, relate to Noodler's "bulletproof" inks.

 

Fascinating to hear this report, as I love the Waterman "Florida" (I still think of it as French) blue, though the appeal of "Bulletproof" inks holds my attention. I sometimes find my writing smeared when I drop water or forget that I just washed my hand; in an ideal world, I'd find bulletproof Waterman French Blue and be a marginally happier person.

 

Have you tried mixing them? What were the results?

 

(As a side note, this is my first post. Hello!)

 

-Jake

 

[Jake]

The luxury blue is a pale color used alone, but it makes a good mixer providing the waterproofness to the mix:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...=5242&st=60

 

As for the color itself, it has nice shading in my experience but it is somewhat light/chalky/faded as others have described.

 

I like it, but I wouldn't say I love it. I also have some Waterman's Florida Blue so I'll have to give mixing a try. There are some cautions about mixing that I'll have to find that IIRC, relate to Noodler's "bulletproof" inks.

 

Fascinating to hear this report, as I love the Waterman "Florida" (I still think of it as French) blue, though the appeal of "Bulletproof" inks holds my attention. I sometimes find my writing smeared when I drop water or forget that I just washed my hand; in an ideal world, I'd find bulletproof Waterman French Blue and be a marginally happier person.

 

Have you tried mixing them? What were the results?

 

(As a side note, this is my first post. Hello!)

 

-Jake

 

Thanks for the advice -- one more question regarding inks: do people usually mix them simply by filling the piston halfway with one ink, then filling the rest with another, or do they mix both inks into bottles separately?

 

-Jake

 

[Silas]

Just got a bottle of Luxury Blue....tried ONE coverter full and am not that impressed. I don't think I want to experiment and mix to get what I want.

Anyone want to TRADE some bulletproof ink for the Luxury Blue?

[Jeff Muscato]

The Luxury Blue and standard bulletproof Black arrived Thursday; the blue alone is too light for me and mixing them just gave me some dull blue-blacks.

 

I'm back to Old Manhattan Black. (Actually, I never emptied it; I just tried the mixtures with a cheap dip pen.)

[jowe]

After trying Polar Blue in my Edson and rinsing the pen (nib creep) I tried Luxury Blue.

Luxury Blue is just a little bit lighter then Polar Blue, but the difference is hardly noticable.

The little bit of nib creep is IMO acceptable.

[fjf]

The luxury blue is a pale color used alone, but it makes a good mixer providing the waterproofness to the mix:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...=5242&st=60

 

As for the color itself, it has nice shading in my experience but it is somewhat light/chalky/faded as others have described.

 

I like it, but I wouldn't say I love it. I also have some Waterman's Florida Blue so I'll have to give mixing a try. There are some cautions about mixing that I'll have to find that IIRC, relate to Noodler's "bulletproof" inks.

 

Fascinating to hear this report, as I love the Waterman "Florida" (I still think of it as French) blue, though the appeal of "Bulletproof" inks holds my attention. I sometimes find my writing smeared when I drop water or forget that I just washed my hand; in an ideal world, I'd find bulletproof Waterman French Blue and be a marginally happier person.

 

Have you tried mixing them? What were the results?

 

(As a side note, this is my first post. Hello!)

 

-Jake

 

Thanks for the advice -- one more question regarding inks: do people usually mix them simply by filling the piston halfway with one ink, then filling the rest with another, or do they mix both inks into bottles separately?

 

-Jake

 

I use a syringe and a plastic vial to make the mix. The pen is not accurate enough.

[juhtolv]

Has anyone compaired it to Legal Blue from ArtBrown

 

I have both Luxury Blue and Legal Blue.

 

Luxury Blue is sometimes very chalky, but in wet pens it looks almost okay. It has some kind of vintage look. It kind of grows on you. But sometimes it feels boring. It never looks like Waterman Florida Blue or any other bright blue ink that looks like popping up from paper.

 

Legal Blue is weird: It leans towards green or turquoise very often. Sometimes it looks like blue.

 

If I should choose between Luxury Blue or Legal Blue, my choice would be definitely Luxury Blue. But they are not only alternatives. Next bulletproof blue ink I am going to try will be Noodler's Ink Upper Ganges Blue. It is made for India’s market, but it is also available in Pendemonium.

[fjf]

[Next bulletproof blue ink I am going to try will be Noodler's Ink Upper Ganges Blue. It is made for India’s market, but it is also available in Pendemonium.

 

I hope you post a review of that one. We are still in pursuit of the ideal waterproof blue!.

[Jake]

Has anyone compaired it to Legal Blue from ArtBrown

 

I have both Luxury Blue and Legal Blue.

 

Luxury Blue is sometimes very chalky, but in wet pens it looks almost okay. It has some kind of vintage look. It kind of grows on you. But sometimes it feels boring. It never looks like Waterman Florida Blue or any other bright blue ink that looks like popping up from paper.

 

Legal Blue is weird: It leans towards green or turquoise very often. Sometimes it looks like blue.

 

If I should choose between Luxury Blue or Legal Blue, my choice would be definitely Luxury Blue. But they are not only alternatives. Next bulletproof blue ink I am going to try will be Noodler's Ink Upper Ganges Blue. It is made for India’s market, but it is also available in Pendemonium.

 

I actually have Upper Ganges Blue but liked it less than Luxury Blue; the Upper Ganges Blue appeared almost gray. My preferred blue, as mentioned earlier, is still Waterman French Blue for the "popping" effect you describe. But it appears that I face trade-offs: the French Blue isn't waterproof and will apparently fade over time, so I am going to begin trying mixtures of them.

 

We'll see how it goes. I mixed within a Mont Blanc about half French Blue and half Luxury Blue, and the resulting mixture is waterproof, at least for the 30 seconds I held a test sheet underwater. I'll post more color comparisons when I get them.

 

-Jake

[Pendragon]

[Next bulletproof blue ink I am going to try will be Noodler's Ink Upper Ganges Blue. It is made for India's market, but it is also available in Pendemonium.

 

I hope you post a review of that one. We are still in pursuit of the ideal waterproof blue!.

In case you find it helpful, there is a scan in this thread.

[BoxerDad]

I wanna dump my Luxury Blue also. Chalky and boring, I tried to convince myself to like it but for me it just plain - - - - - !

 

Gimme Visconti Blue anytime!