Jump to content

Noodler's Ink - Zhivago


AgentVenom

Recommended Posts

* Originally posted on my Instagram.

 

Ink Review: Noodler's Ink - Zhivago

Grade: 52.50%

Paper Tested On: Norcom Composition, Staples 20lb copy paper, 85g Clairefontaine.

 

Zhivago (Zg) is an interesting ink. At first glance Zg looks completely black, but if you look closely you'll see that Zg is actually a very dark green. You could even call it a green-black ink. This shade of dark green reminds me a lot of moss or water clouded with algae.

 

Zg is a very smooth writing ink that flows easily through every pen I've put it in. It's very wet, and ideal for doing flex writing, even with a long drying time. It's too bad that it doesn't shade heavily. In my Noodler's Ahab it performs very well; but it's not until you put large amounts of ink on the page that you see some nice color variations.

 

On cheap composition paper I have been very impressed with how little Zg feathers or bleeds. However, on 20lb copy paper, and even 85g Clairefontaine, it seems to feather and bleed heavily.

 

Zg is listed as only been partially bulletproof. I've used Zg in ink washes, and the green portion lifts off the page pretty easily. What's left is a black color that resists removal well.

 

Zg's a very subtle color, and I find myself liking it more each time I use it.

 

fpn_1436408840__image.jpg

fpn_1436408904__image.jpg

fpn_1436409102__image.jpg

fpn_1436409175__image.jpg

fpn_1436409241__image.jpg

fpn_1436409278__image.jpg

fpn_1436409314__image.jpg

fpn_1436409359__image.jpg

fpn_1436409389__image.jpg

fpn_1436409414__image.jpg

fpn_1436409444__image.jpg

fpn_1436409469__image.jpg

fpn_1436409801__image.jpg

Freedom lies in being bold - Robert Frost

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 13
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • AgentVenom

    5

  • Frank C

    2

  • RMH

    2

  • Barkingpig

    1

Thank you for a great & most comprehensive review of one of my favourite alternatives to black ink. "Zhivago," Bung Box's "Ink of the Witch" & "Espresso" are equally good @ "keeping them guessing!"

Edited by Barkingpig
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for a great & most comprehensive review of one of my favourite alternatives to black ink. "Zhivago," Bung Box's "Ink of the Witch" & "Espresso" are equally good @ "keeping them guessing!"

 

I like all these inks for that reason. You should check out BB Dandyism and BB Seiya Silent Night Blue-Black, too.

 

Thanks for the review.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for a great & most comprehensive review of one of my favourite alternatives to black ink. "Zhivago," Bung Box's "Ink of the Witch" & "Espresso" are equally good @ "keeping them guessing!"

I like all these inks for that reason. You should check out BB Dandyism and BB Seiya Silent Night Blue-Black, too.

 

 

Thanks for the review.

Thank you. I truly appreciate it.

 

I agree. I love asking people, who know I enjoy fountain pens and trying new inks, to tell me what color they think subtle inks like this are.

Freedom lies in being bold - Robert Frost

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Thank you. I truly appreciate it.

 

I agree. I love asking people, who know I enjoy fountain pens and trying new inks, to tell me what color they think subtle inks like this are.

 

I am supposed to use black or blue ink at the hospital. I like to use these inks as a very subtle form of rebellion. Also, I can flip through the pages of a chart and pick out my entries in seconds.

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks nice.

 

Thank you.

 

Thank you for the review. I'm going to give this on a try.

 

I hope you like it just as much as I have.

Freedom lies in being bold - Robert Frost

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I like this ink a lot, I probably use it more than just about any other ink I have. A word of future warning to anyone picking up a bottle, the darker pigments tend to settle out fairly quickly, so give this ink a shake before you use it. I can tell a noticeable difference in shading if I refill after just a couple of weeks without shaking.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting review, thanks. Concur with Frank C.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

 

Great review - it inspired me to get out my bottle that I haven't used in over a year. Thanks!

Thank you. I agree that I want to buy a full bottle. I need to use up what I have tho.

 

I like this ink a lot, I probably use it more than just about any other ink I have. A word of future warning to anyone picking up a bottle, the darker pigments tend to settle out fairly quickly, so give this ink a shake before you use it. I can tell a noticeable difference in shading if I refill after just a couple of weeks without shaking.

Thank you for the tip!

Freedom lies in being bold - Robert Frost

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Couple of thoughts after acquiring a bottle of Zhivago.

First, the color smear from this particular bottle is lacking in green- appears dark grey. I realise that batches vary but the color saturation is low. I added some J.Herbin Sauvage to my liking. Second- appreciate the chromatography- well done!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Couple of thoughts after acquiring a bottle of Zhivago.

First, the color smear from this particular bottle is lacking in green- appears dark grey. I realise that batches vary but the color saturation is low. I added some J.Herbin Sauvage to my liking. Second- appreciate the chromatography- well done!

Thank you. I enjoy seeing the colors that come out when you do chromatography on theses saturated inks.

Freedom lies in being bold - Robert Frost

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33474
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26573
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...