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Noodler's Ink Not As Wet As Before?


morethanjustacat

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Hello people,

 

Really hope I'm not being annoying here posting a topic asking for help, but I can't seem to find anything that quite relates to my issue. Basically, I've recently noticed that one of my inks, Noodle's Air-Corp Blue-Black, seems to write dryer and in a lighter shade than before. Initially I thought my feed might've been clogged, so I flushed my pen with water. I even used distilled water just to play it safe. Nothing changed. Then I thought it might be an issue with the pen, so I switched to another one (also flushing it beforehand), but the issue remained. Which is why I think the culprit is the ink itself. So my question is: what caused the ink to become dryer and lighter in color? For reference, I've had this ink for six months now, and have traveled with it (packed it in a suitcase on a flight). I've taken care not to expose it to direct sunlight, and the cap seals just fine for all I can tell. Responses would be much appreciated :)

Edited by morethanjustacat

Sic volvere parcas.

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Did you give it a good shake before inking? Maybe some dye has precipitated.

If you are to be ephemeral, leave a good scent.

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I did shake it somewhat, though not too rigorously (as the ink bottle is still pretty full). So do you think the ink has become drier as the dye has precipitated?

Sic volvere parcas.

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I've noticed that Noodler's changes its characteristics if it sits too long. If I plan on loading a Noodler's ink I haven't used in a while, I turn it upside down for a day. I don't like shaking before I use, too many bubbles.

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Sounds like an interesting method, I'll give it a go. Thanks for sharing!

Edited by morethanjustacat

Sic volvere parcas.

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If you fill a just-flushed pen with ink, it will write lighter and more dry for a page or so, untill you go through the diluted ink in the wet feed. Diluting an ink with water dilutes any surfactants that enhance flow and dilutes color intensity. That could be your culprit. Either keep writing for a while or let the pen sit unused for a day or two and see if that helps. The feed should dry out slightly, at least with the air inside the cap, or even more so with imperfect seal, and the ink will concentrate.

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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I find that the Noodler's inks that are at least partially water resistant can throw a pretty heavy precipitate if kept for a long time or in a cool room and a LOT of shaking may be required to get back to the original color and behavior. Make sure the cap is really on tight because you may be shaking for a minute or two and we don't want accidents. You probably should wipe the mouth of the bottle once you carefully open the bottle and from a distance pop the bubble of ink that may be there (I use a tissue as a shield). If bottles of Noodler's are not tightly closed enough water can evaporate to change the flow significantly and I worry about the batches that came in plastic bottles when they ran out of glass ones. That said, I took about 10 years to go through a bottle of Walnut and it was just a tiny bit drier-writing at the end. My probably 12 or more years old bottle of Noodler's/Swisher Aquamarine needs heavy shaking before being used (sparingly as it is unobtanium) but then writes beautifully for months in a Pilot Metropolitan B nib.

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If you fill a just-flushed pen with ink, it will write lighter and more dry for a page or so, untill you go through the diluted ink in the wet feed. Diluting an ink with water dilutes any surfactants that enhance flow and dilutes color intensity. That could be your culprit. Either keep writing for a while or let the pen sit unused for a day or two and see if that helps. The feed should dry out slightly, at least with the air inside the cap, or even more so with imperfect seal, and the ink will concentrate.

I think you're right. Thankfully my ink seems to be back to normal (i.e., darker & wetter), now that I've kept writing for a while without flushing my pen again. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

 

I find that the Noodler's inks that are at least partially water resistant can throw a pretty heavy precipitate if kept for a long time or in a cool room and a LOT of shaking may be required to get back to the original color and behavior. Make sure the cap is really on tight because you may be shaking for a minute or two and we don't want accidents. You probably should wipe the mouth of the bottle once you carefully open the bottle and from a distance pop the bubble of ink that may be there (I use a tissue as a shield). If bottles of Noodler's are not tightly closed enough water can evaporate to change the flow significantly and I worry about the batches that came in plastic bottles when they ran out of glass ones. That said, I took about 10 years to go through a bottle of Walnut and it was just a tiny bit drier-writing at the end. My probably 12 or more years old bottle of Noodler's/Swisher Aquamarine needs heavy shaking before being used (sparingly as it is unobtanium) but then writes beautifully for months in a Pilot Metropolitan B nib.

 

Is that so? I'll definitely keep that in mind then, when I make future purchases of Noodler's ink. I do try to screw the cap on as tightly as I can & I also wipe the mouth of the bottle every time after I open it. Also --- wow, that is a long time to be using a bottle of ink; I can only hope I'll manage to take care of my ink well enough that they'll last for that long. And yay I'm also using a Pilot Metropolitan w/ this ink; I have a stub nib & the ink shows beautifully.

 

Ok, this is kind of on an unrelated note, but does anyone know how traveling could affect ink? Specifically, traveling by plane? I'm going to college so I'll be expecting to do that pretty often, & am curious if traveling by plane frequently has any effect on ink properties.

Sic volvere parcas.

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It sounds like Im in a pretty similar situation to you. Im at university in Windsor but I live in Orlando so I have to fly back and forth a few times a year. Each time I go I take inks back and forth with me in my carry on. Whenever I get bored of a few inks that I have in my dorm, I take them back home to change them out with inks I have in my larger collection. I have never noticed any changes that happen to the ink when Im flying. They always write just the same as they always have so I really dont think theres any need to worry. Just remember to stay within your TSA limit of liquids if youre taking them in your carry on.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that when you fly you should be sure to screw on the cap of your ink bottle extra tight. Changes in pressure might cause issues if your ink bottle isnt properly sealed. To be safe, I always fly with my ink bottles in ziplock bags, although I have never had a bottle leak on me. Im probably being a bit too careful but the way I see it, theres nothing wrong with that!

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That's reassuring to know. I think it's good to err on the side of caution --- I'd hate to have a bottle leak & ruin my clothes and books! When I was traveling w/ my Noodler's ink I was afraid it wouldn't be allowed on the carry on, so I actually packed it in luggage I checked in, which I guess was a slight gamble of hoping the rough handling wouldn't break the bottle of ink.

Sic volvere parcas.

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If I travel with ink, it goes in a ziplock bag. I use a prescription bottle for traveling.

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  • 4 weeks later...

If I travel with ink, it goes in a ziplock bag. I use a prescription bottle for traveling.

 

Thanks for the tip!

Sic volvere parcas.

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