Noodlers Black Vs Heart Of Darkness

[sharktm]

My bottle of noodlers dark matter is starting to run dangerously low and I have been trying to find my next black ink. So far noodlers black and heart of darkness are at the top of my list but I am having difficulty deciding which would be best? I mostly right on cheap notebook or copy paper with fine nibs. Thanks for the help.

[Maccabeus]

Heart of Darkness is a gorgeous black, but will bleed like a stuck pig and feather all over your cheap paper. For that matter, it'll do the same on decent paper, too. The one bottle of Noodler's Black I had was much better behaved.

If you have your heart set on another black from Noodler's, have you considered X-Feather?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ETA: HoD will misbehave

Edited March 27, 2020 by Maccabeus

[sharktm]

I remember getting a sample of X- feather a few years ago and not likening it for some reason ,but can’t remember why.

[inkstainedruth]

I have a sample of X-feather that I've never tried. Have not tried Dark Matter.

My personal preference is HoD. I found that Noodler's Black can be smudgy (the problem with the inks that are cellulose reactive is that *all* of the ink has to be in contact with the paper, and if you have it in a wet or broad nib you'll get a lot of smudging till it fully dries). HoD dries faster (yeah, my husband has complained that there is spread and bleed through in the check register, but the cheap recycled paper does that with pretty much everything except a ballpoint (and I don't USE ballpoints anymore, for the most part ).

And yes, I'm often using bad paper (recycled printouts and so on). And I don't remember it feathering all that badly, and I like that it's pretty waterproof.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Eclipse157]

For cheap paper I hear all sort of good things for Noodler's Black, which I have not had the pleasure of testing though. I do have HoD and yes it's not the best behaved black, but on the other hand X-feather is great and just as satisfyingly, soul-suckingly, black-holey black. I suggest you dig out your sample and re-test it, or get another one because it's basically HoD's good twin.

 

Otherwise if you want to keep the permanence, one of the pigment blacks, Sailor kiwa-guro, Platinum Carbon, R&K Lotte. I have this last one and love it.

[Tas]

Like inkstainedruth, I too prefer HOD over their plain black. I found it much less problematic in terms of dry starts and smudging.

Can't recall it feathering on anything I've used. My only gripe is its flow. It loves to flow which can add 1/2 grade on a nib width making most pens write a little wider.

 

My go-to box standard "bulletproof" black.

Good luck

[Mongoosey]

Noodler's Black behaves better than HOD on cheaper paper, but HOD still works well on cheap paper.

 

I've been using HOD with a Kakuno Fine and a Kakuno Medium on Mead paper for the past few weeks and both perform well. There is what I call "inconspicuous feathering" where you have to look closely to see the feathering, otherwise I don't notice it. There's some show through, but no bleed through, which is nice.

 

Mind you, the Kakuno's, like the Explorer and the Metro, which use the same nib and feed, are on the drier side.

 

I personally prefer the way HOD writes with the Kakuno/Metro/Explorer, and how smooth it writes on Mead Paper which is nice and cheap and in a big A4 sized notebook for plenty of flat space to sprawl out on : ) Noodler's Black is just too gray with those pens : (

[TSherbs]

Like inkstainedruth, I too prefer HOD over their plain black. I found it much less problematic in terms of dry starts and smudging....

 

Agree

[wallylynn]

The story is that (regular) bullet proof black was designed for newsprint. So bleed and feather resist on very bad paper. The trouble is when you use better paper, it'll sit there never drying. Hod was designed to be used on a greater range of papers (not just newspaper). Comparatively, hod will bleed and feather more than plain black. But that's not the same as saying it's a bleeding feather mess, it's not. Your fine nib pen should be no problem since it puts down less ink.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

The story is that (regular) bullet proof black was designed for newsprint.

"The" story? What story is that, and where did it come from? In my experience Nathan started talking about his bulletproof ink in January 2004, on the USENET group alt.collecting.pens-pencils. He said that the slow-dry indelible ink was being made, ".... because EVERYONE seems to get stuck with recycled paper now and then." He did mention that the fast drying ink he'd been making feathered on recycled paper and on newsprint, but recycled paper was the real target for that ink, not newsprint. The Noodler's X-Feather ink was aimed at newsprint and similar stuff.

 

So bleed and feather resist on very bad paper. The trouble is when you use better paper, it'll sit there never drying. ....

 

Never drying? It dries.

What some people do run into is smearing, which can happen if the paper is not penetrated as much by the ink. In that case you get a relatively thick, for fountain pen ink, line of ink, and the top layer of ink is not in contact with cellulose, which is what the ink anchors to, so mechanical movement can, well, move it. Thus you get a smear. One solution to that is if you get that problem with a lot of a certain type of paper that you use frequently you can "cut" the Noodler's ink with plain water. Distilled water is the best recommendation because although tap water may work in some places you can find other places where tap water has a lot of minerals in it that can cause problems. I've found that the regular Noodler's Black diluted to a 1:1=water:ink concentration looks almost as black as the undiluted stuff.

[TSherbs]

"The" story? What story is that, and where did it come from? In my experience Nathan started talking about his bulletproof ink in January 2004, on the USENET group alt.collecting.pens-pencils. He said that the slow-dry indelible ink was being made, ".... because EVERYONE seems to get stuck with recycled paper now and then." He did mention that the fast drying ink he'd been making feathered on recycled paper and on newsprint, but recycled paper was the real target for that ink, not newsprint. The Noodler's X-Feather ink was aimed at newsprint and similar stuff.

 

 

Nathan has told this story (the newsprint one) on camera. I can't remember where. He seemed to be talking about Noodler's Black generally, but maybe he was conflating a bit (or I mis-remember).

[Ink Stained Wretch]

 

Nathan has told this story (the newsprint one) on camera. I can't remember where. He seemed to be talking about Noodler's Black generally, but maybe he was conflating a bit (or I mis-remember).

Oh well, I don't have access to any videos of him talking about the early days of Noodler's inks. I only have USENET posts he made from his old AOL account about 16 years ago. We used to all interact with each other then. I think that Nathan hasn't been on FPN for quite a while now.

[MuddyWaters]

"The" story? What story is that, and where did it come from? In my experience Nathan started talking about his bulletproof ink in January 2004, on the USENET group alt.collecting.pens-pencils. He said that the slow-dry indelible ink was being made, ".... because EVERYONE seems to get stuck with recycled paper now and then." He did mention that the fast drying ink he'd been making feathered on recycled paper and on newsprint, but recycled paper was the real target for that ink, not newsprint. The Noodler's X-Feather ink was aimed at newsprint and similar stuff.

 

 

Never drying? It dries.

 

What some people do run into is smearing, which can happen if the paper is not penetrated as much by the ink. In that case you get a relatively thick, for fountain pen ink, line of ink, and the top layer of ink is not in contact with cellulose, which is what the ink anchors to, so mechanical movement can, well, move it. Thus you get a smear. One solution to that is if you get that problem with a lot of a certain type of paper that you use frequently you can "cut" the Noodler's ink with plain water. Distilled water is the best recommendation because although tap water may work in some places you can find other places where tap water has a lot of minerals in it that can cause problems. I've found that the regular Noodler's Black diluted to a 1:1=water:ink concentration looks almost as black as the undiluted stuff.

How does diluting noodler's black affect its flow and lubrication? I expect it would lose lubrication?

 

Also would it increase feathering?

Edited April 23, 2020 by MuddyWaters

[TSherbs]

Oh well, I don't have access to any videos of him talking about the early days of Noodler's inks. I only have USENET posts he made from his old AOL account about 16 years ago. We used to all interact with each other then. I think that Nathan hasn't been on FPN for quite a while now.

He also said in a camera interview with Brian Goulet that he went into business of permanent inks also to be able to make measurement marks on lumber and not have them wash off in weather. FWIW.

[wallylynn]

"The" story? What story is that, and where did it come from?

 

The story, legend, urban myth thats in my brain is that Nathan has a lawyer friend who liked to do the newspaper crossword puzzles. So lawyer = bullet proof, and newspaper = feather resist. And here noodlers ink is established.

 

Later x-feather for even worse rags like blue test books.

 

And hod for better than news paper. more absorption (feather/bleed) than plan black to lessen that layer of ink and speed drying.

 

Nathan was still around when I joined but stopped shortly after.

[MuddyWaters]

Just compared these two:

 

The HOD has comparable more lubrication than noodler's black, also leaves a way thicker line. I wonder if this ink could use a little dilution.

[TSherbs]

Just compared these two:

 

The HOD has comparable more lubrication than noodler's black, also leaves a way thicker line. I wonder if this ink could use a little dilution.

Nathan basically advertizes his inks as benefitting from some dilution. I've never done it with my HOD, however. Mine goes on easy and dries fairly quickly.

[peroride]

I only have HOD and satisfied, but curious, instead of Noodlers Black Vs Heart Of Darkness...

 

Given routine dilution of Noodler's with water produces net gain without ill effects, has anyone tried

• Noodlers Black Plus Heart Of Darkness? or
• Noodlers Black + Heart Of Darkness + water?

[mulrich]

When I first started into fountain pens I figured I needed a black ink and bought Noodler's black. I quickly discovered there are more colors than black (who knew?), and I probably haven't used Noodler's black in 5+ years. And it's still the only black ink in my collection. I seem to remember it working well last I used it, but that was before I kept good ink journals so I can't find examples of it in my records.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

How does diluting noodler's black affect its flow and lubrication? I expect it would lose lubrication?

 

Also would it increase feathering?

 

I have experienced neither flow problems nor feathering problems after I've diluted Noodler's Black . I haven't noticed and really difference in lubrication, either.

 

As I'd said, if you dilute it enough it's not as black as when it's pure, but it's plenty black.

 

I also mix inks with Noodler's Black. I'm using a blue/black ink that I mixed up that's made of a 5:1 = Cross Blue : Noodler's Black mixture and it's a nice blue/black ink. AFAIK the Cross Blue is rebadged Pelikan Royal Blue, BTW.