Noodler's Sequoia lost its green

[psfred]

It's been a while since I've been on, but I thought I'd post this just for fun and memories.

 

I have far too many colors of ink, and don't write as much as I used to -- long story -- but after finally finding some pen sacs for Snorkels that don't melt used or not, I decided to load up my newly re-saced green Snork with an accountant nib with Noodler's Sequoia since I've not used it in a couple years.

 

To my great surprise, the ink was no longer green  No green tint to the ink after mixing, no green when writing, just a purple-brown shade that I assume is all the rest of the colors in the ink besides green.  Never had any ink fade like that, especially not a Noodler's.  No precipitate or slime or funny odor, just no green, blue, or yellow  to it any more.

 

Anyone else have something similar happen?  Every other Noodler's ink I have looks pretty much exactly like it did when I got it. 

 

Naturally, I ordered another bottle, because, well, I need that green ink, eh?

 

Peter

[langere]

First of all, welcome back, Peter!  It has been a while and we have missed you.

 

I have noticed that my Noodler's Legal Lapis has gotten lighter and greener with time, but nothing like that.

 

Erick

[amberleadavis]

This is so sad.

[inkstainedruth]

Wondering if the bottle needs to be shaken up.  I had a somewhat similar problem with a bottle of 54th Massachusetts -- it was a lot paler than I remembered it being (and even then the bottle's contents were always much bluer (less teal leaning) and lighter than the original sample of it.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[psfred]

Now here's the fun part -- when I used it a work a day or so after loading the pen, it's what I remember, a very dark green.  Put a couple dots on a paper towel and ran some quick paper chromatography and sure enough, it has blue, green, and yellow inks in it along with purple and brown.

 

Must be some sort of oxidation/reduction thing bleaching out the ink in the bottle from lack of oxygen.

 

I bought more, and it is definitely green.

 

I need to date the bottles when I get them, I'll probably not live to use them all up.

[JamieWG]

My bottle of Noodler's Sequoia had the same issue. Noodler's Purple Wampum also lost most of its color. Neither was exposed to light; the bottles were kept in their boxes, and out of direct light. Like yours, neither was moldy; just the color had changed. Interestingly, dry sketches and writing in journals made with Sequoia retained the color just fine; it was only the liquid in the bottle that shifted. Same with Purple Wampum. Like you, I was really sad about it, but I don't plan to reinvest. Since Alt Goldgrun had been on my wish list for so long, I treated myself to a bottle of that instead. I know it's not the same, but I was ready for the change, as well as the shading potential. 

[Norlander]

I once had a bottle of Noodler's Sequoia turn brown in the bottle. (It was not a matter of contents settling.) It was not a bad shade, but it was not the original green.

[psfred]

I did some quick paper chromatography at work (paper towel strip and tap water) and what is missing is the blue component.  Probably cyanocobalamine, the blue in washable inks, so I may add some Navajo and see what happens.  Not a bad ink as is, but not green.

 

New bottle is fine so far, but the old one is what, 8 years old now?  Time flies......