Waterproof ink that's not creepy . . .

[Judybug]

Noodler's Legal Lapis is one of my favorite colors. I didn't mind the nib creep until I got a Waterman Carene - the nice blue/green Islands Carene. Nib creep on that beautiful white gold nib just chaps my hide. I like to address envelopes with the Carene and I like waterproof ink to do so. Is it just Legal Lapis that creeps or do all the Noodler's waterproof inks do this? Any ideas for non-creepy waterproof ink?

 

Judybug

[jmkeuning]

I understand that they all do it. My luxury blue creeps.

[Richard]

The only truly waterproof FP ink that is not prone to nib creep is iron-gall ink, and the best one I know of is Diamine Registrar's Ink. My advice is that you use it only in pens with gold nibs and without any other metal parts that can come into contact with the ink under normal circumstances. This category would include some C/C pens but not all, as there are some brands that have metal cartridge nipples. Probably the best pen for this use would be a Vacumatic-filling Parker "51", or a Mark II "51" (Aero-metric filler with a plastic breather tube, not sterling silver as in the Mark I).

Edited September 7, 2007 by Richard

[Stephen-I-am]

You might want to try a bottle of Namiki blue. Lots of people find it waterproof here. And it's fast drying, non feathering, and wonderfully smooth.

 

Stephen

[amh210]

I find Noodlers Tahitian Pearl to be just about the same color as Legal Lapis with less creep and less feathering in my free-flowing pens.

 

If you switch to a Parker "51" nib creep is an issue swept under the hood.

 

Andy

[CharlieB]

My Tahitian Pearl creeps.

[jsonewald]

Noodler's Luxury and Navy blue bulletproof inks seem to be more creepy than others for me. Zhivago, Polar Black, and Walnut are far less creepy; on some of my pens they don't creep at all.

 

For a traditional ink, Pilot/Namiki Blue/Black and Sheaffer Skrip Black are pretty water resistant.

[Kalessin]

Hm... though I love Namiki blue, it does creep some on my Pelikan 600 with a broad nib. Even so, it's such a wonderful ink for the transparent blue Pelikan that I don't mind at all...

 

[KG4KAH]

Judybug,

 

Legal Lapis is such a pretty color (to me) and it has such wonderful properties, other than that it creeps, that I keep one of my pens permanently loaded with it. It does eventually coat the nib quite well, giving it a solid blue appearance, but then it washes right off with a quick run through cold water. I also have Polar Black, which has similar tendencies, as does Eternal Brown. Noodler's Navy is listed as a near bulletproof, and for me does not creep in an Esterbrook. You might try Navy, as it is very water resistant, the main thing I think you are worried about when addressing envelopes, but of course I would not trust it to remain after a determined attack by a check washer.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Wade

[dmmcf]

I've been very pleased with Noodler's blue-black in a Lamy Safari and a Pelikan M200, both F nibs. No creep at all, and a nice dark color.

 

Edit: It looks better to me in the Pelikan, which is slightly wider and wetter.

Edited September 11, 2007 by dmmcf

[Mudge]

With my own (small) collection of pens, I get a clear pattern of those which exhibit nib creep and those which don't. I would be interested to know if it's just a coincidence (i.e. if you know of exceptions, feel free to tell me I'm talking bovine excreta ).

 

It seems that of the instruments I've got, the ones which exhibit no creep at all are the ones which have no breather hole at the base of the tines of the nib. A case in point is my Waterman Expert, which is 100% reliable with any of the creepiest inks I have used.

 

[Zarble44]

My first Noodler's (or is the plural Noodler'ses ?? Or maybe just plain Noodlers ??) were Eternal Black, and nearly waterproof Walnut. Never experienced nib creep, even in a wide range of pens.

 

I've also used Noodler's Dostoevsky, Lexington Gray and Eternal brown with no nib creep issues. For me, the only color with nib creep (on some nibs, it spreads faster than one can wipe it) is the Legal Lapis.

 

For me, I use the Legal Lapis successfully with Pelikan B nibs, an old Phileas M, and a Pilot Vanishing Point M.

[Izzy]

My Luxury Blue suffers with Nib creep, however, my Noodlers BP Black has no Nib creep at all!

[Mudge]

Incidentally, I just obtained a C.1961 Sheaffer Imperial III (with breather hole at the base of the tines of the nib), and I see no sign of creep with any of the usual suspects.

 

So my hypothesis (dodgy as it was) is now out of the window.

 

Edited September 26, 2007 by Mudge

[*david*]

Among Noodler's bulletproof inks, the black and black-containing colours seem to creep much less than the others.

[Stew]

As much as I like my Legal Lapis, I just tainted a bit of it on an experiment. 3/4 LL and 1/4 Levenger's Raven Black yields a slightly darker greyish color, but with no nib creep in my Lamy 2000.

[Eternally Noodling]

There are several waterproof inks out there....but when tested with bleach, carpet cleaner, UV light wands, and other tools of the forger and "father time"....do they hold up? Greg Clark's ink sampler anyone? Just set them out in the sunlight for a while....you will see which inks fail to hold against the tests of time. I might be biased in Noodler's favor...but I strongly believe I have reason to be: test results. ;-)

 

As to "nib creep", it tends to be a capillary action across platinum group metals that are commonly used in white gold and plated trim on nibs.

 

Noodler's has certain test pens and pens it "gives away free" with certain eyedropper bottles. For instance, Polar Blue in the 4.5 oz dropper bottle has a free eyedropper filled demonstrator pen included in every box. The nib is anodized blue steel and you will need some effort to get it to show "nib creep", yet Polar Blue is a bulletproof ink.

 

Likewise, the free pens included with the recent 4.5 oz dropper bottles of Legal Lapis also will have a hard time exhibiting "nib creep" (need I mention how much more ink a single filling holds vrs. the largest Pelikan or MontBlanc? Yet....they are FREE pens included with your ink bottle?).

 

Some may have noticed we began giving away eyedropper filled pens with the "Golden Year of the Pig" 4.5 oz dropper bottles...there was a reason for this. There were over 60 prototype nibs made for highlighting purposes (every design that could be thought of...but the manufacturers and some retailers remained unconvinced on the merits of precious metal highlighter nibs). It was noted that in many Asian countries the INK is the premium product...and the PENS cost next to nothing and have ubiquitous commodity status. Eyedropper pens in India have no rubber sacs to rot, and no seals to fail....and last a VERY long time...as well as being extremely durable (I have driven my car over a few vintage Indian eyedroppers in tests - they can be the most durable plastic pens in the world). You might not be able to drive your car over the free fountain pens (with 100% VISUATED demonstrator ink chambers!) enclosed in some 4.5 oz. Noodler's boxes....but you will no longer be able to complain to me: "I can't find an eyedropper pen to use with those big bottles." or "Nobody will pay for a solid gold or platinum highlighter nibbed pen." Well, now the eyedropper pen is free....and the highlighter pen is free. The pen is even "nib creep" resistant!

 

I believe the ink is more important than the pen....what would a pen be without ink? Were words written before a rainstorm upon a page that is now wet and blurred with streaks - ever written at all? Will your grand children know what pen they were written with??? A free pen writes with the best ink as well as a costly pen does provided your grandchildren can read what both wrote in 80 years. That's my goal.... Fountain pens can use many varied inks with many colors and properties - and that makes them the most versatile of writing instruments known to mankind, but what really matters is how much of what a person pours upon the page of themselves - their mental being captured for time by the pen, paper, and ink - how long will that essence of their soul live? We won't all be as immortal as Shakespeare - but we can try to be with the right ink!

Edited September 29, 2007 by Eternally Noodling

[LDF]

Ink may be more important than the pen, but paper is the more important than pen or ink.

In regards to creep, it is a major turn off, and I will avoid inks that have this tendency.

Edited September 29, 2007 by LDF

[gregoron]

There are several waterproof inks out there....but when tested with bleach, carpet cleaner, UV light wands, and other tools of the forger and "father time"....do they hold up? Greg Clark's ink sampler anyone? Just set them out in the sunlight for a while....you will see which inks fail to hold against the tests of time. I might be biased in Noodler's favor...but I strongly believe I have reason to be: test results. ;-)

 

As to "nib creep", it tends to be a capillary action across platinum group metals that are commonly used in white gold and plated trim on nibs.

 

Noodler's has certain test pens and pens it "gives away free" with certain eyedropper bottles. For instance, Polar Blue in the 4.5 oz dropper bottle has a free eyedropper filled demonstrator pen included in every box. The nib is anodized blue steel and you will need some effort to get it to show "nib creep", yet Polar Blue is a bulletproof ink.

 

Likewise, the free pens included with the recent 4.5 oz dropper bottles of Legal Lapis also will have a hard time exhibiting "nib creep" (need I mention how much more ink a single filling holds vrs. the largest Pelikan or MontBlanc? Yet....they are FREE pens included with your ink bottle?).

 

Some may have noticed we began giving away eyedropper filled pens with the "Golden Year of the Pig" 4.5 oz dropper bottles...there was a reason for this. There were over 60 prototype nibs made for highlighting purposes (every design that could be thought of...but the manufacturers and some retailers remained unconvinced on the merits of precious metal highlighter nibs). It was noted that in many Asian countries the INK is the premium product...and the PENS cost next to nothing and have ubiquitous commodity status. Eyedropper pens in India have no rubber sacs to rot, and no seals to fail....and last a VERY long time...as well as being extremely durable (I have driven my car over a few vintage Indian eyedroppers in tests - they can be the most durable plastic pens in the world). You might not be able to drive your car over the free fountain pens (with 100% VISUATED demonstrator ink chambers!) enclosed in some 4.5 oz. Noodler's boxes....but you will no longer be able to complain to me: "I can't find an eyedropper pen to use with those big bottles." or "Nobody will pay for a solid gold or platinum highlighter nibbed pen." Well, now the eyedropper pen is free....and the highlighter pen is free. The pen is even "nib creep" resistant!

 

I believe the ink is more important than the pen....what would a pen be without ink? Were words written before a rainstorm upon a page that is now wet and blurred with streaks - ever written at all? Will your grand children know what pen they were written with??? A free pen writes with the best ink as well as a costly pen does provided your grandchildren can read what both wrote in 80 years. That's my goal.... Fountain pens can use many varied inks with many colors and properties - and that makes them the most versatile of writing instruments known to mankind, but what really matters is how much of what a person pours upon the page of themselves - their mental being captured for time by the pen, paper, and ink - how long will that essence of their soul live? We won't all be as immortal as Shakespeare - but we can try to be with the right ink!

 

 

I'm a fan of archival ink, such as Noodler's Ink, as well as eyedropper pens (fountain or rollerball). Which suppliers sells these inks with the free demonstrator pens?

[captnemo]

Well, nib creep doesn't bother me in the least, but if I were to make a recommendation, I would say that virtually all of my Noodlers inks creep except Bulletproof Black, which shows no creep on any pens I have tried it in. Hunter Green and Fox Red creep a lot, but like I said, I don't care. It doesn't bother me.

 

Most of my pens are Sheaffer school pens with steel nibs, so your mileage may differ.