I got my first fountain pen earlier this week and put some Noodler's Rachmaninoff in it. Didn't realize it fluoresced until I watched this video and immediately grabbed my tiny uv flashlight to test it out. So cool!
I am fascinated by Noodlers ink, so this informative video was awesome! It is truly amazing what Nathan has done... what a legacy! I recently purchased a Noodlers Ahab fountain pen and it has changed the level of enjoyment I get from using a fountain pen (side note: your heat setting video that I watched prior to getting the pen helped me quickly resolve it being immediately leaky, now it works like a dream, it was good to learn the difference between a plastic feed and an ebonite feed). I bought a bottle of Apache Sunset to go with it... I now I understand the joys of shading inks, and pleasantly found out through this video that the other 3 bottles of Noodlers I have are shaders (Black Sawn in Australian Roses, Black Swan in English Roses and Bluenose Bear), then the other day I purchased Navajo Turquoise b/c another video of yours talked about it as being a nice shading ink. Awesome video!!
I saw in another video that Nathan resisted when you asked him to water down some ink because he wanted to make sure customers got the best value. I can confirm--he fills those bottles TO THE TOP. Be careful when you open!
Thanks. I've been avoiding Noodlers inks because I read that they weren't compatible with something, and I couldn't remember what exactly. So, now I understand that only some of them aren't compatible with other inks. And since I always clean my pens thoroughly when changing inks, I won't worry about it anymore. Because I really like North African Violet.
I wish I knew there was a Dostoevsky ink when I placed my last order at goulet. I read “the devils” years ago and am finally reading “crime and punishment.” His character development is absolutely unreal. Looks like I’ll have to place another order soon. I need a second box for my ink now too. Ugh. Y’all are inablers to my addiction.
Interesting, I didn't realize there were like special forgery proof inks like that. I wonder if they're used then for presidential type stuff. Like the Montblanc 149 is famous for being used by world leaders etc. but no one ever mentions what ink they use. I just assumed they'd use Montblanc ink with their 149, but maybe not.
So I was doing some research on the fountain pen network about iron gall inks, which some people say can kill pens. Yet other people (and quite a few) stated that Noodlers inks are more harmful than iron gall inks. Now I don't see how Noodlers inks can be more dangerous than iron gall inks. Do you know what might make people say this? Thanks.
A lot of the damage people attribute to noodlers is really due to improper maintenance. I heard lots of rumors of damage from noodlers but seen very little evidence. Most of these rumors stem from Richard Binder, whom while extremely respected is most likely wrong about noodlers ink's. So there are many rumors surrounding noodlers but very little actual evidence, just hearsay. Iron gall is far better documented when it comes to destroying pens. The problem with iron gall ink is that it is inherently acidic due to the nature of the ink. Now for gold nibs and ebonite this is fine and many vintage pens worked with iron gall inks just fine.(Though many pens could also have been destroyed, much like noodlers there is not much evidence from this period.) Modern Iron gall inks are far gentler from the old formulas and shouldn't damage most pens with proper maintenance. Though I would keep it away from Twsbi pens as it can and does haze their barrels. Most modern pens should be able to handle it though. (Absolutely do not let it sit in the pen unused or if your nib is steel it could be damaged. It is unlikely but still a concern. ) So yes there are plenty of rumors out there about noodlers and iron gall but both are from either outdated formulas or just pure myth. In my mind noodlers is safer than Iron gall(BSB Excepted as that needs its own pen due to staining). Modern Iron gall inks should be fairly pen safe with proper maintenance, though I would keep it away from the expensive pens unless you can find some one else who has used that ink in that pen or asked the manufacturer. TL;DR: Proper maintenance is key and most inks should be safe in most pens with proper care. Don't let a pen sit with ink in it. If you are not gonna use it for an extended period empty the pen and store it dry and clean. Iron gall is more likley to damage a pen. Noodlers damaging pens is hearsay as far as I can tell with no direct proof that I can find.
I would say an extended period is 2 weeks is an extended period but it is hard to tell as it varies from pen to pen. What causes the most damage from any normal ink is allowing it to dry in the feed. So if you have a pen that has very hard starts after just a couple of days sitting then an extended period for that pen would be shorter. The rule of thumb is if your using the pen everyday then it is fine but if you dont plan to use it for a week or two it is best to empty and clean it. One of the things I forgot to mention is that iron gall does need to be cleaned more often than normal. I am glad to help. As for the twsbi pens, glad I helped. There seems to be some models that handle iron gall just fine but would rather not risk it. You can refer to here for proper use of iron gall inks kwzink.com/language/en/manufactured-inks/iron-gall-inks/fountain-pens-iron-gall/
It can come at a cost. Like the Eel series inks tend to dry much slower & smear easier. They can feather or ghost on certain papers. But for those using piston filling pens, it can be worth it. - Colin
You can leave a comment here, or any of our other social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). I go through and collect them all Monday mornings, so any route should be fine! - Colin
So Baystate isn't compatible with other inks. Does that mean that other Noodler's inks are compatible with each other? Can I mix different Bulletproof inks with each other. (e.g. Hunter or General of the Armies with El Lawrence) Can Polar inks be mixed with other Bulletproof inks? (e.g. Polar Green with El Lawrence) Can I mix Polar Green, Polar Black, and Blue Ghost? I want a dark green, bulletproof, florescent ink. Slightly lubricated and freeze resistant would also be nice. (I'm in Canada and some of my pens are piston fillers) I like Graf von Faber-Castell Moss Green and Monteverde Jade Noir but neither of them is bulletproof or florescent and Jade Noir isn't even water resistant.
If you were looking to mix Noodler's inks, I'd definitely stay within the same 'property-family' like you suggest. Do it very small batches link in an ink vial first before putting it in a pen just in-case. - Colin
If left in the pen/converter for a long time, you do run the risk of staining, but a water/bleach dilution should solve that. Bulletproof as a property just refers to the permanent nature when writing. - Colin
What exactly IS a piston converter? I looked it up online and it shows the screw type and the type with the switch you slide down. Doesn't that cover pretty much every converter or nearly all of them? If most pens are piston converters, why are so few inks lubricated? How do you know when it needs to be lubricated?
Nate Mylott When it is hard to move is when it needs to be lubricated. Usually, you would disassemble the converter & lubricate it with silicone grease to make run smoothly. You only have to do it when it is hard to move.
Gentlemen's Finest Thank you! Seems like it would be easier to replace than to lubricate. Or maybe just run some lubricated ink through it periodically.
The Bernanke inks dry in about 5-10 seconds while other Noodler's inks could be in the range of 25-30 seconds. I know left-handers really like that quality when it comes to the Bernanke inks. - Colin
So, does it mean noodler's bulletproof inks would stain my hand for days??? That's going to be a problem because i'm quite clusmy. Just now i accidentally stained my hand with pilot Yama-Budo even though i use syringe to refill my pilot metropolitan 😧.
Maybe not days, but they are certainly difficult to get off. Proceed with caution when filling up with those inks! I've heard shampoo can help if tragedy strikes. - Colin
I have found that Noodler's bulletproof inks stain skin less than other non-bulletproof inks. I believe this is because Noodler's bulletproof inks bind to compounds in the paper to achieve their staying power. These compounds are not found in skin, so the ink doesn't bind as well. I've only tried a few black inks though, so your mileage may vary.
I agree with Robby. Some of my other blue inks of different brands stain my fingers worse than Heart of Darkness, the only bulletproof ink I own. All of the stains wear off my fingers quickly in any case, so it's not a big problem after a few hours.
There isn't a black within the Baystate family. Not really sure how to make a black ink vibrant? Bad Black Moccasin seems to stand out (www.gouletpens.com/noodlers-bad-black-moccasin-3oz-bottled-fountain-pen-ink/p/N19061). - Colin
El Lawrence is classified as black but is fluorescent (according to the chart, I am waiting for my sample to arrive) That might be vibrant under certain lighting conditions. Of course it might look gray under certain lights as well.
This video could be called "Brian dares to answer the questions that have been in everyone's minds but were never expressed out loud"
That Nathan is one dedicated and hard working fellow. Kudos to him! 👍
I got my first fountain pen earlier this week and put some Noodler's Rachmaninoff in it. Didn't realize it fluoresced until I watched this video and immediately grabbed my tiny uv flashlight to test it out. So cool!
I am fascinated by Noodlers ink, so this informative video was awesome! It is truly amazing what Nathan has done... what a legacy! I recently purchased a Noodlers Ahab fountain pen and it has changed the level of enjoyment I get from using a fountain pen (side note: your heat setting video that I watched prior to getting the pen helped me quickly resolve it being immediately leaky, now it works like a dream, it was good to learn the difference between a plastic feed and an ebonite feed). I bought a bottle of Apache Sunset to go with it... I now I understand the joys of shading inks, and pleasantly found out through this video that the other 3 bottles of Noodlers I have are shaders (Black Sawn in Australian Roses, Black Swan in English Roses and Bluenose Bear), then the other day I purchased Navajo Turquoise b/c another video of yours talked about it as being a nice shading ink. Awesome video!!
I saw in another video that Nathan resisted when you asked him to water down some ink because he wanted to make sure customers got the best value. I can confirm--he fills those bottles TO THE TOP. Be careful when you open!
Thanks. I've been avoiding Noodlers inks because I read that they weren't compatible with something, and I couldn't remember what exactly. So, now I understand that only some of them aren't compatible with other inks. And since I always clean my pens thoroughly when changing inks, I won't worry about it anymore. Because I really like North African Violet.
Thanks for this super informative post!
Thank you for this information and a well written description box.
Great job explaining those inks!
This is a really informative and interesting video!
I wish I knew there was a Dostoevsky ink when I placed my last order at goulet. I read “the devils” years ago and am finally reading “crime and punishment.” His character development is absolutely unreal. Looks like I’ll have to place another order soon. I need a second box for my ink now too. Ugh. Y’all are inablers to my addiction.
Interesting, I didn't realize there were like special forgery proof inks like that. I wonder if they're used then for presidential type stuff. Like the Montblanc 149 is famous for being used by world leaders etc. but no one ever mentions what ink they use. I just assumed they'd use Montblanc ink with their 149, but maybe not.
Great video! And that guy sure is a wizard
So I was doing some research on the fountain pen network about iron gall inks, which some people say can kill pens. Yet other people (and quite a few) stated that Noodlers inks are more harmful than iron gall inks. Now I don't see how Noodlers inks can be more dangerous than iron gall inks. Do you know what might make people say this? Thanks.
Jake Cristofaro probably misusing baystate inks
A lot of the damage people attribute to noodlers is really due to improper maintenance. I heard lots of rumors of damage from noodlers but seen very little evidence. Most of these rumors stem from Richard Binder, whom while extremely respected is most likely wrong about noodlers ink's. So there are many rumors surrounding noodlers but very little actual evidence, just hearsay. Iron gall is far better documented when it comes to destroying pens.
The problem with iron gall ink is that it is inherently acidic due to the nature of the ink. Now for gold nibs and ebonite this is fine and many vintage pens worked with iron gall inks just fine.(Though many pens could also have been destroyed, much like noodlers there is not much evidence from this period.) Modern Iron gall inks are far gentler from the old formulas and shouldn't damage most pens with proper maintenance. Though I would keep it away from Twsbi pens as it can and does haze their barrels. Most modern pens should be able to handle it though. (Absolutely do not let it sit in the pen unused or if your nib is steel it could be damaged. It is unlikely but still a concern. )
So yes there are plenty of rumors out there about noodlers and iron gall but both are from either outdated formulas or just pure myth. In my mind noodlers is safer than Iron gall(BSB Excepted as that needs its own pen due to staining). Modern Iron gall inks should be fairly pen safe with proper maintenance, though I would keep it away from the expensive pens unless you can find some one else who has used that ink in that pen or asked the manufacturer.
TL;DR: Proper maintenance is key and most inks should be safe in most pens with proper care. Don't let a pen sit with ink in it. If you are not gonna use it for an extended period empty the pen and store it dry and clean. Iron gall is more likley to damage a pen. Noodlers damaging pens is hearsay as far as I can tell with no direct proof that I can find.
I would say an extended period is 2 weeks is an extended period but it is hard to tell as it varies from pen to pen. What causes the most damage from any normal ink is allowing it to dry in the feed. So if you have a pen that has very hard starts after just a couple of days sitting then an extended period for that pen would be shorter. The rule of thumb is if your using the pen everyday then it is fine but if you dont plan to use it for a week or two it is best to empty and clean it. One of the things I forgot to mention is that iron gall does need to be cleaned more often than normal. I am glad to help.
As for the twsbi pens, glad I helped. There seems to be some models that handle iron gall just fine but would rather not risk it. You can refer to here for proper use of iron gall inks kwzink.com/language/en/manufactured-inks/iron-gall-inks/fountain-pens-iron-gall/
Baumgardener thanks again for all the feed back!
Why aren't all inks lubricated - sounds like every ink would benefit
It can come at a cost. Like the Eel series inks tend to dry much slower & smear easier. They can feather or ghost on certain papers. But for those using piston filling pens, it can be worth it. - Colin
Some nibs run wet with standard inks so lubricated ones can run much too fast to be controllable.
Where's the best place to leave a question for the Q&A?
You can leave a comment here, or any of our other social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter). I go through and collect them all Monday mornings, so any route should be fine! - Colin
What is the benefit of having a fluorescent ingredients - I get that they glow under UV but is there another reason?
I believe all the UV inks are also bulletproof, so that's something, but otherwise, the purpose is to be seen under UV light. - Colin
So Baystate isn't compatible with other inks.
Does that mean that other Noodler's inks are compatible with each other?
Can I mix different Bulletproof inks with each other. (e.g. Hunter or General of the Armies with El Lawrence)
Can Polar inks be mixed with other Bulletproof inks? (e.g. Polar Green with El Lawrence)
Can I mix Polar Green, Polar Black, and Blue Ghost?
I want a dark green, bulletproof, florescent ink. Slightly lubricated and freeze resistant would also be nice. (I'm in Canada and some of my pens are piston fillers)
I like Graf von Faber-Castell Moss Green and Monteverde Jade Noir but neither of them is bulletproof or florescent and Jade Noir isn't even water resistant.
If you were looking to mix Noodler's inks, I'd definitely stay within the same 'property-family' like you suggest. Do it very small batches link in an ink vial first before putting it in a pen just in-case. - Colin
*CAN ANYONE LINK A VIDEO REVIEW OF NOODLER’S BARNICKLE BLUE?* I cant seem to find one anywhere and I just bought it
If I shoot at bulletproof ink, will it break?
Does a bulletproof ink mean that it stains feeds/converters, or is it just bulletproof on paper?
If left in the pen/converter for a long time, you do run the risk of staining, but a water/bleach dilution should solve that. Bulletproof as a property just refers to the permanent nature when writing. - Colin
Can you do an update on this video?
I don't think there's much to update. Not many new Noodler's inks, especially not new lines with unique properties. - Colin
A lot of the inks purport to be fluorescent. But none of the darker ones seem to be so...
What exactly IS a piston converter? I looked it up online and it shows the screw type and the type with the switch you slide down. Doesn't that cover pretty much every converter or nearly all of them? If most pens are piston converters, why are so few inks lubricated? How do you know when it needs to be lubricated?
Nate Mylott When it is hard to move is when it needs to be lubricated. Usually, you would disassemble the converter & lubricate it with silicone grease to make run smoothly. You only have to do it when it is hard to move.
Gentlemen's Finest Thank you! Seems like it would be easier to replace than to lubricate. Or maybe just run some lubricated ink through it periodically.
Nate Mylott Glad to help. Your pens, your methods.
Nate Mylott Plus there are pump converters. CON- 70 from Pilot is one known example. There are also squeeze converters such as the CON-20 from Pilot.
How fast is the fast drying compared to a normal noodler's ink?
The Bernanke inks dry in about 5-10 seconds while other Noodler's inks could be in the range of 25-30 seconds. I know left-handers really like that quality when it comes to the Bernanke inks. - Colin
So, does it mean noodler's bulletproof inks would stain my hand for days???
That's going to be a problem because i'm quite clusmy.
Just now i accidentally stained my hand with pilot Yama-Budo even though i use syringe to refill my pilot metropolitan 😧.
Maybe not days, but they are certainly difficult to get off. Proceed with caution when filling up with those inks! I've heard shampoo can help if tragedy strikes. - Colin
Oke, i'd try shampoo when i "accidentally" stain my hand with noodler's ink. Thanks Colin. 😁
I have found that Noodler's bulletproof inks stain skin less than other non-bulletproof inks. I believe this is because Noodler's bulletproof inks bind to compounds in the paper to achieve their staying power. These compounds are not found in skin, so the ink doesn't bind as well. I've only tried a few black inks though, so your mileage may vary.
I agree with Robby. Some of my other blue inks of different brands stain my fingers worse than Heart of Darkness, the only bulletproof ink I own. All of the stains wear off my fingers quickly in any case, so it's not a big problem after a few hours.
Is there a vibrant black ink that is like Baystate blue?
There isn't a black within the Baystate family. Not really sure how to make a black ink vibrant? Bad Black Moccasin seems to stand out (www.gouletpens.com/noodlers-bad-black-moccasin-3oz-bottled-fountain-pen-ink/p/N19061). - Colin
El Lawrence is classified as black but is fluorescent (according to the chart, I am waiting for my sample to arrive) That might be vibrant under certain lighting conditions. Of course it might look gray under certain lights as well.
So i just looked up the Noodlers in properties chart on the website and it says "Page not Found."
Sorry about that, seems like it was a broken link, should be fixed now: www.gouletpens.com/noodlers-ink-properties-chart - Colin
Awesome thanks!
So wait, can I still buy the Noodler's Russian inks in Russia?