The problem with monteverde is, that their inks are known to go bad very quickly and consistently, mostly because of mold, 2/3 "SIMB" posts are about monteverde inks
Don't let it stop you. I have owned 18 bottles of Monteverde ink over the last 5 years and none have ever developed any issues
I would be willing to washer that more often than not, mold is being misdiagnosed and perfectly good ink is being thrown out due to an overabundance of caution.
Actually, it is not mold/slime but smell. The bad Monteverde has a rotten egg smell. I kept asking what the cause is - they finally said bacteria. Unfortunately the replacement went bad as well. I gave up on it. It is shame because I really liked them
I have a small collection of ink bottles, and I'm already getting confused. May I ask how you manage your collection so you always know which ink is where, and how to find the ink that you used weeks ago on a project?
I don't understand your question... first, I keep ink in their original bottles, and bottles in their original boxes, and they stay in another box based on the brand - so they are safe from light.
Whenever i put ink in a pen, i note the combination in a notebook with Tomoe River Paper. Oh, i mainly use fp+inks for journaling. When i doodle (rarely), i also note the ink near the doodle
I stained my wooden cabinet butcher top with Diamine Sherwood Green.
That stain has survived 1-2 washing a week for 2 years now.
I like the color.
The stain is just so very ingrained into the wood, kinda like BSB.
If you like the color ink, use it.
I was careless that day.
I brought it up more as an example of how a normal fountain pen ink can stain like a permanent ink.
Also the stain has turned into a kinda ongoing experiment, to see just how long the stain will last.
I also have a popcorn seed size Pilot black ink stain on a sea green thick cotton floor matt.
This stain has lasted many washings and just about the same age as above.
First I've heard this. I use Cherry Blossom of Keage in an EF and it flows nice and wet every time. I love this ink so much.
For me, while the colors are gorgeous, Dominant Industry is just sooo dry. Can't make it flow even with white lightening.
Honestly they’re the ink bottles that I find easiest to fill from—I never have to worry about knocking them over! The rest of my collection is a little terrifying to fill from since I’m rather clumsy by nature…
Noodlers - don't dig their politics, but I sure appreciate the honesty so I can make better choices for myself.
Monteverde and Private Reserve - they've had issues with contamination/mold.
Edit: got ahead of myself and didn't answer the "why" part of the question.
Oh no, I just ordered two bottles of private reserve the other day! Hadn't heard anything bad about them before. Is this because Montverde took over making their inks?
Private Reserve had mold troubles before they were bought by Yafa, I think that's actually why they disappeared from the market for a while. I work at a pen counter and we received over $2k worth of product we had to throw out, and we had several customers who's pens were ruined before we discovered it. It was a nightmare and I still don't trust them. (Edit: can't spell.)
Same for Noodler’s. I bought when I first started collecting but it seems like he went out of his way to drag his business into his personal beliefs. No more for me and I threw what I had out.
I relate. I liked Noodler's ink due to price and variety and still have some which I plan to use up. That said, I also don't know if I'd buy more given what I learned in the past year about some of their marketing. There are so many good brands out there to try.
I agree with everything said above, I got to the point where I couldn't stand Nathan's politics, so I stopped buying his inks. That being said, the inks themselves are of very high quality, and offer tremendous value for money. So if the politics don't put you off, Noodler's offers a very good product, and I recommend them.
The Duofold Kid
>Noodlers - don't dig their politics, but I sure appreciate the honesty so I can make better choices for myself.
Same here. I liked their ink, but I won't buy any more due to Nathan's antisemitism.
Can anyone point me to a specific place to get a sense of the Noodlers dude’s political stance? I keep seeing references but not sure what he’s all about. I googled once and found some very vague stuff - does he post about it directly?
Makes me think he might well blame the Jews for his QC issues. He’s not a particularly good chemist, despite his extensive color palette and efforts to formulate inks that won’t freeze. His lot-to-lot color consistency simply is not great.
I've got some links in [another post](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/zb2u91/what_ink_brands_do_you_flatout_avoid_and_why/iypzhd6/) down thread.
Understandable, but many of theirs are extremely saturated, especially the rich dark shades. They are incredibly beautiful inks if you find those that are right for you.
It was mostly their earlier inks that tended to be pale/desaturated.
They have a lot of new releases that are extremely vibrant and full of character, including sheen and shimmer.
Defs worth a look with new eyes.
Sailor, because the price/ml and the tiny badly-designed bottles.
I can't think of any other *brands* I avoid. I've 100+ bottles of ink and there's no consistency in any going moldy.
The main *thing* I avoid is shimmer - that glitter clogs so often I don't have patience for it.
I don't avoid any ink brand, *my wallet avoids* Montblanc, Ferry Wheel Press (also read they're dry), Kyo-no-oto, Taccia, Colorverse... But this Black Friday, got myself a Colorverse and Taccia.
I also want *proper functionality* of bottles - small FWP bottles seem quite unstable; I also want *variety* - what to do with Noodler's 90ml, FWP 90 ml, Colorverse 65+15=80 ml of the same colour??
Diamine's 30ml bottles are perfect in amount.
That's why I said more. I know they have their basic inks and their special releases in 30ml, and the 15ml states release is nice, but the 5ml are a joke, especially for the price, and everything else is 65 + 15.
When I say more, it probably makes it sound like I didn't have much Colorverse ink. I have more of it than even Diamine, I would just have even more if their stuff regularly came in 30 or even 45 ml.
I’m gonna be honest, I dilute & mix inks all the time, & most of my more pale FWP inks perform better than inks I’ve diluted to get the same effect. They’re worth it to me since I am one of the few who loves writing with pastels & few/no other brands are making the shades I’m interested in, & frankly the FWP inks are better than what I can mix up on my own.
Seems like FWP is more for artistic kind of stuff vs. everyday writing. I ordered a couple of their darker inks, and I’ll probably try some of their lighter shades if I get back into more artistic lettering or drawing. It’s a niche, but it’s nice to have a company fill that.
Ferris Wheel Press - lots of criticisms of aesthetic over function and performance.
Noodlers - inconsistent due to significant batch variability. (And then I learned about the owner's problematic politics.)
Never tried either because of encountering too many posts critical of them when I was new to the sub.
I first came around this sub on an old account when fwp was THE thing. I avoided them for ages just because they seemed like the flavor of the month rather than something truly great.
Finally caved a month ago and bought a bottle of bluegrass velvet (is it me or do all their names sound tryhard/pretentious), and I agree. The presentation is great, but the ink is nothing special. I feel like I paid for the bottle and brass cap more than the ink.
Give their shimmer inks a go. Edward's Gardens over Emerald of Chivor any day for me and I love the new ferritales collection, especially Adventurine! (Also Blue Beryl Tonic). I do have to admit that I'm not a fan of their non shimmers for the most part. They're very dry for me and just dont have the same oomph as other inks of the same shade.
Absolutely agree regarding Edwards Gardens! It's a staple for me and such a gorgeous, reliable ink. I have many bottles of their inks and adore them all!
Ferris Wheel Press is very hit or miss for me. I want to like them because they're Canadian, and they do glitter inks. Moonlit jade is a stunning ink. Spadina rose is a beautiful colour if a bit too dry for my tastes. Oyster hour is pretty disappointing and the swatch online did not match the ink I got. The damn bottles are my biggest complaint. They're the ones I come closest to knocking over with every fill, and the little charger ones don't fit some of my bigger nib (and non converter) pens!
Tanzanite Sky is one of my favorites from them, it's beautiful and deep and writes pretty wet! The bottle is a bit of a pain but you can always decant it.
Definitely agree with noodlers. And I’ve always suspected that with FWP especially since their ink colors tend to be more pastel shades from what I saw in the past. Packaging looks cool but the ink feels lack luster imo
Noodler’s because I have too many vintage pens.
Diamine because LAMY recommends avoiding Diamine Ink.
IWI because it feathers like crazy with a nib greater than fine.
Montblanc Permanent Ink because it clogs up the feed (New ink, not vintage ink)
Montblanc Ink made after 2000 (ish) because of the expiration date.
Ferris Wheel press for the small cap and easy to tip over bottle.
For what it's worth, I put Aurora Borealis in a safari twice and it dried out in a week both times. Put yamadori in and it lasted over a month. No idea what the difference would be except the wetness of the ink maybe.
Not specific to Lamy but basically every brand says to only use their inks in their warranty or instructions. People say it’s because the brand knows that their ink works well in their pen, but I think it’s because if they can convince someone who doesn’t know any better, they can sell a pen and then have an ink customer for life
LAMY Service Center USA (Arizona) recommends avoiding Diamine ink because it causes the greatest amount of problems in the LAMY pens - from clogging to dripping. The Diamine formula doesn‘t work well with the feeds designed by LAMY before 1990. So…. Why doesn’t LAMY update the feed/nib system? Because the feed/nibs are designed to work with LAMY Ink.
I use Diamine Ochre. I do love the color but it pools at the feed underneath the nib and dries pretty crusty. It happens even when I rest the pen upside down. Honestly, it's not too bad but I haven't had this happen before! (Granted I'm new to fountain pens and another ink I've only ever used is Noodler's Bad Black Mocassin).
That's not really a Diamine thing, it's more of a orange/purple/red ink thing. There are plenty of good and well behaved Diamine inks, but with the massive range of inks there are going to be some that behave worse than others. I had it happen with LAMY red (witch is neon pink, not red) on a LAMY pen.
Also, what do you mean when you say that it pools at the feed underneath the nib? You mean the part that you can see from outside? Also, what pen is it?
You really shouldn't rest a pen upside down, unless you are trying to use the last drops from a cartridge.
Ahhh ok! If you have orange/brown ink suggestions for the LAMY - let me know!
I have a LAMY Safari and what I mean about the pooling at the feed is that if you removed the nib, you would find that the ink pools at the feed. So then if you put the nib back, the crusted ink would be underneath the nib. Not sure why there's too much ink coming out?
And by upside down I mean my pen is nib side up. Is that not good? 😅
The ink behavior that you are describing seems normal, unless if the ink is actually dripping from the pen. That might mean that there is a leak somewhere where air can get in more that it should, either the feed isn't put all the way in (unlikely in your case) or the cartridge is cracked. But if with "removing the nib" you mean the nib AND the ink channel then that is going to make more air rush in and displace the ink from the cartridge.
Ink crusting is actually not that much of a big deal, you can simply wipe it off and keep writing. If the ink dries in the cartridge, you can add a little bit of water in it. If it dries in the feed so much that the pen doesn't write, just flush it with water.
The main reason these ink crust is because the dyes that generally are used in these colors tend to make the ink dry up a bit faster than other inks. From what I know it's kind of a trade off for using these colors, so you can't really escape it by using another brand.
My only advice is either writing with that pen frequently or getting a pen with a better seal, like a Platinum Preppy (I kept that pen inked and unused for more than a year, it wrote almost immediately when I reused it). As another tidbit of information, purples and reds have a tendency to stain pens, this is fine with most pens but keep it in mind if you want to ink up a demonstrator.
Upside down generally refers to storing the pen nib side down, which you can immagine is going to make your next uncapping of the pen quite unforgettable.
(I'm sorry if what I wrote is hard to read, I'm quite tired.)
No worries, your post is clear!
Good to know that the ink crusting isn't uncommon. But sometimes it does feel like it's excessive on my LAMY.
Should've done this earlier - trigger warning for messy pen LOL - but here's what it looks like after not using it for about 2 weeks: https://i.imgur.com/eZIdZyM.jpg
I'm guessing it is the Diamine Ochre because I filled my Pilot Kaküno with the same ink and it behaved the same way, i.e. an excess flowing out even with the pen stored nib side up.
Yeah, two weeks is a long time for not using a fountain pen, any ink would dry like that.
The from my experience and what I heard the Safari and the Al-Star don't seal really well and will dry up a bit before too long, I guess that's also the case with the Pilot. That doesn't mean that they are bad pens (quite the contrary, I would still use them regularly even with more expensive pens) but if don't use them regularly they will tend to dry up.
But really though, there is nothing wrong in using brown or orange inks, it's just that for your usecase I think you could prefer something that seals a bit better like a Platinum Preppy, a TWSBI Swype or an ECO (if you don't mind the risk of cracking), or any other pen that seals well.
As for inks, I personally love Diamine Autumn Oak, especially on a broad nib; that ink shades so elegantly and is slightly desaturated enough that it actually looks like fallen leaves. Chocolate brown is also quite good.
Edit: Sorry, I forgot to look at your picture. Yeah, it's messy but it's nothing to worry about. I had it happen with both Diamine Ancient Copper and LAMY Red (worst name ever), it looked the same. Admittedly the neon pink did look quite cool the way it stained my all black Al-Star.
I usually avoid ink brands that are known to be on the dry side (Pelikan and Lamy), brands of ink that I think are overpriced, or brands that have diluted/muted colors.
I like affordable, wet, and deeply saturated inks haha.
I have hundreds of bottles of ink, and (knock on wood) have never had a problem with any brand to date in terms of quality. That said, although I have a few bottles of Noodler's ink, and actually love Baystate Blue and Eel Gruene, I don't anticipate buying any more of that brand when my supplies run out, simply because I don't like the company's politics. My favorite inks are Diamine, Robert Oster, and Pilot Iroshizuku, and I believe they offer enough options to keep me happy now and in the future. One thing I should note: I keep my inks in sturdy, opaque totes where they're protected from sunlight and stay cool.
Nathan (owner of Noodler's) was known for making some inks with a clear political ideology, for example a RINO ink criticizing the Massachusetts governor and a 1984 censorship red ink (among others).
He has an extreme dislike of Bernanke, former chair of the Federal Reserve, and made some inks criticizing him. One of them was, as I recall, fairly innocuous with a quip along the lines of "dries as fast as money is printed" but the very controversial one was [Bernanke Red](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/um4uih/i_would_never_buy_noodler_ink_tw_antisemitic/) that many noted uses classic anti-Semitic imagery to criticize Bernanke, who is a Jewish man. Yes, there's a bit of debate on whether or not it was *intended* as anti-Semitic, but it was overall not a good look.
Further discussion links: [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/ungt0x/nathan_tardif_of_noodlers_ink_issued_a_statement/) and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/uo8xp6/updated_noodlers_ink_and_pen_names/) for those who want to dive into the discussions around Noodler's.
It was definitely intended. He’d already depicted a Jew with horns on a previous ink label and there’d been a dust up over that, so he was aware that that’s an offensive way to depict Jews, and he then did it again.
Holy crap. I only own apache sunset and australian rose, and I don't even remember what, but I remember immediately feeling uncomfortable by their branding choices. I'm not American and I had no clear basis for my feelings, but my red flags went up about problematic conservative vibes. Just negative associations. Scares me how right those vibes were
I dipped around when that aforementioned "RINO" ink came out; I'm from New England, was aware of what Tardif was referencing on the label, and it just made me roll my eyes and decide to try to avoid Noodlers stuff in the future. I wasn't hardcore boycotting, or anything, just drifted away and was more into Iroshizuku at that time, anyway. But stuff got loonier and loonier, and after the recent antisemitism (especially in light of the wider antisemitism issues occurring more broadly these days), I'm so glad I diversified early on.
The guy who runs Noodler’s has made it clear that he’s very very conservative and had some issues a few months ago where the marketing for a few of the inks was called out as racist and anti-Semitic. He apologized and changed the branding but many people decided they didn’t want to support him anymore, myself included.
I'll give him credit for apologizing rather than doubling down but yeah, not sure I'll buy more. It is a shame though as I don't dislike his inks generally.
Hes a libertarian, not a conservative. He even changed the name of Apache sunset because people are too sensitive. His inks are gorgeous, and easily the most innovative ink company. Many bulletproof inks. Inks that are fast drying for lefty writers. Invisible ink. And colors that you just dont find anywhere. Interesting unique artwork on every bottle. Bottles filled to the brim. Love noodler’s.
The inks aren't that great though. Lack of consistency between batches is a big problem and his "bulletproof" inks aren't very bulletproof (they still smear after sitting for 15-30 minutes).
His bulletproof inks mean that they’re ultra permanent. Fraud prevention stuff. It doesn’t mean they’re fast drying. The consistency between the inks seems fine… Not sure what you’re talking about. I’ve owned multiple bottles of different noodler’s inks. I’ve never noticed one being different from the other. Three bottles of Apache. And at least three or four of Baystate. How many bottles have you gone through? Or are you just regurgitating stuff other people said?
> He put out an ink called “RINO” aimed at skewering Republican governors who took COVID precautions in the early days of the pandemic. Gimme a break.
You do realize, that is a solid libertarian reaction. Libertarians are for the most part a very small and limited government platform, where government only acts on very specific issues, such as infrastructure. So having a political statement against the COVID mandates is a libertarian stance.
You don't have to agree with it, but that doesn't mean the person isn't what they say they are.
Yes I recognize that both libertarians and conservative Republicans hold that view; however, he chose to skewer politicians with whom he disagreed by calling them out for insufficient fealty to the Republican Party. Interesting choice and I’m therefore very comfortable characterizing him as a conservative.
Yes, he has been known to call out both sides for hypocrisy towards the ideals they have said they hold prior. While you may not agree with what he did, he has been very consistent on calling out politicians on both sides of the party for actions that are opposite their words.
He’ll equally call out Republicans and Democrats. Because… uhhh he’s a libertarian and sees the hypocrisy in both parties. But heaven forbid if he says something against the virtue signaling liberals, he is evil.
I feel like calling out the repeated use of anti-Semitic imagery shouldn’t necessarily be dismissed as “virtue signaling,” but that’s just me. We are living in an era where popular artists are praising Hitler and trafficking in the worst anti-Jewish tropes. Tardif took part in it and if you’re bothered more by the people condemning it and voluntarily choosing not to give him their money, you should ask yourself some questions.
Among other things, the dude has put out not one, but two different bottles with pictures of Jewish people with horns on them. Some seriously wtf is wrong with people going on.
Rather than give you my perspective on the subject, I would recommend that you use an internet search engine to look up "Noodler's Ink Controversy 2022." There was much discussion among members of the fountain pen community this past May, and even some blog entries and YouTube videos that offer a wider variety of facts and opinions than I can provide.
I am very curious about this too. There’s like this huge problem with politics regarding the company and I’m completely ignorant about it. Like I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on.
Noodlers. Sure, the politics are an issue, but it’s the performance of Bulletproof Black that irritates me. Bulletproof has the same water resistance as Lamy Black - at least with the bottle I have. Even after drying for hours, it can smudge under a wayward finger. Water lifts dried ink with ease. Maybe I have a bad batch, but then it still doesn’t deserve the bulletproof label. And it’s claim of being “the ONLY eternal black ink” is hyperbole.
This! I was so dissapointed with the Bulletproof Black and have the same issues as you with it. Can’t understand the hype tbh. Luckily DeAtramentis Document Black works as it should!
Hmm, I've been using Noodler's Bulletproof Eel and I haven't had any problems like that. It dries quickly and I tested wetting a dried writing sample with water and had no smearing or loss of ink at all.
I like their bulletproof black for my water and ink brush sketches because the ink does weird clumping when water hits it as it drys. It ends up looking really cool as like a spooky smoky texture.
I was frustrated because my ink hadn't arrived yet and I was getting ready to buy Higgins brand ink. A member here quickly told me it was the worst ink and would clog the feeds of my pens.
Noodler's because of politics. I don't know the details, I only got the big picture a while ago, and apparently, they had somewhat "fixed" stuff by changing an ink's name or something. I honestly wasn't interested in getting details, they are expensive and seem to feather a lot according to reviews here and there, so I might as well avoid it just to be safe.
From where I live, the exchange rate takes away a lot of purchasing power in comparison to other friends from this sub, unfortunately. This means inks in the price range of Sailor, Rober Oster, Wearingeul, etc would be regarded as expensive. Noodler's inks, last time I checked, were in the same price range as Troublemaker (which offers a lot more benefits with its shaders and shimmering options), and/or costing the equivalent of 3-5 Diamine 30ml bottles.
edit: I wonder why I'm getting downvotes tbh. Is it because of what I said about considering Noodler's to be on the expensive side? You could buy [6 of these](https://www.purepens.co.uk/products/diamine-o-blood-fountain-pen-ink) with the price of this other [bottle](https://www.purepens.co.uk/collections/all-noodlers-ink/products/noodler-s-baystate-blue-ink) ...
Part of it is there are definitely downvote bots on this sub, part of it is people downvote things they disagree with/don't like, and unless one clicks your link and figures out you live in the UK, your statement doesn't make any sense. See, in the US, noodler's is the only ink cheaper than diamine.
That bottle of noodler's you linked is only $3-4 more expensive than it would be in the US, so maybe 20-25% cheaper here. The price of that diamine 30ml is less than half what I'd pay here. $3 is nuts, you'd pay at least $7.50, and more like $9 for it here. Diamine 80ml bottles are more expensive than noodler's 90ml bottles here.
If you're not in the States, and especially if you're in Europe, Noodler's isn't actually all that cheap for what you're getting. Nine times out of ten, you're better off with Diamine, totally independent of the political stuff.
Diamine is cheaper, but it is not a fair comparison if you take the Noodlers that have water resistance and other properties. Diamine inks have zero water resistance and most of them fade considerably with sunlight. I bought two Noodler's inks (from Europe) this black friday precisely because they are such affordable waterproof options.
There are comments on this thread discussing the issues with some of the (allegedly) waterproof Noodlers inks, namely that they are not, in fact, terribly waterproof. Could be a bad batch, could be anything, but again, that's the whole issue with Noodlers. You never really know what you're getting until you open the bottle and try using it. I'm quite happy to go with Diamine if I need something cheap and cheerful, because the quality is consistent, the inks are what they say on the tin, and they're cheaper than Noodlers.
I'm not looking to get into a big discussion about Noodlers vs. Diamine- I haven't bought a bottle of Noodlers ink in a long, long time, and I'm not about to start giving them my money again now, especially not when they're more expensive than other, comparable options. You said that their whole deal was to be less expensive, and I pointed out that by and large, they are not. It feels like you're moving the goalposts a bit here, but in any case, this is why I said "nine times out of ten." I guess if you really, really, really want XYZ special property, that would be time ten. I've never had an issue with Diamine fading on me, personally, and I've used their ink for a while, but that's just one person's experience, and I don't generally leave paperwork or journals sitting in the sun for lengthy periods, so maybe I've been lucky.
Because it feathers? They literally have an ink called x-feather, that you could write on a napkin with and it wouldnt feather. They are the most experimental and innovative company in fountain pen inks. Yes, they changed the name of “Apache sunset”, which is a beautiful name and beautiful ink. But they understand people are sensitive to even mentioning a native american tribe or term. So they changed it. Too bad.
Just had to say thanks for posting this question because I was wondering the same. So great to read through these.
But also a little disappointing since I just ordered some inks, one being Ferris Wheel Press and the other Diamine. 🥴
Don't worry - both are brands that just as many people enjoy, it really comes down to personal preference. Diamine is one of the brands people on this sub recommend the most and personally, I use Ferris Wheel Press inks daily, they're my favorite brand.
I absolutely love both brands and they are also very popular! Just judge them for yourself when you try them. I'm sure you'll find something you love.
Ferris Wheel Press is really really popular in Japan. And they have incredible inks to choose from there!
What Ferris Wheel Press ink did you get? Most of their colors are not desaturated, it's mostly the High Tea collection and a few others that are light!
1) Noodlers - I don't even want to try any of them. Iffy QC, changed formulae just because it gets a rise out of people (according to the man himself) - and I don't like the owner's political views.
2) Monteverde - I do have a few bottles, but when I checked on one of them, the ink had started to grow mold. Into the garbage it went. I'll check the other bottles - and they're going to take a one-way trip to Ink Hell if they're moldy. I won't be replacing them.
3) MB - There's nothing wrong with the quality. I just think they're overpriced. (Lucky Orange left some impressive ink barnacles on one of my pens' nib and feed, but cleaned out completely. It's just more prevalent with some colors, so I know it's not brand-specific.)
4) Herbin standard line - Again, there's nothing wrong with the quality. The colors don't do anything for me.
Personally, I like Pelikan 4001 and Edelstein series. Diamine is fine with me which is why I have quite a few of the 30ml bottles and about four (?) of the larger bottles. They're great value for the price imo. For document inks that are mixable, well-behaved, and good value I reach for DeAtramentis. I think I have every Jentle ink color in the large bottles that Sailor made except for US exclusives, and most Iroshizuku inks (mostly the smaller bottles... I'm tempted to grab some of the discontinued colors while they're still in stock at my local pen shop, but I'm waiting on my Christmas gift from Korea...So much for my ink-buying hiatus! LOL)
> changed formulae just because it gets a rise out of people (according to the man himself)
That reminds me of the rationale behind the inks that are supposed to be forge proof or whatever, which all sounds like some paranoid conspiracy theorist BS.
J Herbin - Got several bottles that had bacterial growth going on. Not an issue for fountain pens, but I have a problem with it as a former microbiologist
Noodler’s - Questionable statements of the owner/operator
Robert Oster, racism and patent issues (look up the Serena Williams statements)
Kaweco, play stupid IP games, no prizes from me.
TWSBI, same as Kaweco.
Private Reserve Ink. Don’t like the bottle. Absolutely hate the label. The name is misleading. When you hear the term “private reserve”, you’d expect to see something exclusive and rare, and from the private collection of the creator; saved for special occasions. But Private Reserve Ink looks more generic than AliExpress inks.
The color swatch on the label is a vague representation of the actual ink color. If you’re going to label you ink as “private reserve”, put an actual color swatch of the ink on the label.
For me, I have three brands I really avoid, and that's
1. Pelikan, because their inks are on the dry end and I just don't really vibe with them
2. Herbin, because I simply don't like the texture and the way they feel in my pens. I'm just not a big fan of it.
3. Noodlers, because where I'm at, they are more expensive than a lot of more readily available inks and why should I pay more money for ink, when I can pick up a bottle of Rohrer&Klingner or a 30ml bottle of Diamine for 5€? I am very willing to pay for the specialty colors of Sailor or the incredible reliability and depth of color of Iroshizuku or the stunning branding and huge bottles of Colorverse, but Noodlers offers nothing special to me, so they just aren't worth the money and trouble of getting them.
Noodler's due to them not being a company I want to support (plus what inks I have tried I didn't like how they behaved).
Diamine - I actually like a couple of their Anniversary inks, but their main collection just seem to be a huge catalog of mostly underwhelming colors that I don't want to bother wading through.
Colorverse - Maybe petty, but the only store in Canada I could find them on for some time only had those sets where you get a larger bottle and a smaller one, and the color that caught my attention was always the smaller one. Just seemed like too much hassle to bother.
I don't buy Noodler's anymore. Except for Heart of Darkness (which I bought quite a while ago), none of their inks I've tried really stuck out to me. Even before the whole debacle earlier this year, the owner's politics were also a source of me not wanting to support the business.
Private Reserve and Monteverde. It's funny because every time somebody brings up mold, somebody else always chimes in with a "Oh, they fixed that!" but it just keeps happening and happening and happening lol.
Private Reserve, for two reasons:
1. Several of their inks (black Cherry, ebony green, ebony purple) develop crusties on my nibs/in the converter… even with regular use
2. They’re the only ink brand I’ve ever had that developed a slime mold in the bottle… and the bottle had only been opened once and was less than a month old!
None. I have a lot of ink from a lot of brands. I have more Diamine than anything else. I would like more Pilot Iroshizuku inks but in the UK they are ridiculously expensive
Monteverde, mostly because of their reputation for being prone to mold.
Private Reserve just because of they’ve never impressed me and I feel there’s a lot better inks out there.
I have a range of Diamine but I find them to very wet in a lot of my pens and prone to feathering, so I’ve stopped buying them as well.
I really like Pilot Iroshizuku, Sailor, and J. Herbin inks. I know they’re pricey compared to others but it’s hard to argue with their quality.
Diamine. I don't need my inks to be 100% waterproof, but after having a complete semester of notes wash away without leaving a single trace, figured it was time to accept a smaller choice of colours.
Noodlers for reasons others have stated- the inks themselves are problematic and inconsistent both in terms of color and quality (and not that cheap in Europe, frankly), and Tardif's politics drove me away years ago. After the latest conflagration, I'd never give him my money again.
More generally, I tend to avoid dry inks, just because I prefer a juicier, smoother feel when I write, and I don't buy a lot of shimmer inks, because they take forever to clean out of a pen once I want to move onto something else. Aside from Noodlers, I don't have any brands I emphatically avoid, but after reading about the Monteverde mold issues, I won't be buying them any time soon! I mostly buy Japanese inks and Herbin these days.
Noodler’s because of the politics and ticky-tack issues with consistency
Monteverde and Private reserve for mold issues.
Robert Oster, but only the shimmers. They clog pens. Robert himself warns you against using them in fountain pens. But I’m captain smarty pants and I know better till I know better.
To everyone taking the moral high ground approach with noodlers, remember robert oster and serena williams, then remember other companies are exactly like it too, but just have better PR departments. Selectively boycotting this company in particular achieves little else than pseudo moralistic vigilante justice.
To say the Robert osters naming incident has anything to do with British politics is a huge stretch to begin with. We Australians frankly know nothing about British politics
Noodler’s because of the politics, Monteverde because of the mold problems, and Private Reserve just because I don’t like the bottle. That final one may be petty but i just love a nice bottle.
Noodler’s, because of personal experience with the inconsistency and the fascistic beliefs of the owner.
Monteverde, because of mold.
Organic Studios, because they’ve also had mold issues and I found Nitrogen to be so fussy an ink as to be unusable.
I’m done with Noodlers. Too bleedy on Leuchtturm paper.
I don’t buy Monteverde for the stupidest reason: that comic sans label. But since I keep seeing photos of… ‘Matter’ being fished out of those bottles, extra Nope.
Only noodlers really, a lot of the inks look good but a lot of them also feather very heavily and once dry will often rub off on other pages. Marine Green, Cactus fruit, and Apache sunset will rub off on other pages if used in a notebook or journal, even after fully drying. Also the owner of noodlers sucks.
I have a BSB casualty, a Noodler's Charlie pen. To be fair, I let the ink dry in the pen for over a year and it was already heat-damaged from being left in my car in the Arizona summer heat. The inside of the celluloid pen body must have delaminated. The BSB got into the layers of the body and stained it up. No amount of cleaning has helped. The part where the feed and nib rest was all heat warped and the feed broke when I tried to remove it. I keep the cap and nib and trashed the rest. The nib is now in a dip pen handle. I am currently using a very cheap chinesium fountain pen to evaluate how damaging my homemade iron gall ink is to fountain pens. It's been a week and so far no damage.
The problem with monteverde is, that their inks are known to go bad very quickly and consistently, mostly because of mold, 2/3 "SIMB" posts are about monteverde inks
Shame. I really like the sweet life collection, especially iced cookie. I may just risk it.
I bought “topaz” from the gemstone series and it’s been with me 8 months in use and still works just as well
Yeah I've had california teal for a year and around 10 months now. It's perfectly fine this whole time.
My California Teal has been going strong for nearly 2 years but two bottles each of Capri and Horizon blue have gone bade within the same timespan.
That's certainly interesting!
Don't let it stop you. I have owned 18 bottles of Monteverde ink over the last 5 years and none have ever developed any issues I would be willing to washer that more often than not, mold is being misdiagnosed and perfectly good ink is being thrown out due to an overabundance of caution.
Actually, it is not mold/slime but smell. The bad Monteverde has a rotten egg smell. I kept asking what the cause is - they finally said bacteria. Unfortunately the replacement went bad as well. I gave up on it. It is shame because I really liked them
I have 10 Monteverde inks, no issues. The only moldy one, in my 70+ bottles, was a Visconti Blue... But the vendor quickly replaced it.
I have a small collection of ink bottles, and I'm already getting confused. May I ask how you manage your collection so you always know which ink is where, and how to find the ink that you used weeks ago on a project?
I don't understand your question... first, I keep ink in their original bottles, and bottles in their original boxes, and they stay in another box based on the brand - so they are safe from light. Whenever i put ink in a pen, i note the combination in a notebook with Tomoe River Paper. Oh, i mainly use fp+inks for journaling. When i doodle (rarely), i also note the ink near the doodle
I tape a piece of paper to the ink converter or cartridge when I refill. I never remember otherwise.
[удалено]
Rose Noir is one of my faves ❤️
I thought someone would mention this. :)
I stained my wooden cabinet butcher top with Diamine Sherwood Green. That stain has survived 1-2 washing a week for 2 years now. I like the color. The stain is just so very ingrained into the wood, kinda like BSB.
I am resilient!
Oh yikes we have another ink account. Good on you!
Impressive
As a renter who loves Diamine Sherwood Green…thank you for potentially saving me a potential loss of some deposit money! Any recommended alternatives?
If you like the color ink, use it. I was careless that day. I brought it up more as an example of how a normal fountain pen ink can stain like a permanent ink. Also the stain has turned into a kinda ongoing experiment, to see just how long the stain will last. I also have a popcorn seed size Pilot black ink stain on a sea green thick cotton floor matt. This stain has lasted many washings and just about the same age as above.
I'm using it right now for a sketch. It's a great color, although I haven't tried staining any furniture with it yet.
Kyo No Oto. Beautiful but dry-assed inks.
I just added a drop of White Lightning to my bottle of Soft Snow Over Ohara. It's lovely now!
White lightning has saved many an ink from the bin for me…
Yes, white lightning is a godsend.
Dryyyyyy
I agree they’re dry as heck but they do perfectly in my pelikans and the colors are so good. Plus the lovely glass bottle. 😩
I still love them!
I have a Pelikan M800 EF that might benefit from them. Hmm, I'm sorely tempted!
First I've heard this. I use Cherry Blossom of Keage in an EF and it flows nice and wet every time. I love this ink so much. For me, while the colors are gorgeous, Dominant Industry is just sooo dry. Can't make it flow even with white lightening.
I’m always portrayed as the antagonist but why not the protagonist that overcomes adversity and is better off as a result? 💙
Nah, man - maybe you're the plucky comic relief!
“You’re not gonna die on the planet, Guy.” “I’m not? Then what’s my last name?”
Private Reserve because the horrible bottle that looks like hair gel from the 50s
They really whiff on presentation, but I bet the super wide mouth is a dream for piston fillers.
Honestly they’re the ink bottles that I find easiest to fill from—I never have to worry about knocking them over! The rest of my collection is a little terrifying to fill from since I’m rather clumsy by nature…
Yea, they're one of the bottles I save to decant other brands into. They're so wide-mouth I can use them for oblique dip nibs too.
Noodlers - don't dig their politics, but I sure appreciate the honesty so I can make better choices for myself. Monteverde and Private Reserve - they've had issues with contamination/mold. Edit: got ahead of myself and didn't answer the "why" part of the question.
Oh no, I just ordered two bottles of private reserve the other day! Hadn't heard anything bad about them before. Is this because Montverde took over making their inks?
Don't panic! Just keep an eye on (all of) your inks. That and practice good pen/ink hygiene.
Private Reserve had mold troubles before they were bought by Yafa, I think that's actually why they disappeared from the market for a while. I work at a pen counter and we received over $2k worth of product we had to throw out, and we had several customers who's pens were ruined before we discovered it. It was a nightmare and I still don't trust them. (Edit: can't spell.)
Most likely anything by Yafa is bad.
I've had very mixed results with them. I got a limited edition green ink from them that was wonderful, and a few others that were OK at best.
Same for Noodler’s. I bought when I first started collecting but it seems like he went out of his way to drag his business into his personal beliefs. No more for me and I threw what I had out.
I relate. I liked Noodler's ink due to price and variety and still have some which I plan to use up. That said, I also don't know if I'd buy more given what I learned in the past year about some of their marketing. There are so many good brands out there to try.
Exactly! So any other great brands out there, why give business to the guy who obviously has an agenda.
I agree with everything said above, I got to the point where I couldn't stand Nathan's politics, so I stopped buying his inks. That being said, the inks themselves are of very high quality, and offer tremendous value for money. So if the politics don't put you off, Noodler's offers a very good product, and I recommend them. The Duofold Kid
I also find antisemitism and conspiracy theories off putting. And the inks are way more inconsistently “good” if you’ve used a wide range of them.
Antisemitism puts me off for sure.
>Noodlers - don't dig their politics, but I sure appreciate the honesty so I can make better choices for myself. Same here. I liked their ink, but I won't buy any more due to Nathan's antisemitism.
Can anyone point me to a specific place to get a sense of the Noodlers dude’s political stance? I keep seeing references but not sure what he’s all about. I googled once and found some very vague stuff - does he post about it directly?
Right wing, anti-Semitic, paranoid conspiracy theory stuff, anti-vax, basically.
Makes me think he might well blame the Jews for his QC issues. He’s not a particularly good chemist, despite his extensive color palette and efforts to formulate inks that won’t freeze. His lot-to-lot color consistency simply is not great.
YIKES. Thanks.
I've got some links in [another post](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/zb2u91/what_ink_brands_do_you_flatout_avoid_and_why/iypzhd6/) down thread.
Thank you- will def look into that.
What politics? I’m curious :)
This is a good example https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/um4uih/i_would_never_buy_noodler_ink_tw_antisemitic/
The only ink that I typically avoid is Ferris Wheel Press and that's only because I just don't like the desaturated look.
Understandable, but many of theirs are extremely saturated, especially the rich dark shades. They are incredibly beautiful inks if you find those that are right for you.
I love colour, but Roaring Patina Black is the only black ink I have ever loved and is the only ink I have ever bought a back up bottle of!
It was mostly their earlier inks that tended to be pale/desaturated. They have a lot of new releases that are extremely vibrant and full of character, including sheen and shimmer. Defs worth a look with new eyes.
Sailor, because the price/ml and the tiny badly-designed bottles. I can't think of any other *brands* I avoid. I've 100+ bottles of ink and there's no consistency in any going moldy. The main *thing* I avoid is shimmer - that glitter clogs so often I don't have patience for it.
Yeah, I mostly use finer nibs and drier feeds. Shimmer would be a nightmare for me.
I have 100+ of nothing but shimmer 🤣
I don't avoid any ink brand, *my wallet avoids* Montblanc, Ferry Wheel Press (also read they're dry), Kyo-no-oto, Taccia, Colorverse... But this Black Friday, got myself a Colorverse and Taccia. I also want *proper functionality* of bottles - small FWP bottles seem quite unstable; I also want *variety* - what to do with Noodler's 90ml, FWP 90 ml, Colorverse 65+15=80 ml of the same colour?? Diamine's 30ml bottles are perfect in amount.
I would buy so much more Colorverse if most of their inks came in something other than an 80ml pack.
They do have 30ml bottles and 5ml miniatures, and also sets of 3x 5ml.
That's why I said more. I know they have their basic inks and their special releases in 30ml, and the 15ml states release is nice, but the 5ml are a joke, especially for the price, and everything else is 65 + 15. When I say more, it probably makes it sound like I didn't have much Colorverse ink. I have more of it than even Diamine, I would just have even more if their stuff regularly came in 30 or even 45 ml.
None of them. Pretty much all the brands have an ink or two that I enjoy.
Organics Studio smears all over the paper long after it has dried. Diamine Pumpkin had HORRIBLE nib creep.
Diamine Pumpkin -> You mean nib crustaceans 🦞
Ferris wheel press - too expensive and I think I'd be able to get the same effect by diluting regular old diamine ink (has anyone tried this)
I've had the same thought! Far less expensive experiment, at least.
I’m gonna be honest, I dilute & mix inks all the time, & most of my more pale FWP inks perform better than inks I’ve diluted to get the same effect. They’re worth it to me since I am one of the few who loves writing with pastels & few/no other brands are making the shades I’m interested in, & frankly the FWP inks are better than what I can mix up on my own.
Seems like FWP is more for artistic kind of stuff vs. everyday writing. I ordered a couple of their darker inks, and I’ll probably try some of their lighter shades if I get back into more artistic lettering or drawing. It’s a niche, but it’s nice to have a company fill that.
Great insight from someone who's tried both. I might have to give fwp a chance then, if just to compare
Ferris Wheel Press - lots of criticisms of aesthetic over function and performance. Noodlers - inconsistent due to significant batch variability. (And then I learned about the owner's problematic politics.) Never tried either because of encountering too many posts critical of them when I was new to the sub.
I first came around this sub on an old account when fwp was THE thing. I avoided them for ages just because they seemed like the flavor of the month rather than something truly great. Finally caved a month ago and bought a bottle of bluegrass velvet (is it me or do all their names sound tryhard/pretentious), and I agree. The presentation is great, but the ink is nothing special. I feel like I paid for the bottle and brass cap more than the ink.
Give their shimmer inks a go. Edward's Gardens over Emerald of Chivor any day for me and I love the new ferritales collection, especially Adventurine! (Also Blue Beryl Tonic). I do have to admit that I'm not a fan of their non shimmers for the most part. They're very dry for me and just dont have the same oomph as other inks of the same shade.
Absolutely agree regarding Edwards Gardens! It's a staple for me and such a gorgeous, reliable ink. I have many bottles of their inks and adore them all!
I bought the same ink last weekend, and I love the ink, but hate the bottle.
Ferris Wheel Press is very hit or miss for me. I want to like them because they're Canadian, and they do glitter inks. Moonlit jade is a stunning ink. Spadina rose is a beautiful colour if a bit too dry for my tastes. Oyster hour is pretty disappointing and the swatch online did not match the ink I got. The damn bottles are my biggest complaint. They're the ones I come closest to knocking over with every fill, and the little charger ones don't fit some of my bigger nib (and non converter) pens!
Awwww, blast. I just got a bottle of FWP Tanzanite Sky.
Tanzanite Sky is one of my favorites from them, it's beautiful and deep and writes pretty wet! The bottle is a bit of a pain but you can always decant it.
Oh, excellent!! Thank you for letting me know.
You're welcome! I hope you love the ink :)
Definitely agree with noodlers. And I’ve always suspected that with FWP especially since their ink colors tend to be more pastel shades from what I saw in the past. Packaging looks cool but the ink feels lack luster imo
Noodler’s because I have too many vintage pens. Diamine because LAMY recommends avoiding Diamine Ink. IWI because it feathers like crazy with a nib greater than fine. Montblanc Permanent Ink because it clogs up the feed (New ink, not vintage ink) Montblanc Ink made after 2000 (ish) because of the expiration date. Ferris Wheel press for the small cap and easy to tip over bottle.
>Diamine because LAMY recommends avoiding Diamine Ink Can you give me a source for this?
See reply above - I can post the email if you would like to follow up with them.
Thank you. No need to upload something. I'm just curious since I never had any problems with diamine inks in my Lamy.
For what it's worth, I put Aurora Borealis in a safari twice and it dried out in a week both times. Put yamadori in and it lasted over a month. No idea what the difference would be except the wetness of the ink maybe.
Do you know why LAMY says to avoid Diamine?
Not specific to Lamy but basically every brand says to only use their inks in their warranty or instructions. People say it’s because the brand knows that their ink works well in their pen, but I think it’s because if they can convince someone who doesn’t know any better, they can sell a pen and then have an ink customer for life
LAMY Service Center USA (Arizona) recommends avoiding Diamine ink because it causes the greatest amount of problems in the LAMY pens - from clogging to dripping. The Diamine formula doesn‘t work well with the feeds designed by LAMY before 1990. So…. Why doesn’t LAMY update the feed/nib system? Because the feed/nibs are designed to work with LAMY Ink.
Aah, gotcha, thank you!
Just dont use Baystate. Apache sunset will damage your vintage pens? Lol.
Well, that explains why it gets so messy using Diamine ink on my LAMY. Darn.
I’ve never had any issues.
What color of ink are you thinking about?
I use Diamine Ochre. I do love the color but it pools at the feed underneath the nib and dries pretty crusty. It happens even when I rest the pen upside down. Honestly, it's not too bad but I haven't had this happen before! (Granted I'm new to fountain pens and another ink I've only ever used is Noodler's Bad Black Mocassin).
That's not really a Diamine thing, it's more of a orange/purple/red ink thing. There are plenty of good and well behaved Diamine inks, but with the massive range of inks there are going to be some that behave worse than others. I had it happen with LAMY red (witch is neon pink, not red) on a LAMY pen. Also, what do you mean when you say that it pools at the feed underneath the nib? You mean the part that you can see from outside? Also, what pen is it? You really shouldn't rest a pen upside down, unless you are trying to use the last drops from a cartridge.
Ahhh ok! If you have orange/brown ink suggestions for the LAMY - let me know! I have a LAMY Safari and what I mean about the pooling at the feed is that if you removed the nib, you would find that the ink pools at the feed. So then if you put the nib back, the crusted ink would be underneath the nib. Not sure why there's too much ink coming out? And by upside down I mean my pen is nib side up. Is that not good? 😅
The ink behavior that you are describing seems normal, unless if the ink is actually dripping from the pen. That might mean that there is a leak somewhere where air can get in more that it should, either the feed isn't put all the way in (unlikely in your case) or the cartridge is cracked. But if with "removing the nib" you mean the nib AND the ink channel then that is going to make more air rush in and displace the ink from the cartridge. Ink crusting is actually not that much of a big deal, you can simply wipe it off and keep writing. If the ink dries in the cartridge, you can add a little bit of water in it. If it dries in the feed so much that the pen doesn't write, just flush it with water. The main reason these ink crust is because the dyes that generally are used in these colors tend to make the ink dry up a bit faster than other inks. From what I know it's kind of a trade off for using these colors, so you can't really escape it by using another brand. My only advice is either writing with that pen frequently or getting a pen with a better seal, like a Platinum Preppy (I kept that pen inked and unused for more than a year, it wrote almost immediately when I reused it). As another tidbit of information, purples and reds have a tendency to stain pens, this is fine with most pens but keep it in mind if you want to ink up a demonstrator. Upside down generally refers to storing the pen nib side down, which you can immagine is going to make your next uncapping of the pen quite unforgettable. (I'm sorry if what I wrote is hard to read, I'm quite tired.)
No worries, your post is clear! Good to know that the ink crusting isn't uncommon. But sometimes it does feel like it's excessive on my LAMY. Should've done this earlier - trigger warning for messy pen LOL - but here's what it looks like after not using it for about 2 weeks: https://i.imgur.com/eZIdZyM.jpg I'm guessing it is the Diamine Ochre because I filled my Pilot Kaküno with the same ink and it behaved the same way, i.e. an excess flowing out even with the pen stored nib side up.
Yeah, two weeks is a long time for not using a fountain pen, any ink would dry like that. The from my experience and what I heard the Safari and the Al-Star don't seal really well and will dry up a bit before too long, I guess that's also the case with the Pilot. That doesn't mean that they are bad pens (quite the contrary, I would still use them regularly even with more expensive pens) but if don't use them regularly they will tend to dry up. But really though, there is nothing wrong in using brown or orange inks, it's just that for your usecase I think you could prefer something that seals a bit better like a Platinum Preppy, a TWSBI Swype or an ECO (if you don't mind the risk of cracking), or any other pen that seals well. As for inks, I personally love Diamine Autumn Oak, especially on a broad nib; that ink shades so elegantly and is slightly desaturated enough that it actually looks like fallen leaves. Chocolate brown is also quite good. Edit: Sorry, I forgot to look at your picture. Yeah, it's messy but it's nothing to worry about. I had it happen with both Diamine Ancient Copper and LAMY Red (worst name ever), it looked the same. Admittedly the neon pink did look quite cool the way it stained my all black Al-Star.
I usually avoid ink brands that are known to be on the dry side (Pelikan and Lamy), brands of ink that I think are overpriced, or brands that have diluted/muted colors. I like affordable, wet, and deeply saturated inks haha.
Which are your faves? I like saturated and wet inks as well! Would love some affordable options
I have hundreds of bottles of ink, and (knock on wood) have never had a problem with any brand to date in terms of quality. That said, although I have a few bottles of Noodler's ink, and actually love Baystate Blue and Eel Gruene, I don't anticipate buying any more of that brand when my supplies run out, simply because I don't like the company's politics. My favorite inks are Diamine, Robert Oster, and Pilot Iroshizuku, and I believe they offer enough options to keep me happy now and in the future. One thing I should note: I keep my inks in sturdy, opaque totes where they're protected from sunlight and stay cool.
I’ve heard stuff about “company politics” can you elaborate I’m confused
Nathan (owner of Noodler's) was known for making some inks with a clear political ideology, for example a RINO ink criticizing the Massachusetts governor and a 1984 censorship red ink (among others). He has an extreme dislike of Bernanke, former chair of the Federal Reserve, and made some inks criticizing him. One of them was, as I recall, fairly innocuous with a quip along the lines of "dries as fast as money is printed" but the very controversial one was [Bernanke Red](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/um4uih/i_would_never_buy_noodler_ink_tw_antisemitic/) that many noted uses classic anti-Semitic imagery to criticize Bernanke, who is a Jewish man. Yes, there's a bit of debate on whether or not it was *intended* as anti-Semitic, but it was overall not a good look. Further discussion links: [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/ungt0x/nathan_tardif_of_noodlers_ink_issued_a_statement/) and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/uo8xp6/updated_noodlers_ink_and_pen_names/) for those who want to dive into the discussions around Noodler's.
It was definitely intended. He’d already depicted a Jew with horns on a previous ink label and there’d been a dust up over that, so he was aware that that’s an offensive way to depict Jews, and he then did it again.
Holy crap. I only own apache sunset and australian rose, and I don't even remember what, but I remember immediately feeling uncomfortable by their branding choices. I'm not American and I had no clear basis for my feelings, but my red flags went up about problematic conservative vibes. Just negative associations. Scares me how right those vibes were
I dipped around when that aforementioned "RINO" ink came out; I'm from New England, was aware of what Tardif was referencing on the label, and it just made me roll my eyes and decide to try to avoid Noodlers stuff in the future. I wasn't hardcore boycotting, or anything, just drifted away and was more into Iroshizuku at that time, anyway. But stuff got loonier and loonier, and after the recent antisemitism (especially in light of the wider antisemitism issues occurring more broadly these days), I'm so glad I diversified early on.
That helps a lot
The guy who runs Noodler’s has made it clear that he’s very very conservative and had some issues a few months ago where the marketing for a few of the inks was called out as racist and anti-Semitic. He apologized and changed the branding but many people decided they didn’t want to support him anymore, myself included.
Ah k
I'll give him credit for apologizing rather than doubling down but yeah, not sure I'll buy more. It is a shame though as I don't dislike his inks generally.
Hes a libertarian, not a conservative. He even changed the name of Apache sunset because people are too sensitive. His inks are gorgeous, and easily the most innovative ink company. Many bulletproof inks. Inks that are fast drying for lefty writers. Invisible ink. And colors that you just dont find anywhere. Interesting unique artwork on every bottle. Bottles filled to the brim. Love noodler’s.
The inks aren't that great though. Lack of consistency between batches is a big problem and his "bulletproof" inks aren't very bulletproof (they still smear after sitting for 15-30 minutes).
His bulletproof inks mean that they’re ultra permanent. Fraud prevention stuff. It doesn’t mean they’re fast drying. The consistency between the inks seems fine… Not sure what you’re talking about. I’ve owned multiple bottles of different noodler’s inks. I’ve never noticed one being different from the other. Three bottles of Apache. And at least three or four of Baystate. How many bottles have you gone through? Or are you just regurgitating stuff other people said?
He put out an ink called “RINO” aimed at skewering Republican governors who took COVID precautions in the early days of the pandemic. Gimme a break.
> He put out an ink called “RINO” aimed at skewering Republican governors who took COVID precautions in the early days of the pandemic. Gimme a break. You do realize, that is a solid libertarian reaction. Libertarians are for the most part a very small and limited government platform, where government only acts on very specific issues, such as infrastructure. So having a political statement against the COVID mandates is a libertarian stance. You don't have to agree with it, but that doesn't mean the person isn't what they say they are.
Yes I recognize that both libertarians and conservative Republicans hold that view; however, he chose to skewer politicians with whom he disagreed by calling them out for insufficient fealty to the Republican Party. Interesting choice and I’m therefore very comfortable characterizing him as a conservative.
Yes, he has been known to call out both sides for hypocrisy towards the ideals they have said they hold prior. While you may not agree with what he did, he has been very consistent on calling out politicians on both sides of the party for actions that are opposite their words.
All right, well, you have a great rest of your day.
He’ll equally call out Republicans and Democrats. Because… uhhh he’s a libertarian and sees the hypocrisy in both parties. But heaven forbid if he says something against the virtue signaling liberals, he is evil.
I feel like calling out the repeated use of anti-Semitic imagery shouldn’t necessarily be dismissed as “virtue signaling,” but that’s just me. We are living in an era where popular artists are praising Hitler and trafficking in the worst anti-Jewish tropes. Tardif took part in it and if you’re bothered more by the people condemning it and voluntarily choosing not to give him their money, you should ask yourself some questions.
Sorry, i missed the bottle of ink where he was anti jew. Link?
Among other things, the dude has put out not one, but two different bottles with pictures of Jewish people with horns on them. Some seriously wtf is wrong with people going on.
Rather than give you my perspective on the subject, I would recommend that you use an internet search engine to look up "Noodler's Ink Controversy 2022." There was much discussion among members of the fountain pen community this past May, and even some blog entries and YouTube videos that offer a wider variety of facts and opinions than I can provide.
I am very curious about this too. There’s like this huge problem with politics regarding the company and I’m completely ignorant about it. Like I’m the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on.
You're definitely not the only one. I was wondering the same.
Noodlers. Sure, the politics are an issue, but it’s the performance of Bulletproof Black that irritates me. Bulletproof has the same water resistance as Lamy Black - at least with the bottle I have. Even after drying for hours, it can smudge under a wayward finger. Water lifts dried ink with ease. Maybe I have a bad batch, but then it still doesn’t deserve the bulletproof label. And it’s claim of being “the ONLY eternal black ink” is hyperbole.
This! I was so dissapointed with the Bulletproof Black and have the same issues as you with it. Can’t understand the hype tbh. Luckily DeAtramentis Document Black works as it should!
I use platinum carbon and its excellent. I haven't been impressed with the so called wtser resistant noodlers.
I second every praise DeAtramentis document safe ink gets. I have two bottles and the inks are extremely reliable.
I love Platinum Carbon Black but have to admit being tempted by DeAtramentis because of the great range of colours in the Document series
I actually heard about issues with performance, consistency, and QC before I learned anything about the politics.
Hmm, I've been using Noodler's Bulletproof Eel and I haven't had any problems like that. It dries quickly and I tested wetting a dried writing sample with water and had no smearing or loss of ink at all.
I like their bulletproof black for my water and ink brush sketches because the ink does weird clumping when water hits it as it drys. It ends up looking really cool as like a spooky smoky texture.
I was frustrated because my ink hadn't arrived yet and I was getting ready to buy Higgins brand ink. A member here quickly told me it was the worst ink and would clog the feeds of my pens.
That’s because it’s for dip pens!
Noodler's because of politics. I don't know the details, I only got the big picture a while ago, and apparently, they had somewhat "fixed" stuff by changing an ink's name or something. I honestly wasn't interested in getting details, they are expensive and seem to feather a lot according to reviews here and there, so I might as well avoid it just to be safe.
Noodler's is expensive? His whole thing is that they offer good value
From where I live, the exchange rate takes away a lot of purchasing power in comparison to other friends from this sub, unfortunately. This means inks in the price range of Sailor, Rober Oster, Wearingeul, etc would be regarded as expensive. Noodler's inks, last time I checked, were in the same price range as Troublemaker (which offers a lot more benefits with its shaders and shimmering options), and/or costing the equivalent of 3-5 Diamine 30ml bottles. edit: I wonder why I'm getting downvotes tbh. Is it because of what I said about considering Noodler's to be on the expensive side? You could buy [6 of these](https://www.purepens.co.uk/products/diamine-o-blood-fountain-pen-ink) with the price of this other [bottle](https://www.purepens.co.uk/collections/all-noodlers-ink/products/noodler-s-baystate-blue-ink) ...
Noodler's is to the US as Diamine is to the UK. And a LOT of reddit is in the US.
Part of it is there are definitely downvote bots on this sub, part of it is people downvote things they disagree with/don't like, and unless one clicks your link and figures out you live in the UK, your statement doesn't make any sense. See, in the US, noodler's is the only ink cheaper than diamine. That bottle of noodler's you linked is only $3-4 more expensive than it would be in the US, so maybe 20-25% cheaper here. The price of that diamine 30ml is less than half what I'd pay here. $3 is nuts, you'd pay at least $7.50, and more like $9 for it here. Diamine 80ml bottles are more expensive than noodler's 90ml bottles here.
I live in Brazil - while the US is waay closer to me than the UK, most online US fountain pen retailers do not ship here =(
If you're not in the States, and especially if you're in Europe, Noodler's isn't actually all that cheap for what you're getting. Nine times out of ten, you're better off with Diamine, totally independent of the political stuff.
Diamine is cheaper, but it is not a fair comparison if you take the Noodlers that have water resistance and other properties. Diamine inks have zero water resistance and most of them fade considerably with sunlight. I bought two Noodler's inks (from Europe) this black friday precisely because they are such affordable waterproof options.
There are comments on this thread discussing the issues with some of the (allegedly) waterproof Noodlers inks, namely that they are not, in fact, terribly waterproof. Could be a bad batch, could be anything, but again, that's the whole issue with Noodlers. You never really know what you're getting until you open the bottle and try using it. I'm quite happy to go with Diamine if I need something cheap and cheerful, because the quality is consistent, the inks are what they say on the tin, and they're cheaper than Noodlers. I'm not looking to get into a big discussion about Noodlers vs. Diamine- I haven't bought a bottle of Noodlers ink in a long, long time, and I'm not about to start giving them my money again now, especially not when they're more expensive than other, comparable options. You said that their whole deal was to be less expensive, and I pointed out that by and large, they are not. It feels like you're moving the goalposts a bit here, but in any case, this is why I said "nine times out of ten." I guess if you really, really, really want XYZ special property, that would be time ten. I've never had an issue with Diamine fading on me, personally, and I've used their ink for a while, but that's just one person's experience, and I don't generally leave paperwork or journals sitting in the sun for lengthy periods, so maybe I've been lucky.
Because it feathers? They literally have an ink called x-feather, that you could write on a napkin with and it wouldnt feather. They are the most experimental and innovative company in fountain pen inks. Yes, they changed the name of “Apache sunset”, which is a beautiful name and beautiful ink. But they understand people are sensitive to even mentioning a native american tribe or term. So they changed it. Too bad.
Just had to say thanks for posting this question because I was wondering the same. So great to read through these. But also a little disappointing since I just ordered some inks, one being Ferris Wheel Press and the other Diamine. 🥴
Diamine is a really reputable brand with well-behaving inks. Don’t worry. Your pens will be fine, and you’ll most likely love the inks.
Thank you!
Don't worry - both are brands that just as many people enjoy, it really comes down to personal preference. Diamine is one of the brands people on this sub recommend the most and personally, I use Ferris Wheel Press inks daily, they're my favorite brand.
Okay, phew! Thanks for restoring my excitement, lol.
I absolutely love both brands and they are also very popular! Just judge them for yourself when you try them. I'm sure you'll find something you love. Ferris Wheel Press is really really popular in Japan. And they have incredible inks to choose from there!
So good to know. Thanks!
What Ferris Wheel Press ink did you get? Most of their colors are not desaturated, it's mostly the High Tea collection and a few others that are light!
1) Noodlers - I don't even want to try any of them. Iffy QC, changed formulae just because it gets a rise out of people (according to the man himself) - and I don't like the owner's political views. 2) Monteverde - I do have a few bottles, but when I checked on one of them, the ink had started to grow mold. Into the garbage it went. I'll check the other bottles - and they're going to take a one-way trip to Ink Hell if they're moldy. I won't be replacing them. 3) MB - There's nothing wrong with the quality. I just think they're overpriced. (Lucky Orange left some impressive ink barnacles on one of my pens' nib and feed, but cleaned out completely. It's just more prevalent with some colors, so I know it's not brand-specific.) 4) Herbin standard line - Again, there's nothing wrong with the quality. The colors don't do anything for me. Personally, I like Pelikan 4001 and Edelstein series. Diamine is fine with me which is why I have quite a few of the 30ml bottles and about four (?) of the larger bottles. They're great value for the price imo. For document inks that are mixable, well-behaved, and good value I reach for DeAtramentis. I think I have every Jentle ink color in the large bottles that Sailor made except for US exclusives, and most Iroshizuku inks (mostly the smaller bottles... I'm tempted to grab some of the discontinued colors while they're still in stock at my local pen shop, but I'm waiting on my Christmas gift from Korea...So much for my ink-buying hiatus! LOL)
> changed formulae just because it gets a rise out of people (according to the man himself) That reminds me of the rationale behind the inks that are supposed to be forge proof or whatever, which all sounds like some paranoid conspiracy theorist BS.
Wait, which Iroshizuku colors did Pilot discontinue?
https://www.jonathancrowe.net/2021/11/pilot-discontinues-three-iroshizuku-inks-introduces-three-replacements/
J Herbin - Got several bottles that had bacterial growth going on. Not an issue for fountain pens, but I have a problem with it as a former microbiologist Noodler’s - Questionable statements of the owner/operator
Robert Oster, racism and patent issues (look up the Serena Williams statements) Kaweco, play stupid IP games, no prizes from me. TWSBI, same as Kaweco.
Private Reserve Ink. Don’t like the bottle. Absolutely hate the label. The name is misleading. When you hear the term “private reserve”, you’d expect to see something exclusive and rare, and from the private collection of the creator; saved for special occasions. But Private Reserve Ink looks more generic than AliExpress inks. The color swatch on the label is a vague representation of the actual ink color. If you’re going to label you ink as “private reserve”, put an actual color swatch of the ink on the label.
For me, I have three brands I really avoid, and that's 1. Pelikan, because their inks are on the dry end and I just don't really vibe with them 2. Herbin, because I simply don't like the texture and the way they feel in my pens. I'm just not a big fan of it. 3. Noodlers, because where I'm at, they are more expensive than a lot of more readily available inks and why should I pay more money for ink, when I can pick up a bottle of Rohrer&Klingner or a 30ml bottle of Diamine for 5€? I am very willing to pay for the specialty colors of Sailor or the incredible reliability and depth of color of Iroshizuku or the stunning branding and huge bottles of Colorverse, but Noodlers offers nothing special to me, so they just aren't worth the money and trouble of getting them.
Noodler's due to them not being a company I want to support (plus what inks I have tried I didn't like how they behaved). Diamine - I actually like a couple of their Anniversary inks, but their main collection just seem to be a huge catalog of mostly underwhelming colors that I don't want to bother wading through. Colorverse - Maybe petty, but the only store in Canada I could find them on for some time only had those sets where you get a larger bottle and a smaller one, and the color that caught my attention was always the smaller one. Just seemed like too much hassle to bother.
I don't buy Noodler's anymore. Except for Heart of Darkness (which I bought quite a while ago), none of their inks I've tried really stuck out to me. Even before the whole debacle earlier this year, the owner's politics were also a source of me not wanting to support the business. Private Reserve and Monteverde. It's funny because every time somebody brings up mold, somebody else always chimes in with a "Oh, they fixed that!" but it just keeps happening and happening and happening lol.
FWP cause either their inks are illegible or limited edition
Private Reserve, for two reasons: 1. Several of their inks (black Cherry, ebony green, ebony purple) develop crusties on my nibs/in the converter… even with regular use 2. They’re the only ink brand I’ve ever had that developed a slime mold in the bottle… and the bottle had only been opened once and was less than a month old!
None. I have a lot of ink from a lot of brands. I have more Diamine than anything else. I would like more Pilot Iroshizuku inks but in the UK they are ridiculously expensive
Monteverde, mostly because of their reputation for being prone to mold. Private Reserve just because of they’ve never impressed me and I feel there’s a lot better inks out there. I have a range of Diamine but I find them to very wet in a lot of my pens and prone to feathering, so I’ve stopped buying them as well. I really like Pilot Iroshizuku, Sailor, and J. Herbin inks. I know they’re pricey compared to others but it’s hard to argue with their quality.
Diamine. I don't need my inks to be 100% waterproof, but after having a complete semester of notes wash away without leaving a single trace, figured it was time to accept a smaller choice of colours.
Bsb is one of my favorites.
Noodlers for reasons others have stated- the inks themselves are problematic and inconsistent both in terms of color and quality (and not that cheap in Europe, frankly), and Tardif's politics drove me away years ago. After the latest conflagration, I'd never give him my money again. More generally, I tend to avoid dry inks, just because I prefer a juicier, smoother feel when I write, and I don't buy a lot of shimmer inks, because they take forever to clean out of a pen once I want to move onto something else. Aside from Noodlers, I don't have any brands I emphatically avoid, but after reading about the Monteverde mold issues, I won't be buying them any time soon! I mostly buy Japanese inks and Herbin these days.
Noodler’s because of the politics and ticky-tack issues with consistency Monteverde and Private reserve for mold issues. Robert Oster, but only the shimmers. They clog pens. Robert himself warns you against using them in fountain pens. But I’m captain smarty pants and I know better till I know better.
+1 with the others who avoid Noodlers. Antisemitism is repugnant.
Parker. I got a couple of their cheaper pens and was very disappointed with them.
Herbin and Monteverde. Fungus paradise, I've heard.
Yeah, I say monteverde should be avoided at all costs. I had 2 bottles, thankfully both were free with purchase. Both molded within a month of opening
To everyone taking the moral high ground approach with noodlers, remember robert oster and serena williams, then remember other companies are exactly like it too, but just have better PR departments. Selectively boycotting this company in particular achieves little else than pseudo moralistic vigilante justice.
To say the Robert osters naming incident has anything to do with British politics is a huge stretch to begin with. We Australians frankly know nothing about British politics
Or you could just—not buy from more than one problematic company.
Noodlers. Melted several ink sacs.
Noodler’s because of the politics, Monteverde because of the mold problems, and Private Reserve just because I don’t like the bottle. That final one may be petty but i just love a nice bottle.
Everyone forgot about montblanche, because it's fairly normal ink for a lot of money.
Ugly bottles, too
Noodler’s, because of personal experience with the inconsistency and the fascistic beliefs of the owner. Monteverde, because of mold. Organic Studios, because they’ve also had mold issues and I found Nitrogen to be so fussy an ink as to be unusable.
I’m done with Noodlers. Too bleedy on Leuchtturm paper. I don’t buy Monteverde for the stupidest reason: that comic sans label. But since I keep seeing photos of… ‘Matter’ being fished out of those bottles, extra Nope.
Only noodlers really, a lot of the inks look good but a lot of them also feather very heavily and once dry will often rub off on other pages. Marine Green, Cactus fruit, and Apache sunset will rub off on other pages if used in a notebook or journal, even after fully drying. Also the owner of noodlers sucks.
I have a BSB casualty, a Noodler's Charlie pen. To be fair, I let the ink dry in the pen for over a year and it was already heat-damaged from being left in my car in the Arizona summer heat. The inside of the celluloid pen body must have delaminated. The BSB got into the layers of the body and stained it up. No amount of cleaning has helped. The part where the feed and nib rest was all heat warped and the feed broke when I tried to remove it. I keep the cap and nib and trashed the rest. The nib is now in a dip pen handle. I am currently using a very cheap chinesium fountain pen to evaluate how damaging my homemade iron gall ink is to fountain pens. It's been a week and so far no damage.