EFNIR: Noodler's Black

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Noodler's Black

This is review #236 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:

https://youtu.be/a7LAZK98_KY

Post-recording notes: It behaved so well in the sample vial - not clinging to the walls, not staining the inside of the cap - that I decided to risk putting it in a converter and the Prera (rather than the Penmanship and a cartridge), but this may have been a mistake. It clung to the inside of the plastic pipette (a softer, probably rougher, plastic), holding on for dear life. Guess we'll see what happens at the end of the review period... BIG mistake...

Cleaning involved swabs, pipe cleaner, toothbrush, water, and pen flush. It's possible part of the section none of that can reach is still stained. The back of the nib had to be wiped clean (yes, I fully disassembled the pen).

It's a little warm. Similar in color to De Atramentis Archive Ink, but darker. Every other black ink I had was either cooler, or too dark to tell (De Atramentis Document Ink, Platinum Carbon Black, Noodler's Heart of Darkness, and Pilot Mixable Colour Black).

Here's a link (https://youtu.be/ubs-HEWMwdU) to a video I made of the ink moving around on the microscope slide.

Errata: There's an apostrophe missing. I leave it to you to figure out where. :)

Zoomed in photo
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78101&d=1686056694

Screenshot
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78102&d=1686056701

Scan of Completed Review
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78103&d=1686056710

Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper)
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78104&d=1686056715

Line width (The "h" in Rhodia. Magnification is 100x. The grid is 100x100µm. The scale is 360µm, with twelve divisions of 30µm each. The line width for this ink is roughly 355µm. With 236 inks measured, the average line width is 296µm.)
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78105&d=1686056722

Microscope image (400x. Just after slide was made. Near the edge of the slide. Appearance of deposited silt is similar to what I've seen in pigmented inks.)
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78106&d=1686056729

Microscope image (100x. The other end of the slide where some ink had collected. (I slid the cover slip a little to help get the ink more evenly spread - this is the side with less ink.)
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78107&d=1686056735

Microscope image (400x. A spot in the middle with more silt-like appearance.)
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78108&d=1686056744

Microscope image (400x. With scale to show particle size.)
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78109&d=1686056750

Water Test Results
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=78110&d=1686056758

Previous Review: Diamine Jalur Gemilang (https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/39810-EFNIR-Diamine-Jalur-Gemilang).

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap (https://www.instagram.com/zilxodarap/).

Want to influence the inky sequence? Take the "next ink" poll. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSchNWvcBM_EFW9Gzi6gcATuA2ZWvQXps_hzaU6aBP-DQ0pWGQ/viewform)

View a list of my inks, complete with review results in a google sheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FZFywY7XQn07uOzayBBPMXNBOO0FlaYz3IfalIYBpy0/edit?usp=sharing).

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh? Find the whole story here. (http://www.lizmcguireonline.com/fountain-pen-related/32-the-adventures-of-quin-and-makhabesh)

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[Yazeh]

Great review Liz! :thumb:
It's funny how some Noodler's bulletproof inks are so fast drying and some take the eternity route. This seems a perfect ink for situations when you have only access to cheap paper :)
The microscopic images remind me of lunar landscape, very cool and the the tiny video reminds me of the ancient video games, was it Atari? ;)

[Chrissy]

Thank you for the review. From looking at the slides I'm relieved I don't put this in any of my pens.

[LizEF]

Great review Liz! :thumb:

:) Thanks, Yazeh!


It's funny how some Noodler's bulletproof inks are so fast drying and some take the eternity route. This seems a perfect ink for situations when you have only access to cheap paper :)

Yeah, dry times are bizarre. I'm really glad dry times in actual use don't bother me - I just use blotting paper for bookmarks. And yes, this ink really is excellent for poor paper!


The microscopic images remind me of lunar landscape, very cool and the the tiny video reminds me of the ancient video games, was it Atari? ;)

:D Yeah, I can see that - and yes, it was Atari. :)

[Sailor Kenshin]

I had a sample and just couldn't get along with it. Whether is was the dry time, hard cleaning, or maybe just plain everything, who can say? (Maybe it was the bleak moonscape of its micro, which I somewhow magically thought-transferred from the future.)

Room for improvement? Moi? 🥸

Busy morning… I forgot it was LizEFDay. Thanks again for your continuing serial and reviews!

[LizEF]

I had a sample and just couldn't get along with it. Whether is was the dry time, hard cleaning, or maybe just plain everything, who can say? (Maybe it was the bleak moonscape of its micro, which I somewhow magically thought-transferred from the future.)

Well, the good news is, it's a black ink and there are lots and lots of colors out there, so, um, not much lost here... ;)


Room for improvement? Moi? 🥸

:D Absurd!


Busy morning… I forgot it was LizEFDay. Thanks again for your continuing serial and reviews!

:) :D You're very welcome!