Noodler's Inks relabeling?

[TSherbs]

...
There don't seem to be as many videos on his channel anymore. I seem to recall another video on the topic, but I may be mistaken. ...

Many of Nathan's videos have been taken down because they were flagged by people who didn't like his politics....

Did Mr Tardif tell you this, or is this conjecture? Or maybe the perps told you this? I am curious how one knows this.

He mentioned it in one of his other recent videos. (I think it was the one about ebonite feeds.) I believe he speculated it was politically motivated.

Tardif's speculation.

[TSherbs]

...
There don't seem to be as many videos on his channel anymore. I seem to recall another video on the topic, but I may be mistaken. ...

Many of Nathan's videos have been taken down because they were flagged by people who didn't like his politics. This includes the one where he shot a Charlie pen out of rifle to demonstrate its durability. There seems to have been an extended campaign to "get" him.

Contesting flagged content must be done one video at a time, and then you must release the video again. The process can take several days for each video.

That video of Nathan objecting to the antisemitic characterization was from before this latest kerfluffle blew up on Reddit by at least a few weeks.

I remember the shotgun video. The comments, iirc, were mostly voicing distaste at shooting a pen out of a shotgun, but as a questionably smart/safe thing to do, but also asking why he would bother. I recall him also running over that same pen with his truck, I think.

Nathan's "politics" come down to constantly needing to play the victim. If he can't moan about The Powers That Be® out to crush him and all Americans, he has nothing to really talk about. He definitely still has videos up with stronger political commentary than the shotgun video and, given this recent hissy-fit of relabeling all of his inks, I bet he took them down himself or made them either hidden or private out of spite in the comments.

Yeah, I wonder. He has tended, at times, to hyperbolic victimhood.

[Lloyd]

Doesn't at least, if not more than, half of the nation complain the they're being victimized by the government at any one time?

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[AzJon]

Doesn't at least, if not more than, half of the nation complain the they're being victimized by the government at any one time?

Back to our old friend nuance, Lloyd. Apparently, in your world, a hot caffeinated beverage is coffee and a man is a featherless biped.

Anyone can talk about it, but there is a level of justification based on precedent.

Go watch his most recent video on ebonite.

Then realize Nathan is talking about the tyranny of pens not being able to use all inks. The man mistakes inconvenience for oppression and thinks limitations are tyranny.

Give. Me. A. Break.

The great irony is, after going into the details of ebonite and how great it is for flow, completely ignores the fact that, due to the nature of his feeds, not all inks will work in his pens. I see no difference between his ebonite feed that has good flow being too wet with a lubricated ink and another pen that needs a wetter ink to write correctly.

And he does all of that in the name of "freedom". Because, apparently, not being able to use whatever ink you want is an impingement on your "freedom".

So yeah, when molehills are made into mountains, I think he cries victim about banal, inane, bullshit and calls it a political stance.

But apparently a base, knuckle-dragging opinion formed from one crappy economist is enough to get a fan-base willing to whatabout people to death in the process of defending his lunacy.

Sheesh.

[TSherbs]

Go watch his most recent video on ebonite.

Then realize Nathan is talking about the tyranny of pens not being able to use all inks. The man mistakes inconvenience for oppression and thinks limitations are tyranny.

Give. Me. A. Break.

This is fair criticism. He also compares shared group opinions on the internet to Orwellian tyranny (as do others, at times, on these pages). Only would a person of privilege have either the audacity or the blindness to make such a suggestion.

[Lloyd]

I watched and, while I have some great pens with plastic feeds, most would agree that ebonite feeds are generally the best. I appreciate his efforts to display this. I'd rather appreciate what he's done and continues to do for the FP world without trying to make much profit, than try to interpret and judge his actions strictly in an effort to tear him down.

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[AzJon]

interpret and judge his actions strictly in an effort to tear him down.

Lucky you, then! No interpretation necessary, he'll tear himself down entirely of his own actions and cry foul the whole way down.

Catastrophizers and apologists. Name a more iconic duo.

Ta.

[TSherbs]

..... strictly in an effort to tear him down.

Who is doing this with *only* this motivation that you see?

[Lloyd]

..... strictly in an effort to tear him down.

Who is doing this with *only* this motivation that you see?

Would you like to be analyzed similarly? He's willing to put himself out there, not just politically, but for the benefits of FPs. He's not trying to make a lot of money; he's trying to grow the use of FPs as everyday tools. He's anti the "nice brands", not due to him trying to reap market share, but to convert more people in.... trying to erase the line of intimidation. I'm not saying he's always correct nor unbiased, but I think he is sincerely trying his best for the world of FPs.

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[TSherbs]

..... strictly in an effort to tear him down.

Who is doing this with *only* this motivation that you see?

Would you like to be analyzed similarly?

I don't understand your question in response to mine. You said that posters were motivated "strictly" by a desire to bring harm to Mr. Tardif over politics. I asked how you know this about poster motivation.

[Lloyd]

I didn't say "over politics". I've yet to see anyone mention any positive of Nathan. I've seen posts giving analyses of his statements' subtexts. I've seen some character assassinations from members who may have never held a lengthy conversation with him. I think we all could be viewed as damaged through others' eyes .OTOH, I think Nathan has been one of the most valuable members the community has had in trying to make FPs everyday tools, not bougie possessions.

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[TSherbs]

I actually always liked his attitude. He amused me. In his videos, it became a game for me to guess when he was going to drop into the commentary something a bit hyperbolic about original patriotism, freedom, courage, etc. I didn't mind, because I didn't have to listen to it for long. Might be different if he were my chatty neighbor tho.

This doesn't count, Lloyd?

And I am the one who started the thread. I can assure you, and if you read the OP again I think that you will see, I did not do this in an attempt "strictly to tear him down." In the same way that you came in to this asking, "Hey, what's going on?", I came in asking, "Hey, I just saw this statement. Help me read the tone of these remarks."

You asked, "Would I like to be analyzed" in the way that Mr. Tardif is. No, I would not enjoy that. I am sure that he is not enjoying it either. I am not sure why you even ask that question. Few people, and I am not one of them, enjoy the unpleasant consequences of their actions, especially semi-public figures (he is "public" only in our marketplace, I assume).

[Lloyd]

TSherbs - Look how far back in your posts you had to go to find a more balanced sentiment

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[Jon Szanto]

TSherbs - Look how far back in your posts you had to go to find a more balanced sentiment

That is completely irrelevant: he answered your question and showed your premise to be false. Even with his example of positive commentary on the subject, just because people have brought up the obstacles that Mr. Tardiff has placed in his own pathway, there is no need to counter that as an apologist needing to constantly gild the lily. The subject of the thread is the relabeling of his inks, and to what purpose and from what cause. That it highlights the problems that Mr. Tardiff has self-induced is not just unsurprising, but germane.

There have always been options for low-cost entry and use of fountain pens. Waterman inks have never been far from Noodler's prices, and for the entire time of his company, inexpensive pens from Asia and India have been around. He focused on that area, and expanded, but he wasn't a single source. One could look at the people at the Birmingham Pen Co., a similar small operation. They offer a wide range of inks, for lower cost, and have unique area history tied into the products. They regularly make good-quality, lesser expensive (not as cheap as Noodler's) pens, and carry off the bespoke, individual vibe that is similar to Noodler's but is absent any of the polemic and childish "underdog" subtext.

Compare and contrast his methodology with most any other small business, and you see where the issues are. It wasn't in the product line, and no one can fault an effort to be as egalitarian as possible. It is how he chose to present all of this, wrapping it very publicly in his personal economics and politics, that has caused this to occur. All of which was completely avoidable: he could simply have had a personal blog, like hundreds of thousands of other people with opinions.

ETA: I go back a long way with this - my first order of Noodler's products was in 2011, with my first order from the newly formed Goulet Pen Co. I have watched him with interest for over a decade.

[SlowMovingTarget]

From what Brian Goulet says in his latest "Pencast" video, Nathan really is sincere in trying to change. What's interesting is that Goulet Pens would seem to have a vested interest, but they are also waiting out the changes before resuming sales of Nathan's products.

I hope Noodler's Ink and Nathan Tardif remain fixtures in the FP community. I hope these changes stick and show a maturing that also sticks. My second bottle of ink was Dark Matter, one of Nathan's recreations of vintage inks. It'd be sad to not have someone making niche products like that.

[TSherbs]

TSherbs - Look how far back in your posts you had to go to find a more balanced sentiment

Really, Lloyd? "Look how far back"?.... I won't be baited any further. That is what derails threads around here, repeatedly.

[TSherbs]

From what Brian Goulet says in his latest "Pencast" video, Nathan really is sincere in trying to change. What's interesting is that Goulet Pens would seem to have a vested interest, but they are also waiting out the changes before resuming sales of Nathan's products.

I hope Noodler's Ink and Nathan Tardif remain fixtures in the FP community. I hope these changes stick and show a maturing that also sticks. My second bottle of ink was Dark Matter, one of Nathan's recreations of vintage inks. It'd be sad to not have someone making niche products like that.

Thanks for posting this. I will take a look now for it....

edit: I found it: @7:45 here: https://youtu.be/g0qS_aVXHz0?t=466

[TSherbs]

ETA: I go back a long way with this - my first order of Noodler's products was in 2011, with my first order from the newly formed Goulet Pen Co. I have watched him with interest for over a decade.

I think that the Creaper was my first mail-order fountain pen, and I paired it with BSAR (still one of my favorite inks).

[Lloyd]

TSherbs - Look how far back in your posts you had to go to find a more balanced sentiment

Really, Lloyd? "Look how far back"?.... I won't be baited any further. That is what derails threads around here, repeatedly.

I'm not trying to bait you. It's just that you posted that more than 2 weeks ago, and since that you and AzJon seemed a bit excessive on the derision towards Nathan. Perhaps, it was trying to counterbalance my posts.
I met Nathan at my first show, maybe around 2008. I've spoken at length with him most years since at the Boston show (I skipped a few years). Also, I've interacted with him by phone on half a dozen or more occasions. From what I've heard, he was one of the first nibmeisters and pen repair gurus, way before Binder.

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[Jon Szanto]

ETA: I go back a long way with this - my first order of Noodler's products was in 2011, with my first order from the newly formed Goulet Pen Co. I have watched him with interest for over a decade.

I think that the Creaper was my first mail-order fountain pen, and I paired it with BSAR (still one of my favorite inks).

BSAR is the only Noodler's ink I still keep in stock. Everything else I've found better inks for the color, but this one defies all attempts. Only issue is that as it ages - in pens or in bottles - it can get to that stage where it Never. Will. Dry. On. The. Page. But a lovely color.

(P.S. I fixed the quote attribution here, you might want to edit your post, too, TSherbs)