EFNIR: Noodler's Polar Purple

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Noodler's Polar Purple

This is review #301 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:


Post-recording notes: I have nothing remotely like this color. It's sort of chalky, sort of a pastel purple, but also a little muted in color... Hard to describe. It's very close to the color of the purple lines on lined Rhodia pads. It's growing on me despite writing a fat line on some papers (it writes very fine on Iroful). The cameras and scanner didn't like the color, most images look like the ink needs some white added to match what my eyes see. Same for the video.

Cleaning was a bit of a pain - a pink film will want to cling to everything. Pen flush had no impact, rubbing required. The ink dries a little faster than usual on the nib, but not enough to impede normal writing. If you're doing short writing and long-ish pauses, this probably isn't the best ink.

Per Noodler's, it's bulletproof, eternal, freeze resistant, and lubricated.

No, I did not attempt to write with it in the freezer - I won't fit in there anyway.

I'd like to welcome @Yazeh to the Wizardlands and congratulate him on being a successful small-business owner.

Zoomed in photo (The ink doesn't look blotchy in person. Hard to get the color right.)


Screenshot (Text is a little too dark.)


Scan of Completed Review (On one monitor, it's a little too blue. On another, it's far too red. Still, it's fairly close to what my eyes see.)


Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper) (Same problem as the zoom photo, but the copy paper color looks pretty close.)


Line width (The "I" in "Ink:". Magnification is 100x. The grid is 100x100µm. The scale is 390µm, with thirteen divisions of 30µm each. The line width for this ink is roughly 368µm. With 301 inks measured, the average line width is 297µm.) (Blank areas in the image looked blurry under the microscope. Strange ink.)


Microscope image (100x. Pink and blurple clouds... )


Water Test Results (Same as the zoom, and too red on one monitor, to unsaturated on the other.)


Previous Review: Diamine Pumpkin.

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

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View a list of my inks, complete with review results in a google sheet.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh? Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Aaaahhh! An underwater colorful coral sea! Wonder if Sneks can swim?

I do have your 'bracket' comparison inks...The Pelikan, and Bilberry. Don't use them much. You know how I feel about purple anyway. And alas, this one's not for moi. I loved reading about it though!

The closeup made me think this was a shimmer, but it's not. I would like it even less that way. And chalky? Hold me back while I teach Essri to sing rather naughty sea chanteys. (I guess that's about learning!)

Love the magical street, and shops. Congrats on the biz, Yazeh. And as always, Liz, thanks for the magic of Tuesdays.

[LizEF]

Aaaahhh! An underwater colorful coral sea! Wonder if Sneks can swim?

I'm certain they can. And now I'm having visions of Essri pretending to drown to see if he can get Makhabesh into water.

I do have your 'bracket' comparison inks...The Pelikan, and Bilberry. Don't use them much. You know how I feel about purple anyway. And alas, this one's not for moi. I loved reading about it though!

Glad to provide some temptation-free reading!

The closeup made me think this was a shimmer, but it's not.

As far as I can tell, that's paper showing through the ink - which is strange for an ink that behaves wet and spreads, but then inks are the greatest mystery in the known universe, so....

I would like it even less that way. And chalky? Hold me back while I teach Essri to sing rather naughty sea chanteys. (I guess that's about learning!)

What would be really clever is if you could come up with ways to make his lisp add "nuance" to said chanteys.

Love the magical street, and shops. ... And as always, Liz, thanks for the magic of Tuesdays.

Thanks! And you're most welcome!

[Yazeh]

Thank you so much @Liz for such a fun review

I was so excited when meeting Snek & Mack that I burst into Snek shanty singing. They said they preferred Sailor naughty versions and left before I could give Snek a pen and ink. Though in all my days in Wizardland, I haven't had any ring cake, they must be the beignet's dusting on Makhabesh's paws

I have a sweet spot for the Polar inks, as they were my first "bulletproof" inks. But, I would not recommend them, unless someone needs a fast drying ink, and uses Ef/F nibs (preferably Japanese).

If I recall well, the Polar inks were reformulated as the original inks had a lot of flow problems. The original version I believe were tested in the South Pole by one scientist.

Thank you for making this Tuesday, exceptionally fun 🙏🙏🙏

[LizEF]

Thank you so much @Liz for such a fun review

You're most welcome!

I was so excited when meeting Snek & Mack that I burst into Snek shanty singing. They said they preferred Sailor naughty versions and left before I could give Snek a pen and ink. Though in all my days in Wizardland, I haven't had any ring cake, they must be the beignet's dusting on Makhabesh's paws

I have no doubt Essri will be returning for a pen, and going next door for some paper. I'm surprised Makhabesh left any dusting on his paws, but no doubt it was a nice little adventure - he was probably distracted. Meanwhile, you clearly need to try some ring cake. They look like this (though toppings may vary):

I have a sweet spot ...

In the center of that ring cake?

... for the Polar inks, as they were my first "bulletproof" inks. But, I would not recommend them, unless someone needs a fast drying ink, and uses Ef/F nibs (preferably Japanese).

If I recall well, the Polar inks were reformulated as the original inks had a lot of flow problems. The original version I believe were tested in the South Pole by one scientist.

I imagine they dry much too fast for @Sailor's liking! I think I remember you saying they were reformulated. Someone on YT pointed out that I could have just put the pen in the freezer for a while and then tested how it writes, so I'll try that with the next Polar ink I review. (Actually, I'll start by refrigerating it and see how that goes, then decide whether I dare put my pen in the freezer...)

And someone (maybe Goulet?) had a video where someone either at the South Pole or maybe in some lab was taking a pen with a polar ink into a sub-zero room - I can't remember the details any more since I could not imagine me ever trying to write in freezing temperatures...

Thank you for making this Tuesday, exceptionally fun 🙏🙏🙏

You're most welcome!

[LizEF]

PS: It seems to me that if someone is actually going to use these Polar inks in a ridiculously cold location, those monster-size Chinese pens would be ideal - I mean, trying to hold a tiny pen while wearing arctic gloves just doesn't seem like a good fit...

[LizEF]

Hmm. Maybe they had fancy ring cakes:


...anyone else ready for dessert?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Yer killin me!

'Thay, Eththri, there's a thong I want you to learn…'

[Yazeh]

Yer killin me!

'Thay, Eththri, there's a thong I want you to learn…'

Thong to learn or to wear?

[Yazeh]

Hmm. Maybe they had fancy ring cakes:


...anyone else ready for dessert?

I better not
I thought it was an invented food. Of course I know ring cake, more in the form of provencal brioche with candied fruit

[Yazeh]

@LizEf

Looking forward to the results of your fridge/freezer experiment. Though, personally, I would use a Fisher Space Pen, if need be. Honestly, in anything -20°C /-4°F I would be hurrying home than fiddling with pens, especially if there is wind chill
Yes, the inks were reformulated because the originals had flow issues. And they were tested somewhere in the South Pole or a subzero room.

These inks (all beside the black) are prefect for lefty overwriters, the dry so fast. But they have the propensity to stain clear section, and need airtight pens.

As for mammoth pens, Kanwrite has created a mammoth fountain pen.
Though I don't see the utility

[LizEF]

@LizEf

Looking forward to the results of your fridge/freezer experiment. Though, personally, I would use a Fisher Space Pen, if need be. Honestly, in anything -20°C /-4°F I would be hurrying home than fiddling with pens, especially if there is wind chill

Amen to that! I spent 3 years in Moscow, Russia and was never so cold there as I was for a few days in Montreal in January (of 1999, I think)! (Of course, I was too stupid to bring a fur hat with me, but still - it was insanely cold.)

As for mammoth pens, Kanwrite has created a mammoth fountain pen.
Though I don't see the utility

You might if you were trying to write with thick gloves or mittens on!

[Yazeh]

Amen to that! I spent 3 years in Moscow, Russia and was never so cold there as I was for a few days in Montreal in January (of 1999, I think)! (Of course, I was too stupid to bring a fur hat with me, but still - it was insanely cold.)

As for mammoth pens, Kanwrite has created a mammoth fountain pen.
Though I don't see the utility

You might if you were trying to write with thick gloves or mittens on!

Montreal is warm compared to most of Canada (i.e. Vancouver Metro and Island) and Southern Ontario. You wouldn't want to be caught in the Prairies in Winter. Their mild weather is our cold

[LizEF]

Montreal is warm compared to most of Canada (i.e. Vancouver Metro and Island) and Southern Ontario. You wouldn't want to be caught in the Prairies in Winter. Their mild weather is our cold

Note to self: never return to Canada (in winter)!