3 Weeks with Noodlers Black FP Ink

Noodling with Noodlers

A few weeks ago I purchased a Lamy Safari EF, a Moleskin Hobbit SE and a bottle of Noodlers Black. I intended to use this set up for journaling away from the desk. Plein air sketching etc., Well it turns out the Moleskine is not really suited for heavier sketching with this particular combination…but it’s fine for pencil, Microns..

The Noodlers will bleed thru and feather on the Moleskine paper. But regardless of that the Noodlers worked out very well with this Lamy EF combination. no skipping,  hard starts, ink explosions, leaking.

The ink is very dense, black, lays down a solid black line, is as waterproof as it claims…I believe any  ink that is not completely absorbed by the paper will smudge, bleed etc…at least FP ink.

I use India ink regularly.  There are some india inks that are IMHO waterproof..even when I lay down a wide thick and heavy line with a dip pen nib..crow quill, G nib, etc.

but as Ive only read waterproof FP ink is  harder to come by.but as I said, if the ink doesn’t leave a deposit above the surface of your ground it can be 99.99% waterproof which is more then sufficient..at least for my purposes…which is drawing.  When adding a watercolor wash that’s where the waterproofness of the ink matters.

This Noodlers black stands up to the company’s claim.  Love this Noodlers..and it’s a large bottle, filled to the brim so its a good value as well as being waterproof, black as tar and safe in my fountain pen. It looks like slithery black eels when you do a little calligraphic style line with your dip pen. If that sort of thing turns you on(:!

it turns me on. Thick, glossy, and very very black and opaque On almost any paper Ive used so far..even watercolor paper. Get some…

and unfortunately no..I don’t get any swag from Noodlers…but that would be nice…

Pencil sketching with the Moleskine Hobbit edition.

This gallery contains 5 photos.

A few quick pencil sketches whilst whiling away the dog days of summer. The paper in this particular Moleskine, the Hobbit edition, is very light weight and smooth. With a very slight tooth.  It took repeated erasure well. It is suitable for pencil and perhaps a Micron marker or other technical marker with a fine […]

Rambling on about Moleskine watercolor journal and waterproof black ink

Just acquired a tiny Moleskine watercolor journal. 3″1/2 x 5″ or thereabouts. I’ll use it with a Lamy Safari EF and Mont Blanc midnight black. I’m not positive if the ink is a straight black. it’s a 20 year old bottle I had from my former days in the corporate world. Managed to lose a Mont Blanc fountain pen which was rather nice. These days I’m more inclined to use a crow quill but for taking the journal out into the world I’ll go with a fountain pen. Having read a thousand posts about a good black ink on the Web I’m still not sure what ink to get. I’m considering Noodlers BP black, but there seems to be some concern about mucking up the pen if it isn’t rigorously cleaned after using it.  I’d love to hear anyone’s personal opinion about that if you’ve used the Noodler’s in a Lamy Safari. Or some suggestions from some of you fountain pen aficionados. My next present to myself will probably be a Pelikan M205. Seems to be a solid performer for many artists and inkers of merit. Not that I need it.

Disclaimer: Not that I wouldn’t want to get some swag from Mont Blanc or any of these other brand names I’ve mentioned but….I don’t.