Noodler's Turquoise Ink Review

As I continue down the long and winding road of fountain pen inks, I'm learning that I actually enjoy trying new inks more than pens at this point in my journey. The good news is, there are hundreds (thousands?) of different, unique inks to try. The bad news is, well, there are hundreds of different, unique inks to try. So, as long as I ignore the part of this journey that involves paying for inks, it's a win-win situation. Tired of a pen you've had for a while? Find a new exciting ink for it. It's instantly a new pen (almost).

The latest ink that has landed in my daily rotation is Noodler's Turquoise. This is another ink from the awesome Joe Lebo – thanks Joe! He really does have great taste.

Noodler's Turquoise is a classy, interesting blue-green ink that delights me every time I use it. To the unknowing eye, you might think it's a black or dark blue on first glance. But, on second glance, you notice the green lying on top of that dark blue foundation. And after looking closer, you spy just a touch of shading in certain letters. It's turquoise! This is what keeps bringing me back to this ink. You can use it every day because it isn't wild, but it's still really interesting and adds some flair to the every day carry.

When you get down to it, this is a great ink. It's well-behaved, has nice writing qualities, and looks great. My main caution is for the left-handed writers. This is a slow-drying ink. I've definitely smudged a lot of writing while using this ink, and I'm right-handed. Fair warning.

That said, it hasn't stopped me from filling the ink into pens again and again. It's a new favorite.

The ink is saturated and a bit on the wet side, but not very. I never have any skipping or starting issues with it, and it keeps up with my fastest writing, scribbling, and doodling.

There's a tiny bit of shading when writing quickly with a small nib – XF to M. Wider, specialty nibs really bring out the personality of this ink. I only have a calligraphy nib (2.0mm!), but I know that this ink would be great in a small stub. I need to get one of those pronto. Despite my terrible attempt at some form of fancy script in the title, you can see some of the shading aspects from the wide 2.0mm nib I used.

This ink does not like cheap paper. It bleeds and feathers like crazy on cheap notebook paper and copy paper.

Lastly, there's a small amount of sheen to the ink that also adds personality. It's a very small amount, and absorbant papers pretty much remove all sheen, but it's great when it works.

I've never really settled on a real-life example for this ink color, but I keep coming back to something like the ocean on certain days. It's a dark blue with green swimming around in the dark depths. Maybe it's just me, but I like to get lost in colors like this. It's a favorite, and I'll be buying my own bottle soon, along with a stub-nib pen.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

Pilot Vanishing Point Gun Metal Black Matte Fountain Pen Review

I didn't need another Pilot Vanishing Point. I already had two: the famed Black Matte, which became one of the "pens who shall not be named" on the podcast, and a retro Black Faceted model, which is a mainstay of my collection. So why did I NEED this new Gun Metal Black Matte Vanishing Point? I rarely need any new pen, but this one I had to have.

It took a while for me to get on the Gun Metal bandwagon. I wasn't sure of the color scheme at first, but after seeing multiple pictures of it and checking it out in person I went for it. The barrel is slightly different than the full black matte version, with the grey area being smooth as opposed to a satiny matte feel, which is reserved for the tip, clip, middle band, and knock. It's quite a stunning look, especially in person.

It also sports one of the recently introduced black nib units, which I am in love with. I went for the EF nib, which is ridiculously small, even for me. I never recommend this size to anyone but I love it. Paired with a well lubricated ink like Sailor Nano Black, this nib writes wonderfully smooth and consistent. But boy is it fine. You really need to manage your writing angle with this one to make sure you are hitting the sweet spot.

Many people have asked what fountain pen best compares to the Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm/0.4 mm gel ink pens. Pilot's EF nibs, as found in the Penmanship (which can be swapped into the Metropolitan or Prera) and the Vanishing Point, are the closest I have found. Looking at the writing sample in my Field Notes it is closest to the 0.28 mm Uni-ball Signo DX and 0.3 mm Hi-Tec-C, so that seems like a good range. Ink and paper will cause this to vary of course.

But back to this whole idea of needing this pen. Although yes, I got this pen for free as part of my JetPens sponsorship, I still couldn't justify it without selling one of my current Vanishing Points. I didn't see myself actively using two similar pens, so my trusty black matte VP, one of my first big fountain pen purchases, has found a new home. More than any other fountain pen I own, the Vanishing Point is made to be used, anywhere and everywhere. That is this pens job, so having one sitting around collecting dust would be doing it a disservice.

My friend Mel found the words I was struggling to find about my Field Notes Butcher Orange, and it applies here too: "By using it, it is now truly yours and you've fulfilled its purpose." Words to live by.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Ink Links

-- What’s the best everyday pencil? (All Things Stationery)

-- Review: Pen & Ink Pocket Sketchbook (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- TWSBI Micarta V2 (inklode)

-- Staedtler Noris Stylus Pencil (The Pencilcase Blog)

-- Melissa Gira Grant (The Setup)

-- Context (Crónicas Estilográficas)

-- Review: Sheaffer Balance (Alt. Haven)

-- Uni-Ball 5 Roller Ball Pen Review (THE UNROYAL WARRANT)

-- The Amazing Vanishing Point (Pen Pursuit)

-- Sterling Plastic #526 Roll Top Pencil Box (My Supply Room)

-- Pilot Vanishing Point fountain pen review (Peninkcillin)

-- Parker Duofold Centennial in Gold Godron (mycoffeepot.org)

-- Epic ink test - three months in (Fountain Pen Physicist)

-- Pencil Review: Grumbacher Sketching 4B and Charcoal Pencils (A Penchant for Paper)

-- Pilot Acroball PureWhite (The Pen Hunter)

-- Bic 4 Color Metallic Multi Pen (Office Supply Geek)

-- Lamy Safari (The Newsprint)

-- A caped crusader…Italian style (And All Other Tasks)

-- Review: Caran D’ache Chromatics INKredible Colors Delicate Green (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Pocket Department Notebooks, reviewed (Woodclinched)

-- Pen Review: Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black Edition (The Gentleman Stationer)

-- Ink Notes: Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine Cartridge (Fountain Pen Quest)

-- Always Open To The Possibility Of Writing (The Cramped)

-- Big Idea Design – XTS Raw Titanium Pen + Stylus Review (My Pen Needs Ink)

-- Kaweco AC-Sport fountain pen review (Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

-- Pen Review: Parker IM (The Pen Habit)

-- The Pilot Knight Fountain Pen (The Pen Hunter)

-- The 5-in-1 Staedtler Pencil for Paper and Tablets 2014 (Selectism)

-- Pilot Capless Fermo Retractable Fountain Pen - F Nib (The Clicky Post)

-- Pilot Metropolitan White Tiger Fine (The Frugal Fountain Pen)