Water and White Lightning: Fixing High Maintenance Inks

September 18, 2019

For years I avoided certain ink brands, namely Noodlers and Private Reserve, not because I actually believed those inks would destroy or “melt” pens, but because of batch inconsistency and the fact that many of the inks bled and feathered on all but the thickest coated paper. Others never dried, remaining tacky and subject to smearing for up to a week or more. I would get frustrated and give up, selling or giving away the bottles I had accumulated.

With nearly a decade in this hobby under my belt, I’m slightly more patient than I used to be, and writing this blog has provided me with the opportunity for experimentation. Noodlers makes a wide range of vibrant and unique colors, and most of the inks are so saturated with dye that you can add a couple drops of water or ink additive to improve the ink’s behavior without changing the color significantly or sacrificing vibrancy. The only caveat is that by diluting the ink, you run the risk of compromising special properties such as “bulletproofing” (permanence/water resistance) or quick-drying. I generally don’t purchase inks for these reasons, however, other than a couple water-resistant inks I keep in my collection, and I’ve found that most aren’t significantly affected by a drop of dilution.

Noodler’s Walnut has always been a favorite of mine, but I’ve had trouble with feathering and slow dry times if I use the ink undiluted. How did I fix it? Read on below.

So How Do I “Fix” Problematic Noodlers Inks?

I’ve found that certain Noodlers Inks that are prone to feathering, bleeding, and extremely slow dry times work better with 1-5 drops of water added to a 5ml sample vial. Inks such as Air Corps Blue Black and Walnut are great colors, but sometimes bleed, feather, and smear on cheaper paper, or take a long time to dry on fountain-pen friendly paper like Clairefontaine, Rhodia, or Tomoe River.

Writing Samples of Noodlers Walnut, Air Corps Blue Black, and Shah’s Rose, three colors that behave extremely well with a touch of water (Walnut, Air Corps) or a tiny drop of White Lightning (Shah’s Rose).

On the other hand, for inks that are too dry, I take the same amount of ink (5ml in a sample vial) and add a tiny drop of Vanness Pens “White Lightning” ink additive. You might remember a version of this product when it was sold by Organics Studio, under the moniker “Cuddles Flo Plus”, but Vanness acquired the formula after Organics Studio discontinued it and are now bottling the product directly. White Lightning is intended “for use in poor flowing or dry inks to increase flow consistency,” and the product really does work. I can’t emphasize enough, though, that you should use this product sparingly, and do not add directly to the bottle unless you are extremely sure of the amount. Use too much and you can turn a dry ink into the inverse: an ink that feathers, bleeds, and never dries. I’ve had success using White Lightning to improve the flow of drier Noodlers Inks such as basic Noodler’s Black, 54th Massachusetts, and Shah’s Rose. I’ve also spoken with other people who swear that White Lightning improves extremely dry inks such as certain Kyoto TAG inks, as well as Platinum’s “Classic” series of Iron Gall inks.

One of the great things about Noodlers is that the bottles come filled to the brim. (Just be careful opening them for the first time.) I’ve actually heard some people describe the full bottle, the super-saturation, and the need to dilute certain col… — One of the great things about Noodlers is that the bottles come filled to the brim. (Just be careful opening them for the first time.) I’ve actually heard some people describe the full bottle, the super-saturation, and the need to dilute certain colors as a “bonus,” because it makes the bottle last a very long time.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Noodlers Ink is widely available from most pen retailers, and the bottles pictured here were supplied by site sponsor Pen Chalet. What I’ve discovered over the years is that Noodlers makes “tinkerer’s inks.” If you don’t mind playing around with the formulation, you can better enjoy the wide range of colors and properties that the brand has to offer. White Lightning Ink Additive can be purchased from our sponsor Vanness Pens, and is a product exclusive to them. This unique product really does work, and if you have a large ink collection that includes colors you love but can’t use due to how the inks themselves behave, consider experimenting with water dilution or additives to tailor the inks to your preference.

Disclaimer: The inks and ink additive were provided to me free of charge by my sponsors, for review purposes. Many thanks to Pen Chalet and Vanness Pens for making this review possible!

Pen Rolls vs. Pen Cases: A Review of the Rickshaw Bagworks Deluxe 6 Pen Roll

August 31, 2019

Up until this past year, I was firmly in the “pen case” camp. While I had a few fabric pen wraps, most were handmade, small batch products made by friends and acquaintances that I used to transport un-inked pens to local pen meets and pen shows. For casual carry these are fine, but they don’t offer enough protection for the rigors of everyday commuting, especially when the pens are sitting in my bag with a laptop, briefcase, binders, and who-knows-what-else.

The elastic cord (pictured here with lock) ensures that your pen roll remains closed, and allows you to roll your pens as tightly as possible both to prevent the pens from rattling around and to maximize space in your bag.

Pen wraps and rolls, however, have a couple of distinct advantages over pen cases. First, they can take up much less space in a bag. If you’re someone who regular carries five or six pens, a roll is much more compact and can slide easily into the corner of a briefcase, whereas a comparable fabric or leather pen case with hard sides and a zippered or snap closure typically takes up more space. Second, a properly designed pen roll can better protect your pens from dings and scratches, provided the interior uses a soft enough liner and leaves enough space between slots so that the pens don’t touch.

This particular Deluxe Pen Roll holds six pens, which I is Rickshaw’s typical size. On the Rickshaw website, however, you can order a custom Deluxe Pen Roll that holds 6, 8, 10, or even 12 pens, though I expect that would be quite large when closed.… — This particular Deluxe Pen Roll holds six pens, which I is Rickshaw’s typical size. On the Rickshaw website, however, you can order a custom Deluxe Pen Roll that holds 6, 8, 10, or even 12 pens, though I expect that would be quite large when closed. For that many pens, I’m probably still going with a pen case.

San Francisco-based Rickshaw Bagworks makes the best pen roll for my personal needs. Specifically, I’ve been carrying this “Deluxe” six pen roll that I picked up at the Los Angeles Pen Show in February, which is a special edition collaboration with LA-based artist Joey Feldman and retailer Vanness Pens. Rickshaw also has collaborated with Leigh Reyes on a previous edition, also sold through Vanness. These Deluxe Pen Rolls feature a durable Cordura exterior with a plush interior to protect your pens. (The liner is referred to as “Royal Plush” on the Rickshaw website, and it feels like microfleece.) I like how the Deluxe Pen Roll has an interior flap that keeps your pens from sliding out the top, and all Rickshaw pen rolls feature an elastic cord with adjustable “cord lock”, which keeps your pen roll closed much better than fabric or leather ties.

Size comparison: The Rickshaw Bagworks Deluxe Six Pen Roll next to my Galen Leather A5 Zippered Portfolio. The Pen Roll is shown here loaded with six pens.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

This year at work has been quite busy on multiple fronts, meaning that space in my briefcase is a premium. For that reason I’ve found myself carrying my Rickshaw pen roll more frequently, to the point where it’s become a fixture in my bag. I’ve even thrown Joey’s crazy art out into the center of a conference room table at work, but didn’t get any reaction. Apparently I’m no longer a novelty and people now expect these things from me. Sigh.

A shot of Joey Feldman’s artwork on the reverse side.

If you’re interested in the Joey Feldman collaboration, Vanness still has several of these limited edition Deluxe Pen Rolls in stock, along with some standard pen rolls (no interior flap) and utility pouches. Otherwise you can visit the Rickshaw Bagworks website to design your own. Prices start at $50 for the Joey Feldman/Vanness limited edition and $49 on the Rickshaw Bagworks website.

Note: For more information on large-capacity pen storage, including album-style cases and and pen display boxes, check out this post here.

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens is a sponsor of this website, and I received the Deluxe Pen Roll featured in this review at no charge. (Well, not really at “no charge,” since I paid with my own blood, sweat, and tears behind the table at the 2019 LA Pen Show. You can read about that experience here.)

Scenes from Friday and Saturday at the 2019 DC Pen Show

August 4, 2019

Friday at the D.C. Pen Show was a bit slow…. Much slower than in previous years. Vendor and attendee traffic seemed a bit down, though it picked up towards the end of the afternoon to the point where we even had a bit of a rush just before closing. Several Saturday attendees told us at the table that the show mailer confused the dates, and did not make clear that Friday was open to the public if they paid the early “Trader” admission. Oh well. It was still the D.C. Pen Show, so there was still a ton of stuff to see and I took advantage of the lulls in traffic to look around the ballrooms. Saturday more than made up for a slow Friday, as the line started forming at 8:00 a.m. and did not let up until an hour after the technical “close.” I actually don’t have many pictures from Saturday since it was so busy, but the pictures from Friday are better anyway because vendors still had most of their stock. Some tables were pretty bare by mid-afternoon on Saturday, which is the sign of a great show!

There’s still one full day left! I’m behind the Vanness Pens table to the right of the show entrance, so be sure to stop by and say hello! We have plenty of pens to sell, along with our remaining stock of Akkerman and Colorverse ink. Hope to see you later! A full show recap will follow this week.

Kanilea Pen Company brought all of their various models of pens, including the new Aolani (shown below)!

I can’t wait to swing by the Kanilea table on Sunday and see how many of these are actually left after the Saturday rush. Check out my initial thoughts on the Kanilea Aolani that I published last week.

Dan Smith at The Nibsmith brought the entire spectrum of Leonardo pens, as well as Sailor, Visconti, and other brands.

As you know, I’m behind the Vanness Pens table all weekend, and while our stock of ink and paper is somewhat depleted, Sunday is a great day to get a good deal on a pen, like this discontinued Montegrappa Passione that has been sitting in front of m… — As you know, I’m behind the Vanness Pens table all weekend, and while our stock of ink and paper is somewhat depleted, Sunday is a great day to get a good deal on a pen, like this discontinued Montegrappa Passione that has been sitting in front of me calling my name for two days straight. Someone come buy this pen before I do! You may remember that I reviewed this exact model/color combination a while back.

Yoshi Nakama was here, though I still haven’t quite found the pen that speaks to me yet!

The Sailor 1911 Large in the “Ringless Epinard” Design. This pen gets a lot of attention, and looks good, but come of the design choices leave me scratching my head. For one thing, the pen has ruthenium trim but a rhodium nib, and I’m not sure how I… — The Sailor 1911 Large in the “Ringless Epinard” Design. This pen gets a lot of attention, and looks good, but come of the design choices leave me scratching my head. For one thing, the pen has ruthenium trim but a rhodium nib, and I’m not sure how I feel about the cap edge.

Ian Schon of Schon DSGN brought his new pocket fountain pen! I didn’t get a chance to come back and see him on Saturday, but

If you haven’t already, you will her much about Matt Martin Custom Pens. Hands down the best machined fountain pens I have ever seen. He even makes his own screws for the clip!

On Saturday, the line began to form early.

And by Saturday afternoon, the main ballroom was plenty busy. (This was taken after the main rush, probably around 3:30 or so).

In terms of Akkerman and Colorverse, what’s out is what we have left at the Vanness Pens table! If you want it, act quick and come get it!

All 3 Oysters Bottles have a facet on one corner so you can tilt it for easier filling when the ink level gets low.

Ink Review: 3 Oysters Delicious Inks

June 5, 2019

The sheer volume of excellent fountain pen inks on the market continues to astound me. I know I talk about this all the time, but I still remember a time less than ten years ago when there were only two brands (Noodler’s and Private Reserve) that had color options in the double digits. Even as more brands emerged in recent years, most companies focused on bright, highly saturated colors. Those have their place, but when it comes to choosing ink, my interest lies in the darker, more muted, and somewhat murky corners of the color palette. Korean ink maker 3 Oysters checks all of those boxes.

Since I’m a sucker for dark greens, and especially green-blacks, I picked up a bottle of Black Moss as I was leaving this year’s Baltimore Pen Show. A month later in Little Rock, during a visit to the Vanness store, I added samples of Gogung (a grayish brown), Red Wine (self-explanatory), and Chilli Red (a brighter red with hints of orange). The only color I did not care for was Mustard. The color is interesting, but it’s a bit light for everyday writing and doesn’t fit a need in my rotation.

All of the 3 Oysters inks I tested dried quickly and exhibited zero bleeding, feathering, or even show-through. These really are great inks! I used 3 Oysters on a variety of papers across several work days, and never had an issue. If I could anticipate any criticisms that someone might have with the 3 Oysters inks, it would be that some might find certain inks a bit undersaturated (i.e., washed-out), especially colors such as Chili Red and Mustard.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve enjoyed my time so far with the 3 Oysters “Delicious” inks, and the bottle of Black Moss will certainly see some use. Behavior-wise, they remind me of Pilot Iroshizuku, being slightly less saturated and having similar flow. The price point is $18 for 30ml, which on a price-per-ml basis sits on the expensive side, but I don’t have any information on the scale of production - it’s actually difficult to find much information on the company behind the ink. I assume it’s a relatively small operation, with import and shipping costs driving the price of the ink up even further. That said, the price is not per se unreasonable, and sits well below Sailor’s new price point of 20ml for $15.

You can currently purchase all 3Oysters inks from our sponsor Vanness Pens, which carries the entire line, including not only the “Delicious” inks featured here, but also the “Hun Min Jeong” and “I.Color.U” series, and a special edition “Marine Green” ink.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. Vanness Pens is a sponsor of this site and provided me with the ink featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes.

Ink Review: Taccia Ebi (Purple Red) and Uguisu (Olive Green)

April 3, 2019

Taccia is a Taiwanese brand that has grown significantly over the past couple of years, releasing some very nice pens at both a moderate and luxury price point, and just this past year releasing an entire range of inks. Today’s review will take a look at two of the inks: Ebi (described as a “purple red”) and Uguisu (described as an “olive green”). I chose these particular colors because, as you all know, I’m partial to deep reds/burgundies and darker greens. Neither Taccia ink disappoints.

I’d consider Taccia “Ebi” to be a solid burgundy/maroon option, if you prefer your burgundies with a lot of purple. Comparable colors would include Montblanc Burgundy Red (the closest match in my collection) and Sailor Oku-Yama (more pink/red and less purple). Colorverse Dark Energy has a lot more black to it.

“Uguisu” is an ink that’s going to get a lot of use. I’ve had a hard time finding a true “olive green” that isn’t too yellow and/or pale. By far the closest match in my collection is Sailor Jentle Epinard, since both inks have a slight red sheen to them, but the Uguisu is a shade lighter with enough yellow to make it a pure olive. Other comparable colors include Sailor Waka Uguisu (much lighter) and Monteverde Olivine (much darker, with nib crud issues).

Writing sample on Clairefontaine French Ruled A5 notebook. The tester pen for the Ebi was a KACO Retro, and a Parker 51 for the Uguisu.

Because Japanese pen company Sailor has made nibs for Taccia in the past, it begs the question: Are these Sailor inks? No. While these inks are made in Japan, I understand they’re manufactured by another company (Nabayashi), though the range of colors Taccia chose definitely bears some similarity to the Sailor Jentle/Pilot Iroshizuku lineup. The Taccia inks also behave somewhat differently. Both Ebi and Uguisu were slightly wetter than most Sailor inks I have used, though they still worked well on most types of paper, with the exception of the super-cheap recycled copy paper that is always loaded into one of my office printers. (Side Note: does anyone else have a situation at work where one printer has the “good paper” and other has the “terrible paper”? Apparently I have a reputation for backing up the “good printer” with print jobs because I refuse to use the bad one.)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Burgundy reds and olive greens are always two of my favorite colors, and I found both Taccia inks to be well-behaved. I’ve heard good reports about the brand in general. With Sailor upping their prices per ml by cutting bottle sizes in half, Taccia presents an attractive alternative by selling quality ink that behaves similarly at a lower price point. Vanness Pens currently stocks the entire line, and has 12 of the 13 inks in stock at $12 per 40ml bottle. I also expect that Lisa will be bringing Taccia inks to this weekend’s upcoming Atlanta Pen Show.

Many thanks to Vanness Pens for providing me with these two bottles of Taccia Ink (in exchange for helping to work the table at the Baltimore Pen Show).