Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-ryoku Fountain Pen Ink Review

Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-ryoku

So first I want to start by saying that 50ml of this ink retails for $35 and can be had online for $28.  In my experience Pilot Iroshizuku inks are well behaved and have a satisfactory flow.  I am not certain however, that the consistent quality and beautiful bottle justify the price.  I have found that other inks half the price are as good or better in some cases.  My point: don’t think that for $35 you are going to get some kind of magical ink that is beyond the rest.  If you fall in love with one of the Iroshizuku colors, go for it you wont be disappointed.

On to Shin-ryoku:

This ink in my opinion is very close to J. Herbin Lierre de Sauvage (I would do a comparison but my bottle had mold in it so I threw it out *harumph*).  The translation of the name is “forest green” and the color is quite nice, particularly vibrant when wet.  When it dries it ends up looking a bit flat which is disappointing.  Shin-ryoku offers some nice shading (harder to see with the fine nib on my Cross) and like all Iroshizuku inks I have tried, no issues with feathering.  Dry time is faster than most inks on Maruman Smooth-To-Write paper.  The ink is not waterproof.  I wont be purchasing a bottle of this one as Lierre de Sauvage is more vibrant when dried (I will be crossing my fingers that my next bottle wont have a mold problem).

Here are some great reviews of Shin-ryoku:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Pen Paper Ink Letter – Quick Handwritten Ink Review: Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Ryoku

Inked Up and Happy – Review: Shin-ryoku – Iroshizuku

Pentulant – INK REVIEW: Pilot Iroshizuku – Shin Ryoku

 Lady Dandelion – Iroshizuku Shin-ryoku & Eight Other Greens

 

J. Herbin Perle Noire Fountain Pen Ink Review

J. Herbin Perle Noir
Left the “e” off of Noire…just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

 

J. Herbin Perle Noire has been my go to black ink for the last few years.  Perle Noire is a dark black ink that is very well behaved.  There is not much in the way of shading and I have had no issues with feathering.   The flow is average.  Dry time is faster than normal and ink is not waterproof but I have read that is is water resistant.  The ink did fade with drops of water but it did not completely disappear like other inks.  The only ink that comes close is Aurora Black which may even be a slight bit darker, however, in my experience Perle Noir is better behaved.

If you know of a better black ink please let me know.

Here is a great review of J. Herbin Perle Noire:

(I have no affiliation with the site linked below)

Wonder Pens – J. Herbin Perle Noire Ink Review

 

 

 

Noodler’s Blue Eel Fountain Pen Ink Review

Noodler's Blue Eel

Noodler’s Blue Eel is a lubricated ink that is designed to improve the flow of your fountain pen.  I was surprised by how much I ended up liking the color of the ink; it’s a real bright and saturated blue.  The flow is heavier as you would expect from a lubricated ink but so far has not caused problems with any of the papers I regularly use.  No real issues with bleeding or feathering.  Dry time is on the average to slow side and it is not waterproof.  This is easily one of my favorite blues.

Noodler's Blue Eel
Writing sample on Maruman Smooth-To-Write loose leaf paper.

 

Here are some great reviews of Noodler’s Blue Eel:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Dizzy Pen – Noodler’s Eel Blue

Pentulant –  INK REVIEW: Noodler’s Blue Eel

Future Nostalgic – Review: Noodler’s Eel Lubricating Ink

 Inkdependence! – Noodler’s Blue Eel

Montblanc Permanent Blue Ink Review

Montblanc Permanent Ink

Montblanc has released two new permanent inks, Permanent Blue and Permanent Black.  Both of these new inks are ISO 14145-2 certified; this is the same standard applied to roller ball refills with permanent ink suitable for documents.  Montblanc Mightnight Blue was previously formulated as a permanent ink but I do not believe it held this same ISO certification.  The new Midnight Blue is no longer permanent.  Interestingly, the Permanent Black costs $28 while the Permanent Blue costs $17 (same as the other MB inks).  I went for the Blue because the saleswomen couldn’t explain to me why the black was worth an extra $11 (…if someone knows why please let me know).

Montblanc Permanent Ink

The branding on the these new permanent inks is a little bit different.  The boxes and labels on the bottles are white instead of the normal black with a color fade.  The permanent inks use the same great 60ml Montblanc bottle which has a little hump in the middle making it easy to fill your pen when the bottle is low.  Montblanc does an all around superb job with their packaging.  There is an expiration date on the box and bottle which is a feature I love.

Montblanc Permanent Blue

Permanent Blue is a nice true blue color with some shading.  Permanent inks tend to write on the dry side and MB Permanent Blue is no exception.  The flow was comparable to the R&K Salix (permanent) ink but noticeably dryer than the Waterman Florida Blue.  I saw no feathering in my test and the ink had an average dry time on the Maruman Smooth-To-Write paper.  I have tested the ink and it is completely waterproof.  I dripped water on the word “Waterproof?” and the result is what you see below.  Overall I really like this ink.  I am going to see how it behaves in my Pilot VP for a couple of weeks and if I don’t run into any issues with clogging as I have with some other permanent inks, I will use it regularly.

Montblanc Permanent Ink

Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang Ink Review

Noodler's Qui Shi Huang

Noodler’s Qin Shi Huang is rich red with a bit of a pink hue.  The flow is average but this ink seems to feather quite a lot on the Maruman Smooth to Write paper I used for the written review.  I tried this ink on a Rhodia No.18 pad and my Exacompta FAF pad and there was less but still noticeable feathering.  I have heard of feathering issues even with extra fine nibs which is too bad because this ink is beautiful. There is some shading and the ink is fluorescent.  Qin Shi Huang is not waterproof and has an average dry time.  I really love the color of this ink but the feathering even on high quality paper is a turn off.

Noodler’s Antietam Ink Review

I am rarely a fan of orange inks but Noodler’s Antietam is special.  Antietam is a very unusual rust orange/red with great shading.  I have been using Antietam this last week and I love it.  The color varies red to orange in different pens and on different paper; it is a real chameleon ink.  The flow is good, not too dry not too wet.

Noodler's Anitetam Ink

I tested this ink on Maruman Smooth to Write paper (my go-to for use with fountain pens) and used dry cotton swabs to test the dry time.  Even after 90 seconds it wouldn’t fully dry; I got bored and gave up.  The Maruman paper is quite smooth and for most ink I see an average dry time around 15-25 seconds.  I did try later on more absorbent Exacompta 60gsm paper and it was near dry in 15 seconds and completely dry in 25.  The ink is not waterproof; to test this I waited 5 minutes for the ink to dry and wiped the paper with a damp cotton swab.  If you can put up with the long dry time Noodler’s Antietam is definitely worth a try.

Here are some great reviews of Noodler’s Antietam Ink:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

The Eccentric Orange Gentleman – Noodler’s Antietam

NakedSushi – Noodler’s Ink Antietam

Goldspot Pens – Noodler’s Antietam Ink Review

The Pen Addict – Review: Noodler’s Antietam ink