Do you have any inks that you wanted to buy after reading great reviews that turned out less exciting than expected?
My biggest disappointment is Diamine Skull & Roses. After seeing swatches online I expected a blue ink with a visible red sheen. Unfortunately the sheen is just not there at all, it looks like an average dark blue ink, not even blurple. I’m glad I’ve only bought the 30 ml bottle.
Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts. I love the color and the permanence characteristics. But it is waaaay too much of a gusher. I’ve read that there is some inconsistency between batches, so I periodically order a sample just to see if it’s changed. It never has for me. I even get some bleed through on really nice papers like Tomoe River.
I’ve turned to Sailor Souboku as an alternative permanent dark gray-blue.
Inconsistencies is one way to put it gently. I had one bottle that was a mid to dark teal and another that was closer to the standard blue black.
No kidding. I see it occasionally on “Best Of” videos and I just never understand why.
I don’t know about content from recent years, especially from YouTube. For older content, there were a lot less choice for ink brands back in the early 2010s when 54th first came out. The tone was a little more pro-Noodler’s back then to my admittedly poor recollection. I reckon people put up with more due to the smaller market. Don’t get me wrong, Noodler’s was still controversial especially at Fountain Pen Network for the ink properties. Those were the days Noodler’s got the reputation for melting sacs and Lamy Safari feeds. If you want a blast from the past, find Nathan’s lengthy rant defending BSB. Noodler’s was also one of the few (if not the only one) making highly saturated inks. It would be a long time before Nathan would be called out for his other issues. I think people didn’t complain nearly as hard about the inconsistencies between batches and definitely not about that other problem. We are absolutely spoiled for choice these days.
How the ink is still a best of video these days? Beats me. I’m honestly shocked to hear this, but usually I avoid best of videos. I really only watch reviews of specific products I’m interested in these days.
Agreed. There’s definitely a place for some Noodler’s inks in my collection, but they’re much more peripheral now. There’s not a single ink of Nathan’s that is a go-to for me anymore. And I do think that’s a function of the improving market.