Not sure if it will help with the color, but I had a sample I loved enough to get a bottle, and i was very disappointed by the bottle I received. After watching a Goulet Q&A where Brian shook a bottle of a Noodler’s before using it (i don’t remember which one, sorry) i decided to gently shake it (kind of rolled it around in my hands like a nail polish bottle) to mix it up, and the color is much nicer, so I just do that before filling it. I don’t know if that will help with performance issues, but just wanted to mention it in case you wanted to try it before completely giving it up. :)
You validated my experience with this ink. In fact, I threw away my full bottle of ink after watching your review. I had kept it for 6 months hoping that it would somehow get better. It did not, time to move on.
I was interested to follow your review of this ink, because it has been one of my go-to inks. I like blue-black inks and appreciate that this one has some permanence. It is, however, not as dark as most blue-blacks, and there are times I prefer another choice. But I enjoy that 54th Massachusetts is a little different in color. What really surprises me is the feathering and show through. My main paper is Rhodia 80 g/m2, and I never experience feathering, show through, or any ghosting. I just tried it again to make certain I hadn't been overlooking anything. While I occasionally use it in other pens, it is the main ink I use in my Platinum 3776 Century with Broad nib modified to Cursive Italic. I have had my bottle of 54th Massachusetts for a couple of years.
I recently queried a FaceBook Noodler's group about what was the wettest Noodler's ink. The winner by a large margin was 54th. Which makes me wonder if wetness is the same thing as bleedy/spready/feathery.
My issue with 54th is that it writes 2 sizes larger than the actual nib size. I have a Pilot Fine with 54th and a Yafa Medium, with PR American Blue, and they lay down the same size line. Under maginification it's clear the nib sizes are completely different.
I’ve found that nib size and feed flow are objective factors that are key in determining how these thinner inks lay down on the commonly used paper stock that we use to evaluate them. I just attempted the very same test using 54th Mass on Rhodia dot, using a German fine nib and feed (not a wet combo, nor excessively dry).... there indeed was ghosting, however no bleed-through was apparent. For me 54th Mass is a superb utility ink, which I use in my daily carry pens that don’t tend to be exceedingly wet writers. Case in point - “mileage” will vary based on the trifecta of nib size/ feed and ink viscosity.
I was surprised how he went for a high flow nib with an ink that is going down too fast. Pair the runny ink with a dry nip and a fine tip and you should have more control. For me as a sketchbook watercolor artist I can't sub in a less waterproof ink I am going to be wetting that down on watercolor paper.
I gave up on mine as well. The biggest issue I had with my bottle is that it performed like Elmer's glue - clogging, hard starts, gumming up the pen. Shame too cause I liked the color and the permanence. Also, and this is rare, it did well on Bible paper in an EF with no bleed or show through. That alone made it worth using for a while but I got tired of sacrificing pens for one application usefulness. On every other paper it was similar to what you experienced.
Very interesting! I used this ink about 8 years ago, and it was a nice blue-grey without any problems! Not only on Rhodia but also on Leuchtturm I had no bleeding problems. It is always the same with this very small companies, their inks chances from production run to the next. But this is really strange, since it is a completely other ink, than mine was. (Sorry for my bad english, I am German speaking. ) BTW just saw a review that was some years older than yours, and it was without any of your problems.
I enjoyed the demonstration you gave with the comparison of various manufacturers. I use 54th Mass all the time. I especially like the shade, which I consider a blue-gray, not a blue-black. I keep a diary in Mead 8.5 x 11 college-lined notebooks, and ALL the inks I use tend to feather a little in them; some bleed through quite a bit. I tend to favor blue-black inks: Parker, Diamine, & Waterman. I DO NOT care for the shimmer or glitter inks that are recently fashionable.
My experience with this ink as well. I've noticed that performance and color have changed since I shook it up. It didn't turn it into a useable ink, but it did make a difference. And by shake, I mean vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
Love honesty in videos like this! I think more people should upload content like this to show both pros and cons of this hobby. I agree with you on the feathering part, but I haven’t had much bleed through even on poor copy-paper. Which is why it’s my go-to Blue black ink for signing important documents. I also agree that it is a little faded/pale, but I see that more as a feature. It’s unique and stands out to me. Overall this was a lovely video, please do more like this!
My initial experience was exactly the same. I had bought a Pelikan M200, my first Pelikan, and I thought there was something wrong with my new pen. I was heart sick. Then I went online and heard people say that it was one of their favorite inks. You can not put this ink in a wet pen. I've had much better luck using this ink in pens like Pilots and Platinums. I've also had to adjust the way I write. I happen to like this color with it's darker color with a hint of grey. It also happens to be somewhat permanent. I almost threw it out and I am glad I did not.
Have you tried a drier nib for this ink? I do like the colour a lot jeje… 😅 The problem with Noodler’s is the inconsistency. I have heard it is actually on purpose, to add variance to each ink and prevent fraud.
I was given a complimentary bottle of 54th Mass a few years ago, when I placed an order with the Goulets - mine doesn't bleed and feather like that at all, so I wonder if that's a problem with your batch? It *is* a bit of a weird colour though - not a classic blue-black at all. And the "industrial chemical" smell the ink gives off - fall in a vat of the stuff and you'd probably wind up with super powers?? Thanks for the review - I hardly use my bottle either, and don't think I'll replace it when (if) I use it up...
I use this ink in my Twsbi mini with a 1.1mm stub on QuoVidas notebooks. No bleed through at all. I'd like to see a comparison using the same pen with different inks not different pens with different inks.
I've bought two bottles of 54th mass from Goulet in 2019, based on the numerous praises about this ink. I got exactly the same feathering issue as you do. After some research it seems that most ink reviews complaining about it are post-2018 so, probably a bad batch. Since then I'm very leery about buying Noodler's inks.
I don't have this currently inked, but I found where I'd used it in my Traveler's notebook and on Mnemosyne Maruman paper with none of these problems. I had used a Stipula Etruria with a wet medium nib on both papers. I think if I use it again it will be with a fine or extra-fine nib, but once I discovered Noodler's Navy I doubt if I will, as Navy is much more colorful to me.
CHRIS LJ This morning, I tested it on Tomoe, Maruman, Baron Fig, Apica, Wheat-straw and Traveler’s Notebook papers and it bled through all. The Tomoe had the best response, but still points came through. This is a bad batch of the ink, but thats not an excuse. I paid as much for it as anyone else, more than most actually as I had to get it to Australia. What annoys me more than the bleed is the spreading. Navy is awesome. Great colour and very solid performance.
@@theoffstageme Some of the reviews on Goulet Pen Co. state the same issues. I like regular Noodler's Blue also, and it's one of my favorites along with Diamine Majestic Blue. At least you have a lot of cool inks in the Robert Oster brand, and I enjoy Fire & Ice.
If you get a batch that comes out 2-3 nibs sizes bigger than it should just cut it with water. tap water if you want. In it's later years the mix just became over saturated.
I got a sample of this from Goulet, it worked properly, I fell in love instantly, then bought a bottle, but it had the same problems you described. Nathan Tardif botched that ink up. *Heartbreak*. I try to get a new bottle from time to time (Amazon so I can return it) to see if a better batch has come out, because if it's well made, like what I experienced from the initial sample, it's so beautiful. But I still see reviews on Goulet, Jetpens, and elsewhere talking about the same problems, which irks me to know that they'd sell this ink knowing it's such poor quality, and also that Noodler's wouldn't fix the problem. I talked to Noodler's directly about it and they gave me a brush-off/legal answer saying the ink was tested on paper properly and approved. But it feathered and spread on my Clairefontaine paper using a Pilot Metro-Fine : ( My Pilot Metro Medium was out of control writing like a BB.
Thank you, Mick. I like this ink a great deal but my bottle is about 4 years old. Batch? Nathan is fierce about consistency of properties but the universe tends towards entropy.
My bottle of 54th (purchased 2018 through Pure Pens) is exactly like this. A sample I had gotten earlier (2016 or 2017 through Goulet Pens) was bluer and less prone to bleeding. Go figure.
Agreed. Also getting a sample is useless with Noodler's as their batches have zero consistency in color, let alone consistent performance. So the sample you try and the bottle you buy could be totally different. Hope Noodler's works on quality control.
I really enjoyed your review. Straight to the point and honest. I'm a novice fountain pen hobbyist and this video makes me stay away from Noodler's. By the way, enjoyed your other videos too, especially the musing and pen collections!
@Shah Ahmad the point though is that at least with Noodler's inks you can know what the ink's special properties are. Get to know these properties and what they will mean for your particular application or pen/paper and you'll be in a better position to pick an ink that will meet your needs. Buy an ink from another company and you have no idea for example if it's lubricated or not, so you'll have no idea if it writes wet or dry. I think Noodler's inks can really help you learn these differences. I do use other inks too, but I hate not being able to know before buying what its properties are, just the color. But these other inks don't have the variety of properties like Noodler's inks. And they're not as economical either (price per ml). So overall, Noodler's inks win. Don't judge Noodler's inks by this one - just write it off as one ink with properties that aren't a good fit for you. Watch reviews on other Noodler's inks before you buy, would be my advice. I almost bought this one too and probably won't now. Noodler's Blue Black will likely be a better ink for me. There are for sure lots of Noodler's inks you'll absolutely love and be glad you tried. You wouldn't write off a car company just because they had one model that wasn't for you, right? ;-p Hope this encourages you to try again. Happy ink hunting.
I had the same experience. After trying a few pens, my Sailor Hi-Ace Neo with a fine steel nib (which cost less than the bottle of 54th Mass.) is now dedicated to this ink. Good for doing the crossword and ensures the ink won't be wasted.
I could never get my Ahab to write consistently with the flex nib, but I am not a big flex fan, so I put a regular No.6 nib on it, and it is beautiful and wet. If I put this ink in it, it would bleed through concrete!
I also have two Ahabs. One is a beast of a pen. It’s seems to fight me at every turn. Too much fiddling is needed to write even briefly. The other I put a Goulet #6 nib and overall it writes very well. Very hard start though. The ink consistently dries in the nib between uses.
Not my experience. I have used my 54th with several different pens with the same resulting problem, yet these same pens have no problem with other inks. Maybe I got a bad bottle.
Great review--thanks. Frustrating to get ink that looks and acts like it was watered down. I think I'd be using that bottle to fill a Pentel Aquash brush--it's useless for fountain pens in that condition.
I agree. This was one of my more disappointing ink purchases. It smeared, bled and feathered like crazy on any and all paper. It was unusable. Plus I didn’t like the color. Thanks for putting this video out there.
It is the only bottle of ink I regret buying, too, for pretty much the same reasons mentioned: bleeding, feathering, dries and clogs the nib, dries and gunks the converter, and the color is horrible. This must be the most over-hyped ink on the internet. For anyone else regretting their purchase, I have found that it can be made (barely) usable if you add water to it, up to 50% - of course then you end up with twice the (already huge) amount of a still bad ink...
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Not sure if it will help with the color, but I had a sample I loved enough to get a bottle, and i was very disappointed by the bottle I received. After watching a Goulet Q&A where Brian shook a bottle of a Noodler’s before using it (i don’t remember which one, sorry) i decided to gently shake it (kind of rolled it around in my hands like a nail polish bottle) to mix it up, and the color is much nicer, so I just do that before filling it. I don’t know if that will help with performance issues, but just wanted to mention it in case you wanted to try it before completely giving it up. :)
You validated my experience with this ink. In fact, I threw away my full bottle of ink after watching your review. I had kept it for 6 months hoping that it would somehow get better. It did not, time to move on.
I had a similar experience and it was a great learning experience for me. I gave my bottle of 54th Mass away.
I was interested to follow your review of this ink, because it has been one of my go-to inks. I like blue-black inks and appreciate that this one has some permanence. It is, however, not as dark as most blue-blacks, and there are times I prefer another choice. But I enjoy that 54th Massachusetts is a little different in color.
What really surprises me is the feathering and show through. My main paper is Rhodia 80 g/m2, and I never experience feathering, show through, or any ghosting. I just tried it again to make certain I hadn't been overlooking anything.
While I occasionally use it in other pens, it is the main ink I use in my Platinum 3776 Century with Broad nib modified to Cursive Italic. I have had my bottle of 54th Massachusetts for a couple of years.
I recently queried a FaceBook Noodler's group about what was the wettest Noodler's ink. The winner by a large margin was 54th. Which makes me wonder if wetness is the same thing as bleedy/spready/feathery.
My issue with 54th is that it writes 2 sizes larger than the actual nib size. I have a Pilot Fine with 54th and a Yafa Medium, with PR American Blue, and they lay down the same size line. Under maginification it's clear the nib sizes are completely different.
I’ve found that nib size and feed flow are objective factors that are key in determining how these thinner inks lay down on the commonly used paper stock that we use to evaluate them. I just attempted the very same test using 54th Mass on Rhodia dot, using a German fine nib and feed (not a wet combo, nor excessively dry).... there indeed was ghosting, however no bleed-through was apparent. For me 54th Mass is a superb utility ink, which I use in my daily carry pens that don’t tend to be exceedingly wet writers.
Case in point - “mileage” will vary based on the trifecta of nib size/ feed and ink viscosity.
I was surprised how he went for a high flow nib with an ink that is going down too fast. Pair the runny ink with a dry nip and a fine tip and you should have more control. For me as a sketchbook watercolor artist I can't sub in a less waterproof ink I am going to be wetting that down on watercolor paper.
I gave up on mine as well. The biggest issue I had with my bottle is that it performed like Elmer's glue - clogging, hard starts, gumming up the pen. Shame too cause I liked the color and the permanence. Also, and this is rare, it did well on Bible paper in an EF with no bleed or show through. That alone made it worth using for a while but I got tired of sacrificing pens for one application usefulness. On every other paper it was similar to what you experienced.
Very interesting! I used this ink about 8 years ago, and it was a nice blue-grey without any problems! Not only on Rhodia but also on Leuchtturm I had no bleeding problems. It is always the same with this very small companies, their inks chances from production run to the next. But this is really strange, since it is a completely other ink, than mine was. (Sorry for my bad english, I am German speaking. )
BTW just saw a review that was some years older than yours, and it was without any of your problems.
I enjoyed the demonstration you gave with the comparison of various manufacturers. I use 54th Mass all the time. I especially like the shade, which I consider a blue-gray, not a blue-black. I keep a diary in Mead 8.5 x 11 college-lined notebooks, and ALL the inks I use tend to feather a little in them; some bleed through quite a bit. I tend to favor blue-black inks: Parker, Diamine, & Waterman. I DO NOT care for the shimmer or glitter inks that are recently fashionable.
My experience with this ink as well. I've noticed that performance and color have changed since I shook it up. It didn't turn it into a useable ink, but it did make a difference. And by shake, I mean vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
Love honesty in videos like this! I think more people should upload content like this to show both pros and cons of this hobby.
I agree with you on the feathering part, but I haven’t had much bleed through even on poor copy-paper. Which is why it’s my go-to Blue black ink for signing important documents. I also agree that it is a little faded/pale, but I see that more as a feature. It’s unique and stands out to me. Overall this was a lovely video, please do more like this!
My initial experience was exactly the same. I had bought a Pelikan M200, my first Pelikan, and I thought there was something wrong with my new pen. I was heart sick. Then I went online and heard people say that it was one of their favorite inks. You can not put this ink in a wet pen. I've had much better luck using this ink in pens like Pilots and Platinums. I've also had to adjust the way I write. I happen to like this color with it's darker color with a hint of grey. It also happens to be somewhat permanent. I almost threw it out and I am glad I did not.
Have you tried a drier nib for this ink? I do like the colour a lot jeje… 😅 The problem with Noodler’s is the inconsistency. I have heard it is actually on purpose, to add variance to each ink and prevent fraud.
I was given a complimentary bottle of 54th Mass a few years ago, when I placed an order with the Goulets - mine doesn't bleed and feather like that at all, so I wonder if that's a problem with your batch? It *is* a bit of a weird colour though - not a classic blue-black at all. And the "industrial chemical" smell the ink gives off - fall in a vat of the stuff and you'd probably wind up with super powers??
Thanks for the review - I hardly use my bottle either, and don't think I'll replace it when (if) I use it up...
dark blue is the same color of blue-black？
thanks
I use this ink in my Twsbi mini with a 1.1mm stub on QuoVidas notebooks. No bleed through at all. I'd like to see a comparison using the same pen with different inks not different pens with different inks.
I've bought two bottles of 54th mass from Goulet in 2019, based on the numerous praises about this ink.
I got exactly the same feathering issue as you do. After some research it seems that most ink reviews complaining about it are post-2018 so, probably a bad batch. Since then I'm very leery about buying Noodler's inks.
I have a few Noodlers inks I love: Zhivago and Lexington Grey... but 54th made no sense to me
I don't have this currently inked, but I found where I'd used it in my Traveler's notebook and on Mnemosyne Maruman paper with none of these problems. I had used a Stipula Etruria with a wet medium nib on both papers. I think if I use it again it will be with a fine or extra-fine nib, but once I discovered Noodler's Navy I doubt if I will, as Navy is much more colorful to me.
CHRIS LJ This morning, I tested it on Tomoe, Maruman, Baron Fig, Apica, Wheat-straw and Traveler’s Notebook papers and it bled through all. The Tomoe had the best response, but still points came through. This is a bad batch of the ink, but thats not an excuse. I paid as much for it as anyone else, more than most actually as I had to get it to Australia. What annoys me more than the bleed is the spreading. Navy is awesome. Great colour and very solid performance.
@@theoffstageme
Some of the reviews on Goulet Pen Co. state the same issues. I like regular Noodler's Blue also, and it's one of my favorites along with Diamine Majestic Blue. At least you have a lot of cool inks in the Robert Oster brand, and I enjoy Fire & Ice.
If you get a batch that comes out 2-3 nibs sizes bigger than it should just cut it with water. tap water if you want. In it's later years the mix just became over saturated.
I had a similar experience, the color of my ink didn’t match tests I had seen online and on TH-cam.
To each their own. I really enjoy the color, BUT for me, it's almost too wet for every kind of paper I've tried.
I got a sample of this from Goulet, it worked properly, I fell in love instantly, then bought a bottle, but it had the same problems you described. Nathan Tardif botched that ink up. *Heartbreak*. I try to get a new bottle from time to time (Amazon so I can return it) to see if a better batch has come out, because if it's well made, like what I experienced from the initial sample, it's so beautiful.
But I still see reviews on Goulet, Jetpens, and elsewhere talking about the same problems, which irks me to know that they'd sell this ink knowing it's such poor quality, and also that Noodler's wouldn't fix the problem. I talked to Noodler's directly about it and they gave me a brush-off/legal answer saying the ink was tested on paper properly and approved. But it feathered and spread on my Clairefontaine paper using a Pilot Metro-Fine : ( My Pilot Metro Medium was out of control writing like a BB.
Thank you, Mick. I like this ink a great deal but my bottle is about 4 years old. Batch? Nathan is fierce about consistency of properties but the universe tends towards entropy.
My bottle of 54th (purchased 2018 through Pure Pens) is exactly like this. A sample I had gotten earlier (2016 or 2017 through Goulet Pens) was bluer and less prone to bleeding. Go figure.
I agreed with your experience. This ink should be taken off the market!! I love every Noodler's inks I bought, this one is bad, bad, bad.
Agreed. Also getting a sample is useless with Noodler's as their batches have zero consistency in color, let alone consistent performance. So the sample you try and the bottle you buy could be totally different. Hope Noodler's works on quality control.
Very helpful, thank you.
I had the exact same impression about this ink, although mine was just a sample! I love Noodler's, but 54th was not very exciting
Perhaps you got a bad batch. I had no feathering or bleed-through with Noodler's 54th on Rhodia No 16 Dot paper.
I really enjoyed your review. Straight to the point and honest. I'm a novice fountain pen hobbyist and this video makes me stay away from Noodler's. By the way, enjoyed your other videos too, especially the musing and pen collections!
@Shah Ahmad the point though is that at least with Noodler's inks you can know what the ink's special properties are. Get to know these properties and what they will mean for your particular application or pen/paper and you'll be in a better position to pick an ink that will meet your needs. Buy an ink from another company and you have no idea for example if it's lubricated or not, so you'll have no idea if it writes wet or dry. I think Noodler's inks can really help you learn these differences. I do use other inks too, but I hate not being able to know before buying what its properties are, just the color. But these other inks don't have the variety of properties like Noodler's inks. And they're not as economical either (price per ml). So overall, Noodler's inks win. Don't judge Noodler's inks by this one - just write it off as one ink with properties that aren't a good fit for you. Watch reviews on other Noodler's inks before you buy, would be my advice. I almost bought this one too and probably won't now. Noodler's Blue Black will likely be a better ink for me. There are for sure lots of Noodler's inks you'll absolutely love and be glad you tried. You wouldn't write off a car company just because they had one model that wasn't for you, right? ;-p
Hope this encourages you to try again. Happy ink hunting.
I did not follow your advice, and I bought this. Now, it feathers like crazy. I cannot use it anymore. I will throw it away.
Finally a review of this ink that matches my own experience. So I'm not crazy after all. Yay!
I had the same experience. After trying a few pens, my Sailor Hi-Ace Neo with a fine steel nib (which cost less than the bottle of 54th Mass.) is now dedicated to this ink. Good for doing the crossword and ensures the ink won't be wasted.
I find their pens have variable quality as well. Two Ahabs, one worked okay with a bit of fiddling, and the other never produced a single world.
I could never get my Ahab to write consistently with the flex nib, but I am not a big flex fan, so I put a regular No.6 nib on it, and it is beautiful and wet. If I put this ink in it, it would bleed through concrete!
I also have two Ahabs. One is a beast of a pen. It’s seems to fight me at every turn. Too much fiddling is needed to write even briefly. The other I put a Goulet #6 nib and overall it writes very well. Very hard start though. The ink consistently dries in the nib between uses.
Mine dries out on the nib within a few days and creates start-up problems.
Not my experience. I have used my 54th with several different pens with the same resulting problem, yet these same pens have no problem with other inks. Maybe I got a bad bottle.
Sounds like you got a bad bottle, like my brother. I'm not impressed with Noodler's QC
Noodler’s is always a crap shoot. Color and performance vary drastically from bottle to bottle. Samples are therefore not that helpful.
Great review--thanks. Frustrating to get ink that looks and acts like it was watered down. I think I'd be using that bottle to fill a Pentel Aquash brush--it's useless for fountain pens in that condition.
I agree. This was one of my more disappointing ink purchases. It smeared, bled and feathered like crazy on any and all paper. It was unusable. Plus I didn’t like the color. Thanks for putting this video out there.
It is the only bottle of ink I regret buying, too, for pretty much the same reasons mentioned: bleeding, feathering, dries and clogs the nib, dries and gunks the converter, and the color is horrible. This must be the most over-hyped ink on the internet. For anyone else regretting their purchase, I have found that it can be made (barely) usable if you add water to it, up to 50% - of course then you end up with twice the (already huge) amount of a still bad ink...