Noodler's Burgundy and other wine or red-hued inks...

[The following notes were posted at the Pentrace message board as part of a
discussion on Burgundy-coloured and red inks. It started as a comparison
between Noodlers Burgundy and Skrip NOS Burgundy. I received many private
e-mail comments, and some suggested I post the note here. After the fourth
suggestion, I decided to do so. I hope it pleases.]

-----

I have not been able to dip into or buy a bottle of Noodler's Beaver. Art
Brown in NYC seems to have sold out early on, and has not yet received a
new shipment of it. I bought bottles of the Burgundy (original formula),
Nightshade, Tiananmen Red, and Red-Black. I also have a few bottles of
Montblanc's Bordeaux. I have never tried the NOS skrip Burgundy.

My impressions are as follow:

(All, unless otherwise noted, refer to the respective ink in a
medium-nibbed Pelikan 250)

Nightshade is a saturated, dark-grape purple (I am not familiar with the
poisonous plant that, I am told, lends its name to the ink); it has very
little red in it. I find few--if any--highlights, and shading is, to my
eyes, almost completely absent. An ink of very high contrast on any
light-coloured paper, it establishes a really pleasant harmony with yellow
legal-pad paper. I use it with finer nibs, which render it more transparent
and subtle. But I can see people loving it for its nocturnal
relentlessness, on broader nibs. It imposes a sumptuous, altisonant tone on
the paper.

Red-Black is a luscious, misterious, complex colour. Not a wine hue, more
like a black with, expressive--I almost want to say
passionate--dark-blood-red highlights. Its rich shading is wonderful and so
is flow. You must wait for this ink to dry, in order to see its full
potential. (By the way, the black content of this ink stays put after a
water test, making the writing quite water resistant, even if the colour
complexity is not waterproof.)

Tiananmen Red is a saturated, chinese-lacquer type of red. Not a wine hue
at all, but quite expressive nonetheless. It has enough light in it to be
used as an eyecatching underliner, lending a merry elegance to something
like Noodler's Red-Black. Especially beautiful on its own on off-white,
aged-looking or beigish paper. Italics and Broads bring out soft, textured
shadings, but it stands nicely on its own even with finer nibs, if here the
shading becomes rather homogeneous. It is a definite, central red, with
quite some texture and no orange in it.

The first-stock Burgundy feels more like writing with a tawny port than
with French wine. While there are obvious rust and terracotta hues under
its blush surface, I have to struggle to find the purples. This ink is
quite red for its name, and though it has a richer feel and higher, blunter
contrast than the Montblanc Bordeaux, it is also less subtle. (I seem to be
the only person on earth that reckons MB's watercolour-like, soft-grained,
shady, soberly muted hue beautiful. Right out of a Chardin, or a Watteau).
If you are after reminiscences of wine, I think the MB will speak louder to
you. It actually becomes crisp when used with fine nibs, mellowing with
broads or Italics, as it fills with plush mauve resonances, a certain
gouache quality and a myriad of shades. It has an antique look, very sober
and elegant, like vintage leather. If, on the other hand, you are after a
crisper, more vibrant, ruddier, colour, then Noodler's youthful, assertive
hue will work better for you. I love this ink with mediums, broads and
Italics, since these, in different degrees bring out the rich, red-earth
shadings. It definitely belongs in a more obvious palette than the MB; it
also has greater saturation, hence the starker contrast.

I would love to be able to see the NOS skrip Burgundy in a posted
handwritten sample or, even better, try it myself.

RA

My impressions are as follow:

(All, unless otherwise noted, refer to the respective ink in a
medium-nibbed Pelikan 250)

Nightshade is a saturated, dark-grape purple (I am not familiar with the
poisonous plant that, I am told, lends its name to the ink); it has very
little red in it. I find few--if any--highlights, and shading is, to my
eyes, almost completely absent. An ink of very high contrast on any
light-coloured paper, it establishes a really pleasant harmony with yellow
legal-pad paper. I use it with finer nibs, which render it more transparent
and subtle. But I can see people loving it for its nocturnal
relentlessness, on broader nibs. It imposes a sumptuous, altisonant tone on
the paper.

Red-Black is a luscious, misterious, complex colour. Not a wine hue, more
like a black with, expressive--I almost want to say
passionate--dark-blood-red highlights. Its rich shading is wonderful and so
is flow. You must wait for this ink to dry, in order to see its full
potential. (By the way, the black content of this ink stays put after a
water test, making the writing quite water resistant, even if the colour
complexity is not waterproof.)

Tiananmen Red is a saturated, chinese-lacquer type of red. Not a wine hue
at all, but quite expressive nonetheless. It has enough light in it to be
used as an eyecatching underliner, lending a merry elegance to something
like Noodler's Red-Black. Especially beautiful on its own on off-white,
aged-looking or beigish paper. Italics and Broads bring out soft, textured
shadings, but it stands nicely on its own even with finer nibs, if here the
shading becomes rather homogeneous. It is a definite, central red, with
quite some texture and no orange in it.

The first-stock Burgundy feels more like writing with a tawny port than
with French wine. While there are obvious rust and terracotta hues under
its blush surface, I have to struggle to find the purples. This ink is
quite red for its name, and though it has a richer feel and higher, blunter
contrast than the Montblanc Bordeaux, it is also less subtle. (I seem to be
the only person on earth that reckons MB's watercolour-like, soft-grained,
shady, soberly muted hue beautiful. Right out of a Chardin, or a Watteau).
If you are after reminiscences of wine, I think the MB will speak louder to
you. It actually becomes crisp when used with fine nibs, mellowing with
broads or Italics, as it fills with plush mauve resonances, a certain
gouache quality and a myriad of shades. It has an antique look, very sober
and elegant, like vintage leather. If, on the other hand, you are after a
crisper, more vibrant, ruddier, colour, then Noodler's youthful, assertive
hue will work better for you. I love this ink with mediums, broads and
Italics, since these, in different degrees bring out the rich, red-earth
shadings. It definitely belongs in a more obvious palette than the MB; it
also has greater saturation, hence the starker contrast.

I would love to be able to see the NOS skrip Burgundy in a posted
handwritten sample or, even better, try it myself.

RA

I accidentally an over-pasted article at the head of this thread.
Inexperience is unforgiving. My apologies.

RA

Swisher has the Beaver, I ordered it today.

"Rara Avis" wrote in message
...
[The following notes were posted at the Pentrace message board as part of
a
discussion on Burgundy-coloured and red inks. It started as a comparison
between Noodlers Burgundy and Skrip NOS Burgundy. I received many private
e-mail comments, and some suggested I post the note here. After the fourth
suggestion, I decided to do so. I hope it pleases.]

-----

I have not been able to dip into or buy a bottle of Noodler's Beaver. Art
Brown in NYC seems to have sold out early on, and has not yet received a
new shipment of it. I bought bottles of the Burgundy (original formula),
Nightshade, Tiananmen Red, and Red-Black. I also have a few bottles of
Montblanc's Bordeaux. I have never tried the NOS skrip Burgundy.

My impressions are as follow:

(All, unless otherwise noted, refer to the respective ink in a
medium-nibbed Pelikan 250)

Nightshade is a saturated, dark-grape purple (I am not familiar with the
poisonous plant that, I am told, lends its name to the ink); it has very
little red in it. I find few--if any--highlights, and shading is, to my
eyes, almost completely absent. An ink of very high contrast on any
light-coloured paper, it establishes a really pleasant harmony with yellow
legal-pad paper. I use it with finer nibs, which render it more
transparent
and subtle. But I can see people loving it for its nocturnal
relentlessness, on broader nibs. It imposes a sumptuous, altisonant tone
on
the paper.

Red-Black is a luscious, misterious, complex colour. Not a wine hue, more
like a black with, expressive--I almost want to say
passionate--dark-blood-red highlights. Its rich shading is wonderful and
so
is flow. You must wait for this ink to dry, in order to see its full
potential. (By the way, the black content of this ink stays put after a
water test, making the writing quite water resistant, even if the colour
complexity is not waterproof.)

Tiananmen Red is a saturated, chinese-lacquer type of red. Not a wine hue
at all, but quite expressive nonetheless. It has enough light in it to be
used as an eyecatching underliner, lending a merry elegance to something
like Noodler's Red-Black. Especially beautiful on its own on off-white,
aged-looking or beigish paper. Italics and Broads bring out soft, textured
shadings, but it stands nicely on its own even with finer nibs, if here
the
shading becomes rather homogeneous. It is a definite, central red, with
quite some texture and no orange in it.

The first-stock Burgundy feels more like writing with a tawny port than
with French wine. While there are obvious rust and terracotta hues under
its blush surface, I have to struggle to find the purples. This ink is
quite red for its name, and though it has a richer feel and higher,
blunter
contrast than the Montblanc Bordeaux, it is also less subtle. (I seem to
be
the only person on earth that reckons MB's watercolour-like, soft-grained,
shady, soberly muted hue beautiful. Right out of a Chardin, or a Watteau).
If you are after reminiscences of wine, I think the MB will speak louder
to
you. It actually becomes crisp when used with fine nibs, mellowing with
broads or Italics, as it fills with plush mauve resonances, a certain
gouache quality and a myriad of shades. It has an antique look, very sober
and elegant, like vintage leather. If, on the other hand, you are after a
crisper, more vibrant, ruddier, colour, then Noodler's youthful, assertive
hue will work better for you. I love this ink with mediums, broads and
Italics, since these, in different degrees bring out the rich, red-earth
shadings. It definitely belongs in a more obvious palette than the MB; it
also has greater saturation, hence the starker contrast.

I would love to be able to see the NOS skrip Burgundy in a posted
handwritten sample or, even better, try it myself.

RA

My impressions are as follow:

(All, unless otherwise noted, refer to the respective ink in a
medium-nibbed Pelikan 250)

Nightshade is a saturated, dark-grape purple (I am not familiar with the
poisonous plant that, I am told, lends its name to the ink); it has very
little red in it. I find few--if any--highlights, and shading is, to my
eyes, almost completely absent. An ink of very high contrast on any
light-coloured paper, it establishes a really pleasant harmony with yellow
legal-pad paper. I use it with finer nibs, which render it more
transparent
and subtle. But I can see people loving it for its nocturnal
relentlessness, on broader nibs. It imposes a sumptuous, altisonant tone
on
the paper.

Red-Black is a luscious, misterious, complex colour. Not a wine hue, more
like a black with, expressive--I almost want to say
passionate--dark-blood-red highlights. Its rich shading is wonderful and
so
is flow. You must wait for this ink to dry, in order to see its full
potential. (By the way, the black content of this ink stays put after a
water test, making the writing quite water resistant, even if the colour
complexity is not waterproof.)

Tiananmen Red is a saturated, chinese-lacquer type of red. Not a wine hue
at all, but quite expressive nonetheless. It has enough light in it to be
used as an eyecatching underliner, lending a merry elegance to something
like Noodler's Red-Black. Especially beautiful on its own on off-white,
aged-looking or beigish paper. Italics and Broads bring out soft, textured
shadings, but it stands nicely on its own even with finer nibs, if here
the
shading becomes rather homogeneous. It is a definite, central red, with
quite some texture and no orange in it.

The first-stock Burgundy feels more like writing with a tawny port than
with French wine. While there are obvious rust and terracotta hues under
its blush surface, I have to struggle to find the purples. This ink is
quite red for its name, and though it has a richer feel and higher,
blunter
contrast than the Montblanc Bordeaux, it is also less subtle. (I seem to
be
the only person on earth that reckons MB's watercolour-like, soft-grained,
shady, soberly muted hue beautiful. Right out of a Chardin, or a Watteau).
If you are after reminiscences of wine, I think the MB will speak louder
to
you. It actually becomes crisp when used with fine nibs, mellowing with
broads or Italics, as it fills with plush mauve resonances, a certain
gouache quality and a myriad of shades. It has an antique look, very sober
and elegant, like vintage leather. If, on the other hand, you are after a
crisper, more vibrant, ruddier, colour, then Noodler's youthful, assertive
hue will work better for you. I love this ink with mediums, broads and
Italics, since these, in different degrees bring out the rich, red-earth
shadings. It definitely belongs in a more obvious palette than the MB; it
also has greater saturation, hence the starker contrast.

I would love to be able to see the NOS skrip Burgundy in a posted
handwritten sample or, even better, try it myself.

RA