Noodler's Blue Nose Bear - Ink Sample
2ml sample of Noodler's Blue Nose Bear fountain pen ink, in a labeled plastic vial. This is a fairly unconventional fountain pen ink, as it has two colors in one. It's a light blue with a teal undertone, and the light blue fluoresces under UV (blacklight).
- Condition
- New
- Brand
- Noodler's
- Type
- Ink Samples
- Color
- Turquoise
- Fast Drying
- No
- Fluorescent
- Yes
- Shimmer
Whether or not the ink contains glittery particles.
- No
- Freeze Resistant
Whether or not an ink is specially formulated to better withstand freezing temperatures.
- No
- Volume
- 2ml
- Iron Gall
Ink made from iron salts and tannic acids. Though quite permanent and waterproof, these inks are typically known for causing chemical corrosion to metal pen parts (especially the nib) and should be used sparingly or with less-valuable pens.
- No
- Lubricated
Whether or not an ink is specially formulated to increase flow in your pen.
- No
- Pigmented
Whether or not the ink contains finely-ground solid particles in liquid suspension.
- No
- Scented
- No
- Water Resistant
Whether or not the ink, once dried on the paper, will resist being washed away with water.
- Yes
Customer Reviews
First, to fair, as ink BNB is fine. It's very wet, but I've run into that in Noodler's inks before. It's quite water-resistant, though not as immovable as their Bulletproof Black. The base turquoise color is lovely. I had never tried a high-shading ink before this sample. "Might be interesting," I thought. But when I saw how extreme and unpredictable the shading is, I had a very negative emotional reaction, best summed up as, "Ick! Ick, ick, ick. Get this out of my pen!"I will never try a high-shading ink again. Not Blue Nose Bear's fault, nor Goulet pens, nor Noodler's. If you like this sort of thing, enjoy! But I'm only sampling inks that are as low on the shading scale as I can find in future.
I will be buying a full bottle for sure. It's a pretty light blue or teal ink that has darker flecks of a black/grey color. It granulates in the more saturated areas of your writing similarly to watercolor paint. So pretty and it's still easy to read - at least on the paper I use (Life Noble). I will use it journaling and for regular notes. Very nice ink and it doesn't bleed through for me or feather.
At first it was love at first sight. Just clear but vibrant turquoise, gorgeous ! it feathers not that much but with a very nice halo although it bleeds a lot. The best nib to write with is a fine (maybe extra fine)... but you barely see the color so... if you don't like feathers and bleed thru pass your way (ink tried on rhodia/clairefontaine paper and tomoe river paper 68). I love the color, and that can be a perfect ink for artist and art journaling, not so much for daily writing or journaling.
This is a fun ink. It dries fast and is very waterproof. I'm giving serious thought to buying a bottle.
I recently received a sample of this ink after purchasing multiple 'surprise me' samples from Goulet. Honestly, I would have never considered purchasing this ink for myself prior to my sample experience. With that said, I am currently contemplating buying a bottle of this ink. The shading properties and smoothness of this ink provide for a very satisfying writing experience!
FAQ about Ink Samples
How do I fill my fountain pen from an ink sample vial?
It depends on the fountain pen's filling mechanism.
Check out our blog post on How to Fill a Fountain Pen from an Ink Sample Vial.
How much writing can I do with 2ml of ink?
It really depends on how big or small you write, and the nib size you’re using. We find that usually you can get 2 good fills for a typical converter with our Ink samples, or one good fill with a piston-filling pen. How much writing depends on you more than anything else, so we recommend experimenting with different nib sizes to find what works best for you.
What is shading, sheening, or shimmering ink?
Shading - A common (and often desired) result of a fountain pen ink pooling in certain parts of a letter when writing, so that the color and saturation of the ink appears different within a single letter or word. This characteristic cannot be achieved with ballpoint or rollerball pens and is a very appealing aspect of fountain pen use for those particularly drawn to all the pretty ink colors.
Sheen - Characteristic of a fountain pen ink where when ink pools another color can be seen on top of the ink, especially when looked at in different light angles using certain paper types. There is no way to guarantee an ink will sheen, but using a larger nib on a pen will help obtain sheening results in your writing.
Shimmering - Fountain pen ink that has small particles of glitter mixed in.
Is shimmering ink safe to use in fountain pens?
Yes! Shimmering ink is a great way to add some flare to your writing. We have found that a larger nib will showcase more shimmering particles while writing, but you can use any nib size and shimmering ink. All the ink we sell is safe for use in fountain pens.
You can learn more in our blog: How to Write with Shimmering Ink.
What's your return policy for ink samples?
We do not accept returns for ink that has been used. Otherwise, we accept returns on unused ink products for up to 30 days from purchase. You can read all our Return Policies here.
To initiate a return, please submit a request at the Return Portal. Our Customer Care team might reach out to you for more information.