Noodler's 54th Massachusetts - 3oz Bottled Ink
3oz (90ml) glass bottle of Noodler's 54th Massachusetts fountain pen ink. 54th Massachusetts is a bulletproof, legal blue-black. Noodler's inks are handcrafted, so there may be slight color variations from batch to batch.
- Condition
- New
- Brand
- Noodler's
- Type
- Bottled Ink
- Color
- Blue
- Bottle Material
- Glass
- Bottle Opening Diameter
- 23.6mm (0.93in)
- Fast Drying
- No
- Fluorescent
- No
- 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
- 3oz
- 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
This ink just gets more and more beautiful to use with time. I use a medium nib in a Jinhao oversized pen, nothing fancy. Since 1960 when I bought my first cheap Shaffer in the drug store for my 3rd Grade class, and since 1973 when I abandoned cursive (the one they taught me was as ugly as sin) for block printing, I’ve needed no better. Block printing looks best in medium nibs and I’ve used it as freely and fast as any cursive. The ink itself is superb. Back 60 years ago, I could never decide which I liked better, **** blue or **** black. This ink is what I’ve always wanted and I love it. My love of the nib pen pre dates the first of the BIC ink sticks which I instinctively hated at first sight. It will never go away until I block print my last will and testament, hopefully at the age of 90 or more.
I've read a number of reviews here with comments about this ink being too wet, feathering too much, etc. No doubt that could be true, depending on the pen / nib / paper combination, but I haven't seen it personally. I've used it with a Lamy Safari, a Pilot Metropolitan, and a Sailor 1911L, all fine nibs. I've typically used it with Clairfontaine 90 gsm paper, and most recently with Tomoe River 68 gsm. I'm using a bottle of this ink that I've been using on and off for 10 years (bought it here in 2014). With both types of paper and all three pens, I've never seen any feathering or bleed-through. Some ghosting, but not bad at all; once I've written on the back side of the sheet, it's not noticeable. It dries quickly, doesn't smear or respond to water after a few seconds, and the color is perfect for a professional look. What's not to like?
Bought this as a gift purely on the color alone, not knowing that ink had different watery-ness. Didnt know this was considered a more watery ink hahah
But the color comes out beautifully and still works well with fountain pens
Previous review was only two stars because of my experience with the pens I had inked . Been having issues with my fine nib brass kaweco sport . It’s an extremely dry pen and even when I tried to modify the feed . Lightning struck my brain after writing the last review that this ink might solve my issue . Popped in a stock feed and inked er up. Writes perfect now , far from dry and makes a super wet ink that didn’t work before in my other pens useable . Even if the hue is slightly different it is a gorgeous legal blue black and I’m super excited to have found a use for it . It now gets 5 stars from me because it’s everything I expected after experimenting . Thanks Goulet !
Purchased this ink with my metal falcon soft fine. Listen to the others , this ink pours out the nib. I wrote 10 pages worth trying to figure out if perhaps I picked the wrong nib. My writing looked nothing like the samples , the lines were huge. The pen put out so much of the ink it was borderline bleeding through a5 river notebook paper . The amount put out feathered terribly. Frustrated fearing my whole purchase was not what I expected I washed out the pen and loaded up some Yama-Budo. Whole new pen. In love with how the pen writes without 54th mass loaded. So you’ve been warned ! This ink is made for microscopic nibs , Japanese extra fines , extra extra fine etc. Giving 2 stars because I’d imagine with the right nib this ink will perform like a champ although the bottle I got is much more grey than the blue pictured.
FAQs about Bottled Ink
Which pens can accept this ink?
Any of these fountain pens will work with bottled ink. Typically, as long as the pen can be filled with a converter, has a built-in filling mechanism like a piston, or can be eyedropper-filled, it can accept bottled ink.
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.
My ink smells funny, is it safe to use?
Generally yes! Ink does not smell good- it usually has a chemical smell, along with other scents such as sulfur, rubber, chemicals or even paint. However, as long as you’re not seeing anything floating in the ink, it should be safe to use.
It’s cold and my ink froze; is it safe to use?
Yes, frozen ink will not hurt your pen (after it’s thawed of course!) The issue with ink freezing is primarily a concern because certain glass bottles could break as the water-based ink expands, and then you’d have a mess!
What is your return policy for bottled ink?
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.