Since he was 19 years old, Nathan Tardif has been fascinated with fountain pens. His 30-year interest entered a new stage about seven years ago when he began mixing his own ink. Combining his imaginative sense of color, his deep knowledge of fountain pen technology & ink manufacturing, and his inventive & often humorous skill at packaging, he has created Noodler’s Ink, one of the most requested & talked about lines of colored ink ever made in America.
From his headquarters in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Nathan has produced such innovative inks as his “Eel” inks (self-lubricating inks that replace traditional detergents & are safe for fountain pen mechanisms), “Polar” inks (designed at the specific request of an Arctic customer to be freeze-proof), “Warden’s Series” inks (especially fraud-proof inks), and his famous “Bulletproof” permanent inks. A series of V-mail inks, based on colors of World War II, included “Dark Matter” black ink with Robert Oppenheimer staring out at you from the label. It was a hit at the holidays, and drew remarkable attention to the entire line.
But what has enthralled every staff member at Wet Paint are the extraordinary colors. Among staff favorites: Black Swan in Australian Roses (a magical plum ink that reveals different tones depending on light, surface, or even the pen used), Lexington Gray, Nikita (a deep Soviet red), Heart of Darkness, Dragon’s Napalm, and his “Anti-Feathering” black ink.
If you love drawing with ink or simply love beautiful color, you must come down to Wet Paint & check out the Noodler’s. Every time we think we have every ink we need, Mr. Tardif comes up with another stunner, and our poor Kristina has to make another brand-new, handmade color chart.
Here are some basic facts of Noodler's inks:
All of the inks work in fountain pens
"Polar” inks are freeze resistant & “Bulletproof”
"Bulletproof” inks are waterproof when dry on cellulose-based paper, UV resistant, pH neutral, resist check washing, bleach, solvents, etc.
“Eternal” refers to any Noodler's Ink that resists the effects of time - moisture, humidity, UV light, acids, water exposure, and many common detergents such as dish soaps and household ammonia, as well as alcohols and acetone (which conventional ball point pens have no resistance to - often rinsing off a newly written check within 8 seconds of being washed with acetone). Many Noodler's inks such as "eternal" and "bulletproof" inks are made with the ideal of reaching out as far into immortality as the written word permits us to reach - the only way to speak to future generations remains the written word durably made upon the page (a VCR tape is simply not as durable or as universally readable through time!).
“Eel” inks are lubricated for a smooth writing feel. All “Polar” inks are also “Eel” inks.
Why the catfish on the labels? Their website says it “symbolizes a southern sport that attempts to equalize the struggle between man and animal in the sense of fair play-and thus fair price.” Yup.
Open the bottles carefully! They fill them to the brim so you get the most ink for your money.
The video below demonstrates Mr. Tardiff's passion for his ink through his discussion of a Wet Paint staff favorite, Black Swan in Australian Roses, and his background description of the artwork created for the label.
Following the video are the Noodler's Inks available directly at the Wet Paint Online Store. Clicking on the name will will take you directly to the store page for that color. More inks are added all the time, so if you don't see the one you want here, please contact us! Color shown here and on the store is for reference only.
· Established 1976 · Creative Supplies for Creative People 
