Noodler's Charlie Fountain Pen Ink

[@AnInkGuy]

Here are the direct links to Sailor Bungubox Lycoris Spider Lily Red, the ink used for this review: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXS9laKXpJWaqck

[@AnInkGuy]

I am not running giveaways and I will not ask you for money. Watch out for scammers and spammers, and they want to steal your money and personal information.

[@FriedPi-mc5yt]

Late to the party. I was combing KZbin looking for info on adjusting the Charlie pen. Mine writes pretty wet and would like it to dry up a bit. I got it with my bottle of Heart of Darkness. I’ve got over a dozen pens from Jinhao, Kaweco, TWSBI, Wing Sung and others. I bought a Noodler’s Konrad too along with a few other bottles of their ink. Anyway, I’m really enjoying the simplicity and utilitarian style of the Charlie pen. It’s way better than a burned stick. The Charlie’s complete lack of any pretentiousness just gets me to giggling when I use it. How can anyone not enjoy this pen? Plus, it’s *free* !!!!

[@AnInkGuy]

Even late I will let you into the party, lol. I am so happy to hear that people enjoy their Charlie pen as much as much as I do mine. It is just a pen that is almost never talked about.

[@monitablet4849]

A party for Charlie lovers - count me in! I used to think I was the only one who Loved my Charlie pen. When I first got mine it gushed ink - leaking all over the page. I had to flush it three times - and then all was well. I suspect that that's why most people have issues. I recently came to understand that as with the Nib Creaper when the feeds started to be machined, it was also necessary to clean it out well with detergent to get the machining oils out. As Charlie is harder to flush versus a Nib Creaper that has a piston, I can see why this step would be skipped. That's my take on it anyway. As to the review, I would have been interested to know which ink it was - there was no actual "unboxing" ;-). I would love to have another Charlie (got mine with Heart of Darkness) but can't find an ink I would want a big bottle of. I did just buy a bottle of the Roller Eel to have a quick grab for taking messages or jotting quick notes as I can't read ballpoint anymore and just can't use them for anything. The Roller Eel was supposed to have a regular Charlie in addition to the Rollerball Charlie, but didn't. I sent the retailer Nathan's video on it and they asked the distributor Luxury Brands but didn't get very far. I also didn't get any extra Rollerball tips. Very disappointing. I haven't inked it up yet so can't report on the Rollerball but expect it'll be like the Konrad Rollerball, which I found to be scratchy, but hopefully the lubricant in the Roller Eel will help. But getting back to Charlie, I really wish there were more 4.5oz inks available. Particularly the standard inks. Seems the only inks you can get with a Charlie are the more difficult to clean inks like Bay State and bulletproof inks. Perhaps I'll have to just be content with the one Charlie I have and be practical and get another Nib Creaper to use with the inks I already have.. my collection seems to have exploded recently.. not sure how that happened.. lol. Tfs this Charlie review! And much thanks to the others adding their comments.

[@AnInkGuy]

I agree, "I suspect that that's why most people have issues," people forget to do the pre-pen use maintenance to make sure they perform well. Also, I think it is extremely easy to think something 'free' is no good. I didn't do the unboxing just out of laziness... the ink I got the pen with was Heart of Darkness, just like you did. However, the ink used in the review is Sailor Bungubox Lycoris Spider Lily Red. It is linked in the description. I have tried the roller tip from Noodler's, but cannot say I enjoyed it, not because it's a rollerball but it wasn't enjoyable for a rollerball for me.

[@nope8535]

I got mine recently, it's my second fountain pen and despite my Preppy being good I keep picking up the Charlie out of comfort, ability to keep up with my writing speed, and ink capacity. I write a lot by hand, 25 pages at times, and the Charlie I have enjoyed more than my Preppy. The worst problem I have is that when I slow down from my usual manic writing speed it can be too wet.

[@AnInkGuy]

Congrats on your second fountain pen! I would say I like the Charlie much more than the Preppy myself a swell. It gets really wet after a while of writing because there is much less ink in it, the air in the pen is warming up and you may experience a little burping of ink at that point. Just to be aware. Not really a huge problem just something to be aware of. Write on, and keep enjoying it!

[@nope8535]

@@AnInkGuy the extra ink flow actually works for me, the longer I write is usually the more into what I am writing so I speed up a lot and thus it keeps up. The Preppy isnt terrible but having to slow down a bit or it not able to keep up fully and getting really dry does decrease my ability to enjoy it.

[@AnInkGuy]

@@nope8535 Awesome!... then it is really perfect for you.

[@Michelt007]

Judging by how far you hold the pen, the diameter of the section seems to be very small. That is the problem I have with the Diplomat Magnum, it has a wonderful nib and a narrow section better suited for children than for adults.

[@AnInkGuy]

I think the pen is thin just because it follows a very traditional, think vintage, design form. As far as holding the pen far back, that is just how I hold my pens... a carryover from how I hold pencils.

[@squarebackjedi]

Thanks for the Charlie Review. I love the pen. It came with Heart of Darkness, which is an awesome black. Because of my frugal nature and because I love the process of using a fountain pen, I really enjoy the pen. I also like the swirling finish in the cap and the clear barrel.

[@AnInkGuy]

Heard of Darkness is a great ink, I have been very happy using mine... The Charlie came with it as well as any of their 4.5oz bottles. Added great value!

[@EarlHebert-c8w]

...well, the FREE PEN, has to git in the box...

[@AnInkGuy]

It is much better a pen than people give it credit for being.

[@EarlHebert-c8w]

@@AnInkGuy All the fancier pens come from the humble Charlie. I love it.

[@strshooter7399]

I own a ... fair share of fountain pens. More than I can use one a day for a month... . What separates the wheat from the chaff is which ones do I use, and gravitate to everyday. I inked this Charlie x amount of years ago, ~ Noodler's 54th Massachusetts, used it just a small amount and left it... for I guess a few years. It just didn't light my fire, pull my trigger, yada yada yada. I have several Noodler's fountain pens, and well they are not my normal go to pens. Sorry, they are usually what I consider good bargains for my buck, but IF I don't use them, well, nuf said on that. I picked up the Charlie yesterday, and the ink was lumpy or lumpyish. It didn't write, but hey, I hadn't used it in awhile. I don't know if it was too much silicon grease on the threads that got mixed up with the ink, and just lack of use, but no matter. You leave a pen inked for several years, what can you expect. Cleaned the nib, the feed, the barrel (almost could have use a tiny bottle brush, weird, never seen that happen...). Put it back together, and I had a new bottle of Noodler's Gruene Cactus ink, which I had never used. In addition, this being an eye dropper, I noticed that one of my springloaded eyedropper ... syringe... had two coils of a spring versus just one in the others. The spring in the barrel of the eyedropper syringe, is in there to move around in the barrel to break up whatever surface tension of the ink in there? I don't know, but I took one out and put it in the barrel of the Charlie, to move around a bit. It fit, doesn't clog or cause problems, and doesn't use up very much of the ink capacity. I filled the Charlie up, and after a bit of unscrewing the barrel up just a hair or so to get the ink to flow into the feed, it started to write. WoW! I was pleased not only with the ink, it's a bright green, and I like it. It flows well out of the Charlie, and I couldn't be happier. The Charlies not much to look at, but it works really well for me in taking notes while I'm on my desktop computer. It passes my test of writing well, great for what I intend to use it for. I don't mind it's thin, I have a few other 1949, 1948 Sheaffer, Parker fountain pens that are thin, and they work really well. It's a FREE,so to speak, a plain jane or joe fountain pen, but works good! Thanks Nathan T., function is what makes or breaks a fountain pen, and it it ain't working, it doesn't matter how much it cost, it wouldn't get used. My .02 cents... {I also looked up your video on the Gruene Cactus ink, Adam, and I'm glad you liked it as well. It's wet, flows well, and dries pretty quick 🙂 }

[@AnInkGuy]

I would suspect the 'issues' were from a bunch of silicone grease and from sitting for so long, as you said. It shows what a good pen this really is when you can use it and despite other pens you have, you can see how nice the pen writes. For all the pens I have, I still enjoy when the Charlie comes up in the rotation for me ti use.

[@crappiestteam]

Have you considered trying the Roller Eel version of the Charlie? It comes with the Roller Eel 4.5 oz bottle with 5 additional tips. The pen is a favorite of mine to hand to others wanting to borrow a pen. It writes the same as the Konrad rollerball.

[@AnInkGuy]

I didn't even know the Charlie was also available as a rollerball, interesting! Thank you.

[@crappiestteam]

@@AnInkGuy You're welcome. The ink is in reality an extra lubricated Heart of Darkness. It is fountain pen safe despite what retailers say according to the manufacturer's videos.

[@AnInkGuy]

@@crappiestteam People are just all to quick to jump on the Noodler's hare bandwagon.

[@Espiel78]

I received my free Noodlers "Charlie" pen 7 years ago with the purchase of a dropper bottle of " Heart Of Darkness" ink. I love the ink, and do get shading from it. It's permanent, and not the blackest of blacks, which I like. The "Charlie" is a wonderful celluloid pen. Celluloid has a different, soft and warm feel and I like that. Yes it is thin, might smell of celluloid for a little while and some might dislike this or that, but if you appreciate Noodlers inks, and are given a FREE pen...why not try it and not whine about it? I have carried and used my "Charlie" and it's been wonderful for all these years. Grab one if you can, because it might be the best investment you ever made in a pen.

[@AnInkGuy]

You are 100% correct! but still unfortunately so many will never consider the Charlie because the only way to get it is free with a 4.5oz bottle of ink.

[@nitina8564]

For a free pen it's really good.

[@AnInkGuy]

With out a doubt!

[@juliaconstantino639]

Nice review-although so much wasted water at the end made me quite uncomfortable.

[@AnInkGuy]

Sorry about that

[@lpanades]

Good pens are thin. The problem is your grip that is not technically right. But, it is working for you so… Without much effort you can fix, at least, your krimpy grip. Will not be the ideal grip but will solve your finger extra force. It is not the thinness of the pen but the force ou put over your index finger. The index finger should just lay over the pen gently. You are smashing it with your index finger. Belive-me, the pen's body should stay near index finger not near tumb.

[@squarebackjedi]

Interesting. Why are good pens thin?

[@lpanades]

@@squarebackjedi the fingers are joined in 3 to produce a kind of articulation. A wider pen asks for more strenght for fingers.

[@AnInkGuy]

I am well aware of the incorrectness of my pen grip and how that contributes to my penmanship.

[@lpanades]

@@AnInkGuy It is not exactly a contribution to bad penmanship. It is more a problem about hand stress.

[@AnInkGuy]

@@lpanades Well, I can feel with the way I hold the pen. a thicker pen is more comfortable and I don't have to "hold" the pen but it just rests in my hand, Likely the reason the Pilot 823 is one of my favorite pens.

[@williamneal9076]

Why not use the ink you purchased for "free"?

[@AnInkGuy]

I think a bunch of people look down on the pen for being "free" with a 4.5oz bottle of ink. Even though this is a perfectly good pen.