Another busy day, but much to my delight, as the evening sun sets, I'm writing this blog post from the couch! We're finally getting around to the packing and office area a bit. With the priority to get the shop open for business, and the apartment liveable for cooking and laundry and basically turn it into a giant play pen for the baby and dog, the packing area has been neglected. It had turned into piles of boxes of stock half opened and tools for the minor projects that still need to get into place and printers stacked on top of filing cabinets, but the last heave-ho in this crazy move is to finally start opening up and sorting the boxes. We're not quite 100% yet, but at the very least, we've cleared off enough space to move the couch into it! I would take a picture to show you, but it's basically a couch ...surrounded by boxes.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
The big news, however, is the arrival of two brand new inks from Noodler's! If you've been following us on Instagram, you might have seen a snap of a new ink that's come into the shop. Jon tells me I need to stop sharing things that we aren't ready to actually post for sale yet, but I couldn't resist! It's like starting a bag of chocolate almonds, there's no self-control! I made a big mess of static-clinging styrofoam peanuts digging up these inks and have been playing around with them ever since. I'll be sharing more about the second one soon enough, but the first one we're releasing is called Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
This Canadian ink (what a wonderful phrase!) was originally formulated and released several years back, but had been discontinued. The formula for this current ink has actually changed since it was originally created and produced, I think because of some changes in availability for the raw materials. The original ink I think had a bit more of the purple hue visible, but unfortunately I don't have a bottle of the original to compare. This ink was inspired by and named after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. I almost wish I was still teaching so I could bring this ink in as a teaching tool. I literally taught the Seven Years' War to my students in Grade 7 History, although I don't know if I'm glad or not that my students aren't here for me to quiz to see how much they remember... To sum it up, in the early days of Canada before we called ourselves Canada, the French had laid claim to the land, and had made good relationships with the Native Americans to survive and thrive. Of course, the French and British were fighting each other to take over the land in the 1700s. The Seven Years' War, including this Battle of the Plains of Abraham, was a turning point in the British taking over against the French. This was important in the ending of "New France" and the beginning of "British North America," which obviously has had a big impact on Canada today. The label is the scene of the battle, with some Canadian flags waving around for posterity (the red and white Canadian maple leaf flag obviously had not yet been created). I believe Nathan Tardiff, the creator of Noodler's inks, actually has some French Canadian blood in him, which is why the bottle says "American Canadian Ink for Canada" along the bottom of the label.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Ink
This is a bulletproof and eternal ink, so it's going to last against water, bleach, sunlight or coffee. I'm not sure that you always "need" a bulletproof ink, or even a completely waterproof ink, since most ink will survive the occasional spill of tea, but it's a bit of a bonus that this ink is bulletproof, and pH neutral.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
This is a beautiful ink - the colour goes on like a sort of warm, rich blue, but dries to a dusky blue/grey/purple with some really amazing shading.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
I tried to get a picture to show you the blue it starts out as when it's wet, compared to the more dusky blue-purple it dries as, but it is really, really hard to take a picture in focus of the writing, while writing. I also tried to convince Jon to come and help me, but he claimed his giant ogre paws were just going to get in the way, so I was left to my own devices. The above was the best I could do, but there are more (and I hope better) photos below of what the ink looks like dried. The writing sample is on Rhodia 80 gsm paper, with a Broad Nib from Lamy.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
And of course, the really great thing about this ink is the shading. I may or may not be addicted to inks that shade.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
Even in a Fine Nib (Lamy) you can see some shading.
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
I love everything about this ink! I'm surprised it was discontinued, because it's a bulletproof dark blue, it's smooth and wet which helps it shade, and it shades so beautifully. The dry time is pretty good, and the ink doesn't bleed through any more than expected on cheaper papers like copy paper, just a bit of light spotting. It's great on Rhodia or Clairefontaine papers (of course!). The colour, though, is what makes this ink so special - it's this dusky, warm blue with just a hint of purple, and with so much character because of all the shading. I guess I have a hard time saying no to any ink that shades, but then when you tell me it's a Canadian ink??
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
This ink, Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham, was created for the Canadian market a few years back, and I'm not sure why it was discontinued. What I do know is that we invested quite a bit to revive this ink, as there are some pretty steep minimum quantities to get an ink back into production after it's been discontinued, and of course there are some volume requirements to keep it going.  I know we're a pretty small market here in Canada and I think sometimes, especially dealing with international or American distributors, we sometimes feel teeny tiny compared to the big guys, but I do think the 'fountain pen scene' is changing and growing here in Canada, and I'm really hoping there's enough interest in these sorts of Canadian exclusives to keep them going. Jon and I were a little nervous about taking on an ink like this, but we're pretty excited for the opportunity. I mean, we're small, but scrappy. And we're, you know, sort of passionate about our pen and ink, too :) 
Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham Canadian Exclusive Wonder Pens Noodler's Fountain Pen Ink
Elsewhere on the web: Fountain Pen Network *We are a small business that focuses on shipping within Canada, due to very high shipping rates internationally. However, we've been thrilled with the international interest in this ink. Understanding that this ink is currently only available from us, if you are interested in purchasing a bottle and are located outside of Canada, please send us an e-mail for a shipping quote to your location! 

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Comments

Stanley Hanna

Stanley Hanna said:

I am currently on the Plains Of Abraham and will visit the grounds and museum tomorrow morning. I would like to order two three-ounce bottles of this incredible blue ink. I am a big Noodler’s fan. I live in Ottawa. How do I order from you?

Claudia

Claudia said:

WOOHOO… I bought the last bottle a few years ago… Now I can get some more for my friends. VIVE LE CANADA!!!!!!… Liz I am coming to see you soon. Put aside a couple for me. ;-)

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

We’re all sold out!! But we are getting more soon, probably by the end of next week. Can’t wait to see you soon! I hope you will like the new space :)

Stevdyep

Stevdyep said:

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Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

I’m so sorry to hear the original formula wasn’t doing very well for you! I do like this new one, and I hope you will, too, but of course you’ll have to see it with your own eyes! I’ll look forward to your visit to the new shop :)

Sterling

Sterling said:

Looks like a wicked ink! Any chance it will be back in stock soon?

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

Yes, soon! We’re hoping by the end of next week :)

mickeyobe

mickeyobe said:

Please tell Noodler’s that we would now appreciate an ink for each of generals Montcalm and Wolfe.

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

Haha! We’ll see what we can do, but I think it’s a pretty busy operation over there :)

wbsmith200

wbsmith200 said:

What a beautiful shade of blue, I picked up a bottle from the first run of the first Blue on the Plains of Abraham and while I love Noodlers Ink, it was an utter dud for me. I could never get it to behave for me regardless what pen I used. This version looks great but I have to see the samples with my own eyes once I make it to your new store in the east end.

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

I’m glad to hear you were able to come for a visit, although I’m sorry I missed you! I hope you like the new Canadian Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham – I’m really excited that it’s been brought back into production, and we have it here :) I’m glad to hear you like Jon’s beard! He gets a lot of comments on it, haha :) And yes, he works very hard, although I am usually the one who stocks the shelves ;)

Deborah

Deborah said:

is it really… bulletproof?
the colour actually reminds me of the waterman mysterious blue.

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

It is! It even says “Bulletproof” and “Eternal” on the label :) It’s a beautiful colour!

Danielle P.

Danielle P. said:

I just got a bottle of Noodler’s blue-black, which I quite like, but unfortunately isn’t bulletproof. This ink will definitely be part of my next order!

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

Blue-Black is another great ink! It’s not bulletproof, unfortunately, but it’s mostly water resistant! I hope you’ll enjoy Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham! :)

mickeyobe

mickeyobe said:

I finally managed to get to your shop today thanks to MIss Patience, my GPS.
A pleasant gentleman with a very handsome beard took care of my request – the new Canadian Blue/Black Ink. He must be working very hard as there is already a lot of merchandise neatly displayed on the shelves.
I could not wait to get home and open the bottle. A little over an hour’s drive.
As an arthritic I know that my hands don’t always do what I want so I opened the bottle over the sink. The bottle now has a blue/black label. My hands came clean as did the sink.
I do, indeed, like the ink. My Lamy has been fed its fill and is ready to go to work.

I am sorry I missed the other three members of the staff. But I will be back.

Best wishes to all of you. You are a badly needed and very welcome addition to Toronto.

Mickey Oberman

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

Yes, it’s really nice that this ink is “well-rounded” – haha! I hope you enjoy it :)

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

Great! I hope you enjoy it! We’re pretty excited about this ink :)

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

Wow! That’s amazing! Please definitely post some samples, and of course if you have a bit left, i would LOVE to try some! :)

Christopher Wilson

Christopher Wilson said:

Looks like a great ink! I’m so glad Nathan decided to make the ink pH neutral as well. This is going on my list of inks to get along with bleu ocean.

Jason

Jason said:

Looks fantastic! I can’t wait to pickup a bottle!

urizenapzk9

urizenapzk9 said:

I STILL have the original bottle with lots of ink left if you want to try the original formula! I’ll post samples. The under-hue was more of a magenta and the ink was a bit temperamental, but it is a BEAUTIFUL ink.

mycoffeepot

mycoffeepot said:

This is so great! Thanks for making this happen! I plan to buy a bottle for myself and a few others to share :-)

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

Thanks for the support! I’m really excited about this, both for being a beautiful ink and for finally having some Canadian ink around :)

Wonder Pens

Wonder Pens said:

I completely agree! Everyone needs a solid, bulletproof blue-black ink :)

Lilith

Lilith said:

This is so exciting – thanks for reviving it! A bulletproof blue-black is a staple ink colour I think for all fountain pen users.
and another ink added to the wishlist

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