--- title: "Noodler's Baystate Blue: Staining, pH & Dry Time" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-baystate-blue/" description: "Noodler's Baystate Blue explained: the vivid, fast-drying, water-resistant blue in a 3 oz bottle, why it stains pens, how to clean it out, and where it's made." category: "Accessories" type: "Fountain pen ink" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "Noodler's Baystate Blue fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19048)" brand: "Noodler's" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "United States" material: "Water-based dye ink in a glass bottle" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Noodler's Ink, Massachusetts (run by Nathan Tardif)" model: "19048 Baystate Blue (3 oz)" mpn: "19048" url: "https://noodlersink.com/product/19048-baystate-blue/" --- # Noodler's Baystate Blue: Staining, pH & Dry Time > Noodler's Baystate Blue is an intensely saturated blue fountain pen ink made in Massachusetts, sold in a 3 oz (about 90 ml) bottle. It dried in about 5 seconds in Goulet's test and is highly water resistant, but Goulet warns it stains converters and clear pens and shouldn't be mixed with non-Baystate inks. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-baystate-blue/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![3 oz Noodler's Baystate Blue bottle filled to the brim with vivid blue ink beside a blue swab card, with an inset of a blue-tinted converter](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/noodlers-baystate-blue-16x9.png) *The 3 oz Baystate Blue bottle, drawn in proportion, with a swab of the ink.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Noodler's Baystate Blue fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19048) | Noodler's (by Noodler's Ink, Massachusetts (run by Nathan Tardif)) | United States | United States | Water-based dye ink in a glass bottle | – | $$: $5–20 per item | - Made in (Noodler's Baystate Blue fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19048)): United States. Noodler's About Us page says its ink is 100% made in the USA from cap to glass to ink. Noodler's Ink is based in Massachusetts, the Bay State the ink is named after. Source: https://noodlersink.com/about-us/ ## Key takeaways - Noodler's sells Baystate Blue as item 19048 in a 3 oz bottle, which Goulet lists as 90 ml with a 23.6 mm (0.93 in) opening. - Goulet found it 80% dry within 5 seconds from a wet medium nib and rated its water resistance high. - Goulet rates ease of cleaning low: expect stained converters and a blue tinge in clear TWSBI pens. - On October 22, 2026 it ranked 14th of Goulet's 891 bottled inks sorted by best selling. - Noodler's says its inks are 100% made in the USA, from cap to glass to ink. ## What is Noodler's Baystate Blue? **It's an electric, highly saturated blue fountain pen ink from Noodler's Ink of Massachusetts, the Bay State it's named after.** Goulet calls it about as blue as it gets, and the ink people are literally afraid of. The fear comes from staining: Baystate Blue colors hands, converters and clear pens more readily than ordinary inks. It's still one of the most bought bottles in the US: on October 22, 2026 the 3 oz bottle ranked 14th of the 891 bottled inks Goulet sells, sorted by sales. ## Baystate Blue specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Noodler's Ink, Massachusetts, USA | | Item | 19048 (3 oz); 19811 (4.5 oz with a free Charlie pen) | | Bottle | 3 oz glass, listed as 90 ml by Goulet | | Bottle opening | 23.6 mm (0.93 in), per Goulet | | Properties (Noodler's) | Water resistant, forge resistant | | Dry time | 5 s or less (Goulet) | | Saturation / shading | High / low (Goulet) | | Maker's list price | US$12.50 on Noodler's site, October 22, 2026 | | Price band | $$ ($5–20 per 3 oz bottle) | Like all Noodler's bottles, it comes filled to the brim, so open it over a towel. We found no published bottle size beyond the opening, so the cover is drawn in proportion. ![Noodler's Baystate Blue 3 oz and 4.5 oz bottles to scale, with converter fills per bottle](https://stationerytimes.com/images/noodlers-baystate-blue-fills.svg) *Fills per bottle (bottle ÷ capacity), with Baystate Blue's sourced properties.* ## Why does Baystate Blue stain pens? **Goulet says the Baystate inks use a different formula from ordinary fountain pen inks, made to be more vibrant, with a slightly basic pH.** As a result they're prone to staining, and they shouldn't be mixed with non-Baystate inks. Goulet rates ease of cleaning low and warns of stained converters and a blue tinge in clear TWSBI pens. Its reviewer also reports an old "street" claim that the ink cracks pens, which in years of use in Pilot and Sailor pens never happened to them. Noodler's own pH page says all its inks fall between pH 6.2 and 7.9, and that an ink needing a non-neutral pH would say so on the label. We haven't measured it. ## How fast does Noodler's Baystate Blue dry, and is it waterproof? **It's one of the fastest-drying inks Goulet has tested and close to waterproof once dry.** Out of a wet LAMY AL-star medium nib on Rhodia, it was 80% dry within 5 seconds. In Goulet's drip test the line didn't move, apart from a faint blue stain in the water. Noodler's lists the ink as water resistant and forge resistant, but not bulletproof like [Noodler's Black](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-black-ink/). For a water-resistant Noodler's blue that Goulet calls more conventional than Baystate Blue, see [Noodler's Liberty's Elysium](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-libertys-elysium/). ## How do you clean Baystate Blue out of a pen? **Flush thoroughly with water, never let it dry in the pen, and use a diluted bleach solution for stains.** Goulet suggests 10% household bleach to 90% distilled water if staining appears; our guide on [how to clean a fountain pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-clean-a-fountain-pen/) covers the basic flush. Because it shouldn't mix with other inks, clean the pen completely before you switch in or out of Baystate Blue. For residue that water won't shift, Goulet sells its own ammonia-based [Goulet Pen Flush](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/goulet-pen-flush/). ## Which pens should you use with Baystate Blue? **Inexpensive, opaque pens you don't mind tinting.** Goulet advises avoiding rare or valuable pens, and its reviewer's tinted [TWSBI ECO](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/twsbi-eco/) shows what can happen to clear plastic. | | Baystate Blue | [Waterman Serenity Blue](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/waterman-serenity-blue/) | |---|---|---| | Color | Electric, saturated blue | Bright, softer blue | | Dry time | 5 s or less (Goulet) | 20 s (Mountain of Ink) | | Water resistance | High | Medium | | Cleaning | Hard, stains | Easy | If you only want a bright blue without the risk, Serenity Blue is the safer everyday choice. ## Where is Noodler's Baystate Blue made? **In the United States.** Noodler's says its inks are 100% made in the USA, from cap to glass to ink, and the company is based in Massachusetts. Noodler's own site listed the 3 oz bottle at US$12.50 on October 22, 2026; US retail puts it in our $$ band. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why is Noodler's Baystate Blue so controversial? Because it stains. Goulet warns of stained hands, converters and clear pens, and says the Baystate inks shouldn't be mixed with other inks. People love the color and fear the cleanup. ### Will Baystate Blue damage my fountain pen? Goulet's reviewer used it in Pilot and Sailor pens for years with no ill effect, but suggests keeping it out of rare or valuable pens and never letting it dry inside a pen. ### What is the pH of Baystate Blue? Sources disagree. Goulet describes the Baystate inks as slightly basic, while Noodler's pH page says all its inks fall between pH 6.2 and 7.9 unless a label says otherwise. ### How do you get Baystate Blue out of a pen? Flush with water, then use a solution of 10% household bleach and 90% distilled water if it has stained, as Goulet suggests. Test bleach on old parts first. ### Can you mix Baystate Blue with other inks? No. Goulet says the Baystate inks use a different formula and shouldn't be mixed with non-Baystate inks, so flush a pen fully before and after. ### How fast does Noodler's Baystate Blue dry? Very fast: Goulet found it 80% dry within 5 seconds from a wet medium LAMY nib on Rhodia, and slower on Tomoe River, where it can't soak in. ### Is Baystate Blue waterproof? Close to it once dry. Noodler's lists it as water resistant and Goulet's drip test barely moved the line. Noodler's doesn't class it as bulletproof. ### Is Noodler's ink made in the USA? Yes. Noodler's says its inks are 100% made in the USA, from cap to glass to ink, and the company is based in Massachusetts. ## Sources - [Noodler's Ink: 19048 Baystate Blue (3 oz; forge resistant, water resistant; read October 22, 2026)](https://noodlersink.com/product/19048-baystate-blue/) - [Noodler's Ink: pH Test (all Noodler's inks pH 6.2–7.9, non-neutral inks to be labeled)](https://noodlersink.com/about-us/ph-test/) - [Noodler's Ink: About Us (100% made in the USA from cap to glass to ink)](https://noodlersink.com/about-us/) - [Goulet Pens: Noodler's Baystate Blue, 3 oz bottled ink (90 ml, N19048, opening 23.6 mm, water resistant, staining and bleach advice)](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/noodlers-baystate-blue-3oz-bottled-ink) - [Goulet Pens: Noodler's Baystate Blue, ink review and more (5 s dry time, high water resistance, low ease of cleaning)](https://www.gouletpens.com/blogs/fountain-pen-blog/noodlers-baystate-blue-ink-review) - [Goulet Pens: Bottled Ink, sorted by best selling (Baystate Blue 3 oz 14th of 891; read October 22, 2026)](https://www.gouletpens.com/collections/bottled-ink?sort_by=best-selling) - [Amazon: Noodler's Baystate Blue 4.5 oz with free pen (ND-19811)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003H7M3IK) - [Fountain Pen Network: Noodler's Baystate Blue, comprehensive review (forum)](https://fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/54525-noodlers-baystate-blue-comprehensive-review)