--- title: "Noodler's X-Feather Ink: Does It Stop Feathering?" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-x-feather/" description: "Noodler's X-Feather black fountain pen ink explained: a 3 oz bottle, what Noodler's claims, what Goulet, Pen Addict and a forum test found, and dry time." category: "Accessories" type: "Fountain pen ink" published: 2026-10-30 updated: 2026-10-30 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 11 products: - name: "Noodler's X-Feather Black fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19046)" brand: "Noodler's" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "United States" material: "Water-resistant black ink in a glass bottle" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Noodler's Ink, Massachusetts (run by Nathan Tardif)" model: "19046 (X-Feather Black, 3 oz)" mpn: "19046" url: "https://noodlersink.com/product/19046-x-feather-black/" --- # Noodler's X-Feather Ink: Does It Stop Feathering? > Noodler's X-Feather is a black, water-resistant fountain pen ink sold in a 3 oz (about 89 ml) bottle, and Goulet says it is designed not to feather on most papers. Reviews split: Pen Addict saw minimal feathering on 20 lb copy paper, a Fountain Pen Network test found no difference from LAMY Black, and Goulet measured a slow dry time. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-x-feather/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-30 - Updated: 2026-10-30 ![3 oz bottle of Noodler's X-Feather beside a swab card, with an inset comparing a feathered line and a clean one](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/noodlers-x-feather-illustration-16x9.png?v=b33999fb) *Noodler's X-Feather in its 3 oz bottle, drawn in proportion.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Noodler's X-Feather Black fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19046) | Noodler's (by Noodler's Ink, Massachusetts (run by Nathan Tardif)) | United States | United States | Water-resistant black ink in a glass bottle | – | $$: $5–20 per item | - Made in (Noodler's X-Feather Black fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19046)): United States. Noodler's About Us page says its ink is 100% made in the USA from cap to glass to ink. We found no separate origin statement for X-Feather itself. Source: https://noodlersink.com/about-us/ ## Key takeaways - The standard bottle holds 3 oz (Goulet lists 90 ml); Noodler's also sells 4.5 oz and 16 oz bottles of the black. - Goulet says the ink is designed not to feather on most papers, but Noodler's own page for the black lists only archival, bullet proof, forge resistant and water resistant. - Pen Addict tested it on 20 lb copy paper and saw minimal feathering and show-through; a Fountain Pen Network tester found it no better than LAMY Black. - Goulet measured a dry time of over 30 seconds and rates flow dry; some forum users report smearing on glossy paper. - Noodler's says its ink is 100% made in the USA. ## What is Noodler's X-Feather? **It's a black fountain pen ink from Noodler's, a small American maker run by Nathan Tardif in southern Massachusetts, that is sold for use on poor paper.** Goulet says the 3 oz black is "specifically designed not to feather on most papers", and its review says Noodler's created it to combat feathering on cheap paper. Noodler's own page for the black, item 19046, is shorter: it lists the ink as archival, bullet proof, forge resistant and water resistant, with no mention of feathering. Its separate Anti Feather Blue (X-Feather), item 19103, is tagged anti-feathering and waterproof. This guide covers the black. ## X-Feather specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Noodler's Ink, Massachusetts, USA | | Item | 19046 (3 oz) | | Bottle | 3 oz (Goulet: 90 ml); 4.5 oz (19819) and 16 oz (19834) also sold | | Bottle opening | 23.6 mm (0.93 in), per Goulet | | Water resistance | Yes (Goulet); high (Goulet review) | | Dry time | Over 30 s (Goulet test); not listed as fast drying | | Flow / shading | Dry / low (Goulet review) | | Price band | $$ ($5–20 per bottle) | We didn't find a published bottle height, so the cover draws the bottle in proportion. **Fills per bottle** (bottle volume ÷ filler capacity, rounded down): | Filler | Holds | Fills per 3 oz bottle | Fills per 4.5 oz bottle | |---|---|---|---| | Pilot CON-40 converter | 0.4 ml | about 222 | about 332 | | LAMY Z28 converter | 0.8 ml | about 111 | about 166 | | TWSBI ECO piston | 1.76 ml | about 50 | about 75 | ## Does X-Feather stop feathering on copy paper? **Reviewers disagree, so treat it as helpful rather than guaranteed.** Pen Addict tested it on 20 lb copy paper against two Iroshizuku inks and found it did well: it still feathers, but you have to look closely, and feathering and show-through were minimal. Goulet's reviewer found it held up even on a Moleskine notebook but said it is water based, so feathering can't be ruled out, calling it the best bet when you can't control the paper. A November 2017 Fountain Pen Network tester compared it with LAMY Black on three papers using a LAMY 2000 fine nib and saw virtually no difference in darkness or feathering, concluding it has no unique anti-feathering property. That was one person's test, not a lab result. ## How does it do on very thin or cheap notebooks? **Better than most inks, but it can still show through.** Wonder Pens, writing with a wet flex nib on a cheap spiral school notebook, saw the paper pulling at tiny particles of ink, yet called X-Feather's result admirable; it saw definite bleed-through there but none on Rhodia. For comparison with a standard copy sheet, see [Hammermill copy paper](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hammermill-copy-paper/) and [Amazon Basics copy paper](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/amazon-basics-copy-paper/). ## How long does it take to dry, and does it smear? **Slowly: Goulet's smear test took over 30 seconds.** Goulet's reviewer saw some smearing until it dried and advised waiting before applying water. Pen Addict, by contrast, called the dry time pretty quick. On a Fountain Pen Network thread, users described it as slow drying and prone to smear on glossy paper such as Rhodia, one stopped using it for that reason, and another found the dry time acceptable. The smearing reports come from forum users, not controlled tests, and Goulet's review does not say it smears on good paper. ## Is X-Feather water resistant? **Yes.** Goulet rates water resistance high, calling it very permanent once dry, and Noodler's lists it as archival, bullet proof, forge resistant and water resistant. Pen Addict saw a little cloudiness under water but lines that stayed true. Our [Noodler's Black](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-black-ink/) guide explains what Noodler's means by bullet proof. ## How does it write, and how do you clean it? **Dark, flat and a bit dry.** Goulet found high saturation, no visible shading and a dry flow that gave its LAMY nib some feedback. Wonder Pens called it a thicker-seeming ink that suits wet and flex nibs, while Pen Addict found it slightly wet in wide nibs, so flow depends on the pen. Goulet rated cleaning difficult and suggests extra rinses; Pen Addict found it simple. Follow our guide to [how to clean a fountain pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/how-to-clean-a-fountain-pen/), and note the [TWSBI ECO](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/twsbi-eco/) holds about 1.76 ml, so a 3 oz bottle fills it roughly 50 times. For a more colorful Noodler's pick, see [Baystate Blue](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/noodlers-baystate-blue/), which Goulet warns stains pens. ## Where is X-Feather made? **In the USA, according to Noodler's.** Its About Us page says its ink is 100% made in the USA from cap to glass to ink; we found no separate statement for X-Feather. We also found no release date and no independent paper test beyond the ones above. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Noodler's X-Feather really not feather? Sources disagree. Pen Addict saw minimal feathering on 20 lb copy paper, and Wonder Pens saw very little on a cheap school notebook. A Fountain Pen Network tester found virtually no difference from LAMY Black on three papers. ### What does Noodler's say X-Feather does? Noodler's page for the black lists archival, bullet proof, forge resistant and water resistant. Its page for the blue version is tagged anti-feathering. Goulet, a retailer, says the black is designed not to feather on most papers. ### Does X-Feather smear? It can while wet. Goulet measured over 30 seconds to dry and saw smearing until then. Forum users also describe it as slow drying and prone to smear on glossy paper such as Rhodia, though one user found the dry time acceptable. ### Is X-Feather waterproof? It is water resistant. Goulet rates resistance high, and Pen Addict saw a little cloudiness under water but lines that stayed true. Noodler's lists it as bullet proof, archival and forge resistant. ### How big is a bottle of X-Feather? The standard bottle is 3 oz (item 19046), listed as 90 ml by Goulet. Noodler's also lists the black in 4.5 oz (19819) and 16 oz (19834) sizes. ### Is X-Feather hard to clean out of a pen? Reviewers disagree. Goulet rated cleaning difficult and suggests extra rinses, while Pen Addict found it simple. Rinse the pen with water when you change inks. ### Does X-Feather bleed through thin paper? Wonder Pens saw no bleed-through on Rhodia but definite bleed-through on a cheap school notebook with a wet flex nib. Pen Addict called show-through minimal on 20 lb copy paper. ## Sources - [Noodler's Ink: 19046 X-Feather Black (3 oz; archival, bullet proof, forge resistant, water resistant)](https://noodlersink.com/product/19046-x-feather-black/) - [Noodler's Ink: 19103 Anti Feather Blue (X-Feather), 3 oz (anti-feathering, waterproof)](https://noodlersink.com/product/19103-anti-feather-blue-x-feather/) - [Noodler's Ink: 19819 X-Feather Black 4.5 oz](https://noodlersink.com/product/19819-x-feather-black-4-5-oz/) - [Noodler's Ink: 19834 X-Feather Black 16 oz](https://noodlersink.com/product/19834-x-feather-black-16-oz/) - [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 X-Feather Black, 3 oz bottled ink (N19046, 90 ml, opening 23.6 mm, designed not to feather on most papers)](https://gouletpens.com/products/noodlers-x-feather-black-3oz-bottled-ink) - [Goulet Pens: Noodler's X-Feather Black, ink review (dry time, water resistance, flow, Moleskine test)](https://blog.gouletpens.com/noodlers-x-feather-ink-review/) - [The Pen Addict: Noodler's X-Feather Black ink review (20 lb copy paper, April 2015)](https://www.penaddict.com/blog/2015/4/15/noodlers-x-feather-black-ink-review) - [Wonder Pens: Noodler's X-Feather ink review (Rhodia and school notebook, June 2013)](https://wonderpens.ca/blogs/pens-and-things/ink-review-noodlers-x-feather) - [Fountain Pen Network: Testing Noodler's X-Feather, does it prevent feathering? (November 2017)](https://fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/329325-testing-noodler%E2%80%99s-x-feather-does-it-prevent-feathering) - [Fountain Pen Network: Noodles X Feather (user experiences, 2017)](https://fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/323387-noodles-x-feather)