Besides their unusual name, Noodler’s inks are best known for their extraordinary range of colors, low cost by volume, and distinctive labels that owner Nathan Tardif uses as a platform for his strongly held political beliefs. The brand’s name and catfish logo are inspired by the sport of catching catfish with your bare hands. Tardif admires the egalitarianism of noodling—no amount of money or connections can give you an advantage over anyone else. This egalitarian philosophy extends into every aspect of Tardif’s operation. He makes all of his inks by hand using locally sourced components wherever possible, and he prices his inks as low as he can without actually losing money so that they can be accessible to as many people as possible.

In addition to nearly three dozen standard inks—more than most brands’ entire selection—Noodler’s offers over 70 specialty inks with useful and exotic properties that no other brands have. Let’s take a look at all of the different Noodler’s ink lines, then cover some of our top recommendations.