Cheapest Ink Around - Pilot Blue Black 350 Ml

[Honeybadgers]

I found that pilot sells a "basic" blue black ink in massive 350ml bottles for $20 shipped on amazon with prime shipping. I couldn't find many comprehensive reviews.

 

This might be one of the absolute best inks for professionals and students who go through ink like crazy, but want something that is still seriously waterproof and has some presence on the page without being ostentatious.

 

Also, to my surprise, this ink has a LOT of sheen! even with a fine 3776, the wetter strokes show a whole lot of tasty red sheen. It's a very permeating sheen, too, not just at the edges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Color wise, it's closer to blue than black, similar-ish to de atramentis fog grey, a little more muted-grey than the really vivid parker quink BB, quite a bit more blue than lamy BB. Definitely in the middle of the blue/black world.

 

Dry times are VERY quick.

 

 

It's a medium flow, tending towards a bit dry.

 

 

Shading is medium-high. more on/off, not like the color shifting of apache sunset, but it's present in all but the wettest pens.

 

 

It's very well behaved in several different pens, including a scheaffer imperial, 3776 SF, italic ground pilot stub in a Wing sung 698, and the lamy CP1 test mule with nibs from EF-B and 1.1. None of the greasy feel of monteverde or the really picky feel of lamy BB.

 

 

It behaves perfectly on good paper, rhodia, clairefontaine, etc. But on really bad, cheap copy paper it can feather and bleed a little bit on the wetter parts of the letter. Not bad and far from unusable, but it's there. Closest analogue to bleed and feathering that I have inked might be diamine oxblood. Overall, in a finer nib it'll handle a composition notebook, an EF can handle double sided

 

Waterproofness is outstanding. some of the ink comes off the page, but what's left is completely legible.

 

 

Overall, this is a fantastic ink and an absolutely insane deal for probably enough to get me through med school on its own. It really has everything I want, waterproof, sheen, shading, and a very professional color.

 

You will need an empty bottle to refill from, however, since it's in a 12oz glass bottle. The lid of the bottle has a pour spout, making refills of bottles with normal sized necks very easy. I really like lamy bottles for my inks, but an iroshizuku would do, too.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Honeybadgers

[OCArt]

+1 This is a great ink! I always keep my desk pen filled with this, or its sister Pilot Blue. Both are incredibly well-behaved and have good water resistance. And, as you pointed out, it's a bargain!

[Shaggy]

My favorite ink by far. Thanks for the review.

[Tas]

Tempted so many times.
Perhaps when my teensy bottle runs dry I'll replace with this mahoosive one.

Agreed, it is a stellar ink. Thank you for your review.

[JonSzanto]

If it was a lesser economic value, it would still be a fine ink. Bought in the "coke bottle", it's pretty unsurpassed. I got turned on to this by Dan Smith, who has it for all his nib grinding and pen work at shows. Always around in a couple of my pens and for using in new pens in the restoration queue. Highly recommended.

[The Good Captain]

What would be the best place to get this and ship it here to the UK? I've a small bottle that's pretty near gone now.

[pajaro]

With the red in it, will this ink damage pens or sacs?

[KellyMcJ]

This is one of my favorite inks. It looks a lot better in broader pens, I think. It's kind of boring in the extra fine points I use much of the time. But I can't get enough of it in medium!!!

[Tas]

 

This is one of my favorite inks. It looks a lot better in broader pens, I think. It's kind of boring in the extra fine points I use much of the time. But I can't get enough of it in medium!!!

 

 

I agree.

I just filled my Platinum 3776 F nib with some after reading this review only to empty it and replace it with Sailor Blue Black - The Pilot just looked blue in the F nib

[Honeybadgers]

With the red in it, will this ink damage pens or sacs?

 

 

I really, really doubt it. Standard manufacturers are very, VERY restrained when it comes to formulations that could damage pens.

[thudthwacker]

Pilot Blue-black is my plowhorse ink. One of my all-time favorite pairings is Pilot Blue-black ink in a Pilot Petit1 pen. Rugged, tiny when capped, fits in any pocket, works without issue, dries fairly quickly, moderately waterproof, good behavior, a color that's sedate enough to use in any circumstance, but still attractive (and with great sheen). (I was very sad to find that I'd lost the pen a few days ago; but, another reason it's my pocket pen is that, if I lose it, I can replace it from JetPens for about $4.)

 

I first tried it (after seeing many recommendations here) when I bought a gently-used Prera from a friend and borrowed a Pilot Blue-black cartridge to try out in it. Instantly fell in love with the ink. It just worked. And then I saw that I could get 350ml of it for $22, and didn't even hesitate.

[KellyMcJ]

 

I agree.

I just filled my Platinum 3776 F nib with some after reading this review only to empty it and replace it with Sailor Blue Black - The Pilot just looked blue in the F nib

Yep. "Just looks blue" is right. It's gorgeous in broader nibs though!

[Shaggy]

I even like it in fine nibs.

[massoh]

any advice if the 350ml of pilot black is same good as the blue black one?

[tvradio]

Just came across this thread when I clicked on View New Content, as someone just added to the thread.

 

Serendipity? I just received a box of Pilot Blue-Black cartridges from Amazon not more than 5 minutes ago. (Unfortunately, the pen it's for won't arrive until Thursday.) What intrigued me about it was this video.

[Gasquolet]

What would be the best place to get this and ship it here to the UK? I've a small bottle that's pretty near gone now.

Non of the usual UK suspects seem to have it but Engeika as it in the webshop for about $12 so it might still ship to the UK and sneak in under the VAT threshold.

 

You can also have 350ml of black or red if you want...

[Honeybadgers]

With the red in it, will this ink damage pens or sacs?

 

Waterman blue has more "red" in it. don't worry about it.

[Honeybadgers]

Just came across this thread when I clicked on View New Content, as someone just added to the thread.

 

Serendipity? I just received a box of Pilot Blue-Black cartridges from Amazon not more than 5 minutes ago. (Unfortunately, the pen it's for won't arrive until Thursday.) What intrigued me about it was this video.

 

that color looks quite a lot blacker, closer to lamy BB. I don't think it's the same.

[Honeybadgers]

any advice if the 350ml of pilot black is same good as the blue black one?

 

i pretty much hate black inks, so don't hold your breath for advice from me.

[Torrilin]

any advice if the 350ml of pilot black is same good as the blue black one?

 

If you like Pilot Black it’s probably a great deal. For my taste it’s too bleed prone, tho the dry time is acceptable for my lefty self. There’s a lot of reviews of it, and it’s easy enough to try Pilot inks.