Pelikan Blue-Black

[Ondina]

Is "Ondina" with an n ( No relation with Odin, sadly ). It will be very interesting to see how it behaves in a modern pen with flex, Lloyd, help much appreciated.

[bluemagister]

I use the Cross blue-black carts in my Century II, which has a little flex on it and I LOVE this ink. I've dedicated that Century to this blue-black color, only rarely using brilliant black. I love the saturation, color and water resistance. This is a wonderful ink for my beautiful Century II.

[Sandy1]

Hi,

Very nice!

Thank-you!!

S1

[TMac]

After reading this review, I acquired a bottle of this ink. It has quickly become my go to ink. It is consistent on any type of paper, never feathering and no bleed thru.

 

Great review for a great ink.

[Ondina]

I use the Cross blue-black carts in my Century II, which has a little flex on it and I LOVE this ink. I've dedicated that Century to this blue-black color, only rarely using brilliant black. I love the saturation, color and water resistance. This is a wonderful ink for my beautiful Century II.

 

Thank you for adding the interesting remark about the good performance on the Cross Century II ( and the softness of the nib, which I ignored).

Hi,

Very nice!

Thank-you!!

S1

 

Thank you for the kind words, Sandy, coming from a member that post extraordinary reviews they acquire special meaning.

 

After reading this review, I acquired a bottle of this ink. It has quickly become my go to ink. It is consistent on any type of paper, never feathering and no bleed thru.

 

Great review for a great ink.

 

This is one of the best compliments one can receive when doing a review, many thanks, TMac. Pelikan deserves all the praises for making outstanding quality inks at the very best price.

[Feanor]

Just a quick note on the ink's history. It sounded in the original post as if the author implied Pelikan's fountain pens came before their inks. Pelikan's official history (PDF) shows that they began selling ink in 1901, 28 years before they sold their first pen in 1929. This is as I remember it as well, so we can be reasonably sure that they didn't alter their company history for marketing purposes as Montblanc seems to have recently.

[PacificCoastPen]

Are their any problems with water resistant inks..being stored in pens for a long time...in pens that may not be used that much?

[razr]

Pelikan's B/B is the one I use the most. Thanks for the review.

[Juan in Andalucia]

Now, that's a nice blue-black and review!

 

Is Pelikan BB an iron gall ink?, and How does it compare to vintage Sheaffer, Parker and Waterman BBs?

 

Juan

[gyasko]

Now, that's a nice blue-black and review!

 

Is Pelikan BB an iron gall ink?, and How does it compare to vintage Sheaffer, Parker and Waterman BBs?

 

Juan

 

It's somewhat similar to Skrip BB. I remember vintage Parker BB as being darker, but i haven't had a bottle in ages.

[piembi]

After reading all the posts here and in German forums, one thing is clear; the ink reaches its whole potential used in a vintage pen/feed/flexy nib combo.

 

Ah, that's a very interesting conclusion that you offer here... And it is, in fact, the one combination I didn't use with Pelikan Blue-Black; but I have a lovely 400NN with a somewhat flexy vintage nib sitting on my desk begging for some fresh ink. I'll give it a try.

 

Great review!

 

Yes, Pelikan BB needs the perfect pen to look like Ondinas sample. I love it in combination with a wet vintage Pelikan 140/400. There is always at least one pen filled with Pelikan BB.

[geoduc]

I recently purchased a bottle of Pelikan BB and inked up my medium nibbed Sailor 1911 Realo. I really like it - not too blue, not too black and really well behaved in that pen. I suspect I'll have at least one pen loaded with this ink for the foreseeable future. It has quickly become a favorite.

[ralfstc]

Great review and pictures!

 

"this ink works best in wet vintage pens of generous or flexy nibs."

 

Couldn't agree more. In my 400NN, wonderful. In a 51, just miserable! Going to try a Lamy 2k next!

 

Thanks for all the work.

 

Ralf

[Ondina]

Just a quick note on the ink's history. It sounded in the original post as if the author implied Pelikan's fountain pens came before their inks. Pelikan's official history (PDF) shows that they began selling ink in 1901, 28 years before they sold their first pen in 1929. This is as I remember it as well, so we can be reasonably sure that they didn't alter their company history for marketing purposes as Montblanc seems to have recently.

 

Given that I have no relation with Pelikan nor MB, and that my introduction clealy stated that from the early days of fountain pens, a parallel line of inks was developed and offered to users, we can be reasonably sure Pelikan began manufacturing inks 27th November 1838, when the chemist Carl Hornemann released his first printed price list to the stationery retailers in 1838 under the brand The Pelikan Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. Guenther Wagner, did not join the company till 1863 as a plant manager and when he eventually took over it, gave the company a new name: just Pelikan and the pelican emblem we know, registered since 1878. So the inks were first produced 172 years ago, or 132 years under G. Wagner's ownership.

Although the introduction does not link one thing to the other, and just for the record, Pelikan writing instruments patents began over a century ago.

 

Are their any problems with water resistant inks..being stored in pens for a long time...in pens that may not be used that much?

 

In my limited experience ( and unless professional restorers state otherhow) many pens that come right out of drawers, stored for decades with dried-up Pelikan inks just wash away after a soak and a good flush, specially in piston fillers. Any sac is perishable after some time, used or not. I use other more recent production inks with a good degree of water resistance and they are all very good behaved, with special mention to Montblanc Racing Green, Violette, Herbin's Poussière de Lune and Perle Noire, or some Diamine colors that exhibit the same properties. Some reviews do offer information on this matter, I could not, even if I tried to cover part of the extensive list and particular characteristic of all waterresistant inks, but Pelikan BB is an ink that deserves to be recommended without a doubt, Wanda. Please do take into account the valuable and valued point of view of Ethernautrix who uses it in contemporary, fine firm nibs with different results ( I believe you like fine Japanese nibs as well?). This ink yields its splendid best in wet pens and flexy vintage nibs and looks dull in most modern ones.

 

 

Now, that's a nice blue-black and review!

 

Is Pelikan BB an iron gall ink?, and How does it compare to vintage Sheaffer, Parker and Waterman BBs?

 

Juan

 

That's quite a clever question. I recall someone else (Km1000? maybe) posing the same question not too long ago. Color, dryness and UV & water resistance are common to ferrogalic inks. But smell and rest of behavior are not. To be sincere, no idea, but as it was me who made the review and I'm curious myself, an e-mail was sent to Pelikan. Whatever the answer -or lack of one- it will be published here.

 

 

Thanks to the rest of you for the very kind comments, it's easy to make a review when the ink is so good, really. Special mention to Piembi for remind me that, at times, the very best is just round the corner.

[Vincent1278]

I've been on a blue-black search and found the Pelikan BB to be my favorite. Noodler's Blue-Black was too greenish, Noodler's Midnight Blue is good, but also greenish. J. Herbin Bleu Nuit is much more blue than black, but still nice. Sailor Blue-Black seems similar to the Pelikan but I have not tried it yet.

[dval]

I use the Cross blue-black carts in my Century II, which has a little flex on it and I LOVE this ink. I've dedicated that Century to this blue-black color, only rarely using brilliant black. I love the saturation, color and water resistance. This is a wonderful ink for my beautiful Century II.

 

Do you have a gold nibbed model? I've got a steel nib and it feels a bit stiff (then again, I'm switching from a Rotring M to this Cross F). I'm thinking on switching from Quink BB to Pelikan, partly due to the colour and partly due to the archival properties (Quink BB is horrible for that), but I'm not sure if the dryer ink might be a problem.

[jandrese]

Great review. How does it compare to MB blue-black (now evidently discontinued)? They seem very similar.

[limesally]

it's less grey/black then MB blue-black. Is it really being discontinued? Or just re-named?

 

I picked up a bottle of Pelikan BB while in Calgary this week. It's actually a bit different from what I remember from the cartridges - but then I haven't used the cartridges in a couple of years. Those were much greyer - and a bit more like MB, now that I think of it. Was there a reformulation a while back?

[laplume]

This review (and Ondina's handwriting. It does not come with the ink, folks, lose all hope) made me try the ink and it has become a keeper. Fantastic ink, washes well from pens but not from clothes nor paper, it does not faint a bit (it may be a subjective impression but it gets darker?) and the blue-black color is just what I've been looking for. Very subtle to no smell, it hasn't feathered not bled through cheap to boot papers. Very good pictures and work, thank you.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Beautiful handwritng, great review!

 

I get a kick out of seeing reviews of ink I already have. Pel BB is one of my two 'huge-vats-of-ink-I-enjoy-playing-with' bottles, along with some Skrip Blue.