Pilot Blue - Black

[silverlifter]

Woe! Woe is us! Photobucket has retracted all the photos in the original post, and Archive.org has not archived them!! Woe, woe, woe is us!

 

Photobucket has, alas, consigned many of the ink reviews to the dustbin of (unarchived) history. Vandals!

[carlos.q]

Woe! Woe is us! Photobucket has retracted all the photos in the original post, and Archive.org has not archived them!! Woe, woe, woe is us!

 

 

Noooooooooooo........

[lapis]

Right, but that was back in June 2017.... http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/funny/1/vomit.gif

[blue in green]

One advantage i did not see mentioned is that when the seal of the pen is not great, it still writes, so it ages well in the pen... (obvously more concentrated, so more smear...)

[Dankdan63]

For the record I just finished a 350 ml bottle today. Who'dathunkit?

 

dan

[Mercian]

On 11/3/2024 at 6:16 PM, Dankdan63 said:

For the record I just finished a 350 ml bottle today. Who'dathunkit?

 

dan

 

That's pretty impressive!

(Well, unless you first started the bottle in, say, 1980 )

[Mercian]

Having recently seen this post come up to the top of the 'Ink Reviews' board, I have decided to attempt to restore the images to it.

 

You may well need to click on the photos - and then double-click to open them on Photobucket - to get them to display properly.
I have embedded them here as edited links to their urls, and they seem to be displaying here at varying sizes 🤷‍♂️

(I am tempted to type what Sandy1 would once have called a 'Lloyd-word' )

 

Anyway, all credit for those images, and for this excellent review, is owed to Sandy1.

Enjoy!

 

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Please take a moment to adjust your gear to accurately depict the Gray Scale below.

As the patches are neutral gray, that is what you should see.

 

Mac

http://www.wikihow.c...te-Your-Monitor

 

Wintel PC

http://www.calibrize.com/

Gray Scale.

 

Notes

• This Ink Review is for Pilot Blue-Black. The word 'Namiki' does not appear on the packaging.

 

～|～I～|～

 

 

Figure 1.

Swabs

Paper: HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

 

 

Figure 2.

NIB-ism ✑

Paper: HPJ1124.

Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.

 

Pens: L → R: 78G, M200, Slimfold, ATX, Targa, Sailer.

 

WRITTEN SAMPLES - Moby Dick

 

Row height is 8mm.

 

Figure 3.

Paper: HPJ1124.

 

Figure 4.

Paper: Rhodia.

 

Figure 5.

Paper: G Lalo, Verge de France, white.

 

Figure 6.

Paper: Royal - 25% rag.

 

 

 

Figure 7.

Staples 20lb multi use.

 

Figure 8.

Grocery List

Paper: Pulp.

 

 

OTHER STUFF

 

Figure 9.

Smear/Dry Times.

Wet Tests.

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Type:

• Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Daily writer?

• Very possible.

A go-to ink?

• Yes - when a high performance pale Blue-Black ink is desired.

 

USE

 

Business:

(From the office of Ms Blue-Black.)

• A solid robust work horse ink.
• Suitable for all types of correspondence, notes, personal work product, etc.
• Of the Blue-Black inks that I have seen, this is likely the most pale, so is a bit more convivial than other BlBk inks.
• Not likely to distract the reader, but they are likely to notice it is an FP ink.
• Not enough zip for editing / mark-up.
• Not enough zap for error correction or grading of assignments.

Illustrations / Graphics:

• The neutral character seems to relegate PBlBk to acting as a ground, not a figure.
• Has the stability to hold space, but not the energy to command that space.
• The relatively short dry times enable rapid reworking.
• Line quality is very crisp and tonality is most often quite even, so narrow tight lines and labels can be generated.

Students:

• Will handle tasks requiring a robust Blue to Blue-Black with aplomb.
• It is a bit calm for hand-written assignments deserving a high mark, so perhaps something a bit more animated and eye-catching for such events when/if they occur.

Personal:

• This is rather too close to my daily writer ink, (Quink BlBk with SOLV-X), for me to use for 'personal' personal writing.
• Really fits the bill as an off-duty utility / pro forma ink.
• When a robust ink is required, this is a nice side-step away from Pelikan BlBk, and the higher maintenance i-g, np & bp inks.

 

 

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

 

Flow Rate:

• A bit higher than average.

Nib Dry-out:

• Not seen.

Start-up:

• Immediate.

Lubrication:

• Very nice feel in all pens used.
• Narrow nibs ran smoothly even on the coarse & textured papers; wide nibs were sure-footed - very welcome with the 'slippery when wet' MS nib.

Nib Creepers:

• Banished.

Staining:

• Not seen after three days.

Clogging:

• Not seen.
• Seems unlikely.

Bleed- Show-Through:

• Staples 20lb : barely enough to remark upon.

Feathering / Woolly Line:

• Not seen.

Smear/Dry Time:

• HPJ1124: 5 - 10 seconds
• Rhodia: 15 - 20
• Staples 20lb: <5

 

Water Resistance: ☂

 

④ on the 4S Scale:

 

"All legible, can be easily read and/or have light staining from re-deposit of soluble ink.

 

Use as-is for work papers & internal use.

 

Adjustments to a scanner may drop-out the stain."

Smell:

• Very faint; sharp nose.

Hand oil sensitivity:

• Not seen.

Clean Up:

• Prompt and thorough with plain water.

Mixing:

• No stated prohibitions.
• I see no reason to mix into PBB.

Archival:

• Not claimed.

☞ Now that, dear friends, is a very impressive performance profile. :clap1:

 

 

THE LOOK

 

Presence:

• Almost too subtle; veiled.
• A bit too stable to be an action figure.

Saturation:

• Moderate.

Shading:

• Elusive.
• Pleasant when it appears.
• Seems to favour narrow nibs. (!?!)

Variability:

• Pen+nib combos used:
  • Given the extreme range of writers used, I must say far less than expected: it looks very much itself throughout.

  [*]Papers used:

  • Less than expected.

  [*]Malleability:

  • Not so much.
  • That characteristic makes PBB an excellent choice as a daily writer ink, especially when combined with its good manners and excellent water resistance.

   

Hi-Res Scans:

 

As I do not wish to be dubbed 'Queen of The Bandwidth Bandits', these are links.

 

78G on HPJ1124

 

Slimfold on Rhodia

 

ATX on G Lalo

 

Sailor on Royal

 

 

FIDELITY

 

Is the name appropriate?

• Tricky one, this.
• The way I see the colour is just inside Blue-Black, on the imaginary boundary with Blue and Royal Blue.
• I would not bother to debate the point: You say 'to-mah-toe'; I say 'po-tay-toe'.

Are swatches accurate?

• Colour, yes; density, no.

 

SIMILAR COLOURS

 

Ad hoc Comparisons:

 

These may be made by having two concurrent FPN browser windows open with the desired images displayed, then reorganising the desktop to support side-by-side viewing at the same reproduction ratio.

 

• The image below is included to support side-by-side comparison to the M200+EF Written Samples in the One Of The Ten Ink Reviews.

 

 

• The image below is included to support side-by-side comparison to the Platinum Presidential Purist Written Samples in my Reviews of Blue-Black inks.

 

 

High Resolution Link:

 

 

 

PAPERS

 

Lovely papers:

• White.
• Crisp bright white.
• Ran well on all papers used.

Trip-wire Papers: ☠

• None encountered.
• I would try to stay clear of dirty white papers, and warm tints.

Tinted Papers:

• Only when at middle to high density; on pale blue / grey tints.

Pre-Printed Papers:

• Forms, etc.
  • Of course.
  • Brings a bit of weighty authority.
  • The dark tone goes well with forms printed in Black - close to the same visual plane, so are easily read.

  [*]For charts & graphs:

  • Certainly.

   

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

• Not for daily use.
• If one tries to find a pen+paper combo that consistently generates shading, then high-end paper may be in the mix.

 

OTHER THAN INK

Presentation:

• 70ml glass bottle in a box.
• No HazMat warnings.

Origin:

• Japan.

 

Container:

• An attractive oval-esque clear glass bottle with a wee pedestal, 80mm tall when capped.
• The centred round opening seems narrow at 18mm ∅.
• Includes a 'widget' filling aid, similar to those found in Penman and Jentle inks, which can be removed.

 

 

• While I like this type of filling aid, there is risk of rousing any sediment - akin to shaking/stirring/whisking.
• The hard blue plastic screw cap has OK grippy bits.
• The cap seal is plastic. Should be sufficiently secure for inversion, but do not do so over animal companions or other loved ones. (Trust me on this OK?)
• The cap is not child-proof.

 

Box:

• 80x70x55mm
• Nicely coated.
• Labelled on front, back & top of box.

*** Now how hard was that? Other Co.s take note!

 

Availability:

• Not too wide.
• Well stocked pen shops, some online retailers.

 

ETC.

Majik:

• Not possible - too busy working.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

• Targa on the HPJ1124.

Yickity Yackity:

• Another Journeyman ink that runs on rails.
• A fair look with an impressive performance profile - Bob's your uncle!
• Ah kushbaby, another one for only when on-the-job?

==============

 

NUTS & BOLTS

 

Materiel:

 

To be relevant to most members, I make an effort to use papers, pens & nibs that are readily available. Pens are factory stock - not customised.

 

Pens:

 

• Written Samples:
  • Pilot 78G + g-p steel F
  • Pelikan M200 + g-p steel EF
  • Parker Slimfold + hint of flex 14K
  • Cross ATX + steel M
  • Sheaffer Targa + steel M-B (Sticker=M)
  • Sailor 1911 + 14K MS

  [*]For lines & labels: Pilot 'Lady' + F with Noodler's Burgundy.

 

On these papers:

• HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.
• Rhodia.
• G Lalo, Verge de France, white.
• Royal, 25% cotton rag.
• Staples 20lb. multi use.
• Pulp. One-a-Day Calendar page.

_________________________

 

Images:

• Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
• Figures shown were scanned at 200 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• HiRes Images linked were scanned at 300 dpi & 24 bit colour.
• Scans were not adjusted, so went straight to Photobouquet.

_________________________

 

Densitometer Readings (FWIW):

• Red 103
• Grn 127
• Blu 194
• Lum 135

__________________________

 

Fine Print:

The accuracy and relevance of this Review depends in great part upon consistency and reliability of materiel used. Ink does not require labelling/notice to indicate (changes in) formulation, non-hazardous ingredients, batch ID, date of manufacture, etc. As always, YMMV, not only from materials, methods, environment, etc., but also due to differences between the stuff in the bottle I used, and that in bottle/s you may have.

Also, I entrust readers to separate opinion from fact; to evaluate inferences and conclusions as to their merit; and to be amused by whatever tickles your fancy.

-30-

 

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I hope, dear reader, that you find this restored version of Sandy1's review to be as useful as I did when i saw it in its original form.
Although the photos are displaying inconsistently here, Sandy1's wisdom (& her humour) is unchanged in the review text itself.

 

Slàinte,
M.

[Dankdan63]

I agree with all that's been said above. A well behaved ink, the color seems a bit uninspiring, but it works well, cleans up easy, and so I can look past the meh color. 

 

Does that count as a first ink review?

 

dan