Waterman Blue Black - a written review

[Arnav]

Hi, Wim! Thanks for your lovely and useful ink reviews!

 

The image of the first page of your written review is for South Seas Blue. If you could replace it with the Blue-Black page, I'd be quite interested to read it.

 

I'm struggling with this ink in a pre-war "The De La Rue Pen" (stamped 1332) -- the ink flow dries up progressively as I write. I had the same problem with Quink Blue-Black, too. Several shades of Noodler's (Black, Blue-Black, Ottoman Azure), on the other hand, flowed so generously that I had smearing problems.

 

The pen probably hasn't been used significantly in a very long time. Could my problems be related to the "nib priming" issue you've mentioned in a couple of your reviews? What's that about?

 

Otherwise, I'm delighted with the color of the Waterman Blue-Black. KCkc's description captures my reaction exactly: "calm". Yet it's dark enough not to strain my eyes. There's some shade in the Quink Blue-Black that's too "demanding" for me.

 

Glad to be back here again. -Arnav

Edited May 27, 2005 by Arnav

[wimg]

Hi Arnav,

 

I don´t know what happened there, regarding the first page of the BB review. I´ll fix it tonight. Looks like I renamed the file by accident.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[wimg]

Hi Arnav,

 

It's fixed again. Saved the SSB page 1 under the wrong name and uploaded that, by accident, when uploading the SSB review.

 

Thanks for noticing!

 

Regarding your flow problem: that is a slightly weird one, that the pen has good flow with more concentrated inks. Personally, I would soak the pen, and rinse and flush it properly, and see what happens next. This nib shouldn't need any priming, as it is an old one, and primed many years ago. Essentially priming is meant for new pens, that haven't been inked before. It couldn't do it any harm, but first approach would be to clean the pen very well indeed, by rinsing and flushing.

 

It isn't leaking anywhere, by any chance?

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Armchop]

:meow:

Hi all,

mmmm.

I've been using Waterman Blue-Black for about three or four years now.

although I have found this forum very helpful I dont think these photos do Waterman Blue-Black any justice. I've used it in several different pen brands / nibs and have always got a much darker colour when writing than any of these photo samples.

it is especially important to me as I cant write in black (cant see what I am writing (dyslexia?)) and I dont like light or even middle blues.

Waterman blue is the best I've tried.

Keep up the good work everyone.

 

Post updated -here is my "impression" of Waterman BB.

 

http://img.photoamp.com/i/vvcgYVAE.JPG

 

Armchop

 

Go further down for an update. Added later to bump. Bad news?

Edited March 3, 2007 by Armchop

[Craig]

Is modern Waterman blue-black the same chemically as their vintage ink? Their ad used to be "Writes a bright blue, dries a lasting black"--I believe it was a ferrotannic ink that darkened as it oxidized. I buy WWII-era Waterman blue-black on eBay and what's remarkable to me is that it's still chemically active. You'd think all the oxidation that could have taken place would have, over sixty years. In water the blue washes out, leaving the indelible black ink on the paper. I also have a batch of (I'm guessing) 1960s or '70s Waterman's blue-black, and in testing it in water I found the earlier, 1940s, ink was better, leaving more black behind.

 

Perhaps I'm wrong, but my impression was that the current blue-black is a washable ink no different from other inks.

[wimg]

Hi Armchop,

 

The only time I have seen a dark WM BB like your writing sample, is when I left the pen open for a few days, and then tried to write with it. Other than that, it pretty much looks, with the pens used, like the samples presented here. Currently my monitor is calibrated, so I don't know what to say. I'll have a look again at the originals, but I am sure it is the same, as it is my staple ink, and it just looks like that coming from my pens.

 

Warm regards, Wim

[wimg]

Hi Craig,

 

The formulation of WM BB is not the same as it was in the long ago past, if only for the fact that certain biocides aren't used anymore. The biocides used in the past proved to be carcinogenic, hence the move towards different substances.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

Edited October 15, 2006 by wimg

[Craig]

Hello Wim,

 

Yes, but is their modern blue-black merely a color, as for example Noodler's is, or is it still functionally and practically blue-black, that is, the blue serving to make the ink visible until the permanent component of the ink oxidizes black and etches itself into the paper?

 

Craig

 

On second thought, Noodler's blue-black wasn't a good example, since the black component of that ink is also permanent, for different reasons.

Edited October 15, 2006 by Craig

[solaris]

Wim.

cheers for the review. One of my 'top five' inks....

[lisa]

My waterman BB looks nothing like that. I know my monitor isn't displaying colors correctly but I do know my monitor shows colors lighter than they actually are.

My waterman BB is a light faded green when it dries. I really don't like it because the color is too light. Maybe it's just my monitor but is your waterman BB a day after you've written it down light green too?

 

I'm currently experimenting with mixing 10 parts of W BB with one part Quink Black to make it darker. So far this mix looks like a blue black color with slight green undertone. I'll leave it overnight to see if it's still blue. If so I'll probably make some more of this mix as it's much better than the light faded green.

 

BTW, I wonder if I leave the bottle open for a few days if it will get darker? Just don't know if that's a smart thing to do...

[MikeLip]

I use Watermans' blue-black in my journals at work. It stays blue-black. Nice color, if a bit too conservative for anything but my lab journals!

[framebaer]

my waterman BB is always in one of my pens.

[corniche]

My waterman BB looks nothing like that. I know my monitor isn't displaying colors correctly but I do know my monitor shows colors lighter than they actually are.

My waterman BB is a light faded green when it dries. I really don't like it because the color is too light. Maybe it's just my monitor but is your waterman BB a day after you've written it down light green too?

 

I'm currently experimenting with mixing 10 parts of W BB with one part Quink Black to make it darker. So far this mix looks like a blue black color with slight green undertone. I'll leave it overnight to see if it's still blue. If so I'll probably make some more of this mix as it's much better than the light faded green.

 

BTW, I wonder if I leave the bottle open for a few days if it will get darker? Just don't know if that's a smart thing to do...

Hello Lisa,

 

If you are using WM BB and it is drying to a light green color, I would "86" that bottle and buy a brand new one. It shouldn't be doing that. The color in Wim's review looks the way it is supposed to look- and it stays looking that way. - SPC.

 

Greetings Wim and the rest of the FPN gang,

 

My two cents: WM BB has always been one of my absolute favorites; despite the fact I make my own inks- I still keep WM BB around, it is one of the very, very few that I haven't given up on since I started making my own.

 

All the best,

 

Sean

 

 

* Edited for spelling error.

Edited October 16, 2006 by corniche

[Armchop]

:meow:

Hi all

just put Waterman BB in my Laban Mento Broad nib. What a bloodbath! Ink all over the place! :blink: talk about "wet writer". Now I need to check if it is that particular nib rather than the size- it is a brand new pen but have not had trouble before in my other two Laban's. I was hoping to migrate to the Laban away from my Sonnet. Need to wait for nib to dry after I cleaned it out and test with my other colours of ink.

will update later.

 

Armchop

[Armchop]

:meow:

Yep! got home tonight and put in Penman ruby that I have in another Laban. it is the new nib and not the ink. now hoping to get an exchange.

I would be gutted not to be able to use my BB in my favourite set of pens!

Armchop

 

Got nib swapped. Me happy again.

Edited October 20, 2006 by Armchop

[johnr55]

Regardless of the ink, I found the handwriting fascinating! So nice to see someone write in an everyday hand, not trying to imitate monks from a bygone age. Most unusual strokes for some of the letters, and I wonder whether that has to do with English as a 2nd language?

[Armchop]

 

Some recent incidents have got me thinking.

I've recently opened newer bottles of WBB for obvious reasons.

In my post above the sample was written in a Sonnet with a Medium but very wet nib. However I got similar saturation results in a Laban Mento.

I some other pens I have been getting much pretty much washed out results.

 

Anyway, I am now finding that my most recent batches of WBB are:

1) coming out much less saturated even in the Sonnets.

2) fading very quickly over time - days and weeks and in grade books that are closed to light.

3) have a very definate green hue (see Lisa's post above). Indeed when wiping nibs after filling with ink the tissue paper is stained GREEN! A kind of sea green rather than grass or leaf green but absolutlely green. Like this almost -

 

So

A) Is this a new but disastrous formula / dye used?

A quality control problem?

C) Anyone else noticed?

 

I've been using this ink for probably ten years. First in catridges then I wised up to bottles. There is a change.

 

Armchop

 

now changed over to using PR Midnight Blues. So far so good. Star quite dark in a braodish nib such as M on a Parker 100.

Edited April 6, 2007 by Armchop

[superfly]

I have new bottle of the Waterman's Blue Black, but the color is nothing like the scans...

 

It is more turquoise in hue, you can definitely see some green in it, when you compare to the Florida Blue.

 

The lightness is about the same as on the Florida Blue... I will write some samples when I grab some time.

 

Nenad

[lisa]

QUOTE (lisa @ Oct 15 2006, 06:52 PM)

I'm currently experimenting with mixing 10 parts of W BB with one part Quink Black to make it darker. So far this mix looks like a blue black color with slight green undertone. I'll leave it overnight to see if it's still blue. If so I'll probably make some more of this mix as it's much better than the light faded green.

This worked BTW. It's a much darker color now. Still fades overnight but in the end it's a darkish blue green. Sort of old fashioned teal.

[HDoug]

QUOTE (johnr55 @ Oct 20 2006, 03:27 PM)

Regardless of the ink, I found the handwriting fascinating! So nice to see someone write in an everyday hand, not trying to imitate monks from a bygone age. Most unusual strokes for some of the letters, and I wonder whether that has to do with English as a 2nd language?

Ditto on the handwriting! Lots of personality, yet very readable and "friendly." (My own handwriting imitates "monks from a bygone era" -- who have broken into the wine cellar!)

 

Doug