Darkest Black Ink

[write to me often]

Interestingly, not credited enough on FPN, I really like Montegrappa Black. It is the darkest black I have ever used and very lubricated.

[colrehogan]

This is tempting me to do a page of black inks for the Fade Olympics this year. I have a lot of black ink in the house. However, there are some that I don't have, like Noodler's X-Feather, Old Manhattan Black. The comparison might lose something. Oh well. I'll have to work with what I have.

[Randal6393]

Thanks a lot everyone =) I'll make sure to try a sample of each ink mentioned

 

Ink 101. The blackest black is not as important as a number of other intangibles, IMHO. Since I write in Italic and do calligraphy, I am looking for a pleasing black with sharp, well-defined edges. Tim (above) needs a particularly fast-drying ink, since he writes left-handed and his hand tracks through his writing almost as soon as he writes it.

 

Having said that, Aurora Black is one of the best all-around inks that I have tried. Has good edges, stays where your pen puts it. Is a black black, not gray or with overtones of other colors. It has stayed on the market for more years than I have been posting to the FPN. Dries well and doesn't cake up. For many years, caliken swore by it. Still does, as far as I know.

 

Still, if you want to do some testing ... Bluejay's suggestion is good -- go look at the Goulet Pens website, compare, and see what you like. Personally, I like any of the Noodler's black inks. They work out very well. Have used Schaeffer's SKRIP -- it works well. Pelikan 4001 seems to do a good job. And Quink has a goodly list of recommendations. So on and so forth, etc.

 

Enjoy,

[iliadodyssey]

Also keep in mind that just about any black fountain pen ink will shame black ballpoint ink by revealing just how not-black it really is. Case in point, I let a friend of mine use one of my pens filled with 54th Massachusetts (a dark blue-black) and she commented on just how "black" it wrote (I thought it would be impolite to inform her that it was not in fact black and just accepted the compliment). As others have stated, other properties such as dry time, feathering, bleed-through, cleaning ease, etc... might play a major role in your choice as well. Besides, lets be honest, how many of you can tell the difference between aurora, noodler's, skrip, etc... black when viewing written words on paper? I cannot (although I know that a few of you out there can).

[lapis]

This list is about a month old, so there'll be at least a dozen or two such threads missing...

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/186168-the-best-black-ink/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=66801

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=137976

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=67703

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79735

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=135370

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/117224-aurora-black-or-noodlers-manhattan-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/157781-old-manhattan-vs-borealis-black-vs-heart-of-darkness/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/106140-darkest-noodler/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/50887-noodlers-blackest-black-old-manhattan-fph/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/106501-noodlers-old-manhattan-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/114753-differences-between-noodlers-bulletproof-black-hod-old-manhattan-black-etc/

http://londonpenclub.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/black-inks1.jpg

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/173691-private-reserve-invincible-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/170137-three-black-inks/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/182535-which-noodlers-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/186729-choosing-the-right-blue-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/155787-montblanc-ink-black/

http://www.gouletpens.com/Swab_Shop_Black_s/815.htm

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/214676-im-often-asked-why-i-like-noodlers-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/224067-should-black-inks-shade/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/215238-hod-is-not-noodlers-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/218868-need-a-good-flowinglubricating-blue-or-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/220120-pelikan-brilliant-black-water-tests/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/205970-13-black-ink-under-water/

[The Good Captain]

This list is about a month old, so there'll be at least a dozen or two such threads missing...

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/186168-the-best-black-ink/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=66801

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=137976

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=67703

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79735

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=135370

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/117224-aurora-black-or-noodlers-manhattan-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/157781-old-manhattan-vs-borealis-black-vs-heart-of-darkness/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/106140-darkest-noodler/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/50887-noodlers-blackest-black-old-manhattan-fph/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/106501-noodlers-old-manhattan-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/114753-differences-between-noodlers-bulletproof-black-hod-old-manhattan-black-etc/

http://londonpenclub.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/black-inks1.jpg

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/173691-private-reserve-invincible-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/170137-three-black-inks/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/182535-which-noodlers-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/186729-choosing-the-right-blue-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/155787-montblanc-ink-black/

http://www.gouletpens.com/Swab_Shop_Black_s/815.htm

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/214676-im-often-asked-why-i-like-noodlers-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/224067-should-black-inks-shade/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/215238-hod-is-not-noodlers-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/218868-need-a-good-flowinglubricating-blue-or-black/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/220120-pelikan-brilliant-black-water-tests/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/205970-13-black-ink-under-water/

I just love your sense of humour...

[lapis]

I just love your sense of humour...

Thanks, and actually, the only reason I posted this was to see what you'd say this time!

[The Good Captain]

Thanks, and actually, the only reason I posted this was to see what you'd say this time!

I do hope I never disappoint.

[Fabienne]

1) Good German humor is the best. Thanks, Lapis. That was hilarious.

2) The Good Captain, you never diappoint.

3) Thanks for showing me the light dark, Tim.

 

But seriously, if it's not right up next to another ink, just about any of the good blacks mentioned above look as black as you can imagine.

Edited July 27, 2013 by Fabienne

[tmenyc]

But seriously, you mean we weren't serious before? And who EVER puts a black ink next to another? The whole purpose of this is to fill a pen, sit back, and with a feeling of deep satisfaction, say "Even Lapis would agree that this is the blackest ink around..."

 

Tim

[vectorbundle]

Heart of Darkness is hard to beat for blackness and dry time.