Mb Midnight Blue Woes

October 25, 2013

Otherwise, Diamine Registrar's Ink (once it oxidises) is the only thing that I've come across that is even close to MBMB. I tested them head to head today, along with Platinum BB (also iron gall) but the Platinum is far too bright a blue and doesn't seem to darken down with oxidation the same way the Diamine does. Either way, after my tests, I just decided it was time to stockpile and be done with it.

The Platinum blue black needs a few days to change. Initially, it looks blue but after a week or so it changes to a blue black.

Not as much black in it as the MB or Pelikan inks though.

October 25, 2013

Just a thought... There are low-cost Chinese inks that are listed as waterproof or water resistant and that cost far less than other inks. Ebay operates in England and often free shipping is available.

Here is one example:

A Hero Blue/Black that claims to be water resistant. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hero-Fountain-Pen-Ink-Blue-Black-60ML-New-/370927480065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565d002d01

I use a couple of Chinese fountain pen ink brands and find that, while less fashionable in the fountain pen community, in terms of ink performance they're quite good. It might be worth the while to pick up a bottle and give it a go. If you don't care for it, you've not invested a great sum.

Edited October 25, 2013 by PatientType

October 26, 2013

If Diamine Registrar's Ink is close and I don't know, I have neither MB nor Diamine Blue Blacks .

I do have ESSR ( an IG ink) which in every report on the com beats Diamine Registrar's Ink. It comes in a big 110 ml bottle so you'd still have a lot of ink left over when you re-fill your empty MB bottle.

Orders only directly from the company, no middleman. Good fast service...there is a 20-30 page thread on this ink.

...

Oddly, I'm down to two pens in rotation....out of the normal 12-17. Both are '50's German semi-flex KM pens, one wetter than the other. Both have ESSR in them. Both write differently.

It's well worth taking a few hours and reading the thread.

Now that I find it's very close to MB's blue black....I'm even happier.

I did a photographic 17 pen of various flexes on 47 papers test of ESSR..

Now I have a scanner I'll reload that., ASAP.

It's a very sneaky ink. Sandy calls it mischievous.

On some papers it will change form blue to black before your eyes, others like any good BB IG ink, takes a day or two to finally oxidize. Different papers, different nib widths and flexes will give different peeks at the ink.

ESSR is the only old Stevens ink left, a great English ink. The company got bought up @ 30 years ago and dismantled. One of the managers took the blue-black ink as part of his settlement.

From what posters have shown with vintage bottles, Stevens made some real nice other inks also.

It's a great ink that happens to be ~~cheap~~....inexpensive.

October 26, 2013

Bo Bo:

I for one am looking forward to seeing your 17 different pen review of ESSRI!!

October 26, 2013

It's not a solid match but Organics Studios Aristotle is an amazing alternative. In my opinion it out performs mb/mb by quite a lot.

October 27, 2013

I figured this was an appropriate post to bring this up. I have a bottle of the old version what is I guess considered to be the better formula. On the bottom of the box it does say permanent for documents. However there's a sticker on the box that says May 2016. I can only imagine that this is an expiration date but I'm kind of surprised to see it as I've never seen an expiration date on any of my other inks. Do these inks indeed expire?

October 27, 2013

I figured this was an appropriate post to bring this up. I have a bottle of the old version what is I guess considered to be the better formula. On the bottom of the box it does say permanent for documents. However there's a sticker on the box that says May 2016. I can only imagine that this is an expiration date but I'm kind of surprised to see it as I've never seen an expiration date on any of my other inks. Do these inks indeed expire?

I'm quite happily using a supply of even older Montblanc Blue/Black that is way past it's use by date and it is still fine. Recently I finished up a bottle of Sapphire Penman well over 15 years after I purchased it and it was good to the last drop.

Like most products with a use-by or best-by date this is usually put on the product by the manufacturer to limit their exposure to any liability from the customer. It is effectively suggesting to the customer that after the date they will not honour guarantees, etc, and really for ink it probably doesn't matter as much as for more perishable items. Keep the ink in a reasonable stable temperature range and not exposed to harsh sunlight, etc, and it will probably be good well past the use-by date. Of course if it develops slime or mould then it is best to throw it away and that may well have been caused by the owner when a nib was filled in the bottle and introduced the spores or something foreign.

October 28, 2013

A Hero Blue/Black that claims to be water resistant. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hero-Fountain-Pen-Ink-Blue-Black-60ML-New-/370927480065?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item565d002d01

I use a couple of Chinese fountain pen ink brands and find that, while less fashionable in the fountain pen community, in terms of ink performance they're quite good.

I've been writing with Hero blue-black #232, and it does seem to be highly water-resistant. The usual performance parameters like flow and feathering are quite good, too. I also use (and like) MB "iron-gall" Midnight Blue and Pelikan Blue-Black, and think the Hero ink holds its own in comparison.

October 29, 2013

A quick update. After failing to get any indelible MBMB ink at John Lewis', Selfridge's or the MB boutique in New Bond Street, I saw that Bluestocking obtained some from Websters in Bromley. So I contacted Websters via their central sales email and had a very nice note back from a gentleman called Jonathan who told me he had found a dozen of the bottles of 105194 permanent Midnight Blue. They will be on their way to me this afternoon. I do hope they are the right ones - the people at Websters seemed to understand my need for the permanent version not the other stuff.

The gentleman I spoke to in the sales office asked me if I would be interested in any more of this ink if he could locate some - he said it was being discontinued - and I said I would, so he is going to have a hunt around.

A dozen bottles will keep me writing freely for some years to come, but if more are located, I'll pop a note out to everyone and they will be offered for sale at cost (I will have to check the forum rules on FPN first!).

I know MB inks have a best before date but hey, I've used ink older than me without problems so I'll simply ignore them.

October 31, 2013

Tweel is correct. I find the Chinese ink to be dryer or less lubricated than most inks.

October 31, 2013

I find the Chinese ink to be dryer or less lubricated than most inks.

The bottle of Hero #232 I'm using has had good flow & lubrication on every paper I've used it on... until I tried it on Strathmore Writing 25% cotton. There, it was as dry as a bone!

October 31, 2013

I've been able to secure nine bottles... As much as I love all kinds of colors and inks, this is the one that actually gets used up...

November 1, 2013

not IG, but I find that a mix of Visconti Black and Mrs Stewart's Laundry Bluing (Prussian Blue - pH neutral, lightfast, waterproof, stable) can look a lot like IG blue-black, and I've been using this mix for maybe a month now without any problems other than the blue pigment settling in the pen's feed if I don't store it right.

Pretty different in composition, but should be very similar in all other departments.