Blue Black? The Quest Continues...

[Coop]

My quest for the perfect everyday use blue black ink continues...

When I got (back) into fountain pens, the first ink I bought was a blue black, Hero 232 blue black. At the time I didn't know much about different types of ink, but later, while trying to figure out why my pen behaved badly, I found out this was an iron gall ink. I love the colour of this ink (so far my favourite of all blue blacks I tried), but it is just too finicky for everyday use.

Then I bought some Waterman Mysterious blue, but it turns out this ink has fairly little to do with blue black. Grey teal would be a better description.

Next was Sailor Jentle blue black (the regular one), this looked like a winner. The colour was quite close to the Hero 232, it works just fine in most of my pens (although my Twsbi 580AL w. 1.1 stub doesn't seem to play nice with it) and while not the cheapest (here in the Netherlands), still affordable enough for everyday use. I thought I had found my EDC ink... But... Then I got caught out in the rain, and ended up with all my paper (a Midori passport size notebook, a Rhodia Webbie and an Aurora A4 notepad) slightly damp. And none of my Sailor Jentle blue black inked pens would write. I switched to another ink (J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir) and my pens wrote like normal again.
As i live in the Netherlands, where rain and high humidity aren't exactly uncommon, this 'damp paper'-behaviour is pretty much unacceptable for an everyday ink.

What blue black ink to try next? I'd like a nicely saturated blue black, that is a quite dark blueish grey or greyish blue. Easy flowing, not afraid of damp paper, it doesn't have to be waterproof or quick drying, but those qualities are appreciated. And of course something that is for sale in the Netherlands (so not Noodlers )and not too expensive (< $25 per 50ml).

 

 

I'm looking forward to your suggestions, pictures of sample writing are much appreciated.

[RonLyke]

I just got a bottle of Akkerman #8, which I like very much. You might be able to find it in The Netherlands.

Edited August 12, 2014 by RonLyke

[davidv7]

Have You tried Pelikan Blue-Black?

[Coop]

I just got a bottle of Akkerman #8, which I like very much. You might be able to find it in The Netherlands.

 

Hmmmm... Yes... I may know of this shop here in the Netherlands that carries it

 

 

Have You tried Pelikan Blue-Black?

 

No I haven't, good suggestion.

[TomJ]

I am using Conway Stewart Tavy at the moment. It's a little bluer than it is black I guess, and for me it is quite a wet ink but could be worth a look. There is a link to the colour here but on my Clairefontaine 90gsm it comes out a little darker (that could be my computer screen of course).

 

http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk/showproduct.php?brand=Conway+Stewart&range=bottled+ink&cat=ink

[zuerincolour]

Always J. Herbin Bleu Nuit for me (or even just Lamy's Blue Black)

[Joane]

I've been using MB Midnight Blue in the newest version. In the photo below the background is off but the ink colour shown is fairly close.

 

 

[napalm]

I believe that if the pen is your "everyday" use one (i.e. you will write a few pages daily with it) you can quite safely use some "permanent" inks such as Sailor Nano or an IG. The IGs are notoriously "dry" which works well with cheap paper. Platinum Blue Black is an IG that is not excessively teal. For a standard ink you may also check Pilot Blue Black, slightly tealish but not to the extents of the Rubbermaid ink.

[mhguda]

Don't give up on the Hero 232 as yet. Instead of full strength, I am using it diluted. You can try several dilution strengths. At the moment 1:1 seems good: not too wet, and you still get a nice dark and saturated blue black. I only just got it but already I find its pen is in constant use.

You might also like Montblanc midnight blue. Similar in color though not as saturated, but this is a very well-behaved ink. If you can find the older formulation; it seems the old Iron gall was reformulated. Here in Curaçao the MB boutique has the old bottles still.

There is also a thread here - sorry don't remember exactly - where someone found a mix of Parker Quink blue black with another blue black which took away the drying to teal. Here is my approximation: 2.5ml Quink washable black, 3.5ml Quink washable blue, 2.5ml Chesterfield Sapphire (comparable to Diamine). These are all approximate quantities. I like the resulting blue black. Another mix has a bit of red/brown in it: 5?ml Diamine Denim, 5?ml Quink blue black, 1ml Quink washable blue, 1ml Diamine Sargasso Sea, 1?ml Diamine Merlot. They work for me.

[wallylynn]

IG was mentioned. I'll name some: ESS Registrar's ink, and Diamine Registrars ink.

[Komitadjie]

ESSRI (Ecclesiastical Stationary Supply Registrar's Ink) is in my Safari right now, actually, the bottle just came in last night! So far it seems like a bit more interesting version of R&K Salix, it has a bit more colour-change. After starting out with iron gall inks, I don't think I'll ever have my desk without at least ONE pen having one of them in it. The performance on cruddy paper is just so extremely good, and the look is really just something special. I might have to try Scabiosa at some point as well, although I'm more of a fan of blues than purples.

 

Also, have you tried Noodler's 54th Mass yet? It's to my eye a very pleasing blueblack, and is quite robust to boot.

[Coop]

Don't give up on the Hero 232 as yet. Instead of full strength, I am using it diluted. You can try several dilution strengths. At the moment 1:1 seems good: not too wet, and you still get a nice dark and saturated blue black. I only just got it but already I find its pen is in constant use.

You might also like Montblanc midnight blue. Similar in color though not as saturated, but this is a very well-behaved ink. If you can find the older formulation; it seems the old Iron gall was reformulated. Here in Curaçao the MB boutique has the old bottles still.

There is also a thread here - sorry don't remember exactly - where someone found a mix of Parker Quink blue black with another blue black which took away the drying to teal. Here is my approximation: 2.5ml Quink washable black, 3.5ml Quink washable blue, 2.5ml Chesterfield Sapphire (comparable to Diamine). These are all approximate quantities. I like the resulting blue black. Another mix has a bit of red/brown in it: 5?ml Diamine Denim, 5?ml Quink blue black, 1ml Quink washable blue, 1ml Diamine Sargasso Sea, 1?ml Diamine Merlot. They work for me.

 

I haven't given up on the Hero 232, I still use it, it's just no longer a contender for my everyday ink. I'll give diluting the Hero 232 a go, as I have it available anyway. What do you use to dilute it?

 

 

Also, have you tried Noodler's 54th Mass yet? It's to my eye a very pleasing blueblack, and is quite robust to boot.

 

Noodlers is impossible to get around these parts... Well, it is, but the shippingcost makes it kind of expensive. Also, I'd like my everyday ink to be available in the Netherlands, just for practicality sake

[Komitadjie]

Fair enough! Wasn't sure about that, but it's a really good colour, so I thought I'd mention it.

[Coop]

It certainly looks good... If only it was available here...

[mhguda]

I use tap water, but then, I'm in Curaçao, where water is desalinated from seawater, so the mineral content is controlled and low. If you're unsure, use distilled water or similar.

[inkstainedruth]

I know you said you had issues with IG inks, but I just got a bottle of Akkerman #10 and I love it. It's in a wet writing Vector F and is very well behaved. I like the ink a lot better than Diamine Registrars, which oxidized to a weird blueish grey color (whereas the Akkerman goes really dark -- I was worried at first that it had been mislabeled because it goes down so blue, and is also very blue in the bottle; but less than 24 hours later it's almost black on the page).

For a non-IG blue black, someone had mentioned Tavy, but the Conway Stewart inks are made by Diamine, so I think it's relabeled Diamine Denim. Denim is an ink I like a lot -- it was the best color match for some sort of ink that came out of an Esterbrook SJ I found in the wild a couple of years ago (and which sent me on a quest much like yours). The only quibble I have with Denim is that it had pretty much zero shading, so it wasn't an exact match. For shading (but not quite color) I like Noodler's Manhattan Blue.

Another one to have a look at (although it's more black than blue) is Diamine Eclipse.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Tas]

I know you said you had issues with IG inks, but I just got a bottle of Akkerman #10 and I love it.

 

+1

 

My favourite writing ink.

Pretty good as a sketcher too.

 

I've spent most of my fountain pen loving years looking for the ideal Blue Black only to discover that my preferences change sometimes.

Below are some favourites that I always have loaded.

I was never a fan of Pelikan Blue Black until I loaded it into a nice wet Noodler's Konrad and there it has remained - it really is a solid ink.

 

(The Salix Scabiosa Zhivago mix is 15:5:1 in that order)

 

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_akkerman_10_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_essri_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_mbmb_new_formula.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_tanzanite_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_touchdown_mvbb.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_salix_scabiosa_zhivago_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_pelikan_blue_black_swatch.jpg

[ac12]

Diamine Midnight.

It isn't really a blue-black but a VERY DARK blue.

It is my choice as a blue-black, because I wasn't happy with the greyish color of the blue-blacks that I did try.

 

I have no idea of what it's behavior would be under your environmental conditions.

Edited August 12, 2014 by ac12

[phonelady61]

I will second diamine midnight as well nice ink and behaves well for me . Give it a try .

[Tom Traubert]

Diamine Blue Black is a true bb, I reckon. Midnight is great, but is very dark blue. Twilight is a bit grey/teal but gives awesome shading.