Blue Black? The Quest Continues...

[Bo Bo Olson]

ESSR has one of the biggest threads on the Com. Hundreds of comments. Worth reading...really.

It is rated by them that have both as better than Diamine's Register ink.

Is a sneaky ink, different paper makes it slow or fast to change color.

 

Richard said a good IG ink changes color in a day. This one can do it in seconds or take days....depending on the paper.

Only got 1 1/3 110ml bottles. Don't remember the price but is inexpensive, from England.

Was once the well known British Stephan's BB ink. When the conglomerate that bought up the ink company and rapidly closed it down to sell the property, one of the managers managed to get a giant wood ink mixing keg and the recipe as part of his settlement.

That is ESSR ink.

Well worth having.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[LamyOne]

Hello Coop,

 

I'll second Tom's vote for Diamine Blue-Black; I've been using it in a Safari with a 1.1 italic and enjoying it - it is well behaved and it does look like a classic blue-black.

 

Best regards,

 

Chris

[The Good Captain]

First off, I'd say Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black. Or their Edelstein Tanzanite but that's more expensive. Akkerman's of course. R&K Salix. There are many more but availability and cost-effectiveness in the Netherlands must be considered.

[rafapa]

Do you include Pilot Iroshizuku Shin Kai among blue blacks?

[martinbir]

I spent ages looking for my ideal blue black which is my recollection of Quink from 1960s so somewhat vague and possibly not the same as anyone else's definition. To me many were too grey and or did not shade enough.

 

In the end I think Salix got closest although Pelikan 4001 is also good but needs a very wet pen.

I also liked Diamine Registrar's but we put off when it left a varnish-like deposit inside the ink window of my Pelikan M200 after no more than 10 days - that took hours to clean off and I have not used the ink since. A shame as I really liked it.

Another find was Diamine Twilight. Not really a blue black because it has a tinge of green about it, but it shades well and has a lovely stormy, old world look to it.

[David_W]

Diamine Blue Black is a true bb, I reckon.

I'm pretty happy with Diamine Blue Black. I also use De Atramentis Document Ink Dark Blue, which is more of a blue black than a dark blue - that might be an option if the original poster would welcome the benefits and is content with the drawbacks of a nano-pigment ink.

 

It would help to narrow this down slightly if the original poster indicated whether he was interested in nano-pigment ink and/or iron gall ink. These inks can be a great choice in the right circumstances, but they are not for everyone.

[mphstteach]

I absolutely love the Conway Stewart Tavy. I know it is repackaged diamine so don't know what they call their blue/black. I got the CS from Andersons and it has become my favorite ink

[Sailor Kenshin]

Another vote for MB Midnight. LOVE this ink.

[Runnin_Ute]

My favorite blue blacks are Pelikan 4001 Blue Black and Diamine Blue Black.

[amberleadavis]

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

 

Coop, I think you'll like this one.

[WilsonCQB1911]

I'm in love with Organic Studios Blue Merle. I'm told that it's an old formula, made with as few components as possible. A very simple, old-school ink. It has great flow, and is amazingly easy to clean up.

[Koyote]

Pilot Blue-Black. A true B-B, waterproof, low-maintenance (non-IG).

 

You might have to order it from Japan, but it's worth it.

[Tas]

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_pilot_blue_black_swatch.jpg

[Joane]

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_pilot_blue_black_swatch.jpg

All your drawings are gorgeous!

[napalm]

Pilot Blue-Black. A true B-B, waterproof, low-maintenance (non-IG).

 

You might have to order it from Japan, but it's worth it.

 

 

IIRC I bought a 70ml bottle from a local brick and mortar shop, but if you're out of luck this is an excellent deal:

 

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/370649392597

 

Including shipping and per ml there's nothing cheaper (except maybe a big bottle of Hero if you can find one).

[carlos.q]

Pilot Blue-Black. A true B-B, waterproof, low-maintenance (non-IG).

 

You might have to order it from Japan, but it's worth it.

You can also order it from Jetpens.

[Coop]

It would help to narrow this down slightly if the original poster indicated whether he was interested in nano-pigment ink and/or iron gall ink. These inks can be a great choice in the right circumstances, but they are not for everyone.

I don't really care what kind of ink it is, as long as it's a no fuss ink

 

It has to work with pretty much any pen (not counting crazy finicky pens) and shouldn't give me a hard time if I don't use the pen it's in for a week or so.

[inkstainedruth]

I'm in love with Organic Studios Blue Merle. I'm told that it's an old formula, made with as few components as possible. A very simple, old-school ink. It has great flow, and is amazingly easy to clean up.

I tried a sample of this ink. It's really a pretty color, but I think of it as more a blue-grey than blue-black (which is why I didn't recommend it at first). I like the ink a lot, but want to see how close in color the bottle of Akkerman #19 I got in the group buy at DCSS is to Blue Merle before I actually pick up a full bottle.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[RMN]

Hi Coop

 

I'm in about the same position as you are. Looking for the perfect Midnight Blue, readily available in the Netherlands.

 

Now I have a bottle of the perfect midnight Blue, being the FPN van Gogh Starry Night.

 

BUT..... it's a Noodlers ink, and at this moment NOT available. So back to square one.

 

I have been trying Diamine Midnight, and Bilberry, and another one (I forget, ink is not here at the moment) and while they are nice inks, they are darker blues to purple.

 

Waterman and Quink are so-so, I do use them so far, but I'm not happy. They are too light for scanning in black-white mode.

 

Recently however I got Edelstein Tanzanite, and I am happy with that. It actually behaves better than van Gogh (less bleeding and feathering on bad printer paper) and is to me a pleasant colour. AND it comes in bottle and long cartridge, that actually does fit in my Carene and in the Phileas. And scanning is OK. So at the moment I have found my midnight blue ink.

 

 

D.ick

[sharmon202]

PR Midnight Blues, DC Electric blue, Diamine Majestic Blue. I do also like Diamine blue-black.