Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black: A Perfect Match For My Pen

[dms525]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ordered this ink on impulse. I was re-ordering a bottle of Skrip Black, which I find works well in almost every pen. At the same time, I was experiencing frustration finding just the right ink for my Stipula Etruria Mila Gold Rush. I found some inks that behaved well but were not the color I wanted, and some with colors I liked with this pen but were (mostly) too wet, even pretty dry inks like Diamine Prussian Blue which was close but not perfect. So, I added Skrip Blue-Black to my shopping cart. Not a major investment, and I was sure it would get used in other pens, if it didn't do the job in the Etruria.

 

The Skrip Blue-Black arrived this morning. I washed out the pen and re-inked it. It was amazing. It met all my criteria!

 

I found few mentions of this ink on FPN and only a very few old reviews. None of them addressed the strong points I was seeing, so I thought I would throw my observations out for comments.

 

Happy writing!

 

David

[The Blue Knight]

That ink looks really nice, big fan of blue-blacks, will have to try it.

[max dog]

I really like it too. Its some what water resistant and has a bit of that antiquated look.

[Horseknitter]

I LOVE this coming out of a wet, wide nib. And I haven't given Sheaffer inks their due.

 

Going to change that!

 

Thanks David - great review!

[ac12]

Like the Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise, out of the right pen on the right paper and you get nice shading that one would not expect out of the ink.

Makes me wonder about the Skrip Red, and if that ink will shade.

[dms525]

  On 6/16/2015 at 4:51 AM, ac12 said:

Like the Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise, out of the right pen on the right paper and you get nice shading that one would not expect out of the ink.

Makes me wonder about the Skrip Red, and if that ink will shade.

I've thought I don't like turquoise ink, but I just looked at Brian Goulet's video on shading inks, which included a couple turquoise inks I rather liked.

 

Sheaffer Red is the purest, reddest red ink I know. I've never found it to shade, but I don't recall that I've ever used it in a pen with a broad, wet nib.

 

If you want a shading red, there are some. My favorite is Akkerman Garuda Red, but it isn't a pure red ink. Same with Diamine Oxblood, Noodlers Black Swan in English Roses and others. Nice shading. Either black-red or brown-red.

 

David

 

P.S. The ink seen in the photo with the pen is Garuda Red.

Edited June 16, 2015 by dms525

[ink-syringe]

I only have 2 blue black inks remaining. I got rid of all the others. One is modern day off the shelf Skrip Blue-black, which i find surprising and also was the cheapest and the MB limited JFK, which i love beyond reason.

 

My Italic PFM II has the MB JFK in it currently. Very classy (color) as is your lovely example above. I wish I could write like that.

 

Thanks. I also read reviews of Skrip BB on here with some confusion and found it much better than anticipated.

 

(I also liberated the pen counter of a fill of Skrip Blue for my 1.1 Lamy. Not bad. )

(I also have a hard time getting past my bad memories of early 90s skip in the last of the reservoir bottles, which I found hideous.)

Edited June 16, 2015 by ink-syringe

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Many thanks for a look at the current production ink.

 

I'm glad to see that it remains very much itself - no apparent reformulation.

 

SSBlBk is yet another one of those very good inks that is 'under the radar' of many.

 

I tend to find SSBlBk a bit sedate (mini yawn) so often enliven it with some Sapphire - Indigo aniline dye ink.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

SSBlBk appears in this comparo with the sadly discontinued Cd'A Blue Night https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/159962-comparison-caran-dache-blue-night-to-sheaffer-skrip-blue-black/?p=1593584

[inkstainedruth]

  On 6/16/2015 at 5:24 AM, dms525 said:

Sheaffer Red is the purest, reddest red ink I know.

 

Odd. I tried a sample of that recently and did not find that to be the case. For me, the one that's right smack in the middle of the red spectrum is Diamine Classic Red. Didn't care for the Skrip Red at all....

That being said, Sheaffer Blue-Black looks really nice. I'm like The Blue Knight -- I'm really a huge fan of blue-blacks (funny how tastes change: three years ago I would have considered them the worst of possible worlds, being neither black nor blue). Definitely have to see about getting me a bottle of this. Looks like a trip to my favorite funky card and novelty store, because they carry Sheaffer inks (picked up a bottle of Skrip Purple on a whim last fall, and like it a lot -- it was the first ink to do well in my Snorkel with an EF nib).

Thanks for the review!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[dms525]

  On 6/16/2015 at 1:51 PM, Sandy1 said:

Hi,

 

Many thanks for a look at the current production ink.

 

I'm glad to see that it remains very much itself - no apparent reformulation.

 

SSBlBk is yet another one of those very good inks that is 'under the radar' of many.

 

I tend to find SSBlBk a bit sedate (mini yawn) so often enliven it with some Sapphire - Indigo aniline dye ink.

 

Bye,

S1

 

__ __

SSBlBk appears in this comparo with the sadly discontinued Cd'A Blue Night https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/159962-comparison-caran-dache-blue-night-to-sheaffer-skrip-blue-black/?p=1593584

Thanks for your comments, Sandy!

 

I can't say I find this ink color exciting. The idea of mixing it didn't occur to me. I haven't gotten into that, but I might give it a try. What I find exciting is its performance in this particular pen, which has been a challenge. This ink has made the pen much more useable for me.

 

David

[dms525]

  On 6/16/2015 at 2:39 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Odd. I tried a sample of that recently and did not find that to be the case. For me, the one that's right smack in the middle of the red spectrum is Diamine Classic Red. Didn't care for the Skrip Red at all....

That being said, Sheaffer Blue-Black looks really nice. I'm like The Blue Knight -- I'm really a huge fan of blue-blacks (funny how tastes change: three years ago I would have considered them the worst of possible worlds, being neither black nor blue). Definitely have to see about getting me a bottle of this. Looks like a trip to my favorite funky card and novelty store, because they carry Sheaffer inks (picked up a bottle of Skrip Purple on a whim last fall, and like it a lot -- it was the first ink to do well in my Snorkel with an EF nib).

Thanks for the review!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Prompted by your reply, I just looked at Skrip Red and Diamine Classic Red side by side (from tests of samples I did some time ago.) I would say Classic Red is brighter but less saturated than Skrip red. I agree that it's a very red red.

 

Another red that shares that spectrum neighborhood is Akkerman Rood Haags Pulche (AKA #19). From my sampling, it also shades much more than the others, but that may be because I tested it with a wider nib.

 

Thanks for your comments, Ruth!

 

David

[lapis]

Very nice review. I'd say that Skrip has changed the formulation sometime over the last few years. At least this blue-black. Mine is about 8 years old and has always been (to my eyes on my pens on my papers) much greyer and a touch greener. Their red, OTOH, remains outstanding (and apparently unchanged). Thanks again, I think I'll buy a new bottle of their blue-black tomorrow.

 

Mike

[inkstainedruth]

  On 6/16/2015 at 7:31 PM, dms525 said:

 

Prompted by your reply, I just looked at Skrip Red and Diamine Classic Red side by side (from tests of samples I did some time ago.) I would say Classic Red is brighter but less saturated than Skrip red. I agree that it's a very red red.

 

Another red that shares that spectrum neighborhood is Akkerman Rood Haags Pulche (AKA #19). From my sampling, it also shades much more than the others, but that may be because I tested it with a wider nib.

 

Thanks for your comments, Ruth!

 

David

Yes, Akkerman #19 is also a very nice red, and the first ink I found that really said "True Red" to me.

Another fairly nice red (although there's a slight undertone of pink to it) is the new Noodler's Park Red, which is well behaved and pretty waterproof. But side by side with Diamine Classic Red, it's not *quite* as red as I want (which is a red that matches what I remember my first car, a 1984 Dodge Omni in "Graphic Red", looking like...).

But red ink doesn't have a lot of use in my life -- blue-blacks, however, really do, and the Sheaffer Skrip is definitely one for me to try.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[The Good Captain]

One of my inks that I don't use often enough. I've always liked it though, so thanks for the 'reminder'!

[dms525]

Addendum:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please excuse the grammar and spelling errors. Typing with easy error correction does have its advantages at times.

 

David

[jmccarty3]

So glad to see that Sheaffer took the green tint out of this ink. It appears to be a true blue/black.

[Pjotr]

Yes, a very nice true blue/black. The only other blue/black I've tried is Herbin Bleu Nuit. Beautiful dark blue with lots of shading but I ended up with a blocked pen and a bottle full of floaters and blobs of sediment. I guess if you've got loads of pens you'll want loads of different inks and you'll end up buying from a wider range of makers but if like me, and I'm assuming many others here, you've just got a few you can't really go past the tried and trusted makers like Sheaffer, Parker and Waterman. Shading is sexy but it makes my erratic handwriting even more so.

 

Call me old-fashioned but it's great to be able to walk in your average brick and mortar office supply store and buy a bottle of Waterman, Sheaffer or Parker ink. Talking of which, just bought a bottle of Waterman Serenity Blue (also marketed as Florida Blue). Beautiful dark blue ink.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Pjotr

[ac12]

I finally tried my Skrip blue-black, and I was underwhelmed.

The ink line was a boring light-medium gray looking ink line.

I think the pen was just not wet enough, to get enough ink down, to make the ink line dark.

 

I need to try again with a pen that is more wet.

[rudyhou]

very nice indeed. making me a fan of the ink now.

[cimmerian]

It's... it's changed my mind about blue-blacks!

 

I generally don't like blue-blacks. I like either vibrant browns or brilliant purples or the few true blacks that are out there (such as Sheaffer Skrip Black). I've tried some blue-blacks, such as Pelikan 4001, Parker or Lamy, and I've always found them to be just muted blues. There ain't nevah gonna be muted coluhs in mah house!

 

But I loved — LOVED — that Blue-Black on those italic nibs. Thank you, dms525! I gotta try that in my Lamy with a 1.5 nib.

 

The only thing is... just like Pjotr, I love that I can get into any office supply store in my town and promptly buy Sheaffer or Parker ink, but it seems all stores around only stock Skrip Black and Skrip Red. I found Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black online on the Brazilian version of eBay, but this ink is so cheap that shipping is more expensive than the bottle.