Do You Feel Guilty Sending A Letter In Black Ink?

[abstract49]

For the first time in almost a year, I don't "owe" anyone a letter! Kinda miss it, and I'm lurking at the mailbox like Snoopy pretending to be the vulture!

 

No guilt about black ink, but I think I might have made my contribution to the discussion some time ago.

[Schadenfreude]

Guilty of sending letter in black ink? Nope. Even my nails are polished in black now

 

How about you, reading my long letter that is written with J. Herbin - Rose Cyclamen and tell me later whether or not you got headache?

 

I have other colors inks, but black is my standard. I also use my fountain pen to draw, in black lines.

[radellaf]

I think the toughest I got was Iro's light green Chiku Rin, with a fine line and small writing.

 

To some really diehard FP-fan penpals I've been considering Bouton D'Or or Noodler's Yellow. I got some cheap Fauxton blue LED keychain lights off eBay and some padded envelopes so I could include one with the letter. Now if that's not the opposite of black...

 

Other than that, the "worst" I'd do is my Herbin amber plus a bit of sheaffer red clone of the old Sheaffer King's Gold. Mellow, but low contrast, depending how fresh in the pen it is. On the eye-searing level, I've enjoyed and written with BSB, and got special thanks from an Aussie penpal for using R&K Solferino.

 

In my 20s I did my nails in black for a few months. It really does attract some scowls when you're male. I added blood red lunulae for a bit before abandoning polish. That looked really vampire-chic.

Edited October 16, 2016 by radellaf

[asnailmailer]

Some of my best received letters have been written with gel pens. Some of my correspondents even write with a ballpoint. A couple of letters have come in pencil - I think I would draw a line at that.

 

Some of the most boring letters I have received have been written with fountain pen ink.

 

I have written parts of a letter in Diamine Sunshine Yellow - that's a bit bright, and some words in Lamy's blinding green ink - the recipient needed her daughter to read it.

[radellaf]

OK, if you're a FP fan and you're writing with a ballpoint, without a good excuse ("I'm stuck at a hotel") then you probably should feel guilty.

 

Never meant this thread to be talking about letters to or from muggles.

 

That said, I like pencil. A good one is dark enough, and they are exceptionally "bulletproof" apart from intentional erasures.

[Rednaxela]

Nothing wrong with a good gel pen.

[FredRydr]

Do You Feel Guilty Sending A Letter In Black Ink?

 

 

Absolutely not! Do you really?

 

Fred

[radellaf]

Yep, for reasons elaborated in depth here.

 

The biggest surprise is that nobody else has said "yeah, I kinda do feel like I should have used some color." Unless I missed a post.

[Frank Savage]

Well, I remember when I was sorry about the ink used.

It was on letters and postcards from boy scout camp or ski camp and so on to my parents when I was kid. The comon school ink I had at the time. When it was raining on the way to post office, or the bag got dropped into snow, the ink blotted and had tendency to wash. Also, some time ago I had in my hands an "unused" postcard. Well, the stamp was there, the ballpoint-scribbed adress too-I can remember clearly which ballpoint I used, when did I get it, why the letterform on the adress was so terrible-but I can´t recover what I wrote home...

 

One more kick to use ink(s) that stay until the paper is gone. I use document ink exclusively. Koh-i-Noor Document ink Black. It is black, or black-greenish. Sure as hell, I don´t fell guilty. I might use some blue ink, after I complete current tests, but I´m not sure. Give me colourfull variation in document, or at least ´water resistant and kind of non-fading inks, I would happily use them. Until then, I use what stands.

 

 

 

Well, some food for though and I would realy apreciate your opinions and reasons:

I´m prone to try to use some non-lasting, but colourfull ink for short messages inserted into/tied to a fresh flower sent to a girl. The flower is passing or perishing, let the word be so and live only in memory, as long as the memories for the author are still alive. I can see some poetry in a bit feathered line if the ink would suffer from the moisture of the flower itself.

But so far, I´ve always used my regular bulletproof black, which at least on one occasion proved esencial for any succes-when the messenger stuffed the posy into bucket of water for transport so deep the whole card was submerged... With wonderfully colourfull, but washable ink, nothing would be there to read...

[radellaf]

Some searching will turn up sufficiently waterfast blues, at least, for those scenarios. I'd probably go with waterproof gel (i.e., Juice, Uni 207, not the G2) to embellish moisture-prone billets-doux.

 

But, yeah, if you have that much of a chance of a marinated missive, color takes a back seat.

 

I'm either journaling with color, or writing a letter that will be in an envelope. If the mail gets so soaked that the ink runs, which hasn't happened, then it might well be un-openable from the paper sticking together as well. The address, I do use something waterproof, or the rubbing with a candle trick. I also scan most of the letters I send. Good for referring back if the reply mentions something you forgot, but also a nice backup if it gets lost, shredded, spindled, or soaked in the post.

[FLZapped]

Guilty of sending letter in black ink? Nope. Even my nails are polished in black now

 

Well, that's certainly interesting!

 

 

I have no problem with it. I haven't heard any complaints from anyone, either.

 

-Bruce

[radellaf]

I had black fingernails once, in a very brief goth phase. Let them grow out a bit and painted the lunulae red for Halloween. Creepy.

 

Complaining about getting a penpal letter in black would be extremely bad form. I'm a bit disappointed to have got one that's computer printed (from a post board, not a FP board) but I'm sure not going to complain about it. If my colorful reply inspires them in the future, excellent. If not, I still get to write with nifty ink in pens with technology decades older than the headphone jack.

 

Now, we could take it a step further. Being a FP maven, and writing to a FP fan, would you feel guilty using a black Bic biro?

 

My conscience could not permit it. Unless for some reason months would go by where I couldn't write with anything else for magical reasons. Or someone stole all my pens and I had to wait for eBay to send me a round of chinese FPs and ink. Nah, there's a store an hour away with Lamys and Private Reserve cartridges. I'd make that combo work somehow.

[Retro-user]

I have no issues with black ink, depending on the situation and recipient. I recently sent a round of handwritten thank you notes in mostly black ink to clients. The paper was fold over gold foil embossed Hallmark note cards, tan paper, and the black ink looked good. In fact, I had a college professor once in an etymology class who insisted on black ink (she was a product of parochial schools) and I always thought it was extra conservative. However, when writing notes to family, I use blue or even turquoise or red! So, overall, I don't think black will detract from your message. It might even complement the paper color if it's a tan, gray or beige stock.

[Rednaxela]

[...]

 

Now, we could take it a step further. Being a FP maven, and writing to a FP fan, would you feel guilty using a black Bic biro?

 

[...]

If I could write like this

 

http://i.imgur.com/NaziKpV.jpg

(Some more examples here)

 

I would have absolutely no problem with it. And neither would my pen pal.

[gmm213]

Lately Ive only been writing in black. Mainly because thats whats in my wifes Metro and I cant find either of mine. I hate moving. Probably do some with my dip pen though

[Helen350]

It's not necessarily the color ink you write with, it's what you write about that's important.................

 

Touche!

[radellaf]

The appearance vs. content thing has been raised numerous times on this thread. I don't think it applies on a fountain pen board where, clearly, people talking about nibs, inks, and paper do care about the medium as well as the message. That you would send snail mail at all, these days, indicates that the medium is important.

 

The other count against that argument is that using a more interesting ink takes nothing away from the message. It's not even more difficult, especially for pen folk.

 

Seems like my question is being interpreted as "how to defend writing in black," which isn't exactly what I intended.

Edited November 23, 2016 by radellaf

[Rednaxela]

That's because you used the word 'guilty'.

[radellaf]

And here I am, surprised we're all so innocent

[Rednaxela]