Blackest Black

[dcwaites]

Which is the blackest black depends on the paper, the pen, and the angle of the light.

 

On more absorbent paper, I find that Heart of Darkness is lighter than Noodler's Black, but on harder paper, it is HOD.

Depending on how I hold it, Kiwaguro black may show a light sheet, or it may be Black Hole Black.

I have been using a 15 ml bottle of Iroshizuku Take Sume, and that sometimes vies for Blackest, Blackety-Black Black, on less absorbent paper.

 

It all depends.

There is no definitive answer.

[Abner C. Kemp]

Sailor Kiwa-Giro is probably the blackest black I've ever used. As far as a non permanent, slightly easier to maintain option I would probably suggest Aurora Black.

[Pravda]

My personal blackest black is Noodler's Old Manhattan Black, which I believe comes with (or right after Heart of Darkness) possibly blacker than many of the above mentioned.

 

On some types of paper, I find that Montblanc's Permanent Black is quite saturated enough for me too.

[Mike-S]

Thanks for all your interesting suggestions.

 

All I have to do now is convince my wife that I really need another bottle of ink.

 

Mike=S

[pepsiplease69]

My blackest black is Noodler's Borealis Black, which is meant to emulate Aurora Black. It does feather a bit.

 

 

 

 

I tried Borealis Black just to see how it is, although i'm a die-hard Aurora Black fan.

 

I didn't find borealis (the one I got) to be as dark as Aurora Black. It was pretty weak actually.

 

I don't know if there's an inconsistency in the ink, or whether it's my perception.

[Manalto]

What is the point of getting an ink that emulates Aurora Black? Why not just get Aurora Black? Do they torture their employees or something?

[ParkerDuofold]

What is the point of getting an ink that emulates Aurora Black? Why not just get Aurora Black? Do they torture their employees or something?

Yes, on every second Thursday.

 

The big problem with Aurora Black... if you consider it a problem... is it isn't waterproof. In every other respect, it is a fantastic ink, IMHO.

 

- Anthony

Edited January 7, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[pepsiplease69]

What is the point of getting an ink that emulates Aurora Black? Why not just get Aurora Black? Do they torture their employees or something?

It's like with good wine and good cheese. You never really develop an appreciation for the good stuff unless you've tried the cheap knockoffs.

 

At least that's my theory.

[Manalto]

I'm sure you're right. I hadn't considered that there was that much of a price difference but indeed there is. By one comparison, Aurora is 3X the price of Noodler's.

[CS388]

Isn't Old Manhattan Black supposedly the blackest of the Noodler's lot?

 

I heard this and bought a bottle - but, I couldn't really see any difference between it and Heart of Darkness?

Old Manhattan seemed to be the drier (dryer?) of the two, but that could have been the pen. (It wasn't a 'scientific' test, just a couple of side by side pages.)

I've got so many bottles of black ink (my 'go-to' colour) that I can't justify buying any more. Yet, Waterman's tends to be my black of choice, and every time I run out, I buy another bottle - despite having a box full of other blacks.

[Manalto]

 

... drier (dryer?) ...

 

Drier. Dryers are for those without clotheslines.

[CS388]

 

Drier. Dryers are for those without clotheslines.

 

Thank you.

[torstar]

What is the point of getting an ink that emulates Aurora Black? Why not just get Aurora Black? Do they torture their employees or something?

 

The blue is not what I want in a blue, and the bottle isn't good for refilling for the last 2/3, apart from that Aurora has great black ink for me.

[Manalto]

Huh?

[ErrantSmudge]

I'm not sure what he was saying about Aurora Blue. But the tall, skinny Aurora bottles work okay for me - I just tilt the bottle towards a corner, then insert the pen. I have bottles of Aurora Black and Aurora Blue, both close to empty, that I can still get fills from.

 

There's always the option of transferring the ink to another bottle, or to an inkwell. I'd do that for an ink I really liked that came in a terrible bottle.

Edited January 10, 2017 by ErrantSmudge

[Jimmy James]

 

I heard this and bought a bottle - but, I couldn't really see any difference between it and Heart of Darkness?

Old Manhattan seemed to be the drier (dryer?) of the two, but that could have been the pen. (It wasn't a 'scientific' test, just a couple of side by side pages.)

I've got so many bottles of black ink (my 'go-to' colour) that I can't justify buying any more. Yet, Waterman's tends to be my black of choice, and every time I run out, I buy another bottle - despite having a box full of other blacks.

You mean Waterman grey? It's one of the least black black inks on the market. That said, I love it. It's one of a few inks I've actually hit the bottom of a bottle on. I need another. I think I just haven't bought it yet because Noodler's Dark Matter seems to me to share many attributes of the Waterman.

[CS388]

You mean Waterman grey? It's one of the least black black inks on the market. That said, I love it. It's one of a few inks I've actually hit the bottom of a bottle on. I need another. I think I just haven't bought it yet because Noodler's Dark Matter seems to me to share many attributes of the Waterman.

 

Really? I find Waterman's black to be a very black ink - and well behaved.

However, now that you've pointed it out, you've raised suspicions.

I must go and check. I'll be back later to confirm, or concede.

[bluebellrose]

You mean Waterman grey? It's one of the least black black inks on the market. That said, I love it. It's one of a few inks I've actually hit the bottom of a bottle on. I need another. I think I just haven't bought it yet because Noodler's Dark Matter seems to me to share many attributes of the Waterman.

Considering Waterman Black and Parker Quink black is owned by the same owner not surprised.

[Arkanabar]

 

 

I tried Borealis Black just to see how it is, although i'm a die-hard Aurora Black fan.

 

I didn't find borealis (the one I got) to be as dark as Aurora Black. It was pretty weak actually.

 

I don't know if there's an inconsistency in the ink, or whether it's my perception.

 

I have to shake my bottle pretty vigorously every time I dilute some more into a sample vial for use. Otherwise, the bottom of the bottle stays black when I tip it.

 

What is the point of getting an ink that emulates Aurora Black? Why not just get Aurora Black? Do they torture their employees or something?

 

Two reasons: First, Aurora inks are pretty expensive, and second, various people no doubt asked Nathan to do so.

 

Yes, on every second Thursday.

 

The big problem with Aurora Black... if you consider it a problem... is it isn't waterproof. In every other respect, it is a fantastic ink, IMHO.

 

- Anthony

 

Neither is Borealis Black. It has fair-to-middlin' water resistance, but it can be soaked completely out of paper. And it will fade after a few years in a north-facing window.

[truthpil]

I've spent a lot of time over the years searching for the blackest black, despite the fact that I almost never use black ink for anything. My conclusion from reading reviews and trying out samples is that Platinum Carbon Black is the blackest with any moderately wet pen on moderately absorbent paper. For me it beats out Sailor Kiwa-guro because the Platinum doesn't have any shine to it. It's really just a waterproof carbon black hole on the page. With a really dry pen it can lean another direction, but with most pens on something like copy paper it is super black.

 

For vintage pens that I'm afraid to put a pigmented ink in, I use Herbin Perle Noir and it is extremely black with a wet pen, but just lacks the waterproofness of Platinum Carbon Black.