Noodler’S Prime Of The Commons And Air-Corp Blue-Black Comparison

[truthpil]

This was something I worked on a few months ago when trying to decide which blue-black ink to convince my wife to let me get myself for Christmas. I’ll let the images speak for themselves, but there are definite advantages to both inks.

 

In the end, I got a bottle of Air-Corp and put Prime of the Commons at the top of my wishlist for the next time someone asks me what I want for a present. I prefer the color of ACBB, but also the absolute waterproofness of PotC. The main reason PotC came out second was its tendency to feather on most paper. Another major factor is that PotC costs about double the price of ACBB once shipping from the UK is taken into consideration. Third, my wife’s adverse reaction to the color (“It’s just blue”) also helped move PotC to the backseat.

 

I spent a lot of time comparing these inks and didn’t put all my thoughts or photos in this post, so if there’s anything you want to know about them that I haven’t included please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments. J

 

Pen Used: Pilot Plumix <--This is a dry writer, so both inks turned out lighter and with more shading than they would have in wetter pens.

 

For all images, Prime of the Commons is on the left and Air-Corp Blue-Black is on the right.

 

Cheap Legal Pad

 

Rhodia 80gsm

 

(Due to PotC’s tendency to feather and be hard to clean, I tried a 20% dilution [4 parts ink : 1 part water] and included it under the undiluted example.)

 

Writing Sample (Legal Pad)

 

 

Color Comparison (Rhodia)

 

 

(From the top: lines 1, 3, 5 = PotC; lines 2, 4 = ACBB)

 

Water Resistance

 

1. Drip test 5 minutes after writing

 

2. Soak test 30 minutes after writing

 

3. Soak test 24 hours after writing

 

Of course a few weeks after doing all this I discovered Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black and was surprised to find myself preferring the traditional color over the funky tealish inks I had been so into previously. Pelikan BB has since duly fulfilled my quest for a perfect Blue-Black. Go figure.

Edited March 8, 2017 by TruthPil

[WhosYerBob]

... was surprised to find myself preferring the traditional color over the funky tealish inks I had been so into previously.

 

^^^ This. I've loved ultramarine blue, teal blue, and purple blue inks for most of my life -- but I'm finding that I prefer blue-black to almost-black now. I can't explain it. I love color, but this new direction is totally foreign to me.

[truthpil]

I hear you! I guess there's a season for everything.
I still enjoy really bright colors, but keep coming back to true blue-black for a respite every other fill.

[truthpil]

Just a follow up... This week I dug my sample of Prime of the Commons out of the drawer and filled my Platinum Chartres Blue 3776 with soft fine nib. They are totally made for each other. The soft fine is an extremely dry writer so the wet PotC performs perfectly in the pen. There is no feathering and the pen actually brings out the green aspect of the ink with even some decent shading.

[The Good Captain]

I've been using Prime of The Commons continuously since Niche Pens had it in stock some years ago. Wonderful ink, currently in a TWSBI Mini Vac F.

[truthpil]

I have a TWSBI 580 EF demonstrator that would probably work well with this ink, but I'm concerned about staining. Have you had any staining issues with the mini?

[The Good Captain]

I have a TWSBI 580 EF demonstrator that would probably work well with this ink, but I'm concerned about staining. Have you had any staining issues with the mini?

It is a possibility but as I don't plan to use any other ink in that particular pen, it doesn't really matter. I used to have PotC in a Pelikan M205 and there's a little discolouration of the ink window, but as they are grey in that model, again it doesn't really matter. I've found that the EF nib I've got (I put F before, by mistake!) is ideal with the ink and they seem to balance each other well.

[truthpil]

It is a possibility but as I don't plan to use any other ink in that particular pen, it doesn't really matter. I used to have PotC in a Pelikan M205 and there's a little discolouration of the ink window, but as they are grey in that model, again it doesn't really matter. I've found that the EF nib I've got (I put F before, by mistake!) is ideal with the ink and they seem to balance each other well.

 

This sounds like another Noodler's ink that needs to have a pen dedicated to it. When I first got PotC I put it in my Parson's Essential and only used it for a day but had to resort to Rapido-Eze to get it entirely out of the nib and feed. The end of the converter is still stained a little from it.

 

I got a Preppy 03 just for the occasion so I'll see if it works as a dedicated PotC pen.

[nguyen]

I have a bottle of PotC that I've purchased several months back from purepens and it looks more greenish in compare to your writing samples in pictures but still less green than ACBB I believe. Well, we all know the variation from batch to batch is how noodler's works.

[truthpil]

I have a bottle of PotC that I've purchased several months back from purepens and it looks more greenish in compare to your writing samples in pictures but still less green than ACBB I believe. Well, we all know the variation from batch to batch is how noodler's works.

 

I noticed it looked a lot greener a few days ago when I used it in an extremely dry Platinum 3776 with soft fine nib.

 

You're right about the batch issue thing though. I was really disappointed to get a bottle of Bad Blue Heron from a batch that had absolutely no green or teal to it. Since then I've been kind of turned off to the brand...

[truthpil]

Well, I put some of my dwindling sample of PotC in my trusty Pilot Prera with Plumix nib EDC and fell in love with this ink again.

By contrast, I've been putting ACBB in several pens over the past month and it has been just too dry for my Japanese and Chinese fine nibs, even getting hard starts.

 

Some birthday money came in today so I finally went and did the deed...bought the last available bottle of PotC I can find in China for a whole $23 including shipping. Just looking at the pages covered with it in front of me makes me sure I won't regret it.