Not Quite Black Please

[Ink Stained Wretch]

On 3/18/2021 at 8:19 AM, yazeh said:

Noodler's Red black?

....

And Nooder's Aircorps Blue black (It's a green black)

 

Having used Noodler's Red/Black ink extensively in the before times (before the pandemic) I have to say that it does not, to my mind, fit the OP's criteria. It definitely shows red.

 

Nooder's Aircorps Blue/Black is another blue/black ink. I don't think it meets the OP's criteria either. It's dark, but definitely that old blue/black that looks green color that blue.black inks frequently exhibit.

 

[Ink Stained Wretch]

On 3/14/2021 at 4:17 PM, Karmachanic said:

Your input appreciated. I'm looking for seemingly black inks, that on closer inspection reveal another hue. ....

 

I see that Noodler's Zhivago has been nominated. It looks pretty black to me on the page, although a close examination reveals the green of it.

 

My other nomination is Noodler's Walnut. It's a brown/black ink. It also goes on the page looking black, until you examine it a bit more closely, and then you can see it has brown in it.

 

[Mercian]

At the risk of sparking controversy:

 

If you normally use EF or F nibs (especially 'dry'-writing ones), I think that you could probably include Parker Quink Black on your list of 'not-quite-black' inks.

 

Its physical properties and its ease-to-clean-out of a pen are delightful, but to my eye it seems to be just a little bit too green/grey to qualify as 'black'.

 

N.b. I am saying this after years of using Pelikan 4001 'Brilliant Black' and Noodler's Black as my 'black' inks. My current opinion of the colour of Quink Black is a function of having got used to the 'blackness' of those two inks.
Back in the days before I found FPN I used to use Quink Black as my 'black' ink without ever thinking that it was 'not quite black' - and I expect that it would still appear very black to me now if I used it from wider and/or 'wetter' nibs.

[Carrau]

I’d nominate 3 Oysters Black Moss for the Green Section.

 

https://mountainofink.com/blog/3-oysters-black-moss

[Karmachanic]

1 hour ago, Carrau said:

I’d nominate 3 Oysters Black Moss

 

Yes! And I noticed one or two on the Birmingham Inks page that you brought to my attention a few days ago. Thank you.

[Carrau]

Birmingham Cold Steel is about as dark as RO Thunderstorm/Sailor Kan Cho.

[Karmachanic]

Don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but from what I gather (recent research) Birmingham's inks seem to have a short shelf life.  So if you see something you like, buy enough to last, as it probably won't be there next year.

[A Smug Dill]

41 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

... Birmingham's inks seem to have a short shelf life.  So if you see something you like, buy enough to last, as it probably won't be there next year.

 

Usually the shelf life of a product refers to for how long it'll remain (just sitting unused, metaphorically on a shelf, in storage) unspoilt and fit for purpose, not for how long it'll remain available in the market for retail purchase on demand.

 

https://www.lexico.com/definition/shelf_life

 

In that interpretation, your advice seems counterintuitive.

[Karmachanic]

12 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Usually the shelf life of a product refers

 

I've been speaking English for 70+ years and I've pretty much got the hang of it. I know what I meant, and you too know what I meant - it doesn't stick around for long.

 

Give it a rest; it's tiresome.

[AmericanMonk]

On 3/31/2021 at 5:42 AM, Karmachanic said:

Diamine Purple Rain ?

I hate to offer up a purple when that isn't your preferred, but Diamine's Purple Rain and Scribble Purple were the two that instantly came to mind. I love purples and I have a love/hate relationship with those two inks precisely because they're so dark that they appear black in everyday writing. Between the two I would say that Scribble Purple is the darker ink. By my eye it appears to be a more saturated Diamine's Grape. Both will sheen gold in the right conditions.

 

Diamine's Purple Pizzazz, when sampled without mixing up the shimmer, is another one but is more sensitive to pens and papers. In my wet nibs it is almost black, but when the purple shows it is very obviously a purple.

[Enkida]

Gentleman stationer has a good overview of red inks, including a few that might fit your needs (better than writer's blood, which I find to be solidly burgundy and a bit feathery):

https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2021/7/21/mini-collections-part-ii-all-the-red-inks

[Preserved_Killick]

This is one of my favorite ink categories.  I'll assert that if one uses papers that draw every last bit of sheen (Tomoe River, b7-Tranext, Cosmo Air Light) nearly any black ink becomes a near black.  But sticking to inks to show themselves as near-blacks on just about any paper, aside from all the great inks already mentioned...

 

Bungubox Dandyism is a dark dark dark green (similar to Sailor Miruai but perhaps slightly darker)

 

Sailor Ink Studio 024 is a cool black, possibly a dark blue black

 

Colorverse Methuselah Grove is a very dark brown

 

Kingdom Note Birgus Latro is a very dark brown

 

Troublemaker Inks Sinulog Black is a very very very dark green

[Karmachanic]

Thank you!

[Karmachanic]

Updated

 

Updated

 

BLUE
Octopus Schwarz
KWZ Warsaw Dreaming
KWZ IG Blue Black
Akkerman Dutch Masters  Ruisdaels Stormachtig   Blauw.
Sailor Kobe #51 Kano cho Midnight
Sailor Kobe #70 Rokku Forest Blue
Diamine 1864
Noodler’s Dark Matter
RO Thunderstorm ?
R&K Leipziger Schwarz
Van Dieman Pepperberry

PenBBS #274 Obsidian
Penonia Lila Árnyék
Colorverse Extra Dimension

Sailor Studio 024

BROWN
KWZ IG Gold
Taccia Ukiyo-e Usuzumi
Sailor Do-you
Sailor Yama-Guri ?

Color Verse Methusula Grove

Kingdom Note Birgus Latro
 

GREEN
Noodler’s El Lawrence
Noodler's Zhivago.
Iroshizuku Hoteison ?
Papier Plume Iron Lace
KWZ Hunter Green ?
KWZ Rotten Green
KWZ Midnight Green
Lamy Crystal Obsidian

Bungu Box Dandyism

Trouble Maker Sinulog Black

PURPLE
Bungu Box Ink of the Witch
Diamine Purple Rain
Diamine Eclipse
Sailor Chushu
Sailor Studio #650
KWZ Grey Plum ?

 

RED
KWZ IG Red #3
Diamine Writers Blood?

[Preserved_Killick]

Just bought some Pent (Pen House) Black Lizard, which seems to be fairly similar to Ink of the Witch: a very very very dark purple.

 

Also recently tried Kingdom Note Dorcus Hopei Binodulosos, which is a black or near black with a heavy green sheen.

 

Both of the above inks are made by Sailor.

[Karmachanic]

6 hours ago, Preserved_Killick said:

Just bought some Pent (Pen House) Black Lizard, which seems to be fairly similar to Ink of the Witch: a very very very dark purple.

 

Also recently tried Kingdom Note Dorcus Hopei Binodulosos, which is a black or near black with a heavy green sheen.

 

Thank you!

Unable to locate Pent (Pen House), or any reference to the ink, other than a Twitter feed with a dead Rakuten link. Don't use so called social media, therefore unable to scroll down the page.

 

Kingdom Note DHP is black, as far as I can discern, so does not fit the criteria, green sheen aside.

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, Karmachanic said:

Unable to locate Pent (Pen House),

 

https://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/penroom/

https://search.rakuten.co.jp/search/mall/pent/505591/

 

If the company is still operating an independent website or store front, it isn't working at the moment, and returns an error when an online shopper visits https://www.pen-house.net/.

 

1 hour ago, Karmachanic said:

or any reference to the ink,

 

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/penroom/42021/

[Karmachanic]

8 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 https://www.pen-house.net/.

 

Thanks. Link works for me. Also appreciate the ink page.

It was early morning when I went looking.  The maté yerba hadn't kicked in and it didn't occur to me to search Rakuten. Duh!

 

So Black Lizard's going on the list along with two other Pen House finds; Human Disqualification, and Grass Pillow.  Thanks again  @Preserved_Killick

[Karmachanic]

Update to include three Pen House inks. Black Lizard (purple), Human Disqualification and Grass Pillow (greens).

 

Mysteriously forum software would accept 18pt type for the list.

 

 

 

BLUE

Akkerman Dutch Masters Ruisdaels Stormachtig  Blauw.
Colorverse Extra Dimension

Diamine 1864

KWZ Warsaw Dreaming
KWZ IG Blue Black

Noodler’s Dark Matter

Octopus Schwarz

PenBBS #274 Obsidian
Penonia Lila Árnyék
RO Thunderstorm ?
R&K Leipziger Schwarz
Sailor Kobe #51 Kano cho Midnight
Sailor Kobe #70 Rokku Forest Blue

Sailor Studio 024
Van Dieman Pepperberry

BROWN
Color Verse Methusula Grove

KWZ IG Gold

Kingdom Note Birgus Latro

Sailor Do-you
Sailor Yama-Guri ?
Taccia Ukiyo-e Usuzum
 

 

GREEN

Bungu Box Dandyism

Iroshizuku Hoteison ?
KWZ Hunter Green ?

KWZ Midnight Green
KWZ Rotten Green
Lamy Crystal Obsidian

Noodler’s El Lawrence
Noodler's Zhivago.
Papier Plume Iron Lace

PenBBs 232 Ugly

Sailor Pen House Grass Pillow
Sailor Pen House Human Disqualification

Trouble Maker Sinulog Black

 

PURPLE
Bungu Box Ink of the Witch
Diamine Purple Rain
Diamine Eclipse

KWZ Grey Plum ?

Sailor Pen House Black Lizard
Sailor Chushu
Sailor Studio #650

 

 

RED
Diamine Writers Blood?

KWZ IG Red #3

 

 

 

[PithyProlix]

Green: PenBBS 232 Ugly