If You Could Only Choose One Ink for a Lifetime...

[Estycollector]

With so many vintage pens, Waterman inks will most likely always be my choice. I do love Serenity Blue, but also have their black ink. 

[RJS]

1 hour ago, Estycollector said:

With so many vintage pens, Waterman inks will most likely always be my choice. I do love Serenity Blue, but also have their black ink. 

It's a pity they discontinued their excellent brown- one of the nicest, if not the nicest, brown on the market. I trust Waterman inks in my vintage pens more than other brands, and all the colours I've tried have been impeccably well behaved.

[Doc Dan]

Maybe Sailor Kiwaguro black waterproof ink? It washes out of pens easily but is very waterproof on paper. 

[Bo Bo Olson]

I like shading inks, and Waterman brown didn't shade. It is/was a well liked ink. Havana brown if my memory serves.

[lapis]

Yup, Havana Brown, as they used to say. Later changed to Absolute Brown. Never did understand what's absolute about it.

When yer lookin' fer a neater brown, what ya need is FPN's Galileo Manuscript Brown.

[RedPie]

2 hours ago, Doc Dan said:

Maybe Sailor Kiwaguro black waterproof ink? It washes out of pens easily but is very waterproof on paper. 

That sounds interesting....

[RJS]

6 hours ago, lapis said:

Yup, Havana Brown, as they used to say. Later changed to Absolute Brown. Never did understand what's absolute about it.

When yer lookin' fer a neater brown, what ya need is FPN's Galileo Manuscript Brown.

Wasn't that just a limited run a couple of decades back? 😅

[XYZZY]

On 3/21/2024 at 4:08 PM, 2ouvenir said:

If I were to reply to this topic, I would choose Pilot Black. Yes, I am boring! I love writing a lot, and I am also somewhat of a minimalist. I need a good contrast with the page, and get distracted easily, so Pilot Black. It is a good black, well-behaved and relatively affordable. (If money was no object, then Pilot take-sumi.)

 

FYI:  I realize that the search function in forum software sometimes isn't great.  Try looking using google:  add "site:fountainpennetwork.com" (no spaces, no quotes) to a search query and it will restrict results to that site.  For example, search for "site:fountainpennetwork.com best black ink" and you'll find that the topic has come up several times, and most importantly you'll find a whole lot of great information.

 

There are also plenty of times when the Forum engine's search function is good, or better than a general purpose engine.  Like if you need results by a specific person, or within a specific sub-forum, or you're trying to restrict to a thread's title.  For for generic things, like finding the best thread about the best black ink, I'll just google it.

[lapis]

10 hours ago, RJS said:

Wasn't that just a limited run a couple of decades back? 😅

Well, yes and no.... It was a LE a back then, but -- as was the case for many of those FPNs (and at least a few FPHs), too -- the demand was so great that they said, okay, we'll re-issue it again and again....

[RJS]

21 minutes ago, lapis said:

Well, yes and no.... It was a LE a back then, but -- as was the case for many of those FPNs (and at least a few FPHs), too -- the demand was so great that they said, okay, we'll re-issue it again and again....

I didn't realise it came back  When was it last available do you know? It looks pretty in reviews...

[lapis]

Could have been 2-3-4 years ago. Sorry, I can't remember exactly. But it was re-issued at least twice in the last 10 years. I ordered it at least twice since it first came out 10-12 years ago.

[RJS]

15 minutes ago, lapis said:

Could have been 2-3-4 years ago. Sorry, I can't remember exactly. But it was re-issued at least twice in the last 10 years. I ordered it at least twice since it first came out 10-12 years ago.

Thanks. I'll have to keep an eye out to see if it pops up again.

[lapis]

... and/or, if I happen to see same, I'll let you know....

[lapis]

Back again! IIRC, I/we were able to order via this site:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/store/category/12-fpn-inks/

 

Or, Amber took care of us and ordered a pile of our necessities herself and distributed them to us directly. And/or, I seem to remember (I think) that somebody claimed that if enough of us placed orders often enough, that'd prompt/incent/spur them (whoever was in charge of talking to Nathan) to get down to brass tacks etc etc.................................

[Mercian]

1 hour ago, lapis said:

... and/or, if I happen to see same, I'll let you know....

Was batch-variation ever an issue?

And, are all the necessary components even still available for the commission of a new batch of echt ‘FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown’?

[lapis]

Yes, "Batch-Issue" played a big role here, simply because these FPN inks were all poured by Nathan himself and he is known to be very lenient. To cough it out in an exceedingly less meritorious manner, let me say that that practically always applies to all Noodlers' inks. They (his inks) sometimes change colours completely, even more so than those of a chameleon. To the extent, e.g. that one ink named X having the colour Y years ago, was reissued/replaced later as their ink X having the colour Z. If in doubt, check out a few of our Ink Review Index items.

 

PS: As re "components", if you mean chemical compounds, I can't imagine that Nathan doesn't still have any and/or all of the same dyes he once used for one Ink. It's usually the combination or proportion of same which apparently dances. OTOH, maybe he in fact does run out of one brown and then just replaces it with whatever he happens to have on hand (or not on hand).

 

Whew!

[markofp]

After thinking it over carefully: Herbin Bleu des Profondeurs. It's just a great all-round ink, a very nice dark blue. Many blue-blacks lean to teal, which I personally don't care for (I would have said Bungubox 4B were it not for this issue). This is more of a solid, true blue black. Writes well and has a great start-up even with several minutes of the cap being off. Also available in a cute 10ml bottle for we who travel a lot. 

[kestrel]

On 3/24/2024 at 1:52 AM, 2ouvenir said:

In the chance that they might feel the same as I do, hence perpetuate negative emotions, even directing some of it back to me. It's just a small piece of plastic after all, I am sure it would make no difference to the ecosystem of the Earth.

 

Also: the process of selling a pen can be quite laborious. I used to sell items on Facebook Marketplace. But after learning of a tragic incident in my own city where a seller was fatally stabbed during a transaction I've stopped using Marketplace. (I don't want to make it sound like I live in some dangerous place, it's a relatively safe city, just that there are lots of desperate people nowadays.)

Off topic.  Sorry.  Would you consider sending the pen off to an established seller like Bryant at Chatterley Pens or FPN member  and ebay seller Speerbob who could then sell it for you on consignment?  I feel your pain as the former owner of a too-expensive pen that was a perpetual headache for me.  It is now in a better home with someone who appreciates it.

 

On topic.  One ink for a lifetime would be a 1:1 mix of Diamine Sapphire and Diamine Horizon Blue. 

[jimsan]

I already buy pelikan 4001 in brilliant black in the liter size.  By default that is my ink of choice.  

[langere]

46 minutes ago, jimsan said:

I already buy pelikan 4001 in brilliant black in the liter size.  By default that is my ink of choice.  

That's always a great choice - used to be my favorite ink.  I love the "shininess" of that black.

 

Erick