EFNIR: Rotring Brillant (Black)

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Rotring Brillant (Black)

This is review #311 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: Apparently, this is a very, very old cartridge (~25 years).  It was gifted to me by a generous FPNer.  I added a little bit of distilled water, to top off the cartridge. As far as I know, this is no longer made, but I still felt compelled to review it. Yes, I'm strange. I have seen packs of cartridges that appear to be the same, but presumably newer, but only a couple of places, and I'm not sure how legit they are.

Sailor Black is the closest match I have. This one is fairly neutral whereas most of mine are cool. The microscope slide was boring.  The sheen wasn't obvious - you had to look for it, but once seen, it was spread pretty evenly throughout the stroke. Cleaning was easy with plain water, but did require an extra flush or two.

The ink is black, it looks black in the images, so I'm calling them good.

Zoomed in photo

Screenshot

Scan of Completed Review

Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper)

Line width (The "I" in "Ink:". Magnification is 100x. The grid is 100x100µm. The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each. The line width for this ink is roughly 281µm. With 311 inks measured, the average line width is 297µm.) (To my eye, the sheen looked golden, and there was more than the picture shows.)

Void Compare (Klaw is still the darkest of them all, but this ink came pretty close in heavy application.)

Void Blooper (Some of the shots that didn't work out while trying to capture the comparison.)

Previous Review: Sheaffer Skrip Turquoise.

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

Want to influence the inky sequence? Take the "next ink" poll.

View a list of my inks, complete with review results in a google sheet.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh? Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[Lithium466]

Thank you for reviewing my once beloved blackest ink! And the void comparisons

For some reason I always fancied the yellow endcap of the cartridges, and wondered who the ink maker was. It went from being made in Germany, and some other colours were made in France at later stages, not sure about the black.

[LizEF]

6 minutes ago, Lithium466 said:

Thank you for reviewing my once beloved blackest ink! And the void comparisons

You're most welcome!

 

7 minutes ago, Lithium466 said:

For some reason I always fancied the yellow endcap of the cartridges, and wondered who the ink maker was. It went from being made in Germany, and some other colours were made in France at later stages, not sure about the black.

You know much more than I do.

[yazeh]

Excellent review @LizEF and many thanks to Klaw for providing comparison  I hope Smoke won't act out and break into the ink cabinet

I have a soft spot for rOtring. It was the first fountain pen I bought as a student, it was a very modern design and I wrote all my papers with it. I still have that pen. 

I like how the colour matches the solemn/ sober story line. In someway I feel sad at the demise of these once big brands. Now it belongs to Newell, like Waterman/Parker etc and is basically a shadow of what it was. 

 

Thanks for bring some nostalgia on this sunny fall day

 

[LizEF]

15 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Excellent review @LizEF 

Thanks!

 

15 minutes ago, yazeh said:

and many thanks to Klaw for providing comparison 

 

15 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I hope Smoke won't act out and break into the ink cabinet

  He doesn't seem interested in it, so far.  Fingers crossed.

 

16 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I have a soft spot for rOtring. It was the first fountain pen I bought as a student, it was a very modern design and I wrote all my papers with it. I still have that pen. 

  I've never tried their pens, and this is the first (and apparently last) of their inks I've tried.

 

17 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I like how the colour matches the solemn/ sober story line.

Another fluke.  The universe or my subconscious conspiring...

 

18 minutes ago, yazeh said:

In someway I feel sad at the demise of these once big brands. Now it belongs to Newell, like Waterman/Parker etc and is basically a shadow of what it was. 

Me, too.  Always sad when a brand dwindles away in the hands of a megacorp...

 

19 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for bring some nostalgia on this sunny fall day

You're most welcome!  But it's neither sunny, nor fall - look out the window!  It's snowing!   (The forecast said rain, so I left the empty bird feeders out to get washed clean.  But now it's snow.  The next three days will be fall-like, but then winter returns on Saturday.  )

[nibtip]

Thank you for the review.

 

I am not sure about it but I have a conjecture.

Rottring https://www.rotringshop.eu sells Rotring international cartridges and also one Schneider product.

Maybe these two brands are somehow related.

They seem to be available in many European countries, either in cartridge or ink bottle form.

The Schneider ink bottles are exactly the same as the Octopus 30ml FP ink bottle lines.

I happen to own 2 Schneider black and blue FP ink bottles.

Octopus even sells empty ink bottles. 

 

So maybe they are/have been behind many made in Germany (along with a handful of others) inks sold by other brands.

 

My two pfennigs.

 

[LizEF]

46 minutes ago, nibtip said:

Thank you for the review.

You're most welcome!

 

47 minutes ago, nibtip said:

I am not sure about it but I have a conjecture.

Rottring https://www.rotringshop.eu sells Rotring international cartridges and also one Schneider product.

Maybe these two brands are somehow related.

They seem to be available in many European countries, either in cartridge or ink bottle form.

The Schneider ink bottles are exactly the same as the Octopus 30ml FP ink bottle lines.

I happen to own 2 Schneider black and blue FP ink bottles.

Octopus even sells empty ink bottles. 

 

So maybe they are/have been behind many made in Germany (along with a handful of others) inks sold by other brands.

Could be!  No idea, but it does seem like a lot of the basic colors have so much in common that they could well be manufactured as the same thing and branded at the end of the process...

 

48 minutes ago, nibtip said:

My two pfennigs.

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

You're most welcome!  But it's neither sunny, nor fall - look out the window!  It's snowing!  

Our winter have changed. Before, we had snow storms in December. Nowadays we have a white Christmas every other year, if we're lucky. The only reason I care for snow is for plant protection  

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

(The forecast said rain, so I left the empty bird feeders out to get washed clean. 

You wash your bird feeders? I haven't washed mine since I bought. The birds don't seem to mind. They throw everything on the ground and in the muck and eat it.

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

But now it's snow.  The next three days will be fall-like, but then winter returns on Saturday.  )

It's probably due to your elevation. Anyway, if snow stays it's winter, if not, it's just showing off  😛

 

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, nibtip said:

Thank you for the review.

 

I am not sure about it but I have a conjecture.

Rottring https://www.rotringshop.eu sells Rotring international cartridges and also one Schneider product.

Maybe these two brands are somehow related.

They seem to be available in many European countries, either in cartridge or ink bottle form.

The Schneider ink bottles are exactly the same as the Octopus 30ml FP ink bottle lines.

I happen to own 2 Schneider black and blue FP ink bottles.

Octopus even sells empty ink bottles. 

 

So maybe they are/have been behind many made in Germany (along with a handful of others) inks sold by other brands.

 

My two pfennigs.

 

I couldn't find any fountain pen ink on their website. It is possible that Octopus is making many of the inks in Germany nowadays. My two Canadian Cents

[LizEF]

25 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Our winter have changed. Before, we had snow storms in December. Nowadays we have a white Christmas every other year, if we're lucky. The only reason I care for snow is for plant protection  

Yeah, white Christmases are hit-and-miss here, too.

 

25 minutes ago, yazeh said:

You wash your bird feeders? I haven't washed mine since I bought. The birds don't seem to mind. They throw everything on the ground and in the muck and eat it.

I don't imagine the birds would complain, but yes, I clean the feeders when they get filthy enough (heaven forbid the tweeties poop away from the feeder ).  When I'm fortunate, we get a strong rain, and then I just have to remember to remove any remaining food and leave them out to get rinsed off.   The waterer (in warm enough weather) gets washed more than the feeders.  I've even pondered getting a little heater so the birds can have warm baths in winter, but I haven't done it...  I've seen them eat and bathe in snow, so it's not like they don't have options...

 

Meanwhile, I went out and brushed the snow off - it did a good job of cleaning the feeders.  They're in the garage drying, in case the weather is good enough to put some food out before dark...

 

The birds here usually eat at / on the feeder - though when the ground is dry, I'll sprinkle some of their food on the ground so there's less fighting at the feeder.  (I have three feeders now - two for regular feed and one for nyjer seeds.  Those don't go as fast, but the cute little lesser goldfinches will come to that one throughout the day and keep my boys entertained. )

 

Have I mentioned I'm a complete push-over (for animals)?

 

35 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Anyway, if snow stays it's winter, if not, it's just showing off  😛

Definitely just showing off - it'll be gone by tomorrow afternoon, if not sooner.

[Mercian]

I like the look of this Unobtainium - which is typical of me!
If an ink is no longer made, my brain seems to gravitate towards it

 

And I ♥ the pics of The Void!

[I-am-not-really-here]

I thought the ink line was named Brillant (no second 'i') at least that's what my bottle(s?) of Ultramarine say.  Never pursued the black, but thank you for the review!

[LizEF]

45 minutes ago, Mercian said:

I like the look of this Unobtainium - which is typical of me!
If an ink is no longer made, my brain seems to gravitate towards it

There are plenty of black inks out there.  I'm sure you can find an alternate...

 

45 minutes ago, Mercian said:

And I ♥ the pics of The Void!

[LizEF]

42 minutes ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

I thought the ink line was named Brillant (no second 'i') at least that's what my bottle(s?) of Ultramarine say.  Never pursued the black, but thank you for the review!

Oh no!!  You're right!  Too late to rename the thread.  Yeesh.  Apparently I can't read - I did go look for it online and the JetPens picture is plain as day (no longer found on the site, but found by web search).  Thank you for the correction!

[knarflj]

Thank you for the story.  And pictures of the beautiful void are always a treat.  

[LizEF]

3 minutes ago, knarflj said:

Thank you for the story.

You're most welcome!

 

3 minutes ago, knarflj said:

And pictures of the beautiful void are always a treat.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Klaw void pix: awesome.  That is one smooth-lookin' fella.

 

I think I had Rotring Black at one time, back when it was still Obtainium, because I had a complete set of Rotring ArtPens and they came supplied with carts.  

 I do have Sailor Jentle in cartridge form.  

They're both black.  And both write well enough.  BUT…do I detect that coppery sheen in the line width pic?
 

The story….holding my breath, crossing my fingers for Dad. ( It's been that kind of day.)

 

@LizEF, you continue to make Tuesdays magical and fun... I always look forward to the reviews and story. This one was extry fun, because it brought back fond pen memories, though I am kickin' myself for passing on those neat little pens.  Thank you!

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Yeah, white Christmases are hit-and-miss here, too.

 

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

 

I don't imagine the birds would complain, but yes, I clean the feeders when they get filthy enough (heaven forbid the tweeties poop away from the feeder ).  When I'm fortunate, we get a strong rain, and then I just have to remember to remove any remaining food and leave them out to get rinsed off.   The waterer (in warm enough weather) gets washed more than the feeders.  I've even pondered getting a little heater so the birds can have warm baths in winter, but I haven't done it...  I've seen them eat and bathe in snow, so it's not like they don't have options...

Boy these a very privileged birds! Years from now, they would recall baths / jacuzzis and recall it to their great-grand birds

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

Have I mentioned I'm a complete push-over (for animals)?

 

Cat heaven/ Bird heaven! Hopefully not rodent heaven  

 

BTW, I completely missed the "void" quotes. 

It reminds of a Voyager (Star Trek) episode when they are really caught in a void. Not a favourite episode. But maybe Klaw came from there  

 

[Mercian]

1 hour ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

I thought the ink line was named Brillant (no second 'i') at least that's what my bottle(s?) of Ultramarine say.  Never pursued the black, but thank you for the review!

 

To be fair to Liz, on the labels of its bottles Pelikan calls the black ink in its 4001 range 'Brillant' in German, but 'Brilliant' in English.
I therefore assume that Liz was merely offering a translation for the monoglot anglophones (such as me)

[Mercian]

55 minutes ago, LizEF said:

There are plenty of black inks out there.  I'm sure you can find an alternate...

 

At the moment I'm thinking of trying Edelstein Onyx.
Which I bought with my M805, for use with it (and my M205).

 

My only other bottled black ink is Sailor Kiwa Guro, which has a nice graphite-y sheen, rather than the shiny black gleam that one can get from some dye-based inks.