Best blue-black ink?

[dmmcf]

I'm one of those who've found Waterman blue-black to be much too green, turning greener over time on some papers. But lately I've happened to examine some older samples under different lighting. Specifically, I've lugged the Apica 6A10 notebook I use as a journal into a new coffee shop. Writing that appeared greenish under a halogen desk lamp appears a medium blue under fourescent lights set in a high ceiling with good reflectors.

 

I remain confused regarding this ink. :blink: I do not, however, consider that a problem.

 

Michael

[scribbler]

For a semi-waterproof blue-black, I mix up a batch of Mont Blanc Royal Blue with a bit of Noodler's Black. It has a nice flow and color shading, and is somewhat accident-proof. (The blue runs when water hits, but a light grey remains on the page.)

[el3ssar]

I've tried Diamine BB today, and it's definitely not what I call blue-black. I think Diamine BB should be called teal-grey-green

[Garageboy]

Any problems with Diamine BB crusting?

[el3ssar]

Any problems with Diamine BB crusting?

 

No, but I've mixed it 1:1 with Parker Quink and I'm using my pen every day, so...

[el3ssar]

I'm currently using a mix of Sailor blue black and Sailor black (2 drops of black in a cartridge of blue-black), since I found the blue-black a bit light for my taste.

 

The mix is good and looks like a conservative blue-black (without any green or teal in it) but I'm looking for something with a bit more blue, like a deep blue without any purple or green in it, kind of PR American blue with some black in it or maybe PR Supershow blue I guess...

 

I'll try a Sailor blue and Sailor black mix next time

 

 

A quick update :

 

- 1:1 Diamine BB / Parker Quink Blue

Look alrights, this ink is kind of "dry". Unfortunately the green/teal hue is still there when it dries...

 

- 1:1:1 mix of Diamine BB / Diamine Royal Blue / Parker Quink Blue

I'm not a fan. The colour is washed out, I was expecting a nice blue shade because of Diamine Royal Blue, but nothing happened. And it feathers a bit on my cheap recycled paper (my previous mix didn't), which I can't stand.

 

 

 

I've been through 50++ threads on blue-black and dark blue yesterday, and the inks I'll try now are :

 

- Platinum Blue Black : seems to be a nice deep dark blue, with some water resistance. Unfortunately, girlieg33k scans are down https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=41268

If anyone has a scan of that one it would really helps !

 

- A mix of Sailor Blue and Sailor Black. Sailor Blue looks nice and behave extremely well, so I want to try this mix.

 

- Waterman Blue + Waterman Black. But I've read it turns into something a bit grey, so I might try Waterman Blue + Waterman Havana Brown.

I'm afraid there will be no water resistance at all

 

- Pelikan (Cross) Blue Black. If it turns into something like that it would be perfect : https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=47375 But I've read it's often grey and washed, so I hope my pen will be wet enough.

 

Again, any scans would be helpful

 

I don't really want to use saturated inks, since it requires more maintenance... My pen is a ProGear with a Medium nib, so I'm looking for a not too wet ink (Sailor ink is weeeeeet but so niiiice) with nice shades and a dark deep blue tint. Plus, I want to stay away from greenish and greyish tint.

 

BTW, if someone would part with a sample of one of the inks above (I can send a couple of $$$ through paypal) I would be more than pleased !

Edited June 3, 2008 by el3ssar

[bob_hayden]

There may be some history here. Back before fountain pens people were happy just to have an ink that worked. It was whatever coilor it took to get the desired writing properties -- a kind of dark, inky, blue-black still seen on old documents. I am not sure anyone would have chosen that color for beauty, but when fountain pens came along and required non-clogging dye-based inks, people tried to duplicate the color of "real" ink. I suspect that led to the washed-out color the original post lamented.

Today we have more ink colors including darker and more saturated ones. Some seem to try to look like "real" ink while others try to look like the name "blue-black" suggests. I think the former inks are the ones with a touch of green or teal. At that end of the spectrum Noodler's Turquoise and Diamine Teal are medium dark -- darker than many washed out blue-blacks. Noodler's Bad Blue Heron is a slightly lighter blue-gray.

Darker and more literally blue-black are (lightest to darkest) Slovenian Sheaffer, Hero, Noodler's Midnight (Blue), PR Midnight Blues, Fahrney's, Diamine, and Diamine Registrar's Ink (blue). The last of these could be hard on your pen. The black ink that comes in Reform caligraphy sets is quite dark with a hint of blue. The Made-in-USA Sheaffer blue-black I have looks like pale blue with a touch of grey.

Parker Blue-Black can be all over the place depending on the year it was made and the country it was made in. I have some Parker Permanant Blue-Black that is almost as dark as Diamine, but other that's a pale blue and another that's blue-grey.

Edited November 3, 2013 by bob_hayden

[lourdesgirl101]

I like Diamine blue black but for some reason mine looks different than the reviews on here. Also like Noodler's Aircorp Blue Black and their regular Blue Black.

[Runnin_Ute]

Maybe it is because I have the 2012 formulation - but I have NEVER seen a green tinge to Diamine Blue Black. Pelikan 4001 Blue Black is my favorite, but much harder to source in the US now. Monteverde Blue Black is somewhat reminiscent of the Pelikan. Noodler's 54th Massachusetts is a very very dark blue black. Some see a green cast - I don't - and I have never been diagnosed as color blind.

[Runnin_Ute]

I've tried Diamine BB today, and it's definitely not what I call blue-black. I think Diamine BB should be called teal-grey-green /default/biggrin.gif

I have never seen that. I use Diamine Blue Black all the time. I have one pen or another loaded with it virtually all the time. Usually a fine or medium nib.

[fpconverted]

Yard O Led blue black...

its a deep blue with a slight turquoise undertone.

Ilooooooove this ink and theres no other that comes close to the shading nuances of this ink.

[DanF]

I have never seen that. I use Diamine Blue Black all the time. I have one pen or another loaded with it virtually all the time. Usually a fine or medium nib.

Diamine Blue Black was reformulated a year or two ago, the old was more greenish. This is an old thread from 2008.

[dcwaites]

Don't forget that you can make your own blue-black to your own satisfaction.

 

Start with two inks from the same brand (i.e. Parker Blue and Parker Black, or Waterman Blue and Waterman Black, or Sheaffer Blue and Sheaffer Black, etc, etc, etc).

Start with one part Black to 20 parts Blue, and then adjust the mix till it is right for you.

[akohtz]

I couldn't decide whether to get blue or black ink. My daughter wisely suggested just getting a dark blue black color.

 

Together we picked out Noodler's Big Bad Belted Kingfisher.

 

- Andrew

[fpconverted]

Can anyone recommend me a good (dark enough and non-watercoloury) black & blue ink? I had a bottle of Lamy but it was too washed-out and I got paranoid about the iron-gall properties. I also have tested Parker´s version, but that is too close to blue....

As I´m using a vintage Parker Duofold, I´d like to have something soluble as well. I´ve read that for example Noodler´s bulletproof versions can stain the barrel.

Thanks!

Ville

Private reserve ebony blue and Yard O led Blue black are two of my favs.

[icevic]

Diamine Eclipse is kind of a navy-black that I like very much. Also it washes out of pens very easily - great for vintage, light-coloured pens, and demonstrators.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

I like blue-black inks a lot, and while I did like the old Diamine Blue Black, I like the new formulation a lot more. I also use Platinum blue-black. Montblanc's Mystery blue is also a nice color.

 

Dillon

[Tanzanite]

I have not tried som many blue black inks because I did not think that I would like them but I have two.

Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite is now one of my fovourite inks. It is a pure blue black but not so dark. It could have been a little more blue.

I also have the Rohrer & Klingner blu black 2012 ink. In daylight it is similar to the PE Tanzanite. In artifiscial light it is green black and more similar to R&K Verdigris. This is a bit odd.

[FLZapped]

I've been using Noodler's Blue-Black, which would better be described as Black-Blue.

[bob_hayden]

Here are my notes on blue-blacks collected over many years so I have no idea what version you will find here for inks that change.

The notes were written for myself and so may be inscrutable but I think you might get something out of it as this thread does not contain many scans and many that were included are missing now.

 

http://statland.org/PenPix/BBold.jpg