Hi everyone
As a newish member to the FPN I am excited at how much work goes into the varying reviews. I had not considered ink being so important in my pen until I started to read all of these posts.
My main writing pens are modern Parker Duofolds and a few Lamy Safaris. I have a heap more FPs but these are the ones I use every day.
In Australia there has always been a lack of specialist inks. The main varities available have been the pen brand inks. Parker, Waterman, Lamy, Mont Blanc etc. Noodlers, Private Reserve and other spcialist makes have not been seen.
I have bought some Noodlers Legal Lapis from Pendemonium (great online service) and Private Reserve Lake Placid. Locally I use mainly Parker and Waterman.
The Noodlers tends to run a fraction dry in my Parkers and the PR similar. But I note from reviews that different colours in these ranges have different properties. The Parker and Waterman seem very alike and run well in my pens.
I am looking for a free running blue or blue black and am wondering from my rambles here if you guys can help me cut to the chase and recommend a few choices. Noodlers is now available in Australia so I can access them here and I am prepared to add a few others to my next Pendemonium order. By the way anyone recommend any other pen sites that offer international service as good as Pendemonium but may discount?
Thank you in anticipation for your responses.

Pete

Hey Pete,

Free running blues and blacks, eh? The first that comes to mind is Aurora. Their inks are very, very nice to write with. Well lubricated. They make Safari's a dream to use (Med and Fine both are helped a great deal). Flow is usually very good, though it doesn't seem to help "problem" pens like WM Florida Blue and P.R. Tanzanite do. Their lubrication properties are superior, though (in my experience, at least). For what it's worth, Aurora is the only ink I've ever used an entire bottle of. I really need to get more, but I've been putting it off because I don't have enough needs for a NY order and no one has it here.

If by free running you mean a little thinner, there's always the Noodler's Polar offerings, but if you're not in a very cold climate, they may be more trouble than they're worth.

Good luck!!

~~King

Hello,

I like Waterman Bleu Nuit (Blue Black). It works with all pens, even the "dry" ones. I also like the "oldfashioned" colour.

Good luck!
Anna

Yes, ink does make a difference, doesn't it?

I have found Waterman inks to be good flowing. You said you had those readily available, so I will assume you have your experience of them. I tend to favor Pelikan and J. Herbin inks. I also like Montblanc inks, which do tend to be a bit "dry," but they work well in my pens with wet M and B nibs.

Tryphon Industries offers a couple of ink additives that facilitate the flow of any ink. I have used the "Ink Safe" with good results. You might consider giving Tryphon's products a try. (No affiliation, etc.)

I am in the U.S., so I cannot speak with any authority about Internet sellers' international service. In addition to Pendemonium, you might at least try Swisher Pens. I use both sellers regularly.

He's in Melbourne. Their temperature range goes from sub-Antarctic to 40Celsius. Sometimes in one day. (Written by a Sydneysider basking in our perfect weather...)

I would suggest Polar Blue and Polar Black. I have not tried the Noodler Eel inks, but they also probably flow very well. Also, if you are looking for black, the regular Noodler bulletproof black flows very well on my pens. (I now have it in a Pelikan 200.)

Sadly true. I can't recall any 40 degree changes, but I have experienced 20 degree changes on the same day. Then again, I'm generally only in Melbourne one day a month so I might have missed some of the more extreme changes.

Getting back on topic, possibly the Noodler's eel inks might be worth a try.
This post by Russ mentions that he finds Noodler's Eel American Blue to be add significant writing lubrication.

Regards, Myles.

I can't speak for the blues... or really for lubricating properties...

I've tried a lot of blacks, for instance, and can rarely tell any difference in the smoothness of the pen.

But I do find the Eel blacks (Both "American Eel" and "Polar" Black) to be freer flowing than other Noodler's inks. Polar is freer flowing than American Eel.

Sheaffer Skrip is one of the less viscous inks.

But all things told, I've never used a FP ink that I would classify as "bad". But they do have a difference in color, saturation, and flow. (Some say lubricity; but I just don't feel it...)

Are the "new" Sheaffer Skrip inks (cone-shaped bottles and proprietary cartridges, "Slovenia" molded into both) available in Oz? Groupe Bic, Sheaffer's present owner, seems to have stopped trying to push Skrip bottles onto shelves in bricks-and-mortar retail chains in the USA (my experience) and UK (a FPN member's experience). Now I have to get bottled Skrip from specialty pen shops (fortunately possible around here) or online. The proprietary Skrip cartridges are still widely available wherever the calligraphy pen sets are sold (many types of b&m retailers in the USA).

These inks have never given me trouble in my current/recent-production
Pelikan M250, Parker 45 (given away), Lamy Safari, Pelikan Pelikano (given away), A T Cross ATX and Century II, Hero 329 (some given away, one kept) and 237-1, Platinum Preppy, or (of course) Sheaffer Prelude (still kept) and Javelin (destroyed in an experiment).

They also worked great in my Esterbrook SJ with the 9450 and 9461 nibs (given away with the much smoother 9461).

I may have exaggerated a tiny tad...
But, I have gone through a 40 degree change in Adelaide. 10 deg C before dawn to 50 deg C in the mid afternoon.

Sheaffer Skrip is available here, but you may have to look around. I have only found it in one newsagent in the greater Campbelltown/Narellan/Camden area.

I have also found that Parker Quink Blue-Black is a little more penetrating than the other Quink Blues.

Lamy Blue
Quink Blue-Black