Here's my short written review of Visconti black. Hope it helps.

I noticed that after it dries, it's actually quite dark! I am beginning to like it a little more now.

Per one of the mod's request, I am adding a little more to this.

I just want to say that the dry time is rather quick, and with my Visconti Opera Club, there is little or no shading with the fine nib. On the paper that I am using (regular staples paper) there is practically no bleeding or feathering. I had a few minor issues with my new Visconti and just realized that when used with a wet writer, the ink can get quite dark! And when it's dry (I had a converter issue in which the ink wouldn't flow well) it gets really really light and grey. So I guess if you have a wet pen, by all means, get the Visconti. You'll like the result. But if you have a dry Pelikan, stay away from it if you hate greys!

The dry time is rather quick. Generally no smearing after 5 seconds.

Hope this helps! Sorry for not being as detailed earlier!

Thanks! This pretty well covers what we'd like to know about the ink. Hope you'll do some more reviews for us when you have time.

Best, Ann

Thanks for the review. I have not cracked open the bottle that came with my pen. I may need to give it atry.

Same here. I started using the Visconti turquoise which is a lovely ink and the black (I got an extra complimentary bottle) still lies unopened. Frankly I do not know how many years it will take me to use all the ink I have...!

Received a bottle with a Visconti pen. Ta for your review!!

Just wanted to quickly add something here. I mentioned in a few other posts about my new Visconti's converter ink flow issues. Following people's advice, I flushed the pen with soap detergent and cold water, all to no avail. I was curious this afternoon and decided to see how the ink would flow with my Aurora Blue ink. Surprisingly it flowed a lot better. With the Visconti Black, there was practically no ink movement unless you tap or shake the converter. While Aurora blue in the Visconti converter does not flow as smoothly as it does in my Aurora converter, the improvement is tremendous. I hope it will fix the converter flow isse.

For those who plan on using Visconti black ink in their Visconti converters, be prepared for some major flow issues! (By the way, I did try to add just a very very tiny amount of dishwash soap IN the converter with the ink and it worked. BUt the flow was a bit too generous for me and there were all sorts of soap bubbles like a bubble bath so I decided to clean up the pen and use regular ink).

One kind person on the board told me that patience will actually solve this Visconti converter issue, but I guess I was a bit impatient. In the mean time, I am kind of upset that Visconti would make such a problematic ink/converter combo. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the update. I wonder if other Visconti inks have the same flow problems with a converter. Hopefully, someone that uses one of the other colors with a converter will chime in and let us know.

Best, Ann

I am thinking it's probably not the ink's fault as the fault lies in the converter. After using Aurora blue in my Visconti converter, it seems to be flowing fine. I have switched my Visconti black on to my AUrora 88 pen and I realized that the black flows really liberally in my Aurora converter.

One other thing I noticed is that on my Aurora 88, the Visconti has reverted to its original "light black" status. But like I said above, I actually enjoy the elegence of the weak black.

Try once again switching inks after using the blue for some time. You may find the black starts working well. I found this out in my converter. After a couple of uses of MB turquoise, the Visconti turquoise worked well on switching and now both work very well in the converter.

Sandeep108: Thanks for your simple word - "patience." Right now I am just too lazy washing the pen out to switch! Plus, I have already converted my Aurora FP to the black Visconti!

I use 2 colors of Visconti inks separately and mixed in Namiki, Waterman, Caran d'Ache and Visconti pens. All my pens but the Waterman use a converter. I like the inks because they are pretty wet. My experience with the black is that it is darker than most blacks (Aurora is darker though).

Both inks work well on all papers I have used. The Namiki does not write well on one of my papers but that is more a function of the pen than it is the ink or converter. I have used the Namiki VP with cartridges and it had the same problem with this one paper.

The only problems I have had with the Visconti inks is in the Visconti Van Gogh pen. The sales rep told me that the nib needed some adjustment and that I could send it in to get fixed so I will probably do that. Other than that I have had great success with those 2 Visconti inks.

Btw, the red and very little black mixed make a wonderful dark blood reddish brown.

May I ask which two colors you have? It sounds like you have the black and red?

Have you tried the Sepia? See my thread in INKY THOUGHTS. I am interested in getting that color. If you have used it, can you let me know if the Sepia flows well?

Hey, so you actually think the black flows quite well huh?

Also, I have discovered that the Visconti Black is MUCH darker when used in my Opera Club and Cross Century. In my AUrora and MontBlanc LeGrand, the black is a bit washed out.

I'm surprised that Visconti's black ink is so washed out looking, whereas their blue ink is rich and vibrant.

The nib adjustment ought to fix it. I had to get a nib adjustment done on my new Pelikan M800 as it tended to skip on the vertical stroke and lay down a very pale line. Once this was done, it now is a very good writer (still prefer the Visconti Van Gogh, though) but the piston fill is better. I think I now have two very nice but very contrasting pens in that size range.

I have found the Visconti black to be a little "washed out" both in converter and cartidges, whereas other inks from the same pen or cart are wonderful, for a really good black I say go for the Aurora, I have not found a better one yet.

My wife was using the bottle that came with her new Van Gogh pen. She had flow issues too. I used Visconti black with the Wallstreet and did not have any problems. Touch and go it seems!!

I'm beginning to get the distinct impression that Visconti Black has flow issues.

This is really too bad, because I'm the proud of owner of six bottles of this ink -- all unopened. They arrived in the boxes for various Visconti pens I have purchased over the last several years.

I use mostly blue inks. When I use black ink, it is usually Waterman, Dupont, Aurora, Pelikan, or Sailor. I own bottles of Omas and Visconti that came with pens, but I've never tried either.

I have Noodlers Black, and dislike it, because it dries very very slowly. I've never tried any of the Private Reserve blacks, because the PR inks that I've tried are such slow driers.

I've thought about trying Parker Quink and Sheaffer Skrip black ink, but there's no rush, as I have so many other black inks.

Charlie, I'm in the same boat as you. It seems to be hit or miss which pens will have issues with it. Voyager hates it, Art Nouveau tolerates it, Marlen button filler BB nib likes it. I'm not a black ink fan, so those bottles sat until I opened one to try it. Obviously it'll be awhile before I use it up, as I'm not a fan of black ink.

I like visconti black however I find it a bit faint. Mix it 4 part VB to 1 part Private Reserve Sherwood Green and the green fills in the faint bits really nicely. This mix is clever enough for me to use at work.

So what color is the resulting ink -- something similar to Aircorps or Zhivago?

I've not had any of the problems w/ Visconti Black that others seem to be having. The only problem I have with it is the inordinate amount of the stuff around the house. Those plastic bottles that come with pens are reproducing. I'm going to start watering plants with Visconti Black at this rate...

My standard black ink happens to either be Aurora or Sailor Black. For a black with je ne sais quoi, reach for Dupont Black. It has a silky, smooth appearance that I have not seen in any other black ink.

I'd agree with both statements but it didn't like the MB 146. My black of choice is Watermans, although a bit on the grey side after it dries, followed by Parker Quink.

On the brighter side, if I ever loose my job and can't afford ink. I have enough of this stuff to allow me to continue writing daily.

When the weather turns, I'm considering setting up outside the super market, like a girl scout, and offing them as the latest new "caffeine" drink to unsuspecting passersby.

Look in my ink - deep into my ink and your will see green - like - like - like - seaweed !!.

I'm new to FPN - so - hopefully a picture is attached - somewhere.

I don't know either of 2 inks you mention (both are noddlers which have to be mail ordered in the Uk) but the zhivago is a bit grey by my understanding.

What is interesting about Visconti is the graduations in black allowing another colour to find it's place. I have yet to try is with others, but DC Supershow & PR Tansanite appears options within my smallholding !!

It's like a stock ink - One to have if your into mixing.

Just thought I'd chime in on Visconti's behalf. I was recently gifted with a bottle and have been pleasantly surprised. It's a wet flowing ink in the pens I've tried it in (Pilot 78G, Naki, and my little problem Welsharp). The big surprise, though, was how well Visconti Black does exposed to water. Even on crappy spiral notebook paper.

My sole qualification for ink is its ability to last--through sunlight, water, whatever. I would love to play with nice colors but if it doesn't survive a good water test, it doesn't make it into my pens. When you're working on reference material that HAS to stick around for the next 10 years at least, bulletproof or nearly so becomes a necessity. I've already had to put away two of my favorite inks as correspondence only (sniff). But Visconti doesn't bleed through and doesn't fade when wet. That's what I need.

It's a bonus the color's a good clear black, easy on the eyes. Not too zingy, not too blah. It's become my comfort ink.

And to those of you who are suffering from an unwanted abundance of this color, I am always grateful for donations


Rebecca