im looking for a bulletproof blue ink. Is there a list? Can you recommend a good one?

There's Noodler's Luxury Blue, which is the basic. There's a lot of weirder colors, but the one I keep coming back to (despite the cost) is Luxury Blue.

Here's scans of all my inks, including all the easily-obtainable (in the US) Noodler's blues. Not all of them are bulletproof. In fact, most aren't.

Edited to add: I never bothered buying eel blue or polar blue, but I suppose I should get samples of them for completeness's sake.

We just got the edict to use all blue ink on original documents at work, so I filled my trusty Pelikan 12's cartridge with Luxury Blue to try out.

I shook the bottle this time, the last time I tried it it was rather blah. Not bad ink at all, only slightly "chalky" and a nice bright blue. Just like BB, it will write on damp paper labels quite nicely, too, without smearing. This is an advantage for me, as I often have to write information on sample bottles after they've been iced down.

You may find Polar Blue somewhat "wet" -- it's designed to work well in sub-freezing temps and hence has been reported to have low viscosity at room temperature.

Peter

Noodler's Polar Blue is bullet proof and very smudge resistant - unlike the standard black which smudges in my lab books. Be aware that Polar Blue feathers quite a bit on low grade paper. I've also found Polar Blue to be quite tempermental if the pen dries out a bit while in a meeting etc.

I use Pilot Precise V5s refilled with Polar Blue in my lab books due to the ink's nearly indestructible and smudge resistant nature - the Pilot's don't have the drying out issue that FPs do - also dirt cheap and good for a pen killing chem lab.

Noodler's Luxury Blue
Noodler's Polar Blue
Noodler's Upper Ganges Blue from Pendemonium
Noodler's/Swisher Gulf Stream Blue from Swisher Pens

I use both Luxury Blue and Gulf Stream Blue. Aside from differing in color, Gulf Stream is notable in that it is a very free flowing ink. I use it in my dry writers, but it can "hose" a wet one. If I fill it behind my Pelikan XXF (from Richard Binder), a little post-nasal-drip blob makes the pen unusable. But it works just fine in dry writers...

Doug

Is Gulf Stream Blue bulletproof?

Oh yes!

Doug

It's rated "contract" or "eternal", I believe -- in other words, bulletproof for all practical purposes. I like the color better than LuxBlue. It's more substantial-looking, somehow (a bit darker, I guess).

How do Gulfstream and Glacier compare? They seem pretty similar on screen at Swishers...

I'm pretty happy right now with a 1:1 mix of PR American Blue and Noodlers Luxury Blue. I'd not been using the American Blue as it smeared too much when dry, and the Luxury Blue was just a bit faded out when dry. The combination seems to preserve the best of both - it's bulletproof thanks to the Luxury Blue (the Am Blue does wash away) but much brighter and more substantial than Luxury Blue by itself - as I believe Viseguy (or whoever did the extensive blues mix test) the Am Blue definitely stands out over the Luxury Blue when mixed. Now to add a bit of violet as I miss that element for my own uses.

How do you refill the Pilot pens?

Thanks,
Richard

Grab the feed with a pliers and pull it straight out - I cushion the pliers with an old rag. I suggest doing this outside the first time! Fill the barrel and push the feed back in - goes in very smoothly with a solid "snap" at the end. I've refilled a pen several times and have never had one leak.

If you decide to wash the feed to change colors after you pull it out, allow the pen to have a few hours for the ink to flow to the ball after you fill it. If you don't get all the water out after washing the feed, the ink of course will be watered down for a while. Be patient - the ink will flow nicely.