As a relative FP newbie, I've been using 2 different cartridge-based turned pens from a local art gallery in town to get my feet wet - I really like 'em! BUT, I just ordered a blue/black M400 / fine from isellpens.com (no relation, just a lot of web surfing for the best deal) after holding one at a local pen and pad shop. I can't wait for it to arrive!

What I forgot to do is buy ink. What are the recommendations for a brand new M400? I'm a PhD manager-type who tends to take a lot of technical notes and who authorizes a lot of administrivia on a daily basis. Pelikan? Noodlers? Other? I'd like to purchase the ink in town instead of the net if possible.

Thanks!

Waterman Florida Blue. Good ink, good colour. Easy to get. Never gave me any trouble.

I agree with GeeTee go for Waterman Florida Blue. Waterman inks are said to be on of the "safe inks" to use especially with new pens.

Chartpak does not recommend permanent type of inks(not specifying a type of brand) for Pelikans so try at your own risk. I haven't tried Noodler's eternal inks(permanent) yet with my M400 but I think they are great and soon would try Baystate Blue at my own risk ofcourse.

Congratulations on your purchase! My only Pelikan is a green striated 400NN and it is almost my favorite pen.

I have been using Lamy blue which I quite like, plus the bottle is very wide and hard to tip over!

Ditto. Waterman Florida blue or Havana Brown.

I have several M400s and vintage 400s and had no problems with Lamy blue, Montblanc blue, Waterman blue or blue black, Quink blue or blueblack, Pelikan blue or blueblack, Visconti blue or any Diamine blue or blueblack.

Some of these inks work better with a specific pen than others, depending on the ink flow of the pen and the flow properties of the ink. E.g. vintage nibs are very wet and work well with Pelikan inks, modern nibs vary and may work better with Waterman, Diamine or Visconti. You have to find the perfect match for your pen.

Interesting. Almost overwhelming response for blue ink instead of black. Is this just asthetic preference or are there performance reasons? For example, is Waterman black as good as Waterman Florida blue? I guess I'm just used to black ink. Perhaps I should expand my boundaries!

Blue is the most commonly used ink colour. Waterman is a safe and good black but i prefer pelikan black (its darker).

Congratulations on your purchase. I would recommend Diamine's Prussian Blue - nice blue/black ink for your blue/black M400.

This is interesting. I bought this ink hoping for a blueblack without the green of the Diamine blueblack and got a light grey ink with different pens - even with wet ink flow. Thought I might have gotten a bad batch and got another bottle: light grey. Somehow this ink does not work with my pens

My blueblack M400 with a BB nib is filled with Visconti blue. This ink is the closest match to the blue stripes of the pen and one of my all time favourite inks as well. Makes it the perfect ink for this very pen.

Piembi,

All I can say is that I have gone through two bottles of Prussian Blue and it has not gone light grey on me. Looking at some of the first pages it has gone light blue if anything. For me, it is a a great ink and use it at work. Get yourself another bottle from a different source, hopefully it'll be a case of third time lucky.

-Rakim

I also recommend Waterman inks. They are simple and work well. Florida blue is a great ink, but, if you wanted to match the color of your pen body to the ink, you could order Waterman blue-black ink.

Waterman, Shaeffer and Parker are terrific. Blue is very popular probably because they are 'safe'. Similarly, blue black is good. I cannot evaluate black ink because I don't care for it. Looks too much like a photocopy for me - I want it clear that it is an original signature.

You will find a color you prefer, or more likely, a shelf full of colors due to indecision and shifting moods. I have around a dozen bottles:one red, one brown, one green, the rest are blue or blue-black. There are others that will really be amazed at my self restraint.

Other colors may stain the pen a bit (or a lot).

well, WM is very easy to find for the most part and I imagine most went for Florida blue because it's a bit of a "standard". WM Black is, IMO, gray. Which might explain why the WM Black wasn't highly recommended. It's just kind of washed out compared to other black inks. Aurora might be easy to find and both the blue and black Aurora inks are great.

For stuff you may have to order, Diamine and PR make excellent inks, IMO. The only thing I *don't* recommend is Pelikan ink. But that's a personal preference because I find them to write dry and most of the time that just doesn't feel pleasant to me. If that appeals to you, then by all means try Pelikan. I like the blue-black - writes blue, dries gray-black.

Agreed. I have a new blue M215 inked with Waterman Blue-Black. It is a handsome combo! The ink is certainly much more blue than black, especially with my XF nib.

Wow. Thanks everyone for the strong opinions. I will visit my local pen shop and purchase a bottle of Waterman Florida Blue and one of Blue-Black. I can now see the strong pull to traditional (non-cartridge) FP. Sounds like this will be an adventure finding the ink that matches my new pen, my writing style, and my personality. Cool.

PS: I'm already eyeing an M215 lozenge. That might have to be my 'black-ink' pen...

Yeah...now you're doomed...that's how it all starts. You buy a pen...you buy two sets of standard ink...you decide you like both inks..you buy another pen...then you want to know why we are all raving about a certain pen...so you buy that pen...you need another colour ink...before you know it you have 30 pens and importing you're own handmade tibetan ink

Enjoy!

Personally, I tend to go with either Sheaffer or Pelikan (or Cross, which appears to just be relabeled Pelikan).

In general, Pelikan pens are not finicky about ink. I've heard horror stories about Watermans clogging on anything other than Waterman ink, but Pelikans will work just fine on just about anything

With one exception:

Never run standard India ink (or any other pigmented ink designed for dip pens) in a fountain pen.

I think Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue is the most vibrant blue ink out there. Probably not as easy to find as WM, but I much prefer it.

I use Visconti Blue in my Pel M400! Awsome ink!
PMS

I stay away from black inks since I received some pens seriously clogged by black ink (right now I try to get a Lamy 27 ebay purchase back to working order - don't know if I will be sucessfull ). I had used Quink black for years and had clogging problems with some pens. Switched to Pelikan blueblack in a vintage Pel 400 if I need a dark line.

I may be somewhat of a heretic to say this, but I have used Noodler's American Eel Black without a problem in my M400. I tried Pelikan black originally but found that it ran too dry. I have read that Noodler's tends to run on the wet side so I put it in and haven't looked back.

Congrats on the new (and likely not your last) pen

Waterman Florida blue is good but I think I like Herbin sapphire blue even more as it is somewhat lighter or brilliant or illuminating.
Herbin bleu nuit is more a blue-black, but nice too.
I'd say decide on your choice blue or blue-black first. Then you only have to decide on a brand.

Mike

Thanks for all the great info and opinions. My pen has yet to arrive and its driving me crazy. For the record, I did buy Waterman Florida Blue and Blue-Black to try out. Now, I just need a pen!

I forgot to mention this: Pelikan Souveräns like your M400 somehow write in a relatively dry manner and Pelikan inks are somewhat dry too.
Therefore at least try out a few inks from other companies, like Waterman, Parker, Sheaffer, Herbin etc...

Lots of luck
Mike

If you're spoked by Noodler's and their various blacks, which have all worked wonderfully for me, then I recommend Pelikan Brilliant Black or Sheaffer Skript Black. I'd take the Skript over the Pelikan Black- better lubrication, wetter, well behaved in every pen I've tried, dries faster, and looks blacker. Both hold up *far* better than Waterman's Black in a water bath/rinse, though the Pelikan does a bit better than the Skript. But then again, if water resistance was important, I'd use Lamy Blue-Black or Noodler's Black or Zhivago.

Aaron