ok, I thought everyone had the same experience, but reading some people's posts and having been told otherwise, is it really true that you guys see some color with Noodler's blue-black? Mine looks exactly like Noodler's black, from a very wet Sheaffer calligraphy pen (fine nib, around 1.0mm)... I can tell it has blue it only when I drop water onto it, and then I can see the blue seep out from it, but there ain't no way I can see it as blue-black otherwise... What's the deal? I've shown it to many others, and everyone agees with me. I've put it into the tiny Speeno, as well, and it kind of looks gray, but I thought it was because the speeno was relatively dry and fine, in comparison to the wet sheaffer calligraphy. What has been your experience?

Heidi (who lives for line and color variation)

Yup, heidi, I can confirm that. In a wet writer, Noodler's B-B looks, for all practical purposes, like black. There is a difference, but it's subtle - you really have to justapose it with straight black to see it. You'll see more color variation, a/k/a "shading", in a broader, drier nib. (Although 1.0 mm is broad, not fine, in my book.) Even then, you have to appreciate that B-B is a very understated, traditional-looking ink, so the shading won't grab you by the throat.

Since you live for shading, you might be happier with Midnight Blue or - if you're willing to spring for it - Luxury Blue. L.B. is complex and shades beautifully, but, again, you'll see it better with a medium-flow nib, say 6 on a scale of 10. The great thing about FP inks is that they look so different in different pens! Just gotta keep experimenting until joy strikes...

Oh. Glad to know that! Thanks.

Now I know "to qualify" someone about the nature of the intended pen before wholeheartedly recommending N's B-B.

No, I see that sort of dark greenish color that I've always seen in blue/black ink since I was a kid when blue/black was the most common ink around. In fact looking at a report card from 52 years ago recently I saw that same color on it. To me Noodler's Blue/Black looks exactly like that classic blue/black that was on my report cards.

Color perception seems to be pretty individualistic, and suggestion can go a long way in influencing what people see in situations where the color isn't at all simple.

And I have to say that I like Noodler's Blue/Black ink! Maybe that's because I don't have to worry about report cards anymore.

Noodler's Blue Black is, indeed, very dark, but I clearly see interesting hues in it. I have used it in a relatively fine and dry Aurora, but I have also seen samples with much wetter nibs, and the shades are there.