What is a very black ink that dries faster than Aurora black? Or is fast drying mutually exclusive from blackishness?

My Waterman 56 leaves puddles on the page!

Thanks.

Fred

I don't know how it compares to Aurora Black, but Skrip Jet Black has a fairly quick drying time, and it's pretty deep black by my standards.

I have found Sailor Black, Pelikan Black, and Dupont Black to dry faster than Aurora Black. These inks are very dark.

Waterman Black dries faster than any other black ink I know, but the color is not very dark. Montblanc, Omas, and Visconti black inks are also not very dark.

Noodlers and Private Reserve black inks dry even slower than Aurora.

I have not tried the Sheaffer, Herbin, or Diamine black inks, but I have read favorable reviews of these inks.

I may be in the minority, but I don't think that Pelikan Brilliant Black is very black.... Noodler's black is blacker - haven't tried any other blacks.

Could the paper you are using be part of the problem? For me, Rhodia is one of the papers where ink takes forever to dry.....

Hm. Heart of Darkness seems to dry quickly. I use it in both my M600 with a fine nib, and a VP with a fine nib (the VP nib considerably finer than the Pelikan).

I am using Pelikan Brilliant Black right now and it seems to dry quickly in both fine and broad nibs and, as far as I can tell (which may not be very far,) it is good and black.

Sheaffer script black is decently dark and ok dry time. Parker black is good but is it dark enouph? Depends on how wet your nib writes maybe. Paper could make a considerable difference like Bif was saying. Since Clairfontain & Rhodia don't absorb ink very well, it should cause a darkening effect right?

The ink will be used in my Waterman 56 with a wet noodle nib on all types of paper, the quality of which I cannot control. Examples range from century-old postcards to new glossy stock.

Fred

I've been pretty happy with Noodler's Heart of Darkness. It flows pretty freely, but hasn't feathered badly except when it pools. It's quite black, and dries acceptably fast for this lefty.

A faster-drying option is Noodler's Swishmix Nile Ebony, from Swisher Pens. It's not quite as black as the HOD, but you'd have to compare them side by side to notice. It's also not as free-flowing, so if your 56 is a wet writer, it might be a better choice.

Best,
Jon

With a really wet writer like that, the relative unblackness of such fast drying blacks as Waterman's shouldn't be a problem - every ink looks much darker via such a nib. Have you tried any of those?

Simon

Since you use a wet writer and you write on a wide variety of paper, I'd predict good overall behavior by the black inks from Aurora, the new Sheaffer Skrip, Pelikan (also A T Cross), J Herbin, and maybe even Parker Quink. Aurora and J Herbin are the most expensive of these.

The Swishmix inks are picky about paper; some good, inexpensive papers are suggested by Swisher.

Thanks for all your suggestions. It so happens that I have several of the recommended inks, but hadn't loaded them into the wet writer, the Waterman 56.

I filled my two favorite vintage super-flexies, a Waterman 56 and a Moore 82-L, with duPont black. If the duPont is good for wet writers, it's too good. It was like the pen became constipated. I was hardly able to coax the ink down the tines from the feed of each pen. I cursed as I wrote and rewrote each character on a couple of post cards, tapping the nib to knock ink down the tines.

I'm through with the duPont. I'm going to flush the two pens and move to the next ink: Platinum black. Isn't this fun?

Fred

I was just sending you a PC with recommendations, but you are probably all set--PC coming anyway.



Zoe

has anyone recommended Swisher Midnight Black? this is not a swish mix, it is labeled "Swisher" (made for them by noodlers) it dries in less then 5 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm too tired to set the scanner and show you... but i'm testing it as i type here (phileas med point on office depot laser paper) and yes, 5 seconds!!!!!!


PS. did i mention that is extremely black?!!

2nd PS. also, great flow!

3rd PS ok here's a scan of it



man, if i keep remembering more things to add to this post i'll be here editing til' morning !

i agree and got rid of mine.

Just did a very unscientific test... different inks in different pens, but after laying down a thick, juicy line in Old Manhattan with my Custom 742 I found it dry in 6-7 seconds. A much narrower, dryer line (Edson F, I say dryer from observing the shine of wet ink as the line went down) in Aurora failed to smudge only after 10 seconds.

I just got a sample of Swisher's Midnight Black from GaryN as a part of a trade. It's a really nice ink, seems to be what I've been looking for. It's got a great drying time, good water resistance, and it feels really good. A lot of the Noodler waterproof/bulletproof inks feel a bit too viscous and chalky in my pens such that I've been mixing them. I like the feel of Skrip and Waterman, but not the lack of water-resistance. Swisher's Midnight Black seems to fit the bill for me- feels great in the pens I've tried it in, looks great, mixes well, and still leaves a legible gray when the paper's been soaked for a few hours.

Aaron

exactly how i feel, aaron... although i'm not much of black ink user