In a previous discussion, I received a great deal of good advice. As I have processed all the input, I find myself facing this choice for fairly permanent blues that I could use on student papers and see without fading at semester's end -- or even at the end of 2009! Waterproof is obviously a need, but anti-fade is top on the list. So I am looking right now at Swishmix Glacier Blue and Luxury Blue (Bulletproof). Roughly, for around the same price I can get three times as much Swishmix as Luxury -- but the anti-fading qualities are top on the list.

If folks have any thoughts on these points, would appreciate the opportunity to read them!

Thanks -- and best to all!

Can't tell you anything about Lux Blue. Don't have it because of the price. I AM cheap.

Might want to check the Review section for fading issues, but I don't remember reading anything with these BP type inks and have experienced none. I really like Glacier, much more than I do Polar Blue... that one seems to get sticky in my experience. Glacier is quite free flowing, I just it in a Pilot 78G Med (like a US Fine).

The other "Blue" I'd look at would be Legal Lapis. It's a bit more expensive than Glacier and has a more Teal leaning, but a nice free flowing BP ink. If you go that route, suggest you pickup Violet Vote (previously Iragi Indigo). Buying two bottles saves you a few pennies and they are both BP and excellent inks. I resisted buying both for a long time, that cheap thing again, but they really nice.

Note... All three of the inks I mentioned have considerable nib creep, doesn't bother me, but you should be aware.

Swisher's Glacier Blue is one of Nathan's Eternal inks. This means it will last a long time on the paper and is NOT effected by UV light.

This link is to the Noodler's website, (not affiliated with,) listing the Classification of inks. Item #2 describe's Eternal inks properties. A good read for all Noodler's ink fans.

http://www.noodlersink.com/benefits.html

My personal experiene with the Eternal Blue is that it is a very rich ink, yes it is more expensive. The dye in the ink will sluff off if it gets wet, but the image writing/drawn with it will remain inbedded in the paper like the BP inks. Although as suggested previously there is the Legal Lapis that is rated as bulletproof in both water and sun fade qualities.

Thank you for your reply! With your help and the help of others replying to the earlier, broader thread I started, I've made my orders. From Swisher, I'm getting Glacier Blue -- for student papers -- and also Visconti Blue -- just for my own journaling. Really like that one. I don't see where Glacier Blue is "bulletproof," but it seems to do ok on fading, according to some posters and also the person at Swisher's I spoke to. That's my main concern.

From Pendemonium I ordered Legal Lapis.

So, looks like personal and professional writing might all be attended to for now. Like you, I also have a 78G -- actually two personally, and two more for gifts -- that I bought from Samovar during his pre-moving sale this summer (Hope all goes well with the new digs, Samovar!). This is a great pen, wonderful feel -- and I enjoyed taking it back to Paris a few weeks ago, where Samovar originally purchased it. My daughter and I are collaborating on a story about the pen's return "home," and we've even given him a name: "Henri."

Anyway, my thanks to all for their advice on this ink question. I believe I've made the best possible choices, and very much thanks to the help of the great folks on this Board.

Best to all!

Actually, it's a mix between a bulletproof ink and a standard ink in order to combine the properties of both (color, drying time, penetration, etc.). It's only partially bulletproof, but for many people, this is a good compromise. The bulletproof part should resist fading, water, and chemicals very strongly.



The bulletproof ink it is partly made out of will not fade, but the overall color may change depending on how much the standard ink part of it does.



This is a tenaciously bulletproof ink that laughs at even bleach. If you want your journal to last forever, consider using this ink in it.

Thank you for your reply, Penhound. I found particularly interesting this part of your post:

<<Swisher's Glacier Blue is one of Nathan's Eternal inks. This means it will last a long time on the paper and is NOT effected by UV light.>

As I was having trouble finding out more info. on this point, I just now called Swisher's. You are right on this point, according to the person I spoke to, but with what for me is a new and great twist. The info. I received is that the ink is 80% Eternal, Bulletproof, etc. The other 20% is "regular" ink that helps the entire solution flow well. That's a great combo., if you ask me, and I look forward to trying it out. I think that 80% factor will be enough for my purposes -- anti-fading on student papers, etc. -- and the other 20% will make for easy writing. All of that sounds good to me!

Thank you for your comments, which prompted me to learn more. And thanks again to all who have helped with figuring these points out!

I keep replying to posts -- and then when I finish punching the button, see another post exploring the same or similar points. Thank you as well, Irridium! Great clarification of all points related to these two inks!!

I have Glacier Blue, and I like the color, but I don't use it much anymore. In bad paper (which I must often write and mark upon) it aggressively expands, feathers, and shows through. That's why the Swisher website recommends specific papers that are both good enough and inexpensive.

Eternal Luxury Blue is much better-behaved, not a champion like Noodler's standard Black, but well enough on most paper for one-sided writing.

Thank you for your reply, Goodwhiskers -- including insight into the action of these inks. Do you have any similar observations to make about Legal Lapis -- such as bleeing through paper, expanding -- or not -- etc.?

Thanks very much!

The Swisher Ink line and the "Swishmix" line of inks were made for rapid dry times. Part of this depends upon the paper grade. Swisher Pens actually has some inks available that on certain paper grades are impossible to smudge if using average writing speed and flow (hint: don't just dump an entire bottle on the paper and then claim it took too long to dry as one joker did ;-) You can write and then slam the palm of your hand upon the line a frational second after it was made with those Swisher Inks....and there will be NO SMUDGE (just call them for info as to what paper grade/ink combination will function thisway if it is of use to you). Swishmix inks are still rapid dry inks, but not to the extent of the Swisher Inks "instantaneous" dry time due to their bulletproof components (which always require at least a little more time to react with the cellulose).

Legal Lapis can vary - on some paper grades it dries instantaneously without feathering...on others it takes longer to dry - and on some highly recycled or sponge structure papers (think certain airline napkin paper) it will feather slightly. It generally will not feather on newsprint, however - which is one of our standard tests.

Now if you want the widest possible paper grade selection with a strong desire for feather resisting inks - the most feather resistant ink has an image of a feather on the bottle behind the "anti" symbol! Called "anti-feather black" (it won't feather even on Continental airlines and American airlines napkins in our testing!). Standard Black is also highly feather resistant (provided the humidity is normal to dry - any water based ink in the world will feather if the humidity rate is over 85%!).

Hope this info helps.

Thanks, Nathan. Your standard Black performs excellently for me on all non-napkin paper I've written or marked on (maybe because I live in usually-not-humid southern California), so I haven't tried the X-Feather Black yet.

UsFour, my brief experience with Legal Lapis showed it about as well-behaved as Eternal Luxury Blue: No bleed-through and very little feathering. Onto bad and mediocre paper, the wetness of the pen determines how much these inks show through. I stopped using Legal Lapis because I prefer other colors, not because of performance.