My expectations weren't met when I bought Blue-Black Quink. In fact, I was expecting something like this. You see, when I first heard of blue-black, what came to mind was an ink which was like, sometimes blue, and sometimes black. Like they form gradients from blue to black as you write. But is it possible to make an ink like that? Give me your inputs.

Sure. Use an iron gall blue-black, like Diamine's Registrar's Ink, in a really wet pen. Or add some black to blue or blue-black ink until it looks right.

Aaron

So with that, it'll constantly keep changing from black to blue and vice-versa?

No, Iron gall goes on blue, but changes to black in a short period of time. It sounds like you are looking for a blue black which has good shading properties, that will look blue in the lighter areas, and black where it pools. I don't have much experience with blue blacks, but maybe someone else will chime in. Shading is generally enhanced by the use of wider, wetter nibs, particularly stub or cursive italics.

Dan

Bi-gravity blue black goes from blue to black and back again as the two inks interact as if oil and water. The blue was very bright - robins egg color. It did not like plastic feeds and thus never went beyond the test marketing stage (until I can reliably obtain low cost and decent quality 100% ebonite Indian made eyedroppers to give away with each bottle...that ink remains "off the counter" so to speak).

Another ink that has odd shading and interesting security features (on some paper grades it gives the appearance of a double line...the shaded side being black and the inner/denser line being dark blue) is called "Prime of the Commons Blue-Black" and is available at the largest Pelikan Pen retailer in the UK (www.PelikanPens.co.uk). It is able to do this because it contains multiple compatible ink families for multiple purposes.

On the label is a conversation between the ghosts of Benjamin Disraeli and Mr. Gladstone about ink... ;-)

Need. This. Ink.

What about the inks I've heard rumors about, like "koi" and "panda", that appear as 2 different colors within the same line? Is this the same as the bi-density blue-black (and therefore not really available anywhere yet)?

Prime of the Commons Blue-Black doesn't seem like it... But I think you got the idea. It goes from blue to black to blue to black to blue to black and so on. XD