Hello, can someone recommend a good black that is real black, black black, not grey. Not Noodlers Black.

The best black I've ever used is Doctor Black (Chinese, from Hero). Since HisNibs stopped importing it (due to about 80% loss during shipment), the best black is IMHO Aurora Black. Velvety, rich, reliable.

I recently found Pelikan Brilliant Black and really like it a lot... deep black just a shade off Aurora and a lot cheaper...
I did a review on it in Ink Reviews..

ok, thanks. I like Pelikan Black too.

Why does my Pelikan Fount India look grey on some paper? It's normal printing paper.

I favor Private Reserve Velvet Black.

Andy

In this message, member ednerdtheonly catalogued some rankings he found within FPN articles. Aurora Black came out #1, and one of the messages he quoted, by John Schwab (apparently a real name in a signature, not a FPN username) gave Sailor Black a close second.

Aurora Black & Pelikan Brilliant Black are tops in my shelf.

Aurora - without a doubt

Aurora

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Is Velvet black black? I mean real black?

How about Diamine Black? Do they make one? How much is Aurora and where can I get some?

Hi Slush,

You can get both Aurora & Diamine Black(s) from Pendemonium. Swisher's also has Aurora ink. No affiliation with either, but I can tell you that both are good to do business with.

HTH, Ann

Ditto that, Slush and Ann...I think Aurora sells for $10.50 at both shops - I've purchased from both and you couldn't find a finer shoppng experience. Also if you take a look at some of the Inky Facts on the Pendemonium website, Sam lists the Aurora Black as a favorite. Very happy customer with either place - no affiliation just great service with both and speedy shipping, too...although things might be a tad slower with the LA pen show around the corner.

Woohoo! Yes!

PenCity has an amazing deal on bottled Aurora ink. I don't have an affiliation with them.

I've not tried Auroran black, but the reviews etc are excellent. Pelikan Brilliant Black is my first choice as being much blacker than Diamine.

I like Penman Ebony too of course, but the Pelikan is imo better all round.

The Diamine is less sombre if you are writing a lot of black though and does give some shading as the line width varies (if your nibs do that sort of thing).

Chris

Well, it's a very nice ink, but it's not permanent as in waterproof. The black ink whose name Slush99 does not want us to dare mention is the permenent one in that line. A mixture of the two can be nice though, very black and with a permanent, waterproof, component.

I should state right off I am a blue ink person, however the one black ink I use is Aurora Black.

Bill

Another Aurora vote here. I use it with an old BCHR 'Empress' - yes, 99p from eb*y, for noting sketches I do at work. It is dense, black, no tonge of brown or oily blue etc and, so far, permanent.

I bought mine from Harrods, no special price, I think it was around £3.50, same as any other ink. Nice bottle too. Thoroughly recommended.



Greg

Well, I just got rid of my bottle... I wasn't very fond of it, just didn't like to try it...

Slush99 asked about Diamine Black.

I did a review for the ink section but in summary, it is a good ink (smooth flowing, quite quick drying) but is not as intensely black as Pelikan or Penman Ebony (these are the two blacks I know).

If you find a whole page written in blackest black at bit sombre :ph34r: , the Diamine might be one for you as it is less overpowering.

Personally, I did not take to the colour (pity as I love the bottle and also love the other three Diamine inks I have so far ) but mixing it with some Penman Sapphire gave me a lovely blue-black that I do like - so it was not a total disaster .

Chris

Has anyone tried Duke Black? I saw it on Pendemonium's website, but don't recall hearing much about it.

I do like Aurora Black and the Black That Shall Not Be Named... I also have old bottles of Waterman Black and Skrip Black, but can't say they're favorites. (Plus various "mystery" carts... )

A lot depends on the pen and nib - same ink in different pens can come out lighter or darker. My Parker '51' vac with a M nib probably has the darkest line, so the brand of ink is only one of the variables. (IME, at least.)

Diamine has new, second black ink called 'Quartz Black'. Maybe it is darker than the other one

Diamine's "New Century" Quartz Black is indeed darker than their other one.

Martin

Quartz Black? Just noticed...

Oh dear - does that mean even more ink for me to try?

Chris

Another vote for Aurora Black. Smooth, pleasant-smelling, and very very black. It's now my default black for all my converter pens, because it's so nice.

Pleasant smelling? Hmm... why didn't I try smelling it when Dillon still had it?

now I'll have to get some.

I know you said not Noodlers, but I just tried the Swish mix (1/2 swisher fast-dry and 1/2 Noodler's black) and I swear the only thing blacker is Pelikan india ink (yellow bottle, the kind you don't ever want to get near your FP's). It is really great stuff so far.

Aurora Black, every time. (And avoid Montblanc Black like the plague!)

Do you mean Fount India? I have it in a Core and it came out grayish.

Slush,

Your letter with Fount India from your Core pen seemed plenty black to me (and on the envelope, too) .

Thanks. Maybe it's my eyes It looks black on some papers.

:ph34r:

Yes, the properties of paper do affect an ink's color.

Interesting. Like that weird IBM printing paper that some people raved over... the Core looked gray on. <_<

Hi,

I just had to tell you though. For Fount India to be really black, you need very good paper, as the liquid that holds the carbon in suspension will bleed on cheap paper.

I like Sailor black and Pelikan Fount Indai for my blacks.

Dillon

Is there a listing somewhere of all the black fountain pen inks? Names of brands keep popping up that I've never even heard of.

I have some Duke black coming to me from Pendemonium but I haven't ever used that brand before.

There are so many! A listing would be grand. Maybe with a 'blackness' rating?

There is:

Fount India
Pelikan Black
Diamine Black
Diamine Quartz black
Aurora Black
PR Velvet black
Duke blacke
Dupont black (just heard of it)
Hero Black
Sailor Black (Jentle?)


the list goes on... I have not tried all those inks yet so I don't have a blackness rating.

I like Aurora black as well, but it makes my very wet Duofold Centennial ultra-wet

Have you considered S.T. Dupont black? It is black, (like Pelican's), smooth flowing, dries quickly, a joy to use. But, it's one of the more pricier inks.

First I've heard of it. Hmmm..

No fount India has an orange label. No this is the Yellow label stuff...the stuff you'd put in your parallel rule pen, or your technical pens (koh-i-noor, staedlers or K&E) It has some kind of lacquer along with the carbon. Thick, black, and hazardous to any fountain pen. I've seen it take out a technical pen or two when I forgot to wash out the pens.

not my letter. It didn't come out too black at all.

What paper was it? I'm glad you got the letter.

The letter was on violet-wash-pattern, Australian paper, and in the letter you remarked on how much you liked the paper. The envelope was an ordinary white envelope.

Thanks Goodwhiskers. What about Betty?

I really like that Australian stationery.

Your friendly neighborhood moderator is working on a thorough index of the FPN's ink reviews, including verbal descriptions of color nuances. A very limited, preliminary edition of the index will get posted in about a week in "Ink Reviews." The work is going mostly from longest-ago toward the present.