I have been using Noodler's Green Marine ink to take notes in my classes at college this semester and I absolutely love the look of my notes in green. Although this may be my perfect ink, I'm thinking of expanding my horizons and finding another green ink or two to try out.

My requirements:
- On the darker side (so that I'll be able to read my notes)
- Able to write on disappointing paper (Ampad Evidence apparently isn't nearly as nice as Gold Fibre)
- Slight lean towards the blue side is acceptable so long as its a definitive green
- Won't disappear if subjected to small amounts of rain/spilled drink/drool (does NOT need to be bulletproof - just stay legible after a splash)

My current candidates:
- MontBlanc Racing Green
- Visconti Green

Finally, although I'm willing to consider Diamine or J. Herbin, I don't know where to get those around me (Troy, NY). Is there anywhere I can order them online without paying more for shipping than the ink itself?

Suggestions / concerns welcomed!

Thanks,
Nathan

I have been using Private Reserve Sherwood Green in both a VP fine point and a Hero 100 that I use in my planner. The Hero is a very fine point and my entries look very nice on the Franklin green trimmed paper. It's acts about like you would expect when it gets wet. I have experimented with the following liquids: Drool, Beer, Beer, coffee and water.

You could look at Noodlers Hunter Green. It's dark in my experience, but also eternal, so any spills won't wipe out your notes.

I like Noodlers Air Corp. A blue/green-black. Quite dark, but I usually add some water to see the color more. The black part stays if it gets wet. Check the reviews or scans for photos.

Racing Green is the way to go!

It looks dark enough to be mistaken for black at first glance.
I teach, and have had comments in the past about ink colors on certain forms
(discipline stuff). But no compaints from admins re: Racing Green!

Frank

Waterman's Green is a very well-behaved bold green (think traffic light or shamrock).

I recently tried PR Ebony Blue, a dark, dense, distinguished teal-black, with verdigris-like green tones (not a traditional blue-black). It gives good readability to fine nibs and is habit-forming on the job, especially since I get bored with plain businesslike blues!

Neither of these is particularly water-resistant--I defer to the Noodler's-experienced for that requirement.

One more vote for Racing Green!

I've used Private Reserve Sherwood Green on those Ampad Gold pads for years at work. Worked OK on regular pads, too.

I really like J. Herbin's Vert Empire. It is a kind of sedate, classic dark green with a vintage look to it.

You might also -- strangely enough -- consider Private Reserve Ebony Blue. I know, it sounds like it should be a blue-black but everyone who uses it sees a turquoise tinge in it. It is very interesting color lying somewhere between blue, black and green. The color swatches you will see on-line are quite deceptive -- look for the review on here for better images. Although it's not an obvious green you might like it. And it is certainly dark.

You might consider Swisher Pens' Verdun ink. I use it in a mixture with Noodler's Standard Green. Looks good to me. YMMV.

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned PR Ebony Green, very nice dark green.

Dan

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned PR Ebony Green, very nice dark green. Noodler's Squetegue is also very nice, a dark green with quite a bit of blue in it.

Dan

I also like Racing Green- liked it so much I traded my Zhivago away. Much less black, but it still makes a good daily ink. Not very wet or lubricated though, at least in my experience so far.

With regard to Diamine inks, you can get them at Pear Tree Pens and at Pendemonium. I really like Diamine Umber. I also like Noodler's Squeteague very much, but it can be slow drying, depending on the paper. Also, you might consider using the ink sampler at Pear Tree Pens to try out several green inks before buying a whole bottle.

Just to make it more confusing for you to choose - Noodler's Sequoia gets my vote!

If you don't mind it on the brighter side, Lamy green is a cheap and good alternative.

I am going to add another vote for MontyB's Racing green. I will also suggest that J. Herbin's Vert Empire is worth consideration.

Noodler's standard Green is easy to read and fairly well-behaved on bad paper (better-behaved than the new Sheaffer Skrip Green). It's not waterproof, but a small spill won't make the writing illegible.

Most greens I try get flushed even before the pen is empty. I revisit them in mid-March each year, dump them by April.

Except two that seem to stay in the regular rotation:

MB Racing Green (in EF to M nibs)
Noodler's Aircorp Blue-Black

Bill

I don't know how it compares to what he is using. But I much prefer Sequoia over a standard-like green. It doesn't seem to last very long in a Sailor converter. I always seem to be filling it.

+1

Racing Green is a staple of mine. I have signed government and bank documents that specifically say "blue or black ink" more than once with Racing Green, and haven't had a second look, raised eye-brow, nada. Unless someone is reading a long written passage, they won't differentiate it from black because they're not looking at it long enough.

Case in point: I wrote out the grocery list the other day, and when my girlfriend was reading it on the way to the store, about half way through, she said "Oh wow, this is dark green!" But it's really dark green. So dark, in fact, that I'm probably going to give Vert Empire a go next time around, just to get a little more life into the mix. Don't get me wrong, Racing Green is great, much nicer to read when compared to flat black, but is close to black in a wet pen (and I happen to have a wet pen). Greener in a drier pen. This has been said before: Racing Green will give you a different shade in every pen. That said, there's no mistaking it for flat black in bright light...certainly green, but not in your face. Nothing like your typical ballpoint green, for example.

It's a shame Pear Tree Pens doesn't carry Montblanc inks, or I'd tell you to get a sampler. Really, though, I doubt you'd go wrong with MB RG.

I second Private Reserve Sherwood Green. I use the cartridges in my Levenger Truewriter for all my notes and I really do enjoy writing in that color.

Racing green is too meaningless or indiscriminate to me. It writes well, and, yes, (whether you believe me or not) any special ink colour doesn't always have to be intense/illustrative/bright/beaming/dashing etc. An ink colour can however unfortunately remain at least a tick too indiscrete/unsubtle/expressionless/insignificant.
In plain English: I find Racing Green not terrible, but without character.

So, I said it.

Mike

Exactly what I was trying to say, although I wasn't nearly as succinct.

Strange. I've had nothing but trouble with Racing Green.

You're really going to have to elaborate here. Although the color won't provoke epiphanies, it is the best behaved ink I've used (and I've used many of them).

Dries out halfway down the page in my very wet Lamy 2000 and makes it very toothy, skips quite a lot in my Pelikan m200, and is also too dry in my Lamy Safari M.

Don't know what to tell ya, homie. This is the very, very first time I've heard of any issues with MB Racing Green. Tooth would not be caused by the ink; certainly a nib issue there. Can't comment on the Lamys, but I haven't had much luck with that brand.

EDIT: What are you using by way of paper?

Simply the best dark green I've ever used is Diamine Umber. Also, Noodler's Marine Green is very good (and a very similar colour).

Well, perhaps not tooth, but very dry to the point of scratchiness. Rhodia, Field Notes and Moleskine.

Even a perfectly dry nib should be smooth on paper, if it has been finished properly.

Alas.

Strange one,this Air Corp--it only seems greenish to me if I use the blotter on it very quickly after writing. Wouldn't the addition of even a small amount of water extend the drying time unacceptably? I'll give it a try,though!

Wouldn't try writing Clinical/Medical notes with it!-Probably get away with Noodler's Air Corp, though.

If you can get away with Air Corp, then Racing Green is a given (I've used/owned both).

Ditto. I liked it but had issues with it seeping out of converters and then realized that it lacks character and life's too short for cleaning up fountain pen barrels, etc.

So many choices in Green! I have used Waterman Green and am happy with it - the color is full-on green, it plays well with different kinds of paper, it works in any pen I put it in.

Diamine Umber and MB Racing Green are the way to go, especially the MB. Get your Herbin and Diamine from James at Pear Tree Pens; then you can get a sample of the other greens that appeal to you with the Pear Tree Sampler. Alas, James doesn't sell MB.

I've been using Pelikan Brilliant Green in my Rhodia and ClaireFontaine notebooks. I also gave it a try in my cheapie comp book. It's lovely and smooth, and the color is both attractive and easy on the eyes. I've been journaling with it, so I would think it'd be great for notes. It's a true green, no yellow, on the blue side, but green. As an added bonus I bought it at my local stationers for $4.99.

Stipula green in the big bottle- It's called something else in Italian but it is a nice green.

Kurt

Here's another vote for MB Racing Green. I don't know what is happening to other people, it works great for me, and I enjoy the dignified color that is still more entertaining than black.

You can't go wrong with the MB Racing Green.

I use Herbin Lierre Sauvage for grading papers at school. It is very much a British racing green, nicely dark. It, and or my Lamy Safari fine point, doesn't like the very cheapest paper (school looseleaf apparently comes in an incredible range of quality). I seem to need to refill my pen more often than with the other inks I use (Aurora black and Waterman purple), but that's not an onerous problem.

Mark

Okay, I'll add that racing green does seem to be wetter than MB's blue or MB's blue-black (on 6 types of paper including Moleskine and Clairefontaine). I like wet inks!
I think what I like most about racing green is its name.

Mike

Currently using Waterman's Havana Brown in my M800 Pelikan ,the combination of which seems to work well for me. But I'm one for experimentation so it's a 'green' next.
As there are more 'votes' for MB Racing Green (I think) than then others,perhaps I'll start with that but,then again,that Visconti Green........

Actually, Noodler's Standard Green has a little bit of Noodler's black in it, so it is partly bulletproof.


The same sensation as tooth can be caused by ink drying out on the tipping material. I go through this rather frequently because I have a six fountain pen rotation and pens get to sit around not being used for five days in a row. What happens is that some inks will accumulate there and dry or mostly dry. When you go to write you will hit parts of the tip that have that dried or partly dried ink on them and suddenly things aren't so smooth anymore. Nib creep will do this. If the ink is partly dried it can present a sort of gummy viscosity to the paper and that'll drag on you. I guess it's a form of "tooth." In any case, I have many times just cleaned off the tip and gotten a smooth writing experience again.