To me, Aurora Black is my Favorite black. It is one of the Blackest blacks that I have ever seen. Unfortunatly, this review doesnt show how dark it really is, so this is a less than optimal ink sample. Regardless, the Lubercation is superior to any or a majority of inks that I have used in the past. Noodlers Black is an ink that I use a lot of but the lubercation is no where near that of Aurora Black IMHO. Another Drawback is the price, it runs for around $9.00 to $10.00 USD for a 45ml bottle. It is expensive for the little amount of ink that you are paying for. So thats why I have chosen Noodlers Black to replace Aurora Black in my collection. Eventhough I still use Aurora Black, I do not use it as much as Noodlers black. When it comes to Noodlers Black, I buy the Large 4.5oz bottle with the ink eyedropper. You get way more ink for your money and also the Eyedropper comes in handy when you are transferring ink from the bottle to either an ink well, eyedropper pen or a Visconti Ink pot. Nothing can ever replace Aurora Black ink in my collection but Noodlers Black does a very good job and is a suitable substitute, plus it is waterproof and Permanent.

TNS




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Great review TNS! Glad to see you're enjoying the BSG! You've been busy, very busy!

Aurora black is my favorite black as well.

How does it compare to Pelikan Brilliant Black?

Darker, wetter and more Lubrication. Since I started using Aurora Black and Noodlers black I have yet used my pelikan black in well over 2 years.


TNS

Note that for a borderline excessively wet pen, the Aurora black may be too much too handle!

TNS, come on, at the rate you have been buying pens over the last year so, what's an extra few bucks for the Aurora black?!?

I happen to like the waterproofing characteristics of Noodlers Black and I seem to use that for filling out Film Critiques, Film inventories and official documents. Noodler dries fairly quickly and the chances of smudging are relatively low. A lot of the stuff I do has historical significance and it all gets archived so I want to make sure that if I do something that is getting archived, I want it to last!!! Unfortunately with Aurora Black I don’t have the luxury of knowing that it won’t smear, run or fade. That’s why I like using Noodlers Black and I am using less of Aurora Black. Don’t get me wrong, I love Aurora black but for what I do at work, I need something that is going to stay on paper.

It really doesnt have all that much to do with money and like you said, I spent a lot of money in the past year on pens!!! I still use Aurora but just not as much as I used to!!!

TNS

Thanks once more for a wonderful review, Aaron!

I always read then from beginning to end. And maybe it is time for me to try Aurora Black too. I do have Pelikan Black, and I agree with you that it doesn't lubricate very well. But then, I don't think Noodler's Black does such a great job at it either, although better than MB Black and Pelikan Black. For lubrication, the best black ink I have tried so far, is Waterman Black, but that is really a very dark grey IMO, not really a true black black.

Anyway, warm regards, Wim

Obviously, but I couldn't resist pulling your leg alittle

Is this the same Wim who has dozens and dozens of different inks?

Edited to add "this"

Noodlers has good Lubrication but it is no where near Aurora. I think noodlers Lubrication is better than Pelikan and but I find Parker Quink Black, Levenger Raven Black to be a bit better than Noodlers as far as Lubrication. Lamy Black and Namiki Black to be pretty good too. Montblanc black isnt that bad for Lubrication but it is not Black. It should be labled a Grey like PR Grey Flannel.

It is worth trying Aurora black, if Waterproof and permenant were not such a big deal, I would be buying Aurora Black by the gallon!! It is still a wonderful ink that I will always have a few bottles around. It is really good stuff and I am sure you will be amazed by how Lubricating it is.

TNS

It's interesting, and amazing, really, how our experiences and perceptions differ on various inks. I've always loved Pelikan Black because it flows so well, never clogs my pens, is nice and black and dries rapidly. I like Noodler's Black for the waterproof quality and it's quick drying time, but it surely doesn't flow well from the very fine points I want to use it with! And with these fine points, it's stingy flow makes for alternately black and grey writing. (It is better with other nibs.) So, I only hope I can find the right extra fine nib for it.

I'm curious--when folks speak of inks lubricating the nib well, is this the kind of situation (assuming the pen isn't a fire hose) where you don't feel the nib touching the paper at all and you have to write quickly to keep up with the ink flow?

Ann

nice black ink
I use Parker Quink Black for my pen (sheaffer prelude), but it seem to be like blue-black when wet, and some yellow-orange when dry (when i pour some drops of Parker Quink black in blotting-paper, i see a yellow-orange edge surround the ink blot (see picture below)). I want to change ink, Waterman black, Sheaffer black, or maybe noodlers black ( in my country, i can only buy these ink). So what is the best ink ? With me, the good ink flow is more important than the true black color

Not to that extent where the ink is pouring out but the nib does seem to glide across the paper with zero effort. Toothy nibs seem to write smoother than usual. I happen to prefer inks that are Lubricating rather than drier inks.

The ultimate in Lubricating inks has to be the Noodlers Eel inks. It take a long time for them to dry and for some reason, greasy comes to mind, I dont know why. Well more like Oily feel, my pens write extra smooth with the eel inks and the blue American Eel is a wonderful color along with cactus fruit but the drying times would make DC Supershow Blue and PR Sherwood green extremely fast drying inks in comparison.


TNS

Thanks, TNS...I gather that you don't feel you have to write fairly fast to keep up with the ink flow. This is what I wanted to know.

BTW, I read all of your reviews--even when I don't comment on them! I always look forward to reviews.

Best, Ann

Thanks Ann, I appreciate you kind words

ThangMMM, the best-flowing black inks I know of are from Waterman, Sheaffer Skrip (both the new stock, in the cone-shaped bottle, and the old stock, in the cylinder-shaped bottle), Noodler's, Parker Quink, Lamy, Pelikan and Aurora.

You'll get the flow you want from any of those.

Sheaffer Skrip, Noodler's and Pelikan are excellently well-behaved on even the "worst" kinds of paper; I don't know how Aurora and Parker Quink perform in this matter, but I do know that Waterman Black and Lamy Black both need "better" paper.

Lamy Black, although it flows well, gives less lubrication than the others during writing.

TNS, thanks again !

Thanks for the review.

Aurora black has been one of the only inks that I've owned that has developed a slime ball fungus growing within it. After some months of non use I found that my Toledo's nib came up with a slimy ball of black seaweed like mycelium.

I threw the ink out and soaked the nib and reservoir in isopropyl alcohol overnight to kill any spores or hyphae.

When using expensive inks nowadays I use a syringe and sterile needle to draw up the ink. I flame the end of the needle and let it cool before putting it in the ink and fill the reservoir of the convertor with the syringe. I don't use my piston fillers anymore - A Lamy Accent Brilliant OM, Lamy Studio Palladium in Fine, and Namiki VP are all I use in my daily rotation and I always fill them by filling their converters with a syringe method as outlined.

Hello,

I was wondering how it compares to colfer's black dalia?

Cheers