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Parker Quink Blue-Black


carpedavid

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Parker Quink Permanent Blue Black is a workhorse of an ink that I'm sorry I waited this long to try out. First developed in the late 1920's, it was regarded as a revolutionary ink that eliminated the need for blotting. It remains, to this day, one of the most popular fountain pen inks in production.

 

Parker's version of blue-black is moderately saturated and allows for a modicum of shading in a fine nib. It is not the color I think of when I think of blue-black, however. I see it as more of a medium teal-blue. On ivory or off-white paper, the teal tones show through even more prominently than on white paper. It is also a bit of a dry writer. On each paper, the nibs I tested wrote true to size, if not slightly smaller.

 

Blue-black is the first Parker Quink (a portmanteau of "quick" and "ink") in my collection, and I now understand why it is so popular. It is one of the best behaving inks I've ever used. I tested it on five different papers: cheap copier paper, Staples "Sustainable Earth" bagasse, a Moleskine notebook, an Ecosystem notebook, and a Rhodia webbie.

 

On every single paper I tested, I saw no trace of feathering, a low level of show-through, and no bleed-through at all. Drying times varied a bit – from 3 seconds on the copier paper; to 8 seconds on the bagasse, Moleskine, and Ecosystem; to 12 seconds on the Rhodia – but they all fell well within the normal range for each paper.

 

parker+quink+blue+black+water+test.jpg

 

For an ink labeled as permanent, though, it is anything but waterproof. The smear test, in which I drag a wet finger across the page, produced a lovely teal smudge which obliterated any trace of the underlying line. The drip test, in which I let a drop of water sit on the paper for a minute before blotting, lifted a significant amount of ink from the page.

 

The soak test, in which I run the paper under a stream of water, washed away nearly all the ink. The faintest trace of a line was left – the ghost of inks past, I suppose – but not enough to be legible. To be fair, the "permanent" label exists only to contrast with the "washable" label of their blue ink, which is specifically designed to be easily removed from one's hands. Still, I wouldn't address an envelope with it, especially if one's destination is in Atlantis.

 

parker+blue+black+bottle.JPG

 

Parker Quink comes in a solid, sturdy 2 oz. bottle, which is a perfectly pleasant. It's neither ugly nor utilitarian, but it is a bit conservative, as befits the ink it holds. It won't look out of place on the desk of anyone that wears a Brooks Brothers' suit to work (present company included), but it might seem a tad archaic on the shelf of a modern, bohemian artist.

 

I suspect that the primary audience for Parker Quink Blue Black is business, as it is a slightly conservative ink that is designed to be used all day, every day. It is also perfectly acceptable for personal correspondence and journaling, as it is easy to read and easy to use on a wide variety of paper. It will write anywhere with nary an objection, and it rinses out of pens without any issues.

 

Parker Quink Blue Black is a solid ink that is a tremendous value for the price. If you're looking for an inexpensive, well-behaved, daily use ink, then this is an excellent candidate. If you're looking for something flashy or bold, then look elsewhere.

 

Review materials: For the wide strokes, I used three calligraphy pens: Pilot Parallel 6.0mm and 3.8mm pens, and a 2.0mm Pelikan Script. All three have steel nibs. For the fine strokes, I used a TWSBI EF steel nib on a TWSBI Diamond 530. The paper is Rhodia 80g from a No. 18 notepad.

seize the dave - a little bit about a lot of stuff: ink reviews, poetry, short fiction, and more
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Great review. I use Quink Blue-Black quite often, and I really like the color... until it sits for a while and starts to change to teal. If it wasn't for that, and the lack of any kind of water resistance, it would be a perfect ink IMO.

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A fair review until, like ThirdeYe mentioned, it turns into a completely different colour from how it initially dried.

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Hi,

 

Many thanks! :thumbup:

 

I think your findings are spot on.

 

I still use the 'with SOLV-X' version as my daily writer ink, which falls within my idea of a BlBk. The current stuff is to my eye a Dark Blue with odd undertones. http://i783.photobuc...2010/FPN031.jpg

 

That said, the current version is a fine solid performer, with no issues other than the lack of water resistance. And when I can no longer source the 'with SOLV-X' version, this one is likely to be the basis for mixing a visual equivalent. (Dare to be dull!)

 

Bye,

Sandy1

Edited by Sandy1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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Carpedavid,

 

In no particular order:

 

  • I'm only very recently back to an interest in FPs, but years and years ago I wrote regularly, and I had settled on Quink Blue-Black as my standard ink. Fascinating to see how it has held up
  • Your review - beyond it's formidable informational stature - is a work of art in itself
  • Based on the previous, I've already searched and read some of your other ink reviews. What a treat!

Thank you so much for the clarity and artistry - I'll certainly be looking for your reviews in the future...

 

~ Jon

Edited by jonszanto

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

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Great review and a great ink; in addition to its interesting properties, it is inexpensive and easy to find, at least here

I'm a user, baby.

 

We love what we do not possess. Plato, probably about pens.

 

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Parker Quink Blue/Black is the Blue/Black ink that I use.Nice review.

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Great review and really beauiful calligraphy! Thanks. It's interesting that there has been a change in Quink B-B, since I notice that my own old standard, Waterman B-B, isn't as black as I remember it. Or perhaps that's just my memory stuttering?

 

I could do a comparison, if I could just find the 1990s bottle of WB-B that I know is in the house somewhere.... :embarrassed_smile:

Edited by CatBookMom
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Great review - I never noticed the teal quality of this ink before, and now I can't not see it, and I too am in awe of your wonderful calligraphy. I really like Parker Blue Black, I used to write my university essays in it a quarter of a century ago (did my lecture notes in green, turquoise and brown though, I was a luvvy Arts student after all...)and I just refilled one of my pens with it at the weekend there to do my census form. It specified blue or black ink to be used, so it seemed appropriate!

Calligraphy,” said Plato, “is the physical manifestation of an architecture of the soul.” That being so, mine must be a turf-and-wattle kind of soul, since my handwriting would be disowned by a backward cat’

Dr Stephen Maturin: The Commodore by Patrick O’Brian

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I really don't get it! I tried last two years two different pots of ink and also the catridges with Parker Blue Black. The ink wrote splendid but trunde to green, even a light green on some papers!. In former days it was a real blue black. I cannot understand the difference with you review. I also cannot understand why Parker doesn't make a real blue black like in former day. I asked them by mail but didn't answer.

 

Joop

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I, too, thank you for this great review. Lots of what I want to hear (and see) and little of what I don't.

To paraphrase that already said above -- sorry, I sometimes am at least halfways honest here -- I myself would classify the physical properties as excellent but I still don't like this ink because because of the colour itself.

As you said, it tends more towards a teal-black. Please lemmee go all the way and say that all three bottles I've tried out were IMO much more a greenish blue gray. Too bad, because I love blue-blacks, and, for me, they have to be dark and blue and black and no gray and no green). FWIW I see absolutely no difference to Waterman's Blue-Black. Maybe they are the same? Small note before getting off the boat: Parker's and Waterman's Blue-Blacks IMO look the same, behave the same, and are both produced in France today, as said on the bottles' bottoms, but that doesn't prove anything. How cum so many of us still think tht MB and Lamy Blue-blacks (in their bottles) are the same, but nobody talks about Parker versus Waterman?

 

Hmm? http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu264/peli46/Undecided.png

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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I really don't get it! I tried last two years two different pots of ink and also the catridges with Parker Blue Black. The ink wrote splendid but trunde to green, even a light green on some papers!. In former days it was a real blue black. I cannot understand the difference with you review. I also cannot understand why Parker doesn't make a real blue black like in former day. I asked them by mail but didn't answer.

 

Joop

 

 

I concur with this. :crybaby:

 

The last time I used this Quink B/B (Bottled and packed in a plastic cover—Made in France), my desk was so green I had to fight the urge to tackle it with the lawn mower.

 

Shame :unsure:

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I really don't get it! I tried last two years two different pots of ink and also the catridges with Parker Blue Black. The ink wrote splendid but trunde to green, even a light green on some papers!. In former days it was a real blue black. I cannot understand the difference with you review. I also cannot understand why Parker doesn't make a real blue black like in former day. I asked them by mail but didn't answer.

 

Joop

 

 

I concur with this. :crybaby:

 

The last time I used this Quink B/B (Bottled and packed in a plastic cover—Made in France), my desk was so green I had to fight the urge to tackle it with the lawn mower.

 

Shame :unsure:

 

On papers with any trace of sulphite in it from the bleaching process, Parker Quink Blue-Black can turn quite green very quickly (< two days in some cases).

 

As well, the current version of PQ Blue-Black is quite different from that of the Solv-X era Blue-Black. I have both, and the difference is very noticeable.

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Does anyone know how the color of the current Quink Blue-Black compares to the version produced in the 40s and 50s? I have a large collection of postcards from my great aunt written between 1946 and 1954 in which she uses the same ink for every card. I assume she had a standard pen and ink she kept with her at all times. The color looks very similar to modern Quink Blue-Black. Perhaps it was Quink she used to write all those postcards?

"Instant gratification takes too long."-Carrie Fisher

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Hi,

 

Many thanks! :thumbup:

 

I think your findings are spot on.

 

I still use the 'with SOLV-X' version as my daily writer ink, which falls within my idea of a BlBk. The current stuff is to my eye a Dark Blue with odd undertones. http://i783.photobuc...2010/FPN031.jpg

 

That said, the current version is a fine solid performer, with no issues other than the lack of water resistance. And when I can no longer source the 'with SOLV-X' version, this one is likely to be the basis for mixing a visual equivalent. (Dare to be dull!)

 

Bye,

Sandy1

I recently discovered an old 1pt bottle nearly half full of Parker Blue-Black with Solv-X which dates from the middle 1960s. I tried some in one of my pens and it seems to be OK though somewhat darker than the images above. However, I am not a fan of blue-black, hence its being left for many years. Pity I can't email you some!

 

John

Edited by brownargus

Favourite pens in my collection (in alpha order): Caran d'Ache Ecridor Chevron F and Leman Black/Silver F; Parker 51 Aerometric M and F; Parker 61 Insignia M, Parker Duofold Senior F; Platinum #3776 Century M; Sailor 1911 Black/Gold 21 Kt M; Sheaffer Crest Palladium M/F; Sheaffer Prelude Silver/Palladium Snakeskin Pattern F; Waterman Carene Deluxe Silver F

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FWIW I see absolutely no difference to Waterman's Blue-Black. Maybe they are the same? Small note before getting off the boat: Parker's and Waterman's Blue-Blacks IMO look the same, behave the same, and are both produced in France today, as said on the bottles' bottoms, but that doesn't prove anything. How cum so many of us still think tht MB and Lamy Blue-blacks (in their bottles) are the same, but nobody talks about Parker versus Waterman?

 

It's been discussed multiple times, to the point that the general consensus was that the current production inks are indistinguishable from one another.

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