Favorite Not Quite Black Inks

[NibDog]

I have a soft spot for almost black but not quite inks. The kind you have to look at closely to realize it's not black. I'm looking to get a new bottle for a new job this summer. Something with good flow and no feathering with a reasonable drying time

 

What are you favorite very dark blue-blacks or ____-blacks?

[Joane]

The current Montblanc Midnight Blue is exactly that. When you pick up the pen and start writing it appears a soft black. After a short while subtle blue tones do appear but it stays dark, close to black. I find the flow excellent in the Pens in which I have used it, MB, Parker, Waterman Edson and a couple of vintage Sheaffers.

Edited May 7, 2015 by Joane

[ink-syringe]

Sailor Doyou

[lapis]

Diamine Eclipse!

[lgsoltek]

Sailor Doyou, best brown-black.

[Algester]

Miru-ai at it's most saturated point is a bit cheaty.... its like black but not... or is it...

[Tas]

Ooo I have a similar soft spot.

 

Lgsoltek and ink-syringe have voted for my second fave near black.

 

My fave of the moment, thanks to Cyber6's empowerment (and a shipping bill equivalent to the price of the actual ink bottle) is Fountain Pen Hospital's exclusive Noodler's Elis Island

 

I love this!

 

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_noodlers_ellis_island_swatch.jpg

 

Other candidates . . .

 

http://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_sailor_doyou_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_rk_leipziger_shcwarz_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_sailor_ink_of_witch_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_octopus_black_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_diamine_eclipse_swatch.jpghttp://www.taskyprianou.com/fpn_noodlers_zhivago_swatch.jpg

[NibDog]

Tas what is that second one under doyou?

I'm waiting on doyou in the mail right now I'm really excited about.

That Ellis island is really nice also.

One I like but maybe isn't quite dark enough for this category although my memory may not be quite right on that point is noodlers air corp

[Tas]

Tas what is that second one under doyou?

I'm waiting on doyou in the mail right now I'm really excited about.

That Ellis island is really nice also.

One I like but maybe isn't quite dark enough for this category although my memory may not be quite right on that point is noodlers air corp

 

 

Sailor Bung Box Ink of Witch. One of those "Rare as hen's teeth" inks that I was kindly sent as part payment for some drawings from a lovely FPN member.

 

I'm not a fan of purples but it's so dark you'd never know until you wash over it.

Happy to send over a sample of anything if you like. Let me know.

[SallyLyn]

Noodler's Zhivago has an almost cult like following. Check the reviews and other discussions. I found it too black even when I added water. I prefer Noodler's Air Corp. Not as black but an interesting blue/green black.

[Tas]

Goulet pens have recently posted a "matchup" with Zhivago that'll give you a much better idea of how it looks than my swatch.

 

 

[Chrissy]

+1 for Diamine Eclipse. I have this ink to review shortly.

 

For a lovely grey how about Montblanc Einstein?

[Fabienne]

I have a bottle of Montblanc black which is very old indeed. It goes down as black and dries to a brownish black. Also like ElLawrence by Noodler's and their Zhivago (green leaning).

[inkstainedruth]

+1 on Diamine Eclipse

+1 on Noodler's El Lawrence

Other ones to take a look at: Diamine 1864 Blue-Black (I think it's even darker than Eclipse); and Iroshihzuku Take-Sumi (technically black, but sort of velvety off-black on the page)

Also, if you can get your hands on a bottle of any (or any combination thereof) of these: KWZI IG Blue-Black, Akkerman #10 Ijzer-Galnoten (iron gall blue-black) or FPN member Pharmacist's Urkundentinte (okay I'll admit to being a sucker for IG inks... http://www.4smileys.com/smileys/thinking-smileys/think_smiley_24.gif).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

edited for typos

Edited May 7, 2015 by inkstainedruth

[musicman123]

I like Sailor Kobe Tamon Purple. Hard to get, but a really nice color.

 

http://inkymadness.tk/Sailor/Tamon%20Purple%20(Kobe)%202.jpg

[Flaxmoore]

Wow, love the Ellis. Wish it wasn't fph exclusive.

[A144]

I don't use a lot of nearly black inks, but one of my favorites is Noodler's Air Corps Blue Black.

[UDog]

Goulet pens have recently posted a "matchup" with Zhivago that'll give you a much better idea of how it looks than my swatch.

 

 

 

Excellent comment. Beautiful color.

[ac12]

A LOT will depend on your pen and paper.

I've written with some inks that look VERY DARK out of certain pens, but medium shade out of other pens. This can be quite a problem when you want a particular shade out of a particular pen.

 

As I recall, my test sample of Zhivago wasn't as dark as the pix on the linked Goulet web page. So his pen is writing that ink darker than mine. Without pulling out my test binder, I think I could see the green in the ink, and I was expecting an almost BLACK ink. Maybe I need to revisit that ink.

 

I was and still am looking for a similar DARK green-black and red-black.

[arrScott]

Noodler's Zhivago and Dark Matter. Both close enough to a true black to pass on work documents, but each has not-quite-black character that's obvious if you know it's there.