15 replies to this topic

[httpmom]

Given that Bung box ink is rather dear here...I would like some advise on which blue black to indulge in...deciding between 4B and Silent Night has me in a quandary.

Any sage advise?

BTW this would be my first purchase of a true blue black ink. I'm extraordinarily picky about ink.

Edited by httpmom, 16 November 2015 - 21:36.

[Cyber6]

I have 4B and don't feel the need for Silent Night....  I don't think you can go wrong with either of them.

 

They are both quite dark and sheen wonderfully.... 

 

 

 

C.

[haruka337]

Given that Bung box ink is rather dear here...I would like some advise on which blue black to indulge in...deciding between 4B and Silent Night has me in a quandary.
Any sage advise?
BTW this would be my first purchase of a true blue black ink. I'm extraordinarily picky about ink.

 
Both are fantastic inks, so I suppose this comes down to picky priorities: Do you prefer high lubrication in your inks? Depth? Something brighter (relatively speaking)? Darker? Sheen? Professional?
 
Seiya Silent Night is a fantastic, well-rounded everyday/work ink. Amazing lubrication (works well with finicky, scratchy nibs), beautiful dark blue-black ink (more black than blue). Not much in the way of sheen (though it does sheen a bit on Tomoe) or shade, but it's my go-to blue-black in.

Love it.
 
4B has character. There's some crazy sheen to it and nice shading (especially with broader nibs; medium and up), wonderful color range (light indigo to a navy blue) and a good level of lubrication. I don't use it often because I can't quite use this sheeny ink at work, but I imagine a fine nib would eliminate that. I may use it more at some point, but I just don't have much in the way of use for it at present time, but it is beautiful.
 
Bung Box 4B (I'll fix the white balance later this evening and add a sample of Seiya as well.)

 
Hope that helped a bit!

[mmg122]

I have both inks...4B and Silent Night...and like both of them very much. 4B beats out Silent Night by a tad because it's so much fun. You never know what color you're going to end up with...blue-->black-->blue-->black. Keeps flipping all over the place...like it can't make up it's mind. Another BungBox to look at is Black of Score (now called Music Black)...another BungBox ink that can't decide if it is blue or black despite its name.

Really, httpmom, you can't go wrong with any of them. All three very well behaved, by the way.

[httpmom]

Thanks everyone for the help! I think I'm just as uncertain as I was before. Looks like I'm not the only one who feels like it's a coin toss. However, the description of "fun" might have me leaning toward 4B, especially if I can get it in the nice glass bottle.

[amberleadavis]

I have 4B and don't feel the need for Silent Night....  I don't think you can go wrong with either of them.

 

They are both quite dark and sheen wonderfully.... 

 

 

 

C.

 

Ditto, I'm not a huge user of BB inks, but I chose 4B. 

[Chrissy]

I have 4B because it is a nice Blue-Black.

 

On the other hand, Silent Night is an 'almost black' that doesn't appeal to me at all.

 

Vanness had Silent Night in the nice bottle when I last heard from Mike.

[migo984]

Silent Night is a much better ink in fine/extra fine nibs than 4B, because of its silky feel on paper (like Do-you). However, in this colour zone, overall I prefer Kobe#51, which is a much better dark-blue-almost-black ink, and cheaper. And it has a gorgeous green-silver sheen, created by the master ink mixer.

4B is OK. A bit inconsistent I find. I gave most of my first bottle away as samples because I started to get annoyed with it, but I quite like it again now. Go figure :-) I still have other blue-blacks that I prefer.

[AndyYNWA]

Is Silent Night available? On the website it isn't listed.

 

BTW, 4B is a really fun blue-black. Because you never know what you're gonna get, as Forrest Gump would have said, it least not in terms of shading and sheen (in a positive way).

[Algester]

as I would like to say this maybe a once in a life time chance I'd say get THEM ALL until you blow up your bank with 2 gallons worth of Sailor inks

[mmg122]

Migo984 has a good point with Kobe #51. It's a gorgeous dark, dark blue ink, leaning to black. Check out Visvamitra's recent review here on the forum.

[haruka337]

Took a few days longer than intended, but here's a quick comparison: 

4B 


Seiya Silent Night

 
 
That 4B is really something, but I prefer ink that is a bit more muted at work.

Couldn't color correct the white balance (with the program I have) in the Seiya Silent Night image without distorting the color, so I left it alone. But, the color is accurate.

[amberleadavis]

It's funny to think of 4B as being to bright for work, it's the one of the most serious inks I use.  

[AndyYNWA]

<snip>
 
 
That 4B is really something, but I prefer ink that is a bit more muted at work.

Couldn't color correct the white balance (with the program I have) in the Seiya Silent Night image without distorting the color, so I left it alone. But, the color is accurate.

 

I don't think anyone else but yourself will notice that 4B is sheening. I have used 4B at work for a couple of weeks now and no one has even lifted an eyebrow.

Edited by AndyYNWA, 25 November 2015 - 07:26.

[httpmom]

Thank you so much for this comparison!

[IndigoBOB]

Both : )