Ultimate Waterproof Black Ink?

[Lamyrada]

I know this question has been asked and answered many times, leaving me with a list of inks I would like to buy but dare not, thinking... "They will disappoint me." Basically I need a one name answer from people who have used that ink and know it is waterproof or resistant to the maximum possible. And I really, really, i would like to stay away from Noodler's black or any Noodler's with "black" on the name because it kind of leaves tiny particles on pens. I only use it in my cheap pens.

 

That said, I want the ink to use watercolors over it,, so I need it to be really water resistant, Reading labels is not always the better way to know because they will lie or mean something different of what I expect. If I can't find that ink, I would use a drawing pen from Staedtler or the like. Anyone?..BTW I was about to order PARKER Super Quink from Amazon, but I have also read that is not so "waterproof". What can I do? and... I have gone back to my notes made with different color inks a year and a half ago and the writing has faded, making it impossible to say I have a record or journal of anything. Not all, but many have faded. I think the kind of paper may have something to do with it also since chemical components oo ink and paper should react over time; slowly but surely in many cases. Thank you all.

[Lamyrada]

OK, I guess this post gives me some real answers:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/16849-best-black-waterproof-ink/

Loved that It didn't go forever. Just what I needed, down to 3 options.

[LizEF]

I haven't tried them myself yet (just got them today), but you may wish to check out this artist's reviews of De Atramentis Document Inks.

[Lamyrada]

THta was the best! Thank you!

[lapis]

Kiwa-Guro, MB Permanent Black and R&K dokumentus black. I'd have to lay 'em all down next to each other and then whip 'em out of the sink to say in what order....

 

Mike

[aderoy]

Platinum Carbon Black is my go-to ink when water contact is in the cards. Let it dry for 5 minutes on the page then have a go at it.

 

Of course the old technical pen with drafting india ink are cheap and plentiful...

[Buzz_130]

+1 on Platinum Carbon Black.

 

Buzz

[gregamckinney]

Sailor Kiwa-Guro is what I prefer over Noodlers or Carbon Black. All of the above require some diligence in pen hygiene, but not excessively so.

 

Best Regards, greg

[shaunakde]

Hello,

 

With watercolors lightfastness is another thing you might want to consider. What's the point of paying for artist grade lightfast paint if the outline fades away in a gallery. James Gurney (Who also makes awesome DVDs btw) has this wonderful post series: http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.it/2010/04/lightfastness-part-1-of-6.html?m=1

 

Another artist I literally stalk on the internet has this wonderful post: http://hudsonvalleysketches.blogspot.it/search/label/lightfastness%20tests

 

Personally I have switched to Sakura micron pens (they are light-fast, completely waterproof and most importantly for me dry in a heartbeat) -- if you prefer to use a FP, you might want to consider this list (from the blog entry)

 

Those changes might not even be visible in the photos. The inks that were in this top tier are:

Noodler's Black
Noodler's Blackerase Waterase (big surprise for me!)
Noodler's Kung Te-Cheng
Noodlers La Reine Mauve
Platinum Carbon Black
Platinum Pigmented Blue
Sailor Nano Black
Sailor Blue Black

 

 

Edited October 17, 2016 by shaunakde

[HoosierGeek]

I like Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin, but I know what you mean about the particles in the pens. In fact, I have a dedicated pen for the ink (TWSBI Eco black) because it is so hard to clean out of the pen.

[Arkanabar]

If you hadn't already dismissed it, I'd have suggested Noodler's Heart of Darkness. IMX, it cleans up easy and resists absolutely everything. And the 4.5oz bottle will almost certainly come with a Charlie eyedropper that can be your dedicated noodler's pen.

[deacondavid]

People go on and on about Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin, which makes me wonder what happened with the bottle my friend got (and I have a sample from). In our experience, the ink will make an indelible mark on the paper, but there's a fair amount of ink that washes away in a water test. I would think that this is a bad idea when working with watercolors.

 

Personally, I would suggest Sailor Kiwa-Guro (sometimes referred to as Sailor Nano Black) or Platinum Carbon Black. If you're interested in a non-black outline for your watercolors, you might look at Sailor Sei-Boku (a very nice blue) or the Platinum and Sailor pigmented ink lines. All of these are very waterproof, don't feather and are well-behaved.

 

If you are open to a non-fountain pen option, the Sakura or Copic pens or a good technical pen are excellent options.

[cjr]

For a fast drying black that doesn't budge when soaked, I use DeAtrametis Document Archive Black. It will spread a bit more on coarse paper. Use a fine nib.

[inkstainedruth]

I'm with Arkanabar -- I like Heart of Darkness. I've also used Noodler's Old Manhattan, which is super black, but it has more spread in my experience. The De Atramentis Archive Black was okay, but overall I haven't liked that line. And the only experience I've had with Sailor Kiwa-Guro was in a Preppy rollerball and that was not a good one (I think it clogged the rollerball feed).

I haven't tried it, but you may want to take a look at Pelikan Fount India. It's an India ink that does NOT have gum arabic in it, so it's supposed to be FP safe.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth