Deciding On Black Ink - Help Needed

[NYC_Dweller]

Hello everyone,

 

Please excuse my novice question since I'm new to the wonderful world of fountain pens. Also, please redirect this thread if I'm posting in the incorrect ink section.

 

I have always been interested in fine writing instruments. I recently purchase a Cross Townsend and I'm researching some black ink options. My writings will be within a journal that will document my baby's developments and jotting down the winding road of being a new dad. Sometime in the far future I would present the journals along with the pens to my little girl as a meaningful gift.

 

With that said, I am looking for a quality black ink. I know there are some that are more water resistant than others. This may be important to me. You never know if a spill may happen. If that occurs I don't want certain writings to be forever lost.

 

Upon my research the Pilot Iroshizuku ink keeps popping up. Please let me know you thoughts and recommendations. I'm excited to learn.

 

Thank you for taking the time.

 

Regards,

D

[OCArt]

I will suggest a couple of sources for you to research. First, Jetpens.com has a wonderful comparison of black inks here.

Second, you are writing a document that you might want to survive for many generations. There is an ink made to do just that; Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrars Ink (Iron Gall). You will find many reviews of ESSR on this website but here is a link to one. Click

Edited November 13, 2016 by OCArt

[T4TEXAS]

The Iroshizuku inks are beautiful, indeed, but not water resistant.

[tamiya]

Black from Iroshizuku is like asking RollsRoyce to build you a supermarket trolley think black would be my last choice of colour from Iro. Every other colour of their rainbow would come first.

 

Iro is not waterproof. Doesn't seem too bad on fading on the few Iro colours I play with.

 

Try a Sailor or other nano carbon black, or other Document/Archival/Bulletproof ink if you wish for long term permanency.

 

IMHO gall/acidic inks aren't really black, they're more a dark sepia if going by old documents. Plus unless you're writing with a proper gold nib, when filled with acid your fancy pen might not make it till your baby's 21st.

[lisadan]

Noodler's Old Manhattan black is supposedly one of their most bullet proof inks. Very good water resistance, and it is supposedly resistant to many chemicals that affect other inks. I've only been using it for couple years, so I don't know about fading, but I believe I read in one of the old threads here that it holds it's color nicely.

I use it for my journal , signing checks and other important documents and writing addresses on envelopes.

 

Some pens handle it better than others though. My Parker Urban pens seem to handle it the best. No drying or problems starting after a few days without writing.

[T4TEXAS]

Modern Iron Gall inks do not pose a problem to pens. They do need more attention to cleaning some say and probably true for ss nibs. But they are not necessarily bulletproof. Look at the various document inks. You can read the reviews and may want to get samples first to see what you like.

[iveyman]

Noodler's Old Manhattan Black (referred to as the blackest black ink) is what you should go for.

I have used it for several years.

[carlos.q]

With that said, I am looking for a quality black ink. I know there are some that are more water resistant than others. This may be important to me.

[...]

Upon my research the Pilot Iroshizuku ink keeps popping up. Please let me know you thoughts and recommendations.

 

Maybe what you have read about is Pilot Black which is water resistant although not fully waterproof. Pilot Black, Blue and Blue-Black are part of Pilot's regular line of inks and they all have excellent water resistance. Iroshizuku is Pilot's premium line of inks. Edited November 13, 2016 by carlos.q

[visvamitra]

If you want waterproof ink that will last forever AND you'll use good quality paper (not absorbent) De Atramentis Document black ink or Sailor Kiwa-Guru can be considered as reasonable choices.

[perfaddict]

If you want waterproof ink that will last forever AND you'll use good quality paper (not absorbent) De Atramentis Document black ink or Sailor Kiwa-Guru can be considered as reasonable choices.

 

 

One cannot go wrong with these.

 

I find Montblanc Permanent Black a good performer on copy/absorbent paper.

[NYC_Dweller]

Wow... so many options and they are all great ones. I guess from this point forward it is all trial and error. I do have a question regard pernament and water resistant ink options - how hard are they to be cleaned off your pen? I would only assume they they are less water soluable. I read that Noodler's Old Manhattan cleans off pretty easlier on plastics and metals (or any hard surface) and is only pernamant on paper. Is that statement correct?

[virgilio]

I will put in a word for the old standby, Parker Quink. Black Quink is the smoothest ink you will ever find, and I have tried most of them. And I have yet to see it stain a pen, unlike so many others.It also happens to be the cheapest ($6 on amazon), and the most widely available in the US. This is the ink that the late, great Frank Dubiel recommended in problem pens, and is the obvious first choice for someone just getting into fountain pens.

 

The really wonderful thing about fountain pens, aside from not tiring your hands, is that each make, and even each pen, has its own personality, so that with patience, you can find a pen exactly suited to your own tastes and writing habits. Try that with a rollarball or gel pen!

 

If you want an ink hat criminals cannot wash off of checks, Noodler's is a good bet. But most fountain pen inks are permanent in the sense that they will look just as good, or at least legible in 40 years as they do now.

 

If you want to get into other colors, Quink also comes in blue-black, blue, and red. Waterman is also a time-tested, reliable ink, tho not so wet or smooth as Quink. It comes in the above colors, and also brown, purple and green.

 

If an ink writes too dry or scratchy for your taste, drip 1 or 2 drops of Ivory Dish Detergent into the bottle, using a veterinary syringe or even just a toothpick. If an ink is TOO wet and feathers on your chosen paper, add a little distilled water to the bottle.

 

A good choice of paper for writers is copy paper, either Hammermill or Xerox. Both come in many intersting colors. I am a writer and use Hammermill ivory, very easy on the eyes when you're writing for hours every day.

[Sasha Royale]

Which fountain pen are you currently using ? The paper is also a factor.

Noodler's inks are sold in 3-ounce bottles. Per-ounce price is very good. Their Heart Of Darkness is a very durable black ink, @ about $5 per ounce.

[titrisol]

From the standards Parker Quink and Lamy Black are very good.

Sheaffer scrip ink black used to be excellent.

 

I have not tried many more but Monteverde black is one I would stay away from; more green than black, not dark enough and dries quickly on the nib

[virgilio]

I grew up using Skrip black. It was my favorite until they changed the formula. Since then, it writes too scratchy for my taste.

[langere]

Another vote for Noodler's Heart of Darkness. Cool name and very bulletproof. I have found it easy to clean.

 

Erick

[inkstainedruth]

+1 on Heart of Darkness. And I say that as having both it and Old Manhattan. Not as black as OM (okay, very little is), but very well behaved.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[senzen]

Many great suggestions, I would add J Herbin Perle Noire, a deep black that flows great.

[eharriett]

Interesting topic, as my need to investigate a black ink for my own journaling purposes was what lead me to discover this forum about a year ago. I settled on, and have been very happy with Platinum Carbon Black. It is very permenant, waterproof, and pigmented, so should stand a very long test of time. Only word of warning with it is make sure you flush your pen before each filling and do not let your pen sit uncapped. I have not had any problems, but I'm practically OCD about flushing my pen between fills. I'm over halfway through my first full bottle in about a year's time and I'll be reordering it once this one is done. I have a nice pen dedicated to its use and again, no problems with how well it lays on the page, stays on the page, or washes out of the pen.

[Arkanabar]

+1 for Heart of Darkness. It's remarkably fuss-free and easy to flush, and it stands up to just about everything. Your paper may not, so pay attention to what you write upon.