Well Behaved, Saturated, Dark Ink With Water Resistance?

[IndigoBOB]

Hello,

 

I love Aurora Black, but sometimes black gets old.

 

So I'm looking for an alternative that is still pretty close to black, but with some color, and with a descent degree of water resistance.

 

I still want that high degree of saturation for easy legibility.

 

Obviously I prefer a well behaved ink with as low as maintenance as possible.

 

I am having trouble finding inks like this.

 

Thankyou,

BOB

 

 

[Chrissy]

Noodler's Zhivago, Diamine Eclipse

[Padawan]

1) Pelikan 4001 blue-black if available

https://www.pelikan.com/pulse/Pulsar/en_US_INTL.CMS.displayCMS.205950./document-proof-ink

 

2) Montblanc Permanent Blue

 

3) Platinum Pigment Ink Blue

 

https://www.gouletpens.com/bottled-ink/c/14/?sortBy=productName%2Basc&facetValueFilter=Tenant~Brand%3Ade_atramentis%2CTenant~Brand%3Agraf-von-faber-castell%2CTenant~Brand%3Apilot%2CTenant~Brand%3Aplatinum%2CTenant~Water_Resistant%3Atrue

[inkstainedruth]

Noodler's Walnut is a dark brown and pretty water resistant. It's a dry ink, though, so it needs to be in a wetter writer. I've run it through my Pelikan M400 Brown Tortoise and it was a near perfect combination.

If you don't mind an iron gall ink, have a look at KWZI IG Blue-Black or Blue #3.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[displacermoose]

I've had very good results mixing Noodler's #41 Brown and Heart of Darkness. The color is adjustable and it results in a very well behaved essentially waterproof ink. It can leave a bit of staining on some converters, however, so just be mindeful of that.

[UDog]

Noodler's Air Corp is a unique dark color and very water resistant.

[IndigoBOB]

Noodler's Air Corp is a unique dark color and very water resistant.

 

 

I got a sample of Noodler's Air-Corps that was perfect. Great flow, Smooth out of a Fine Pilot Metro, dark, and saturated. So I ordered a bottled and the color was watered down, the previously good flow was dry, and it was less black and simply somewhat darker Teal.

 

I mixed it with the last of a sample of Noodler's Heart of Darkness to try and darken it back up, and I have about 5 fresh vials of 3 mL's of NACBB with varying amounts of HoD to test for any negative reactions.

 

 

I've had very good results mixing Noodler's #41 Brown and Heart of Darkness. The color is adjustable and it results in a very well behaved essentially waterproof ink. It can leave a bit of staining on some converters, however, so just be mindeful of that.

 

I've been actually thinking of experimenting with mixing Noodler's Heart of Darkness. I much prefer it over Noodler's Black. I have a sample of Brown #41, but had bad results from it with flow problems and a bit of staining my pen. I do have Noodler's Walnut and was thinking about mixing it and others with HoD to really darken it up closer to black.

 

May I ask if you have had luck mixing HoD with other inks? I have a bunch of other inks I'd prefer if I could darken them up and it would be far more economical to simply buy a mixable black ink to darken several other bottles than trying to purchase various saturated inks.

[Grafeus]

Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite is dark, requires only modest maintenance, and remains reasonably legible in case of water spillage. My most used ink at the mo, precisely because of these attributes.

[welch]

Diamine Oxgord Blue (dark, dark blue), Diamine Sargasso Sea (a dark blue, purplish).

[doriath19]

I got a sample of Noodler's Air-Corps that was perfect. Great flow, Smooth out of a Fine Pilot Metro, dark, and saturated. So I ordered a bottled and the color was watered down, the previously good flow was dry, and it was less black and simply somewhat darker Teal.

 

 

Maybe you already tried this, but did you give the bottle of Air-corps a shake? Ive noticed with my Noodlers inks that if I dont shake them, the color is watered down and flow is poor. Someone else here can probably explain why that might happen.

 

Sorry, I couldnt figure out how quote from your post properly.

Edited October 19, 2017 by doriath19

[Intensity]

 

 

I got a sample of Noodler's Air-Corps that was perfect. Great flow, Smooth out of a Fine Pilot Metro, dark, and saturated. So I ordered a bottled and the color was watered down, the previously good flow was dry, and it was less black and simply somewhat darker Teal.

 

I mixed it with the last of a sample of Noodler's Heart of Darkness to try and darken it back up, and I have about 5 fresh vials of 3 mL's of NACBB with varying amounts of HoD to test for any negative reactions.

 

 

 

I've been actually thinking of experimenting with mixing Noodler's Heart of Darkness. I much prefer it over Noodler's Black. I have a sample of Brown #41, but had bad results from it with flow problems and a bit of staining my pen. I do have Noodler's Walnut and was thinking about mixing it and others with HoD to really darken it up closer to black.

 

May I ask if you have had luck mixing HoD with other inks? I have a bunch of other inks I'd prefer if I could darken them up and it would be far more economical to simply buy a mixable black ink to darken several other bottles than trying to purchase various saturated inks.

 

Highly saturated ink colors, such as Noodler's ACBB, are highly dependent on the pen you use them with. A high-flow feed/nib combo results in a dark saturated line. A lower, more measured-out feed/nib combo results in a lighter more visible teal color. ACBB looks nearly black with a dip pen for me, or I can make it look visibly teal and not too dark with a specific italic nib pen I have. And do give the bottle a gentle swish as well before you fill your pen.

[IndigoBOB]

I did shake the Air-Corps bottle. Then I did a side by side comparison of the Air Corps sample and bottle

 

Sorry for the low res picture, but you might be able to see the difference.

 

That's why I'm thinking about mixing some inks with Noodler's HoD, which has much better flow out of my pens, and the saturation I like, and would nicely darken up the inks I already have if they prove compatible in small vial tests.

 

It's likely the variation in batches that are produced from Noodler's.

Edited October 19, 2017 by IndigoBOB

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Bob,

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Pilot Blue-Black or Sailor Jentle Blue yet... so I will.

 

 

- Anthony

[Tas]

Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite is dark, requires only modest maintenance, and remains reasonably legible in case of water spillage. My most used ink at the mo, precisely because of these attributes.

 

Yep. I agree.

 

Also:

Sailor Doyou if you like Brown that is almost black.

Blackstone Barrister Blue - proper waterproof and very nearly black.

Hero 232 Blue Black - cheap as chips and solid as a rock.

 

Good luck.

 

[chromantic]

You might consider Noodler's Red Black. Dark with some color (you can tell it's not black), water-resistant (the red washes off leaving the black (according to reviews, not tried it myself)) and saturated enough to stand out on the page yet very minimal show through. I was pleased enough with a free sample from Vanness that I ordered a whole bottle.

[IndigoBOB]

Hi Bob,

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Pilot Blue-Black or Sailor Jentle Blue yet... so I will.

 

 

- Anthony

 

Thank you. I am definitely looking into the Sailor colors. This blue does look well saturated, too : ). Pilot Blue black maybe, but I have heard a lot of good things about pilot inks and how well they behave.

 

 

Yep. I agree.

 

Also:

Sailor Doyou if you like Brown that is almost black.

Blackstone Barrister Blue - proper waterproof and very nearly black.

Hero 232 Blue Black - cheap as chips and solid as a rock.

 

Good luck.

 

 

Those are some excellent colors. I have never heard of Blackstone Barrister Blue... How is the flow on that one for you, if you don't mind me asking?

 

The Sailor Doyou does look very nice and close to that colored black that I'm looking for. It's a beautiful color! A black-like ink, but with a subtle color and characteristic to it, and piquing my interest quite a bit right now : ) Thank you. I definitely will research more into this ink.

 

I have heard about Hero 232 Blue Black. Have you had any problems with it at all?

 

You might consider Noodler's Red Black. Dark with some color (you can tell it's not black), water-resistant (the red washes off leaving the black (according to reviews, not tried it myself)) and saturated enough to stand out on the page yet very minimal show through. I was pleased enough with a free sample from Vanness that I ordered a whole bottle.

 

 

Red is just not my color, at least right now... Maybe if I find something to break me into the red spectrums, but I haven't gotten to those wavelengths in terms of preference or needed use. But thank you for the suggestion. I'll keep it in mind if I need to venture into that territory.

[Tas]

 

 

 

Those are some excellent colors. I have never heard of Blackstone Barrister Blue... How is the flow on that one for you, if you don't mind me asking?

 

The Sailor Doyou does look very nice and close to that colored black that I'm looking for. It's a beautiful color! A black-like ink, but with a subtle color and characteristic to it, and piquing my interest quite a bit right now : ) Thank you. I definitely will research more into this ink.

 

I have heard about Hero 232 Blue Black. Have you had any problems with it at all?

 

 

 

Barrister Blue flows really well and Hero 232 has been completely without issue. In fact I don't know why I don't use it more often. It's a blinder of a workhorse.

 

Glad to have been of help.

[displacermoose]

I've been actually thinking of experimenting with mixing Noodler's Heart of Darkness. I much prefer it over Noodler's Black. I have a sample of Brown #41, but had bad results from it with flow problems and a bit of staining my pen. I do have Noodler's Walnut and was thinking about mixing it and others with HoD to really darken it up closer to black.

 

May I ask if you have had luck mixing HoD with other inks? I have a bunch of other inks I'd prefer if I could darken them up and it would be far more economical to simply buy a mixable black ink to darken several other bottles than trying to purchase various saturated inks.

 

I've mixed it with a couple of reds (Noolder's and Diamine, I think) and green (Herbin?). I got the idea because I'd heard that several of the partially bulletproof Noodler's inks were HoD+ some other color. Thus far the results have all worked fine. I'd recommend letting any mix sit for a day or so before putting it in a pen.

 

The DeAtremtis Document line are specifically designed for mixing. I've tried green, brown, blue, and magenta and found them to be reasonable performers. One of them (I forget which) was pretty featherliscious on it's own, but worked perfectly fine when mixed with some of its better behaved buddies.

[Mister5]

Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite is dark, requires only modest maintenance, and remains reasonably legible in case of water spillage. My most used ink at the mo, precisely because of these attributes.

 

 

++++1

 

Also +1 on the Noodler's Zhivago

I wish I could say Noodler's 54th Massachusetts, but mine has gone kind of teal on me over time.

For me Red Black is kind of brownish

 

I'm partial to Diamine Registrar's Blue Black at the moment (though you did say you wanted low maintenance, so I don't know if iron gall qualifies)

[IndigoBOB]

Barrister Blue flows really well and Hero 232 has been completely without issue. In fact I don't know why I don't use it more often. It's a blinder of a workhorse.

 

Glad to have been of help.

I will definitely refer back to these. I actually ordered a bottle of Doyou.

 

 

I've mixed it with a couple of reds (Noolder's and Diamine, I think) and green (Herbin?). I got the idea because I'd heard that several of the partially bulletproof Noodler's inks were HoD+ some other color. Thus far the results have all worked fine. I'd recommend letting any mix sit for a day or so before putting it in a pen.

 

The DeAtremtis Document line are specifically designed for mixing. I've tried green, brown, blue, and magenta and found them to be reasonable performers. One of them (I forget which) was pretty featherliscious on it's own, but worked perfectly fine when mixed with some of its better behaved buddies.

 

I receive a bottle of Heart of Darkness on Satruday, and I have quite a bit of inks that I would love to experiment with mixing it with. I have tried De Atrementis Document with a little bit of samples left over so I might have to give them a try. Thank you : )

 

 

 

++++1

 

Also +1 on the Noodler's Zhivago

I wish I could say Noodler's 54th Massachusetts, but mine has gone kind of teal on me over time.

For me Red Black is kind of brownish

 

I'm partial to Diamine Registrar's Blue Black at the moment (though you did say you wanted low maintenance, so I don't know if iron gall qualifies)

 

 

I am a little hesitant on zhivago. I may try Sailor Jentle Miruai before I try zhivago.

 

I have tried 54th Mass as well and wished it was a little darker than it was. It was one of my inks that I wanted to try mixing with Heart of Darkness.

 

 

I definitely want to try the Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite. The price makes me wish to try it later after a sample, but it does look like a beautiful blue black.