Favorite Black Ink?

[stevekolt]

I'm looking for a deep, deep, black ink. Not too crazy about Noodler's in general. The only black ink in my current collection is Montblanc Permanent Black. I would like to stay away from pigmented inks also. So what say you?

[OCArt]

My vote is for Aurora Black but see this useful thread https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/151538-comparison-of-black-inks/

[Paino]

I like Edelstein Onyx

[praxim]

I stopped using black in favour of blue or brown decades ago*, so when I finally bought a black late last year, I checked FPN views at some length; I was buying only one.

 

It proved to be Aurora, with which I am very satisfied.

 

 

* eta: what was good decades ago all changed quite a bit last year.

Edited November 7, 2017 by praxim

[mallymal1]

Well, my fave black is one of the Noodlers range, Heart of Darkness, so that's out...but I also like Diamine Onyx and Visconti Black.

[chromantic]

I finally received my Pilot Take-sumi and I haven't used it a lot but, while it's supposed to be a dark charcoal color, in my Sheaffer Cadet F1 it looks pretty black to me. There is a bit of lighter shading on smooth paper. Maybe a broader nib brings out the greyness more.

 

I tried Bookbinder's Red Belly Blakc last year and it was very, very black but it also dried very fast on the nib, causing lots of hard starts.

[ReadyFireAim]

PR Ultra Black fast dry.

 

I needed something super fast drying for work.

This is even faster than Aurora.

[Carrau]

I like Monteverde Black, and Pilot Irosh. Take-Sumi. For me, the Monteverde is darker and stands out a bit more, with Take -Sumi a bit more tentative as black inks go, but lovely.

[Inksomnia]

I use Sailor Kiwa-Guro, but it is pigmented ink. I only use this in my TWSBI 580. My other black is just Lamy black. Mainly because bottle is nicely shaped and easy to fill these huge vintage nibs, even when ink level is low. I also have parker quink, which is now almost empty. But I like Lamy more, not as black as sailor, but black enought.

[Arkanabar]

I'm going to go against the grain and stump for Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black. Very good water resistance, very good fade resistance, very dark, and entirely reasonable as far as price goes.

[stevekolt]

Thanks for the replies folks. Any other ones I should take a look at?

[eharriett]

Not sure if this fits the criteria, and is certainly not the easiest ink to get anymore, but currently, my black ink of choice for my vintage pens has been Lamy Petrol. I haven't compared it with Aurora black yet, but it seems to be that perfect black with a bit of character.

[Grafeus]

I have some ten bottles of different blacks. Pelikan (4001) and Herbin Perle Noir are the cream of the crop due to their excellent behaviour. However, between the two, Herbin is a blacker and wetter black. (That said, for cheap paper the drier Pelikan is a better choice.) Having used a little Aurora from a sample vial I don't think it has anything on Herbin in terms of blackness.

Edited November 8, 2017 by Grafeus

[IndigoBOB]

Heart of darkness is my personal preference for the type of black you are looking for. My favorite black in fact. But if Noodler's is definitely not your thing and pigmented inks are off limits, Aurora black would be my next recommendation.

 

Other than noodler's:

 

Sailor Kiwa-Guro is quite black, but it has a gray sheen on it when looked at from an angle, but it's one of the best EDC inks I have seen since it is soo well behaved. Pigmented, permanent, but quite well behaved despite that.

 

Aurora Black is very black, but I think Heart of Darkness is deeper and richer. Very well behaved. Easy to clean. If you are sticking to your specifications then this is the ink I'd recommend.

 

Take Sumi wasn't black enough for me. It was dark, but not as deep or rich as I'd like, but still a very well behaved black. Easy to clean. Understated black IMO.

 

J. Herbin Perle Noir is a great black if it works for you. I had some flow problems with it in the sample I tried out so I went with Aurora Black, which works in any pen I use.

Edited November 8, 2017 by IndigoBOB

[BlazeOrangeGuy]

I know you said you don't want a pigmented ink, but I really like Sailor Kiwa-Guro. For the life of me, it is one of the best behaving inks in my collection. I've never had a lick of trouble with it and it writes on anything. Newsprint to Mead notebook paper to heat-activated receipt paper at restaurants. I use in in a Lamy 2000 fine nib.

 

Montblanc Mystery Black is nice - slight purple undertone which I like

 

Akkerman Holland Masters Stormachtig Blauw really looks like a black ink to me, especially in a fine nib. Well behaved. Slight purple/cool undertone which I like. The stormy blue color only comes out with a dry, broad nib. Otherwise, it acts as a unique black.

 

Iroshizuku Take Sumi is a nice black ink. It is fairly water resistant, although some ink will come off the page. Well behaved. Luxurious going on the page.

 

All of these inks are pretty dark. Montblanc being the lightest with subtle shading.

 

I'd rate them:

Montblanc

Iroshizuku

Akkerman

Sailor

 

from lightest to darkest.

 

Enjoy!

[yongsheng]

Another vote for Sailor Kiwa-Guro aka the ultimate black. I know its pigmented but it uses some sort of nano tech so it behaves better, if not equal to, other dye inks. One thing I particularly willing to point out is the graphite sheen, which is like some special dark metal. For me Kiwa-Guro is ' formal but fun'.

[IndigoBOB]

Another vote for Sailor Kiwa-Guro aka the ultimate black. I know its pigmented but it uses some sort of nano tech so it behaves better, if not equal to, other dye inks. One thing I particularly willing to point out is the graphite sheen, which is like some special dark metal. For me Kiwa-Guro is ' formal but fun'.

 

 

I agree on the "Ultimate Black" comment. Though Heart of Darkness is my Favorite, if I could have only one ink, or if I would give an ink out as a gift to someone who knows or would appreciate fountain pens, it would be Sailor Kiwa-Guro.

 

I prefer Heart of Darkness because I do a lot of writing in low dim light so I need that staunch rich blackness, but it isn't as easy to maintain or behaves as well as Kiwa-Guro, which is still very black and not dull.

 

I was recommended Kiwa-Guro everywhere I started threads and it was the ink most suggested to me, and when I tried it I was very impressed. It lives up to its reputation.

[max dog]

I enjoy MB Mystery Black the most among the few black I've tried. It's a rich black with a little purplish sheen and shades a little too (black to deeper black) which I like so it looks like a fountain pen line.

 

Love your avitar by the way.

Edited November 10, 2017 by max dog

[PaganArcher]

Graf von Faber-Castell carbon black is my go to black ink.

[fountainbel]

Pilot Black is my favorite, black ink.

Bought in 350ml bottles, volume cost is only 25% of their Iroshizuku inks.

Francis