Non-Feathering Blue Ink?

[tonybelding]

I long for a blue ink that's as resistant to bleeding and feathering as Noodler's Black. What are the best candidates to try in this category, I wonder? It doesn't have to be permanent. It also doesn't need to be the most beautiful blue color, but I do want blue and not blue-black.

[Mulrich]

Waterman Serenity Blue is about as well bahaved as they come. Depending on the pen and paper you can even get some shading and subtle sheen.

[Chrissy]

Do Noodler's make a blue ink? If so, then that might be the closest to their black for your requirements.

[lapis]

They sure do. Noodler's "Blue". One of my all time blue favourites. Little to no bleeding, anti-feathering is even better. AAMOF a fairly close canidate for a PPS substitute.

[allen_paris]

Aurora blue no doubt

No the most beautiful maybe but good lubricifation, decent cost, no feathering

[tonybelding]

They sure do. Noodler's "Blue". One of my all time blue favourites. Little to no bleeding, anti-feathering is even better. AAMOF a fairly close canidate for a PPS substitute.

 

Noodler's Blue is a great, classic, mainstay ink. I love it. However, it's never been anything special in terms of feathering or bleeding, and nowhere near as good as Noodler's Black in that regard. The writing characteristics are very different.

[displacermoose]

If Sailor Sei-Boku isn't too blue-black for you it would be a great choice. I use it on dreadful office paper with no issues. But if it isn't blue enough then maybe Pilot Blue? Boring as all get out, but it is firmly in the blue category and very well behaved. I've been playing a bit with Monteverde Horizon Blue lately. Thus far it's quite good as far as feathering and bleeding (seems a bit dry overall), but I haven't used it enough to know for sure.

[doggonecarl]

I'm very fussy about feathering and a notebook that I recently picked up is so poor in quality that it has me scrambling for a blue ink that will not feather and bleed. I found it in J. Herbin Bleu Myosotis and plain, old, Parker Blue.

[welch]

I'm very fussy about feathering and a notebook that I recently picked up is so poor in quality that it has me scrambling for a blue ink that will not feather and bleed. I found it in J. Herbin Bleu Myosotis and plain, old, Parker Blue.

 

I would try old Parker Quink permanent blue WITH Solv-X. Usually about $15 a bottle on EBay. Quink was pretty good about feathering, and, yes, Solv-X will clean your pen as it writes.

[dcwaites]

For me, in order --

1. Sheaffer Skrip Blue
2. Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue
3. Monteverde Horizon Blue

Don't forget you still need a good quality Fine nib. Currently I would recommend one of the Wing Sung pens or the Caliarts Ego that come with a Fine, Pilot 78G compatible nib.

[NicolausPiscator]

Non feathering blue, this is easy - in my opinion: Noodler's non-feathering blue or Arctic Blue, also Noodler's.

[tonybelding]

You know. . . When people ask about a black ink that doesn't feather, everyone chimes in immediately with "Noodler's Black" because it's so well known for that characteristic. It's clear now that there is no similar response when somebody says "blue". I don't want to point any fingers, because I haven't tested many of the inks named thus far in this thread, but. . . We've got close to a dozen now, and I have a lurking suspicion that some of you have just responded with your favorite blue inks, which is not really what I wanted this to be about.

[ink-syringe]

Pilot Blue or, even better Pilot Blue Black (which is really pretty much a blue actually)

[tonybelding]

Non feathering blue, this is easy - in my opinion: Noodler's non-feathering blue or Arctic Blue, also Noodler's.

 

Not sure which Noodler's you are referring to? I haven't seen an Arctic Blue; could you have meant Polar Blue?

[lapis]

Tony, I understand. Noodler's Blue isn't just a fave of mine, I did test it out one minute before I typed my suggestion above, and I really don't find it bleeding or feathering. Actually, I'd like it's color to my eyes, even if it did bleed or feather. But it didn't/doesn't, even on el cheapo paper. BTW I would also recommend Pilot's Blue (in the 70-ml bottle = in the Namiki carts).

[NicolausPiscator]

 

Not sure which Noodler's you are referring to? I haven't seen an Arctic Blue; could you have meant Polar Blue?

 

Sorry I meant Noodler's Polar Blue:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/46084-noodlers-polar-blue

[inkobsessed]

Lamy blue is perfect, even on cheap paper.

 

Joop

[Mulrich]

You know. . . When people ask about a black ink that doesn't feather, everyone chimes in immediately with "Noodler's Black" because it's so well known for that characteristic. It's clear now that there is no similar response when somebody says "blue". I don't want to point any fingers, because I haven't tested many of the inks named thus far in this thread, but. . . We've got close to a dozen now, and I have a lurking suspicion that some of you have just responded with your favorite blue inks, which is not really what I wanted this to be about.

 

 

 

I think what you're seeing is there are lots of really good, well-behaved blue inks out there. Blue being such a staple color, I think every manufacturer probably has at least one option that satisfies your requirements of no feathering or bleed through. Some of the older blues, like Waterman, Lamy, Pilot, Pelikan, and Parker, have all been around a long time for a reason – they're safe, dependable, and well-behaved.

[tonybelding]

Tony, I understand. Noodler's Blue isn't just a fave of mine, I did test it out one minute before I typed my suggestion above, and I really don't find it bleeding or feathering. Actually, I'd like it's color to my eyes, even if it did bleed or feather. But it didn't/doesn't, even on el cheapo paper. BTW I would also recommend Pilot's Blue (in the 70-ml bottle = in the Namiki carts).

 

I've been through multiple bottles of Noodler's Blue in the past, and my experience was very different from what you describe. In terms of feathering, I found its performance was decent enough, but not exceptional, nothing like that of Noodler's Black or Mont Blanc Midnight Blue (which, unfortunately, is hardly blue at all).

Edited January 11, 2018 by tonybelding

[tonybelding]

I think what you're seeing is there are lots of really good, well-behaved blue inks out there. Blue being such a staple color, I think every manufacturer probably has at least one option that satisfies your requirements of no feathering or bleed through. Some of the older blues, like Waterman, Lamy, Pilot, Pelikan, and Parker, have all been around a long time for a reason – they're safe, dependable, and well-behaved.

 

I think we must be speaking different languages here. Blue is indeed a staple color, and I have tried many blue inks. Yes, there are a lot of really good and well-behaved blue inks out there, I agree. But that's not what I asked for. I asked for something that doesn't feather like Noodler's Black, which to me is the gold standard of not feathering on poor paper. Out of all those really good and well-behaved blue inks that I've sampled, I haven't found any to match that trait. (The closest so far has probably been Noodler's Texas Blue Bonnet, but I think it's possible to do better.) I was hoping that somebody else did, but the comments I've seen—not just here, but some other places too—lead me to believe that there's just not enough common experience, there's no consensus on this subject.

 

Which means… I'm gonna have to do some testing!

 

But this thread is not a waste. Certainly we've already come up with a list of candidates for me to investigate, and some I wouldn't have thought about. I didn't even know about Monteverde Horizon Blue, for example. And I should have tried Pilot Namiki Blue a long time ago.