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Further Suggestions On Inks


AMlines

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I've been using some inks with my Plaisir, Safari, and M205 now and have a better sense of what I need.

 

I find Visconti blue works well but can be a little difficult to clean.

 

Can you suggest a blue that -

 

-Is a little more attractive than Visconti? By which I mean the ink has some shading, but is still easy to use.

I recently tested Pilot Kon-Peki and its quite pretty. But, I am thinking of a shade darker than that, something that still looks classic blue.

 

-An ink that is water-resistant, not water-proof? I know about iron gall inks, but I am not willing to worry about constant maintenance of my pens.

 

I'd also appreciate suggestions for a black ink for use in a pen I carry around everywhere. A friend gave me Pilot Take-Sumi to test and it works quite well with the Plaisir. But, are there others that are also water-resistant, but not water-proof?

 

In particular, I'd appreciate suggestions about Lamy inks - do their T51, 52, or the fancy T53 inks fit my criteria? I am likely to expand my FP collection around Lamy's from now.

 

Thanks!

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I've been using some inks with my Plaisir, Safari, and M205 now and have a better sense of what I need.

 

I find Visconti blue works well but can be a little difficult to clean.

 

Can you suggest a blue that -

 

-Is a little more attractive than Visconti? By which I mean the ink has some shading, but is still easy to use.

 

Hi AMlines,

 

It is a PITA to flush; you might want to try Monteverde Horizon Blue.

 

 

I recently tested Pilot Kon-Peki and its quite pretty. But, I am thinking of a shade darker than that, something that still looks classic blue.

 

 

Not sure; I used to make a color called Montana Skies that would have fit the bill, but its long out of production. You might want to try experimenting with adding Aso-Gao to it to darken it a bit.

 

<snip>

 

I'd also appreciate suggestions for a black ink for use in a pen I carry around everywhere. A friend gave me Pilot Take-Sumi to test and it works quite well with the Plaisir. But, are there others that are also water-resistant, but not water-proof?

 

J. Herbin Pearle Noire is water resistant and a nice, rich black. Lamy black isn't bad, either.

 

<snip>

 

Sean :)

https://www.catholicscomehome.org/

 

"Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven." - MT. 10:32

"Any society that will give up liberty to gain security deserves neither and will lose both." - Ben Franklin

Thank you Our Lady of Prompt Succor & St. Jude.

 

 

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Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black and Pilot Blue-Black are both noted for very good water and fade resistance.

 

+1

You could also consider Pilot Blue and Pilot Black as water resistant inks.

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+1

You could also consider Pilot Blue and Pilot Black as water resistant inks.

 

+1 What the guys say. I would also add Sailor Jentle Blue and Sailor Jentle Blue Black - recently rediscovered these amazing inks.

Seeking a Parker Duofold Centennial cap top medallion/cover/decal.
My Mosaic Black Centennial MK2 lost it (used to have silver color decal).

Preferably MK2. MK3 or MK1 is also OK as long as it fits.  
Preferably EU.

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Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black and Pilot Blue-Black are both noted for very good water and fade resistance.

 

Really? I ordered a bottle of 4001 RB and quite disliked it. And then I got the 4001 Dark Green and loved it!

It seems the 4001 inks are uneven in character?

Where would you place the Brilliant black? Is it insipid like the RB or nice like the Dark Green?

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Really? I ordered a bottle of 4001 RB and quite disliked it. And then I got the 4001 Dark Green and loved it!

It seems the 4001 inks are uneven in character?

Where would you place the Brilliant black? Is it insipid like the RB or nice like the Dark Green?

I'm afraid noone can answer those questions better than you ;)

 

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I know about iron gall inks, but I am not willing to worry about constant maintenance of my pens.

 

Two of my Pelikan M20x pens are filled with iron-gall inks for months on end, and I don't worry about it. If you aren't willing to worry, then obviously you're not going to make yourself worry even should the sky fall tomorrow, and nobody else can compel you to worry either.

 

It seems the 4001 inks are uneven in character?

 

One of them is an iron-gall ink, while the others aren't, for starters.

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Literally every ink is different. Just because one ink by a given maker doesn't meet your expectations, don't automatically count out the rest of them. Now there are tendencies, such as Robert Oster inks and Pelikan's 4001 line tend to feel dryer than e.g. Waterman or J. Herbin. But everyone's blend of dyes, surfactants, and biocides is going to vary, and because of the way the dyes affect things like viscosity and surface tension, there will be variations across the line.

 

In my experience (from the previous millenium) 4001 Black is well-saturated, and prior to Noodler's, was probably one of the most resistant aniline dye-based inks.

 

If I haven't yet, let me recommend some of my favorite resources: the color swatch threads (see the pinned topic on Inky TODs here in Inky Thoughts) and the index of ink reviews in the Ink Review forum.

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If you, OP, like Visconti Blue, then keep using it. You will go broke finding an ink that is just perfect.

 

I like Monteverde Horizon Blue, the closest I have found to the great Parker Penman Sapphire, which Parker discontinued about 20 years ago.

 

Waterproof? Permanent? Bulletproof? Think how you will use the ink before assuming that you must have the ultimate in permanent inks.

 

When I was in elementary school, in the 50's, we all used "washable" inks because it would wash out of clothes easily. You are far more likely to spill ink when filling than to be hit with a downpour on unprotected writing. Put your work in a folder and the folder in a backpack, as we did, when you need to take something outside. You probably don't need anything more permanent that the permanent inks of the 50s and 60s.

Washington Nationals 2019: the fight for .500; "stay in the fight"; WON the fight

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If you, OP, like Visconti Blue, then keep using it. You will go broke finding an ink that is just perfect.

Ha ha- well said! I was coming around to that conclusion myself. Not that I don't like checking out different inks, but I've realised that for now I am happy settling down with one that seems to work well, even if it isn't "perfect."

Visconti is it, but I have to admit I am quite taken with the Pilot Kon-Peki blue ink since I saw and wrote with it. Might just get it for my Safari :)

 

I like Monteverde Horizon Blue, the closest I have found to the great Parker Penman Sapphire, which Parker discontinued about 20 years ago.

 

Waterproof? Permanent? Bulletproof? Think how you will use the ink before assuming that you must have the ultimate in permanent inks.

 

When I was in elementary school, in the 50's, we all used "washable" inks because it would wash out of clothes easily. You are far more likely to spill ink when filling than to be hit with a downpour on unprotected writing. Put your work in a folder and the folder in a backpack, as we did, when you need to take something outside. You probably don't need anything more permanent that the permanent inks of the 50s and 60s.

I see what you mean. It's not that I need permanent inks, but just that they should be somewhat resistant to occasional spills and the like. The bigger issue for me is the desire to keep hand written notes legible even after 10 years or so. That's why I am interested in reasonably water-resistant inks, but not necessarily in permanent inks.

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Noodler’s Bad Belted Kingfisher is a conservative blue-gray/blue-black (mostly blue) that is fairly well behaved and bulletproof. As mentioned above and frequently on numerous threads, Pilot Blue-Black is a well behaved, predominantly blue, water resistant ink-not too exciting, but a great workhorse, everyday ink, and unbelievably inexpensive in the 350ml bottle (about $25 on Amazon).

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+1 for Monteverde Horizon Blue. It is slightly darker than Kon Peki. Another nice blue is Diamine Blue Velvet.

Both of these are very nice, in particular I have used Horizon a lot, which has a touch of turquoise in it and therefore shades with a slightly brighter tint although still remaining a medium blue.

Visconti tends to be more purple, a typical alternative is Aurora blue, very easy to clean.

For a darker blue GvFC Cobalt blue is a really nice deep blue.

All of these behave well and I have not experienced clogging or particular dryness.

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