Subversive Inks- For When You Want To Break The Blue/black Chains.

[A Smug Dill]

I need a subversive ink. Something that passes for black, blue, or blue-black, but has enough of something else involved to make it at least a little interesting.

 

Noodler's Aircorp Blue Black, which isn't blue-black.

Add Noodler's Blue Ghost to it for that something else involved.

 

Or, personally, I'd go for Diamine Iridescink Christine, which is blue-black, or Jalur Gemilang, which is a green-leaning blue, when both are apt to exhibit sheen all over the place.

Edited August 26, 2020 by A Smug Dill

[corniche]

Hi Flaxmoore,

 

Check out Diamine Twilight:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/184085-diamine-twilight-expanded-format/

 

 

- Sean

[evyxmsj]

Eclipse as suggested above. I found KWZ Hunter Green basically black (if you want a 'green' option), but could depend on the pen.

[txomsy]

If you do not need permanence, then why not try a red disguised as blue? OS Nitrogen is a gorgeous blue with a strong red sheen. Depending on the angle of light.

 

If you want permanence and do not mind the higher maintenance, Noodler's Baystate Blue is an electrical blue that will break your routine.

 

A permanent grey is also a subversive color, like Noodler's Lexington Grey or any other permanent one.

 

For a non-subversive, lively ink, I find that Koh-I-Noor permanent blue is a lot of fun. You fill in your pen and it comes out teal blue. Depending on how much you write, it it takes a chance to stay in the ink a couple of weeks, as it oxydizes, it becomes a darker until it becomes dark blue, which means your note taking looks different as time passes (it preserves the color it came out).

[rudyhou]

may i suggest a deep dark brown ink, if you willing to venture on a different color hue. the following are dark enough leaning towards black:

Diamine Chocolate, Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Guri, Sailor Do-You.

 

if you'd like to see a bit more color but without looking like black, both Diamine Grey and Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quarts are still formal and appropriate for daily use at work.

[Runnin_Ute]

If you can find it how about Lamy Petrol? A very dark blue leaning green. In a fine nib it looks black. In a wider nib it's true color comes out.

[Shaggy]

Sailor shigure is a lovely deep purple that's almost black.

 

PM me if you want a sample.

[picautomaton]

Prussian Blue ( Diamine ) is a lovely different blue.

JHerbin Blues de Profondoteur is also a beautiful dark blue.

[GreenMountain]

Diamine Midnight Hour is a beautiful dark blue with dark red sheen. I think the sheen would qualify as subversive. PM me if you want a sample.

One caviat: I have a Platinum EF that doesn't like it...it dries out and has to be re-started with a drop of water. A Pilot F loves it, so I think it's just that particular Platinum that isn't happy with it.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/352894-diamine-inkvent-inks-available-as-the-blue-range-from-monday-30th-march-2020/page-3

[GreenMountain]

Diamine Midnight Hour is a beautiful dark blue with dark red sheen. I think the sheen would qualify as subversive. PM me if you want a sample.

One caviat: I have a Platinum EF that doesn't like it...it dries out and has to be re-started with a drop of water. A Pilot F loves it, so I think it's just that particular Platinum that isn't happy with it.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/352894-diamine-inkvent-inks-available-as-the-blue-range-from-monday-30th-march-2020/page-3

[rosa_m]

Sailor Miruai

[amberleadavis]

Sailor Miruai

 

 

OOO yes, that is a wonderful ink.

[aurore]

Kobe Kitanozaka and Kano-Machi. Both are blue/blue-black but so dark that go almost grey. Both offer a lot of sheen on non-absorbent paper. Both are very fade resistant.
Definitely not a standard Blue-Black.

Edited September 15, 2020 by aurore

[Flaxmoore]

Went for four samples to start things off.

 

Noodler's Zhivago, KTC, El Lawrence and Diamine Twilight.

 

Zhivago has been excellent so far. Just enough of a hint of green to satisfy the subversion in my soul.

[chromantic]

My first choice would be Miruai. Diamine Deep Forest is similar but lighter enough so that it's green is more obvious. Yama-guri and Diamine Macassar are both very dark browns but, again, recognizable as brown. Petrol is the really what you're looking for but, as has been said, likely unobtainable but Verdigris or Air Corps Blue-black might be an acceptable substitutes.

[NomadUK]

I second the recommendation of Lamy Petrol. Sadly, I haven't used the real thing, but I have used a recipe for what appears to be a very close substitute, which I found on this site a year or two ago, which is available here. It makes use of two Iroshizuku inks from Pilot, it's beautiful, and I use it all the time.

[Intensity]

For a non-subversive, lively ink, I find that Koh-I-Noor permanent blue is a lot of fun. You fill in your pen and it comes out teal blue. Depending on how much you write, it it takes a chance to stay in the ink a couple of weeks, as it oxydizes, it becomes a darker until it becomes dark blue, which means your note taking looks different as time passes (it preserves the color it came out).

Do you have a link for that exact blue ink? I was trying to find information about Koh-I-Noor permanent blue, and I see theres a Document series. One commenter on FPN said thats what they think is a cellulose-reactive ink, which wouldnt have the darkening properties of iron gall that youre describing.

[Karmachanic]

Found one today in the form of a sample; Noodler's Burma Road Brown.

[bunnspecial]

I have to admit that blues and blacks with a different colored sheen remind me a bit too much of Bic ballpoints, where the blue and black both have their own sheen that's similar to some of the inks I've seen.

 

That's not to say that they still wouldn't be "subversive", but to me they toe the line the one property that they have in common with Bic pens makes me want to not look at them.

 

Other things I can think of that might pass-the jury is still out overall for me on gray inks, but they are "not black" but still a conservative color. I've been playing with Lexington Gray more recently, but I also like the look of Edelstein Moonstone(although it might be too "not black" to catch attention).

 

If I'm limited to blue or black, and want to do something different, I tend to like to stay within the rules but still have fun with my colors. Baystate Blue is a nearly perfect ink for this. It's unquestionably blue, but also jumps off the page.

 

Something else you can do to keep things interesting and still toe the line is to use a nice shading ink. That's something that I can at least enjoy looking at and has a lot of subtleties to keep it interesting, but is still within the rules. Of course you've ruled out iron galls, even though the ones I use mostly shade nicely. I find the Edelstein inks to shade nicely across the board, and love sapphire.

[MisterMeaner]

Can confirm with Proctor’s Ledge.

 

I actually used it to write the name of a donor in the pastedown or flyleaf of books he donated to a State Historical Society I volunteer at, and the cataloger I work with never batted an eye.

 

Great thread, I’ll need to assemble everyone else’s suggestions for my own stash.