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Need A Black


Sefrez

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I'm looking for a black ink but am unsure of what exactly to get considering all the factors:

1. BLACK! Darkest possible. :)

2. Limited to no shading.

3. Limited to no feathering.

4. Good Flow.

5. Is safe to put in a Cross Townsend 23k!

 

Waterproof or not does not matter to me. What would be suggested? I'm thinking it might would be a noodler's ink, though they make many, it seems.

 

Thanks.

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You can't go wrong with Noodler's Black. It's a mainstay for me; I've used it in everything.

 

If you pen is a bit of a dry writer, then Heart of Darkness might be a better choice. Private Reserve Invincible Black is also extraordinarily dark black.

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For my money you cant go wrong with Noodler's Old Manhattan. Its a FPH exclusive, but it is eternal. Dark, and in my opinion, darker than Heart of Darkness.

 

J. Herbin's Perle Noire is another black that I enjoy using as well. Its not waterproof, but does lay down a nice color.

In order to appreciate the sweet, you must truly taste the bitter....

 

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Edelstein onyx is a really nice black ink

 

+1 on the Edelstein. I'm a novice with inks, but I have been very pleased with how saturated (?) it looks, nice and dark, and seems to flow very well.

 

Aurora is supposed to be a nice black. As someone said, they only put out two colors, but they apparently do them well.

Edited by seahunter
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Aurora is supposed to be a nice black. As someone said, they only put out two colors, but they apparently do them well.

 

I've never had Aurora Black. I know it has a lot of fans. I also heard (on the recent Goulet Write Time video) about how Nathan Tardif conducted blind writing tests at a pen show and found a majority of people preferred Borealis Black over Aurora Black.

 

Aurora Borealis. Get it? :eureka:

 

I tried Borealis Black and found nothing wrong with it, but I'd already gotten used to the bulletproof black inks and didn't see any reason to switch from them.

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Heart Of Darkness is the only Noodler's black ink that I get along with, but it's an _excellent_ ink - it seems to have none of the issues that I have with the others (dries quickly with no smearing, no feather even on newsprint with a B nib) but with the benefits (dense black colour, good flow, lubricating).

 

J Herbin Perle Noire works very well too, I like that a lot. I've used it in some broad, wet pens and it's been terrific. Again, a dense black that's wet and lubricating.

 

If you're not bothered about having the greatest density and huge permanence, standard blacks like Quink and Waterman are fine as well.

Edited by cubic archon
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Sailor Nano Black is the darkest, most well behaved, non-shading, permanent black I've found.

 

I don't have any problems with the other ones suggested except HoD doesn't play well with especially absorbent paper.

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Noodler's X-Feather is what you want. Blacker than Heart of Darkness, better flow, and no feathering (that's why it's called X-Feather). Private Reserve Invincible Black looks and performs almost identically, but will feather a bit on absorbent paper.

 

The only 3 blacks mentioned so far in this thread that I haven't tried are the FPH exclusive Old Manhattan, Edelstein Onyx Black, and the Nano Black. Aurora is very nice, but feathers badly on anything at all absorbent. I personally found HoD to be quite dry, non-lubricating, and dark gray, in multiple pens (maybe I got a bad sample). Perle Noir is a great ink, but not the blackest.

 

Word is the pigment-based blacks (Nano Black, and Kiwa-Guro) are the cat's pajamas as far as blackness and permanence go, but be warned they are higher maintenance inks. You do not want them to dry in a pen that doesn't get used very often.

Edited by TWRDO

Music, verily, is the mediator between intellectual and sensuous life, the one incorporeal entrance into the high world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend. -Ludwig van Beethoven

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Old Manhattan Black is one of the best blacks I've had the pleasure to use. It's blacker than anything I've used, and it's just shy of bulletproof. Unless you're signing million dollar bonds I think its level of permanence should suffice. As for your safety question, Noodler's is actually one of the safer inks out there, the Bay State series not withstanding, due to its neutral Ph levels. Most fountain pen inks are actually on the acidic side of the scale so it should be fine.

Edited by Number3124

Wish-list: Parker 51 India Black Vacumatic. Green Parker Vacumatic Maxima. Visconti Homo Sapien. Aurora Optima and Vintage 88. Lamy 27. Sheaffer Pen For Men V. Moss-Agate Waterman Patrician, Pelikan Souverän M450. I just need to win the lottery now.

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Noodlers Old Manhattan Black (replaced my last favorite black)

Noodlers Heart Of Darkness (which replaced)

Noodlers SwisherMix Nile Ebony

A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out.

 

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Aurora Black, but since it is proving hard to find...

 

Sailor Kiwa Guro (nano) or Herbin Perle Noire depending on budget.

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Can't we just have a separate forum titled: Best Black? Try a search as this question is asked every 10 days, then buy a bottle of J. Herbin Perle Noir. Question answered, problem solved.

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Old Manhattan, Herbin's Perle Noire , Aurora and PR's Invincible. Best blacks I've ever used. HoD is okay but not all that black.

Ask Ether.

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Is Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin any good? I've seen a few threads here comparing it favorably with HoD, but no reviews in the review index yet.

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I'm going to throw in my vote for the Sailor Kiwa-guro Nano Carbon Black as well. I love it.

Help out a poor college student! ^-^' INK SAMPLE CLEARANCE! - Parker Penman Sapphire samples, Palomino Blackwing, Palomino Blackwing 602, and empty vials available.

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I've found Perle Noire to be a bit of a dry writer.

 

A super wet black is PR Ultra black, though

To hold a pen is to be at war

-Voltaire

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Is Noodler's Bad Black Moccasin any good? I've seen a few threads here comparing it favorably with HoD, but no reviews in the review index yet.

A bit slower-drying IME.

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