Sheaffer's Skrip Jet Black

[Ondina]

Slovenian Skrip Jet Black cartridge on Miquel Ríus 70 gr. paper with a Sheaffer No-Nonsense F italic nib.

 

This is a very reasonably priced ink sold in bottles and cartridges that performs quite well in most papers, has quite decent UV and waterfastness properties, is nor utterly dry nor very wet, dries in a reasonable amount of time, and behaves well. Is a low maintenance ink. Quite Black -not as much as Aurora, but more than Pelikan-, is an understated ink that deserves to be mentioned more often as a quality option for fountain pen users.

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q347/Ondina_2008/Inks/Topbmp.jpg

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q347/Ondina_2008/Inks/Top.jpg

[jbn10161]

Your review has convinced me to try this ink.

 

And your handwriting is extraordinary! More, please!

[RLTodd]

When I have trouble with other inks on certain papers or in certain pens, this is one I always try. Very well behaved.

 

Impressed with your hand.

 

 

[lovemy51]

hi ondina. lovely hand writing! the skrip black is a good ink. it's in my P51 special right now.

[Ondina]

Thank you for the kind & encouraging comments. If any praise is deserved, should go to a lovely and wise group of ladies -family and basic school teachers- that I had the fortune to enjoy in my childhood.

Sheaffer seems to be doing a good job in this their second period -EU made- and if their first period -US made- were classics, the present ones are very close if not the same. Link to the available color range: http://www.sheaffer.com/refills/ink/

RLTodd, you're pointed out a virtue of this ink, behaves well in an ample range of papers.

Edited July 14, 2009 by Ondina

[psfred]

Hmmmm. May have to try that, as I found the old US Skrip Jet Black to be more of a medium gray than a black. Otherwise a near perfect ink, but too pale to be really black (ditto for Quink Black for that matter).

 

Just what I need, more ink....

 

Peter

[Randal6393]

Great review of an excellent ink. As you say, the "black of black" inks. Love the flourishing on the ascenders and descenders.

 

Thanks,

[PatientType]

Ondina,

Thank you for that excellent review. I like the hand written one's better and the hand written ones that one can clearly read, like this one, are a treat.

 

I'd gotten the impression that Schaeffer inks were of lesser quality that other brands. I've read so many good things about Noodlers, Omas, and some of the others but little about this brand. Thank you for focusing my attention on it so that I can give it a try.

[Goodwhiskers]

I'd gotten the impression that Schaeffer inks were of lesser quality that other brands. I've read so many good things about Noodlers, Omas, and some of the others but little about this brand. Thank you for focusing my attention on it so that I can give it a try.

The new Skrip inks do indeed perform well in pens and on bad paper (especially the red, blue, blue-black, and black) and look good (all colors). They're even close to pH neutral, which perhaps good for pens with aluminum and non-stainless steel parts. I like the new formulae much more than the old ones.

 

It's the puzzlingly small investment in marketing by the parent company, Bic, that has made the bottled ink hard to find on shelves in brick-and-mortar shops. Bic, the brand's owner, has not helped the reputation of the brand.

[trent]

Ondina,

Thank you for that excellent review. I like the hand written one's better and the hand written ones that one can clearly read, like this one, are a treat.

 

I'd gotten the impression that Schaeffer inks were of lesser quality that other brands. I've read so many good things about Noodlers, Omas, and some of the others but little about this brand. Thank you for focusing my attention on it so that I can give it a try.

 

Oh, no, Skrip is wonderful ink, both vintage and modern. I count it among the best that I have tried, including Aurora, Pelikan, Faber-Castell and Omas. Both Noodlers and PR made my pens leak. The vintage bottles of Skrip with the built-in inkwell are particularly nice. I do not like the contemporary Skrip packaging at all, but the ink, made, I think, in Slovenia now, continues to be first rate. Yes, do give it a try---if you can find it!

[pelman]

Just got this ink. Can't wait to try it out. Beautiful handwriting.

[Vipersdad]

Interesting thread.

 

I have two bottles of Scrip that are over 50 years old, and could be much older. A Dark Blue and Black, they were in my grandmothers desk along with some vintage fountain pens that I had refurbished. I would be interested to know if their formula has stayed the same. Right now I am running them in a couple of Lamy's for work use. Both inks have exceptional flow and nice color. The glass bottles still have the paper labels on and the caps were tight so the ink did not dry out in the bottles.

 

Vipersdad

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks for the reminder that I need to pick up some of this ink. (It comes in that sort of bottom-heavy bottle, right?)

 

And thanks for the nice review!

[bwnewton]

I use this ink for my "daily" journal (Rhodia Webbie or Exacompta Basics) in a MB 144 Classique with a cursive italic F nib. The combination is excellent. I very much appreciate the water-resistance of this ink; works great for addressing envelopes. The user-friendly bottle and price are pros as well.

[bogiesan]

Interesting thread.I have two bottles of Scrip that are over 50 years old, and could be much older. A Dark Blue and Black, they were in my grandmothers desk along with some vintage fountain pens that I had refurbished. I would be interested to know if their formula has stayed the same. Right now I am running them in a couple of Lamy's for work use. Both inks have exceptional flow and nice color. The glass bottles still have the paper labels on and the caps were tight so the ink did not dry out in the bottles.

Vipersdad

 

Skrip is the ink my father always used. I remember distinctly watching him tip the bottle to fill the reservoir at the top, dip his fountain pen into it and do something magical to the barrel.

Great that you had the common sense to hold onto the bottles! I quite stupidly tossed several old Skrip bottles (red, blue, blue-black, and violet) when cleaning out a couple of old drafting desks several years ago. Stupid.

You can research the Slovenian connection to the new formulation of Sheaffer inks by searching the forums. We really miss the old peacock blue and emerald green but the current red seems to be a slight improvement if I read the comments correctly.

 

I'm running Herbin 1670 red these days.

 

david boise ID

[impossiblebird]

I was recently given a bottle of this ink, along with a Sheaffer Prelude which had been exclusively run on it, by a friend who complained the pen was no longer working. After a week in soak and a great deal of tugging, I managed to extract nib and feed; what a mess! I know for a fact she's not owned the pen for long, but it was completely choked. Something I've never managed with Penman or Noodler inks. And yet I can find nothing wrong with the ink in the bottle.

 

And for me there's a definite red/purple element to the colour on the page (in this review and 'in the flesh'), which I've separated out on blots. Some people seem to disagree, or believe this is only true of the old formulation.

[Korybas]

Very good review, convinced me to give it a try with this ink.

Your handwriting is simply breathtaking! I liked your sure strokes!

 

Aris

[amyx231]

the ink is okay. but i wanna learn ur handwriting!

can u do a youtube video? (half serious)

[Gobblecup]

I found two bottles of black scrip at hobby lobby for $6.59 each. I only bought one and haven't tried it yet, but looking over these reviews of black scrip I may go back for the second and keep this ink as a good safe balck staple.

[ticoun]

I was recently given a bottle of this ink, along with a Sheaffer Prelude which had been exclusively run on it, by a friend who complained the pen was no longer working. After a week in soak and a great deal of tugging, I managed to extract nib and feed; what a mess! I know for a fact she's not owned the pen for long, but it was completely choked. Something I've never managed with Penman or Noodler inks. And yet I can find nothing wrong with the ink in the bottle.

 

And for me there's a definite red/purple element to the colour on the page (in this review and 'in the flesh'), which I've separated out on blots. Some people seem to disagree, or believe this is only true of the old formulation.

 

yes, there's a bit of purple in that ink. when you dilute it, it becomes purple, and places where it bled through the paper will also look a bit reddish/purplish. very well behaved ink, and very, very dark.