Pelikan Blue-Black

[WyattS]

This the second of my 2 bottles of Ink (I got started pretty recently :embarrassed_smile: ) and I like it quite a bit. It responds well to the many different kinds of paper that I am presented with throughout my day, save the very cheap. I have used it so much in my Waterman Phileas that I've actually gotten a tab bored with it. Very good ink from my limited experience though!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Since I would tag the Phil as a wet writer (I have two), that seems to be a good pen-ink combo.

[stnnorman]

Incredibly thorough review. For someone relatively new to the fountain pen world, this review was a nice "education" into the world of inks. As a result, I went and purchased a bottle. I am thus far pleased with the results and intend to make this a staple ink for daily use. I was curious about the initial comparison to Diamine Midnight. In your experience, are they that similar? My reason for asking is that I am a fan of Diamine inks was wondering if purchasing Midnight would only and essentially duplicate what I now already have.

[lambertiana]

I really like how this ink works in my M600 F nib. Great color, good flow.

 

Last year I asked Pelikan if it is an iron gall ink, and they said that it has a small amount of iron gall (nur ein Hauch, if you understand German).

[jomielll]

Can someone compare Pelikan BB with the Noodler's FPN Starry Night?

[Bo Bo Olson]

Rats...When I started back in fountain pen use after a 40 year lay off, I ran down to the corner store and grabbed the first two Pelikan inks I could find. Blue and Black.

 

That Black is a very good black, but I'm not into black....I expect it to be more than half filled unless I darken other inks, when I die.

 

As a Child In the Almighty Silver Dollar days, I liked Blue-Black much more than black and more than blue. I can remember having bottles of Pelikan...because with the dollar at 4-1 vs the DM, even imported Pelikan was cheaper than Parker or Sheaffer. Then I knew nothing of exchange rates living in the States, Pelikan was Cheap ink, and worked good. As a child I have a vague recollection of being disappointed, in what my parents bought me, cheap ink, instead of the more expensive there for Better Parker and Sheaffer ink.

Later when I lived in Germany starting at 14...I surely liked Cheap Pelikan ink!

 

...Why I could save a dime here and a dime there, skip lunch or two, have Boy Scout dues due every week (And always be behind in paying said dues) what ever....and get up two silver quarters or a Silver fifty cent piece, so I could, afford to go out on Friday night to a Gasthaus, sit at a table and have a quart and 1/4 of beer.

 

Legal age for beer is and was 16 (18 for hard stuff)...and if the "clique" was mostly 16 and you lied and behaved your self, that was a respectable buzz for a once a week drinker.

Pelikan was much cheaper in Germany than in the States.

 

Pelikan is for me, now, a "inexpensive" ink, in that I still live in Germany.

 

 

 

What was not stressed was the papers used, along with the nib width and flex.

 

"this ink works best in wet vintage pens of generous or flexy nibs."

 

In that I have one "F-1" flexy nib, and 10 semi-flex, from OB, KOB, B, a few M's and an OF, I will have to get that ink.

 

In that flexy nib it looks very black...not much blue, I do have a nib that is barely semi-flex, so I can/will see I hope many differences.

 

 

Does the ink Shade...or Shade Well? Does any one else have any experience in it's shading?

 

""I found the nicest results with this ink in a fairly wet Faber-Castell Ambition with B point. The hues went from a nice dark BB to an almost royal blue.""

And I have a Geha 725 Goldschwing (Gold Wing) semi-flex B, needing an "Ink of it's Own".

 

 

About old Piston fillers ... I am ever so glad the second I run the nib under cold water to start cleaning them, when they have Pelikan Blue.

I can have hopes the "corking" is still alive.

[Ondina]

Are their any problems with water resistant inks..being stored in pens for a long time...in pens that may not be used that much?

 

Most vintage pens in Europe have the very Pelikan BB in them. Given how easily it washes off pens over 50 years old I would say it is not problem at all.

 

Great review. How does it compare to MB blue-black (now evidently discontinued)? They seem very similar.

 

Mont-Blanc BB ( now Midnight Blue) turns much darker while Pelikan BB turns more gray.

Edited September 26, 2010 by Ondina

[lapis]

Pelikan BB ( now Midnight Blue) turns much darker while Pelikan BB turns more gray.

Actually, "Pelikan BB (now Midnight Blue)" should read "MB BB (now Midnight Blue)" .

 

Hugh

[piembi]

Are their any problems with water resistant inks..being stored in pens for a long time...in pens that may not be used that much?

 

Most vintage pens in Europe have the very Pelikan BB in them. Given how easily it washes off pens over 50 years old I would say it is not problem at all.

 

I am always grateful if it is somne blue or blueblack that's ink clogged in a vintage pen. No problem with cleaning out the ink. Black ink is quite another story - not to talk about red!

[Ondina]

Pelikan BB ( now Midnight Blue) turns much darker while Pelikan BB turns more gray.

Actually, "Pelikan BB (now Midnight Blue)" should read "MB BB (now Midnight Blue)" .

 

Hugh

 

You're correct, Lapis. I meant Mont Blanc turns black, while Pelikan ages grey. Thank you for the proofreading.

[Ondina]

Incredibly thorough review. For someone relatively new to the fountain pen world, this review was a nice "education" into the world of inks. As a result, I went and purchased a bottle. I am thus far pleased with the results and intend to make this a staple ink for daily use. I was curious about the initial comparison to Diamine Midnight. In your experience, are they that similar? My reason for asking is that I am a fan of Diamine inks was wondering if purchasing Midnight would only and essentially duplicate what I now already have.

 

The pictures are taken under poor artificial light and do not reflect the colors very accuratedly, but I will try to repeat them tomorrow. The original was undergoing and extended UV & chemical agents extended test. I hope it helps, and as soon as the natural light pics are available, they will be published.

.http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q347/Ondina_2008/Pelikan%20BB/IMG_2139.jpg

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q347/Ondina_2008/Pelikan%20BB/IMG_2140.jpg

Edited September 26, 2010 by Ondina

[Ondina]

Bo Bo, the ink shades nicely and the price is the very lowest per ml anywhere I'd bought it, Europe, North America, Asia....Pelikan inks would be perfect if they weren't dry. (But for Brilliant Red color, I just can't help it...)

[DanielB]

The pictures are taken under poor artificial light and do not reflect the colors very accuratedly, but I will try to repeat them tomorrow. The original was undergoing and extended UV & chemischal agents extended test. I hope it helps, and as soon as the natural light pics are available, they will be published.

 

 

Sounds like an interesting test. Is it meant to include European blue-black inks? Looking forward to seeing the results.

Cheers

[Ondina]

 

 

Sounds like an interesting test. Is it meant to include European blue-black inks? Looking forward to seeing the results.

Cheers

 

Hi DanielB, the sheet has just a few Blue-Blacks that I use regularly ( and the test is just a humble one; pH, 6months of Western Hemisphere south oriented UV light from April to Sept., different papers, exposure to common chemicals in a gas chamber and under usual storage conditions). I meant the pictures I have just uploaded will be retaken with good natural light to be able to show the member asking for a comparison to Diamine's Midnight Blue an accurate color comparison. But I can PM you my conclusions on the home made testing if you're interested.

[DanielB]

Hi DanielB, the sheet has just a few Blue-Blacks that I use regularly ( and the test is just a humble one; pH, 6months of Western Hemisphere south oriented UV light from April to Sept., different papers, exposure to common chemicals in a gas chamber and under usual storage conditions). I meant the pictures I have just uploaded will be retaken with good natural light to be able to show the member asking for a comparison to Diamine's Midnight Blue an accurate color comparison. But I can PM you my conclusions on the home made testing if you're interested.

 

That would be great. Lately I have become more interested in blue-blacks and iron gall inks. Thanks for sharing your humble, but knowledgeable, experience.

Speak soon

[Ondina]

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q347/Ondina_2008/Pelikan%20BB/IMG_2144.jpgStnnorman, here are the pictures under natural light ( the original paper has been directly exposed to natural light, south oriented. Midnight has been not. I hope it helps.

 

 

http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q347/Ondina_2008/Pelikan%20BB/IMG_2145.jpghttp://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q347/Ondina_2008/Pelikan%20BB/IMG_2143.jpg

[Bo Bo Olson]

I just ran 8 nibs through Pelikan Blue black.

 

Nail OB, a light blue gray.

Nail Medium A 'black' blue gray.

 

Regular F, a blue black an OK color.

Regular M, more a black blue

 

Semi-flex F, more black than blue; a grayed black, tinged with grayed blue..

Semi flex wet writing KM, a darker black-blue.

Semi-flex KOB dryer than the KM dried bluer than it went on, but still more a black blue.

 

F-1 maxi-semi-flex or barely Flexible was a fine rich blue black with black trails...the shade I want.

 

Very unexpected in one way...the Regular fine was a OK shade of blue black...the semi-flex Fine was a grayed black...and because of that I'd expected a black tone, not the rich blue with black trails.

This is a nib that dances the Polka with that ink.

 

That was on mediocre Xerox 80 g/sm copy paper.

 

 

9 nibs, nine shades...I can't wait to get the full set of 15 papers I wish to drag nibs and inks over....

That could confuse me more than normal. :roflmho:

[freewheelingvagabond]

The Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black looks great. A brilliant blue-black, dark, dusky and cool with a hint of gray.

[stauffert]

....Pelikan inks would be perfect if they weren't dry.

 

Try adding a surfactant or something that contains a large quantity of a surfactant, such as dish detergent (preferably not one that is ammonia based). Only a very small quantity should be required - one or two drops per 50 mL of ink should do the trick.

[scrawlhand]

One or two drops might be already too much... Take a toothpick and dip it in dishwashing detergent (just the tip), then stir in your ink bottle with it. I did this with Pelikan blue-black, and the effect was significant.