Rotring - Artpen Black Ink

[nickkos]

Hello!

 

I'm using the Rotring ArtPen for sometime now, and wondered what would happen if i used it's ink with a common fountain pen. After all, the artpen has a stainless steel nib, so what could possibly go wrong with a Lamy

Please forgive me for any mistakes, since i'm knew to this whole fountain pen thing (i've been using a fountain pen for many years, but never paid any attention to it's brand and/or ink until recently).

 

Cheers

 

http://i.imgur.com/VMxAX.jpg

[Pen Nut]

I also make use of this ink when I can. It really is a great black ink and underestimated in my opinion.

[anibalgb]

Hi, I agree with you. Excelent black. I wish it came in bottles as well.

[amberleadavis]

Welcome aboard! Thank you.

[Cassotto]

Is this ink still available? I haven't been able to find the cartridges for a long time now.

 

[Lithium466]

Last I bought some was around a year ago, and it looks it's now unavailable, discontinued maybe?

On the other end, the last pack of cartridges (which I haven't tried yet) I bought were made in France, so is the ink really different than Waterman/Parker black (currently produced, not whatever existed in the past)?

[Cassotto]

On 5/3/2025 at 1:42 PM, Lithium466 said:

Last I bought some was around a year ago, and it looks it's now unavailable, discontinued maybe?

 

For me, it was longer ago. I have got some cartridges left, but I regret not buying more. I hope that they're not really discontinued, and that there's some sort of temporary shortage owing to whatever reason.

 

[Lithium466]

18 hours ago, Cassotto said:

 

For me, it was longer ago. I have got some cartridges left, but I regret not buying more. I hope that they're not really discontinued, and that there's some sort of temporary shortage owing to whatever reason.

 

Did you compare that ink to other blacks? That's one of my many projects that never come to fruition.

Judging by the great ink reorganising at Newell Rubbermaid (or whatever it's called nowadays), it would make sense for this Rotring ink to be either discontinued, or just the same (now) as Parker/Waterman black.

(Big ink corporations looking to save a buck can contact me anytime for ink cheapening advice!)

[Cassotto]

On 5/7/2025 at 11:55 AM, Lithium466 said:

Did you compare that ink to other blacks? That's one of my many projects that never come to fruition.

 

I'm not a big user of black inks, and I've only got -apart from the Rotring cartridges- Parker Quink and ST Dupont. Between this, it's the Dupont that looks and feels more like the Rotring ink. I do hope they won't make it look like Parker / Waterman, which, to me aren't black enough.

 

A friend from another forum made this comparison among different black inks (I sent him some samples, but for some reason -perhaps that I'm reluctant to part with the few I've got left- I didn't send him any Rotring cartridges, so it isn't there).

 

 

 

 

[Lithium466]

There were several versions of the Rotring ink along the years, sadly I doubt the latest made in France is much different from Waterman or (latest) Parker black, since it's from NR.

I'm thinking maybe Pelikan Fount India could be a good match, at least visually, to the old German made Rotring ink.

 

Did you see this review:

 

In the inks I would have considered to replace, there's Aurora black, Pilot Iroshizuku Take Sumi, J. Herbin perle noire, and Private Reserve Ultra Black.

[Cassotto]

9 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

There were several versions of the Rotring ink along the years, sadly I doubt the latest made in France is much different from Waterman or (latest) Parker black, since it's from NR.

 

 

My house is absolute chaos; you can't imagine to what degree. This means I have no idea where the box where I keep the cartridges may be. But I have found that the latest I bought were from 2015. I don't know whether it's possible to know whether they were German- or French-made.

 

 

I've never tried Waterman black, but I do dislike Parker Quink. Not black enough. With the Rotring cartridges and the ArtPen fountain pen, it was almost like writing with my beloved Variant technical pens. I think that's what I expect from a black ink: very black, very saturated.

 

Thanks a lot for the interesting Rotring Brilliant review. I have got a soft spot for everything Rotring, so I enjoyed it. It's a pity it's not made any more. I've also got a soft spot for cats, so that's a bonus.

 

Is there a huge difference between Pelikan 4001 and Pelikan Fount India? I understand the latter is permanent, but is it much blacker?

 

 

[Lithium466]

I shared the same fondness for the brand, and writing with an Artpen fp and some Rotring Brillant black ink brings back so many memories.

 

Based on my perception of that ink/pen pairing, I was thinking Pelikan Fount India would be a better match than the (boring?) 4001 black. But first, and if you haven't already, I encourage you to try Iroshizuku Take Sumi, Aurora black, and maybe Herbin perle noire. I can send you samples if you want.

Sometimes it's just not in "blacker", but also in the "texture" on the page..I don't know how to explain.

[Mercian]

As this topic has attracted recent replies, here is a copy of the OP, with the photo restored.

Enjoy!

-----

Hello!

 

I'm using the Rotring ArtPen for sometime now, and wondered what would happen if i used it's ink with a common fountain pen. After all, the artpen has a stainless steel nib, so what could possibly go wrong with a Lamy

Please forgive me for any mistakes, since i'm knew to this whole fountain pen thing (i've been using a fountain pen for many years, but never paid any attention to it's brand and/or ink until recently).

 

Cheers

 

 

-----

Obviously, the scan dates to 2010, but I must say that this ink does look very black indeed to me.

 

I am minded to dig-out the box in which my own ArtPen came to me, and to see how much ink is still left inside the two cartridges that came with it. If they look as though they are still viable, I may have to give one a go.

 

Slàinte,
M.

[Cassotto]

4 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

I shared the same fondness for the brand, and writing with an Artpen fp and some Rotring Brillant black ink brings back so many memories.

 

Based on my perception of that ink/pen pairing, I was thinking Pelikan Fount India would be a better match than the (boring?) 4001 black. But first, and if you haven't already, I encourage you to try Iroshizuku Take Sumi, Aurora black, and maybe Herbin perle noire. I can send you samples if you want.

Sometimes it's just not in "blacker", but also in the "texture" on the page..I don't know how to explain.

 

I will try those inks you mention. I can get some Aurora and Herbin, and I think I know someone that can provide me with some Pilot Iroshizuku, too.

 

The ArtPen is my only Rotring fountain pen. I was on the verge of buying myself a Renaissance, but I was told that it's prone to get cracked.

 

Anyway, I'll keep on looking for the Rotring cartridges, and let you know if I find they're available again... And if they look like the old ones or not.

 

[Mercian]

14 minutes ago, Cassotto said:

 

I will try those inks you mention. I can get some Aurora and Herbin, and I think I know someone that can provide me with some Pilot Iroshizuku, too.

 

The ArtPen is my only Rotring fountain pen. I was on the verge of buying myself a Renaissance, but I was told that it's prone to get cracked.

 

Anyway, I'll keep on looking for the Rotring cartridges, and let you know if I find they're available again... And if they look like the old ones or not.

 

 

I wish you good luck, but I am fairly sure that the cartrdiges have been discontinued.

I also think that the ArtPen is now discontinued, along with all of rOtring's other fountain pens

[Cassotto]

2 hours ago, Mercian said:

 

I wish you good luck, but I am fairly sure that the cartrdiges have been discontinued.

I also think that the ArtPen is now discontinued, along with all of rOtring's other fountain pens

 

Well, their website shows no fountain pen, so you may be right. But AliExpress sells ArtPens (may they be fake?).

 

 

[Mercian]

2 hours ago, Cassotto said:

But AliExpress sells ArtPens (may they be fake?)

 

I wouldn't know without seeing one.
It is of course possible that a seller on AliExpress may have found/bought a fairly large number of unused 'new old stock' ArtPens.

[Lithium466]

18 hours ago, Cassotto said:

 

I will try those inks you mention. I can get some Aurora and Herbin, and I think I know someone that can provide me with some Pilot Iroshizuku, too.

 

The ArtPen is my only Rotring fountain pen. I was on the verge of buying myself a Renaissance, but I was told that it's prone to get cracked.

 

Anyway, I'll keep on looking for the Rotring cartridges, and let you know if I find they're available again... And if they look like the old ones or not.

 

Best of luck, and I hope you find a suitable ink (please tell us if that's the case!)

 

I forgot to mention Sailor black, that @LizEF mentioned, IMO it can get there but only after it "matured" or evaporated a bit in the pen.