Recommendation For A Wet Waterproof Ink

[BayesianPrior]

Abstract: I would like a recommendation for a 'wet' waterproof ink or a family of 'dry' normal inks with a variety of colours.

 

 

 

I write small (miniscule characters about 1.5-3mm tall) so I like a very fine nib. I received my first Pelikan M215 last month and 'upgraded' to a gold EF nib. Is the nib ever smooth! But it's also really wet and is more-or-less unuseable for me with any normal inks - I've tried Waterman Florida Blue and Instense Black, as well as Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Green, and they all laid down a thick, wet line. I did try ESSRI and it solved the problem to the extent that I actually enjoyed writing with the pen and I began to notice shading for the first time - I was impressed! The line was still thicker than I had originally wanted.

 

Yesterday I received a steel EF nib and I've been test driving it today. The tipping material on the steel nib looks to be about half the size of the gold nib, and it lays down exactly the kind of line I originally thought I wanted... BUT, it also provides considerably more feedback (no surprise there) and doesn't behave well with a dry ink like ESSRI. It does, however, like Waterman Florida Blue, but it is still nowhere as smooth as the fat gold nib.

 

For context, I'm using either Rhodia 80g or 90g notebooks, or for scrap WH Smith 70g pads. I'm not concerned about performance on crappy copy paper.

 

I really like the waterproof characteristics of ESSRI and the colour, but I don't want to dedicate my new pen exclusively to ESSRI. So, my question is, is there a well-lubricating waterproof ink that will work with my steel nib, or will I be forever swapping nibs (or buying dedicated pens for each type of ink)? Alternatively, is there a range of notoriously dry inks (I've heard Pelikan 4001 but their Brilliant Green didn't impress me with its dryness) that I can use with the gold nib?

 

 

 

[Notgatherox]

Try the Noodler's series.

 

The driest ink out there that I know is 4001, perhaps you may try adjusting your ink flow by squeezing the tines of the nib together instead. Also, because Rhodia is pretty ink resistant (meaning ink sits on the paper rather than get absorbed), you'll find that ink on Rhodia takes longer to dry than say, ink on cheap copier paper.

 

 

 

~Epic

[Davros]

Do you need waterproof (i.e. it doesn't budge at all under water), or just water resistance (legible after exposure)?

[BayesianPrior]

Water resistance is fine...I read somewhere (probably here) that no inks are truly waterproof except perhaps the Noodler's Bulletproof range. I suppose it should be spill resistant for desk work, rain resistant for envelope addressing, and tamper resistant for cheque signing.

[The Good Captain]

I don't think that you can beat Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black.

[Algester]

arent pelikan inks known to be dry?

though I personally use Sailor Kiwaguro if I really need waterproofness and they work find with fine nibs

[Buzz_130]

Pelikan 4001 inks are frequently recommended as a dry ink. Iron gall (IG) inks are also dry inks (as you found out with ESSRI). You don't have to dedicate a pen to IG inks; you just need to be careful with your pen hygiene.

 

With the size of your handwriting, you may also want to look at modern Japanese fountain pens. Comparing nib sizes outside of a particular brand of nibs can be difficult, but an accepted rule of thumb is a Japanese nib runs about one size smaller than their Western counterparts. A Japanese XF would put down a line similar to a Western XXF. As a result, the Japanese lines of inks favor their nibs, but I enjoy using Iroshizuku, Platinum, and Sailor inks in all of my pens.

 

Waterproof or water resistant characteristics will make your search more difficult. Platinum and Sailor nano-pigment inks are excellent, but I wouldn't qualify them as "wet." But they work well in fine nibs.

 

Buzz

[VivienR]

As I heard Platinum regular inks (blue, black) are quite water resistant, but Platinum Carbon Black is always my first choice of black if need to be waterproof. I used it in fine nib and never gave me problem, and its flows really well.

[tinto]

R&K Salix seems dry to me. At least it's an ink I'd test on a Pelikan

[BayesianPrior]

Thank you to everyone for your replies. Of course it makes sense that a Japanese ink sold by a company that produces super fine nibs (saibi togi, for example) would behave well in a fine nib! I have picked up a bottle of Pelikan 4001 Blue Black today as it is easily available, and will order a sample of Sailor Kiwa-Guro and Sei-Boku inks to test. I also have a Sailor Somiko in EF so that will be another good point of reference.