Permanent Ink Recommendation?

[gwet432]

Hello all!

I don't really know which category this falls into, so i'll post it here. I'm looking for an ink that is dye based, relatively fade/water resistant, that does not corrode a pen if filled for an extended time (let's say 2-3 weeks) and is blue/blue-black/black (or any other color you would consider as work appropriate). Any recommendations?

[dcwaites]

Pilot Blue-Black.

 

I don't know of any ink that would start to corrode a pen in only a few weeks.

[Noihvo]

[gwet432]

Pilot Blue-Black.

 

I don't know of any ink that would start to corrode a pen in only a few weeks.

 

I was thinking of iron-galls as they are permanent and water proof but to my knowledge kind of harsh on some pens (due to the acid), although I have never used them and have zero experience.

 

 

THIS actually surprised me... I like it!

[T4TEXAS]

I keep R&K Salix in one gold nibbed pen continuously and flush the pen only every six months or so. No problems.If it was steel nibbed, I might feel the need to do it a little more often.

[estie1948]

I highly recommend Noodler's Old Manhattan Black Black. I have used it for several years for my official work reports. I have not had any problems with it in any of my pens. I have not had any complaints at the office. Ignore all the scary stories about damage done to fountain pens by Noodler's inks. Old Manhattan Black Black has caused no damage to any of my pens (1930's onward vintage pens nor modern pens).

 

-David (Estie).

[alexander_k]

I've been using R&K Salix and KWZ IG Blue #1 for some time now and in several pens without any problems, so I guess that there are enough safe permanent inks around. How about permanent paper?

[gwet432]

Ok so it looks like IG is the way to go, how long could you leave IG ink in a steel nibbed pen without flushing? As I said, I have no experience with iron gall, I only heard that it can ruin some pens.

[alexander_k]

Modern IG inks like the R&K and KWZ products appear to be quite safe for steel nibs and the internal works of most pens.

[KellyMcJ]

Pilot Blue Black is my current favorite. Diamine Registrar's is my former favorite. Registrar's is higher maintenance however both are highly water resistant, if not water proof and relatively trouble free. Registrar's stains converters (at least temporarily) if that's something that concerns you.

[Arkanabar]

If I was going to have just one ink, it would probably be Pilot Blue-Black, regularly filling a sample vial from one of their 350ml soda bottles, and my pen from the sample vial. It's really well-behaved, has high water resistance and good fade resistance. It's very much on the blue end of the blue-to-black range, but it's quite subdued, and entirely work-appropriate. See Sandy1's definitive review.

[wallylynn]

 

Ok so it looks like IG is the way to go, how long could you leave IG ink in a steel nibbed pen without flushing? As I said, I have no experience with iron gall, I only heard that it can ruin some pens.

 

 

 

IG inks are troublesome not due to the acid. Lots of inks are acidic but no one told you. Nibs are made of rust resistant stainless steel, not plain steel.

 

 

The trouble with IG is that the permanence is due to physical iron particles. Let the pen dry out, and it'll clog when the iron comes out of solution.

 

 

That said, as long as you use your pen aka don't let it dry out, refill your pen (fresh acid to dissolve particles), flush your pens to remove existing particles, it'll be fine.

 

Note: don't use old-fashioned IG ink. Those are for dip-pen only.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hello all,

 

Believe it or not; I'm quite fond of humble, underdog Monteverde Permanent Document Blue.

 

Its affordable, well mannered, well lubed and free flowing... and I leave it sitting for months in a Bauer 388 and it's never gummed up on me. The color isn't bad looking, either.

 

- Anthony

 

EDIT: It's IG-free, too.

Edited June 18, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[KellyMcJ]

Hello all,

 

Believe it or not; I'm quite fond of humble, underdog Monteverde Permanent Document Blue.

 

Its affordable, well mannered, well lubed and free flowing... and I leave it sitting for months in a Bauer 388 and it's never gummed up on me. The color isn't bad looking, either.

 

- Anthony

 

EDIT: It's IG-free, too.

Oooh that's gorgeous! I may have to try that one!

[ParkerDuofold]

Oooh that's gorgeous! I may have to try that one!

Hi Kelly, (et al),

 

I quite agree. Please excuse my pitiful photography and so-so penmanship....

 

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

 

http://i.imgur.com/wU64KQg.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/76XwWB8.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/RSjp4IO.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/gl0pDpO.jpg

 

 

I've been really enjoying this ink and I've left it in a B-388 for a couple of months straight with only intermittent use and have had no problems.

 

 

- Anthony

Edited June 19, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[Almu]

Hello all,

 

Believe it or not; I'm quite fond of humble, underdog Monteverde Permanent Document Blue.

 

Its affordable, well mannered, well lubed and free flowing... and I leave it sitting for months in a Bauer 388 and it's never gummed up on me. The color isn't bad looking, either.

 

- Anthony

 

EDIT: It's IG-free, too.

 

 

Hi Kelly, (et al),

 

I quite agree. Please excuse my pitiful photography and so-so penmanship....

 

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

 

http://i.imgur.com/wU64KQg.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/76XwWB8.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/RSjp4IO.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/gl0pDpO.jpg

 

 

I've been really enjoying this ink and I've left it in a B-388 for a couple of months straight with only intermittent use and have had no problems.

 

 

- Anthony

 

How saturated is this ink? Slightly hard to tell from those photos, they're a bit dark for me. I think I see some shading there, though?

 

I've been using Monteverde Documental Black ink for a while now, initially I was a bit let down by the color (it's really not black at all, more like graphite) but I soon started to like it a lot. Very water-resistant, doesn't show any signs of fading after two months in the sun, flows very nicely, writes super smooth... One of my favorite inks for sure!

[EH86055]

I was thinking of iron-galls as they are permanent and water proof but to my knowledge kind of harsh on some pens (due to the acid), although I have never used them and have zero experience.

 

 

 

THIS actually surprised me... I like it!

Noodler's 'bulletproof' inks are the best in my limited ink experience,but Montblanc inks,though not advertised as so,are quite permanent too. Extra bit of useless information: Cheap Parker ink isn't permanent,but I think we all know that.

[ParkerDuofold]

How saturated is this ink? Slightly hard to tell from those photos, they're a bit dark for me. I think I see some shading there, though?

 

I've been using Monteverde Documental Black ink for a while now, initially I was a bit let down by the color (it's really not black at all, more like graphite) but I soon started to like it a lot. Very water-resistant, doesn't show any signs of fading after two months in the sun, flows very nicely, writes super smooth... One of my favorite inks for sure!

Hi Almu,

 

Yes, despite the use of a flash;

everything is hard to tell in my photography... I'm a student of the "black & what" school.

 

This ink will give you some shading, (which I like); it's not super-saturated, (like Noodlers inks),... but it won't clog up your pens, either. It's also not difficult to flush out.

 

I've never used their black version, so I can't really comment on that; except to say that the general performance characteristics that you enjoy in the black version can also be found here in the blue one**.

 

Hope this helps; if you have any other questions, please lmk.

 

- Anthony

 

 

**: No comments on fade; I never tested for it.

Edited June 19, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[MarkTrain]

 

I was thinking of iron-galls as they are permanent and water proof but to my knowledge kind of harsh on some pens (due to the acid), although I have never used them and have zero experience.

 

 

 

Modern iron-gall inks should be safe to use, however, like any permanent ink, if you leave a pen with it for long times you can cause problems. As far a vintage pens go, iron-gall inks should be safe as iron-gall inks were quite commonly used when these pens were made. (One cannot say the same thing with modern pens as they often come with plated sections or plated trim rings on the section).

Edited June 19, 2017 by MarkTrain

[KellyMcJ]

Hi Kelly, (et al),

 

I quite agree. Please excuse my pitiful photography and so-so penmanship....

 

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

 

http://i.imgur.com/wU64KQg.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/76XwWB8.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/RSjp4IO.jpg

 

http://i.imgur.com/gl0pDpO.jpg

 

 

I've been really enjoying this ink and I've left it in a B-388 for a couple of months straight with only intermittent use and have had no problems.

 

 

- Anthony

 

So cool! I'm definitely picking up a bottle, and probably the black too. I am not a fan of *black* and prefer grey. I'll start with the blue though, I'm a sucker for anything dark blue/blue black.