The Perfect Black Ink

[Tas]

So far as I know, there is no ink that is impervious to water, writes on any paper without feathering and bleeding, doesn't smear when dry, and is safe to put in expensive pens. If someone finds that ink, please let me know!

 

- N

Try De Atrementis Document Black. Im confident youll find it ticks all of the above boxes 📦 🙏🏼🤗

[carlos.q]

 

So far as I know, there is no ink that is impervious to water, writes on any paper without feathering and bleeding, doesn't smear when dry, and is safe to put in expensive pens. If someone finds that ink, please let me know!

 

- N

 

Montblanc Permanent Black is the ink you are searching for, as long as you use it in a C/C pen.

[Mercian]

Try De Atrementis Document Black. Im confident youll find it ticks all of the above boxes 📦 🙏🏼🤗

 

Other people have found that De Atramentis Document Black spreads, bleeds, and feathers.

See e.g. posts #3 & #4 in this thread.

Admittedly, the thread dates from 2015, so I suppose that De Atramentis might have ‘fixed’ this issue since then.

[Paganini]

 

Other people have found that De Atramentis Document Black spreads, bleeds, and feathers.

See e.g. posts #3 & #4 in this thread.

Admittedly, the thread dates from 2015, so I suppose that De Atramentis might have ‘fixed’ this issue since then.

 

They're also pigment-based, not dye-based. That doesn't bother me, personally (I use Carbon Black and IG inks, mainly) but plenty of people are leery of putting pigment-based inks in their precious and expensive pens. I tend to err against caution, as my pens are mainly inexpensive modern cartridge/converters.

 

As far as the Montblanc inks go, I've not used them, but in reviews they seem to be quite nice. However, once again, they are highly saturated pigmented inks, and also are reported suffer from the "never dry" syndrome of other similar inks.

 

My point was not really that I want to rejoin the search for the perfect ink, but that no such panacea ink exists. Carbon Black is "perfect enough" for me, even though I know people who wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole (or at least, a $1,000 pen.

 

- N

[silverlifter]

So far as I know, there is no ink that is impervious to water, writes on any paper without feathering and bleeding, doesn't smear when dry, and is safe to put in expensive pens. If someone finds that ink, please let me know!

 

I can't vouch for it*, but since you use IG inks anyway, you could try Gutenberg Urkundentinte G10 schwarz. You know, for science!

 

 

_{* I tried emailing them and seeing if they would sell me a bottle, but didn't hear back...}

[Karmachanic]

 

I can't vouch for it*, but since you use IG inks anyway, you could try Gutenberg Urkundentinte G10 schwarz. You know, for science!

 

 

_{* I tried emailing them and seeing if they would sell me a bottle, but didn't hear back...}

 

This? https://www.soldan.de/gutenberg-urkundentinte-dokumentenecht-1293420.html

Edited May 26, 2020 by Karmachanic

[silverlifter]

 

This? https://www.soldan.de/gutenberg-urkundentinte-dokumentenecht-1293420.html

 

Yes, that ink but from this site: https://www.wenzel-buerobedarf.de/exklusive-accessoires/gutenberg-urkundentinte-30-ml/ (based on lapis' recommendation).

[SchaumburgSwan]

 

Yes, that ink but from this site: https://www.wenzel-buerobedarf.de/exklusive-accessoires/gutenberg-urkundentinte-30-ml/ (based on lapis' recommendation).

 

Hi Silverlifter,

 

Ah, G10, our german registrar's ink.

I have Gutenberg Urkundentinte G10, a nice strong ig ink, it's color is somewhere between sepia and black.

 

Mixing it with ESSRI makes a "shading black", you can adjust if it will be a warm or cold black by the ESSRI content.

Some images I posted on fpg:

 

 

 

 

Best wishes

Jens

Edited May 26, 2020 by SchaumburgSwan

[silverlifter]

Thanks Jens! That looks like an IG I need to try. I'll attempt to contact the other site Karmachanic mentioned

[SchaumburgSwan]

Thanks Jens! That looks like an IG I need to try. I'll attempt to contact the other site Karmachanic mentioned

...or german Ebay.

Anyway our DHL doesn't ship parcels to NZ at the moment. :-(

 

Jens

[Mongoosey]

I just recently acquired a new Pilot Custom 912-Fine to be my Go-To/Only pen inked.

 

I started using it with Heart of Darkness, which proved to be too slick an ink for that nib. It made my hand fatigue. My penmanship was all over the place. And it made me worry I purchased the wrong pen : ( ...and needed something with a little more feedback.

 

But then I inked it with Platinum Carbon Black and all worries fell away to relief. It's not as slick, but still has solid wet flow, much like an iroshizuku, but it has this subtle layer of feedback to it that's quite pleasant, and honestly necessary for such a smooth nib like Pilot's.

 

I might try Kiwa-Guro with it on next fill, since it's less maintenance, but I'm very happy to know I have a great Pen-Ink combination in the 912-Platinum Carbon Black. It makes it feel like a solid lifetime pen.

[MuddyWaters]

Interesting! I should get a sample of platinum carbon black. It turns out a little cheaper than Kiwa Guro.

 

You've gone back to 912s? How come?

 

I'm using a Faber Castell E-motion in black stealth and the Kiwa-Guro which tends to nib creep looks fine with the stealth look, plus I am not worried about the carbon particles clogging the pen because it's just a c/c filler.

 

I'm thinking of getting an eye-dropperable Opus 88 though, but not sure how that would handle carbon particles.

[Mongoosey]

Interesting! I should get a sample of platinum carbon black. It turns out a little cheaper than Kiwa Guro.

 

You've gone back to 912s? How come?

 

I'm using a Faber Castell E-motion in black stealth and the Kiwa-Guro which tends to nib creep looks fine with the stealth look, plus I am not worried about the carbon particles clogging the pen because it's just a c/c filler.

 

I'm thinking of getting an eye-dropperable Opus 88 though, but not sure how that would handle carbon particles.

 

That's a good question lol. I blame my return to the 912 on a Kakuno Fine nib I installed in my Pilot Prera. It became a "Gateway-Nib" into Western XF and Japanese F nibs. It wasn't overly toothy like how other finer nibs have been for me in the past,

 

The feedback it did have from being finer gave me the control I found I was missing with the smooth nibs Pilot makes. Pilot's Mediums and up are just too smooth for me, and though I like their FM, I wanted to go Fine.

 

I was considering going with a Sailor 1911L MF, but the reliability and capacity of the con70 won me over. My next pen is definitely going to be a Sailor, but until then I feel like I have something very solid with the 912-Fine.

 

_____//_____

 

I remember using Kiwa-Guro with a Franklin-Christoph Model 20 Marietta, and a Ranga, both with Jowo nib units, and it flowed perfectly.

 

I think Opus 88's use a Jowo nib unit.

 

I never really looked into those pens. I don't know much about them or what they are like to use. At that price, Japanese Imports keep stealing my attention lol.

[MuddyWaters]

 

That's a good question lol. I blame my return to the 912 on a Kakuno Fine nib I installed in my Pilot Prera. It became a "Gateway-Nib" into Western XF and Japanese F nibs. It wasn't overly toothy like how other finer nibs have been for me in the past,

 

The feedback it did have from being finer gave me the control I found I was missing with the smooth nibs Pilot makes. Pilot's Mediums and up are just too smooth for me, and though I like their FM, I wanted to go Fine.

 

I was considering going with a Sailor 1911L MF, but the reliability and capacity of the con70 won me over. My next pen is definitely going to be a Sailor, but until then I feel like I have something very solid with the 912-Fine.

 

_____//_____

 

I remember using Kiwa-Guro with a Franklin-Christoph Model 20 Marietta, and a Ranga, both with Jowo nib units, and it flowed perfectly.

 

I think Opus 88's use a Jowo nib unit.

 

I never really looked into those pens. I don't know much about them or what they are like to use. At that price, Japanese Imports keep stealing my attention lol.

Think how great a large receptacle of carbon ink would be Plus, I can put in my Faber Castell M nib in it. I'm good with that. It's fairly costly as you insinuate but there isn't really much else with that size and comfort and the japanese eye-dropper system below that price range.

 

The Pilot steel nibs are indeed fantastic. I'm not a fan of their pen bodies in that price range though. I don't like the triangular section of the Kakuno and the Prera was too small for me, though I really liked its construction and how satisfying that cap was.

 

Overall I think the Faber Castell steel nibs are as nice and come in more sturdy bodies (I like the feel of metal).

[Mongoosey]

Think how great a large receptacle of carbon ink would be Plus, I can put in my Faber Castell M nib in it. I'm good with that. It's fairly costly as you insinuate but there isn't really much else with that size and comfort and the japanese eye-dropper system below that price range.

 

The Pilot steel nibs are indeed fantastic. I'm not a fan of their pen bodies in that price range though. I don't like the triangular section of the Kakuno and the Prera was too small for me, though I really liked its construction and how satisfying that cap was.

 

Overall I think the Faber Castell steel nibs are as nice and come in more sturdy bodies (I like the feel of metal).

 

Ooooh... I see what you mean about the opus 88. It sounds well thought out with pieces fitting together nicely.

 

But those pens bring reservations to my mind whenever I see a review pop up about them:

• Is the smaller/lower ink reservoir too small? especially for broader nibs?
• Is it a nuisance to unscrew the piston knob to use it, or does it become a pleasant ritual?
• Some of their models take 4 turns to uncap the pen : (

 

_____//_____

 

Steel pilot nibs impress me so much, but I agree with you: Pilot has failed to provide a descent pen body to accompany those nibs. The Prera is solid, but in all honesty it's a pocket pen that only takes a con40, and it gets quite old having to post it every time to use it.

 

I do like the Faber Castel nibs. I just have not warmed up to those pen bodies myself.

 

_____//_____

 

I did try Kiwa-Guro with my 912-Fine, but it made the nib just too smooth, tipping the buttery smoothness into a glassiness that fatigued my hand trying to keep it from running away from me. It would be perfect with a feedbacky nib like Sailor or Platinum.

 

I then tried Noodler's Black with the 912-Fine and that was at the other end of the spectrum, being too feedbacky, fatiguing my arm feeling like it had to drag the nib across the paper. For an ink that's supposed to be used for cheap paper, it's quite unpleasant to use on cheap paper lol.

 

So I returned to Platinum Carbon Black, and immediately relived that feeling of having the Right pen with the Right ink and needing nothing else. But now I have to go and buy another bottle of Carbon Black lol.

 

But keep in mind, I'm biased to using only water resistant inks.

[TheDutchGuy]

Kiwa-Guro rocks in any pen I've used it!

 

+1

 

+Seems to make overly dry pens nice and wet, and vice versa.

+Shaves off 20%-50% of a pen’s line width without being dry. No idea how it does this. Magic.

+Works well with any pen.

+Works well on any kind of paper.

+Unique feel.

+Unique look, a rich, shiny black with grey sheen.

+Easy to clean out with just water, nano-particle or not.

 

-Not cheap

-Some general concerns about disintegrating ink sacs due to the alkaline nature of Japanese inks, so might be best not to use this ink in treasured vintage pens with sacs (no, I did not measure the pH of kiwaguro).

-Some nib creep in some pens (not all)

[MuddyWaters]

 

+1

 

+Seems to make overly dry pens nice and wet, and vice versa.

+Shaves off 20%-50% of a pens line width without being dry. No idea how it does this. Magic.

+Works well with any pen.

+Works well on any kind of paper.

+Unique feel.

+Unique look, a rich, shiny black with grey sheen.

+Easy to clean out with just water, nano-particle or not.

 

-Not cheap

-Some general concerns about disintegrating ink sacs due to the alkaline nature of Japanese inks, so might be best not to use this ink in treasured vintage pens with sacs (no, I did not measure the pH of kiwaguro).

-Some nib creep in some pens (not all)

It must be relatively low on water (spreading potential) and high on surfactant (lubricated writing and brilliant oils), yet it can't be that high on oils because it seems to dry pretty fast.

[LiquidInk]

Maybe they do some alcohol magic? Add alcohol to the oil to get it to dissolve in the water, then alcohol evaporates to speed up dry time?

 

Water/oil/alcohol mixes together when 2 alone don't mix

Edited June 13, 2020 by LiquidInk

[Karmachanic]

It must be relatively low on water (spreading potential) and high on surfactant (lubricated writing and brilliant oils), yet it can't be that high on oils because it seems to dry pretty fast.

Brilliant Oil?

https://tlabprofessional.com/product/brilliant-oil-3/

[Brianm_14]

J. Herbin Perle noire.

 

I strongly second this nomination. If perfection is what you want, look no further. It is as breathtaking a black ink as there is!