Smooth Writing Waterproof Ink

[inkyboy]

Folks, though I've used Noodler's for years (primarily Luxury Blue but always others for over a decade), I'm just about to give up on Noodler's and possibly fountain pens.

 

I don't care about resistance to other chemicals; I only need an ink that won't be compromised by water. What's the point of using ink if it is less permanent than pencil "lead"/graphite? When I use a waterproof Noodler's ink I always feel like I'm having to fight with or force my pen to write. They are just too dry. By contrast, regardless of the pen I use, when I use a traditional non-waterproof fountain pen ink, e.g., Parker, the pens just glide over the paper the way they are meant to. The writing is so smooth, easy and sweet.

 

What's the point of a fountain pen ink if it doesn't allow for the smooth, effortless writing that makes them so wonderful as writing instruments? Other than the authenticity of ink, I might as well be using a (bad) ballpoint pen.

 

I'm writing this as sort of a frustrated plea to tap the wisdom and knowledge of the fountain pen community to see if anyone can recommend either a Noodler's ink that is truly waterproof or another brand of waterproof ink that truly writes as smoothly and as easily as fountain pen inks are supposed to.

 

Thank you so much.

[carlos.q]

I would recommend Namiki/Pilot blue or blue-black. You could also try out MB permanent blue or black.

Edited March 16, 2019 by carlos.q

[mannschott]

I have found Noodlers Black smooth and moderately wet whil Heart of Darkness has always been kind of dry for me, but I imagine youve tried Noodlers Black. Ive also had good luck with Prime if the Commons and Brexit (both PurePens exclusives). I want to use El Lawrence more, but it is just as you describe it in most of my pens: dry.

I do find that Platinum Carbon Ink feels smooth and sufficiently wet to me most of the time. Perhaps youll try a sample of that?

R+K sketch inks run great once they get going, but they can start dry if the pen sat unused for a few hours.

I love DeAtramentis Black and Brown for their permanence, but I dont recall their feeling especially smooth the last time I used them.

[wallylynn]

Which noodler's have you used? My Noodlers experience is limited (I go for the odd-ball variants which are finicky) but he also has the lubricated Eel series.

 

 

Others have already mentioned other brands.

 

Perhaps you can mix. Aurora Black is supposed to be very smooth albeit not waterproof. Perhaps add a few drops of Noodler's black to it for permanence.

 

For the inks you already have, perhaps a surfactant. That'll make them flow more readily, more wet, although maybe not more smooth. You can experiment: ink a small vial, and touch a toothpick to some dishwashing soap and touch that to the ink. A little goes a long way.

[Scylax]

De Atramentis Document inks are wet and very permanent. They don't smear like the Noodler's inks do either.

[DrDebG]

Forget Noodler's but don't give up on fountain pens!

 

There are a number of great waterproof inks out there. Try one of the Sailor inks (Kiwa-Guro, Souboku, etc.).

 

Also, there are some inks that have varying degrees of water resistance, such as Namiki Blue, Rohrer & Klinger Aubergine, Montblanc Irish Green, DeAtramentis Pearl Violet, etc.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi InkyBoy,

 

I'll echo Dr. Penfection's...

 

When it comes to fountain pens...

 

https://youtu.be/-4pg6Jh94Lo

 

I've found pleasing results from Pilot blue-black; Monteverde Document Blue and Montblanc Permanent Blue, IIRC.

 

Be well.

 

 

- Anthony

[Mongoosey]

I'm with you on the noodler's inks and feel the same way. I also arrived to the point of wanting waterproof/highly water resistant ink that wrote smoother than Noodler's inks. It does make a big difference, and I found that difference with:

 

1) Sailor Nano inks to be great (permanent, smooth, easy maintenance):

• Kiwa-Guro - My desert island ink.
• Souboku
• Seiboku

2) Pilot Blue Black is very smooth. It's not permanent, but has good water resistance. It's not the the most exciting color, but feels fantastic to write with.

 

I suggest giving other inks from other companies a sampling. It's worth finding a good permanent ink that's smooth. You're on the right track, but need to branch out from Noodler's.

 

I started out with Noodler's, but the only one I'll use now is Heart of Darkness, but even that is temperamental writing a thick line I can only tolerate with my Finer nibs.

 

I found the Gold nib of my Custom 74-M with Sailor Kiwa-Guro was what I was looking for. The pen makes a big difference, and a smooth Gold nib does, too.

[displacermoose]

Another vote for the Sailor Nano Inks. All three are superb.

 

Jetpens has water fast tests for most, if not all of the inks they sell so you might consult those.

[JulieParadise]

Another vote for the Sailor Nano Inks. All three are superb.

 

Yep! Yesterday my Pilot CH 912 FA did not want to cooperate, it was filled with Robert Oster Burned Orange and I was starting to get worried that something with the nib might be wrong. Hmm ...? I cleaned it and filled it with Sailor Sou-Boku and wooot!!! it writes like a dream again. Flexy without railroading, great shading, smooth feeling. Perfect!

[lgsoltek]

Blackstone Barrister Blue and Barrister Black.

[CoolBreeze]

I have found De Atramentis Document inks to write very smooth. They are extremely waterproof as they don't smear at all. Nothing leaves the paper. They also dry very quickly. My only issue with them is that they look a little chalky but all the Noodler's waterproof inks that I have tried looked that way too. I am not sure if all waterproof inks that look that way but if there is one that doesn't, I would love to find it.

[OCArt]

Montblanc Permanent Blue-- a lovely color and I was very pleased to find that it is not chalky.

{snipped} I am not sure if all waterproof inks that look that way but if there is one that doesn't, I would love to find it.

[CoolBreeze]

Montblanc Permanent Blue-- a lovely color and I was very pleased to find that it is not chalky.

totally awesome! Thanks. It never came into my head. Thanks again!

[inkstainedruth]

I didn't really like the De Atramentis Document inks that I tried. Archive Black was way drier than Noodler's Heart of Darkness. The other ones (although admittedly I haven't tried all of them) spread a lot, and IIRC I had bleedthrough issues with some of them as well.

I've had better luck with some of the R&K Documentus inks -- I like Helblau although it may be too light a color for your taste and/or needs. I didn't like Dunkelblau as well, and found the color rather chalky.

As for the Noodler's inks, I do really like El Lawrence and 54th Massachusetts. I prefer Heart of Darkness over Noodler's Black because it dries faster and isn't smudgy. I also have a bottle of Old Manhattan, which I recall also being pretty waterproof -- but part of the way it gets to be super black is because (like some colors of the D'A inks) there is a lot of spread. And of course I have a love/hate relationship with Kung Te Cheng....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstaineruth

[jbphotographs]

I came to fountain pens via drawing so my first pen and ink experience was using the Platinum Carbon pen. - the one that looks like a desk pen with Platinum Carbon black ink. It's perfect for watercolor on top and has become my go to ink for drawing with any fountain pen (and now I have many). I continue to try other inks but come back to this one as a standard. It's worked well in a lot of pens for me. I just bought a bottle of Rohrer Klingner Sketch ink, color Lily and it's working great so far which is exciting because this line has a lot more colors.

[doggonecarl]

I have found Noodlers Black smooth and moderately wet

 

This has been the case for me. I've almost always have a pen inked with Noodler's black because of its permanence and it behaves well in just about every pen.

 

Other inks in the Noodler's line can be hit or miss. But Noodler's Black is a winner.

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

I'm also seeking a waterproof ink (thank goodness pen shops sell samples!).

 

Noodler's black waterproof ink - my first waterproof ink and my first noodler's. I was very disappointed in this ink. It didn't want to come out of the pen and would smudge minutes after. But it was waterproof.

 

I don't know why I tried noodler's again after that experience. But I did. This time it was Heart Of Darkness and I love this ink! Always flows smoothly from any pen I put it in. I haven't smudged it yet. strongly water resistant - if the ink is fresh, some of the top layer comes off if I put the paper under water and scrub it, but the line is still clearly visible.

 

For more flow, Noodler's Blue on the Plains of Abraham gushes too eagerly from my pen. It's a nice grey-blue, but a Canadian exclusive.

 

Next I'm going to try Platinum Classic inks. These are iron gall so I don't know if I will like them or not.

 

Sampling ink seems to be the best way for me to discover if an ink fits my personality and my pen. I'm learning a lot about ink.

[BaronWulfraed]

Platinum Carbon black ink. It's perfect for watercolor on top

 

I actually bought a bottle for (eventual) use in the rOtring ArtPen (sketch set) -- just for that reason... Watercolor or water-soluble pencil.

[A Smug Dill]

... recommend either a Noodler's ink that is truly waterproof or another brand of waterproof ink that truly writes as smoothly and as easily as fountain pen inks are supposed to.

This kind of statement of subjective judgment worries me. I'm very happy with Sailor souboku and seiboku pigment inks, which are almost perfectly waterproof (when their sibling kiwaguro isn't), but I know seiboku doesn't work well in my Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black (the only pen I know from experience that won't write well with that ink, but is fine with just about anything else), and souboku can behave a little strangely in some converters. Platinum Carbon Black is just as waterproof, and I'm happily using it in my Fine-nibbed Pilot 'Hannya Shingyo', but I've seen complaints of feathering and bleed-through (which hasn't happened to me on Rhodia paper yet). Sailor STORIA pigment inks, from what I've seen first-hand, are waterproof and I don't have any issues writing with them using Platinum Preppy pens (except, for some reason, Magic Purple will seep into the section of my purple Preppy and drip out of the nib if I use the pen as an eye-dropper, even though it doesn't have that problem with other inks).

 

None of that tells me whether your idea of "writes as smoothly and as easily as fountain pen inks are supposed to" is the same as what I deem satisfactory performance.

Edited March 20, 2019 by A Smug Dill