Smooth Writing Waterproof Ink

[jbphotographs]

A Smug Dill makes a really good point here. I have found (still in my quite limited experience) that it is important to think about the triad of pen, ink, and paper when considering the performance of any particular pen, ink, or paper. Picking one as your go-to (for most people I think that might be the paper) eliminates one of the variables but you're still left a lot of combinations. All of these variables make for exciting explorations.

[Mongoosey]

I just had trouble myself with choosing the right ink for a Pilot CH91-SM.

 

I was using Kiwa-Guro with it, but was having flow issues.

 

I didn't want to resort back to Noodler's inks cuz they're not as smooth as Sailor's Nano inks. I do keep Noodler's Walnut just in case. I do like Heart of Darkness, which I find smooth, but it would write too wide a line in this pen...

 

I was thinking Pilot Blue Black, but its less water resistant on my Tomoe River Paper, and that color doesn't quite do it for me...

 

...So I went with Sailor Souboku, and the flow issues disappeared. It's a lighter ink but I still like the color, and though it doesn't work great on cheap paper everything else about Souboku is fantastic.

 

If Sailor made Souboku darker/deeper, like how Kiwa-Guro is for black, I would stock up on it for a lifetime lol.

[inkyboy]

I don't know how many of those who kindly commented are following this discussion, but I wanted to thank each of you for your suggestions. I've gone through every reply and created a list of inks to look into and consider. It may take quite a while, but if I'm able I would like to return and post what I learn and what I settle on so others can benefit from this collective knowledge. Thank you very much.

[doggonecarl]

I would like to return and post what I learn and what I settle on so others can benefit from this collective knowledge.

 

Let us know.

[Arkanabar]

While my experience with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black predates the Millenium, and the ink is certain to have been reformulated since then, it retains a reputation for decent water resistance. See an offsite review that includes a splatter test.

[thesmellofdustafterrain]

While my experience with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black predates the Millenium, and the ink is certain to have been reformulated since then, it retains a reputation for decent water resistance. See an offsite review that includes a splatter test.

 

Oh! That's exciting. The stuff I used last century (how fun I could say 'last century') wasn't water resistant. You make me want to try this brand again.

[Maurizio]

I held my fire for a few weeks but it seems folks are interested in this issue. You can control (to some extent) the flow properties of your ink by adding glycerin and something called Liquitex Flow Aide.

 

I adulterate all of my inks, the ones I use for calligraphy and sketching the most. Here is my post discussing this though the images have been dropped. As I note, proceed with caution.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/321641-shocking-ink-adulteration/

 

Nota Bene:

At th time of this post, before the outrageous Sailor ink price increases, I was buying a bottle of Sailor Jentle ink for about $12.00. Not expensive in my book. I still have Sailor ink but doubt I will be buying any more as there are so many excellent reasonably-priceed alternatives and I have no compunctions about tampering with my ink.

Edited April 4, 2019 by Maurizio

[by_a_Lady]

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.

 

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

 

[...]

 

[...] 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.

 

I just had trouble myself with choosing the right ink for a Pilot CH91-SM.

 

I was using Kiwa-Guro with it, but was having flow issues.

 

I didn't want to resort back to Noodler's inks cuz they're not as smooth as Sailor's Nano inks. I do keep Noodler's Walnut just in case. I do like Heart of Darkness, which I find smooth, but it would write too wide a line in this pen...

 

I was thinking Pilot Blue Black, but its less water resistant on my Tomoe River Paper, and that color doesn't quite do it for me...

 

...So I went with Sailor Souboku, and the flow issues disappeared. It's a lighter ink but I still like the color, and though it doesn't work great on cheap paper everything else about Souboku is fantastic.

 

If Sailor made Souboku darker/deeper, like how Kiwa-Guro is for black, I would stock up on it for a lifetime lol.

 

I'll sign my name under everything about the Sailor Nano line. Sei-Boku is not the colour I thought it would be, but the excellent properties are undeniable. It lubricates every nib I tried it in and is extremely waterproof (soaking and rubbing the text does literally nothing to it), and it looks great even on recycled schoolbook paper, but it's a pain to clean out of complicated pens and tends to stick to some materials. I recommend dedicating a pen to it for prolonged/continuous use.

 

Noodler's Heart of Darkness is also a great black ink; it has taken up permanent residence in my Wing Sung 698 F with a springy steel nib. Not as good on bad paper, though, but we all know how inconsistent Noodler's is from batch to batch, so it may work great for someone else.

 

 

Dominique

Edited April 5, 2019 by by_a_Lady

[txomsy]

That'd be a dumb (sorry) thing to do. There are plenty of permanent inks.

 

To add a few:

Rohrer & Kligner Salix and Scabiosa -- iron gall, dry, curious colors when dry, but nice.

 

Koh-I-Noor document inks: the black is slightly green-grayish and the blue is light, almost turquoise, both are registrar level, and dirty cheap.

 

ESSR: the classical registrar ink, get it in huge bottles and you'll hardly run out

 

Montblanc permanent inks: the classics (black and blue) but also plenty other colors (I love the anniversary grey but that's scarce now).

 

Diamine Registrar inks

 

De Atramentis Document inks (you have the basic colours and can mix and match to get your own shades)

 

And many, many more....

 

This said, I must add that the issue is often the ink/pen combination. For instance, in some pens, R&K inks have been dry after some time unused, but on a Delike Alpha with (E)F nib, they always start to write as if just inked even after weeks unused. I have found Montblanc Meisterstück Anniversary Grey to be almost indistinguishable from Noodler's Lexingtong Grey in tones and behaviour. The Koh-I-Noor have always behaved greatly, but the blue tends to oxidize and darken in the pen if left unused for a long time, although it does not result in hard starts -only in darker blue color.

 

And to make it even worst, also depends on paper combination, but this is mostly related to feathering/bleed through usually. Noodler's BSB works "like" normal on a Delike Alpha with (E)F nib, leaving an "M" line on normal paper, and bleeds more or less depending on quality --unless I dilute it somewhat, in which case it behaves a lot better in almost any pen.

 

I also favour permanent inks, and have a lot. Never had an issue that would lead me to quit FPs. If I have an issue, I learn and try to match the correct pen/ink combination. With EF pens, that is hardly ever an issue. With M or thicker or stubs, it is more common. But there are plenty of cheap, yet acceptable pens around to experiment with.

 

So, why don't you give a try to a cheap, convenient EF FP and see how it goes?

 

What I CAN recommend out of my own experience, is one of the new Kaweco sport brass knock-offs: they appeared recently, cost about 3-4 USD on eBay, take a converter, and their F nib is more like and EF. Mine (got them one month ago) have had no hard starts yet with Lexington Gray and BSB.

Edited April 5, 2019 by txomsy