Pelikan 4001 Blue Black

[cellmatrix]

I have used a lot of pelikan 4001 blue black and I am certain its iron gall because it definitely has that iron smell.

 

I've been an iron gall aficionado for many years, and I can tell which have iron gall just by the smell. When you rinse some of it in the sink, you can smell iron, it has a smell kind of like you are rinsing a fresh cast iron skillet before you season it, or an iron wok.

 

On the other hand some people say montblanc permanent inks have iron gall, but I have failed to smell any iron in the permanent blue

[GreenMountain]

 

I remember that. I seem to remember some discussion about the formula having changed. And that was a separate issue from it not being available in the US (I joined here in 2012, and that was after the US banned it).

But then, I can no longer get Quink Permanent Blue in the US (similar issue, IIRC). I tried to order some from an eBay vendor in the UK, only to be told that they couldn't ship it out of the country....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Funny, Ruth, I recently ordered a Quink Permanent Blue on eBay from madisonfinepen and got it right away. Made in France

[GreenMountain]

Bokaba, now you've done it...yet another blue-black I have to try. Thanks!

And as long as it is fairly saturated, I'll be happy with a blue-grey. Will let you know.

[cellmatrix]

Bokaba, now you've done it...yet another blue-black I have to try. Thanks!

 

And as long as it is fairly saturated, I'll be happy with a blue-grey. Will let you know.

I suggest giving it a try. It’s a great ink. but I can tell you its not very saturated. Because of this, it gives good shading.and it’s low maintenance. Highly saturated inks on the other hand usually have little or no shading and are higher maintenance..

[GreenMountain]

Well, on rainy days a less saturated ink will lend right mood.

[SashK]

I enjoy it. The color is subdued. Bought it from the source in Germany. Not too dry. I've used way way way drier inks. I won't name names here.

[tinta]

I enjoy it. The color is subdued. Bought it from the source in Germany. Not too dry. I've used way way way drier inks. I won't name names here.

SashK, I hope you do not take this as any form of criticism, as none is intended.

Please do list these inks,... (I'm looking for some way drier to try.)

 

...as I have at least six ferrogallic inks that are all potentially dry, but none are are as dry (or as resistant to ink flow) as my much loved Pel b/b.

(The following is is not scientific, it's anecdotal, as I'd think most of the ink reviews (or inky thoughts) here on FPN are. Most comments on threads, as this one is, may also be anecdotal, but still can be valuable).

 

In my experience, Pel b/b (sourced from the UK) is one of "the" driest inks I own.

 

When it came to my four Kaweco/Bock 060 series (14c) nib-units, they were all thoroughly flushed & dried, though not yet altered physically in any way.

Pelikan's 4001 Blue/Black ink literally stopped cold in these nib units, as if they all had plugged feeds. True, that the Bock 060 is not the best designed feed (& not expensive as well), but still,... but to have such a dramatic reduction in ink flow in a Kaweco nib was both frustrating for me & for my patient nib-technician.

 

Through Pendleton's (no affiliation) hard work & much experimentation, Pel b/b finally flows well through most of these nibsets, producing a pleasant shading effect.

Some of flow problems above were more caused by the particular feed design, but some were the helped by the dry properties of Pelikan Blue/Black, slill my favourite ink,... running neck & neck with Platinum's blue/black.

[lapis]

.... (I'm looking for some way drier to try.)

 

 

For a drier bb IG, get ESSRI. For a way drier one, get Diamine' s Registrars.

[inkstainedruth]

Funny, Ruth, I recently ordered a Quink Permanent Blue on eBay from madisonfinepen and got it right away. Made in France

 

Bottles or cartridges?

I had tried to order from sellers in the UK a couple of years ago and was unsuccessful. There was something (and I forget which way it went) about some issue either importing it to the US or exporting it from there. And this was modern ink, not vintage (I've been lucky occasionally and have been able to find full or partly full bottles of vintage Quink in antiques stores in my area (but that means as far away as an hour or two drive) in various colors: mostly Microfilm Black and Permanent or Washable Royal Blue and Blue-black (but once or twice other colors -- although I'm finding I don't like the color of the green). Mind you, I have no idea if the contents have been refilled/diluted with water. We're talking seriously vintage (1940s-50s era, because the bottles are the same style as the Microfilm Black), but I have also found a more modern bottle (sill in the box) of Washable Blue.

Back before I found my way here to FPN, I used Permanent Blue cartridges for writing in my morning pages journal -- but not for anything else (still used ballpoints -- particularly a click BP with my friend's company's logo on it, but had trouble finding refills in blue). I didn't know that bottled ink still existed (other than Higgins India ink) and didn't know about all the other brands of pens out there (I think I had *maybe* heard of Sheaffer and Waterman, but that was it). And it got increasingly hard to find even the cartridges in the Pittsburgh area for Permanent Blue. I didn't want black ink, I didn't like the teal-toned of Quink Blue Black, and I didn't really like the idea of Washable Blue on general principle.

These days, locally, I can only find Quink Black, Blue-Black and Washable Blue cartridges at Staples (and very occasionally bottles of the Black). Office Depot (before they merged with Office Max) didn't carry stuff like that at ALL; ironically, Office Max was often cheaper for five packs of cartridges -- even when they tended to be more expensive for anything else.... But then I couldn't even find the Permanent Blue cartridges anywhere.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

 

Bottles or cartridges?

I had tried to order from sellers in the UK a couple of years ago and was unsuccessful. There was something (and I forget which way it went) about some issue either importing it to the US or exporting it from there. And this was modern ink, not vintage (I've been lucky occasionally and have been able to find full or partly full bottles of vintage Quink in antiques stores in my area (but that means as far away as an hour or two drive) in various colors: mostly Microfilm Black and Permanent or Washable Royal Blue and Blue-black (but once or twice other colors -- although I'm finding I don't like the color of the green). Mind you, I have no idea if the contents have been refilled/diluted with water. We're talking seriously vintage (1940s-50s era, because the bottles are the same style as the Microfilm Black), but I have also found a more modern bottle (sill in the box) of Washable Blue.

Back before I found my way here to FPN, I used Permanent Blue cartridges for writing in my morning pages journal -- but not for anything else (still used ballpoints -- particularly a click BP with my friend's company's logo on it, but had trouble finding refills in blue). I didn't know that bottled ink still existed (other than Higgins India ink) and didn't know about all the other brands of pens out there (I think I had *maybe* heard of Sheaffer and Waterman, but that was it). And it got increasingly hard to find even the cartridges in the Pittsburgh area for Permanent Blue. I didn't want black ink, I didn't like the teal-toned of Quink Blue Black, and I didn't really like the idea of Washable Blue on general principle.

These days, locally, I can only find Quink Black, Blue-Black and Washable Blue cartridges at Staples (and very occasionally bottles of the Black). Office Depot (before they merged with Office Max) didn't carry stuff like that at ALL; ironically, Office Max was often cheaper for five packs of cartridges -- even when they tended to be more expensive for anything else.... But then I couldn't even find the Permanent Blue cartridges anywhere.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

From what I've seen, the only 3 colours of Quink currently available in North America are the BB, Black and Washable Blue

 

But I have found (but not yet purchased) what appears to be the Permanent Blue on amazon. That said, I'd likely go to ebay and buy some kind of cool vintage ink first...

[GreenMountain]

I don't know if my bottle of Parker Quink Permanent Blue ink is new or old. It does not say "Permanent" on the bottle, but it doesn't wash off paper.

 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by GreenMountain

[Tweel]

...I have found (but not yet purchased) what appears to be the Permanent Blue on amazon.

 

If it's the listing I saw, there are multiple complaints from customers that it's billed as permanent blue, but what they received was washable blue.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Tweel

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

 

If it's the listing I saw, there are multiple complaints from customers that it's billed as permanent blue, but what they received was washable blue.

Thank you for the warning! i have a bottle of washable blue... its the most boring ink i have. and its absolute lack of any kind of permanence means i will likely die owning the same bottle of washable blue...

[TSherbs]

... and its absolute lack of any kind of permanence means i will likely die owning the same bottle of washable blue...

 

PIF

 

Many folks here adore that ink.

[Tweel]

Many folks here adore that ink.

 

And I should add that I have an abiding fondness for Pelikan Blau-Schwarz. I have my Waterman Watermina filled with it now.

Edited April 6, 2020 by Tweel

[dhanks]

 

And I should add that I have an abiding fondness for Pelikan Blau-Schwarz. I have my Waterman Watermina filled with it now.

 

Pelikan Blue-Black is my favorite ink. Great color and properties at a not-ridiculous price. I don't find it to be unusually dry at all, at least not in my Pelikan M 800, M 400, and 400NNs. Good water resistance too, though that is not too important to me.

 

Rumpole

[tinta]

For a drier bb IG, get ESSRI. For a way drier one, get Diamine' s Registrars.

Thank you "Lapis". I have Registrar's. It is so dark when oxydized that it seems to become almost black (blk. is not my favourite colour).

Where can one get ESSR (particularly in Canada)? Is this a brand in itself, or is it a ferrogallic ink from a large ink manufaturer?

[cellmatrix]

Thank you "Lapis". I have Registrar's. It is so dark when oxydized that it seems to become almost black (blk. is not my favourite colour).

Where can one get ESSR (particularly in Canada)? Is this a brand in itself, or is it a ferrogallic ink from a large ink manufaturer?

 

 

ESSR will oxidize very dark like registrars but is less dry, less expensive and a better product IMHO. Here is an excellent review by Sandy1, a link to their web page, and a couple posts from the owner.

[tinta]

 

 

ESSR will oxidize very dark like registrars but is less dry, less expensive and a better product IMHO. Here is an excellent review by Sandy1, a link to their web page, and a couple posts from the owner.

Thanks "Cellmatrix"for the links. Fascinating read. In an hour I've only scratched the surface.

Of course Sandy1's review is the usual masterpiece. I'm a huge fan of her reviews & the interesting dialogues they generate among the FPN members.

 

So, it's from a small UK maker, who is the only source?

It seems similar in darkness to Diamine Registrars. For me, a huge 110 ml bottle (bigger than some of my aftershaves from the UK) would be a lifetime's worth of ink.

Lately I've been drifting to a more medium blue coloured, blue/black iron-gall ink from Platinum.

[The Good Captain]

 

Lately I've been drifting to a more medium blue coloured, blue/black iron-gall ink from Platinum.

I like the Platinum one too - personally I look upon it as a 'dark' blue rather that a blue-black, but that's just my opinion.