Looking for a black ink with no sheen

[CoolBreeze]

Looking for the blackest of the black ink that does NOT have any special properties (i.e. water resistant/bullet proof/bleach proof/bomb proof/etc.). I realize this has been asked before but most posts end with Noodler's Black or Noodler's HOD and I'm hoping to find a normal ink without those special properties. Additionally, I am trying to find something that doesn't sheen on Tomoe River, which to my eyeballs takes the blackness away. J. Herbin Perle Noir is the closest I've found but just seems a little weird to me - like watery or something as if the ink resists the paper. Its almost like writing on Rhodia graph paper where the ink skips the graph lines - I see that happening a lot with this ink but on paper without graph lines. It is also does not make the nib feel as smooth on the paper as say Sailor Jentle black. Any thoughts? Thank you!

 

Inks that I tried that didn't make the cut:

Sailor Jentle Black (gold sheen)

Diamine Jet Black (copper sheen)

Pilot Take Sume (copper sheen - its not really even a true black, more like a dark blue black)

Montblanc Mystery Black (dark grey).

[MissCellany]

Maybe try Aurora Black? It's a pretty deep black, and while it is glossier (as opposed to a more matte finish), it doesn't have any sheen as far as I can tell.

[IlikeInksandIcannotlie]

I was about to suggest Perle Noire... but well.. you could look at Aurora Black, or GvFC Carbon Black (I haven't tried the last two).

[arcfide]

Jacques Herbin Noir Abyssal. It flows a little differently than Perle Noir but retains the matte finish. Lamy Black is actually quite black, but it could sheen a bit for you, though it shouldn't sheen as much as some of the others. If you mix Waterman Black or MB Mystery Black or Parker Quink Black with a little White lightning to make it flow a little more wetly, you'll get a more saturated line that is quite dark, though it is still a cool black, not a neutral black (which might get you into the same place as Take-sumi). I know you don't want any properties that are crazy, but MB Pigmented Permanent Black has a matte finish as well, and it might be the best you can do. 

 

You can also try the Scribe black ink as well as the Aurora and see what you'll get. Based on what you're saying though, and the fact that you have *more* requirements than just a black black ink without sheen, you'll likely need to try all the black inks you can get your hands on to see what will work, so I'd just start ordering a massive load of samples, as no one will be able to predict the intangibles that will matter to you like tone. 

[inkstainedruth]

Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black.  It's well behaved and (while not waterproof) has decent water resistance (although not as black as my go-to black ink, Noodler's Heart of Darkness).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[HobbitLife]

Kaweco Pearl Black is one of the darkest blacks I’ve seen and while it may have a very tiny bit of sheen in a broad nib, is overall a very matte black. I am with you on desiring my black ink to have no sheen or shine (like the pigmented blacks) on Tomoe River!

[mhwombat]

Check out this thread. In it I compare some black inks and discuss matte vs sheen. There's also a link to a site with many more black ink comparisons.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/366477-colour-comparison-black-inks/#comment-453679

[miwishi63]

Another vote for Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black.

[alexwi]

The two inks I use, Aurora Black and Platinum Black, are both very dark and have no sheen.

 

Alex

[dipper]

Graf von Faber-Castell Carbon Black.

 

Despite the name it is a dye-based ink, not a pigment ink. One of the easiest inks to flush out of a pen.

 

Flows well. When still wet on the paper it looks like glossy black treacle. When dry it looks like a black hole in the paper.

 

Sheen? I have never noticed any, but then have never tried it on Tomoe River. I use it on cheap copier paper, taking advantage of its low bleed & feathering, or on thicker "art" type papers.

 

Compared with inks that I do have and use, and that have been mentioned already in this topic, GvF-C Carbon Black is blacker than Sailor Black, Platinum Black, Kaweco Pearl Black, and Diamine Jet Black.

 

(I do like black 😎😎😎😎.)

[arcfide]

I think the biggest challenge is trying to *avoid* sheen on Tomoe River paper. 

[dipper]

This might be relevant, just for background information.....

 

In "Calligraphy" inks specifically for dip pens or brush use, not for use in fountain pens, Winsor & Newton make two black inks. One is named "Black", and the other is "Matt Black". Both are super-dense viscous pigment inks.  Used side by side on the same page, the darker of the two is clearly "Black". Tilting the page and adjusting lighting though, the "Black" will reveal a glossy reflection at some angles, whilst the "Matt Black" shows no reflections at any angle.

 

"Matt Black" is the better choice for artwork that will be reproduced by photography.

 

Both inks need stirring before use, as the pigment tends to settle at the bottom of the bottle. Sometimes, in the "Matt Black" bottle I have seen a faint white layer before stirring. I am guessing the white layer is a "matting agent", added to the mix to prevent reflections, but at the cost of reducing the blackness slightly.

 

[mhwombat]

I re-did my tests on (old) Tomoe River paper for you. The results are dramatically different.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/366477-colour-comparison-black-inks/#comment-4536791

[IlikeInksandIcannotlie]

On 5/29/2022 at 4:43 AM, arcfide said:

I think the biggest challenge is trying to *avoid* sheen on Tomoe River paper. 

I've heard most Montblanc and GvFC inks tend to sheen less, so it might work out. 

[CoolBreeze]

On 5/28/2022 at 6:55 PM, dipper said:

Graf von Faber-Castell Carbon Black.

 

Despite the name it is a dye-based ink, not a pigment ink. One of the easiest inks to flush out of a pen.

 

Flows well. When still wet on the paper it looks like glossy black treacle. When dry it looks like a black hole in the paper.

 

Sheen? I have never noticed any, but then have never tried it on Tomoe River. I use it on cheap copier paper, taking advantage of its low bleed & feathering, or on thicker "art" type papers.

 

Compared with inks that I do have and use, and that have been mentioned already in this topic, GvF-C Carbon Black is blacker than Sailor Black, Platinum Black, Kaweco Pearl Black, and Diamine Jet Black.

 

(I do like black 😎😎😎😎.)

Thank you! This was very helpful. At least it will be a step up from what I have now. Interesting that its blacker than Kaweco Pearl Black (never tried) that also got good reviews.

[CoolBreeze]

On 5/29/2022 at 11:47 AM, mhwombat said:

I re-did my tests on (old) Tomoe River paper for you. The results are dramatically different.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/366477-colour-comparison-black-inks/#comment-4536791

I appreciate your pictures. Its weird that TR does that to this color of ink. Usually, it brings out an inks brilliance! That's exactly what Take-Sume looks like for me. I was surprised given the reviews of it. I guess its the paper!

[CoolBreeze]

Thanks everyone! I will have to at least get some samples of these to try. I did a quick summary of what was said for convenience! Hope it helps someone if they are searching for the same thing.

 

Aurora Black – I’ve used this on CF paper (at a pen show) but never TR, but I definitely liked it on CF.

GvFC Carbon Black – Interesting option. I usually stay away from their inks because they are dry but this seems different (at least from the reviews).

Lamy Black – this would be an easy option if it works.  Potential sheen.

Jacques Herbin Noir Abyssal – never heard of it. Thanks!

Scribe Black – also never heard of. Thanks.

Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black – not sure how this wasn’t on my radar. Thanks!

Kaweco Pearl Black - @hobbitlife -this is will be interesting if we are searching for the same thing and you already found something that works for you.

Platinum Black (although this may be permanent) – maybe I can deal with it 😊

[arcfide]

4 hours ago, CoolBreeze said:

Platinum Black (although this may be permanent) – maybe I can deal with it

 

Please keep in mind that there are 2 different Platinum black inks that are commonly available. The first, and most popular, is their Platinum "Carbon Ink", which is the very black, pigmented ink. This is a wet, extremely permanent ink with that potential graphite sheen from the pigmented particles. Then there is Platinum "dyestuff Black" which is a water soluble dye-based black ink from their "standard line". This is a softer black color, but very low maintenance. It is more permanent than others in its class because it has some components that help it to retain water resistance, and Platinum says, UV resistance, but it is *not* water or UV proof in the same way that Carbon ink is. For many people, this ink will be too much of a soft black instead of a very strong, black hole black, but it's a competent ink that is very well behaved on pretty much all papers. It has the potential to show sheen, but unless you use a very wet pen, it's unlikely to cause much sheen, though in drier pens you can get more shading than some people would prefer from a black ink. 

 

For the record, I happen to like both inks very much, and my current EDC is inked with the dyestuff black ink right now. 

[HobbitLife]

On 5/28/2022 at 6:55 PM, dipper said:

Graf von Faber-Castell Carbon Black.

This is a great black ink - very rich and dark and well behaved. However, when I tried it on Tomoe River it did have a slight graphite sheen/shine to it. Less than Kiwaguro and Platinum Carbon Black, but still enough to make it less matte than Kaweco or Lamy or HoD. 

[HobbitLife]

Here’s a comparison of a few on TR held at an angle to see how they reflect light. The top 2 Lamy Blacks are in different pens. In the drier nib it is very matte, starts to sheen slightly in the wetter one. Kaweco is the clear winner of “matte-ness” IMO.