Cant find Black Ink, What to use?

[jimkirk363]

I decided to spoil myself a few days ago on Amazon after almost dying in hospital last month and I bought myself a Sheaffer Ferrari Intensity Chrome Trim/Stainless Steel Fountain Pen Medium Nib.

 

The problem now is I cannot find black ink cartridges anywhere for this pen, I did have one of those things which u can fill with ink and use I don't recall what they are called but again I don't know what ink to use and I prefer black ink to blue.

 

I'm just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction, thanks.

[A Smug Dill]

Glad to hear you have turned the corner and are now on the mend.

 

The part you can use as the pen's internal reservoir instead of an ink cartridge is called a converter.

 

These are probably examples of what you're after:

• https://appelboom.com/sheaffer-skrip-ink-ink-cartridges-6-colors/
• https://appelboom.com/sheaffer-converter/
• https://appelboom.com/sheaffer-skrip-ink-ink-bottle-6-colors/

 

I have no affiliation with Appelboom, and never even so much as bought from the company before. It's just what Google led me to. It sells other colourways of the Sheaffer Intensity fountain pen, so I'm sure the staff there can help you confirm what will fit your pen.

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by A Smug Dill
added link to search results for Intensity fountain pen

[inkstainedruth]

ASD beat me to the punch -- what you're looking for is a converter.  Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with this model, so not sure offhand where to get one that will fit that pen.  And of course the kicker is that Sheaffer just got bought by Cross, so some places show the Ferrari pens under that brand name -- and I don't know if they're just relabeled or actually redesigned.

I did a very quick Google search and found a place in the UK that carries that pen, https://www.hamiltonpens.com/ only they are apparently waiting on Sheaffer converters (and I know nothing about the business beyond that).  But you might be able to contact them and see what they say about what converter will fit it.  You might also try contacting Cult Pens https://www.cultpens.com -- they don't carry the Ferrari pens but might be able to recommend a converter to fit it.  

I also looked at some of the retailers online here in the US.  Anderson Pens https://andersonpens.com doesn't have the Ferrari pens, per se, but does carry some Sheaffer Intensity colors.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[jimkirk363]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

Glad to hear you have turned the corner and are now on the mend.

 

The part you can use as the pen's internal reservoir instead of an ink cartridge is called a converter.

 

These are probably examples of what you're after:

• https://appelboom.com/sheaffer-skrip-ink-ink-cartridges-6-colors/
• https://appelboom.com/sheaffer-converter/
• https://appelboom.com/sheaffer-skrip-ink-ink-bottle-6-colors/

 

I have no affiliation with Appelboom, and never even so much as bought from the company before. It's just what Google led me to. It sells other colourways of the Sheaffer Intensity fountain pen, so I'm sure the staff there can help you confirm what will fit your pen.

 

Black Ink isn't available.

 

I have a convertor it came with the pen, I Just need the black Ink.

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

ASD beat me to the punch -- what you're looking for is a converter.  Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with this model, so not sure offhand where to get one that will fit that pen.  And of course the kicker is that Sheaffer just got bought by Cross, so some places show the Ferrari pens under that brand name -- and I don't know if they're just relabeled or actually redesigned.

I did a very quick Google search and found a place in the UK that carries that pen, https://www.hamiltonpens.com/ only they are apparently waiting on Sheaffer converters (and I know nothing about the business beyond that).  But you might be able to contact them and see what they say about what converter will fit it.  You might also try contacting Cult Pens https://www.cultpens.com -- they don't carry the Ferrari pens but might be able to recommend a converter to fit it.  

I also looked at some of the retailers online here in the US.  Anderson Pens https://andersonpens.com doesn't have the Ferrari pens, per se, but does carry some Sheaffer Intensity colors.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Also these links either are out of stock or coming soon when it comes to black ink.

 

Is there a generic ink I can use in the convertor or I do have Parker Vector black ink in a bottle here, can this be used?

 

Thanks.

[A Smug Dill]

3 minutes ago, jimkirk363 said:

Is there a generic ink I can use in the convertor or I do have Parker Vector black ink in a bottle here, can this be used?

 

I’ve never heard of Parker Vector ink, only Parker Quink and (long discontinued) Parker Penman ink. I thought Vector was a pen model? Anyway, I dislike the brand and don’t really pay attention to it in the market, so I cannot advise there.

 

I’m sure Pelikan 4001 Brillant-Schwarz or Waterman Intense Black is perfectly fine to use in your Sheaffer pen; those are readily and quite cheaply available. Just remember to clean the nib, feed, and gripping section thoroughly when switching inks.

 

[inkstainedruth]

@jimkirk363Bottled black ink from Sheaffer isn't available??  I find that hard to believe.  Cult Pens shows swabs of it (with the re-issued style bottles with the built-in ink shelf), even though it doesn't seem to list black at the moment in the drop-down menu for color.  Although (again) with the purchase of Sheaffer by Cross, that may affect things.

But ASD is right -- any brand of ink *should* be okay (with the caveat that some inks are drier or wetter than others, and with the additional caveat that some inks [iron gall inks and super-saturated inks being among them -- I'm guessing that you probably DON'T want a shimmer ink] are somewhat harder to flush out than others); but it's often a trade-off between "easy to clean" and "more permanent" (water resistance or UV resistance or both) on the page.  And you will want to flush the pen out when switching inks in general (besides the different properties of the inks, there is the issue of pH -- some inks are more acidic, some are more alkaline, and some are more pH neutral).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: Other than Cult Pens, I haven't really ordered pens or inks from businesses in the UK, so I don't know other retailers (B&M or online) to recommend.

 

 

[lectraplayer]

I have never seen an pen that you couldn't find black ink for, as black is usually what they give you. I like blue, myself, so that drives me nuts. I think your best bet may be to go on Goulet Pens or Jet Pens, or similar, and get something like Noodler's Heart of Darkness and a filling syringe. After you use a couple cartridges up, you can refill them with that, although a converter would work much better. With those, you stick them on the back of the nib, plunge the nib into the ink, and suck the ink through the nib and into the converter. Although, as you spend time in the fountain pen hobby, you'll get your own ideas of what you like and works well with your pen(s).

 

[jimkirk363]

Since I cant find Sheaffer black ink to order anywhere as its either out of stock or coming soon I ordered a bottle of Watermans intense black bottled ink.

 

When it comes to switching ink now I will give the pen a good flush and then use the convertor that came with the pen and see how I get on.

 

Thanks for all your help guys.

[Strega]

I would guess that most people here don’t generally make a point to match the brand of ink to the brand of pen.  Which is not meant to suggest that there’s anything wrong with matching them, in fact the same-brand is often a good starting place, but it's just too limiting.  Some pen makers make little or no ink, some ink makers make no pens.

[jimkirk363]

1 hour ago, Strega said:

I would guess that most people here don’t generally make a point to match the brand of ink to the brand of pen.  Which is not meant to suggest that there’s anything wrong with matching them, in fact the same-brand is often a good starting place, but it's just too limiting.  Some pen makers maker little or no ink, some ink makers make no pens.

What do u mean by this?

[A Smug Dill]

7 minutes ago, jimkirk363 said:

What do u mean by this?

 

Which part specifically is unclear about what Strega wrote?

 

1 hour ago, Strega said:

Some pen makers maker(sic) little or no ink, some ink makers make no pens.

 

For example, Santini Italia neither produces nor sells any inks, and Diamine manufactures and sells no fountain pens. Waterman only offers eight ink colours, and Parker even fewer these days. If a user insists on only using Parker ink in a Parker fountain pen, then he/she is severely limited in the choice of colours in which to write.

[bunnspecial]

For whatever reason, after Sheaffer discontinued ink production in Slovenia a year or so back(or whenever it was-I think in the last 2 years) and moved to China, ink supplies basically dried up here in the US. I don't pay a ton of attention to cartridges, but the bottles have only in the last few months started popping up here and there. With that said, I think you'll find Waterman Black to be a perfectly satisfactory ink in your pen.

 

I'll also mention that black and blue Sheaffer cartridges often turn up for sale here in the US in the big chain office supply stores, although I haven't looked recently. I do know that I've bought assorted color packs and they were on the rack next to blacks and blues. Sometimes art supply stores carry them also, as the Sheaffer calligraphy pen is still a decently popular product.

[jimkirk363]

I wonder if the conflict with Russia has anything to do with the shortage of black ink??

[lectraplayer]

I'm sure it does reduce the supply of the Russian inks, though I would figure there would be enough makers in Japan, Europe, and the US to make up the difference. I'm wanting to think Sheaffer is also a European pen maker.

 

That said, that conflict could be doing something with the Chinese as well.

 

I did find some Skrip cartridges on Amazon, though. I'm assuming this is what your pen takes. Failing that, I would say hit Goulet, get a bottle of Heart of Darkness and a syringe, and refill the cartridges. Don't forget to clean the pen every so often, though.

https://www.amazon.com/Sheaffer-Skrip-Cartridges-6-Pack-96233/dp/B002IKKKXW/ref=sr_1_3?crid=320EM71XNNXSM&keywords=sheaffer+black+ink+cartridges&qid=1665476129&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIzLjM4IiwicXNhIjoiMy4xMyIsInFzcCI6IjIuOTIifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=sheaffer+black+ink+cartridges%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-3

 

 

[jimkirk363]

That is what my Pen takes but I'm not prepared to pay $11.99 for the cartridges and almost $31 delivery on top.

[Mercian]

The WHSmith website sells Sheaffer Black ink.

Both in bottles, and in cartridges.

 

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/search/?q=Sheaffer&cgid=&category=All&srule=price-low-to-high

 

Edit to add:

Apparently, those cartridges are for the Sheaffer VFM, so they may not fit the Intensity owned by @jimkirk363. But the bottled black ink is listed as being ‘in-stock’ as I am typing this.

 

I would also reiterate what others have already said; any brand of black ink that is a fountain pen ink (i.e. not a dip-pen ink) should work in your pen with no problems.
Inks made by pen-manufacturers (e.g. Parker, Waterman, Cross, Pelikan, Lamy, Aurora, Visconti, Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Montblanc) will be the easiest to clean out and the ‘safest’ to use, and are a good place to start.
But there are also specialist ink manufacturers who don’t make pens, but do (famously) make safe and reliable fountain pen inks (e.g. Diamine in Liverpool, Rohrer & Klingner in Leipzig, J Herbin in France).

All these brands are available through UK websites including TheWritingDesk.co.uk and CultPens.com

 

If you are relatively new to the huge range of inks that are available nowadays, I would advise you to avoid ‘high-maintenance’ inks for now (by which I mean pigment-based inks and iron-gall inks).
I use both those types of ink happily in my own pens, but when I started out I only used dye-based inks made by pen manufacturers (in my case, Parker, Waterman, and Pelikan).

 

If I were you, I would have a look through some of the many threads about black ink on the FPN ‘Inky Thoughts’ forum, and then look for reviews of any ink that you might be interested in.

When reading ink reviews, don’t look just at an ink’s colour, but also its properties such as ‘wetness’/‘dryness’, feathering, spreading, bleed-through, and ‘shading’.

 

It may also be useful to look for pen reviews of the Sheaffer Intensity on here.
E.g. if people say the pen tends to ‘write dry’, then you may want to avoid inks made by Pelikan (their pens ‘write wet’, so their inks are formulated to ‘write dry’). But, equally, if the Intensity is reputed to ‘write wet’, then Pelikan’s Black inks may be ideal for you.

 

Good luck 

[jimkirk363]

2 hours ago, Mercian said:

The WHSmith website sells Sheaffer Black ink.

Both in bottles, and in cartridges.

 

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/search/?q=Sheaffer&cgid=&category=All&srule=price-low-to-high

 

Edit to add:

Apparently, those cartridges are for the Sheaffer VFM, so they may not fit the Intensity owned by @jimkirk363. But the bottled black ink is listed as being ‘in-stock’ as I am typing this.

 

I would also reiterate what others have already said; any brand of black ink that is a fountain pen ink (i.e. not a dip-pen ink) should work in your pen with no problems.
Inks made by pen-manufacturers (e.g. Parker, Waterman, Cross, Pelikan, Lamy, Aurora, Visconti, Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Montblanc) will be the easiest to clean out and the ‘safest’ to use, and are a good place to start.
But there are also specialist ink manufacturers who don’t make pens, but do (famously) make safe and reliable fountain pen inks (e.g. Diamine in Liverpool, Rohrer & Klingner in Leipzig, J Herbin in France).

All these brands are available through UK websites including TheWritingDesk.co.uk and CultPens.com

 

If you are relatively new to the huge range of inks that are available nowadays, I would advise you to avoid ‘high-maintenance’ inks for now (by which I mean pigment-based inks and iron-gall inks).
I use both those types of ink happily in my own pens, but when I started out I only used dye-based inks made by pen manufacturers (in my case, Parker, Waterman, and Pelikan).

 

If I were you, I would have a look through some of the many threads about black ink on the FPN ‘Inky Thoughts’ forum, and then look for reviews of any ink that you might be interested in.

When reading ink reviews, don’t look just at an ink’s colour, but also its properties such as ‘wetness’/‘dryness’, feathering, spreading, bleed-through, and ‘shading’.

 

It may also be useful to look for pen reviews of the Sheaffer Intensity on here.
E.g. if people say the pen tends to ‘write dry’, then you may want to avoid inks made by Pelikan (their pens ‘write wet’, so their inks are formulated to ‘write dry’). But, equally, if the Intensity is reputed to ‘write wet’, then Pelikan’s Black inks may be ideal for you.

 

Good luck 

Thanks for this post, I have placed an order for a bottle of the Black ink so hopefully its in stock as shown and will be delivered in the next few days, I will keep everyone updated as to things panning out.

[cvasara]

I have lots of Sheaffer Skrip Vintage inks,  Black and also Red,  as well as vintage Parker Quink.  I haven't ever shipped them out of the US, so thats the problem.   I'll try to attach a pic here,  not sure I can, as I really don't get to FPN as often as I should.    But here's a link to my flickr page, if you're interested. 

[inkstainedruth]

Wow!  And I thought I had stocked up on vintage inks!  Mostly Parker, but some Sheaffer (including a 3/4 full pint bottle of Skrip Peacock -- now divvied up into smaller eyedropper bottles) and a few other brands.

That's an impressive haul you've got there, cvasara!

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Karmachanic]

Well.  As you already have a converter I suggest purchasing a bottle of black ink.  Any one will do.  Maybe start with Diamine, and go from there.