Recommend a blue ink for cheap paper?

[LizEF]

27 minutes ago, Horseflesh said:

Thanks for the pics @LizEF! That's super helpful. 

 

Interesting that my PCB experience was better... Maybe my sample cheap paper isn't as bad as I think it is.

You're very welcome!  And yes, when it comes to cheap paper, every  paper is different, thus, you want to test with the worst paper, and use the ink that does best *there*.  Hence my recommendations based on "puzzle paper".

[Taenarian]

Pilot-Namiki Blue on 20 pound copy paper. The Pen is a 1935 Sheaffer Balance with a #5 Feather Touch nib.

 

[Horseflesh]

Thanks @Taenarian!

 

I just ordered some stuff from Endless thanks to the Fountain Pen Day sale, and I got a few of these candidates to check out.

[Mercian]

On 11/3/2022 at 7:12 PM, Horseflesh said:

I'm going to get someone a modest pen for Xmas, but they are not a fountain pen nerd and definitely will not have fancy paper. Their favorite color is blue, so I would like to find a blue or blue-black ink that performs OK on random cheap paper.

 

Behaviour-wise, I second the recommendations for R&K Salix & Pelikan 4001 Blue-black.

That said, both inks often get accused of being very ‘dry-writing’.

I also recommend Parker Quink ‘Blue’ - which is a different ink to their ‘Washable Blue’ and their ‘Blue Black’.

The narrowest nibs that I have used it in are Lamy EF nibs, but it works a treat with those.

 

Another highly-recommended ‘workhorse’ ink that behaves well on poor paper AND has some water resistance is Pilot ‘Blue/black’.
It’s more of a ‘dark blue’ than it is a ‘blue-black’, but it is often cited as an ideal ink for students, due to it being relatively inexpensive and having really good performance.

I believe that you can even buy it in 350ml bottles if you are the USA. Much to my annoyance, here in the UK, Pilot only sells it in their proprietary cartridges 😠

[Horseflesh]

Good to hear @Mercian. I already have Quink Blue on order. A bottle was only $4 in the EndlessPens sale. Pilot Blue-Black is also on the way. 

 

I have yet to try the Salix inks, I'll be sure to get samples next time I have the opportunity. 

[ErrantSmudge]

Here is a crossword puzzle I did on newsprint with a Platinum Curidas (EF nib) and Platinum Blue-Black ink.  I've included a closeup scan where I put down the ink pretty heavily in an attempt to correct mistakes.   Platinum BB is better at crosswords than I am.

 

 

The reverse side of the page is a photo, but there's still a bit without printing that shows the bleedthrough.  For newsprint this is not bad.

 

[Horseflesh]

That's a great demo, thanks @ErrantSmudge ! I'm looking forward to trying that ink. 

[bunnspecial]

On 11/5/2022 at 1:37 PM, Mercian said:

also recommend Parker Quink ‘Blue’ - which is a different ink to their ‘Washable Blue’ and their ‘Blue Black’.

The narrowest nibs that I have used it in are Lamy EF nibs, but it works a treat with those.

Second time I’ve mentioned it today funny enough, but I picked up a bunch of cartridges of this ink a while back, and also have a bottle of it. 
 

My most recently acquired Duofold with a slightly flexible 14K B nib came to me without a converter, and I popped a cartridge of blue in it for testing. It worked well enough and I’ve used it enough that I’m on my 3rd cartridge in the month or so I’ve had it. The B nib is thirsty but I also have used it a fair bit. 
 

In any case, our copy paper at work seems to change every couple of months and the current batch is okay but not great. The Quink Blue in this relatively wet nib does surprisingly well on it(although so does MB permanent blue…) 

[Arkanabar]

Sandy1's excellent review of Pilot Blue-Black includes this image of the ink used in a Pilot 78G F, on a pulp page-a-day calendar.

 

Image:

Using the image's direct URL (in the code box) removes the watermark.

https://i783.photobucket.com/albums/yy116/Sandy1-1/FPN%20Stuff%20-%202011/Ink%20Review%20-%20Pilot%20Blue-Black/16c647a2.jpg