An Ideal Black: Noodler's + Swishmix

[Viseguy]

This idea originates with Chuck Swisher, but I thought I'd give it a try. He mixes Noodler's Black with Swishmix Nile Ebony, for a faster-drying, freer-flowing black that also has anti-feathering properties. (Swishmix, made by Noodler's, is Chuck's line of quick-drying, waterproof inks.) Chuck can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think his perferred proportions are equal parts regular Noodler's and Swishmix.

 

Today, for starters, I tried a mixture of roughly 2:1 regular Black to Swishmix Nile Ebony, and I gotta say, I really like it! If you've never tried it, Nile Ebony is one of the BLACKEST blacks you'll ever see anywhere. The Swishmix inks, used straight, tend to flow a little too freely for me, but this mix has a really sweet flow to it -- a nice tweak to the regular Noodler's Black flow. This mix dries a bit quicker than regular Noodler's Black (which has a good drying time to begin with), but is still feather-resistant (works fine on the crossword) and, thanks to the Swishmix, is even blacker than regular Black. And, since the Swishmix inks are waterproof, the mix retains the anti-fraud properties of regular Black. (You can play with the proportions; personally, I wouldn't go any higher than 50-50 on the Swishmix.)

 

All in all, I'd call it an ideal black. Thanks to Chuck for a great idea.

 

P.S. Whoops, I meant to post this to the "pinned" Ink Recipes thread.

 

P.P.S. I used this mix today for a marathon, day-long note-taking session, and it performed beautifully. Quick-drying, no smudging, no feathering, a deep, rich black -- it really is ideal. (The pen was a Pelikan M600 with wet-writing Mottishawed M nib. Notes taken on cheap, recycled white paper.)

Edited March 9, 2006 by Viseguy

[Goodwhiskers]

A message with a link to this topic thread has been added to the pinned topic, "Ink Recipes."

[ThangMMM]

I use Parker Quink Black for my pen (sheaffer prelude), but it seem to be like blue-black when wet, and some yellow-orange when dry (when i pour some drops of Parker Quink black in blotting-paper, i see a yellow-orange edge surround the ink blot (see picture below)). I want to change ink, Waterman black, Sheaffer black, or maybe noodlers black ( in my country, i can only buy these ink). So what is the best ink ? With me, the good ink flow is more important than the true black color

 

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d110/ThangMMM/pen.jpg

Edited March 8, 2006 by ThangMMM

[weepstah]

Just a note on the Swishmix ink - it's currently discounted as I believe Chuck and Chun are coming out with an update color line. I ordered a whole bunch of inks for a color mixing project I am undertaking, and I picked up 2 4.5oz bottles for $10 each.

 

weepstah

 

Note: This is definitely for the Nile Ebony, not sure about the other colors...

Edited March 8, 2006 by weepstah

[Stephen-I-am]

Just a note on the Swishmix ink - it's currently discounted as I believe Chuck and Chun are coming out with an update color line.

Do you know the extent of the changes? Are all of the mixes changing/will we see new names/any other differences in formulations?

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Stephen

[weepstah]

Stephen,

 

I stumbled across this link when purchasing 10 bottles of ink from Swishers over the weekend (Don't tell my wife!! )

 

Swisher Ink Update

 

I suppose we could gang up on Chuck for more details...

 

weepstah

[Viseguy]

A message with a link to this topic thread has been added to the pinned topic, "Ink Recipes."

Thanks, Steve!

[Viseguy]

This idea originates with Chuck Swisher, but I thought I'd give it a try.  He mixes Noodler's Black with Swishmix Nile Ebony, for a faster-drying, freer-flowing black that also has anti-feathering properties.

It turns out I misspoke. Chuck's mix of black inks was Noodler's Black and Swisher's (not Swishmix) Black. Evidently it was this 1:1 mix that ended up being marketed as Swishmix Nile Ebony -- see this post by Chuck Swisher to a.c.p-p. So... my 2:1 mix of Noodler's Black and Swishmix black is actually much more heavily weighted towards Noodler's Black -- the equivalent (if my math is correct) of 5 parts Noodler's Black to 1 part Swisher Black (called Midnight Black, IIRC).

 

I'm not being obsessive-compulsive here -- just don't want to put words in Chuck Swisher's mouth. Bottom line: I'll stick to my guns and say that the 2:1 mix of regular Noodler's Black and Swishmix Nile Ebony is an ideal black, in terms of waterproofness and anti-feathering, on the one hand, and great flow and dense BLACKness, on the other.

 

My next experiment is going to be a mix of regular Black and Swishmix Tahitian Pearl (a waterproof midnight blue). I'm not sure of the proportions (maybe 1:1), but I think the result will be interesting. Very close to black, but with a certain je ne sais quois -- nothing so jejune as blue-black (quelle horreur!). /:)

[Ink Stained Wretch]

.... Chuck's mix of black inks was Noodler's Black and Swisher's (not Swishmix) Black.  Evidently it was this 1:1 mix that ended up being marketed as Swishmix Nile Ebony -- see this post by Chuck Swisher to a.c.p-p.

Yes, I remember when Chuck Swisher made that suggestion. I tried it and then decided to try a mixture of 60% Swisher's Midnight Black to 40% Noodler's Black ( a 3:2 ratio).

 

Midnight Black had been featerhing on the really cheap paper that I use and this mixture didn't feather at all. A solution to a problem, that.

 

That 3:2 mixture worked out quite nicely for me. However, the Swishmix Nile Ebony was on sale recently and that mix is cheaper than what I could mix it for on my own! So I have a big bottle of it now. I can't really tell the difference between my 3:2 mix and Chuck's 1:1 mix just by looking at it dried on the page. It is all very black ink to me.

[fpfanatic5]

ThangMMM, if you do not care much about the shade of black, then I would go with Waterman Black, in my limited experience of 5 black inks (Parker, Noodler's, Sheaffer, Pelikan, Waterman) it is by far the freest flowing ink of the group, and of all the inks I have used, in that matter. It is a bit grey, but if you don't care much about the color, I would say go with Waterman. Sheaffer is about the same shade and doesn't flow quite as well, and I have not used Noodler's regualr Bulletproof black, but the Polar Black that I have used has some brown in it and does not flow well.