Mixing your own blue black inks

[mikey]

Hello All,

 

 

I have another question for y'all to ponder. As I posted in another thread, Namiki cannot import blue-black ink bottles into the US. So, I am considering the following three options:

 

 

1. Buy a bottle of Namiki Black to mix with my Namiki Blue.

 

2. Buy one bottle each of Aurora Blue and Black to mix a custom Aurora Blue-Black (as I have heard really good things about these inks).

 

3. Should I pass on numbers 1 and 2 and just by a bottle of Sailor Jentle Blue-Black?

 

If I were to go with option 1 or 2, what ratio should I start with? I was thinking 9:1 Blue:Black and go from there, no?

 

 

Discuss amongst yourselves. I am feeling a little verklempt. :>)

 

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

 

[E39 98]

Never tried the mixture of Aurora blue and black, but I think it would work great; both of those inks are excellent alone.

 

I have just recent mixed Aurora blue and Noodlers BP black (approximately 8:1 ratio) and really like how it turned out. See below for scan. Another option you may wish top consider if BP is important to you.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/nogutsnoglory89/IMG.jpg

 

Hello All,

 

 

I have another question for y'all to ponder. As I posted in another thread, Namiki cannot import blue-black ink bottles into the US. So, I am considering the following three options:

 

 

1. Buy a bottle of Namiki Black to mix with my Namiki Blue.

 

2. Buy one bottle each of Aurora Blue and Black to mix a custom Aurora Blue-Black (as I have heard really good things about these inks).

 

3. Should I pass on numbers 1 and 2 and just by a bottle of Sailor Jentle Blue-Black?

 

If I were to go with option 1 or 2, what ratio should I start with? I was thinking 9:1 Blue:Black and go from there, no?

 

 

Discuss amongst yourselves. I am feeling a little verklempt. :>)

 

 

Thanks,

Mike

Edited January 24, 2009 by E39 98

[Goodwhiskers]

Blue-Black preferences are extremely personally subjective.

 

Sailor Blue-Black has been well rated around here. It is grayish-blue, which some people like and some don't.

 

When you mix your own blue-black, the type of black will affect the color of the result. Blacks with yellowish or greenish tendencies will make the blue-black a bit greenish, which many people like (but I don't).

 

The type of blue will affect how the the blue component stands up to sulfur (in most paper) and sunlight; the blues from Parker Quink, Waterman, new Sheaffer Skrip, Montblanc, J Herbin (only Blue Myosotis), Rohrer & Klingner (only Koenigsblau?), Pelikan 4001 and A T Cross can fade more than some other blues, Parker Quink Blue especially.

 

Start with 20 parts blue, and then stir in the black one part at a time.

Write each new proportion down with a toothpick or a dip pen (a dipped fountain pen is harder to dry off after cleaning), and the names of the components, for comparison.

Keep going several steps darker than the point you first like.

Wait until all of the test lines have been dry for 30 minutes before making your final decision.

 

Then mix a small amount, put it in a sealed jar, and let it sit for a few days to make sure it's not reacting to produce solids.

 

If you don't like greenish blue-blacks, and your only available black is yellowish or greenish, or your only available blue is azure or slightly turquoise, add some red or purple one part at a time until the greenish cast disappears (again, go a few steps further than the point you first like).

 

Have fun!

[girlieg33k]

3. Should I pass on numbers 1 and 2 and just by a bottle of Sailor Jentle Blue-Black?

You can mix your own version from Pilot Blue and Pilot Black, but you'll likely get a greenish tinge; you'll need a wee bit of purple in the mix to counteract the greenish tinge that seems to naturally occur when blue and black inks are mixed.

 

May I offer another option?

4. Pass on mixing a Pilot BB, and buy a bottle of Pilot Blue-Black.*

 

BTW, I'm not trying to discourage mixing your own blue-black inks; I happen to mix my own BB versions (of S.T. Dupont, Aurora, OMAS, Visconti, and Waterman without a teal tinge). The only reason I'm suggesting the original Pilot Blue-Black is that it's a nice blue black color.

 

*(No affiliation with seller, but I did purchase one of the 30ml bottles, even though I have the mega-jug of Pilot BB from Ujuku as well.)

 

Edited January 24, 2009 by girlieg33k

[Dr.Grace]

Does Pilot Blue-Black have a water-resistance similar to Namiki Blue?

[Lloyd]

Does Pilot Blue-Black have a water-resistance similar to Namiki Blue?

IMHO, it does.

[Dr.Grace]

Thanks.

 

I cannot understand Pilot's decisions about which things to market outside Japan. Why Namiki Blue and Black, but not Blue-Black? Why the VP but not the Decimo? Why only the transparent Custom 74?

[excarnate]

I have another question for y'all to ponder. As I posted in another thread, Namiki cannot import blue-black ink bottles into the US.

Can not, will not, matters not.

 

Ujuku will ship 350 ml of inky goodness (that's a Coke can's worth) to you. I got that and didn't care for it (I had hoped it would the same as the Pilot Petit1 blue-black, later I ordered a box of refills). Fortunately it spawned the idea of stocking stuffers and it is a standard ink. If you want other items from Ujuku, well, far be it for me to be an enabler, but the shipping isn't so dear when spread out among many items (you could get Pilot blue-black cartridges for Just In Case if you have a Pilot pen. A Sailor Reform! A Prera! Other ink!).

 

If you know you like it, get a couple bottles of it and you'll be in the ink for a long, long time, and for a good price/ml.

 

If you haven't tried it, PM me, I should have a spare mini bottle.

[Chris]

I had a bottle of Aurora blue but didn't care for the violet tone so I added about 25% Pelikan black to produce something that is very dark blue, almost black with hints of violet. In some pens it is lovely but in others I'm not so keen.

 

So, I'd say add black a little at a time and try the end product in different pens (just dipping should be OK as Aurora has good flow in almost anything) before adding more black - you can't take the black out again!

 

Chris

 

[Goodwhiskers]

Does Pilot Blue-Black have a water-resistance similar to Namiki Blue?

IMHO, it does.

 

The blue component stays, while some (not all) of the black component dissolves into the water. The amount of black that comes out is small enough that Pilot Blue-Black can be used without worry for things like addressing envelopes.

[mikey]

Okay, my next questions are:

 

What is the water resistance of Aurora Blue and Aurora Black?

How do they compare to the WR of Namiki Blue and Namiki Black?

 

Thanks,

Mike

[mikey]

One other note, in my search for a local source of bottled Namiki/Pilot Blue Black, it seems to be the consensus at FPN that BB in cartridges is NOT the same as BB in bottles with favor going to the cartridges. Sigh...

 

Thanks,

Mike

[Dr.Grace]

Aurora Blue and Black are not at all water resistant.

 

So what is the difference between the Pilot bottled and cartridge BBs?

[EyeZ]

Regarding mixing Sailor and Pilot inks, I wouldn't advise you doing so. Sailor inks are alkaline, while most of the others are acidic, or at least that's what I've read somewhere.

[Goodwhiskers]

Regarding mixing Sailor and Pilot inks, I wouldn't advise you doing so. Sailor inks are alkaline, while most of the others are acidic, or at least that's what I've read somewhere.

It's true that Sailor Jentle dyes are alkaline, or at least more alkaline than the dyes in some other fountain pen inks, but pH doesn't seem to be the only controlling factor in sludge formation in unfortunate mixes. I got no sludge when I mixed Noodler's standard Red (pH 5.9 in Clark's Sampler, very slightly acidic) and new Sheaffer Skrip Red (pH near 8 in Clark, very slightly alkaline).

 

Clark says Sailor inks are alkaline or near-neutral. He says the same thing about Namiki/Pilot Black, Blue-Black, and Blue (I remember pH 9.x for black, 8.x for blue-black, and 7.5 for blue). However, to anyone who decides to try mixing Sailor with Namiki/Pilot, I'd still recommend doing a small test mix and letting it sit in a small, sealed container for a few days.

[mikey]

I believe that the bottled ink is darker and more grey compared to lighter and more blue-black for the cartridges (I can't seem to find the links to the relevant posts right now).

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

...So what is the difference between the Pilot bottled and cartridge BBs?

 

[mikey]

I have heard of the warning regarding mixing Sailor inks with other brands. With respect to mixing Namiki, that is news to me.

 

Thanks,

Mike

 

Regarding mixing Sailor and Pilot inks, I wouldn't advise you doing so. Sailor inks are alkaline, while most of the others are acidic, or at least that's what I've read somewhere.