Question About Pilot Blue-Black and Feathering

[ethernautrix]

I've read a bunch of reviews about Pilot Blue-Black.

A little background: I've been using Pilot Blue, which I like very much, but it feathers on certain paper... and I'm not at liberty to change this paper. I could not use the ink... and actually, I switched to Platinum Blue-Black, which is a great, under-rated ink. It's a tad dry in a Pilot Falcon SEF, but I need a blue (blue-black) ink that won't feather on this paper.

Platinum Blue-Black, which contains iron-gall, looks very similar to Pilot Blue-Black, about which I've read good things, especially its water-resistance.

Does anyone know if Pilot Blue-Black feathers like Pilot Blue? Or at all? Or a lot?

Does anyone have experience with both of these inks and can say that if I have one of these inks, then getting the other would be redundant, because they are so similar and behave the same (no feathering)? (I don't have a bottle of either, but I've just ordered the Pilot Blue-Black and then remembered, oops, what if it feathers? I'll have to order the Platinum Blue-Black. But wait! Maybe I won't have to!)

And now I shall post this question over at the other place.

[Jon Szanto]

Lisa, just checking:

I have Namiki Blue in the little squat bottle, and I have Pilot Blue-Black that I recently bought in the big 350ml 'soda pop' bottle. If these are the two inks you are asking about, I can do side-by-side on a couple of papers and give you my thoughts. I have no idea as to what paper you are using, but I offer that up. I could do something tomorrow for you, if you like.

[Sammyo]

In my experience, Pilot Blue Black does feather, however I use it in a few pens because I bought a big bottle.

In my experience, Platinum Blue Black behaves much better, but as you say, it is dryer and can have difficulty in some pens because of this. My personal favourite, because it hits that sweet middle ground and is very well behaved, is Sailor Blue Black.

I also like Diamine 1864 Blue Black, but that is much more black than it is blue.

There are a million options out there so I would see how many responses you get and then make a short list. You could then buy some samples of each (many retailers do samples like Anderson pens and Vanness pens) and try them for yourself :D

[Dreck]

One of the main reasons I started using iron gall ink is its disinclination to feather. I have both ESSRI and Diamine Registrar's. If you would like samples of either or both, let me know and I'll send them your way

[ethernautrix]

Lisa, just checking:

I have Namiki Blue in the little squat bottle, and I have Pilot Blue-Black that I recently bought in the big 350ml 'soda pop' bottle. If these are the two inks you are asking about, I can do side-by-side on a couple of papers and give you my thoughts. I have no idea as to what paper you are using, but I offer that up. I could do something tomorrow for you, if you like.

Thanks, Jon. No, I'm comparing Blue-Black: Pilot vs. Platinum. I like the Pilot/Namiki Blue very much, but it feathered on and bled through the Moleskine Diary paper, alas. Not YUUUUUUGHleague. (Sorry.) But it does, which is why I switched to Platinum BB.

Now, since I've ordered the Pilot Blue-Black (which looks slightly prettier, actually), I'm trying to avoid ordering the Platinum BB, even though I do like it. But I haaaaaate feathering. I suppose that next year, I shall have to buy the Hobonochi. Is Hobonochi available in a pocket size?

[ethernautrix]

In my experience, Pilot Blue Black does feather, however I use it in a few pens because I bought a big bottle.

In my experience, Platinum Blue Black behaves much better, but as you say, it is dryer and can have difficulty in some pens because of this. My personal favourite, because it hits that sweet middle ground and is very well behaved, is Sailor Blue Black.

I also like Diamine 1864 Blue Black, but that is much more black than it is blue.

There are a million options out there so I would see how many responses you get and then make a short list. You could then buy some samples of each (many retailers do samples like Anderson pens and Vanness pens) and try them for yourself :D

Thanks for the information, Sammyo. Drat, I was afraid of that (Pilot BB feathering). I'm glad I'm getting the ink, anyway, because it looks a smidgen prettier on the blue side.

[ethernautrix]

One of the main reasons I started using iron gall ink is its disinclination to feather. I have both ESSRI and Diamine Registrar's. If you would like samples of either or both, let me know and I'll send them your way

Thank you, Dreck. I'll see if I can rustle up some samples locally (I'm assuming you're in the U.S., and I'm all the way over here in Poland. I'd like to figure out the ink before I get to California.). I appreciate your kind offer.

What I like about photos I've seen of Pilot BB is the color. Platinum BB seems very close at first, but dries darker (as far as I know). I'm wondering how ESSRI and Diamine Registrar's compare. (Back to the reviews!)

[datainadequate]

Is Hobonochi available in a pocket size?

It's available in A5 148x210mm ("Cousin"), A6 105x148mm ("Original" or "Planner") and 95x187mm ("Weeks"). None are quite as compact as the Moleskine 90x140mm pocket size.

[datainadequate]

What I like about photos I've seen of Pilot BB is the color.

KWZ do some lovely shades of blue iron-gall ink that you might like.

[ethernautrix]

What I like about photos I've seen of Pilot BB is the color.

KWZ do some lovely shades of blue iron-gall ink that you might like.

Yes, I am well aware of Konrad's gorgeous inks. I "broke the news" about KWZI over at fpn a couple of years ago with my enthusiasm for Blue #3 and the rest is ink history. That Blue #3 ended up ghosting after a couple of weeks (it wasn't an immediately known issue), so Konrad reformulated it.

I have some samples (Mrs. KWZI (Agnieszka) sent over a bunch for our Pelikan Hub, and then I handed out the rest at the Madrid Pen Show -- and I have not tried these Azures (not iron-gall). If Grapefruit doesn't feather on this paper, then maybe one of these regular Azures won't. THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION! Woo-hoo! (Why didn't I think of that?!)

[KKay]

Oh I love the Grapefruit in a F nib.

[ethernautrix]

Oh I love the Grapefruit in a F nib.

It's a pretty ink, for sure.


Aaand, I just tried a little KWZI Azure #2 on the page -- and wow! it's a pretty color! And no feathering! Right now I'm trying to figure out which pen to put it in to test it better, even though I think I already know that it's going to be great in this Pilot Falcon (SEF). But Platinum BB is in now, and my PBB supply is low, which means maybe putting the ink in a different pen -- the usual mental juggling. But yeah... Azure #2. I need to get my order over to KWZI toot sweet.