Recommend me a black ink. Please?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Already have Waterman Black, Chesterfield Obsidian (which some say is Diamine Quartz Black's secret identity), and a teeny sample of JH Perle Noire, which I've never used, because I'm just that way.

I want it blackity-black. And wettish. And free-flowing. And starting up first time, every time.

I know Burma Road Brown is not Black, but I have it in an early model Noodler's Flex Pen and it needs a dip to start, every time. This is precisely what I want to avoid.

So let the recommendations roll, if you will, and thanks!

:)

[Jon Szanto]

At first, I thought this was a joke.

I mean, over "there", you can find a million threads on this subject.

Nonetheless, I'll take it at face value, and give my fave: for all that I've tried, nothing has topped Aurora Black. It meets all your criteria, and has become my standard black ink. I hope you'll give a sample a try.

[tiffanyhenschel]

Noodler's Old Manhattan. It's permanent, free flowing, glossy, but not feathery. I have never had a hard start in the 2 years I've used it. It is black hole black.

[Sailor Kenshin]

At first, I thought this was a joke.

I mean, over "there", you can find a million threads on this subject.

Nonetheless, I'll take it at face value, and give my fave: for all that I've tried, nothing has topped Aurora Black. It meets all your criteria, and has become my standard black ink. I hope you'll give a sample a try.

Haven't been 'over there' all that much lately.

Also went looking for Aurora Black in sample form. Out of stock at my two 'regulars.' Uwaaaaaaa.

[Wile E Coyote]

Sailor kiwa-guro nano black. Aurora is nice too for a non-pigment black.

[snedwos]

Iroshizuku Take-sumi is the only one I have used extensively. It is rather lovely. If expensive.
But I reckon, if I can afford to sustain a pen habit, I can afford to splurge on a bit of Iro every now and then. Sights set on a couple others.

[Jon Szanto]

Haven't been 'over there' all that much lately.

Also went looking for Aurora Black in sample form. Out of stock at my two 'regulars.' Uwaaaaaaa.

On the former, me neither, but it's a topic for the ages. As for the latter, don't be a wimp. Write it down and order it when it comes in. Or PM me for a sample trade. ;)

[ardgedee]

Already have Waterman Black, Chesterfield Obsidian (which some say is Diamine Quartz Black's secret identity), and a teeny sample of JH Perle Noire, which I've never used, because I'm just that way.

I want it blackity-black. And wettish. And free-flowing. And starting up first time, every time.

Try that J.Herbin Perle Noire sample that you have. It might be my favorite black. Not the glossiest, not bulletproof, but otherwise does everything you want. It's a dense, pretty, and well-behaved ink.

[inlovewithjournals]

Try that J.Herbin Perle Noire sample that you have. It might be my favorite black. Not the glossiest, not bulletproof, but otherwise does everything you want. It's a dense, pretty, and well-behaved ink.

Ardgedee took the words right out of my mouth! Try it, you'll like it.

[Kurt S]

I use both Aurora Black and J. Herbin Perle Noire. In my opinion you cant go wrong with either, as they are both well behaved, dark black inks!

[reprieve]

I always say that I don't use black inks much, but somehow I have several bottles and a relatively long list of recommendations! Here are some inks which meet your criteria (listed in order of my own preference):

Noodler's Dark Matter
Aurora Black
Pilot Black
Noodler's Borealis Black (which is quite possibly the most free-flowing ink I've ever used)
Herbin Perle Noir

I do really like Noodler's Black, and would have included it in between the Aurora and Pilot inks, but I have had a couple of instances where it has been hard starting in certain pens; most of the time, though, it's extremely well-behaved, and extraordinarily so for a bulletproof ink.

[mtnbiker62]

Sailor kiwa-guro nano black. Aurora is nice too for a non-pigment black.

+1...expensive, but worth it.

[Jon Szanto]

Hey Sailor...

(it's pretty funny, just typing that...)

Your PM box is full. Got your last msg, so just let me know when you've cleared some space, or PM me an email address for now. As it stands, I can't reply to your PM(s).

[bleunuitguy]

Another vote for Sailor Kiwa Guro. Beautiful, smooooooth writing black ink -even in a fine or extra fine nib. A joy to write with. I am a bit conservative and don't put that ink in pens that are hard to disassemble. So it keep Kiwa in a TWSBI 580 with a fine nib. I also put Herbin Perle Noir in pens that are not easily taken apart for cleaning. It is a black hole ink as well.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Hey Sailor...

(it's pretty funny, just typing that...)

Your PM box is full. Got your last msg, so just let me know when you've cleared some space, or PM me an email address for now. As it stands, I can't reply to your PM(s).

I dunnit!

Thanks for the heads-up.

[Aleks]

Sailor kiwa-guro nano black. Aurora is nice too for a non-pigment black.

+1...expensive, but worth it.

+1 as well :D

[ChrisC]

Pelikan 4001 Black is quite underrated. I find it to be a 'velvety' experience, with a decent wetness. It is also very well behaved, and does not feather or bleed-through even in my Visconti Pd M nib gusher.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Thanks, one and all!

For whatever reason my Preppy that's filled with Obsidian is writing gray, so I have a little glass with a few pens and carts, including a Petit, and an unknown black cart to use with whichever pen suits my fancy, and a couple more candidates.

Which'll hold me until help arrives. ;)

[ardgedee]

Pelikan 4001 Black is quite underrated. I find it to be a 'velvety' experience, with a decent wetness. It is also very well behaved, and does not feather or bleed-through even in my Visconti Pd M nib gusher.

Seconding this. I mostly hesitate to recommend it because it doesn't flow as freely as Perle Noire in pens that err towards being dry. It's a nice and glossy ink, though maybe not quite as dense. And the 4001 ink series has proven its reliability over the decades, which is probably why pen fans fail to get excited about it, when there are so many exotic and independent ink crafters to discover.

Either are much better than Chesterfield Obsidian, which was too washy and grey for my purposes.

[carlos.q]

Pelikan 4001 Black is quite underrated. I find it to be a 'velvety' experience, with a decent wetness. It is also very well behaved, and does not feather or bleed-through even in my Visconti Pd M nib gusher.

Seconding this. I mostly hesitate to recommend it because it doesn't flow as freely as Perle Noire in pens that err towards being dry. It's a nice and glossy ink, though maybe not quite as dense. And the 4001 ink series has proven its reliability over the decades, which is probably why pen fans fail to get excited about it, when there are so many exotic and independent ink crafters to discover.

Either are much better than Chesterfield Obsidian, which was too washy and grey for my purposes.

I agree with this reasoning. Maybe instead of searching for a "best" black ink, we should be evaluating what is the best black ink *for my pens* and *my* expectations. Case in point: I have various Pelikan pens and all (except one) have very wet nibs. In these pens, Pelikan 4001 inks are absolutely gorgeous. On the other hand, a very nice and lubricated Aurora Black will be *too wet* for my Pelikans but will work very well with some of my drier pens (Lamy, Parker, etc.)

At this moment I have the following good black inks: Pelikan 4001, Aurora, Herbin Perle Noire, Montblanc, Skrip and Lamy. However the "best" black ink will depend on what pen I will be using with it.

[Cookies]

I agree that Perle Noire is a nice wet dark black and a very good option. Aurora is probably the wettest and blackest that I've tried, but it's honestly a little bit too wet for many of my pens. Personally Private Reserve Velvet Black is perfect for me. Just the right amount of flow, very dark, and you get the bonus of sheen if that's your thing. Private Reserve is also quite affordable and while the bottles aren't as cute, they're easier to fill larger nibs in than the shallow J. Herbin 30mL ones.

I tried Pelikan 4001, but it was super dry. I don't know if I got a bad batch or what. Same with Noodler's regular black.

[I like mango pudding]

Diamine onyx black is pretty black for me.

[Cookies]

At first, I thought this was a joke.

I mean, over "there", you can find a million threads on this subject.

Nonetheless, I'll take it at face value, and give my fave: for all that I've tried, nothing has topped Aurora Black. It meets all your criteria, and has become my standard black ink. I hope you'll give a sample a try.

Haven't been 'over there' all that much lately.

Also went looking for Aurora Black in sample form. Out of stock at my two 'regulars.' Uwaaaaaaa.

Samples are in stock at isellpens and Andersonpens. I have noticed Aurora inks tend to be out of stock for long stretches at a time. When I first wanted to try Aurora Black it was out of stock everywhere and took around a month for sellers to get it back.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Pelikan 4001 Black is quite underrated. I find it to be a 'velvety' experience, with a decent wetness. It is also very well behaved, and does not feather or bleed-through even in my Visconti Pd M nib gusher.

Seconding this. I mostly hesitate to recommend it because it doesn't flow as freely as Perle Noire in pens that err towards being dry. It's a nice and glossy ink, though maybe not quite as dense. And the 4001 ink series has proven its reliability over the decades, which is probably why pen fans fail to get excited about it, when there are so many exotic and independent ink crafters to discover.

Either are much better than Chesterfield Obsidian, which was too washy and grey for my purposes.

So I'm not the only one.

I ended up putting the Unknown Black Cart into a yellow Peli Junior...it reminds me of my first fountain pen/ink combo, a yellow Skrip school pen and a black cartridge. So far, it's a brown-leaning black that skips in the pen.

Then I activated the Petit. Now that's a dense raven black and it was cool to watch the ink creep into the transparent feed.

[ChrisC]

My 1000mL bottle of Pelikan 4001 Black is a great match with my Wall Street with 23k Pd M nib. It writes with a 7-8 wetness and it's great. Maybe I got an unusually wet batch?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Could be. Send out samples for me to test immediately! ;)

I Waverly-ized the Peli Jr. just a touch and it's writing much, much better with a smoother flow and no skipping. But still that Unknown Black isn't blakity-blak enuf for me.

[ChrisC]

Oh if you like deep black, Pelikan isnt for you. Its definitely a gray-ish unless your pen is a gusher.

[AndyT]

Okay, just to ring the changes a bit I'll put in a word for Roberson's Penman Classic Transparent Black. Behaves like an iron gall (very tight hairlines and no feathering on poor paper), but it ain't. Usually sold as a calligraphy ink but apparently safe for fountain pens "except Montblanc", this is definitely one to try in the Noodler's pen before deciding to give it a go in something valuable. Worked nicely for me and flushed out without trouble.

[Jon Szanto]

I agree with this reasoning. Maybe instead of searching for a "best" black ink, we should be evaluating what is the best black ink *for my pens* and *my* expectations. Case in point: I have various Pelikan pens and all (except one) have very wet nibs. In these pens, Pelikan 4001 inks are absolutely gorgeous. On the other hand, a very nice and lubricated Aurora Black will be *too wet* for my Pelikans but will work very well with some of my drier pens (Lamy, Parker, etc.)

At this moment I have the following good black inks: Pelikan 4001, Aurora, Herbin Perle Noire, Montblanc, Skrip and Lamy. However the "best" black ink will depend on what pen I will be using with it.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb204/EnvoyC/resource/nobest.jpg

[Wile E Coyote]

I agree with this reasoning. Maybe instead of searching for a "best" black ink, we should be evaluating what is the best black ink *for my pens* and *my* expectations. Case in point: I have various Pelikan pens and all (except one) have very wet nibs. In these pens, Pelikan 4001 inks are absolutely gorgeous. On the other hand, a very nice and lubricated Aurora Black will be *too wet* for my Pelikans but will work very well with some of my drier pens (Lamy, Parker, etc.)

At this moment I have the following good black inks: Pelikan 4001, Aurora, Herbin Perle Noire, Montblanc, Skrip and Lamy. However the "best" black ink will depend on what pen I will be using with it.

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb204/EnvoyC/resource/nobest.jpg

The OP never asked for a "best" black ink, he asked for recommendations.

[Jon Szanto]

The OP never asked for a "best" black ink, he asked for recommendations.

Indeed.

Which is why I was replying to, and agreeing with, another poster. That graphic is one that I put together and used somewhere else, where it seemed to be a constant, daily meme: "Recommend me the best...".

[PlasticFantastic]

Can't beat Aurora Black...

[carlos.q]

Can't beat Aurora Black...

Except in a very wet Pelikan nib... :rain:

[scrivelry]

I know almost nothing about black inks regarding wetness, dryness, etc.

What I can say is that I have purchased two locally. Higgins black fountain pen ink, and Parker Quink. I don't like the Higgins, and the Parker is...black. But you can get it at Staples, which is useful if, for some reason, one needs black ink yesterday. It is the blacker of the two.

Neither ink has asked me out to dine and dance, so I can't say much for their social skills one way or the other...

[Ed333]

I was comped a bottle of Private Reserve Velvet Black when I purchased a pen from one of the retailers, and I have been very impressed with it. Nice wet flow, always starts, a sheen to it, have not found a pen which does not 'like' it.

[Nonsensical]

Noodlers Black is my standard black ink. It does lead to a finer line being put down - even though the flow is more than sufficient. I also like Aurora Black for a nice wettish flowing black, but that's more expensive/ml compared to Noodlers Black (plus Noodlers Black has that permanence factor, and is so well behaved on almost all papers).

[mydecemberht]

Have you ever tried Noodlers Heart of Darkness? I love that stuff...it dries really fast. Then again, I don't have a ton of inks to compare it to. But it is SUPER black, and dries fast. Unsure how wet it is compared to other blacks. :) Sorry I'm a little bit new to the whole fountain pen and ink world!
Heather

[Sailor Kenshin]

Have you ever tried Noodlers Heart of Darkness? I love that stuff...it dries really fast. Then again, I don't have a ton of inks to compare it to. But it is SUPER black, and dries fast. Unsure how wet it is compared to other blacks. :) Sorry I'm a little bit new to the whole fountain pen and ink world!
Heather

I haven't, but maybe next time I'm ordering samples. Thanks.

[Deano]

At work I have to jot notes on heat sensitive paper. J Herbin Perle Noire seems to dry the fastest on that type of paper, even when using a wet pen. It's pretty darn black, too. Many inks fade to grey on that paper. I like the Noodler's (Black, X-Feather, and Heart of Darkness), but they are like tar on that type of paper and never really dry.

[Adhizen]

I'm a fan of Noodler's Dark Matter....

[tenney]

Other black inks that I've liked include: Levenger's (Raven Black), and Visconti's Black.

[Silverbreeze]

Other black inks that I've liked include: Levenger's (Raven Black), and Visconti's Black.

If Noodler's X-Feather, Heart of Darkness and Platinum Carbon Black don't do it for you, I second the Raven Black
:-)

[vikramguliya]

Aurora Black will be a nice choice

[bleunuitguy]

I just received some Montblanc permanent black. This is a really nice black that glistens a bit on the page when dry. It is not matte like Kiwa Guro. Great lubricity too. Bright, shiny, dark dark black.

[picautomaton]

Noodlers Black or Heart of Darkness for your dry writers. Heart of Darkness diluted with water is good as it reduces the small amount of feathering it produces in concentrated form. I am currently enjoying Skrip Jet Black (USA) in a wet Omas Emotica and it really is blackety black!

[Jon Szanto]

I'm massively disappointed that Sailor hasn't given more of a report on his usage of black inks since all the feedback. Time for a report, I say.

[Sailor Kenshin]

:whip:

:ph34r:

Soooon.....

[sgage]

Without question, without even the merest shadow of a doubt, the best black ink I've ever tried in my fountain pens is J. Herbin Perle Noire. It is black, flows well in my pens, and dries to a nice finish - not too dull or too shiny.

I should probably mention here, in the interest of full disclosure, that Perle Noire is the ONLY black ink I've ever tried :-) So I firmly stand by my first sentence...

[carlos.q]

Without question, without even the merest shadow of a doubt, the best black ink I've ever tried in my fountain pens is J. Herbin Perle Noire. It is black, flows well in my pens, and dries to a nice finish - not too dull or too shiny.

I should probably mention here, in the interest of full disclosure, that Perle Noire is the ONLY black ink I've ever tried :-) So I firmly stand by my first sentence...

:pound::pound::pound::pound:

Excelent first choice... :thumb:

[sgage]

Without question, without even the merest shadow of a doubt, the best black ink I've ever tried in my fountain pens is J. Herbin Perle Noire. It is black, flows well in my pens, and dries to a nice finish - not too dull or too shiny.

I should probably mention here, in the interest of full disclosure, that Perle Noire is the ONLY black ink I've ever tried :-) So I firmly stand by my first sentence...

:pound::pound::pound::pound:

Excelent first choice... :thumb:

I really do like it a lot - which is probably why it's the only one I've tried :) Someone used the word 'lubricity' above. I think P.N. has it to a pleasant degree.

[Malcolm]

Noodlers Black or Heart of Darkness for your dry writers. Heart of Darkness diluted with water is good as it reduces the small amount of feathering it produces in concentrated form. I am currently enjoying Skrip Jet Black (USA) in a wet Omas Emotica and it really is blackety black!

+1 for HoD

[dneal]

Pelikan 4001 Black is quite underrated. I find it to be a 'velvety' experience, with a decent wetness. It is also very well behaved, and does not feather or bleed-through even in my Visconti Pd M nib gusher.

This is my go-to black ink. Very black, extremely well behaved and inexpensive.

[Tim Payne]

Sailor Kiwaguro Nano-Ink Black is amazing! Particularly for calligraphy, namely copperplate. Creates amazing hairlines.

11878

[Sailor Kenshin]

So here is a brief test made this morning, just beforer Massive Memorial Day BBQ clean-up:

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2937/14302460443_6c000066ef_z.jpg


Not the best pic. But of the three tested here, even though the two samples were only dipped, I liked Perle Noire best.

I do think this was India paper (no markings on the notebook). There was no bleed-through, just faint shadowing, the same for all three.

I am leaning toward buying a 'cheap' black, like Quink or Skrip, and either the Perle Noire, or Levenger Raven. Raven has the edge simply because I love the bottle and Jon Szanto's PN sample was generous enough to last a while.

The anonymous black cart in my Peli Jr. is okay once it gets going . But ya gotta dip every time.

Thanks for all the suggestions and especially thanks to JS!