Shame you don't like 4001 Blue-Black, but good in a way. All the more available for me.
I like a mix of Aurora Blue:Aurora Black at about 3:1. I might try 4:1 for the next batch, just to give a little more lightness.
The Good Captain
(Gaston F Limoges)
"Meddler's 'Salamander' - almost as good as the real thing!"
I like Sailor Blue Black, and I'm trying out Sailor Kobe #7, and really like it too. Iro Shin-Kai is also pretty nice.
Looks like I'll stick to my Platinum for my wet pens and try Sailor for the stingier pens or just finish out this Pelikan Tanzanite, which really is a nice color. I just figured with all the Blue Blacks out there there had to be a good easy flowing "genuine" looking non IG Blue Black out there.
The Sailor might work out. Looks good in reviews, but then so did the Iroshizuku Blue black(s) and I didn't like those at all in real life. I have no idea but Shin-kai just look like it is somehow missing something. Really hard to put my finger on it but I was pretty excited to see it on line and underwhelmed in real life. But Iroshizuku isn't readily available here anyway. I brought my Asa-gao back from Japan.
I still have about 10mls of Shin-kai maybe I should try again.
I didn't know the Akkerman #10 is IG. Certainly looks different than Diamine Reg. ink. TAS over on FPN had a good example of it and it looked darker.
Thanks all..
(If only they sill made old Parker Blue-Black with Solv-x haha)
(might also try Lamy, that is VERY available here)
Sheaffer Skrip Blue Black (I haven't tried it), Diamine-Oxford Blue...I know you said Diamine blues don't do it for ya, but this is a newer one. I had a sample of Oxford Blue, but it didn't seem like a "buy" for me. I happen to love Diamine-Blue Velvet. These might've been discussed already. If so, sorry about that. For a darker blue, I really like Diamine-Midnight. So you probably already saw the 3 Diamine inks I mentioned. I like Waterman Blue Black...but I hear it will fade over time. My ink has not turned teal at all.
Decent budget choice. A little off color wise but have used it off and on. Currently have it in a desk pen. I oddly really like Skrip Blue, which is a nice no fuss budget medium blue with decent flow and lubrication and in a wet pen and good paper will even sheen a little. But I don't love Skip Blue-black. It isn't terrible though.
I used Oxford blue all summer. Not a bad ink but not at all a blue black and indeed not a pure blue either. Looks bluer in reviews than in real life where it definitely has a lot of green. A nice classy ink though with a lot of punch. But not anywhere near blue black so I am somewhat confused about why you bring it up.
I do too. One of my most used inks. Always in some pens. Wish it came in the 80ml bottles. But again, not a Blue-black so I am confused why it is here.
I like midnight as well. It is my laxative ink and used in my most stingy pens.
I want so bad to like Waterman Blue Black. God knows I adore Fl. Blue and probably have moved through more bottles of it than anything else. But the Waterman Blue Black is a weak tea indeed.
Maybe it depends on your pen, ink, and paper. The inks I mentioned look blue-black to me. Maybe I was using a wider nib than you. I looked these up for you. I can't help you with more choices. In some pens some of them aren't as blue black, in other pens the inks I mentioned do look blue black to me. I would've said Noodler's-Navy just for the heck of it, but once again, I guess it depends on the pen. I haven't tried that, but I've seen samples of it online. Some look much darker than others. I am sorry that I couldn't help you more, but I tried.
Thanks all. Thanks Kkay. I'll try Sailor and see how that is.
KKay (December 4th, 2016)
I have to say that Sailor Jentle Blue-Black is my goto. Every time I've used it (cartridges and bottles) it has been a rich colour with some sheen to it. It is actually the ink that stopped me going crazy over "COLOURFUL" inks and appreciate a good writing colour with great performance.
(However, everybody's experience is different and others may disagree and that is OK )
Sam O
"A fountain pen with a bad nib is like a Ferrari with a flat tyre..." - Brian Gray, Edison pens
Jon Szanto (December 6th, 2016), migo984 (December 5th, 2016)
Stub. . Expensive but you'd love Bung box 4B. Great stuff.
I like Diamine Midnight. That's not a teal blue-black like Twilight is, and it's quite similar to Mb JFK.
I prefer dark and really dark blues rather than blue-blacks, and Midnight fits the bill for me.
Also Diamine Regency Blue goes darker in many of my pens after a week.
Last edited by Chrissy; December 6th, 2016 at 01:43 AM.
Brilliant Bill (December 6th, 2016), Jon Szanto (December 6th, 2016), KKay (December 6th, 2016)
This might be a bit odd, but a few weeks ago I got the bug to buy one of those "coke bottles" of Pilot Blue-Black. 350ml for $22.00. I had never thought of the ink before I was at the last pen show and Dan Smith was using it for his pen work. Took a pen home with the ink in it and... I actually like it. It reminds me of the Sailor Jentle b/b as well, or any other basic, middle-of-the-road b/b. And then, just the other night, I decided to test it next to Namiki Blue, which has been a go-to ink for me when I have any concern about water-resistance. Sure enough, though not advertised, this ink does remarkably well under running water!
So, I've got enough ink to last for a long, long time, and it will be really handy when working on pen restores, because the cost-per-ml is so low yet is still a good ink, that I don't even give it a thought. You might try getting a sample (hit me up if you want some) and decide before you buy the big bottle. I didn't look, but I'm sure it's available in smaller, though probably not the same bargain.
And, hey, if you're feeling swank, I can 2nd the vote for Bungubox 4B, a really nice ink.
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
KKay (December 6th, 2016)
I'd love to try Bungbox 4B and Sapphire but I live in Korea, the land that fountain pens forgot. But 4B looks really nice as do many of the bungbox inks. If I ever get to Japan again I will be sure to try to pick up a couple. I also like the looks for Omaezaki Sea and the Piano Mahogany and a few others. Alas ... maybe someday.
julieknits (January 21st, 2017), KKay (December 6th, 2016)
Brilliant Bill (December 6th, 2016)
While it's not listed as a "blue black" per se, I've found the only ink I consider a true blue-black is...
R & K Leipziger Schwarz
It's considered a black ink, but what I see is an extremely dark, pure blue-black.
I wanted a blue-black like this for my Sailor KOP, and I did a lot of research and ran a lot of so called blue-black inks through the pen. Nothing even came close to what I was looking for. The R &K finally hit the mark for me.
So I had to go look up what you meant by "coke bottles"... I'm assuming you meant this: http://www.japanpen.com/product/101 ?
If so, they're pretty cool.
And I have an unopened bottle of 4B... sounds like I need to crack that open and fill a pen
"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."
~ Benjamin Franklin
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