Your Favorite Blue-Black?

[ardgedee]

Btw, I heard that Pelikan blue-black is not exported to the USA anymore? Does anyone know why not?
It is still available here (Netherlands).

Apparently it contains at least one ingredient regulated as a toxic substance in the U.S. I've also seen somebody state that it's because of low sales in the U.S. but that doesn't make sense since Pelikan's other colors are available here, and blue-black ought to be otherwise be among the most popular of them.

[JazzDoc]

I finally broke down and ordered the full bottle of the De Atramentis Black Edition Black-Blue just now, having long been out of the sample I started with. That gives me two bottles of blue-black inks, the other being the Diamine Twilight I mentioned earlier in the thread. Since I only have four bottles of ink including those two, I think it's time to break away from the blue-blacks a bit. I explored turquoise some but didn't really find myself loving it. My new color obsession is brown.

Try some Stipula Musk, then! Really nice green/brown with good shading and character.

[cwent2]

Decided that FPN Van Gogh Starry Night was not worth the hassle, ordered Diamine Majestic Blue.

[AndyT]

... ordered Diamine Majestic Blue.

I for one would be interested to hear what you make of it - rather an extraordinary ink all told.

[cwent2]

... ordered Diamine Majestic Blue.

I for one would be interested to hear what you make of it - rather an extraordinary ink all told.

I received a sample of Diamine Majestic Blue and PFN Van Gogh Starry Night Blue - They were both close in color, at least to me on the paper I use, no bleed through and I did not see feathering in either ink except on the copy paper at work. I personally liked the Van Gogh a bit better in that is seems "crisper" if that makes sense. But the whole process of ordering from FPN seems extraordinarily difficult and lengthy.

The Diamine ink performs consistently the same in multiple pens and paper I used it on and I liked the color - did not change when dry - in color

I use both Noodlers and Diamine inks and the Van Gogh is a noodlers product. So in this case Diamine was my second choice.

[AndyT]

Thanks for the reply. Some people - Brian Goulet is one - report terrible drying problems with this ink, like being able to smear it months after writing. I haven't experienced that, so maybe it's a climate thing. The main thing for me is that red "pixie dust" sheen which can be so pronounced it's distracting. Sometimes it's just the thing to make a personal note or letter a bit special, but it pretty much rules out Majestic Blue for any kind of formal communication. I do know what you mean about that slightly relaxed line quality, too. I love the stuff, but it doesn't see as much use as the more sober blue-blacks.

[Newjelan]

I love Majestic Blue, haven't had any problems with drying or smearing and it's become my "go to" ink for work.

[Pommel]

I'm in love with Akkerman #10

[JazzDoc]

Thanks for the reply. Some people - Brian Goulet is one - report terrible drying problems with this ink, like being able to smear it months after writing. I haven't experienced that, so maybe it's a climate thing. The main thing for me is that red "pixie dust" sheen which can be so pronounced it's distracting. Sometimes it's just the thing to make a personal note or letter a bit special, but it pretty much rules out Majestic Blue for any kind of formal communication. I do know what you mean about that slightly relaxed line quality, too. I love the stuff, but it doesn't see as much use as the more sober blue-blacks.

I'm with you, Andy. Those "sheen" inks have never appealed to me. Same goes for Private Reserve's Electric DC Blue. Gimmicky to my eye.

[Pommel]

For me, blue-black rules out a saturated ink color, to stay with the tradition. And smearing or a red sheen is totally out of the question for me with blue-black inks.

Pelikan is what comes to my mind first when thinking of a blue-black ink.

[AndyT]

For me, blue-black rules out a saturated ink color, to stay with the tradition. And smearing or a red sheen is totally out of the question for me with blue-black inks.

Actually, I'd never thought of Majestic Blue as a blue-black, rather a dense dark blue. Or red, depending on the light ...

In fact my beloved Waterman Blue Black (Mysterious Blue) doesn't really qualify either, being too green and again having a red sheen. Not that that will ever stop me using it.

My idea of a real blue black is anything on the continuum between Salix and Montblanc Midnight blue - my liking for iron gall inks is showing here, but Pelikan is definitely slap bang in the middle of the right colour range. I also agree about keeping the saturation down for the classic look.

[whych]

The Sheaffer Blue Black is also a darker blue black that is more water resistant than the Diamine inks.
For a blue black that starts out looking blue but changes after a few days to a blue black, try the Platinum blue black. It is also waterproof when properly dry.
For a blue black that doesn't bleed on cheap, poor quality paper, Lamy blue black is not bad.
Only problem is that it rather a washed out blue black, but it is pretty water resistant.

[Pommel]

I wrote a brief article on water resistance of blue blacks with the intention to post it somewhere ...

[yipe]

I wrote a brief article on water resistance of blue blacks with the intention to post it somewhere ...

We'd all love to see it, make a thread and post it. Or post in this thread if you want. I'd say make a new thread though to make your good information easier to find.