Quick Comparison: 6 Black Inks

[heath]

For all the close up images click here: http://penpaperinkletter.com/quick-c...-6-black-inks/

Attachment 7179

These 6 black inks are all serviceable everyday inks but there are definite differences as well. A few are waterproof/resistant and one has a fairly unique color profile. I won one of these recently and as much as I wanted to love it I just haven’t been able to put it above any of the ones I purposely bought.

Aurora Black

This ink was one that I found out about in forum reviews that people seemed quite fond of. It’s considered a true solid black and that appeals to me. I also happened to find a really good deal on a bottle. That being said, when the bottle came it had leaked slightly and the label was illegible. I contacted the seller and they sent another bottle free of charge so now I have two bottles. This has made this ink more used than it may have otherwise been because I leave one at home and one at the office. When a black filled pen runs out if I don’t have that black where I am I always have Aurora black to fall back on and that’s not really a bad thing. It’s not my favorite but I have no issues with this ink and would recommend it, especially for anyone that avoids Noodler’s but wants a solid black.

Lamy Black

The first of these blacks that I had any experience with was the Lamy black. I got it when I ordered my first fountain pen, a Lamy Safari. It is a mild well behaved black that I put in a lot of pens I give to friends or let people borrow. It is available in a cartridge or bottle. Until you move into other blacks that have more unique properties this one is perfectly well suited for everyday writing.

Noodler’s Anti-Feather

This would be my favorite of the 6 if it were not for it’s extended dry time. In my test it is easily still wet at 1 minute which is just to long for everyday use. I use this ink though regularly in a flex pen and for calligraphy practice. It is a wonderful rich deep black that has as far as I can tell do just what it claims, it doesn’t feather.

Organics Studio Carbon

I won this black ink in a Fountain Pen Day giveaway from Zeller Writing Company. It was well packaged and I will definitely do business with them in the future. That being said, this black just isn’t living up to my expectations. I also won a brown Organics Studio ink, Boron, which I really like but the black just isn’t true enough for me. It may be that the other inks are just more saturated but of these six I think this is my least favorite.

Noodler’s Zhivago

This is a unique ink that I love but haven’t used all that often. It is actually a black-green. It may be hard to tell from a swab but in regular writing this ink shades between extremely dark green and solid black. From the back of these samples you will notice one is almost completely green, that’s this ink. I think this might be a very good daily use black for those who want something just a bit different. It is definitely going to have the green flair but most people will just see it as a black ink and not investigate further.

Noodler’s Black (Bulletproof)

I admit, as of today, this is my favorite black ink. It is waterproof/resistant and it is a true, deep, rich black which is what I am most looking for in a black ink. There is no real shading to be had here as it should be in a black ink. I also admit, as you can likely tell from the others in this comparison, that I have no issues with Noodler’s ink. If you are opposed to Noodler’s ink in theory but haven’t tried any I would recommend getting some of this and comparing whatever your current black is to it. I wouldn’t call it mild but it’s not going to have the characteristics that scare people in Baystate Blue and other finicky Noodler’s inks.

Well, that is that. Each of these inks on their own will likely be fine for normal use but in comparison to one another you can see some interesting differences. I hope this article has been helpful and I’d love to hear what you think and about your favorite black inks.


-Heath
@WeThePPIL

[carlos.q]

Is the Aurora water resistant?

[heath]

Is the Aurora water resistant?

It was in my tests. http://penpaperinkletter.com/quick-h...-aurora-black/

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

My personal favorite black is the Noodler's Bulletproof Black. Thanks for the overview of the inks.

[Febeleh]

I had Noodler's Polar Bulletproof Black, and I hated it. It was gummy and nasty ink. In dip pens, it feathered on even the thickest Bristol paper! In my Lamy Safari, the ink came out with loads of pressure, and skipped often. In my TWSBI Diamond 540, the ink did not run AT ALL. Even after repeated cleanings of nibs, feeds, and ink reservoirs of both pens to no avail. I tried filling the pens up without shaking the bottle, I tried filling the pens after shaking up the bottle, not a lick of difference. To clarify, these pens work fine with other inks, just as they should. I'm really turned off to Noodler's ink now.

[inkstainedruth]

Have not tried the OS Carbon ink, but I got a sample of the Charles Darwin a while back.
On the plus side: it's seriously black (as in "black hole, nothing is every coming out of it, not even light" black); and the dry times were amazingly fast (in an inexpensive Piccadilly sketchbook it was almost instantaneous, and took maybe 3-5 seconds on Rhodia).
On the minus side: spread and bleedthrough like nobody's business (even in a Wing Sung 237 with an F or EF nib).
Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth