Your Best Behaving Inks

[andrew98]

I have a couple inks whose colors I love but that don't work great, even on decent (Staples Arc system) to very good (Rhodia) paper. My biggest problem is feathering. We use cheap Staples pads at work, and even Pelikan 4001 Black feathers a little on those. The Sustainable Earth pads are less of a problem than the regular white Staples pads.

So what are your favorite inks, considering behavior (not color)?

The following work well for me, regardless of the pen, and to a lesser degree, paper:

Pelikan 4001 Black and 4001 Blue-black
Parker Quink Blue-black
Diamine Claret
Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-ryoku

I have several other inks that work perfectly well on Rhodia, but Rhodia isn't always an option.

-Andy

 

[Eeyore]

Lamy blue black is relatively dry writing.

 

[RichieRich3902]

I've tried all of these inks in several pens from Pelikan, Lamy, Parker and Mont Blanc unless noted

Pelikan 4001 black (only Lamy 2000)
MB Midnight Blues
MB Irish Green (Only Waterman Hemisphere, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000)
Almost everything from Diamine I've tried (Evergreen and Quartz black are very dry for me)
De Atramentis everything I've tried, over a dozen
J. Herbin Bleu Ocean


Most Noodler's work well for me, but will stain and creep down the nib.

 

[DET]

Waterman Florida Blue (or whatever they're calling it these days), Parker Quink Black, Sheaffer Skrip Blue and Sheaffer Skrip Black are my go-to inks for being safe to use in and easy to clean from any pen, relatively quick-drying and well-behaved on all but the worst papers. I'm sure there are many, many others that fit the bill too, but those are the ones I happen to use.

 

[cursethis]

Off of the top of my head... any Waterman inks, Quink Black, Skrip Red, Sailor inks, Pelikan 4001 Brown, and Montblanc Mystery Black.

 

[GardenWeasel]

54th Massachusetts...great performer!

 

[Rudy Vey]

A few I always keep in pens:
Noodler's Heart of Darkness
Diamine Chocolate brown
Herbin Rouge Hematite

 

[the_edski]

Lamy blue black is relatively dry writing.

+1 to Lamy. Lamy Blue is my favorite well-behaved ink. And it's not boring, it's a rather lovely blue that tends toward the royal blue end of the spectrum.

 

[SmoovD]

Give me iron-gall inks for performance no matter the quality of the paper. Luckily, I am partial to blue blacks.

 

[Slivovitz]

I just accept that there will probably be a little bit of feathering if I have to write on really low quality paper. Some inks may feather less than others, but I don't think you'll find perfection. I use finer nibs and hope for the best.

That said, Montblanc Midnight Blue has been a very well behaved ink for me, and it's waterproof, too (iron gall) which is important to me. Rohrer and Klinger Scabiosa performs about the same, but there's an odd thing about the water resistance. The purple color washes away easily, leaving just black. Still, neither of these feathers more than the unavoidable minimum.

Namiki Blue is my go to problem free ink. Lamy Blue is also pretty good, less water resistant, though.

 

[Craig9802]

I don't think I've ever had issues with any Waterman inks, or Pelikan 4001 or Iroshizuku (Kiri-Same and Asa-Gao) or Parker Quink. After some minor skipping on the first fill or so, I haven't had any issues with Franklin-Christoph Olde Emerald or Syrah Syrah, or my Kaweco Sepia cartridges either. I guess I've just made fairly safe choices this year. I do have a pen that's had repeated issues with several inks, but it is only under circumstances that I can anticipate and repeat, so it's just the pen, and not the ink. I can deal with it.

I'll admit that I also tend to reserve my fountain pens for decent paper. I have plenty of ballpoints, rollerballs, and pencils for scratch notes and grocery lists on questionable paper.

 

[Lexbomb]

I'm a big fan of lexington grey and 50S

 

[rockviper]

Parker Quink for me.
Noodler's looks much more "vibrant" but the quick dry of the Quink makes it a winner for me at work.

 

[Eeyore]

Namiki Blue is my go to problem free ink. Lamy Blue is also pretty good, less water resistant, though.

Lamy Blue is not water resistant at all!

 

[rider4life]

Out of a Fine nib Sailor Jentle Blue-Black doesn't even feather for me on crappy paper. All the other inks I've tried have feathered on the crappy paper we use here.

Cheers,

M.

 

[musicman1951]

May I say that as a FP newbie this has been a most enjoyable and informative post.

Thank you all.

 

[Slivovitz]

Lamy Blue is not water resistant at all!

I've had a legible remnant survive the paper getting wet, but it's certainly not what you'd pick for water resistance.

 

[aimsport]

54th Massachusetts...great performer!

+1

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

PR Tanzanite and Pelikan 4001 Turquoise. Both of which wash off rather easily once wet.

 

[andrew98]

Out of a Fine nib Sailor Jentle Blue-Black doesn't even feather for me on crappy paper. All the other inks I've tried have feathered on the crappy paper we use here.

Cheers,

M.

Using a fine Japanese nib definitely calms down feathering with some inks. I get a lot less feathering on cheap paper with my Pilot Vanishing Point's fine nib.

Thanks for all the responses and info so far everyone. It's always nice to hear what works well for others.

-Andy