What's new

The perfect blue-black ink?

Claudel Xerxes

Staff member
I've notice a few members talking about liking blue-black inks, but many of the mentions seem to be very specific to how blue or black that members want it to be. For those of you who have a preference to blue-black inks, what's the perfect ink for you? For the rest of us, what blue-black inks do you have in your lineup, or what do you reach for the most?
 
My overall preference is for blue-black. For me, there is no "perfect" ink, regardless of colour. What I want to use today may not be the same for tomorrow. Sadly many blue-blacks run more straight black but that will vary depending on pen and nib size. My current go-to's are (in no particular order):

Diamine 1864 Blue-Black
Lamy Petrol (I'm liking this one more and more as I continue to use it)
De Atramentis Steel Blue (close to a favourite)
Diamine Denim
 
I got a sample of an iron gall ink once from Goulet pens. You're right about it being somehow different, indescribably so. Like how it feels when a razor is done honing. I can't tell you what that thing is, but it's different!
 
Last edited:
I liked the bottle of pelikan 4001 blue-black that I had. I liked it so much that I picked up a couple bottles when I was in Europe a couple years ago.

Ruckin.
 
Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite,
Sailor Jentle Blue-Black,
Aurora Blue-Black.

The Aurora Blue-Black is in my Dolcevita and writes like a dream.
 
Don't know about perfect, but I use Pilot Blue-Black more than any other. I like that you can see some blue, and it's water resistant.

Waterman Blue Black is a nice color, but not water resistant. Montblanc Midnight Blue is water resistant, although I hear they may have changed the formula since I bought mine. But when it dries, it looks just plain black.
 
Vintage Parker "Quink" Permanent Blue Black in my TWSBI Diamond 540 Smoke with a 1.1mm stub. Awesome!

A nod to the 4001 as a close second.
 
ESSRI is a wonderful IG ink- love the color wet and dry. I tend to favor blue-black inks so IGs appeal to me in general. If I could only choose one ink, ESSRI would probably be the one. Others I like are Hero, Akkerman IG, and R&K Salix.
 
The only blue-black I have is Rohrer & Klingner's Verdigris. How blue or how black it is depends on the pen and paper. But I enjoy writing with it.
 
Top Bottom