(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Over the past several months, I've tried close to a dozen different blue black inks. While they are all incredibly similar in color, it's been interesting to see the more subtle differences appear on the page when using these inks. Just because they share the same name doesn't mean they are the same ink. For as many different versions of this inks that are available, there are an equal number of interpretations for what blue black really means.
The latest in this journey is Platinum Blue Black. Belonging to one of the big Japanese pen manufacturing brands, I'm surprised I didn't try this one sooner. Unexpectedly, the quality of this ink matches up with the quality of Platinum's fountain pens. It's a fantastic ink with plenty of character, and I'm actually surprised by a couple of the characteristics that I missed before trying this ink myself.
The first thing I noticed after testing this ink with a normal nib and letting the ink dry was that there's a slight amount of sheen even with normal use. I got out the swatches and layered the ink on thick to see exactly how much sheen would show up in a pool of dried ink. For an ink that doesn't tout any sheening properties in its marketing, this ink has a spectacular amount of red sheen that sits on top of any puddle. It's beautiful, and I wish I'd discovered this ink earlier. The sheen is even noticeable when writing with smaller nibs if the light hits the page just right.
Another thing I didn't realize about this ink until after I tried it is that it's an iron gall ink. Iron gall permanent inks aren't something I normally search out, but it's pretty cool that this seemingly standard "base level" ink boasts such a unique attribute. Iron gall inks aren't super common, and they're usually much more obvious about the fact that they're iron gall. In the case of Platinum blue black, they don't make it overly apparent, but I appreciate the extra robustness and permanence that this ink has after it dries on the page. This means it shouldn't fade over time and will even withstand water damage. In my experience with iron gall inks, the ink stays on the paper for as long as the paper is structurally sound. Definitely something to consider if you lean toward permanent inks. As with any iron gall inks, it's important to understand that these inks are more acidic than water-based fountain pen inks. This means your nib could develop some corrosion after a few weeks of this ink being in your pen. Not a big deal, but something to be mindful of. Be sure to clean out your pens if you don't plan on using them.
Along with the surprise iron gall and sheening aspects, I was also excited by how quickly it dries. With the 1.1mm stub nib I used in the writing sample, it takes about 10-15 seconds to fully dry, but it's usually between 5 and 10 seconds in a Platinum medium nib I've also been using. Overall, pretty quick times, especially on the Rhodia's coated paper.
I've really enjoyed using this blue black ink over the past few weeks. It has a classic navy blue hue, a decent amount of shading, and quick dry times. On top of that, it's a permanent ink. Really solid competitor in the blue black market, and definitely worth your attention.
If you're interested in Platinum's blue black offering, you can pick it up in their proprietary cartridge form (which only works in Platinum pens) or a 60ml bottle. The cartridges come in a ten pack and cost $7 a box, while the large bottle costs a flat $20. Both are a pretty good deal, but I lean toward the bottle since the cartridges only work with Platinum pens. This ink is good enough to enjoy in all pens!
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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