Need ink help for my fountain pen

[nyfinest]

I have posted a couple of threads about my Waterman pen. I have just received the pen back from Waterman with a fine nib. My question is can someone recommend me an ink that does not "flow" like the private reserve that I am using now? Even with the the new nib the script looks like I'm writing with a sharpie.

[Wil]

That would be difficult to exactly hit on one that will work for you. Try Gouletpens (just a customer who has been very happy with them) and look towards the samples section- least expensive manner to try other brands and colours- for even with the same brand certain colours work better than others. Good luck!

[Groat]

Have you tried Waterman ink? It's generally regarded as a good all-around brand. Pelikan inks are on the dry side, so that may help.

[coyotewhisper]

I prefer Noodler's myself, I do use other brands too. If you are looking for a drier ink I would recommend J Herbin or Diamine. Pear Tree is an excellent source for in and ink samples. If you have any other questions please ask.

[deandroid]

Noodler`s ink, Parker, Levinger are all I have had good use with. A web site called Glenn's Pens has a lot of info on ink use.

[Isaac]

I would say for a dryer ink, J. Herbin or even Montblanc ink.

Noodlers is a very wet and flowing ink in my opiinion

[gobeavs]

What kind of paper are you writing on?

[bassopotamus]

What kind of paper are you writing on?

That is a very important question. What might seem like too much flow could actually just be too absorbent of paper.

[Shaving_CHENG]

+1 for Noodlers

I'd also suggest Pelikan ink, never had an issue in five years.

[LouieGrandie]

Forget about Noodler's if you do not want a free flowing ink. They are a very lubricating ink. Try either Aurora or Iroshizuku which should work just fine for you. I use them both in my Watermans with excellent results.

[RichGem]

I would say for a dryer ink, J. Herbin or even Montblanc ink.

Noodlers is a very wet and flowing ink in my opiinion

Just a word of caution with the Herbin inks. IIRC, it is not recommended to mix Herbin inks with other inks or to use them in a pen that has been used with other inks (or at least not cleaned VERY well). IIRC, Herbin inks are vegetal (no not that Veg) based and may react with standard inks/dyes which are analine-based.

As to the original question, you might also try (in addition to different paper) using vintage inks which tend to be less saturated then more modern inks. I've routinely used inks from the '30s and '40s with no problems at all. Just be sure that the bottle gets well-shaken and is free from sludge. On the vintage side, *avoid* Parker SuperChrome if you can even find it. Even "in the day" it was super-saturated with chromium (I believe) based dyes which clogged a good many pens.

[nyfinest]

With regards to paper. I'm just going to be using regular old white lined composition. And, the Command log at the PCT.

[mikey]

My two favorite inks that have worked well for me in a variety of fountain pens (including a Waterman Carene) are:

Namiki (Pilot) Blue
Aurora Blue

Thanks,
Mike

[SMG]

Private Reserve makes very saturated inks, as does Noodlers. These two inks flow very well, but do add to maintenance of your pen. If the pen dries out too much, the ink will become like syrup with all the suspended particles in the ink solution. Noodlers has alot of surfactants and biocides in it, which can cause reactions in your pen, and you. Noodlers is known for its constant weeping onto the surface of particular nibs. This is partially due to the low surface tension it has with all the surfactants in it. Certain PR inks do this as well. The phenomenon is not totally the ink's fault though, often it is due to a ding in the slit of the nib which breaks the surface tension of the ink. It then bleeds out onto the face of the nib and makes a mess.

I prefer Sailor Jentle Blue ink (yes that is how it is spelled). It is not quite as saturated as Noodlers or PR, and flows nicely, not too fast. It dries quickly on decent paper, and almost instantly on junk paper. If you are serious about using a fountain pen, then make the effort with your paper as well. It is really a system, not unlike shaving. Find a system that works for you, and stay with it.

Dry inks are hard to find really. Quink is not bad, but it is pretty lifeless color wise. Waterman ink is nice, Florida blue or Havana Brown are my faves of their ink. Anything that is sold under a pen manufacturers label is pretty safe and should perform adequately.

Honestly, it does sound like your paper choice is the issue, either that or the nib is slightly sprung and needs to be tuned for you.

Cheers,
Sean

[padams2359]

I have an extra fine snorkle. 1670 is great. Deramere Green is the same green as money. Not floresent. Edelstein Onyx also works really well.