I sketch in ink and then watercolor over line work. Lexington Grey is more water resistant than any of the Noodlers blacks I’ve tried. Platinum Carbon black is in a league of its own. It’s the best. Works well in Platinum Pens with the slip n seal cap. Never dries out in pen.
@@bigdhav I agree, I used the bottled version and the sheen made it look distinctly grey with maybe a hint of silver. Some people might like this but I like black to be black.
@@QatarVegan The "ink itself" is completely black. The sheen on top is silver. I think you are being unfair. More acturately, you like black inks that don't sheen or shade.
@@QatarVegan I find it to be a very cultural thing. I like platinum carbon black particularly because of the shine it left after drying which resembles mark left by traditional calligraphy ink. I was very surprised when I read someone on reddit said they don't like the shine and they want, just like you, black to be black. Since it is a Japanese ink, I fully understand whey the preference might be different.
@@whatsoevertianyu interesting... and similar sentiments in reverse; I'm surprised anyone would like the shiny ink, I always imagined it was just a characteristic of this amazing ink that couldn't be changed. Maybe as you say... Cultural. I'm European by the way. Lucky we all like different things huh?
I sampled so many black ink samples when i was trying to find the ultimate water color sketching ink that would'nt run when watercolored over. Lexington Grey, DeAtrimentis Archive and Carbon black were the three winners for me, 6 years ago!! The others just bled too much into my art. Im glad to see it still holds true. I have a giant 4 oz bottle of Heart of Darkness, and was thinking i should have a Noodler black since everyone loved it so much but now im happy again. I have plenty of black for writing, and will stick to the others for art.. TY Drew and team for doing this! You did a great job and solved what i needed to see reconfirmed,
I really enjoyed watching this one! One thing I would love to see: The same tests done again but only AFTER the inks have been allowed to really get into the fibers and to dry completely.
I would like them tested after a week of drying, then drop water on them and allow them to dry naturally - as if you left a journal out and water was splashed on it, but not immediately blotted.
I'm a botanical illustrator. I draw and paint in Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbooks and on 140lb. 100% cotton hot press watercolor paper. After waiting for one minute for the ink to dry...and without putting my paper or a sketchbook in my ultrasonic jeweler cleaner 😂...Noodler's Black runs when watercoloring over; DeAtramentis' Document Black, Urban Gray, Brown and Sepia inks do not. I've had a barely used Noodler's bottle sitting on one of my shelves for the past couple of years, but I only trust DeAtramentis Document inks now.
This was fun! I'm partial to waterproof inks myself (I have my reasons), but that makes this video that much more interesting for me. Thanks, Drew! A suggestion, though: maybe try this with even more specific themes in mind, like an all-blue or all-pigmented showdown. Because Kiwaguro, while a great ink, is not representative of Sailor's waterproof capabilities: Souboku, for example, isn't bothered by water at all. Bad Green Gator may be impervious to water, but Bad Belted Kingfisher loses some of its blue component when wet. That should yield some interesting results. :)
As a person who uses waterproof fountain pen for watercolor, I have found Noodler's black and heart of darkness both not waterproof on watercolor/mixed media paper (ie. paper with sizing). Platinum Carbon and Document ink is very very waterpoof on all papers.
waterproof inks can dry really slow depending on the formulation. you might need to give some inks over 24 hours to dry enough. but with that said platinum carbon black is insane.
I think Noodler's purports to be waterproof on cellulose papers only. So on cotton watercolor paper, it's not waterproof at all. I took mine to work and just leave it on my desk to fill my pens there and use Carbon black for drawing. Also, not sure if you've noticed, but Carbon has a slight sheen to it. It's almost like India ink in that regard. Noodler's is a very flat, dull black.
@@nickelazoyellow7360 that's very helpful information. I just bought some glass dip pens and am looking for a good black, gray and brown for my architectural sketches (watercolour and ink) on watercolour paper.
I love ink tests. Mad science of the calligraphy world, and still entirely necessary since digital documents are so insecure. Paper will never be obsolete.
Montblanc permanent blue ink is my personal preference for that requirement. It is an incredibly well behaved ink; I can get lost in thought with my pen uncapped for several minutes and it won't dry out.
@@JerryBearry I was talking with a lawyer after the recent passing of my grandmother. According to him, blue is used for signatures cause it's easy to tell which is the original and which is a photocopy.
This was particularly timely! I was just looking for the right ink to address letters that were to travel overseas and this popped up in my TH-cam feed. Thank-you once again for presenting a topic in an interesting way that is both fun and informative.
I use carbon black because i like to highlight over my notes. I leave mine in the pen for a year, though it seems to be doing ok.. no clogging or anything.
I keep it in three pens at all times. One of them has been for over a year. No clogging, no drying out, and one temporary hard start. Granted, I prioritize pens known for having good seals (TWSBI, Opus 88, Platinum), but still.
Magical Toyland - Good point! An Ink / Highlighter Test would be a fun episode as well. I would prefer a non-smudging ink, but some inks that intentionally run or smudge under a highlighter MIGHT present some interesting results.
That was fascinating. I didn't expect Noodler's not to make it into the final round. De Atramentis Document Black is my ink of choice for a waterproof black, and it hasn't disappointed me yet.
How Sailor’s pigmented and permanent ink trio of Kiwa-Guro, Seiboku and Souboku AND Noodler’s Zhivago didn’t figure in a tournament like this baffles me no end.
Fascinating episode of, "As the Ink Dries"... Great Job Drew! Okay, I have a love for the Noodler's Black and DeAtrimentis Archive black but now have to consider Lexington Grey. Humm..(scratching my chin)..Another stroke of ink here and there to test. I do like the Noodlers Eels Black as it has a slight amount of lubricant that helps sticky piston filling fountain pens, but boy... it's a MESS to clean if you leave in the pen say... for six months... ouch. Thank you for the video and learning lesson Drew!
Mhmm. I think every stage of test should be done across every inks compared together and ranked, instead of 1-1. But your finalist pen flush ultra-sonic test is a stroke of genius! LOL. Never thought it would be that interesting in the end!!
Now that's what I'm talking about! I don't think you got the winner wrong. Platinum makes some of the most permanent inks around, and Carbon Ink takes the cake from that line. Of course, I think it would be even more fun to see "weight classes" for these tournaments. For example, pitting all of the iron gall inks (Platinum Classic, R&K, Platinum Blue Black, TWSBI, Benitoite, etc.) against one another, and then all of the, say, blue pigmented inks and so forth.
When I dove headlong into the fountain pen hobby 5 years ago, I immediately went for the “bulletproof” inks first because I expected I’d use my new “fancy” pens for important documents. This video proves to me again why I love that permanent ink property so much! Thanks for the tournament!
Very useful and super fun to watch!! I use my fountain pens to outline stuff before watercoloring, now I know that Platinum Black is the way to go after finishing up my bottle of R&K Lotte hahaha
Rohrer & Klingner's Dokumentus range and Monteverde's Documental inks would be worth considering too. I rarely see either series mentioned in ink conversations but both ranges have interesting aspects.
Monteverde Black Documenta Ink doesn't stand up to watercolor. I think it also ran when in contact with another fountain pen ink but I'd have to check again.
Very fun. Should also mention the paper somewhere which I likely missed. I know Noodler's needs to reach the cellulose in the paper so papers with coating do not perform as well as some would like.
Bad black moccasin is my favorite permanent noodles ink (it’s freaking laser proof) use that to sign official documents and financial stuff. That ink is impossible to remove without damage. So badass
Yay! I am so glad to see Carbon Black, my favourite, win! It would be awesome to see this per colour category. I'm trying to find a waterproof oxblood to watercolour on!
Also if someone here found it already I'm all ears! I tried Noodler's RedBlack but it's not as resistant (also I'm a lefty and it's very slow drying). Thank you :)
Those are my two waterproof blacks. I like document ink because it comes in standard cartridges. I use carbon for eye-droppers and converters. Good to know the carbon rules!
Great video! My two favorite black inks are Heart of Darkness and Kiwaguro so I was happy to see them here. Would love to see a series where you put inks head to head based on color. So the best/most permanent red or blue inks can go head to head.
Citrus Black is one of the driest inks I own, so I'm not surprised it reactivated less than the Scabiosa. I wonder if they'd behave differently if left to oxidize for longer.
Had a long day at school with my students so this comment may be because I am high on Dutch Treat.. this video was exceptionally creative and funny because of Drew's humour and because of the countless SpongeBob Squarepants references. As a kid of the 90's, this touched me deeply with nostalgia and joy. Thank you for making my decompression session more enjoyable
I hope they make this a yearly thing this is very informative and fun to watch to know which inks you need to buy if you want to make sure something is going to last and be permanent permanent
i was a little disappointed x-feather didn't get to move on after it did so well, but it takes so long to dry it never would have passed the last two rounds anyway. but i would have said green gator beat document black
I have both inks and I use the Platinum carbon ink in my dip pens but because it’s pigmented I don’t use it in my fountain pens, for that I use the document ink, works great
The Platinum carbon black is actually much safer than many think it to be. I had it in my Platinum 3776, Sailor Pro Gear, TWSBI Vac 700 R and 580 ALR. None of them have any problem. I had left the carbon black in my Vac 700 R for 3 months or so without using, it starts right up just like new, and wash off with water from my pen after.
@@ctsealteam6 Yeah, I have 3 pens (Platinum Plaisir, Lamy Safari, Rotring Art Pen) permanently inked with PCB with no problems at all. No hard starts, no clogging. I mean, my poor Lamy Safari Mango is stained, but I knew going in that that would happen. I first heard about the ink when I started following a watercolour artist who used a white Lamy for her PCB ink. That Lamy is not fit for polite society. The state of it! But she loves it and it works great even though it looks terrible. So, maybe stick to black pens or ones that have a finish that ink will not stain. Like a Plaisir!
I learned that the research that I did when I was first getting into fountain pens for drawing did not lead me wrong! I've never had anything but positive experiences with Platinum Carbon Black. Worth every penny.
Thank you so much for this video. Lately I've been looking at some videos that use fountain pen ink for drawing and then they paint over it with watercolors. I didn't know you could do that! But I was lost about where to start because all of the water-proof vs water-resistant vs permanent terminology was a bit confusing to me. Now I have a bunch of good performing inks to test myself and the contest format was pretty fun. Thanks!!
Some honorable mention especially for Europeans would be the Rohrer & Klinger Sketch ink series. They can be used on fountain pens but be careful that they don't dry out (a preppy does a good preventing that) and the inks are 100% weatherproof which can be used in combination with watercolors
Great shootout Drew. Illuminating and very useful. I keep two pens permanently inked with Noodler’s X-Feather black, and X-Feather blue specifically for writing envelopes. They have both served me well, but at some point I’m probably going to only keep the blue for that purpose because I’ve found that the blue dries a little faster, and becomes bonded with the paper to provide better water resistance quicker than the black. Also the blue doesn’t lift off when handling the wet paper, but the top surface of X-Feather black does so noticeably. They both suit my purpose, but the blue just does it better.
Perfect timing. I’m planning a Mother’s Day purchase, and I was considering Noodler’s Black over deAtramentis Document Black based on reputation and price. I think deAtramentis will be worth the higher price.
Thank you so much for doing this video! I'm one of those people who, while enjoying the variety of colors available, often cares more about the properties of the ink. I especially care about water resistance and lightfastness. I'm pleased and not terribly surprised by the outcome -- Platinum Carbon Black is my most used ink, if not exactly my favorite (it's up there, though), I keep three pens inked with it at all times, with plans to add a couple more. I'd love to see more videos like this -- I'm especially curious about Baystate Concord Grape, Sailor Seiboku, pinks, and -- you'll like this -- all the browns. I'd also really love to see a lightfastness video. Thanks again for doing this video, it looks like it was a lot of work.
I'd be really interested in how those same inks stand up a year after being written. Given the long term ideal that inks will stand the year of time, testing them in the future would be great. This also makes me want to go test my Van Dieman's inks!!!
When I got my first fountain pen from Goulet Pens, the year was 2017. I purchased a Platinum Preppy and a box of Platinum Carbon Black refills. That ink worked great with the Preppy and I could paint over the lines that I made without the lines smearing. I also have Noodler's Black and Eel in black. They are a little waterproof if I don't. use a lot of water. Sometimes, though, the smeared ink effect is perfect for what I'm creating. This was a fun video to watch.
Sat down to morning cuppa tea and here's Drew bringing the biscuit! (Or crumpet? Scone?) This was FANTASTIC! Not a sports fan, but now I understand the process a bit better. A friend once said that quarterback Tom Brady (of the Patriots, at the time) was the GOAT. He asked me if I knew what GOAT was and I said, "I've heard of the term as related to fountain pens." Lexington Grey is one of those inks that art journalers use for watercolour painting over pen-and-ink drawings. I think it also has to do with the kind of paper you use. I have only recently branched out to non-Noodler's inks because if I spill tea on my writing, I don't want to lose what I wrote. Perhaps take some inks and compare different papers? Starting with crappy notebook paper and going from there? But then you'd also want to get into nib size, because fine nibs do better on fibrous notebook paper than a larger or stub nib. P.S. I'm so enjoying my Rhodia composition notebooks from you guys!
Awesome work on the video Drew! Love the head to head game show style video. I'm always doing ink tests to see the different properties of inks because I need some of my ink to be very permanent for work documents. It's nice to see you guys testing stuff and being into pens and inks like I am. Keep up the great work over there at Goulet!!!
As an amateur watercolor / pen and ink artist my go to inks are Carbon Black and De A Document Brown, also Lexington Grey. I'm pleased to see how well two of my favorites did well. Document Brown not tested but holds up well for me when allowed to thoroughly dry.
This is really helpful. I use the DeAtramentis Document Fog Grey (it's more of a blue-grey; don't let the name fool you!), and I've spilled water on the table across a fresh writing sample, and the ink DID NOT MOVE. I'm a devoted fan of the DeAtramentis Document inks as a result.
@@S.L._ Niiiice!! I have the TWSBI Swipe in Prussian Blue, but I've never filled it with blue ink! It's currently filled with Noodler's Black Swans in Australian Roses. :)
@@SusanneMBarrett Oh, cool! I have a Swipe in Prussian Blue, too -- I think the color is a little grayer on the 580 and more bluish on the Swipe. Oh, that's a nice color, too! It's similar to J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune -- my all-time favorite ink.
One thing people often overlook about the Platinum Carbon Black is that it works tremendously well on cheap paper, It's the only ink in my collection not to bleed on the crappy paper they give us at university.
Very nice. I knew the Noodler's bulletproof black wasn't going to hold well in the friction test (I'm a lefty and that ink smears a lot even when dry). No surprise that a pigmented one won. Also, another ink I know is extremely resistent is Rohrer and Klingner Sketch ink, I would bet on their black to be on par, if not beat the Platinum one, and it's cheaper, but also very, VERY difficult to clean from pens. In my opinion, Kiwaguro is a really good balance between resistance and ease of maintenance. It smears if I rub it on purpose, but never under my natural writing conditions, which is kind of weird, but nice. Also, how hard it is Platinum Carbon Black to clean?
It's not very hard to clean, for a pigmented ink. In fact, easier to clean than some non-pigmented inks. I always clean my pens with it with pen flush between fillings. Now, after a year of constantly being filled with it, one of the pens I keep it in (a TWSBI Eco) has some grayish staining in some of the grooves. I'm 99% sure I could get them out if I cleaned more thoroughly. But since I always refill that pen with that ink, I don't worry about it.
For purposes of sketching on location, I would only allow for a 5 to 10 minute drying time, at most. I would also use good mixed media art paper or watercolor paper. That best replicates how I use it with watercolor. Platinum Carbon Black is the champ in that situation, followed closely by DeAtramentis Document inks. Lexington Gray smears slightly under those conditions. Even though you put the finalists through a more rigorous test, I do agree with the results.
I'm a deatramentis person for the most part.. I have used noodlers black and bsb before (my brother put bsb in a vanishing point AND a vintage mb slimline)... I have tried sailors Storia series and r&k turquoise... Deatramentis claims their inks are mixable... Though I haven't tried it personally, I have used different deatramentis inks interchangeably in the same decimo without any cleaning... Also excellent results with cleaning with a pen flush... So I'm gonna differ with Drew there.. If people wanna clean it with pen flush... But as you can see I'm biased.... My worst experience was with mont blanc permanent ink which has some kind of ink starvation issues in most pens... Other than that I use Krishna lyrebird which costs about a tenth of what noodlers costs.. So a perfect match for a preppy... Also also... The results may vary if you let the inks dry for a bit because they do need that reaction time with cellulose...
Absolutely loved this video. I've bought a few of these based on reviews from others, but this was an eye opener on some. Can you do a video on how they do in the sun/light if left out in x amount of time?
Love it!! Water effects the paper so after water sits upon the paper and you rub it you very well could be picking up paper fiber stained with permanent ink. Glad you made this video. Saved me from asking 'What is the best black waterproof ink?' . Thanks for that!! Thanks for all you do.
The result is not surprising. It’s my favorite black ink that never fails!! I was turned on to it by TH-cam artist Peter of “Peter Draws”. Awesome artist and he also uses fountain pens! Thanks for this analysis, always a fun time with Drew!
Super useful! I've been using Platinum Carbon Black for years with watercolors. So perfect! Ultra black and never runs with water (As long as it's dry). Still watched this whole video though haha.
This is exactly what I wanted when I first started using fountain pens. I'm so happy I managed to muddle through all the written reviews and landed with Platinum Carbon Black. Thanks for doing this Drew! Now I know not to waste time with looking at other waterproof inks and doubting my choice. I got the best one for my purpose! I'd love to see how diamine Registrars ink holds up. I also think it'd be interesting to compare just the coloured water-resistant inks to see what is the winner for coloured inks specifically.
I gottah agree with the findings on the carbon black. For fountain pens and brush pens I haven't found a more waterproof black that is also archival when applying ink. For grays I use Lexington gray and another pretty waterproof and copic proof ink I've used is Noodler's Rachmaninoff...I mean it's pretty much pink but it works well with water better than bullet proof black. I recommend diluting it 4 to 1.
Loved the video format!! Please do more like that!!! I am a big fan of Platinum Carbon Black - it also writes Very smooth, like it creates a cushion to write on
Great video, thank you! I am using these results to inform my purchases of fountain pen inks! It would be great to see how all of these inks would perform under that final test of the ultrasonic cleaner.
Document Black is my favorite black ink. However, I've gone through MANY waterproof black inks and my results (though through very different testing) also agrees: Platinum Carbon Black is the most waterproof ink I've come across. It's impossible to separate from the paper. I have only two issues: it's not *as* black as some other inks and it does tend to clog up my pens, while DeAtramentis is blacker and I've never had it clog up a pen.
I am a calligrapher, and greatly enjoy using my Pilot Parallel pens. However, my favorite inks, Dr. PH Matin's Bombay India Inks, are heavily pigmented and can't be used in Parallel pens. When I letter a project for reproduction I normally do it in black, and my printer can print it in whatever color I need. So I've been looking for a really good black ink, and I think I've found it, Platinum Carbon Black. Thank you for this comparison test! It was very helpful!
I like Noodler’s Legal Lapis, which is very similar to Lexington Grey. Not only is it bulletproof but also very fast drying. I’ll be using it at my next job for all of my note writing. It’s also a professional looking color and isn’t flashy.
I’m surprised that Rohrer & Klingner sketchink wasn’t even in the lineup. I use it for my watercolor paintings and it’s the only ink I have found that doesn’t move and dries insanely fast.
i remember when i first got lexington grey, i wanted to test the water resistance, so i took a wet paper towel and swiped it on the my notebook. it did not change at all and all my friends were shocked
Well, that's what I call a proper entertainment activity for a pen enthusiasts! Awesome work, Drew!
I don't tend to enjoy watching traditional sports, but this ink tournament has my attention.
I sketch in ink and then watercolor over line work. Lexington Grey is more water resistant than any of the Noodlers blacks I’ve tried. Platinum Carbon black is in a league of its own. It’s the best. Works well in Platinum Pens with the slip n seal cap. Never dries out in pen.
my carbon nlack cartridges are more grey in a platinum plaisir pe. also does smudge easily.
@@bigdhav I agree, I used the bottled version and the sheen made it look distinctly grey with maybe a hint of silver. Some people might like this but I like black to be black.
@@QatarVegan The "ink itself" is completely black. The sheen on top is silver. I think you are being unfair. More acturately, you like black inks that don't sheen or shade.
@@QatarVegan I find it to be a very cultural thing. I like platinum carbon black particularly because of the shine it left after drying which resembles mark left by traditional calligraphy ink. I was very surprised when I read someone on reddit said they don't like the shine and they want, just like you, black to be black. Since it is a Japanese ink, I fully understand whey the preference might be different.
@@whatsoevertianyu interesting... and similar sentiments in reverse; I'm surprised anyone would like the shiny ink, I always imagined it was just a characteristic of this amazing ink that couldn't be changed. Maybe as you say... Cultural. I'm European by the way. Lucky we all like different things huh?
That justifies my very close minded approach to ONLY using Platinum Carbon Black when all my friends are Noodlers fans. Thank you for this!
I sampled so many black ink samples when i was trying to find the ultimate water color sketching ink that would'nt run when watercolored over. Lexington Grey, DeAtrimentis Archive and Carbon black were the three winners for me, 6 years ago!! The others just bled too much into my art. Im glad to see it still holds true. I have a giant 4 oz bottle of Heart of Darkness, and was thinking i should have a Noodler black since everyone loved it so much but now im happy again. I have plenty of black for writing, and will stick to the others for art.. TY Drew and team for doing this! You did a great job and solved what i needed to see reconfirmed,
I also watercolor over Lexington Gray, or Sketch Ink Lotte. :)
@@KiraConnally I really need to try those sketch inks.
I really enjoyed watching this one!
One thing I would love to see: The same tests done again but only AFTER the inks have been allowed to really get into the fibers and to dry completely.
I would like them tested after a week of drying, then drop water on them and allow them to dry naturally - as if you left a journal out and water was splashed on it, but not immediately blotted.
Yeah I would've done that if I were a more organized and intentional human being. :). - Drew
@@Gouletpens , that could be your next ink testing video!
@@Gouletpens Maybe try that with some permanent blue inks for the next one?
I'm a botanical illustrator. I draw and paint in Stillman and Birn Zeta sketchbooks and on 140lb. 100% cotton hot press watercolor paper. After waiting for one minute for the ink to dry...and without putting my paper or a sketchbook in my ultrasonic jeweler cleaner 😂...Noodler's Black runs when watercoloring over; DeAtramentis' Document Black, Urban Gray, Brown and Sepia inks do not. I've had a barely used Noodler's bottle sitting on one of my shelves for the past couple of years, but I only trust DeAtramentis Document inks now.
Great insight, Sharon! - Drew
This was fun! I'm partial to waterproof inks myself (I have my reasons), but that makes this video that much more interesting for me. Thanks, Drew! A suggestion, though: maybe try this with even more specific themes in mind, like an all-blue or all-pigmented showdown. Because Kiwaguro, while a great ink, is not representative of Sailor's waterproof capabilities: Souboku, for example, isn't bothered by water at all. Bad Green Gator may be impervious to water, but Bad Belted Kingfisher loses some of its blue component when wet. That should yield some interesting results. :)
That's a really good idea.
Nice idea, Stephen! - Drew
This experiment was so informative and entertaining to watch! I say more experiments like this! Great video guys!
As a person who uses waterproof fountain pen for watercolor, I have found Noodler's black and heart of darkness both not waterproof on watercolor/mixed media paper (ie. paper with sizing). Platinum Carbon and Document ink is very very waterpoof on all papers.
Yep, totally agree
waterproof inks can dry really slow depending on the formulation. you might need to give some inks over 24 hours to dry enough. but with that said platinum carbon black is insane.
I think Noodler's purports to be waterproof on cellulose papers only. So on cotton watercolor paper, it's not waterproof at all. I took mine to work and just leave it on my desk to fill my pens there and use Carbon black for drawing. Also, not sure if you've noticed, but Carbon has a slight sheen to it. It's almost like India ink in that regard. Noodler's is a very flat, dull black.
@@nickelazoyellow7360 that's very helpful information. I just bought some glass dip pens and am looking for a good black, gray and brown for my architectural sketches (watercolour and ink) on watercolour paper.
I would love to see an updated matchup of other waterproof/water resistant inks. This was so much fun to watch (even 1 year later 😊)
I love ink tests.
Mad science of the calligraphy world, and still entirely necessary since digital documents are so insecure. Paper will never be obsolete.
Feel like I’ve found my chemist soulmate reading your comment lol
Would love to see this test with just blues, since blue is used for signatures in legal documents.
Montblanc permanent blue ink is my personal preference for that requirement.
It is an incredibly well behaved ink; I can get lost in thought with my pen uncapped for several minutes and it won't dry out.
Yes! I have no use for a waterproof black but blue very much so!
I use black for signatures just the same
@@JerryBearry I was talking with a lawyer after the recent passing of my grandmother. According to him, blue is used for signatures cause it's easy to tell which is the original and which is a photocopy.
Noodler’s 54th Mass is my go to, it spreads a bit when drying but it is very fast drying and it sheds water well
This was super fun!! I'd like to see more Tournaments! Reds vs Blue...Green vs Brown... Or totally random match up. Keep it fun.
This was particularly timely! I was just looking for the right ink to address letters that were to travel overseas and this popped up in my TH-cam feed. Thank-you once again for presenting a topic in an interesting way that is both fun and informative.
I use carbon black because i like to highlight over my notes. I leave mine in the pen for a year, though it seems to be doing ok.. no clogging or anything.
I do the same with highlighting. That's why I love that ink!
I keep it in three pens at all times. One of them has been for over a year. No clogging, no drying out, and one temporary hard start. Granted, I prioritize pens known for having good seals (TWSBI, Opus 88, Platinum), but still.
Magical Toyland - Good point! An Ink / Highlighter Test would be a fun episode as well. I would prefer a non-smudging ink, but some inks that intentionally run or smudge under a highlighter MIGHT present some interesting results.
Oooo I've been needing a highlighter proof ink. Platinum carbon black might have sold me
16:30 - that face had me LOLing. Nice competition, Drew, thanks for sharing!
That gritty effect on the Gator Green after soaking is called granulation. It's a common property in watercolor paints.
I just learned something. 👍
Wow! Thank you! - Drew
That was fascinating. I didn't expect Noodler's not to make it into the final round. De Atramentis Document Black is my ink of choice for a waterproof black, and it hasn't disappointed me yet.
How Sailor’s pigmented and permanent ink trio of Kiwa-Guro, Seiboku and Souboku AND Noodler’s Zhivago didn’t figure in a tournament like this baffles me no end.
Fascinating episode of, "As the Ink Dries"... Great Job Drew! Okay, I have a love for the Noodler's Black and DeAtrimentis Archive black but now have to consider Lexington Grey. Humm..(scratching my chin)..Another stroke of ink here and there to test. I do like the Noodlers Eels Black as it has a slight amount of lubricant that helps sticky piston filling fountain pens, but boy... it's a MESS to clean if you leave in the pen say... for six months... ouch.
Thank you for the video and learning lesson Drew!
Thanks, Stuart! - Drew
Love watching these kinds of videos. More please!
Drew, I’m really enjoying your content. 👍🏼
Thanks for the kind words! - Drew
Mhmm. I think every stage of test should be done across every inks compared together and ranked, instead of 1-1. But your finalist pen flush ultra-sonic test is a stroke of genius! LOL. Never thought it would be that interesting in the end!!
Now that's what I'm talking about! I don't think you got the winner wrong. Platinum makes some of the most permanent inks around, and Carbon Ink takes the cake from that line. Of course, I think it would be even more fun to see "weight classes" for these tournaments. For example, pitting all of the iron gall inks (Platinum Classic, R&K, Platinum Blue Black, TWSBI, Benitoite, etc.) against one another, and then all of the, say, blue pigmented inks and so forth.
I love Platinum Carbon black ink; it's the only ink I trust to use for watercolor sketches. Even better than traditional drafting pens!
Im so glad I have the winner! :). Thank you for taking the time to do this so I didn't have to.
When I dove headlong into the fountain pen hobby 5 years ago, I immediately went for the “bulletproof” inks first because I expected I’d use my new “fancy” pens for important documents. This video proves to me again why I love that permanent ink property so much! Thanks for the tournament!
Very useful and super fun to watch!! I use my fountain pens to outline stuff before watercoloring, now I know that Platinum Black is the way to go after finishing up my bottle of R&K Lotte hahaha
Rohrer & Klingner's Dokumentus range and Monteverde's Documental inks would be worth considering too. I rarely see either series mentioned in ink conversations but both ranges have interesting aspects.
Monteverde Black Documenta Ink doesn't stand up to watercolor. I think it also ran when in contact with another fountain pen ink but I'd have to check again.
Yeah! I'd like to see a tournament focusing on fp-friendly document inks specifically
Very fun. Should also mention the paper somewhere which I likely missed. I know Noodler's needs to reach the cellulose in the paper so papers with coating do not perform as well as some would like.
At the end he said it was Rhodia 90 gsm paper.
@@BrianBarcus He said “90”, but there was a correction blended in to “80”. Or was it the other way around? 😆
Bad black moccasin is my favorite permanent noodles ink (it’s freaking laser proof) use that to sign official documents and financial stuff. That ink is impossible to remove without damage. So badass
I could listen to Drew all day long. You have to love this guy!
Yay! I am so glad to see Carbon Black, my favourite, win!
It would be awesome to see this per colour category. I'm trying to find a waterproof oxblood to watercolour on!
Also if someone here found it already I'm all ears! I tried Noodler's RedBlack but it's not as resistant (also I'm a lefty and it's very slow drying). Thank you :)
@@SilverDelta Try De Atramentis Document Black-Red. It's really dark, though
I’ll try that, thank you! 😊
This tournament has been very exciting, not even the fight between Tyson and Paul excited me that much. Thanks, Drew.
Those are my two waterproof blacks. I like document ink because it comes in standard cartridges. I use carbon for eye-droppers and converters. Good to know the carbon rules!
Great video! My two favorite black inks are Heart of Darkness and Kiwaguro so I was happy to see them here. Would love to see a series where you put inks head to head based on color. So the best/most permanent red or blue inks can go head to head.
Citrus Black is one of the driest inks I own, so I'm not surprised it reactivated less than the Scabiosa. I wonder if they'd behave differently if left to oxidize for longer.
Had a long day at school with my students so this comment may be because I am high on Dutch Treat.. this video was exceptionally creative and funny because of Drew's humour and because of the countless SpongeBob Squarepants references. As a kid of the 90's, this touched me deeply with nostalgia and joy. Thank you for making my decompression session more enjoyable
I hope they make this a yearly thing this is very informative and fun to watch to know which inks you need to buy if you want to make sure something is going to last and be permanent permanent
Plus you get to see all those fun colors
Surprisingly entertaining! I have a few of these inks in my collection, so this was very informative as well. Good job Drew!
Thanks a bunch, Nikki! - Drew
I legitimately gasped when the ultrasonic cleaner was brought out 😂😂Kudos to Drew for making such an entertaining video!
Thanks, Janie! - Drew
i was a little disappointed x-feather didn't get to move on after it did so well, but it takes so long to dry it never would have passed the last two rounds anyway. but i would have said green gator beat document black
This one of the best empirical researches I have seen, purely objective. Nice job. And we need more tournaments like this!
I have both inks and I use the Platinum carbon ink in my dip pens but because it’s pigmented I don’t use it in my fountain pens, for that I use the document ink, works great
The Platinum carbon black is actually much safer than many think it to be. I had it in my Platinum 3776, Sailor Pro Gear, TWSBI Vac 700 R and 580 ALR. None of them have any problem.
I had left the carbon black in my Vac 700 R for 3 months or so without using, it starts right up just like new, and wash off with water from my pen after.
@@ctsealteam6 Yeah, I have 3 pens (Platinum Plaisir, Lamy Safari, Rotring Art Pen) permanently inked with PCB with no problems at all. No hard starts, no clogging. I mean, my poor Lamy Safari Mango is stained, but I knew going in that that would happen. I first heard about the ink when I started following a watercolour artist who used a white Lamy for her PCB ink. That Lamy is not fit for polite society. The state of it! But she loves it and it works great even though it looks terrible. So, maybe stick to black pens or ones that have a finish that ink will not stain. Like a Plaisir!
I learned that the research that I did when I was first getting into fountain pens for drawing did not lead me wrong! I've never had anything but positive experiences with Platinum Carbon Black. Worth every penny.
Thank you so much for this video. Lately I've been looking at some videos that use fountain pen ink for drawing and then they paint over it with watercolors. I didn't know you could do that! But I was lost about where to start because all of the water-proof vs water-resistant vs permanent terminology was a bit confusing to me. Now I have a bunch of good performing inks to test myself and the contest format was pretty fun. Thanks!!
I watercolour over my Platinum Carbon Ink. It is the gold standard for anything to do with wet media. And it dries quite fast.
I thought your analysis was spot on! I am looking for a waterproof black ink. Thanks for the helpful information! Great job!
I'd love to see this with highlighters!
and does anyone else find it disturbingly satisfying when the water droplets get sucked up by the q tip?
Some honorable mention especially for Europeans would be the Rohrer & Klinger Sketch ink series. They can be used on fountain pens but be careful that they don't dry out (a preppy does a good preventing that) and the inks are 100% weatherproof which can be used in combination with watercolors
Great shootout Drew. Illuminating and very useful. I keep two pens permanently inked with Noodler’s X-Feather black, and X-Feather blue specifically for writing envelopes. They have both served me well, but at some point I’m probably going to only keep the blue for that purpose because I’ve found that the blue dries a little faster, and becomes bonded with the paper to provide better water resistance quicker than the black. Also the blue doesn’t lift off when handling the wet paper, but the top surface of X-Feather black does so noticeably. They both suit my purpose, but the blue just does it better.
Thanks, Mike! - Drew
Your creativity just keeps flying off the charts-bravo, Drew!! 👏🏻 🔥
Aww Drew, you're so entertaining to watch. Thanks for your video ☺️
Thanks for watching! - Drew
Perfect timing. I’m planning a Mother’s Day purchase, and I was considering Noodler’s Black over deAtramentis Document Black based on reputation and price. I think deAtramentis will be worth the higher price.
I appreciate this because fineliner, gel, fountain pen, or even 😮 ballpoint I only use waterproof and archival inks so this is a good resource
Good to know I got the right ink for my watercolor linearts.
Thank you so much for doing this video! I'm one of those people who, while enjoying the variety of colors available, often cares more about the properties of the ink. I especially care about water resistance and lightfastness. I'm pleased and not terribly surprised by the outcome -- Platinum Carbon Black is my most used ink, if not exactly my favorite (it's up there, though), I keep three pens inked with it at all times, with plans to add a couple more. I'd love to see more videos like this -- I'm especially curious about Baystate Concord Grape, Sailor Seiboku, pinks, and -- you'll like this -- all the browns. I'd also really love to see a lightfastness video. Thanks again for doing this video, it looks like it was a lot of work.
Great balance of entertainment and education ! 🌈 “the more you know” ... Now tempted to run my own tournament with the 3 dozen bottles I own 🤓
Thanks for watching! - Drew
19 minutes very fun, great championship. I laughed a lot with this competition.
That was great fun and informative, thank you.
Thanks for watching, Randy! - Drew
Wow, just started watching this, so exciting! Let the battles begin! 🥳✒️🖋
Congrats to the winner! 👑 I loved this video! 💜💜💜 kudos to the team and the awesome work 👏🙌
I'd be really interested in how those same inks stand up a year after being written. Given the long term ideal that inks will stand the year of time, testing them in the future would be great.
This also makes me want to go test my Van Dieman's inks!!!
Yes. Winner is best one. I agree.
the one and best way inks should be tested. very scientific , very entertaining
When I got my first fountain pen from Goulet Pens, the year was 2017. I purchased a Platinum Preppy and a box of Platinum Carbon Black refills. That ink worked great with the Preppy and I could paint over the lines that I made without the lines smearing. I also have Noodler's Black and Eel in black. They are a little waterproof if I don't. use a lot of water. Sometimes, though, the smeared ink effect is perfect for what I'm creating. This was a fun video to watch.
Sat down to morning cuppa tea and here's Drew bringing the biscuit! (Or crumpet? Scone?) This was FANTASTIC! Not a sports fan, but now I understand the process a bit better. A friend once said that quarterback Tom Brady (of the Patriots, at the time) was the GOAT. He asked me if I knew what GOAT was and I said, "I've heard of the term as related to fountain pens."
Lexington Grey is one of those inks that art journalers use for watercolour painting over pen-and-ink drawings. I think it also has to do with the kind of paper you use. I have only recently branched out to non-Noodler's inks because if I spill tea on my writing, I don't want to lose what I wrote. Perhaps take some inks and compare different papers? Starting with crappy notebook paper and going from there? But then you'd also want to get into nib size, because fine nibs do better on fibrous notebook paper than a larger or stub nib.
P.S. I'm so enjoying my Rhodia composition notebooks from you guys!
LOL All of this is gold. Thanks, Hali. - Drew
Awesome work on the video Drew! Love the head to head game show style video. I'm always doing ink tests to see the different properties of inks because I need some of my ink to be very permanent for work documents. It's nice to see you guys testing stuff and being into pens and inks like I am. Keep up the great work over there at Goulet!!!
Thanks for sharing the kind words! That was super cool of you! - Drew
As an amateur watercolor / pen and ink artist my go to inks are Carbon Black and De A Document Brown, also Lexington Grey. I'm pleased to see how well two of my favorites did well. Document Brown not tested but holds up well for me when allowed to thoroughly dry.
Loved the video! I will use your ideas to test my own inks. Thanks!
This is really helpful. I use the DeAtramentis Document Fog Grey (it's more of a blue-grey; don't let the name fool you!), and I've spilled water on the table across a fresh writing sample, and the ink DID NOT MOVE. I'm a devoted fan of the DeAtramentis Document inks as a result.
I can't wait to get a bottle of that. Such weird, unique color.
@@S.L._ It's my go-to ink for my Pilot Metropolitan stub nib. It's definitely my favorite ink -- so pretty!! :D
@@SusanneMBarrett Nice! It is pretty -- once I get a bottle of it, I'm thinking of keeping it in my TWSBI 580 ALR in Prussian Blue.
@@S.L._ Niiiice!! I have the TWSBI Swipe in Prussian Blue, but I've never filled it with blue ink! It's currently filled with Noodler's Black Swans in Australian Roses. :)
@@SusanneMBarrett Oh, cool! I have a Swipe in Prussian Blue, too -- I think the color is a little grayer on the 580 and more bluish on the Swipe. Oh, that's a nice color, too! It's similar to J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune -- my all-time favorite ink.
One thing people often overlook about the Platinum Carbon Black is that it works tremendously well on cheap paper, It's the only ink in my collection not to bleed on the crappy paper they give us at university.
I liked this! Can we see a paper tournament next (test of feathering, bleedthrough, ghosting, etc)?
Very nice. I knew the Noodler's bulletproof black wasn't going to hold well in the friction test (I'm a lefty and that ink smears a lot even when dry). No surprise that a pigmented one won. Also, another ink I know is extremely resistent is Rohrer and Klingner Sketch ink, I would bet on their black to be on par, if not beat the Platinum one, and it's cheaper, but also very, VERY difficult to clean from pens.
In my opinion, Kiwaguro is a really good balance between resistance and ease of maintenance. It smears if I rub it on purpose, but never under my natural writing conditions, which is kind of weird, but nice.
Also, how hard it is Platinum Carbon Black to clean?
It's not very hard to clean, for a pigmented ink. In fact, easier to clean than some non-pigmented inks. I always clean my pens with it with pen flush between fillings. Now, after a year of constantly being filled with it, one of the pens I keep it in (a TWSBI Eco) has some grayish staining in some of the grooves. I'm 99% sure I could get them out if I cleaned more thoroughly. But since I always refill that pen with that ink, I don't worry about it.
For purposes of sketching on location, I would only allow for a 5 to 10 minute drying time, at most. I would also use good mixed media art paper or watercolor paper. That best replicates how I use it with watercolor. Platinum Carbon Black is the champ in that situation, followed closely by DeAtramentis Document inks. Lexington Gray smears slightly under those conditions. Even though you put the finalists through a more rigorous test, I do agree with the results.
Yeah, I definitely could've done this more scientifically. :) - Drew
I'm a deatramentis person for the most part.. I have used noodlers black and bsb before (my brother put bsb in a vanishing point AND a vintage mb slimline)... I have tried sailors Storia series and r&k turquoise...
Deatramentis claims their inks are mixable... Though I haven't tried it personally, I have used different deatramentis inks interchangeably in the same decimo without any cleaning... Also excellent results with cleaning with a pen flush... So I'm gonna differ with Drew there.. If people wanna clean it with pen flush... But as you can see I'm biased....
My worst experience was with mont blanc permanent ink which has some kind of ink starvation issues in most pens...
Other than that I use Krishna lyrebird which costs about a tenth of what noodlers costs.. So a perfect match for a preppy...
Also also... The results may vary if you let the inks dry for a bit because they do need that reaction time with cellulose...
Absolutely loved this video. I've bought a few of these based on reviews from others, but this was an eye opener on some. Can you do a video on how they do in the sun/light if left out in x amount of time?
Love it!! Water effects the paper so after water sits upon the paper and you rub it you very well could be picking up paper fiber stained with permanent ink. Glad you made this video. Saved me from asking 'What is the best black waterproof ink?' . Thanks for that!! Thanks for all you do.
The result is not surprising. It’s my favorite black ink that never fails!! I was turned on to it by TH-cam artist Peter of “Peter Draws”. Awesome artist and he also uses fountain pens! Thanks for this analysis, always a fun time with Drew!
I love his vids, and he loves that ink!
Super useful! I've been using Platinum Carbon Black for years with watercolors. So perfect! Ultra black and never runs with water (As long as it's dry). Still watched this whole video though haha.
I really enjoyed this video! I’m always interested in finding more inks that can be watercolored over without bleeding.
Thanks, Linda! - Drew
This is exactly what I wanted when I first started using fountain pens. I'm so happy I managed to muddle through all the written reviews and landed with Platinum Carbon Black. Thanks for doing this Drew! Now I know not to waste time with looking at other waterproof inks and doubting my choice. I got the best one for my purpose! I'd love to see how diamine Registrars ink holds up. I also think it'd be interesting to compare just the coloured water-resistant inks to see what is the winner for coloured inks specifically.
best fountainpen ink video thank you so much!
I gottah agree with the findings on the carbon black. For fountain pens and brush pens I haven't found a more waterproof black that is also archival when applying ink. For grays I use Lexington gray and another pretty waterproof and copic proof ink I've used is Noodler's Rachmaninoff...I mean it's pretty much pink but it works well with water better than bullet proof black. I recommend diluting it 4 to 1.
Paper is rhodia 80 gram dot grid mentioned at the end of the video.
Great match!!! very useful, thanks a lot. (Carbon black team) 😁👍
Excellent! Subjective or not, this was very helpful.
Thanks, Thom! - Drew
Loved the video format!!
Please do more like that!!!
I am a big fan of Platinum Carbon Black - it also writes Very smooth, like it creates a cushion to write on
It really is great! - Drew
This was incredibly suspenseful and exciting! Can you please do a highlighter version? What ink looks best when highlighted over?
This is low key a video I watch to calm down my anxiety lol Can we have a series?
This was fun AND informative, Drew. I'd say well done. I'd like to have tested Noodler's 54th Massachusetts.
Thanks, Randy! - Drew
Great video, thank you! I am using these results to inform my purchases of fountain pen inks! It would be great to see how all of these inks would perform under that final test of the ultrasonic cleaner.
Document Black is my favorite black ink. However, I've gone through MANY waterproof black inks and my results (though through very different testing) also agrees: Platinum Carbon Black is the most waterproof ink I've come across. It's impossible to separate from the paper. I have only two issues: it's not *as* black as some other inks and it does tend to clog up my pens, while DeAtramentis is blacker and I've never had it clog up a pen.
A very, very useful video indeed; thanks Drew!
This was so fun to watch!!!
Thanks, Petra! - Drew
would lovee to see a brown ink version! So surprise the green made it that far!
I am a calligrapher, and greatly enjoy using my Pilot Parallel pens. However, my favorite inks, Dr. PH Matin's Bombay India Inks, are heavily pigmented and can't be used in Parallel pens. When I letter a project for reproduction I normally do it in black, and my printer can print it in whatever color I need. So I've been looking for a really good black ink, and I think I've found it, Platinum Carbon Black. Thank you for this comparison test! It was very helpful!
I like Noodler’s Legal Lapis, which is very similar to Lexington Grey. Not only is it bulletproof but also very fast drying. I’ll be using it at my next job for all of my note writing. It’s also a professional looking color and isn’t flashy.
I’m surprised that Rohrer & Klingner sketchink wasn’t even in the lineup. I use it for my watercolor paintings and it’s the only ink I have found that doesn’t move and dries insanely fast.
i remember when i first got lexington grey, i wanted to test the water resistance, so i took a wet paper towel and swiped it on the my notebook. it did not change at all and all my friends were shocked
This was AAAAWWWWEEESOME !! :). Do the same thing for feathering on copy paper! :)