If you are in the market for blue black fountain pen ink then be prepared for a wide, wonderful selection of inks. The issue is that the array of inks you will soon find ahead of you is almost too wide and too wonderful.
This guide will help you narrow down the selection to a manageable number of inks for you to consider and ultimately purchase.
Blue Black vs. Dark Blue
Blue black (sometimes written as “blue-black”) ink can cause some confusion because it’s so similar to dark blue or even navy colored ink. So what do we mean by “blue black”?
Blue black is an ink color that is a dark blue tone but with shades of black or dark grey in it. A pure dark blue can be created using entirely blue colors, but blue black will take the darkness past that point by introducing tones that are dark enough to be considered black.
This isn’t to say that a blue black ink needs to super dark, as that’s not the case. Blue black ink can range from being similar to navy to being blue-grey to being practically black but with hints of blue (this would still be considered a blue black by most people, not a black blue). Others are blue but with enhanced green shades, becoming almost a teal black ink. A good example of this is the Waterman Blue-Black.
This article will focus on more conventional, office-friendly blue black inks that give you just what they they say on the label.
Top Blue Black Fountain Pen Inks
Here are some of the most widely acclaimed and recommended blue black fountain inks of 2020…
- Akkerman Diep-Duinwaterblauw
- Aurora Blue Black
- Bungubox 4b
- Colorverse Office Blue Black
- Diamine Regency Blue
- Diamine Midnight
- Kobe #38 Kitanozaka Night Blue
- Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts
- Noodler’s Air Corp Blue Black
- Noodler’s Blue Black
- Lamy Blue Black
- Pelikan 4001 Blue Black
- Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite
- Pilot Blue Black
- Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai
- Platinum Blue Black
- Sailor Jentle Blue-Black
- Sailor Sei Boku (pigmented)
Best Blue Black Fountain Pen Inks
I tested extensively and while there are a huge number of great blue black inks, some really do set themselves apart from the rest.
The best overall blue black ink is Lamy’s Blue Black. This might not seem like an inspired choice given the many, many options available, but this ink is affordable, consistent, easy to find, and exceptional user-friendly. It has a lot of shading, which isn’t for everyone, but can look quite nice. This is also a true blue black ink, so you aren’t going buy it and be surprised by how green or gray it turns out to be.
Best Permanent Blue Black Ink
If you need to work near water then you’ll want a permanent ink that uses pigment for coloring. In this case Sailor’s Sei Boku is a great pick. It’s a handsome, reliable ink that is highly water-resistant. It’s the blue black equivalent of one of our favorite black inks, Sailor’s Kiwa-guro.
A runner-up to this ink would be Noodler’s Air Corp, which is much cheaper than Sei Boku and a much darker color, but lacks its elegance.