My Current Favorite Black Fountain Pen Ink

I've been loving this Private Reserve Ultra Black. Got mine from www.blesket.com
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#doodlebud #fountainpen #ink

[@samyg123]

I keep going back to waterman intense black. Affordable, great flow, well saturated and easy to clean up.😊

[@ubacat1617]

That's the only black ink I have (was also the very first bottle of ink I bought), and even though it's more like a charcoal instead of black, it's perfect for me.

[@lead-dog]

Platinum's Carbon Black Ink. Used to use a lot of Monblanc permanent black too.

[@deanandreoli1975]

i recently scored a little 20ml bottle of Platinum Chou Kuro. For my drawing needs, it's pretty great. really dark black, waterproof, not feathery. On the other hand, trickier to clean out and expensive. Great video, DoodleMeister!

[@slo_carry]

Check out Leonardo Black if you like Chou Kuro. I recently did a comparison on Rhodia and Leonardo black was almost identical in color.

[@pmccord9]

I use a syringe 💉 to fill almost all my pens. Minimizes mess and ink waste, seems to save time overall.

[@philnaunton7181]

I concur. I still get ink on my fingers, but nothing like before. It is also the quickest and most efficient way to completely fill almost ANY pen. There are exceptions: piston pens without removable grip sections and with non-removable nibs and feeds for example. BONUS - you can get the last drop of ink out of almost any bottle.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Okay... sorry for the length on this one up front... I have a weird syringe and I don't know what the "technical term" is to get more... SO story... to help understand... Years ago, I stepped on a 16D nail, and had it not been in my HEEL, it would've gone through my foot entirely... SO at the E.R. the nurses and a big ol' intern (because I'm deceptively powerful for as scrawny as I look) used this thing to shove Betadine up the hole... X-rays, packing... cleaning and repacking rituals... BUT no stitches...AND they gave me the syringe... SO it does NOT have a needle... It looks otherwise like an ordinary syringe, but where you would normally "fit" a needle, it's like someone heated and drew that part WAY WAY OUT to a very fine tip, with a hole about as wide as 2 or maybe 3 human hairs total... I mean, this B*TCH is TIGHT... and just a little movement gets you a REALLY GREAT JET... The "tip/nozzle" is very slightly curved, but that doesn't hurt the accuracy of it... It's FRIGGIN' AWESOME when you need a tiny, absolutely PERFECT jet of liquid EXACTLY where you want it as far as you care to build up your thumb to SHOOT IT... haha AND I want MORE of them... BUT it's gotta be a "specialty type" syringe, and I'm (admittedly) just casually touring Ebay and Amazon for dubious medical crap, so I'm not 100% up on terms... BUT I'd LOVE to find more of these or the company that puts such a thing out. It's THE greatest syringe since the invention of Teddy Bear Sh*t! SO if anyone knows the name of such a damn thing, PLEASE... join this thread and SHARE THAT SH*T!!! AND anyone else, join to find out with me/us... Because if everyone just gave it a chance, I PROMISE you'd be impressed! ;o)

[@jean-sebastienturgeon5861]

I ordered a bunch of 16-20 gauge blunt tipped syringes on amazon.

[@qwe1231]

Amazon had a sale on 50ml Waterman Intense Black so I got it not expecting anything special. But it's really good! Good flow, safe for pens, easy to clean out. Spreads a bit on cheap paper but most inks do too.

[@charlesbrough6185]

My go-to for now is Pilot Black... Because I bought the 350 ml bottle.

[@slo_carry]

I think my favorite black ink is Platinum Carbon Black. I use it gor journaling on Regalia paper and love the silver sheen off it. For a flat black, i generally grab Leonardo black.

[@Gioconda1777]

I prefer non-black dark inks. J. Herbin Shogun (designed by the late couturier Kenzo) is my absolute favorite. A dark anthracite with a bit of a copper-golden glow. On paper the ink is of a softened blackish tone -in combination with an off white paper color a wonderful match. Not too harsh but very good readable. I just love it. Greetings from Hamburg Gabrielle 🛳

[@animula6908]

I find myself in the minority who prefer a shading black. When I use black, it’s often for professional use, so one of the few ways to keep it from being oppressively boring is if it shades. Intense, flat blacks have appealed to me at times for flex writing especially, to max the contrast on those hairlines, but I’ve come to prefer blue for that most of the time. Noodler’s Dark Matter is my favorite black even though it’s not the most shading one, because I find it’s origin story so cool.

[@richardsimms251]

Very enjoyable video. Great ink. RS. Canada

[@johnlopez3996]

I use Parker Quink Black in my vintage fountain pens, and Pilot Black works well with my other fountain pens. Over here in Southern California, there was a place called The Fountain Pen Shop, and the owner Fred Krinke made his own pen flush that he dubbed Fred's Secret Sauce. He has been gone since 2019, and I miss his expertise. Take care.

[@eddiecandelaria8691]

I enjoyed your comment. I too would go to Mr. Krinke's fountain pen shop and bought a montblanc 149 which he let me put on layaway. He was really cool about it and one could get lost and spend an endless amount of time in his shop. He was a very patient man and would give me tips on wet and dry inks also the importance of having a ultrasound cleaner. I too purchased a bottle of Fred's secret sauce and still have the card of instructions that came with it. The other store was pen , flax and paper and I just wasn't feeling it. Went back from time to time to Fred sometimes just for advice or just to hear him talk. There are not many people like him anymore and that's a shame because he was a really good dude. I sure do miss him, may he rest in peace.

[@Calcprof]

Interesting. For many years I typically used Aurora Black, which seems quite wet. These days I keep one pen inked with a pigmented black, for use when permanence is wanted (like for addressing envelopes, which might get wet in transit). This looks like a good black, though. Wetness vs. surface tension is an interesting question.

[@brettsmith1655]

Love it. Been looking at a lot of Black inks the last couple of weeks and this one caught my eye. I will be trying it and a few others out in the next week or so. Thought the capillary test was (yet another) interesting angle that I hadn't ever considered before. You consistently come up with some of the best ideas. Keep up the good work.

[@davidmcintosh19]

I love this black ink. It's such a good dark ink that it looks like I'm writing with the night when I use it.

[@osirisgolad]

Aurora Black behaves well and keeps its blackness best in extra fine nibs in my experience. Platinum's new Chou Kuro is the only black ink that stays truly black in wide nibs, but it's very expensive.

[@ReticentSparrow]

Had the same idea for those Old Smoky bottles. I was going to use them as inkwells instead of holding pen flush, though.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

I’d add that Cross Black and Kaweco’s Pearl Black are also pretty great. I have them in cartridges.

[@hiltonprice2625]

I have been using this same ink for a few years and it is also my favourite black. Intense black, dries fairly fast, flows well. Great for work if you don’t need a permanent ink. Thanks for the review. There are not many for this ink.

[@archivist17]

I must see if i can get some of this ink to try. I do love black inks - the blacker the better. Current favourite is Diamine Onyx Black, which i use every day, and the runner up is Namiki Black.

[@caseyjp1]

I'm not a 'fancy' writer. I just want the writing in my journal to be legible. Heh. For everyday use, I found the Luoshi Black (cheap as dirt on Ali) is just fine. Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black also works. On the paper types I use, they're...black. :-D

[@jacobpedersen8661]

If nothing else, you sold me on Regalia paper! The way that sharpie popped was awesome!

[@ashotinthedark3182]

This is my go to black ink as well.

[@999tinman]

I have been trying to decide what black ink I should use, I think I will give it a try😊

[@manuelsalazar3938]

I used to consider black inks as boring, but recently I gave them another chance and found some interesting blacks. My current go to blacks are a Montblanc vintage black from the 90's which looks like muddy water, Ferris Wheel Press Roaring Patina Black for shimmer black, Iroshizuku Take-sumi for sheening/shading black and Teranishi Antique Black for general use.

[@MultiEbbot]

Aurora black has been my go to for a long time but I also found ST Dupont black to be surprisingly good and i really like it. It smells noticable funny though. Dominant Industry Base Black is also very nice.. ooh and Lamy Obsidian!

[@alohm]

My favourite black is Pilot's plain black, huge bottles. This black is very dark, smokiness grey when light(as opposed to private seems purple black and noodler's is brown black). I was using Noodler's heart of darkness but I found it kept pens from starting, even clogging some? Very happy with my Pilot inks.

[@alejandroocana5020]

My favorite black is Pilot Black. I really like it. And for water resistant, i use Pelikan Fount india ink. It is a really nice ink. Underrated in my opinion.

[@zeus52452]

I have Waterman Intense Black, Pelikan Brilliant Black, but I find myself going to De Atramentis Archive ink. I keep a Jinhao 80 all black pen filled with that ink. The other ink I tend to favor is Noodler's Heart of Darkness. I think it would be interesting to see the capillary tube test on that ink if you can get around to it. Maybe one day I'll branch out to some other black inks.

[@assistivetek]

I just started to use Platinum Chou Kuro which is the blackest black ink that I have ever used. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

[@Cortesevasive]

Well first requirement it must be waterproof. Good performance on finer nibs and super black. 1-Pilot Tsuwairo - Newer ink , but seems like a keeper, pilot cant dissapoint. 2-Deatramentis dokument black/Platinum Carbon -basically industry standard on reliability. 3-Rohrer Klingner dokumentus - not great on finer nibs, but very dark.

[@CRAusmus]

I’m a graphic designer and used to work a lot in the printing industry and when we wanted an ultra black on press we’d mix a little extra cyan in the ink. It really makes the black pop. So when you say you see a little blue in the ink I’m not surprised at all.

[@mmzeeman]

At the moment my favorite black is Lamy Crystal Obsidian. Works well in fine &. broad nibs. In Europe it is available for less than 10 euro for 30ml and easily available.

[@lamarrharding4776]

This Lamy Obsidian on Tomaway, or Rodia Paper, has a brown sheen to it, Sheaffer Black has a blue/purple sheen that makes the ink look wet after it dries.. KWZ Warsaw Dreaming also sheens. A flexible nib with sheening ink on quality paper is unusually impressive.

[@mmzeeman]

@@lamarrharding4776 Thanks for the tip. Warsaw Dreamin looks really interesting. I'm going to see if I can try it somewhere.

[@MrAndrew1953]

Ultra fast dry different capillary action. Like you I’m a fan of the ink but not the bottle shape. The best bottles are Pilot or TWSBI desk tops with the internal plastic cone. Screw down the cap,tip the bottle on its, the little holder inside fills with ink. You get to use all the ink in the bottle down to the dregs.

[@avgjoeshow4208]

My favorite black ink has been platinum carbon black but maybe I will have to try this one!

[@larsgottlieb]

Sweet dreams Doodlebud (o: I'd love to hear what you think of the Guitar Antique Black, which is a brown/black, nor a pure black

[@Volkmannx]

I chose Faber Castell Carbon Black because of your video you mentioned. It seemed to be the blackest. Platinum Carbon Black comes in second, but only due to it's maintenance factor. Permanent and shiny. Anyways, thank you!

[@bear8myparents734]

I use that too. Private reserve is the most under-rated brand.

[@paulmchugh1430]

I used to have this ink. The dry time takes far too long. Currently Aurora Black is the ink of choice. Well behaved. It is a flat ink but it dries well. I am still looking for a darker black that dries quickly.

[@bbrachman]

Just going by online suggestions, I settled on two black inks. Used to like Noodlers Black. Kind of abandoned that one. Their Feather Black. Also abandoned. Now I strictly use Platinum Carbon Black and Roher & Klingler Sketch black. Since I draw with these inks, these two have bubbled to the top of my list.

[@BlueWhite_Phoenix]

The only black fountain pen inks I've ever purchased. It seems like I've done my research right. Although I must say that I got Carbon Black for writing and use it that way, and Rohrer & Klingner's Black Sketch ink for sketching. I usually use India ink with dip pens for drawings I put effort in.

[@TheFuckinfunkin]

Did you have a technical reason to shut away from the inks or did you consider noodler's off color on the names? I love noodlers black, but I'm open to find other inks because of the naming and when I use up the bottle I just want a good reliable black ink

[@TSS161]

I love Private Reserve (both old and new) but it really is the ink brand that has given me the most problems with their jars

[@williamcatalano1762]

Just got a new Carene in Marine amber with a medium nib for a good discount. I put Diamine Ancient copper in it. It sometimes will hard start and seems to have flow issues once and awhile. I did what you did to yours in the last video and it seemed to help out but it's still not fixed entirely. I always clean out my pens with soapy water and bulb syringe before I ink them the first time, so I might do that a few more times and maybe put an ink I know is super wet like writers blood or something. I think it might be more of a feed issue than a nib issue on mine. I heard this can be a common issue sadly with waterman pens now a days. I still love the carene there is just no pen out today like it really.

[@themisterchristie]

I've only tried two blacks so far, Platinum Carbon black and Platinum's Mixable Black. My preference is for the Carbon black, very nice dark black, the Mixable dries with a bit of a brown hue. The Private Reserve is a good looking black. Like you, I find their bottles to be a poor design, other than for ease of getting a pen in.

[@apollosix]

Try Faber-Castell Non-erasable Ink Bottle - Black, flows well. Did I mention cheaper than a packet of chips.

[@Vendavalez]

My current every day block is Faber-Castell Carbon Black. It is the one that performs the best in terms of how it looks on the paper that I use, how it flows out of the pen, and how long it takes to dry. I haven’t done a rigorous test for permanence, but it is permanent enough for my needs. I started with Noodler’s X-Feather which is great except in the flow department. It feels like writing with thick, spent oil. Then I moved to Noodler’s Heart of Darkness. Which is better in flow, but not as much as I would like. Then I briefly considered Bungubox The Ink of Witch, because I love it in all departments except price. Can’t use that every day. Which led me to settle on Faber-Castell Carbon black. I think I could do with a bit darker ink, but the flow is phenomenal! At least with the pen/paper I use, it feels like an instrument of speed! Which is important when taking quick notes. I have tested many others in between that were dismissed for not being dark enough or having too much shading. I love shading, just not on my notes. I have my eyes set on Chou Kuro, but I’m waiting on the hype to die down a bit. And I have not tested this PR Ultra Black, so I’m definitely trying that out too. I would say that I am still on the search for the perfect black ink for every day use.

[@cynthiaalvarado8610]

Chou Kuro is now my go- to black ink. It’s very intense and it’s just black, not blackish something else.

[@Chrisamic]

In over 45 years I've never been a fan of black ink, but I do quite like Platinum Carbon Black for it's permanence. Once it's dry water will dissolve the paper before it changes what you wrote in any way. It's probably not a good idea to let it dry out in a pen, though I do have it in a pen that I'm quite happy to dismantle completely for cleaning if I ever had to. I found it left a black ring in a plastic ink bottle I was using, which scrubbing with pen flush did remove, so it's not as bad as Baystate Blue or anything like that. When used with a glass pen the result is almost three dimensional. I was using it with the glass pen to address envelopes, until I worked out which pen I wanted to put it in (a Jinhao 599-A).

[@daburger3912]

My momentan favourite is octopus fluids document ink black it is of a modest wetness no sheen no shade just verry black. Blacker than aurora, sailor and platinum black. Its even relativly easy to clean. The only downside is that it does not work with all nibs. It works with bock nr6 jowo nr6 as they give a little bit more bounce while writing. With my nr 5 steel nibs it made problems. With all my gold nibs it also performed perfectly. And the best it is fully waterproof and you can highlight over it when it is fully dried.

[@mellow-jello]

Noodler's Raven Black (Canadian exclusive) is my top black ink, nice and dark, far from charcoal, or grey tones like other black inks.

[@josephfiore2843]

Platinum Carbon ... all day long. I watercolor over it so has to be waterproof

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

It should interest you (Doodlebud) just in case you didn't know... Scheaffer put out Scrip ink in beautiful little glass jars WAY BACK in the day... BUT these beautiful old jars are special in all the world of ink. Those who know about them, HIGHLY prize them, and... hehe... I have TWO and you'll have one when you pry it from my stone dead fingers! Just under the wide-mouth lid and lip, for about 125 degree arc (and about 1/3 the inner diameter) there's a POCKET of glass... This is made so no matter how nearly empty, you can TIP the jar to fill just that pocket full of ink... AND this allows you to dip the dip pens OR to fill your fountain pens from just about a half inch (12 to 13 mm) under the top of the jar... EVERY... SINGLE... LAST... FILL!!! Mine (for better and worser) still have sizeable amounts of Scheaffer's Scrip in Royal Blue and Blue Black... AND I may well be YEARS using all that up... BUT I'm keeping my eyes out for other jars... even (dare I say "especially"???) dead empty... BUT since I already have two, and there ARE other ways to deal with liquid ink... I might just share this little tid-bit of information, so YOU and even maybe others can ALSO learn, since you obviously have quite a thing for fountain pens... You'd probably see quite a purpose in JUST that sort of jar... Tip... lid off... fill a pen or two... lid on... repeat... SIMPLE... EASY... NEVER WONDER how friggin' far you gotta go to get ink in this g** d*** thing... EVER! ;o)

[@nope8535]

Huh, I was thinking of my first black ink besides the Platinum cartridge I would go with X-feather, but that is a nice black.

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Hi DB! Have not tried any of those brand inks, but that black looks nice! Usually use Quink black. I use a syringe to refill pens but I like dipping the pen when loading for the first time, or when changing colors. I couldn't do that though with my newest pen, though! I received a JINHAO 9019 and wanted to use a sample ink. NO WAY that section was going in that itty-bitty tube! Out came the syringe! I use glass jars like. jellies and jams come in to contain my pen flush. Smuckers 12.75 oz. is a good size.

[@schm4704]

I wrote all the way through university with plain old Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black, so that is my go-to black I guess.

[@loripritchett-sheats4791]

Noodler Dark Matter and J Herbin Perel Noire are my favorites

[@sdjohnson2434]

I have used Noodlers Black for years because it is waterproof and has characteristics I like. I have been tempted to try Platinum Carbon Black or De Atramentis Document Black, but will probably just stick to Noodlers.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

JUST double check on any inks labelled "Carbon" anywhere... Mostly to make sure there aren't carbon particulates in the ink, or that you ARE aware that those stick inside feeds. It won't ruin or break anything... It's just kind of a high maintenance bitch to clean up after... and can clog the flow and frustrate the BEJEEEZUS right out of you... especially if you didn't expect that. I LOVE Noodler's black for the bullet-proof plain black hard line. In sketch it just doesn't get any better... BUT Heart of Darkness is just TOO COOL to leave it alone! A little "softer" almost charcoal color (not exactly gray, but... hard to explain if you don't put lines of each side by side... a "softer black")... Anyway, I like it... AND as an artist, having a jar clearly labeled "Heart of Darkness" just... FITS me. ;o)

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Aurora Black and Sailor’s Kiwa-Guro are the best blacks I’ve used and the only two I need today.

[@Cortesevasive]

Kiwa guro is not waterproof. Also it has smudging problem on smooth papers. Sure its very dark and performs great on any nib, but its not perfect

[@sajjadhusain4146]

@@Cortesevasive KG is very water resistant, if not waterproof as you say. I reckon it would pass muster for any kind of writing on most any paper. Maybe not for dedicated sketchers and artists. KG isn’t ‘perfect’, obviously. I don’t think I’ve had smudging issues with it, though I’ve had that issue with Platinum’s Carbon Black. KG is so very dark, true black, excellent flow, an almost velvety appearance on the page. It’s a keeper. As are Souboku and Seiboku in Sailor’s superb trio.

[@Cortesevasive]

Well KG can be lifted if I touch it with hand. Especially on something like tamoe river with soft nibs. Carbon has no problems lol. Sei/Souboku are waterproof though. Again Tsuwairo blueblack is superior to Seisouboku its darker. I dont remember the seisouboku performance though From sailor I like their simple basic blue the most, its somewhat water resistant, has legit colour and shades and sheens and look nice if washed away with water. @@sajjadhusain4146

[@PacoElMapache]

how does the ink do on cheaper paper?

[@charleshotchkiss1813]

Is this ink just their infinity black without the humectant that helps IB remain liquid with the pen uncapped?

[@zathrasnotzathras9435]

Have you tried Platinum’s Chou Kuro? It’s supposed to be the blackest of all black ink. I need to find your video on the pen flush. I need to make some but I don’t have a good recipe.

[@goodprince5327]

Since we are talking about inks I want to ask a question. Is it possible to put a new ink in a pen whose old ink has run out? I mean without cleaning it etc. The first ink runs out completely and then you put in a new one directly. I ask this because I have bought the custom 823 and have learned that cleaning it is a complex process - perhaps even risky. If it is bad, is it also bad if the inks are almost the same colour and from the same company? Thank you and sorry for this general question 😁 love your videos

[@herrsteppenwolf]

I'm still working with my large bottle of Heart of Darkness. I need a good waterproof black ink. Is the PR waterproof?

[@kreasu]

Does it smear with oily hands?

[@ubacat1617]

I love the Private Reserve inks. They all have great flow, but most are a bit sticky to clean out of the fountain pen. Have you found that with this ink?

[@McAmeron089III]

I have to clean the mouth and cap off to allow easier opening of the jar. This ink seems almost sticky to me.

[@ichirofakename]

I must be less sensitive than most folks as all black fountain pen inks seem the same to me. As I am heavily committed to De Atramentis Artist inks, for their permanence, I will call De Atramentis Artist Black my go-to black. However I am intrigued by Platinum Chou Kuro, which everybody says really is darker. Gotta get a sample and see for myself. In the past I used Noodler's Borealis Black, happy with its extreme wetness.

[@paulherman5822]

Like a nephew used to answer the phone, "Thanks, but we already have enough towels." 😂 I have plenty of black ink already. A few observations: the majority of reviews on this ink talk about its temperamental nature. Have you had issues with it on less than optimal paper for fountain pens? And there's just something about the colour that reminds me of vintage (WWII era) Parker Quink microfilm black, down to the reddish purplish tinge. Now, there's a well behaved ink. 😁 Not really water resistant in the least, but that's why others have that feature today (wasn't remotely as important in the past.)

[@johnnyjet3.1412]

Lamy Mineral obsidian - but then I was once a geology major.

[@MrCabimero]

Interesting that it is not lubricated but flows like it does.

[@tangohotellima1895]

Have you tried Sailor's Suberakashi from their Shikiori label? It translates to "weaving hair", and i feel that's an apt description - a glossy black dye ink.

[@mtchob]

Oo thank you for mentioning this. do you find any smudging issues at all with this one, or trouble drying down fully ever? I really only use pilot iroshizuku black, I love the sheen, but after I have it in a pen for several days, it starts to have some difficulty drying on paper (using tomoe river). I love shikiori inks soooo much of the ones ive tried; I'm curious what your experience has been with this one!

[@tangohotellima1895]

@@mtchob Oh, the Sailor Suberakashi's a pretty fast drying ink (nibs EF/F), and is pretty water resistant (light smudging of the green part of the pigment, but actual writing, in black, doesn't smudge at all - kind of like Noodler's Black, actually). Haven't had the issue you mentioned, tho (perhaps coz my EF/F nibs are quite dry, so that might account for the difference.

[@mtchob]

​@@tangohotellima1895 ​ thank you!!! Im gonna give it a go. i only need the lightest of pushes to get me to buy a shikiori ink anymore hahah, but im really excited to try this one now!

[@tangohotellima1895]

Hi! In case your haven't sprung for the Suberakashi, I'd just come across a clip by Goulet Pens explaining that those inks are part of a new release by Sailor - not one, but four inks (all black/ish), which are supposed to complement four Sailor Pro-Gear slim pens (limited editions, i believe). See (skip the first few parts): kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaXQaWVsjdd_bac @@mtchob

[@tangohotellima1895]

Sometimes, the inks reach Asian markets a bit more quickly...

[@kkkall02]

The smear test looks same as Sheaffers Black.

[@kattz753]

You don't realize how not black your black ink is until you do swatches.

[@user-kh9sy7fh7u]

What do you think about Hero 9003 Black?

[@Doodlebud]

Never used it so don't have any thoughts on it

[@Febeleh]

I just realized- you sound a LOT like the host from the TV game show "Cash Cab".

[@user-qc2wf2kx2r]

what kind of wrist watch do you have?

[@intentionallyleftblank3016]

A cool one!!

[@Doodlebud]

Had for many years now, a samsung s3 frontier

[@McAmeron089III]

Private Reserve's wide-mouth jars are disconcerting. In this brand I only have Ebony Purple;it has smelled weird from day one (not as bad as my TWSBI ink!) I'm not a fan. I tend to like Pilot's take-sumi. It behaves well in any pen I've tried it in.