Waterproof ink for fountain pens

[@Top_Lad]

You are so well spoken, a joy to listen to!

[@mkompan]

Thank you!

[@azertyqwerty2503]

I just found this channel its a gem, thanks marc

[@mkompan]

Thank you!

[@Kliffot]

Platinum carbon ink is expensive ( 20€ 30ml ) so i made an experimentation last weeks, was looking for a waterproof cheaper alternative. ( especially for my thirsty Parralel pens.. ) I put an Epson 113 nano pigmented ink (18€ 127ml ) in a JInhao 159 ( stock feed) . This is a bottle of ink for my CMYK Ecotank printer, I thought that if this ink was fluid enough for my printer it shouldn't clog the pen. I was right, It works ! The flow was a bit too dry, I wanted smtgh more wet, so I added around 15% of distilled water and a drop of glycerin ( for 10ml ) to see if it would improve smthg, and it has ! works very well now :) ( I was already prepare to increase the amount of water or to add a nail of soap to play with surface tension, but no need as it seems. ) The ink is super black, waterproof and dry instantly on the paper just like the Platinum Carbon. I let the ink sit in one of the Jinhao 159 pen without any use for a whole week. It was dry at first but the ink came very easily, no clog, so far no issue. Seems like a sucess ! And in the Parralel pens, even better, immediate flow even after many days without use. I'm gonna try the other pigmented ink colors now ( Cyan, Magenta, Yellow ) and do some color mix, should work as well ! :)

[@mkompan]

That's super interesting Guillaume! I always felt that fountain pen ink is a ripoff, since the pigments used in them are relatively cheap and in low concentrations. You're essentially paying for water, surfactants, a few other chemicals for waterproofing, and a touch of pigment. A brief look around the internet shows that a few people have tried this with complete success (even without the addition of water or glycerine), but the practice has been met with absolutely outrage from the fountain pen community. I will definitely have to give this a try (on my cheaper pens, of course), but won't be doing a video on it, lest I get a flood of hateful comments about how irresponsible I am for destroying my precious $3 Jinhao.

[@Kliffot]

@@mkompan Yes straight out of bottle it was working also, just wanted personaly smthg a bit more wet. Ahah no wonder some had the same idea and that some see this as "absolute outrage" XD

[@stevekobb3850]

A wonderful idea! I'm going to try it with my own Pilot Parallel pen. Many thanks for making me aware of this alternative.

[@sonyaj66]

This is a completely genius hack - I love it! Not only that, but with the CMK primaries and black, you can hypothetically make any color you want, and tinker with additives to adjust the flow, etc. of the ink. I'm new to fountain pens (bought my first one thanks to Mark's videos), and I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on different inks to find out whether I like them or not. Thanks for posting about your experience with this experimentation.

[@GalleryBry]

That was a really awesome review and extremely helpful information. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. I really like the effect of the Lexington gray and how it can build up opacity.

[@mkompan]

Thanks! Your channel is great, BTW. I just subscribed.

[@GalleryBry]

@@mkompan Thanks so much‼️glad you like the channel. :)

[@ichirofakename]

You can recognize Noodler's' bottles by the spill on the label.

[@neilpiper9889]

I use a Platinum Desk pen with carbon ink cartridges. Great for drawing. If you leave it for a few hours it's perfectly waterproof. Diamine make a registrars ink which is very permanent. It looks a bit blue in the bottle, but after it dries it's black.

[@mkompan]

I have a Platinum desk pen too and I agree, it's great for drawing. It also never seems to dry out. I've had it inked without use for months, and it starts up without problems.

[@thuntz29]

Just found your channel! I love using fountain pens for drawing. Have you tried Rohrer & Klingner SketchINK? I have a couple of them and love them! Let them sit on my pens for a long time (had a creative hole) and went back and cleaned them with pen flush and they worked perfectly. I also don’t find they leave dark residues when using water over them. Never heard of that white ink!! Amazing! Will have to source it for my toned sketchbooks. Saludos.

[@mkompan]

Thanks for your recommendation, Valentina! I've never used them, and will have to give them a try.

[@March22012]

Love the Sketch inks. And I’m a big fan of de Atrementis document inks as well.

[@lostolli7766]

I've been testing some inks now and the recommended Platinum Carbon Black Ink is indeed a very nice ink. Darker and more water resistant than nearly every other ink. But I also tried the Sketch Ink Lotte from Rohrer & Klingner and in my opinion, this one is even better. They say it is suitable for fountain pens and I didn't have any problems yet. This ink is much darker than the Carbon Ink and it is comparably water resistant if not slightly more. One 'negative' aspect is that it seems to be more free flowing than the Carbon Ink i.e. lines with the same pen (not only the same model, but actually the same pen and nib and so on) are a bit thicker with the Sketch Ink than with the Carbon Ink. Did you have experiences with this one? If so why isn't it a choice and if no, I recommend to try this one. It's a very cheap ink compared to other inks on top of all previously said things.

[@mkompan]

Thanks for your note. I haven’t tried Rohrer Sketch ink, but will at some point soon. I’m planning a video where test the most popular waterproof black inks, and will include it.

[@jaceleeanderson]

I’m looking for an ink that I can put into my fountain pen (which I use daily for journaling and sketching) that is dark, waterproof, will write controllable in my fine liner, and will not clog up my pen. I’m contemplating either sketchink’s Lotte (which there aren’t many reviews out there on this) or platinum carbon black (which seems to be the popular choice). I’m really worried because there are so many mixed reviews and I don’t want to ruin my pen. Could you possibly shed some light on this?

[@twitch7515]

@@jaceleeanderson In the fountain pen world one would want to avoid micropigment inks in pens that can't be fully disassembled. Deposits can form over time and cause flow and clogging issues. If you can't disassemble and clean your pen then both Carbon Black and Lotte will give you trouble.

[@ecksdog]

Just found your channel. Great info! I’ve had no trouble w Carbon black ink clogging. The TWSBI’s and the Platinum pens caps seal so well that I think it prevents any problems. As for Noodlers, I’ve found that the Lexington Grey is their only ink I can use if I want to sketch and watercolor immediately.

[@mkompan]

I've had similar success with using Carbon Black in my Twsbi and Pilot pens, but I would have been remiss not to mention possible clogging issues. Glad you found my channel, and thanks!

[@SDPickups]

I'm surprised you completely missed DeArtamentis Document black. I use it all the time, its completely waterproof, alot of artists and cartoonists are using it now. Carbon ink destroys fountain pens if you leave it in more than a week. Rohrer&Klinger have a new black water proof ink, called Lotte Sketch ink, LOVE that as much as DeAtramentis Document Black. I didn't know they made a white ink! Worth a try. There is also Dr. Martins Pen White, but I would not use it in anything but a dip pen where its completely opaque.

[@mkompan]

An inexcusable oversight to be sure. But it’s incorrect to say that Platinum Carbon ink ruins pens if you leave it longer than a week. These things are dependent on the pen, but with some pens you can l leave it for at least three with perfect safety. And if you use it in pens that are easy to clean as I do, clogging is not a concern.

[@daytonagreg8765]

Platinum Carbon black, for me, has been bullet proof against water doing line & wash.

[@mkompan]

It really is the best performer, though it depends heavily on the paper being used.

[@tricraftual4316]

I recently ruined a watercolor pencil drawing with Noodlers bulletproof black. It had been sitting overnight on 300 gsm paper

[@mkompan]

Sorry to hear that! Noodler’s behaves very well on some papers, horribly on others. Carbon ink tends to be a more reliable performer but always test your papers beforehand.

[@ValerieHayes1]

I’ve found the deAtramentis Document series to be more reliably waterproof than these, also the R+K Sketch series (a bit too dry and clog-prone for me) and Kakimori. Interestingly Noodlers Blackerase Waterase is waterproof and lightfast on paper, even though intended for whiteboards!

[@mkompan]

Thanks for those tips. I have a sample vial of the DeAtramentis Document Black but for some reason have never tried it out.

[@cremissionartstudio7145]

Thank you for sharing the pen inks

[@mkompan]

You're very welcome!

[@Kate1427]

I haven't had any success with Noodlers Ink, no matter what paper or time drying. Something always smears. Platinum Carbon, sketchers Ink, or De atramentis archive work much better.

[@BoulderJR]

Wow! Great artist!

[@mkompan]

Thank you!

[@monkpato]

What a great video! Thanks!

[@mkompan]

My pleasure!

[@MrG0CE]

I WOULD LOVE UR REVIEW ON THE NEW PLATINUM CHOU KURO, IT'S DARKER THAN, AND AS WATERPROOF AS PLATINUM CARBON BLACK. ALTHOUGH IT'S WAY EXPENSIVE...

[@mkompan]

That’s an ink that’s on my list to try. Look for a review soon.

[@MrG0CE]

THAT WOULD BE AWESOME !

[@mkompan]

@@MrG0CE Wait, I just saw it's $60! You might have to wait for that review until I win the lottery. :)

[@MrG0CE]

@@mkompan DON'T WORRY, I UNDERSTAND XD

[@ad6449]

Thank you for yet another valuable ink and fountain pen and art video. Have you ever tried the Plantinum Carbon fountain pen? They are very inexpensive and handle the Platinum Carbon ink flawlessly. I'm not crazy about the length of the pen, but I hear it can be trimmed down. I haven't tried it myself, but I'm thinking about it. The white TWSBI with the white De Artrementis ink is excellent. I've never tried that ink and love that it works well in a fountain pen.

[@mkompan]

Thank you again! Yes, I have the Platinum Carbon pen, and it's terrific. I love that you can keep Carbon ink in it without any problems for months on end. You're right, the length of it is problematic, which keeps me from carrying it in my sketching kit. I guess I could trim it (it is under 20 bucks, after all), but perhaps you could put another pen body on it. That D'Atramentis white was a wonderful discovery. The TSWBI eco is the perfect pen for it, since it disassembles easily and can be thoroughly cleaned. The only disadvantage is that ECOs are relatively dry writers, and this ink tends to work better in pens that write wetter (I've had good luck with in my Noodlers Ahab.)

[@ad6449]

@@mkompan The Platinum Carbon pen really is a workhorse and I've had the ink in it for over a year (if not longer) with no problems at all. Another pen body is an interesting idea. I hadn't thought of that. Trimming it down could be an involved project but seeing if it fits on other pen bodies is a low risk investment. I'll let you know if I discover anything interesting.

[@ad6449]

@@mkompan I don't like the ECO myself, preferring the small Minis in all circumstances. I do wonder if the D'Atramentis white would work in the Lamy Joy? I'd switch out the nib to an EF or F for the small details. Not sure if Lamys run wet or dry though or if the feed would work with the properties of this ink.

[@jumanas4012]

i found using Bristol paper with ink dip pens much smoother than watercolour papers .

[@mkompan]

Yes, Bristol papers do tend to be smoother than watercolor papers, but they don’t take watercolors or ink wash well, which negates their usefulness when working with waterproof inks.

[@zakihr3329]

thankx for the review and the advices 👍👍👍

[@mkompan]

You’re welcome!

[@PaintinHiding]

awesome video, thank you so much for sharing with us :) may i ask... what nib size (EF, Fine, Medium, Broad) do you recommend using with waterproof pigmented inks like that that Platinum Carbon Black? i’m thinking of purchasing my first kaweco sport :)

[@mkompan]

You're very welcome! I have this ink in pens ranging from xxf to broad, and it works perfectly. I don't have any Kawecos but since they're cartridge converter pens, and easy to clean, I think Platinum ink will work just in them. Just make sure to clean your pen out often.

[@PaintinHiding]

@@mkompan thank you so much! i was afraid by going with a smaller nib, it might mean more clogging and hard starts. glad that's not the case. :) ah... hmm, how often is often? once a week? and another question i just thought of (sorry) if unused pens with the Platinum ink sit for a 2-3 days, do they dry out or do they still write smoothly? thank you so much for your time!

[@mkompan]

@@PaintinHiding I think how often depends on the pen, how often you use it, atmospheric conditions, etc. I believe the recommendation is to flush the pen out every 3 weeks if the pen is being used constantly, and not to let the pen sit unused for more than a week. It's probably highly variable. For instance the Platinum desk pen, which is designed for Platinum Carbon ink, can sit with ink in it indefinitely and will be just fine. Having the ink dry isn't a big problem so long as you're working with a pen that you can take a part and clean well. Kaweco's disassemble very easily, and should not be a problem to clean.

[@PaintinHiding]

@@mkompan oh my goodness, thank you so much for you detailed reply! i’ve been searching for ages to understand about what you explained and you make so much sense! thank you so much! :D

[@mkompan]

@@PaintinHiding You're welcome! I'm glad to help you along in your fountain pen journey.

[@nickelazoyellow7360]

Lexington Gray is cool b/c it looks like pencil without all the pencil smudgey mess.

[@mkompan]

That's what attracted me to Lexington Grey. I recently got a bottle of Pilot Iroshizuku "Fuyu-Syogun" which is another pretty grey that mimics graphite. Such a lovely color.

[@KD-bp7xj]

Try Noodler's Borealis Black! its the blackest bulletproof ink I have ever seen. Actually its the blackest ink I have ever seen period :)

[@mkompan]

Thanks, I’ll give it a try!

[@ichirofakename]

Per jetpens.com: "It doesn't share the "bulletproof" properties of other Noodler's black inks, but it is water resistant on most papers once dry." I bought it for its wetness and darkness only to find out later that it is not fade-resistant. From now on it's fade-resistant inks only for me, like iron gall or pigmented.

[@mkompan]

@@ichirofakename How quickly did it fade? Usually pigments that are not light-fast take a few months to show fading. The reviews on Gouletpens also suggest that it's slow drying, which is a problem if you want to go over it with watercolor. They sell a sampler of 10 waterproof black inks on the site. I'm going to try them all and make a video of the results.

[@ichirofakename]

@@mkompan I have no personal evidence of a problem, I'm merely quoting the second-hand fact that Noodler's does not claim it's bulletproof.

[@ichirofakename]

@@mkompan My fade test convicted the three Baystate colors specifically, as being faded to the point of being ruined within one month of 2-3 hours of sun on most days. I found this out just after completing two 22x30" drawings using those colors so naturally I'm freaking out.

[@oldblackdogs]

What is the zippered pen case that you have your mechanical pencils and pilot pens stored in? Thanks

[@mkompan]

It's made by Sonnenleder, and is their "Boll" model.

[@Orthodoxuk]

Where on earth did you find those pens at $3-4. They're £43 each in the UK?

[@mkompan]

Sorry, which pens are you referring to?

[@findlaymelissa]

what sketchbook were you using in this video?

[@mkompan]

Royal Talens Art Creation Hardback Sketchbook, 21 X14.8 cm - Red Cover

[@jamesaritchie1]

Noodler's Black is 100% waterproof,. It would be useless as a fraud proof ink if it weren't. But you have to know how to use it. It's a bulletproof ink, which means it works by sinking down into the paper and forming a chemical bond with the paper. This means any ink left on the surface will smudge when water is applied, but you aren't supposed to leave ink on the surface, and you must give this ink a long time to sink into the paper and bond. Inks like this are made to be used with blotting paper. This generation seems to have forgotten what blotting paper is, how vital it is to proper fountain pen and ink use. Blot off the surface ink, allow it to dry and bond, and nothing touches a bulletproof ink. Nothing. A bulletproof ink and a waterproof ink are two very different things. Bulletproof inks are usually waterproof, but only when used properly, and only after enough time has passed. Waterproof inks do not chemically bond with the cellulose fibers, they dry extremely fast, and are waterproof pretty much instantly. Waterproof fountain pen ink really is not difficult to make, and there's quite a bit of it out there. With Noodler's, you must not have looked very hard. Try Noodler's North African Violet. It's a VMail ink. There are others, but if you want something more waterproof than this, you're looking for an ink made of plastic.

[@mkompan]

I'll have to give blotting paper a try, James. However, my focus here is on inks that that work well in combination with water-color (hence the focus on black inks). Watercolor paper is sized with a thin coat of gelatin, which prevents the ink from sinking in. Under these circumstances Noodlers black, as much as I love it, is not 100% waterproof. Platinum carbon black seems to the gold standard, but I hesitate to put it into my nicer pens.

[@twitch7515]

Noodler's Black is not waterproof even on non-coated celluloid papers and left to dry and bond. It can/does spread when washed. Noodler's is formulated for legal purposes, which means that they don't care if your lines change hue, value, or crispness as long as your signature retains legibility even after a criminal tries to erase it. It does a very good job of being "bulletproof" but if you truly need an ink that does not even remotely budge when washed then Noodler's isn't for you. On top of that, Noodler's is known for inconsistencies. My bottle of Lexington Grey, for instance, is unusable. It bleeds through, feathers, doesn't shade, and turns a Fine nib into a Broad. Paper doesn't matter. If you want consistency, Noodler's isn't for you. Similarly, my bottle of Black has issues. It used to be a deep black, but it has separated and formed clumps. Shaking it before using it helps restore it a bit, but it is no longer black. It is a dark brown-gray. I have only ever used syringes to pull ink out of the bottle so it hasn't been contaminated with other inks or a less-than-clean pen. This is not the only Noodler's ink that has fallen apart in the bottle. The only other inks that I have needed a shake prior to use are shimmer inks and pigmented inks. North African Violet (NAV) is another ink that spreads (albeit not worse than DeAtrimentis and certainly not as bad as my Lexington Gray) and won't work for all artists' needs. It completely disappears after JUST A WEEK in sunlight and most of the purple will disappear when washed. Some of the other "archival" Noodler's inks will fade or change color. Again, Noodler's cares about legal purposes and not artistic purposes. They probably do really well when resisting UV attacks but they don't care if your lines change appearance in the process. But to Noodler's credit, NAV is categorized as "water resistant" rather than archival or water/bulletproof.