Waterman Intense Black
Ink Review #21
*Please note that the scan is the accurate representation of this color.
Overview
The color/properties
Waterman Intense Black is a pale black that has a low amount of shading. During my tests, this ink appeared with a dull black sheen, but I was only able to see it with the larger nib sizes — I noticed this most on the Midori MD paper — but it’s still hardly noticeable.
Ink splat
Ink droplets
Performance on paper:
During my tests, there was minor bleed-through on only the Kokuyo paper, but the dry times were surprisingly below average, often taking 25-30 seconds to finish drying, and in some cases extending past the 30-second mark. When exposed to water the ink creates a blue cloud and the remains are a hazy be readable blue shadow of what was written.
Water resistance
Chromatography
Performance in the pen:
I had a very hard time getting this ink to flow through any of the nibs at first, but when it finally did start flowing, I found the ink to have a very wet flow. The wetness definitely had a poor effect on the dry times, and despite the wetness, I experienced some stops and hard starts with the broad and medium nibs. The ink otherwise felt slick and well lubricated, and overall provided a comfortable writing experience. Cleaning took slightly longer than normal, but the ink washed out with a few soaks and flushes, without leaving any stains or residue inside the pen.
Performance in a pen: 8/10
Performance on paper: 9.5/10
Color saturation: 9/10
Sheening: 2/10
Shading: 2/10
Dry time: 5.5/10
Water resistance: 5/10
Ease of cleaning: 7.5/10
Shimmer: None
My personal thoughts...
Waterman Intense Black has been my choice of black ink for years. Admittedly, I don’t usually gravitate towards black inks, but I’ve always found Intense Black to be a great value for a truly dark black with minimal shading that offered a great writing experience. After finishing my tests I was surprised by its lackluster performance, and it certainly shouldn’t have had the issues it did, but it will most likely continue on as my go-to black ink.
Written on Oxford Optik paper with an Esterbrook J (1551 fine)
More images/info:
Tools and materials used in the writing samples:
A TWSBI Diamond 580 AL with 7 nib units including a Needlepoint grind, EF, F, M, B, 1.1mm stub, and an Architect grind. All nibs tuned to perform at the same medium wetness.
A Rhodia No16 A5 DotPad
A Leuchtturm1917 A5 Notebook
A Midori MD A5 Notebook
A 68gsm A5 Tomoe River Notebook
A Maruman Mnemosyne A5 Spiral Notebook
A Kokuyo Campus A5 Notebook