Best Fountain Pen Inks for 2027: Blue, Black & More

Seven fountain pen ink bottles drawn side by side and labeled with their pick: Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki everyday blue, Noodler's Black black, Platinum Carbon Black waterproof, Waterman Serenity Blue beginner-safe, Diamine Ancient Copper shading, Diamine Oxblood budget, Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori Japanese — One pick per job, bottles drawn in proportion at one scale.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottlePilot	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$
Noodler's Black fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19001)Noodler's	United States	United States^*	Price range: $$
Platinum Carbon Black fountain pen ink, 60 ml bottle (INKC-1500)Platinum	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$
Waterman Serenity Blue fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottleWaterman	France	France^*	Price range: $$
Diamine Ancient Copper fountain pen ink, 80 ml bottleDiamine	United Kingdom	United Kingdom^*	Price range: $$
Diamine Oxblood fountain pen ink, 80 ml bottleDiamine	United Kingdom	United Kingdom^*	Price range: $$
Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori fountain pen ink, 20 ml bottleSailor	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$
Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue fountain pen ink, 62.5 ml bottlePelikan	Germany	Germany^*	Price range: $$
J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottleJ. Herbin	France	France^*	Price range: $$$
Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottlePilot	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$

Notes on these facts

Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: Kohezi's listing for the 50 ml Kon-peki gives Made in: Japan and says Pilot has always made its own inks. Pilot's Japanese catalog page for INK-50-KO (read in full on October 20, 2026) doesn't state a country; its JAN, 4902505367281, carries Japan's 49 prefix, which shows where the code was registered, not where the ink was made. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Pilot's Japanese site says Iroshizuku went on sale in 2007 with five colors but doesn't name them, so 2007 is the line's launch year; we found no Pilot date for Kon-peki itself.
Noodler's Black fountain pen ink, 3 oz bottle (19001): Made by Noodler's Ink, Massachusetts (run by Nathan Tardif). Made in United States: Noodler's About Us page says its ink is 100% made in the USA from cap to glass to ink. Dromgooles adds that the inks are handmade in small batches, and Pure Pens describes Noodler's as a small company in southern Massachusetts run by Nathan Tardif. Source. Price: example listing.
Platinum Carbon Black fountain pen ink, 60 ml bottle (INKC-1500): Made by Platinum Pen Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in Japan: Luiban, a Berlin pen shop, lists Japan as the country of origin for the 60 ml INKC-1500, and Phidon Pens in Canada describes it as made in Japan. Platinum's Japanese product page (read on October 21, 2026) doesn't state a country. Source. Price: example listing.
Waterman Serenity Blue fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle: Made by Waterman S.A., Paris (part of Newell Brands). Made in France: Goldspot lists the 50 ml bottle as made in France, and Officeworks (Australia) gives France as the country of origin; its barcode 3034325106298 carries a French GS1 prefix. Waterman was founded in New York in 1884 but today is Waterman S.A., based in Paris, owned by Newell Brands since 2000 (Wikipedia). Waterman's own site (waterman.com) blocks automated reading behind a browser check, so we couldn't read its French or English product page; the ADI distributor listing seen in search also gives France. Source. Price: example listing.
Diamine Ancient Copper fountain pen ink, 80 ml bottle: Made by Diamine-Speciality Inks Limited, Liverpool, England. Made in United Kingdom: JetPens' listing says Diamine ink is produced in the UK, and Diamine is a Liverpool ink maker (see our Diamine Oxblood guide). We didn't find a country of origin printed on Diamine's own Ancient Copper page. Source. Price: example listing.
Diamine Oxblood fountain pen ink, 80 ml bottle: Made by Diamine-Speciality Inks Limited, Merseyside, England. Made in United Kingdom: Diamine's history page says the brand was revived in 2003 and now makes its inks at its own facility near Aintree Racecourse, on the edge of Liverpool; its 1925 Tariff Street factory in Liverpool was demolished between 1983 and 1990. Diamine's Oxblood listing doesn't print a country of origin. Source. Price: example listing.
Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori fountain pen ink, 20 ml bottle: Made by The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Kure, Hiroshima, Japan; majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022. Made in Japan: Hiroshima Prefecture's profile of Sailor says its site in Kure, Hiroshima makes fountain pens, inks and ballpoints, and the bottle's JAN 4901680184676 carries Japan's 49 GS1 prefix (it shows where the code was registered). Sailor's product page doesn't print a country of origin. Source. Price: example listing.
Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue fountain pen ink, 62.5 ml bottle: Made by Pelikan Group GmbH (Germany), owned by Hamelin since December 13, 2023. Made in Germany: Pelikan's English product page (mam.pelikan.com) for the 62.5 ml Royal Blue bottle lists the ink as made in Germany. That page refused connections when we rechecked on October 20, 2026, and Pelikan's German ink pages don't state the country; Pelikan's German maker, Hamelin GmbH, is based in Hanover. Source. Price: example listing.
J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle: Made by J. Herbin (Jacques Herbin), Exacompta Clairefontaine group, France. Made in France: Jacques Herbin's French product page says 'Fabrication française' (French-made) and that the cap waxing and the seal on the bottle are done by hand in the Jacques Herbin workshop. Retailers also list the 50 ml bottle as made in France. Herbin has belonged to the French Exacompta Clairefontaine group since 1990 (Exaclair catalogue). Source. Price: example listing.
Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo fountain pen ink, 50 ml bottle: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: Pilot's Japanese catalog lists the bottle with JAN 4902505367298, which carries Japan's 49 GS1 prefix (it shows where the code was registered), and retailers describe Pilot as making its Iroshizuku inks in Japan (see our Kon-peki guide). We didn't find a country of origin stated on a Pilot page. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Bottles here range from 20 ml (Sailor Shikiori) to 3 oz, about 88 ml (Noodler's Black); Diamine sells 80 ml for £8.06 (about US$11) before VAT on its own shop.
Reviewers' dry times run from 5–10 seconds (Yama-dori on Rhodia, Goulet) to 60 seconds (Platinum Carbon Black, Mountain of Ink).
Only two of the ten resist water well: Noodler's Black (Noodler's calls it bulletproof) and Platinum Carbon Black, a pigment ink Mountain of Ink rates high.
Pigment, shimmer and iron gall inks need more cleaning; Goulet advises flushing Carbon Black from a pen at least once a week.
Platinum's Japanese site lists Carbon Black at ¥2,750 (about US$17) for 60 ml; Pilot lists Iroshizuku at ¥2,200 (about US$14) for 50 ml.

What is the best fountain pen ink?

For most people, the best fountain pen ink is a well-behaved blue dye ink such as Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki, but black, waterproof, colorful and budget writing each have a better pick. Picks are based on published specs and maker claims; we haven’t tested them yet.

Everyday blue: Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki. A bright cerulean dye ink in a 50 ml (1.7 fl oz) bottle that dried in about 20–25 seconds in Goulet’s test; Pure Pens calls Iroshizuku a premium ink with excellent flow.
Black: Noodler’s Black. A very dark ink in a 3 oz (about 88 ml) bottle filled to the brim, which Noodler’s says resists water, bleach and UV light once dry.
Waterproof and archival: Platinum Carbon Black. A pigment ink, 60 ml per bottle, that Mountain of Ink rates highly water resistant; clean your pen at least weekly, Goulet says.
Beginner-safe: Waterman Serenity Blue. A classic medium blue in a 50 ml bottle, dry in about 20 seconds in Mountain of Ink’s test, and widely called safe in vintage pens.
Shading color: Diamine Ancient Copper. Goulet rates its shading high, from pale orange to deep red-brown in one stroke, in an 80 ml (2.7 fl oz) bottle.
Budget: Diamine Oxblood. Diamine’s own shop lists 80 ml for £8.06 (about US$11) before VAT, and it ranked 1st on a Fountain Pen Companion popularity list.
Japanese: Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori. A dark teal with a red sheen in a 20 ml bottle listed at ¥1,320 (about US$8.40) in Japan; Goulet timed it at 5–10 seconds on Rhodia.

How do these fountain pen inks compare?

All ten are bottled inks for fountain pens; they differ most in water resistance, dry time and how much cleaning they ask for.

Ink	Pick	Bottle	Ink type	Dry time (reviewers)	Water resistance	Band
Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki	Everyday blue	50 ml	Dye	20–25 s (Goulet)	Low	$$$
Noodler’s Black	Black	3 oz (88 ml)	Bulletproof	50 s (Mountain of Ink)	High, per Noodler’s	$$
Platinum Carbon Black	Waterproof	60 ml	Pigment (carbon)	30+ s (Goulet); 60 s (Mountain of Ink)	High	$$$
Waterman Serenity Blue	Beginner-safe	50 ml	Dye	20 s (Mountain of Ink)	Low to medium	$$
Diamine Ancient Copper	Shading	80 ml	Dye	About 20 s (Goulet)	Low	$$
Diamine Oxblood	Budget	80 ml	Dye	30–35 s	Low	$$
Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori	Japanese	20 ml	Dye	5–10 s on Rhodia (Goulet)	Low	$$
Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue	Washable blue	62.5 ml	Dye	40 s (Mountain of Ink)	None	$$
J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor	Sheen and shimmer	50 ml	Dye with gold shimmer	10–30 s	None	$$$
Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo	Dark blue	50 ml	Dye	15–30 s	Low	$$$

Dry times depend on paper, nib and how wet the pen writes, so treat them as a rough ranking. Platinum lists Carbon Black at ¥2,750 (about US$17) in Japan, and Pilot lists each 50 ml Iroshizuku at ¥2,200 (about US$14).

Which fountain pen ink is waterproof?

Platinum Carbon Black is the safest bet for waterproof, archival writing, with Noodler’s Black as the dye-based alternative. Platinum describes Carbon Black as a water-based pigment ink; Goulet says artists use it under watercolor washes, and Mountain of Ink found it didn’t budge in water.

The trade-off is care. Goulet tells owners to clean it out of a pen at least once a week, and Mountain of Ink suggests dedicating one pen to it. Noodler’s Black is easier on pens but dries slower, 50 seconds in Mountain of Ink’s test.

Which ink is safest for a new fountain pen?

Start with a plain dye ink such as Waterman Serenity Blue, Diamine or Pilot Iroshizuku, and wait on pigment, iron gall and shimmer inks. Pure Pens’ August 25, 2026 beginner guide gives the same advice: pigment inks can clog feeds if they dry, and shimmer particles settle in the feed and need more thorough cleaning.

That makes J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor, with its gold shimmer and red sheen, a second ink rather than a first. Herbin’s bottle needs a shake before every fill.

What is the best blue fountain pen ink?

Kon-peki is the brighter, wetter blue; Serenity Blue is the classic, forgiving one; Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue is the drier, washable one. Pelikan says Royal Blue can be removed with an ink eradicator, and Mountain of Ink rates its flow very dry, which suits wet pens and absorbent paper.

For a darker blue, Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo is a dark, saturated blue that Mountain of Ink saw show a faint red sheen in large swabs.

Specialist shops and reviewers mostly agree on the dye-ink picks.

Pure Pens calls Diamine the perfect starting point for most beginners, Waterman Serenity Blue one of the most popular everyday blues, and Pilot Iroshizuku the premium step up.
Goulet Pens calls Platinum Carbon Black highly regarded by artists and very permanent, with more maintenance than a dye ink.
Mountain of Ink gives Carbon Black high water resistance and would dedicate a pen to it.
Fountain Pen Companion users, on one top-25 list, own Diamine Oxblood, J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor and Diamine Ancient Copper more than almost any other ink.

Where are these inks made?

Each brand makes ink in its home country, as far as sources state: Pilot and Sailor in Japan, Noodler’s in the United States, Diamine in England, Waterman and J. Herbin in France and Pelikan in Germany. Platinum doesn’t state where Carbon Black is made on its Japanese product page, but retailers such as Luiban list it as made in Japan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best fountain pen ink for beginners?

Waterman Serenity Blue is the usual first ink: a classic medium blue dye ink that rinses out easily and is widely called safe even in vintage pens. Pure Pens also points beginners to Diamine and Pilot Iroshizuku, and says to avoid iron gall, pigment and shimmer inks at first.

What is the most waterproof fountain pen ink?

Of these ten, Platinum Carbon Black and Noodler's Black. Carbon Black is a pigment ink that Mountain of Ink rates highly water resistant; Noodler's says its bulletproof Black resists water, bleach and UV light once dry on cellulose paper.

What is the best black fountain pen ink?

Noodler's Black is the best-known black: very dark, sold in a 3 oz (about 88 ml) bottle filled to the brim, and water resistant per its maker. It dries slowly, 50 seconds in Mountain of Ink's test, so left-handers may prefer a faster black.

Are pigment inks safe in fountain pens?

Platinum makes Carbon Black for fountain pens, but pigment can clog a feed if it dries inside. Goulet advises cleaning it out at least once a week and not letting it dry in the pen.

Which fountain pen ink dries fastest?

Among these, Sailor Shikiori Yama-dori was fastest in Goulet's test at 5 to 10 seconds on Rhodia, and Goldspot measured Waterman Serenity Blue at 3 to 4 seconds on Rhodia. Dry time depends heavily on paper and nib, so tests vary.

What is the cheapest good fountain pen ink?

Diamine gives the most ink for the money among these: its own shop lists 80 ml bottles at £8.06 (about US$11) before VAT. In the US, Diamine, Noodler's, Pelikan 4001 and Waterman all fall in our $$ band ($5–20 a bottle).

How long does a bottle of fountain pen ink last?

A long time: a 50 ml bottle refills a Pilot CON-40 converter (0.4 ml) about 125 times, and an 80 ml Diamine bottle fills it about 200 times. Even the 20 ml Sailor Shikiori bottle gives about 50 converter fills.

What is the most popular fountain pen ink?

On one Fountain Pen Companion top-25 list, Diamine Oxblood ranked 1st, J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor 2nd and Diamine Ancient Copper 4th by how many users own them. Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo ranked 12th and Sailor Yama-dori 19th.

Sources (13)

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