Koh-I-Noor — Document Black — Ink Review #26

Koh-I-Noor — Document Black

 

Ink Review # 26

 

Originally posted on FPN: Jan 2, 2022

 

Ink: Document Black 
Series: Document
Type: Pigment
Brand: Koh-I-Noor
Country: Czech Republic
Availability: 30 ml glass bottle, 50 g PET bottle, cartridges (international tall)
Pens Used: Jinaho 450 (M, fude) 

Description

This is a short review.

About the name

Koh I - Noor, (Mountain of Light, from Persian) is one of the largest cut diamonds that belongs to the British Crown.

About the company

Koh I Noor was established by Josef Hardtmuth in Vienna in 1790, making pencils. By 1848 the company moved to the city of České Budějovice (Budweiss) in Bohemia, modern-day Czech Republic. The company established a branch of the company in Bloomsbury, New Jersey.

After World War II, the two companies became distinct. The American company focused on technical drawing material (Radiograph®), while the European company on school supplies, paint, ink etc.

This ink is made by the European company. Their fountain pen ink line is minimal. Document Black/ Blue and a few other dye-based colors. These inks are ridiculously cheap in Europe. 

Ink review

I got a package of cartridges on a whim and was delightfully surprised by the green-black color and the reddish sheen.

This is a certified document ink, but unlike other waterproof inks (Some of Noodler’s bulletproof), Real IG inks (Tintenlabor, Essri and Registrars) and pigment inks, I was surprised by how much ink was removed under running water. The ink also smudged a bit with alcohol and bleach.

It didn't like Field Notebooks, which is not Fountain-pen-friendly.

Chroma

Writing Samples

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.

Field Notes

This paper is not fountainpen friendly. 

Photo

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Sheen

COMPARISON 

Water test 

Ink Characteristics

·      Shading: Quite a bit.
·      Ghosting: Not really.
·      Bleed through: Depends on the paper, nib combination.
·      Flow Rate: Wet.
·      Lubrication: Great.
·      Nib Dry-out: No.
·      Start-up: No.
·      Saturation: Dark.
·      Shading Potential: With flex and depending on paper.
·      Sheen: Reddish sheen on some papers.
·      Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed much.
·      Nib Creep / “Crud”: No.
·      Staining (pen): Easy to clean.
·      Clogging: Nope.
·      Water resistance: Good. But nothing like pigment/ bulletproof or good IG inks. 

 

Feel free to share your experience, feedback, or any other comments. The more the merrier. 😊

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