Blue-Black Iron Gall Ink Cartridges, Box of 10

Platinum has made an excellent blue-black iron gall ink for many years, and this lovely blue has all the hallmarks of a 19th century classic. From a fine nib, blue-black appears as a grayish dark blue, but with broader nibs and brushes, you'll see a deeper indigo color and a gorgeous red sheen.

Iron gall ink is itself a link to the past—once the dominant form of ink used in fountain pens, it was largely replaced by dye-based inks with no iron content by the middle of the 20th century. The iron in these inks is meant to oxidize over time, gradually darkening the lines over years of storage. Iron gall inks are also resistant to water damage and fading from sunlight, which are both issues for many contemporary pen inks.

The only downside to iron gall inks is their acidity, which can cause corrosion if pens are left unused and filled with ink for long periods of time. But with the occasional pen flush, there is no danger to your pen, particularly with this modern and more gentle iron gall formulation.

Box of 10 Platinum-format cartridges. Fits Platinum fountain pens and Kuretake cartridge brush pens.

Made in Japan.