Franklin-Christoph Black Magic

The next ink from Franklin-Christoph is Black Magic. It's a deep black ink with really high saturation. It's one of those super-dark blacks like Aurora Black or Private Reserve's Invincible Black. Like Invincible Black, it has some bleeding issues, but it's not as thick as that ink, so it flows better, I think.

It flows wet, and it seems pretty well lubricated to me. The Franklin-Christoph website says that its lubrication is low, but I think we might mean two different things when we say "lubrication." (I'm thinking of writing a glossary of terms that I use in this blog.) When I use the word, I'm referring to the feel of the ink on the nib on the paper or in the converter. Some inks are almost grainy, and they feel rough on the nib. Others are smooth as silk. Or, as someone else said somewhere, like hot butter on glass. This ink isn't that slick, but it's slick enough to flow pretty well in an EF nib without feeling scratchy.

 The other F-C inks have gotten a pretty warm reception. This one has caught a lot of flack. It bleeds through most papers, and it spreads more than some will like. The bleeding is the bigger problem, I think. It bleeds hard. 

This problem is actually part of a feature. Black Magic is meant to be a fast-drying ink, and it totally does that. It's the fastest drying ink that I know of. Even on Rhodia, it soaks in so quickly that it's dry before you can smudge it. It's got a zero-second dry-time. 

The problem with inks that dry this quickly is that they generally do this by soaking into the paper very quickly. This ink is extra fast, and it soaks extra hard. 

So, how does one use this ink? 

I also tried it out on Franklin-Christoph's own paper, and it worked just fine. There's a little bit of ghosting on the other side of the page, but not enough that you can't use the other side perfectly well. Of course, their paper is really heavy weight stuff. 

So, how about water-resistance?

This video is longer than usual, but I guess I just had a lot to say about this ink. 

Black Magic is the only black in the set, and that might have been a mistake. It's a good-looking black, but it isn't going to be for everyone. I'd like to see them make a black that will be more widely usable.

Disclaimer: Franklin-Christoph supplied this ink to me free of charge. No money changed hands. My impressions and review are my own. I am not paid for my opinion, my endorsements, or any other service.