Waterproof Fountain Pen Ink - Water Resistant Inks

What fountain pen inks are waterproof?

Because fountain pen inks are water based most are not waterproof and don't do well when they get wet. There are many fountain pen inks that are either waterproof or water resistant. They are made from various components that make them waterproof. Each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Waterproof Fountain Pen Ink

First let's talk about about those that are waterproof by what they are made with.

Carbon/Particle Inks
Carbon or particle fountain pen inks are made with micro fine particles suspended within the ink. If the particles are too large it can clog the fine passages of the feed and nib.

Common Carbon/Particle Inks

• Platinum Carbon Ink
• Sailor Pigmented Ink

Advantages of carbon/particle inks:

• Dark, deep color.

Dis-advantages of carbon/particle inks:

• Higher clogging risk of your fountain pen.

Iron-Gall Inks
Iron gall inks are made from iron salts and tannic acids. The composition of the ink contains corrosive acids although modern iron gall inks have improved.

Common Iron-Gall Inks

• Rohrer & Klingner Fountain Pen Ink (Salix and Scabiosa)
• Mont Blanc Ink (Blue-Black)
• Lamy Ink (Blue-Black)
• Platinum Dye Ink (Blue-Black)
• Diamine Registar's Ink

Advantages of iron-gall inks:

• Will not creep.

Dis-advantages of iron-gall inks:

• May clog your fountain pen. Old school iron-gall inks can be corrosive and damage your fountain pen but modern formulations are milder.
• Not resistant to bland and UV.

Bulletproof Inks
Noodlers Ink makes a line of what they call "bulletproof inks". They not only are water proof but resist other chemicals such as bleach as well as UV light.

Bulletproof Inks

• Noodlers Ink - Black
• Noodlers Ink - Polar Black
• Noodlers Ink - Luxury Blue
• Noodlers Ink - Hunter Green
• Noodlers Ink - Fox Red
• Noodlers Ink - Blue Ghost (invisible)
• Noodlers Ink - Lexington Gray

Other "near-bulletproof" Noodlers Inks include:

• Noodlers Ink - Aircorps Blue-Black
• Noodlers Ink - Blue-Black
• Noodlers Ink - Standard Brown
• Noodlers Ink - Golden Brown
• Noodlers Ink - Kiowa Pecan
• Noodlers Ink - Marine Green
• Noodlers Ink - Navy
• Noodlers Ink - Red-Black
• Noodlers Ink - Walnut
• Noodlers Ink - Zhivago

Advantages of Noodlers Bulletproof Inks:

• Will not damage fountain pens and can be rinsed out easily.

Disadvantages:

• Ink may have some creeping.
Ink may sometimes smudge even when dry.

Water Resistant Inks

Water resistant inks are fountain pen inks that will resist moisture but are not considered waterproof.

Some water resistant fountain pen inks include:

• Namiki/Pilot Standard Ink (Blue-Black, Blue, and Black)
• Platinum Pigmented Ink
• Sailor Jentle Ink (Blue-Black, Blue, and Black)
• Pelikan 4001 Ink (Black)

There are a few factors to how well fountain pen inks do with water other than just the ink. The type of paper as well as the length of time will alter how the inks resist moisture.

One trick to protect your writing is to rub a plain white candle over your writing. This will coat the paper and cover your writing, protecting it from water.