1930s Waterman’s Permanent Blue Black Ink – NOS w/ Box – Vintage Dip Pen Ink

Late 1930s–early 1940s Waterman’s Blue Black ink in the classic faceted “tip-fill” bottle with original box. New old stock from a previously unopened wholesale case.

Writing samples shown were created using a separate demo bottle from the same wholesale find. This historic blue-black formulation shows beautiful tonal variation and deepens in color as it dries, characteristics associated with early iron gall-style writing inks.

We tested the ink with a dip pen on Crane’s Crest Pearl White Wove paper and were delighted to find that the blue tone deepens toward a richer blue-black as it settles. The first photo shows three passes made with a dip pen on Crane paper: from bottom to top, fresh, settling, and dried. Shading and tonal variation are especially lovely with broader nibs and quality paper.

Recommended for:

• dip pens
• brushes
• historic writing materials collections
• fountain pen ephemera displays
• artists and calligraphers exploring vintage inks

Due to age, we recommend these for dip pen use rather than modern fountain pens.

The pictured unopened bottle and box in photos 2-4 are representative of overall condition and presentation quality. Bottles remained packed together in the original wholesale carton for decades and may show minor handling variation from long-term storage and movement within the case. With one notable exception of the bottle that is now our tester/sample bottle, the entire lot is remarkably clean.