Do you know Colorverse Black Hole Ink? That’s right, this week we’re indulging in a blast from the Colorverse past! This week’s ink, Black Hole #20, was one of the inks in the Colorverse Astrophysics ink series, the 2nd series this fountain pen ink powerhouse ever released. Colorverse released the Astrophysics ink series years ago, so we thought it would be fun to have them resurface in this week’s ink review feature. (Especially since they’re now available at a fraction of the original retail price with Colorverse’s new Mini ink series of 15 ml. inks). Read the full ink review of Colorverse Astrophysics series Black Hole #20 ink and then enter to win the bottle (15 ml.) used for this week’s ink review. 

All About the Ink Maker: Colorverse

Colorverse creates high quality, vivid inks in a wide array of pure colors. The Colorverse ink formula offers exceptional solubility and a smooth writing experience. Colorverse inks are a particularly good choice for fountain pen users since all their inks are made using natural pigments and dyes, making these Korean inks both clean and safe. The ink-makers at Colorverse hope to offer makers world-wide the inks they need to “colorize their universe.” A well-respected Korean ink company, Colorverse has a reputation for producing fantastic colors and unique themes (many of their ink series are formed around spaced themes). 

As an Authorized Dealer of Colorverse fountain pen inks, Pen Chalet has a wide variety of inks for those looking to add a new Colorverse ink to their fountain pen ink collection and those trying it for the first time. Look for your next favorite Colorverse fountain pen ink at PenChalet.com. 

All About the Ink Series: Colorverse Astrophysics Ink Series

The Astrophysics ink series was the 2nd ink series Colorverse released, and it included eight different colors: Andromeda, Black Hole, Dark Energy, Gravity Wage, Quasar, Red Shift, Supernova, and Vortex Motion. In 2020, Colorverse released their Mini ink series that includes all eight of the original Astrophysics inks. This week, we’ll review Colorverse Black Hole #20 fountain pen ink, originally a part of the Astrophysics ink series, and more recently included in the Mini series. 

In the original release, Black Hole ink was only available in two bottle sets with the same color (Black Hole #20) in both the 65 ml and the 15 ml. ink bottle. The ink bottle we’re using for this week’s ink review is the 15 ml. bottle from the Astrophysics paired ink set. If you’re interested in the ink, but you aren’t positive that you want to purchase 80 ml. all at once, you’re probably excited about the new Colorverse Mini ink series that means you can now purchase 64 different previously released Colorverse ink colors in small, sample size bottles. Purchasing a 65 ml. + 15 ml. paired set is a big commitment to one ink color, so we highly encourage considering the Colorverse Minis if you aren’t sure. 

Featured Ink: Colorverse’s 20th Ink – Black Hole

Black Hole fountain pen ink is the darkest purple color we can remember seeing. It writes almost black (with medium saturation), but has a hint of deep space purple. It’s a Colorverse classic that has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity since the Colorverse Minis introduction. 

*** Time to get this party started – get ready for all the results! Then read on for the full review. As always, we recommend reading the full review (otherwise, you won’t have the full story), but you can also skip to the bottom just to enter to win if you don’t have the time (or the patience) to read the full review right this second. We’ll forgive you. 

It’s Time: Colorverse Black Hole Ink Review

We put this week’s fountain pen ink through our standard review tests. Read on to see what we discovered! 

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

This week we used a French-made J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen (with a tip comparable to a medium-fine fountain pen nib) on Rhodia dot pad paper. (Although – we do like to remind you each week that you may get different results when using different papers and different nib sizes). 

What Ink Bottle Does Colorverse Use?

In the original Astrophysics combination package, the Colorverse Black Hole ink is packaged in a 65 ml. ink bottle and an accompanying 15 ml. ink bottle. However, the new Mini series offers the same ink in the new mini ink bottle. The Colorverse mini ink bottles are the same beloved shape in a 5 ml. bottle size. (We’ll say it one more time since the Colorverse ink bottles have a cult following all their own. The 5 ml. Mini ink bottles are identical in shape to the Colorverse 65 ml. and 15 ml. Ink bottles, including the protruding nub). They do have a tiny mouth opening, so the Colorverse Mini inks all come with a small, plastic squeeze ink filler included. The Mini Collection packaging mimics the traditional Colorverse look, too. It’s all just miniaturized. 

How Much Does Colorverse Black Hole Ink Cost?

Colorverse Black Hole fountain pen ink is a reasonably priced fountain pen ink – particularly with the new 5 ml. sample size. Now that there’s an option to buy a smaller amount of the popular ink, many more have decided to make it their own. Check for the latest discounted price at PenChalet.com.

How Did This Week’s Ink Fair in the 1-Dip Test?

We conducted the 1-dip test using a J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen, Rhodia dot pad paper, and this week’s featured ink. We dipped the pen in ink once for each writing sample shown above (“S,” “X,” and scribble lines), and Black Hole #20 very easily wrote across the paper on all three writing samples with ink to spare. 

How Fast Does the Colorverse Black Hole Ink Dry?

Colorverse Black Hole fountain pen ink showed a dry time of about 7-8 seconds with medium saturation. We thought this was a nice dry time for a medium saturation ink making it a reasonable choice for regular use. 

Did this Colorverse Ink Bleed Through?

We saw no bleeding during normal use, although we did see some slight bleeding during the heavy saturated cotton swab test. 

Was There Any Feathering While Using Colorverse Black Hole Ink?

We saw no feathering during normal use on Rhodia paper, but we did see some light feathering during the water test. (Results coming up next). 

How Does the Ink Stand Up to Water?

For the water test, we let an ink sample dry for about 3 minutes before running a wet cotton swab over the sample. This week’s ink is not designed to be waterproof or advertised as a waterproof ink, so the results are not surprising or significantly negative. Since this is a dark-colored ink, we saw very heavy color smearing. However, the lines were still clear and legible, with some slight distortion and fading. 

Does Colorverse Black Hole Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

If you’re looking for ink with a lot of color variation, your search is not going to end here. Black Hole #20 is a very dark ink and doesn’t offer much in the way of shading traits. We did notice a slight golden sheen during the heavy saturation cotton swab test, though. (This gold sheen is probably unintentional). 

Final Conclusion on Colorverse Black Hole Ink:

This week’s ink is from well-regarded Colorverse ink company and is reasonably priced for a mini sample size. The intense, dark purple color is very unique and now available in three sizes: 65 ml. 15 ml. And 5 ml. (Although the 65 ml. And 15 ml. bottles are only available as a pair in the Astrophysics ink series). The inks arrive in nice packaging with excellent presentation (and an ink bottle many would claim is their favorite on the market). The reasonable dry time of 7-8 seconds makes this a good choice for many projects and a reasonable choice for an everyday fountain pen ink. Happy writing from Korea! 

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