Have you tried Krishna iBlack 4 Ink? It’s stepping into the spotlight for this week’s Pen Chalet ink review and giveaway. It’s a continuation of our quest for the best “go-to” black fountain pen ink. Read on to see if you’ve stumbled across the answers to all your questions about which black ink should be your new favorite.

All About the Ink Maker: Krishna

The creator of Krishna Inks was Dr. Sreekumar. An interesting man, on top of being a medical doctor, he was an ink connoisseur and master nib grinder. His passion for developing a variety of inks with different styles and traits means many fountain pen enthusiasts already adopted Krishna inks into their regular routines. Krishna Inks boasts not only a popular line of regular inks, but sheening inks, iron gall inks, and more. Available in over 70 different ink colors, there’s a Krishna ink for almost any project.

All About the Ink Series: Krishna Super Rich Ink Series

This week’s ink, Krishna iBlack 4, is a 2020 release added to the Krishna Super Rich ink series. The prolific series includes 43 different colors. Krishna iBlack 4, was released alongside last week’s featured ink, Krishna Lyrebird Waterproof Black ink.

Pen Chalet is a proud, authorized retailer of Krishna products with a full range of Krishna inks. Find your next Krishna fountain pen ink at Pen Chalet.

Compare different black fountain pen inks.

All About This Week’s Chosen Ink: Krishna iBlack 4 Ink

Krishna declared their iBlack 4 ink the blackest ink they’ve ever created. The nice, dark black color has some shading in gray and is said to compete with other highly loved blackest of black fountain pen inks like Aurora Black and Lamy Black.

*** Don’t stop now. Keep reading for a chance to win the bottle of Krishna iBlack 4 fountain pen ink used for this week’s Pen Chalet Ink Review. (Or if you’re still cultivating the art of patience, scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find the link to enter this week’s giveaway).

It’s Time: Krishna iBlack 4 Ink Review

It’s time for all the details we learned about iBlack 4 ink from Krishna during the tests for this week’s ink review. If you’ve ever wanted to find out more about Krishna inks, or blackest of black fountain pen inks, read on. Read the full review of this week’s featured Krishna ink below!

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

The materials you use with your fountain pen ink can change the way they perform, so we always list the products used during our ink reviews. While reviewing Krishna iBlack 4 fountain pen ink, we used a J Herbin spiral glass dip pen (which has a tip similar to a medium-fine fountain pen nib) on French-made Rhodia dot pad paper. Keep that in mind when considering the ink and remember that different papers and nib sizes may produce different results.

What Sort of Ink Bottle Does Krishna Use?

Krishna ink comes in a small 20 ml. glass bottle standard for all the inks in Krishna’s Super Rich ink series. The new label and packaging are simple but clear. Krishna Super Rich inks are packaged in a simple cardboard box, but there isn’t much protection inside the box.

How Much Does Krishna ink Cost?

Krishna ink is an economical fountain pen ink. If you’re interested in high-value fountain pen ink, check the current discount pricing at Pen Chalet.

How Did iBlack 4 Ink Respond to the NEW 1 Dip Test?

Krishna’s iBlack 4 fountain pen ink performed well during our newest test, the 1 Dip Test. We used the one dip test to see how far one dip could write on paper. Dipping the pen into iBlack 4 ink only one time, we were able to write across the paper on all three writing samples easily. (We used one dip per writing sample). Writing samples included: S, X, and scribble lines (see the photograph of the samples above).

How Fast Does Krishna iBlack 4 Ink Dry?

Krishna iBlack 4 fountain pen ink had a dry time of approximately 13-20 seconds, which was longer than we anticipated. (At Pen Chalet, we generally consider any dry time under 10 seconds to be reasonably fast and appropriate for daily use, so we would have to conclude that Krishna iBlack 4 isn’t necessarily an everyday ink choice).

Does iBlack 4 Ink Bleed Through?

We saw no bleed-through during normal use of Krishna’s iBlack 4 fountain pen ink. We saw very slight bleed through during the heavy saturated cotton swab test on Rhodia dot pad paper.

Was There Any Feathering?

We saw no feathering during normal use and almost no additional feathering during the water test.

How Does Krishna iBlack 4 Ink Stand Up to Water?

During the weekly review, we run a simple water test. After letting the ink sample dry for about three minutes, we run a wet cotton swab over the sample. Krishna’s iBlack 4 ink held up well. We saw very slight line distortion and very slight additional feathering. The lines were very legible. We did see some significant color smearing when running the wet swab over the sample. iBlack 4 is not a waterproof ink, so we didn’t expect to see it withstand water completely.

Does iBlack 4 Fountain Pen Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

This week’s ink has some possible shading traits with dark black lines and the possibility for lighter black/grey variations depending on handwriting. With fountain pens and fountain pen inks, shading is all about the user’s handwriting and the fountain pen nib used.

Final Conclusion on Krishna iBlack 4 Ink:

We have no arguments against the claim that iBlack 4 is Krishna’s blackest ink to date! The ink is a nice, opaque, dark black color with possible shading traits. Krishna’s iBlack 4 ink handled itself well during the water test for an ink that is not waterproof, but it has a longer dry time than expected. It’s a good choice for anyone seeking a very black fountain pen ink at an economical price. Happy writing from India!

Enter to Win:

Enter to win the actual bottle of Krishna iBlack 4 fountain pen ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review:

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