Compiled from 7 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black is a classic dye-based black fountain pen ink from Germany, sold in a 62.5 ml (2.1 fl oz) glass bottle, a 30 ml bottle and cartridges. It runs dry, dried in 40 seconds in one reviewer's test, shows little shading and isn't truly water resistant. It suits wet nibs and everyday writing.
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The 62.5 ml Brilliant Black bottle, drawn in proportion, with a swab of the ink.
Product facts
Product
Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black fountain pen ink, 62.5 ml bottle
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Notes on these facts
Made by Pelikan Group GmbH (Germany), owned by Hamelin since December 13, 2023. Made in Germany: Pulp Addiction's listing for the 62.5 ml Brilliant Black bottle (barcode 4012700329141) says Pelikan's inks are made in Germany, and Pelikan's English product page for the same bottle size in Royal Blue lists Germany. Pelikan's German 4001 pages don't state the country for Brilliant Black. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
The US bottle holds 62.5 ml (2.1 fl oz), item 329144; Pelikan's German site lists a 30 ml bottle, item 301051.
Mountain of Ink measured a 40-second dry time and rates the flow dry, the shading low and the sheen low.
Goulet lists it as not water resistant, not iron gall and not pigmented, with a 22.6 mm (0.89 in) bottle opening.
Its 30 ml Amazon listing ranked 2nd among Bottled Pen Ink best sellers when we checked on October 22, 2026.
Pelikan's German site says the 4001 name first appears in a document from 1897; retailers list the ink as made in Germany.
What is Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black?
It’s Pelikan’s everyday black fountain pen ink, a dye-based black in the German maker’s 4001 line. In German it’s called Brillant-Schwarz, and it sits beside Royal Blue, Blue-Black and six other 4001 colors on Pelikan’s German site.
Pelikan’s German site says the 4001 name first appears in a document from 1897. Ink is where the company began, as our Pelikan history explains, and Brilliant Black is one of the inks that keep it on shop shelves: its 30 ml Amazon listing ranked 2nd among Bottled Pen Ink best sellers when we checked on October 22, 2026.
Pelikan’s German 4001 page lists the 62.5 ml size only for Royal Blue, but US retailers such as Goulet sell Brilliant Black in it as a “2 oz” bottle. We didn’t find bottle dimensions, so our cover draws the bottle in proportion.
Fills per bottle (bottle ÷ capacity), with Brilliant Black's sourced properties.
How does Brilliant Black write?
It’s a dry-flowing medium black with low shading and only a little sheen. Mountain of Ink, writing with a Pelikan M605 medium, calls it very dry but says it works really well in wet Pelikan nibs.
On fountain pen paper Mountain of Ink saw no feathering and no bleeding, with medium show-through. On 20 lb copy paper the larger nibs feathered a little. A dry ink is a good match for a pen that writes too wet, and a poor one for a pen that already skips.
How fast does Pelikan Brilliant Black dry, and is it water resistant?
It dried in 40 seconds in Mountain of Ink’s test and isn’t sold as water resistant. Goulet’s listing marks it neither fast drying nor water resistant.
Mountain of Ink still rates its water resistance medium, and a Fountain Pen Network member reported lines surviving a soak. Treat that as a bonus, not a promise: for documents that must survive water, choose a permanent ink.
How does Brilliant Black compare with other popular black inks?
It’s the easy-going dye black; Noodler’s Black and Platinum Carbon Black trade convenience for permanence.
Pick Brilliant Black for daily notes in a pen you rinse often. Pick a bulletproof or pigment black for signatures, addresses and line art you’ll paint over.
Which pens is Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black safe for?
Nearly any fountain pen. Goulet lists it as a dye ink with no iron gall or pigment, so it rinses out with water. Pelikan’s German site says the 4001 inks are made for Pelikan’s own piston fillers.
A 62.5 ml bottle is about 78 fills of a LAMY Z28 converter or about 50 fills of a Pelikan M200. When the bottle runs low, Pelikan suggests laying it on its side so the nib can reach the last drops; our cover’s inset shows the trick.
Where is Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black made?
In Germany. Retailers such as Pulp Addiction list Pelikan’s 4001 inks as made in Germany, and Pelikan’s English page for the same 62.5 ml bottle in Royal Blue lists Germany too.
Pelikan’s German company is based in Hanover and has been owned by the Hamelin group since December 13, 2023. Pelikan’s German pages don’t print a country for Brilliant Black itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pelikan Brilliant Black a true black?
It's a medium black rather than the darkest black. Mountain of Ink calls it a medium black with low shading and a little black sheen in large swabs.
Is Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black waterproof?
No. Goulet lists it as not water resistant; Mountain of Ink rates it medium, so a wet page may stay faintly readable. For waterproof black, use a pigment or bulletproof ink.
How long does Pelikan Brilliant Black take to dry?
About 40 seconds in Mountain of Ink's test on fountain pen paper. Goulet doesn't list it as fast drying, so leave it a moment on coated paper such as Rhodia.
Can Pelikan Brilliant Black be erased with an ink eradicator?
Pelikan doesn't say so. Its German 4001 page calls only Royal Blue (Königsblau) erasable and washable, and eradicator pens are made for washable blue inks.
Is Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black safe for vintage pens?
It's a dye ink, not an iron gall or pigment ink, per Goulet, and it rinses out with water. Pelikan designs the 4001 line for its own piston fillers.
Does Pelikan Brilliant Black come in cartridges?
Yes. Pelikan's German site lists Brilliant Black in its 4001 GTP/5 boxes of five large international cartridges and TP/6 boxes of six small ones.
How many fills are in a bottle of Pelikan Brilliant Black?
A 62.5 ml bottle gives about 78 fills of a 0.8 ml LAMY Z28 converter, about 35 of a TWSBI ECO and about 50 of a Pelikan M200 at about 1.2 ml.
Is Pelikan 4001 ink made in the USA?
No, in Germany. Retailers such as Pulp Addiction list Pelikan's 4001 inks as made in Germany, and Pelikan is a German company based in Hanover.
