I wanted a really black ink, so I settled with the Rohrer und Klingner Leipziger Schwarz (~$11). It's black with dark navy tones. I really like how it looks on

I wanted a really black ink, so I settled with the Rohrer und Klingner Leipziger Schwarz (~$11). It's black with dark navy tones. I really like how it looks on paper. Inks I tried that weren't black enough: Herbin Perle Noire, Noodler's American Eel. Rhodia paper -- I use it two-sided with no bleed through (Rhodia Dotpad No 16, ~$6). Rhodia and Clairefontaine paper can generally be used both-sided with no issues. There's a Japanese brand, Profolio that I also like, and 2-sided is not an issue. The best paper I've ever written on is the Rhodia No 18 premium. It's $16 per pad (A4 sized) but the glide is smooth and the quality is amazing.