Versafine Onyx vs Versaclair Nocturne

[craftyduo]

My Versafine Onyx ink pad is needing to be replaced. I have used it for years and years and love the way it stamps...the crispness...not smearing, etc. I have read that the Versaclair Nocturne is the same just a little "tweak" to formulation so they could expand the color pallete. Have any of you used both and what was your consensus. The same or should I just buy another Versafine Onyx pad? Thanks for your help.

[Cook22]

I have heard many people say that they find the Clair to be a good equivalent. Personally I do not find it stamps as intense a black, without repeated stamping. Perhaps I just got an off pad, but I would definitely buy Versafine myself for my go-to black.

[wavejumper]

I had a bit of a time finding an ink re-fill for my Versafine Onyx. I did it but it does not seem to be as available as it once was-a lot of places have gone to Clair...I agree. I do prefer Versafine but Clair is ok. I like it better for the other colors.

[rockybeta]

Personally I like both........the Onyx for fine details and the Clair when I want super ink saturation. They say you can emboss with it too but I've not tried that yet. For me the main difference is the type of pad.......Onyx is fabric and Clair is a foam which can get messy sometimes.

[craftyduo]

Thank you soooo much everyone. I do believe I am going to get myself another Versafine Onyx and refill while I can. That ink pad has been a workhorse for me.

[Boss]

I have both the Onyx and the VC Nocture . I like both and use both..
probably am using the VC more than the onyx recently.
Both inkpads are pigment based so you can heat emboss with either, and results are equally perfect (I always use a fine clear embossing powder, so result is crisp and clean.)

I think the difference I notice between the 2 inkpads is that VC Nocturne takes longer to dry than the Onyx. Because of that, I tend to use Onyx on the inside of a card when I am in a hurry so I can avoid smearing when I sign/write in the card. Dittos for when I stamp my handmade stamp on back of card.

I think that Nocture appears to be a tad bit deeper black, as someone mentioned it appears to be more saturated than Onyx.
Always a good idea to get a reinker for any black ink that you like to use.

[dini]

I still use both... I do use my Versafine Clair pads with Copics, and the original does not do that. It does seem to me that my black Clair pad got dry a lot faster than my older pads ever did.

[Bahb]

I've used both, Crafty Duo, and don't see a difference except that the lid on the Versaclair is difficult to get on for sure. without getting your fingers inky. Also the VersaClair seems to dry out faster. There is less in the refill bottle, and the pad needs reinking more often. Just my experience, your rmilegage may differ.

[Mittens20]

I use both inks and agree with the comments already posted. I bought a second Onyx pad in 2011 and just opened it this year as my original lasted that long! I'm going to grab a reinker if I can locate one. I use Clair Nocturne a lot, but also used Twilight, Shady Lane and Pinecone on different Christmas cards this year and loved its clarity and true color. These are great inks!

[JackGetStamped]

I personally prefer the Onyx black over the Versaclair Nocturne for various reasons. I wrote a blog comparing the two here as it happens - https://getstamped.co.uk/news/the-best-ink-pad/

Right off the bat it's larger which is a big plus for me.

[dini]

Thanks for sharing!

[Ellibelle]

Does anyone know if the original Versafine ink comes in other than Onyx? Like some of you I have the Versafine Clair in Nocturn and found the ink pad was dry much sooner than my original Versafine (onyx). I am particularly looking for colored ink pads to use with Silhouette stamps (like Lavinia Stamps). Any other suggestions?

[Boss]

Oh my goodness YES! Versafine ink comes in lots of colors other than Onyx.

Heres the color chart from the manufacturers website:

カラーチャート | 株式会社ツキネコ

I have many of these and they work wonderfully well.

[Ellibelle]

Thank you! I've been using my Distress inks for all things color, but they don't really work well with sihouette stamps (in my opinion) I do love the Distress color range and those would be so nice to have in a Versafine type ink version.