What Is The Best Brown Ink In The Market?

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

I just loaded up a few pens with Parker Quink washable brown and I really like it. A very nice vintage watercolor look.

 

 

The Parker Quink brown I have is the permanent version.Where did you happen to get the washable brown version?

[hunter186]

Noodler's Walnut is my favorite. A beautiful dark reddish-brown, close enough to black to use in more formal settings. Behaves well in every pen I own, and is near-bulletproof as well.

 

I also like Pelikan Brilliant Brown. Much lighter, a little less formal, but still well-behaved and shows nice shading. I've used a few other browns, but these are my favorites.

[skcheng]

I just loaded up a few pens with Parker Quink washable brown and I really like it. A very nice vintage watercolor look.

 

 

The Parker Quink brown I have is the permanent version.Where did you happen to get the washable brown version?

 

 

I purchased a bottle from BeaconPens and another bottle from the big auction site. I just checked and there are two bottles left.

[JefferyS]

After posing this question last month, I've tried quite a few (and have never been quite sure that all of the previous ink or wash water was completely out of the pen), but I can say that I was impressed with and I have seen lots of positive comments about...

 

Noodler's Walnut

Noodler's 41

Diamine Chocolate Brown

Waterman Havana Brown (a bit reddish)

Diamine Syrah (a bit purplish)

[Ondina]

Waterman Havana Brown

Herbin's Lie de Thè.

Diamine Saddle Brown & Chocolate Brown

Pelikan Brown.

R&K Sepia

Caran D'Ache Grand Canyon

[monochromejournal]

my current favourite is Sailor Jentle Brown, Sailor also offers a Red-Brown.

[JefferyS]

The Grand Canyon seemed a wee big unsaturated to me. It definitely is an earth tone, while some of the browns are saturated enough to almost qualify as black under low lighting.

[Parker Quink Turquoise]

I just loaded up a few pens with Parker Quink washable brown and I really like it. A very nice vintage watercolor look.

 

 

The Parker Quink brown I have is the permanent version.Where did you happen to get the washable brown version?

 

 

I purchased a bottle from BeaconPens and another bottle from the big auction site. I just checked and there are two bottles left.

 

 

Thanks for that.I will have to check it out.

[fredbaby]

Waterman Havana Brown - A nice colour and smooth too!

Regards,

John

[gpathy]

Do brown inks in general compared to black inks have poor flow, and result in pens skipping?

 

I have few browns..

Rotring Brilliant Brown

Waterman Havana Brown

Khyati Brown Calligraphy Ink (Made in India)

 

All have some issue or the other.

I was dissapointed particularly with waterman since I expected it to flow smoothly. but it made both my Lamy Vista as well as Rotring Espirit skip badly, and I finally replaced the inks.

The other browns dont start well.. but after a while they get better and become wet and smooth.

 

Is it a general property or difficulty with brown inks? or is it my specific sample thats troubled.. maybe old stock etc.?

 

Thanks

--GS

[JefferyS]

I have never had a skipping issue with brown inks. Maybe the nibs just need a routine cleaning.

[gpathy]

I have never had a skipping issue with brown inks. Maybe the nibs just need a routine cleaning.

 

But the same pens write perfectly with other (black) inks... Pelikan Black, Rotring Black works just fine with same pens! Could this happen if the ink is old? They arent that old though Just trying to figure this out.

[JefferyS]

Some inks are "dry", such as Noodler's Sepia. These do skip a but but can be diluted with water. The high end  Iroshizuki inks are nicely flowing, such as their horsetail brown. My dry writing pens do well with these as well as with Diamine Chocolate Brown.

Edited April 11, 2011 by Jeffery Smith

[Trebster]

Late to the thread.

 

Teh besto? IMO Waltraud Bethge Pralené Browne. If it's obtainable.... Fair warning: the Bethge selection is neither saturated nor vibrant, should you be able to find any. It's subtle, which is to say fans of brown who delight in Penman Mocha are going to be deeply disappointed.

[Artes]

Although I do not normally match my pens with specific inks, I thought I would make an exception for my Nakaya Cigar in Aka-tamenuri. I chose the Diamine Rustic Brown for its beautiful brownish red tones. The ink is very well behaved and looks wonderful with my broad cursive italic nib.

 

If you look carefully at the nib below you can see some Rustic Brown ink. It appears red, but writes wit a luscious brown-red.

[purumr]

My top 3 brown favorites :

Diamine Ancient Copper, Diamine Rustic Brown and J. Herbin Lie de The.

[lapis]

I should have mentioned FPN's Noodler's Galileo as well. Totally stable, even after weeks of rest! Sometimes hard to get when ordering directy (which is necessary).

 

 

Mike

[mrcharlie]

Levenger Cocoa is my favorite.

 

I also like Sheaffer Brown and Noodler's Kiowa Pecan.

[MKeith]

I too like brown inks. For a dark brown Private Reserve Chocolat is nice, however it is saturated and takes a bit more work to clean up. Waterman Brown is a very well behaved medium brown with red back tones, that cleans up easily and is safer IMO for older pens. My favorite though is Noodlers Golden Brown. NGB is a lighter brown with yellow back tones, and is a slow drying ink, so wouldn't suit lefties. It has some beautiful shading characteristics when used in nibs wider that asian fines. NGB has a pleasant nostalgic look to me, has some water resistance, and for a Noodlers ink cleans up pretty easily.

[hoppes no9]

I like dark, so my favorites (so far) are Noodler's Walnut and MB Toffee Brown. Waterman Havana is a little too red for me. Lie de The is a fantastic color, just wish it was a little darker/more saturated.