Quick Grey Comparison

[alexander_k]

Put them next to other colours and they're just grey; put them next to each other and the differences become pronounced.

 

 

In this scan you can see my current selection of grey inks next to each other: Diamine Silver Fox (my basic clear grey, the one I chose over Diamine Grey and Herbin Gris Nuage), Diamine Earl Grey (the new kid on the block that triggered this new exploration), Iroshizuku fuyu-syogun and Diamine Graphite (an ink that I had tried and abandoned but with fond memories that made me get a new 30 ml bottle).

 

I've given up trying to correct scans and monitors concerning colour but the above scan seems alright on my computer, except for the hues of Earl Grey and Graphite, which appear too bluish. The following photograph is a bit darker but closer to the colours I see in daylight.

 

 

I hope this quick comparison helps anyone looking for a grey ink. It has reaffirmed my own preference for Silver Fox as the clearest grey but I'm quite taken with the shading of Earl Grey. All four inks are well-behaved, even in my often temperamental Pilot Capless pens.

[lapis]

Great comparison! Thanks!! All the more reason to collect greys, even more so than blacks!!!

[senzen]

Thanks! Very useful.

[Mech-for-i]

yeah its like the saying " black is black " ... right , that is until one actually go out and put them side by side and one realize black is not always black and ditto for Grey ... my recent goto grey is the Monteverde Azur Noir, a fairly dark grey with a teal undertone

[Tas]

Excellent comparison. Thank you !

I love greys, especially when they are not grey 🙃

Edited October 9, 2018 by Tas

[lapis]

Excellent comparison. Thank you !

I love greys, especially when they are not grey

+80

[A Smug Dill]

I love greys, especially when they are not grey

 

Like grey with a purple cast…

[Tas]

 

Like grey with a purple cast…

 

. . . hmm . . . more with a kind of bluey cast

 

(I made a load of notes with Califolio's Gris de Payne yesterday - so easy on the eyes)

[bitterwonder]

My favorite grey is Iroshizuko Kire Same; it is slightly purplish - like the Earl Gray above but not so heavy handed. It is the color of the space between trees here in New York and essential for landscape drawing.

[amberleadavis]

NICE

[ddntp]

I made a little grey comparison for polish fountain pen board, thought I might post here as well. "atrament" means ink

Montblanc StarWalker Exploration Silver Grey
Montblanc Oyster Grey
Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same
Diamine 150th Anniversary Silver Fox
Pelikan Edelstein Moonstone (Ink of the Year 2020)
Graf von Faber-Castell Stone Grey

[PAKMAN]

Iroshizuku fuyu-syogun is my favorite gray ever!

[Karmachanic]

Lots of Greys here

[miel]

I am a big fan of Diamine Silver Fox but at the moment Pelikan Edelstein Moonstone ist my absolute favorite grey.
And - as I find blacks too harsh - my "black grey" is Monteverde Smoke Noir.

[nibtip]

Thanks.An illustrative and comprehensive comparison. I find your scribblings show the ink potential.

Moonstone has been ordered a month ago. I don't expect to get it that soon. (LCDC).

[bone215]

Nice.

Your photo shows the differences very well.

Thanks.

 

I find my workhouse grey to be Noodler's Lexington.  

Levenger Greystoke is interesting, a bit darker.

 

 

[bone215]

brief edit

 

Excuse me.  My auto correct decided a workhouse grey sounded better than workhorse grey.  Perhaps I should try my "go to grey" instead?