Most Disappointing Ink Buy

[JimB]

I keep reading threads about favorite inks, best blue inks, etc. I was just wondering what ink(s) have been the most disappointing to you, and why?

 

What prompted this was a purchase of Noodler's Apache Sunset and Diamine's Ancient Copper. I bought these because I wanted something warm, in the red/orange/yellow families that would be fun to write with, having great shading for mt flex or 0.8 CI nibbed pens (or a 1.1 Lamy AL Star).

 

I tried out Apache Sunset first, and it was way more yellow than orange or red, based on reviews I read, and the shading never approached anything like reds I had been seeing.

 

I quickly dumped the ink back and swapped for Ancient Copper. Sure the color is the pretty orange of a new penny, but no matter what, I could get zero shading out of it. Disappointment!

 

I have 10 more samples to work my way through. I'm glad for the sample availability, but my results so far have not matched what I see on screen in reviews here or in other blogs. Maybe I need to try them out of premium glossy paper. I've been sticking to heavy HP inkjet paper and Staples' Sustainable Earth paper.

 

(I'm not opening this thread up with the intent to unfairly malign ink companies or any particular ink.)

[Sandy1]

Hi,

 

Without 'ink bashing', and in compliance with the BRR . . .

 

• Diamine Indigo: Even after I tried various pen+paper combos, it just sat there - vacant. Now it resides in the limbo of the Mixing Corral. Used on correspondence to those I would rather not hear from, such as bill collectors, cyclotron inspectors, etc.
  
• Lamy Green: Great performance, but I find the colour is outright ghastly. I was traumatised.
  
• R&K Helianthus: One of my first adventures into the bright yellow-orange, that resulted in the ink being gifted away to a watercolour artist due to performance issues.
• Waterman South Sea Blue: Another ink that I did not care for the shading, err 'density variation'. No idea why it is so popular. Also gifted away.
• Diamine Havasu: Performance and looks didn't jangle my bangles.
  
• MB Burgundy Red: I thought all my pens were hexed. Nothing going on. (Pass the Syrah!) I doubt that I'll post my written samples of that one.
  
• Noodler's Pasternak: Performance and colour. Was glad that I didn't have a full bottle of that. Used on envelopes to mail letters written in Diamine Indigo.
  
• Monteverde Turquoise: Inconsistent performance: too fussy.
• Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown: What was I thinking!?! Another ink with a strong following and good performance, but has proven to have far less appeal than most. Another one for the Mixing Corral.

I have posted reviews of the above inks, except the MB Burgundy Red, so one can see the basis for my opinion of those inks.

 

Bye,

S1

 

EDIT - to add:

• Caran d'Ache Blue Sky: Sheaffer Skrip Blue in a dysfunctional bottle.
• Noodler's 41-2012: Only because its not like the Original #41.
• Parker Quink BlBk: Only because its not like the 'Permanent with SOLV-X' version.

Edited July 24, 2012 by Sandy1

[Nonsensical]

I keep reading threads about favorite inks, best blue inks, etc. I was just wondering what ink(s) have been the most disappointing to you, and why?

 

What prompted this was a purchase of Noodler's Apache Sunset and Diamine's Ancient Copper. I bought these because I wanted something warm, in the red/orange/yellow families that would be fun to write with, having great shading for mt flex or 0.8 CI nibbed pens (or a 1.1 Lamy AL Star).

 

I tried out Apache Sunset first, and it was way more yellow than orange or red, based on reviews I read, and the shading never approached anything like reds I had been seeing.

 

I quickly dumped the ink back and swapped for Ancient Copper. Sure the color is the pretty orange of a new penny, but no matter what, I could get zero shading out of it. Disappointment!

 

I have 10 more samples to work my way through. I'm glad for the sample availability, but my results so far have not matched what I see on screen in reviews here or in other blogs. Maybe I need to try them out of premium glossy paper. I've been sticking to heavy HP inkjet paper and Staples' Sustainable Earth paper.

 

(I'm not opening this thread up with the intent to unfairly malign ink companies or any particular ink.)

 

I've found that paper is indeed extremely important when it comes to shading...especially when it comes to flex nibs...or where the pen is dumping a lot of ink on the page in general. I have a lot of trouble getting shading of any sort on regular copy paper (and don't even get me started on the feathering...).

 

I suppose the ink that has been the biggest disappointment for me is Baystate Concord Grape...I love the colour! It's fantastic, but the feathering and bleedthrough on my regular Rhodia paper means that it just sits unused.

[Cerbeos]

PR Shell Pink... Something is up with my bottle.... its not pink - its pink + brown... Quite an ugly shade in my opinion

[inkstainedruth]

For me, sadly, it was Iroshihzuku Kosumosu. I had drooled over the color in the review scans, but when I got a sample of it, I wasn't getting the orange to pink shading (I don't have any nibs broader than M). What I got was, well, watermelon. It's a pretty color, but just not what I was expecting, and even with the shading it's kinda... flat.... I find Shah's Rose a more vibrant color (really bright magenta, and it's a third of the price...).

Good thing I only got a sample, not a full bottle.

Also sort of underwhelmed with Asa-Gao. It was a very ordinary looking blue (and very wet -- in my Konrad it was just drippy).

Haven't yet found the ideal green or brown yet, either. (Yay, samples!)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Cerbeos]

For me, sadly, it was Iroshihzuku Kosumosu. I had drooled over the color in the review scans, but when I got a sample of it, I wasn't getting the orange to pink shading (I don't have any nibs broader than M). What I got was, well, watermelon. It's a pretty color, but just not what I was expecting, and even with the shading it's kinda... flat.... I find Shah's Rose a more vibrant color (really bright magenta, and it's a third of the price...).

Good thing I only got a sample, not a full bottle.

Also sort of underwhelmed with Asa-Gao. It was a very ordinary looking blue (and very wet -- in my Konrad it was just drippy).

Haven't yet found the ideal green or brown yet, either. (Yay, samples!)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

I've seen a bunch of Asa-Gao scans/reviews as well and really and VERY underwhelmed by it. It looks waaaaay to boring to justify the price (Even if it has XY & Z properties that are amazing.....)

[meghan]

Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrun was a let-down for me. I use primarily fine nibs, and in my pens, this ink looked like difficult-to-read snot.

[mhosea]

but my results so far have not matched what I see on screen in reviews here or in other blogs. Maybe I need to try them out of premium glossy paper. I've been sticking to heavy HP inkjet paper and Staples' Sustainable Earth paper.

 

Absorbent paper will tend to show little shading, as will dryer pens. Do you have inks that shade a lot with the paper and pens you are using?

 

1. Waterman SSB was one of my early buys after taking a long break from FP use. I was going for the old Sheaffer Peacock blue, but SSB turned out too bright. I couldn't stand the color for more than a short time.

2. Pilot red cartridges == pink and very watery (not much dye).

3. Pilot green cartridges == the most unlubricated ink I've used. I was hoping for performance something like Namiki Blue.

4. Platinum Mix Free Aqua. Not an interesting color to me, a little grayish, and flows too freely. (Fortunately, I got the bottle for free in the first place.)

5. Noodler's Polar Blue. Terrible feathering, flows too freely, and I didn't like the slate color like I thought I would.

6. Parker Quick Washable Blue. Not a bad color when it goes down, but over the course of an hour or so it fades incredibly. I ended up mixing it with Waterman SSB. Now I like the color better, but it fades from blue to turquoise in hours because of the Quink.

Edited July 24, 2012 by mhosea

[inkspot]

My biggest disappointment would be Iroshizuku Ajisai. In all the scans and reviews I saw a lovely periwinkle blue colour. When my sample arrived it was a washed out blue that was too pale to be readable in my fine nibs, flat and feathery in my medium and broad pens.

[XiaoMG]

My biggest disappointments have been Aurora Black and Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, probably. Platinum's Pigmented Blue was also quite a let-down.

[JLT]

I would have to say that Noodler's Polar Black has been my biggest disappointment to date. I gave this ink every possible chance, but I gave the two bottles I had on hand away. I had skipping problems, hard starting and inconsistent flow in just about every pen I tried. Given the performance profile of Noodler's Black, I was very disappointed with Polar Black.

[OcalaFlGuy]

That was an actual purchase, two of the 1 oz bottles of Noodler's Texas Bluebonnet Blue. I have an emotional attraction to Texas and their beloved Bluebonnets. The ink is a wonderful color but cloggy in several pens I tried it in. Very Disappointing.

 

Waterman Florida Blah. 'Nuf said.

 

MB Blahgundy, Again, 'nuf said.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[alkman]

Pelikan 4001 Red! It's the only ink which worked in no pen I owned at the time. And it's the only ink I've ever poured down the drain out of anger and spite.

[Flake]

Waterman Black, I was expecting it to be as deep and rich as their other colors based on the fanbase, but it was just grey. Nice enough color but not what I wanted.

[CAG_1787]

For me, it was Noodlers Kung Te Cheng. Lots of people recommended it in the highest terms, but I found it way too wet, runny, and made even fine nibs write like broads. Plus the color didn't really do much for me...

[radellaf]

Short answer: Herbin Bouton d'Or.

 

Hmm, Concord Grape and Summer Tanager are both too feathery to use, though the latter I only have as a sample from the "Best of the Worst" Inkdrop.

 

I have to agree that while I like Asa-Gao, yeah, it's not a special color and the price is, wow... Yama Budo, my only other Iroshi full bottle, I'm much happier with.

 

I know more what I'm getting into with ink these days, though, so it's hard to be that disappointed. Back in the day, I was disappointed in Herbin's "new" Bouton D'Or, as it was far too light to use with anything. I even bought a Waterman Liason with a B (BB, I'd call it, BBB by Pelikan standards) to try to make use of lighter inks, but didn't really work. So, as a newb, that was the one that made me feel the worst about the purchase.

 

I have a yet-unopened MB Burgundy that I now am looking suspiciously at, though I'm not sure exactly what Sandy1 means by "I thought all my pens were hexed. Nothing going on." No flow? And Ocala's "MB Blahgundy, Again, 'nuf said." Hmm, and I really did my ink-review research on those MB colors.

 

OP - if you're not getting incredible shading out of Apache, then there's something wrong with the pen or paper. That ink is unreal about the shading. I admit it is more yellow than I like, and I have doctored it now and again with Sheaffer red, Saguaro Wine, or Widowmaker to get colors more to my taste. A Pilot 823 M has been host to all of those.

[Dark Side]

Pretty much every J Herbin, Sheaffer, or Pelikan ink I've tried has been beyond boring. Sure, they're safe and behave well but I just can't get passed the complete lack of character. I've been trying really hard to like Pelikan Violet, Pelikan Brown, and Sheafer Skrip Red (probably the best of them saturation wise) but I just can't seem to warm up to them.

[Uncle Red]

It's funny, some inks that work well for me are on this thread. Let's see, I've never met an Iroshizuku ink I liked. Private Reserve Invincible Aqua Blue was so bad I can't understand why they brought it to market.

[OcalaFlGuy]

Waterman Black, I was expecting it to be as deep and rich as their other colors based on the fanbase, but it was just grey. Nice enough color but not what I wanted.

 

Funny thing.

 

When I first heard about Lexington Gray I thought, WOW that sounds like a neat ink! Then I thought about it a bit. Hmmm. Seems like a Gray ink would be about like a really washed out Black. Tilt. Fail.

 

I saw some LG in the Show your Writing, Pen and Ink thread yesterday and... (I even posted that it was one of those that sounds better as an idea than it actually is.)

 

Yep.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[inkstainedruth]

For me, it was Noodlers Kung Te Cheng. Lots of people recommended it in the highest terms, but I found it way too wet, runny, and made even fine nibs write like broads. Plus the color didn't really do much for me...

 

Wow! I had the opposite experience -- it was the first ink that really behaved well in my Konrad, where other inks just were drippy or messy. My bottle of it isn't wet and runny at all.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth