Sepia Toned Ink Comparison - 32 Inks

[amberleadavis]

These tests are wonderful. Thank you.

[jasonchickerson]

I just want to say that this review of inks is what changed me from a one-pen/one-ink guy to a collector. Thanks a lot.

[Tas]

I just want to say that this review of inks is what changed me from a one-pen/one-ink guy to a collector. Thanks a lot.

 

Another "victim" of dcpritch's enabling. I totally empathise . . .

[dcpritch]

jason, I'm glad to have been of help. Enabling, as pointed out by Tas, is one of the things I do best!

[amberleadavis]

David, we miss seeing your ugly pens.

[cobalt]

I enjoyed this review.

 

Manufacturers give names to their products to create associations which may or may not reflect common use of those colour terms. Art paint companies supply pigment codes for their paints, so it is possible to know what is in the paint. Ink manufacturers don't seem to provide pigment codes, so you really don't know what they are using. As a rule, their names of colours, when put into historical context should be somewhat suspect. What would be helpful is that ink manufactures provide more information on historical colours to document a degree of authenticity.

 

Sepia is often the colour of old photos and that may be the ink colour being visualised.

 

Historically, we may be thinking of Da Vinci; he would have used Bistre (made from the soot of beechwood), as sepia didn't exist at the time. There are colour codes which have some degree of historical reliability; I've just used Hex codes for simplicity with computer monitors for viewing.

 

This is the hex code for bistre as used by the old masters: #96711

 

http://www.colorhexa.com/967117.png

 

Bistre as used in France is: #856D4D

 

http://www.colorhexa.com/856d4d.png

 

Sepia in the photographic sense is: #704214

 

http://www.colorhexa.com/704214.png

 

Many on the list are clearly not sepia or bistre, but which ones look right?

[Biber]

I see bistre as being much darker, more of a greyish-blackish brown.

[Cyber6]

I need a bottle of Bistre... :wub: :wub:

[migo984]

I need a bottle of Bistre... :wub: :wub:

Hey C - I haven't forgotten that I owe you a sample of Sailor Kobe Turner (Café Brown)! Send me an email with your address and I'll get it in the post asap!

M

[Cyber6]

Hey C - I haven't forgotten that I owe you a sample of Sailor Kobe Turner (Café Brown)! Send me an email with your address and I'll get it in the post asap!

M

 

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!.. I totally forgot!!!!!!! :lol:

 

 

Sending...

 

 

C.

[dms525]

I'd like to add my thanks to that of others for your wonderful review of sepia inks. A big job, well done, David!

 

You are aware, I think, that you used the wrong ink to demonstrate Stipula Calamo Sepia, however. I think this got corrected, but even the current one doesn't look much like the ink I got from a first, recent purchase of Stipula Sepia. I am uploading a little sample of it. I also included a sample of Sailor's Bung Box Mocha, because it is almost identical in color and, as near as I can tell so far, in performance to Stipula Sepia. It is fortunate that I like them both a lot. They may not be gray enough to be "real" Sepias, but I have a fondness for reddish brown inks, especially ones that shade as nicely as both of these do.

 

So, for your interest, here are the samples - written on the same sheet of Rhodia paper. The pens were different, but both have similar nibs - crisp cursive italics ground by Michael Masuyama from Broad nibs, on an OMAS Ogiva for the Stipula Sepia and on a Pelikan M800 for the BB Mocha:

 

 

 

David

[visvamitra]

Bistre has potential. KWZI has to do it.

[bobje]

Cobalt, in a field of almost three dozen inks, you've successfully identified another gap in the market. Discriminating ink consumers want bistre!

[dcpritch]

I enjoyed this review.

 

Manufacturers give names to their products to create associations which may or may not reflect common use of those colour terms. Art paint companies supply pigment codes for their paints, so it is possible to know what is in the paint. Ink manufacturers don't seem to provide pigment codes, so you really don't know what they are using. As a rule, their names of colours, when put into historical context should be somewhat suspect. What would be helpful is that ink manufactures provide more information on historical colours to document a degree of authenticity.

 

Sepia is often the colour of old photos and that may be the ink colour being visualised.

 

Historically, we may be thinking of Da Vinci; he would have used Bistre (made from the soot of beechwood), as sepia didn't exist at the time. There are colour codes which have some degree of historical reliability; I've just used Hex codes for simplicity with computer monitors for viewing.

 

Cobalt, thanks for your interesting additions to this thread. Very much appreciated!

[dcpritch]

I'd like to add my thanks to that of others for your wonderful review of sepia inks. A big job, well done, David!

 

You are aware, I think, that you used the wrong ink to demonstrate Stipula Calamo Sepia, however. I think this got corrected, but even the current one doesn't look much like the ink I got from a first, recent purchase of Stipula Sepia. I am uploading a little sample of it. I also included a sample of Sailor's Bung Box Mocha, because it is almost identical in color and, as near as I can tell so far, in performance to Stipula Sepia. It is fortunate that I like them both a lot. They may not be gray enough to be "real" Sepias, but I have a fondness for reddish brown inks, especially ones that shade as nicely as both of these do.

 

So, for your interest, here are the samples - written on the same sheet of Rhodia paper. The pens were different, but both have similar nibs - crisp cursive italics ground by Michael Masuyama from Broad nibs, on an OMAS Ogiva for the Stipula Sepia and on a Pelikan M800 for the BB Mocha:

 

Sepia-vs-mocha-ink001.jpg

 

David

 

Thanks David, I did finally get the Stipula ink sorted out but it seems to be one that doesn't translate very well in images.

[ShortRound131]

I don't mean to bump an older thread, if that is unwanted. But I just wanted to say thank you dcpritch.

Being fairly new to this hobby and learning, this is an immense help, for finding new inks. Cheers!

[dcpritch]

Glad my efforts were helpful!

[tinta]

I don't mean to bump an older thread, if that is unwanted. But I just wanted to say thank you dcpritch.

Being fairly new to this hobby and learning, this is an immense help, for finding new inks. Cheers!

This wonderful thread needs to be "bumped" & often. It has become my standard resource for the various shades of brown. I have this thread bookmarked on my computer so that I can find it quickly.

Edited May 25, 2016 by tinta

[Behike54]

Dcpritch, as someone who is recently diping their toe deeper in the water, this thread jaw-dropping!

Not only was this a HERCULEAN effort, the responses and contributions your thread solicited is the real proof of how your time was well spent.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Enjoy the day! (I wonder how many more years this thread will go on?)

[dcpritch]

Dcpritch, as someone who is recently diping their toe deeper in the water, this thread jaw-dropping!

 

Not only was this a HERCULEAN effort, the responses and contributions your thread solicited is the real proof of how your time was well spent.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Enjoy the day! (I wonder how many more years this thread will go on?)

 

Thanks! It has been five years now since I began work on the Sepia Ink comparison and I'm glad it still has some use. So many new inks have come into the market since then that I can't imagine how one could keep up; at least many of the ones I used in the comparison are still available. Also, I've been off FPN for a few months and its nice to see that even in my absence a thread like this carries on.