Lesser Known Ink Brands

[Harlequin]

Is the Diamine Ruby a darker red as well, or does it tend to skew in the brown or orange directions?

 

Somewhat darker, but not brown, which my bottle of MB:AH definitely was. So brown, in fact, I gave it away. Not pink nor orange, either. If it skews towards any other shade, I would say magenta or purple, but not really. It really looks like what I would think ruby should look like, or what I though MB:AH was gonna look like. I'm still trying it on different papers with diff nibs. I plan on a red ink comparison as soon as I finalize my testing method and get my photo chops together.

 

I looked at Zhulong Red smears on other websites. It definitely appears to be a bright loud red. I see a sample in my future.

Didn't you PIF that here? I entered for that one, I REALLY like MB:AH, but cannot find a bottle of it anywhere (for less than like... $50 or something similarly outrageous).

[amberleadavis]

Thank you for the great comparison!

 

@Harly - the next time we do a group buy, get in... The cost goes from $40 / bottle down to about $30 (plus shipping to you). Also, see about getting some samples.

[Harlequin]

I'll have to, amber!

Edited April 2, 2013 by Harlequin

[Bo Bo Olson]

Caran d'ache Storm is close enough to be a brother of Voorhout Violet....thanks guys for saving me some money....now to go back and pick a different Akkerman ink.

 

Austria cost so much to mail from, I seldom even look at their EBay. I didn't know it cost so much to mail to there.

 

Back when the US still had a ship or three still registered to the US it took six weeks for a package to cross the ocean by US mail, using a US carrier....but it was affordable.

 

I can not afford to have books shipped by Barns and Noble...and there was something with Strand too...

It don't matter if something takes six weeks to arrive if was dirt cheap postage.

That and we were use to waiting.

 

Then came paying air mail prices for next week's delivery (and it being late :roflmho: )....which I thought was not worth the speed of delivery.

 

I forgot to mention there are a number of 'lesser' inks in the ink index over on ink reviews.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Bo Bo Olson

[sarahfar]

I loved the color palette from Bethge. It is J Herbin, but Anne Marie when she was in business used to send out little swatch cards of their colors and they were slightly different than J.Herbin more sexy and even a little brighter as I remember.

[amberleadavis]

What about Pharmacist's inks - he's an FPNer and makes IronGall inks.

[JakobS]

Abraxas Inks is another ink that is not too common in the US, though it looks to be in a number of shops in Europe. They have a large line of fountain pen inks, the ones that can easily be had in the US from Castle in the Air come in 30ml bottles, they are a bit pricey, but they have a number of colors that are unique, especially if you can get your hands on some on the plantary, or element inspired inks.

Edited April 5, 2013 by JakobS

[Harlequin]

do you have a link to a website of theirs, by any chance?

[JakobS]

do you have a link to a website of theirs, by any chance?

 

Castle in The Air Abraxas Ink Link

 

They appear to be low in stock with the two lines of Abraxas ink they carry right now, but they usually have about 20-25 fountain pen inks for sale. Abraxas's fountain pen ink catalog is atleast double or three times bigger than what they offer, but it may be not economical to have them special order, or atleast it seemed that way from previous enquires. They are great to talk with though.

Edited April 5, 2013 by JakobS

[Bo Bo Olson]

Having just received a sample of the Akkerman Violet, before trying it, wanted to find out which nib width and flex seemed best, so looked in the reviews.

 

There is a link to a more magnified view of the three inks by Pterodactylus.

 

IMO C d'A Storm is the best. It took a few seconds comparing to see that.

Diamine Grape is better than the Akkermann also....on I think it was Rhoda. I'll have to go back and look.

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There are other papers....so the inks can look different even with the same nib.

 

On some papers, a broad or a more flexible nib might work, often I get good to even better shading using a vintage or semi-vintage regular flex M or F.....(sharper line, a bit more spring than modern blobby)

 

I am going to develop a Purple folder.

I have a sample of Diamine Grape too, but had not used a wider or flexed a pen with it. That appears to make a big difference with that ink.

 

Hurray, it's going to be a Purple day.

Might as well put Violet inks in the same folder. I haven't looked at them in a while too...and I have my new supply of Lamy cartridges.

 

Grumble...got to use the back page of my Gmund sample...front has other colors. On some papers that makes a difference.

At €35/$50 for a hundred sheets of one type...and only in one weight....or the same price for only 50 sheets with Gmund Original.....one does try to squeeze as much testing to each sample page as humanly possible.

With one type I thought the 170g was the trick...but with other inks the 120g was better...and the 110g was not bad either. Got to dither...I'm an ink buyer.

 

 

I'm going to 'use up' that Strom. Time is no longer my friend.

My luck...my famous last words...."I didn't use up my Storm".....would not be understood by the ball point barbarians in attendence.

Edited November 14, 2013 by Bo Bo Olson