Is It Green, Brown, Or...? Seven Greenish Inks

[jandrese]

Here are seven inks compared. What started it was receiving the new Super 5 Dublin pigment ink from Goulet pens. A waterproof green, I had to try it and it seemed to have similarities to one of my favorites Stipula Calamo Moss Green. Well, Dublin isn't much like Moss Green in color but it is in the category of interesting off-green inks. Included in that category are the inks below.

 

In order are:

 

Super 5 Dublin

Stipula Calamo Moss Green

Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho

Montblanc Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green

Sailor Gentle Epinard

Noodler's Burma Road Brown

Noodler's El Lawrence

 

Paper is Staples Bagasse and the second scan was after extensive water rinse–paper was on the verge of falling apart.

 

Dublin has good writing properties and is, in fact, waterproof (see second scan). Some ink washed away but it was ink that was "dry" on top of the ink bound to the paper. Really, it is a waterproof green. Good flow, minimal bleed through or show through. Some ignition issues but really very minor. Very happy with this ink. The name puzzles me, it's more of (dirty) olive drab. Maybe army green was too boring a name. Shows some shading too due to ink pooling at the end of a stroke. Need to shake bottle before filling pen. Kind of expensive but unique.

 

Stipula Calamo Moss Green is one of my favorite all time inks. In the thick swab it also almost had a sheen, probably due to ink crystallization. Also leaves a blue component upon washing. Big bottle makes it a value.

 

Montblanc Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green is another odd color that I enjoy. It fades some as it dries but it shades. Dry writing ink I've reviewed in these pages before.

 

Of the rest Sailor's Gentle Epinard probably has the best writing properties. Plus, it has an obvious sheen that just shows up in the swab. Another with blue remaining after the wash.

 

Ina-ho is the least saturated of all these, and is more of a golden brown than a green. It also washes out to a light blue tinged with red. That was unexpected. Love this ink from a wet fine nib to concentrate the line. Expensive, but unique.

 

Noodler's Burma Road Brown is definitely a green tinged brown that washes to a reddish purple. Need to use this ink more, it's oddly lovely like all the other inks here.

 

Noodler's El Lawrence is also a long time favorite. Reminds me of motor oil. It needs to be shaken before use and it has terrible nib crawl but I love it. Great name too. Also has permanent qualities. El Lawrence will also shade but it's pretty concentrated so not very often.

[MKeith]

I am a fan of Noodlers Burma Rd, Brown also. It is a very nostalgic color and well behaved. Nice comparisons, Thanks

[visvamitra]

I'm a fan of such hues. Nice comparison. I didn't know El Lawrence, I guess I'll need to change it.

[Davros]

I really like murky green browns. Thanks for the comparison!

[Cyber6]

In order are:

 

Super 5 Dublin

Stipula Calamo Moss Green

Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho

Montblanc Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green

Sailor Gentle Epinard

Noodler's Burma Road Brown

Noodler's El Lawrence

 

 

I am a lover of murky greens and browns... and anything in between...

 

 

If you enjoy those colors... I would suggest for you to try the following:

 

• Diamine Racing Green
• Diamine Salamander
• Diamine 150th Anniversary Safari
• Franklin Christoph Olde Emerald
• J. Herbin Vert Olive
• Montblanc Racing Green
• Noodler's Army Green
• OS - Master of Science Gregor Mendel
• OS - Writing Masters Walt Whitman
• Private Reserve W Avocado
• Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrun
• Sailor Jentle Tokiwa-matsu
• Sailor Kingdom Note Tanna Japonensis (Green Cicada)

 

Some of them are hard to find... but if you can get at least sample... go for it.

 

 

 

C.

[jandrese]

 

 

I am a lover of murky greens and browns... and anything in between...

 

 

If you enjoy those colors... I would suggest for you to try the following:

 

• Diamine Racing Green
• Diamine Salamander
• Diamine 150th Anniversary Safari
• Franklin Christoph Olde Emerald
• J. Herbin Vert Olive
• Montblanc Racing Green
• Noodler's Army Green
• OS - Master of Science Gregor Mendel
• OS - Writing Masters Walt Whitman
• Private Reserve W Avocado
• Rohrer & Klingner Alt Goldgrun
• Sailor Jentle Tokiwa-matsu
• Sailor Kingdom Note Tanna Japonensis (Green Cicada)

 

Some of them are hard to find... but if you can get at least sample... go for it.

 

 

 

C.

Some of these are new to me, thanks for suggesting them.

[J85909266]

I have a bottle of El Lawrence, but it never looks green like it does in these pictures. Even when I dilute it, I see dark, oily brown. Not green. Weird.

[inkstainedruth]

I have a bottle of El Lawrence, but it never looks green like it does in these pictures. Even when I dilute it, I see dark, oily brown. Not green. Weird.

El Lawrence *is* weird....

My bottle doesn't go green either, it's more of a dark grayish brown. That being said, I like it a lot, even though it didn't fit in wmy blue/pink/purple/silver grey repertoire at ALL....

It's not really black -- it's almost subversive in being "not black", but it's dark enough to fit into any sort of professional setting. And it's permanent enough to make me feel safe using it to sign checks or important documents.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[The Good Captain]

As well as Salamander, there's Diamine's Safari and Racing Green, though the latter is only available from Missing Pen via eBay, Germany, I believe.

[Tas]

Loving this colour palette . . .

[dneal]

The Stipula is really intriguing, although it looks like a nice dark sepia instead of a "green". I'm leaning more an more toward picking up a bottle of Jonathan Swift too.

 

If you like the Sailor Epinard, try Graf von Faber Castell Moss Green. It's pricey, but a beautiful dark green ink (with a hint of sheen from a wet pen).

[jlikesink]

Also, Diamine's Musician set has the Wagner which is in the same family.

I love this color range as well.

 

Julie

[amberleadavis]

Thanks for sharing!!

[jasonchickerson]

Thanks for this.

 

I really don't care for the color of Ina-ho, but that wash to blue is intriguing. Maybe I'll get a sample.

[jmccarty3]

Someone here did paper chromatography on Ina-ho, and the base color was blue. Weird.

[Amberjack]

What is it about these inks that is so attractive?

 

If food this color ended up on your plate you probably wouldn't eat it but for some reason these murky, vintage browns just look right coming out of an old Schaeffer or Parker.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Jack

[inkstainedruth]

What is it about these inks that is so attractive?

 

If food this color ended up on your plate you probably wouldn't eat it but for some reason these murky, vintage browns just look right coming out of an old Schaeffer or Parker.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Jack

Wow. Hadn't thought in those terms, but yeah, some of those might. Once I get the two Shadow Waves fixed that might be just the type of color to give a whirl (one's Brown and one is Grey).

It's funny -- I really don't like most "green" green inks. Tried samples of Noodler's Green and PR Spearmint and absolutely hated the color. Diamine Emerald is good, because it's a little darker. But the greens that lean a bit yellow really catch my eye. I've just order a sample of the Sailor Tokiwa-Matsu (sorry I missed Epinard -- that looked nice), and the Super 5 Dublin probably made the short list of "the next time I order...". Depending of course what I think of the KWZI IG Green Gold, which was one of my picks for the group buy someone in my pen club organized recently (of course I had *just* gotten 4 bottles from the FPN Group Buy 2nd Round, and was going "Oh, great. You're gonna make me spend hours staring at all those reviews and scans. ALL. OVER. AGAIN..." ).

The real irony is that normally this sort of color is NOT my cup of tea. At all. Bleech. But for ink? Oh yeah....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[amberleadavis]

What is it about these inks that is so attractive?

 

If food this color ended up on your plate you probably wouldn't eat it but for some reason these murky, vintage browns just look right coming out of an old Schaeffer or Parker.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

Jack

 

Jack, I'm with you, but my dear friends love these weird colors. What can I do, but offer them support and ink therapy?