Ink Brand Loyalty

March 12, 2016

In my opinion they are just rebranded Diamine and have not been tweaked. The following is my personal comparison and not anything official:

Amethyst= Imperial Purple

Antique Copper = Ancient Copper

Antique Crimson = Crimson

Antique Jade = Salamander

Antique Orchid = Damson

Antique Oxford = Majestic Blue

Antique Yankee = Regency Blue, Denim? (midnight?)

Antique Rasberry = Tyrian Purple?

Antique Shamrock

Antique Slate = graphite

Archival Vault—Register’s Ink (Iron Gall Blue changes to Black)

Capri – Royal Blue (

Cobalt= Imperial blue?

Emerald=Emerald

Erinite= green black

Fire Opal= Orange

Garnet= Ruby

Mahogany= Saddle Brown

Night Sapphire = Twilight

Obsidian= Quartz black

Rose= claret

Ruby=Ruby

Sapphire = Sapphire Blue

Sodalite = Blue-Black

Siam=Monaco Red

Smoked Topaz= Burnt Sienna

Teal=Teal

Tourmaline= Umber

Turquoise= Turquoise

Xircon = royal blue

Zircon= Aqua Blue

March 12, 2016

I find Antique Jade much closer to Diamine Graphite than to the Diamine Salamander sample I have.

March 12, 2016

I have been using fountain pens for too many years, in the beginning using the ubiquitous Parker inks and when I could find them the Pelikan 4001 inks. When the bug bit me in the mid 2000s and I turned to see the pens as a hobby in addition to them being tools, I started using Noodlers and a few Private Reserve inks. Then the mail costs across the Atlantic skyrocketed and I started looking to other brands. Sampled the Akkerman range, have 30 something Diamine plastic bottles, some de Atramentis, Couple Viscontis and then I also fount R&K inks which were presented in down to earth bottles and prices. Good prices also allowed me to sample a number of J. Herbin inks. The Iroshizuku bug did not bite well and I only have 3 bottles. Lately I got a good source of the Caran d' Ache colours of earth series and so I managed to get half of the colours. Then I started a quest to find the perfect turquoise ink so I think ai have up to now almost half the available turquoise inks available ( I am not going after hard to get in Europe or extraordinary high priced inks). Tried a couple of Montblanc inks also, Pelikan Edelsteins and GvFC inks.

So any loyalty? After all these I still find I feel much closer to R&K inks, as I like what they represent and the price is down to earth. But if I could get a reliable source of Noodlers throughout their range and at reasonable prices I feel I would stick with them (and R&K). I like their bottles, their labels, what they represent and the not at all "slightly crazy guy from Massachusetts" who chose to stick to his guns (not a politically correct expression but I do not care) and follow his beliefs.

So yes I feel loyalty though I can not do so towards a large corporation, but I like the little guys.

Edited March 12, 2016 by gistar

March 13, 2016

No, I have no brand loyalty. I don't really purchase enough inks to establish a pattern. I have sampled a good number of inks, but I have not been impressed by many of them, so I stick with my dozen or so.

March 17, 2016

I thought Noodler's but have about as many (40+) Diamine not counting samples.

I've recently got into Chesterfield and would love to start a thread where people who have both the Chesterfield and the possible Diamine match(es) show us a side by side comparison with identical paper, swab, dip, or FP. I did Yankee and Midnight, as good as a match. could do it Mythbusters style with plausible or busted options. the key is the pair being tested by the same person. Oxford = Majestic I personally busted (majestic is greener).

Ancient Copper = Antique Copper has definitely been busted in scans/photos I've seen. The Diamine is much redder.

I have over 10 of the R&K and can recommend Helianthus for, if nothing else, mixing. 40% with Fernambuk is a dead ringer for Fuyu-Gaki. Mixes with Sheaffer red are intense. I haven't tried it with blues or greens yet, should work but as it's a bit on the orange side I figure it's best for oranges.

March 17, 2016

I seem to gravitate towards Montblancs because they're readilh availabe in my country and dont have to worry about them in my pens.

Herbin makes fine inks but they increase my nin size at least one notch; my Fs become Ms and so on.

Iroshizuku are excellent but don't like all their color offerings.

Noodlers.. Sigh. I love them. But they scare me sometimes.

April 2, 2016

I changed my name from parkerguy because I realized that, while I love my Parkers, I have, use and like other brands, too; slavish brand loyalty can limit your options.

Even though I'm new here, I would keep my options open in regards to ink, as well. I now have 3 J. Herbin, 3 Diamine (with a 4th on the way), 1 Levenger, 1 KWZ and 1 Viscounti; those are in addition to an old, still half-full bottle of Montblanc Bordeaux I bought 25 years ago.

I've been pleased with all the inks except the Visconti and, then, it was the color I hated, the ink itself seemed ok. I certainly like to support companies whose products I've used and enjoyed but, at the same time, there are lots of reputable companies making ink so it's an easy decision to try a company that makes a color I'm interested in.

Edited April 3, 2016 by chromantic