Inky T O D - Inks That Make You Feel Sad

[Flaxmoore]

There will be a happier corollary to this thread shortly, but I was thinking earlier (dangerous, I know), I have inks that I won't use because they make me sad for some reason.

 

No ink bashing, as I'm sure every one I name is someone's favorite, just why they hit me emotionally.

 

Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun- this one came in a sampler pack from my parents. I've fought depression for years, and this one just looks like depression feels, in my book. It's (to my eyes) dreary grey, that washed-out feeling where the edges blur on the world. Some love it for the reminders of happy winters past, but for me, it's a visual note of some of the hardest parts of my life. After a few words with a dipped pen, it went in the sink.

 

J. Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey- the only ink I've ever traded. Similar reasons as for the above. The gold sparkles are a nice counterbalance, but it still looks like sadness to me.

 

Noodler's El Lawrence- looks like motor oil, got it in a sampler pack the day before my beloved ancient BMW 3 series caught fire after some debris broke the oil pan. Can't even see it without thinking about the fear of the fire and the pain of the loss.

 

Those are my primary three. How about yours?

 

 

[dk76]

Although only in this hobby for a few months, I haven't seen an ink that has elicited thus kind of response. I have had inks that made me go "bleh".

 

Kaweco Brown (no idea what the name is, just their brown cartidged ink) turned me off. I wrote 2 lines with it, and then subsequently tossed the cartridge. I still have 4 or 5 cartridges of this ink.

 

Noodler's Army Green. I am somewhat indifferent towards this color. It is neither appealing or unappealing. Just a "dusty" olive green.

[Witsius]

Lamy Blue. It's only recently that I've learned this ink is so dry that it exhibits flow issues in most pens I put it in. Several months ago, I got an NOS 1990's Pelikan 150 from Fountain Pen Hospital at a great price. When it arrived, I filled it with Lamy Blue. I had just gotten that ink, and I was sort of jazzed up about using it. The pen skipped and hard started like crazy. I thought it was the pen's fault and sent it back for a refund. Only now do I realize that if I had simply tried a different ink, I'd probably be enjoying that pen right now.

 

Lamy Blue makes a me a little sad. I'm seriously considering just dumping the ink down the drain and saving the bottle for something else. Great bottle, terrible ink.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Witsius

[Cyber6]

I have a strong dislike for Royal Blue. I believe is because of all those years of school work with that ink color..

 

I remember the day my dad brought me (from one of his business trips) a Japanese fountain Pen purple with sparkles - hey, I was 12 - and I fell in love with the pen and the purple ink. It was NOT BLUE...

 

That's how I started with fountain pens and inks. I can't stand Royal Blue.. I can do with turquoise, and navy blue and blue blacks no problem, but that school blue is just dreadful.

 

 

C.

[inkstainedruth]

Modern Quink Washable Blue. It's just depressing. And it faded in a *closed* journal.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Joane]

The ink that came immediately to mind is one that is many people's favorite: J. Herbin Poussière de Lune. I thought I would like it because I love the concept and it's the kind of subdued colour I generally go for but when starting to write I could feel my morale plummeting. No explanation or negative association. It just happened and of course I don't use it any more.

[Bluey]

Most reds I find very jarring but I don't know why.

[Pensei]

I have colors I don't use, but I don't think I have any that evoke that reaction, and I happen to like greys, for whatever reason. Good topic, though, and, if I'm not being too intrusive, I'll say I always respect anyone who is open about wrestling with depression. It helps those who might be on the sidelines. OK, back to ink. But thanks.

[DrDebG]

  On 3/24/2016 at 5:40 PM, Joane said:

The ink that came immediately to mind is one that is many people's favorite: J. Herbin Poussière de Lune. I thought I would like it because I love the concept and it's the kind of subdued colour I generally go for but when starting to write I could feel my morale plummeting. No explanation or negative association. It just happened and of course I don't use it any more.

While I love smoky purples, this color just makes me feel blah, like a overcast, drizzly day.

[TehWildman]

Seconding Lamy Blue as when it fades [quickly], it reminds me of words that were once worth writing that aren't worth reading later.

 

 

Also, Noodler's Air Corps Blue Black. It promises to be a blue-black, and does not meet that promise without heavy dilution. And as a black, it's a ugly black. Have remorse about buying that bottle every time I uncap a pen with it.

[Barkingpig]

I would be happy to NEVER write with a blue or black ink. They were the colors of ink used when I was growing up & I have avoided them until finally I decided to give Blue/Black a whirl & find it acceptable, BUT never a 1st choice!

 

I did acquire a bottle of Parker Penman Sapphire & admire it's sheen but feel sure the bottle will last me as long as I live & I yet can't get enough browns, greens or oranges.

[fatswimmies]

I wasn't familiar with Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun but looked it up just to get a better feel for your experience. Yes, I can see that. It has a very somber serious look. My feeling when I saw it was a distant unhappy memory, faded, but still grey. Of course this may have also been colored by reading your experience of the ink but I can empathize. I have struggled with depression in my life and a general melancholic look at things, a little too romantic and my idealized scenarios can never compare to reality. Been working through that and trying to separate my fantasy from reality and have made many strides in the last year or two.

 

Thanks for sharing, this is a very interesting post. Certain things just make you sad and I get that too. Here's just to end on a lighter note:

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/020/331/41b.jpg

 

[PaganArcher]

Diamine Night Sky. I had a sample of it and it just filled my heart with sorrow. Very little in the way of shimmer or sheen and what was there reminds me of seeing the night sky from a city, the starlight drowned and all but missing.

[Runnin_Ute]

I don't think I have/have used an ink that gets me this way.

 

KWZI Azure of Sky - the bottle I got was SO dry it made my wettest pens (which are pretty wet) hard starters. I don't know if I just got a bad batch or what. The color was something I liked too. I may have to try it again, just to see if was a batch variance that was off for some reason. I also have a bottle of IG Turquoise, and it is a great ink. And I don't have the flow issues I have with the Azure of Sky which is not an IG ink. For an IG, IG Turquoise is very wet.

 

So the ink itself doesn't elicit sadness or is depressing, but it is kind of a bummer that its performance just didn't work with my pens. I bet I tried at least a half dozen pens with it.

[musicman123]

Diamine Saddle Brown. It was partially because it was just a little-tan kind of brown that I couldn't really get into, and partly because I just wasn't feeling it that day. Maybe I'll give it another shot soon.

[Miz Black Crow]

I can see how Fuyu Syogun would give you that impression of depression, though thankfully it's not a connection I make. Im sorry it does so, however. I've spent over half my lifetime dealing with my own depression and suicidality, so if you want to talk about it, feel free to PM me. (That offer goes for anyone, by the way)

 

As for depressing ink, Old Manhattan Blackest Black does this. I generally dislike black ink, and every time I try to love writing with it I get very sad indeed, to the point that I'll sometimes stop working. (Greys, however, can be SO alluring and fascinating for me....)

Edited March 25, 2016 by Miz Black Crow

[Cyber6]

  On 3/25/2016 at 4:09 AM, Runnin_Ute said:

I don't think I have/have used an ink that gets me this way.

 

KWZI Azure of Sky - the bottle I got was SO dry it made my wettest pens (which are pretty wet) hard starters. I don't know if I just got a bad batch or what. The color was something I liked too. I may have to try it again, just to see if was a batch variance that was off for some reason. I also have a bottle of IG Turquoise, and it is a great ink. And I don't have the flow issues I have with the Azure of Sky which is not an IG ink. For an IG, IG Turquoise is very wet.

 

So the ink itself doesn't elicit sadness or is depressing, but it is kind of a bummer that its performance just didn't work with my pens. I bet I tried at least a half dozen pens with it.

 

Brad... I don't have that bottle so I can't comment.... BUT, why don't you try adding some Photo Flo to it.

 

 

C.

[aeba]

Emotionally colours do nothing for me. Either I like them (for example Diamine oxblood) or I don't like them (grays and browns). That's that.

 

"Despite all my rage, I'm just a rat in a cage" -Smashing pumpkins.

[ancalagon]

I've never had an ink that made me sad, but Fuyu-syogun made me happy. It's like they took snow and silver and combined them to make liquid beauty.

[The Good Captain]

Makes me sad? The one I used to write a cheque for money to someone else.