What Are Some Of *your* Favorite Fountain Pen Inks? =)

[by_a_Lady]

Well, forget all I wrote last year. My collection has obviously significantly grown in the meantime, and while the old favourites are still heartily adored, I have made the acquaintance of three new inks that I don't think I will let go anytime soon, one of them even being a contestant for a daily ink (something which I thought I would never find for myself).

• Diamine Autumn Oak: A sneaky favourite that I didn't think I would like as much as I do. I was undecided between this and Pumpkin, but eventually got this because it came in a 100ml bottle that was even cheaper that the 80ml glass inkwells. I'm happy that I did! Despite being a bright hue with loads of shading, a page of flex writing with Autumn Oak is still incredibly kind on the eyes.
• Rohrer & Klingner Sepia: Also not an ink you see mentioned often. The name "sepia" seems to be quite malleable if you look at all the different colours that are marketed under it, but this one comes closest to what actual squid ink looks like (yes, it exists, but it's very expensive; this is the 4€ alternative). It's a stealth black with a beautiful range of colours (in dry and wet pens) and gorgeous gradient shading (as opposed to how eg. Autumn Oak or Alt-Goldgrün shade). Also extremely well-behaved even on newspaper and somewhat water-resistant.
• J. Herbin Poussière de Lune: The Worldender. If I could only buy one ink for the rest of my life, this would be it. Much has been said about it already, so I won't clutter the digital space further - just go read the reviews, I'd sign my name under everything they say.

 

I believe I have listed all of my current ink collection in my signature, but just in case I should change it one day:

• Diamine: Amaranth, Ancient Copper, Asa Blue, Bilberry, Classic Green, Earl Grey, Eau de Nil, Golden Brown, Macassar, Majestic Blue, Oxblood, Sargasso Sea, Syrah
• Lamy: Black
• Noodler's: Heart of Darkness
• Rohrer & Klingner: Alt-Goldgrün
• Sailor: Jentle Yama-Dori, Nano Sei-Boku

Out of all of these, my favourites are Yama-Dori, which is extremely close in colour to Diamine Eau de Nil (another favourite of mine), but with more vibrancy and sheen; Alt-Goldgrün, a beautiful spring colour in my opinion; Ancient Copper; Asa Blue (I'm told it's very, very close to Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao); Earl Grey; and Majestic Blue.

Classic Green has a sort of status quo - I like the colour very much, but I'm sure that I'd find something very similar with more red sheen and maybe even other additional qualities if I actively looked for it. Oxblood and Syrah are close contestants for my favourite red colour, but I kind of want to try Red Dragon and maybe some other reds as well and see which one has the most interesting appearance (sheen?).

Sargasso Sea is very vibrant yet still extremely boring, it shows no shading and less sheen than Majestic Blue and doesn't have as much colour depth. Golden Brown and Macassar don't wow me, but they're nice enough to use from time to time when I want some diversion. Amaranth and Bilberry are the two colours that I don't use except when there's a specific occasion for them, I'm not a fan of vibrant pink and violets in general. Lamy Black is just that, a lame black that literally pales in comparison to Heart of Darkness.

 

 

Dominique

Edited April 3, 2019 by by_a_Lady

[txomsy]

My favorites are

 

Black: Noodler's X-Feather

Grey: Noodler's Lexington Grey.

Blue: Noodler's Baystate Blue and Montblanc Permanent blue

Burgundy/Red: Montblanc or Parker burgundy (from vintage bottles, I don't know if they are still made).

[NeverTapOut]

Well, forget all I wrote last year. My collection has obviously significantly grown in the meantime, and while the old favourites are still heartily adored, I have made the acquaintance of three new inks that I don't think I will let go anytime soon, one of them even being a contestant for a daily ink (something which I thought I would never find for myself).

• Diamine Autumn Oak: A sneaky ink that I didn't think I would like as much as I do. I was undecided between this and Pumpkin, but eventually got this because it came in a 100ml bottle that was even cheaper that the 80ml glass inkwells. I'm happy that I did! Despite being a bright hue with loads of shading, a page of flex writing with Autumn Oak is still incredibly kind on the eyes.
• Rohrer & Klingner Sepia: Also not an ink you see mentioned often. The name "sepia" seems to be quite malleable if you look at all the different colours that are marketed under it, but this one comes closest to what actual squid ink looks like (yes, it exists, but it's very expensive; this is the 4€ alternative). It's a stealth black with a beautiful range of colours (in dry and wet pens) and gorgeous gradient shading (as opposed to how eg. Autumn Oak or Alt-Goldgrün shade). Also extremely well-behaved even on newspaper and somewhat water-resistant.
• J. Herbin Poussière de Lune: The Worldender. If I could only buy one ink for the rest of my life, this would be it. Much has been said about it already, so I won't clutter the digital space further - just go read the reviews, I'd sign my name under everything they say.

 

 

 

Be a Lady,

Thank you for mentioning R & K Sepia. I looked at that ink over a year ago and never purchased it. I have been looking for a "sepia" with a vintage feel. This is it. MontBlanc Toffee Brown had too much red undertones for my liking.

Regards,

David

[by_a_Lady]

 

Be a Lady,

Thank you for mentioning R & K Sepia. I looked at that ink over a year ago and never purchased it. I have been looking for a "sepia" with a vintage feel. This is it. MontBlanc Toffee Brown had too much red undertones for my liking.

Regards,

David

 

Then Sepia is definitey the right choice for you! I didn't think much of it when I first saw a writing sample - too black, like Sailor Jentle Doyou or Rohrer & Klingner Leipziger Schwarz -, but after googling it and seeing the wide range it can exhibit, I immediately knew I was going to love it; didn't even buy a sample, just got the whole bottle.

I find that the loveliest aspect about it is that it can go from a very deep grey in a juicy nib (à la J. Herbin Cacao du Brésil) to a quietly elegant, well, sepia in a rather dry nib (à la Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same, although I haven't tried it myself) in a very gradient transition. The closest ink to compare it to would indeed be Cacao du Brésil; it's equally muted and similar in colour, although more violet.

 

 

Dominique

[DrDebG]

Comment deleted

Edited April 3, 2019 by DrPenfection

[TSherbs]

That's 17 "favorites" ^^^

 

I don't understand that usage of "favorite." But I very much like a number of inks, too. So many are beautiful.

[NeverTapOut]

 

Then Sepia is definitey the right choice for you! I didn't think much of it when I first saw a writing sample - too black, like Sailor Jentle Doyou or Rohrer & Klingner Leipziger Schwarz -, but after googling it and seeing the wide range it can exhibit, I immediately knew I was going to love it; didn't even buy a sample, just got the whole bottle.

I find that the loveliest aspect about it is that it can go from a very deep grey in a juicy nib (à la J. Herbin Cacao du Brésil) to a quietly elegant, well, sepia in a rather dry nib (à la Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same, although I haven't tried it myself) in a very gradient transition. The closest ink to compare it to would indeed be Cacao du Brésil; it's equally muted and similar in colour, although more violet.

 

 

Dominique

 

Dominique,

That's the problem...you can look at scan after scan of an ink and finally buy it and it doesn't look like any of the scans you saw. Case in point would be two J. Herbin Inks. Violette Pensee and actually Poussiere de Lune. So you would consider R & K Sepia a vintage (old world) looking color?

Kindest Regards,

David

[DrDebG]

Comment deleted

Edited April 3, 2019 by DrPenfection

[by_a_Lady]

 

Dominique,

That's the problem...you can look at scan after scan of an ink and finally buy it and it doesn't look like any of the scans you saw. Case in point would be two J. Herbin Inks. Violette Pensee and actually Poussiere de Lune. So you would consider R & K Sepia a vintage (old world) looking color?

Kindest Regards,

David

 

I see your point. Well, I'd say that Sepia looks exactly what a slightly-aged piece of black ink would look like - a bit faded, so not completely black anymore, but definitely not in the brown spectrum. There's no red in it at all, it's a very cool-leaning grey-brown, but without wandering off into the violet spectrum like Cacao di Brésil does.

[NeverTapOut]

 

I see your point. Well, I'd say that Sepia looks exactly what a slightly-aged piece of black ink would look like - a bit faded, so not completely black anymore, but definitely not in the brown spectrum. There's no red in it at all, it's a very cool-leaning grey-brown, but without wandering off into the violet spectrum like Cacao di Brésil does.

 

Dominque,

Thank you so very much. Your description is what I am seeing on the scans I Googled. I know the perfect pen for the ink.

Respectfully,

David

[Larrabeiti]

Wow, what a wonderful thread. I enjoyed it more than any other thread in the FPN. I primarily use the FPN to look for information and do not contribute much. From this thread, I wrote down an impossibly long wish list.

 

I own fewer inks that many of you but I have over 30 and I have been writing with a fountain pen for over 20 years. However, I buy my inks primarily on brick and mortar shops, so my choice of brands is limited. Here are my favourites.

 

Black and Blue-black - I do not really have a favourite. I used these colours during my university years, but I do not use them much now. I have half a dozen bottles that I rarely / barely open.

 

Blue - I am not a bug fan of blue inks, either, but I have a vintage bottle of Quink with a faded tone that I like a lot.

I also use Quink "with Solv-X" when I buy a second hand pen, I clean it but I still think it is not really clean. Then I fill it with blue Quink because I think the solvent will solve the residues... I do not know if this works or it is just an illusion.

 

Brown - Herbin Lie de Thé.

Also Standardgraph Maize yellow, which is yellowish but still brown, really a great colour.

 

Teal - Sheaffer green. I have a recent bottle (+/-2015) and it is not green, it is teal. It is the same colour as Sailor Yama-Dori, which I also have, but I find Sheaffer performs better.

 

Green - Standardgraph reed green. It is brown-green. Very unique coulour and also fantastic.

 

Pink - Pelikan 4001, so much in-your-face, as pink should be. Unluckily, I've only seen it in cartridges.

 

Turquoise - Waterman. I have always had a bottle, for over 20 years, under different commercial names. The only ink that I sort of "run" to buy again when a bottle is over.

 

Violet - I do not like violet so much, but I also have had a couple of Waterman bottles. I think now I like Herbin Poussière de Lune more, but I have only tried it from cartridges.

 

Red - I do not like red ink too much either. I have a vintage bottle of Waterman with a slightly pinkish tone that is ok, and also a home mix of Quink red darkened with a little Quink blue-black. Both of them are nice.

 

Most regretted inks of all time: two Sheaffer fron the 90's.

Sheaffer King's Gold (yellow - orange), that I try to reproduce mixing Herbin yellow (Bouton d'Or) and orange. But it is not _quite_ the same.

Sheaffer grey. I still keep the bottle, but I tried to dilute the residues at the bottom and it did not work.

 

Nowadays my favourite grey is Herbin Stormy grey, but I would prefer it without the shimmer.

 

Most hated inks: Herbin gris nuage and bouton d'or. Standardgraph Fern Green also has a horrid colour.

I primarily use Gris Nuage to refill old cartridges that have lost more than half their contents due to evaporation. It is so colour neutral (colourless??) that I use it instead of water.

I use Bouton d'Or for mixing.

 

One anecdote: Herbin Rouille d'Ancre would have been a candidate for hated ink, until I filled a very wet Pelikan M400 red-black with it. I did not really like the pen so much either. Now the pair has become one of ny favourites, a perfect match. Always inked and in rotation since I paired them.

[NeverTapOut]

Wow, what a wonderful thread. I enjoyed it more than any other thread in the FPN. I primarily use the FPN to look for information and do not contribute much. From this thread, I wrote down an impossibly long wish list.

 

I own fewer inks that many of you but I have over 30 and I have been writing with a fountain pen for over 20 years. However, I buy my inks primarily on brick and mortar shops, so my choice of brands is limited. Here are my favourites.

 

Black and Blue-black - I do not really have a favourite. I used these colours during my university years, but I do not use them much now. I have half a dozen bottles that I rarely / barely open.

 

Blue - I am not a bug fan of blue inks, either, but I have a vintage bottle of Quink with a faded tone that I like a lot.

I also use Quink "with Solv-X" when I buy a second hand pen, I clean it but I still think it is not really clean. Then I fill it with blue Quink because I think the solvent will solve the residues... I do not know if this works or it is just an illusion.

 

Brown - Herbin Lie de Thé.

Also Standardgraph Maize yellow, which is yellowish but still brown, really a great colour.

 

Teal - Sheaffer green. I have a recent bottle (+/-2015) and it is not green, it is teal. It is the same colour as Sailor Yama-Dori, which I also have, but I find Sheaffer performs better.

 

Green - Standardgraph reed green. It is brown-green. Very unique coulour and also fantastic.

 

Pink - Pelikan 4001, so much in-your-face, as pink should be. Unluckily, I've only seen it in cartridges.

 

Turquoise - Waterman. I have always had a bottle, for over 20 years, under different commercial names. The only ink that I sort of "run" to buy again when a bottle is over.

 

Violet - I do not like violet so much, but I also have had a couple of Waterman bottles. I think now I like Herbin Poussière de Lune more, but I have only tried it from cartridges.

 

Red - I do not like red ink too much either. I have a vintage bottle of Waterman with a slightly pinkish tone that is ok, and also a home mix of Quink red darkened with a little Quink blue-black. Both of them are nice.

 

Most regretted inks of all time: two Sheaffer fron the 90's.

Sheaffer King's Gold (yellow - orange), that I try to reproduce mixing Herbin yellow (Bouton d'Or) and orange. But it is not _quite_ the same.

Sheaffer grey. I still keep the bottle, but I tried to dilute the residues at the bottom and it did not work.

 

Nowadays my favourite grey is Herbin Stormy grey, but I would prefer it without the shimmer.

 

Most hated inks: Herbin gris nuage and bouton d'or. Standardgraph Fern Green also has a horrid colour.

I primarily use Gris Nuage to refill old cartridges that have lost more than half their contents due to evaporation. It is so colour neutral (colourless??) that I use it instead of water.

I use Bouton d'Or for mixing.

 

One anecdote: Herbin Rouille d'Ancre would have been a candidate for hated ink, until I filled a very wet Pelikan M400 red-black with it. I did not really like the pen so much either. Now the pair has become one of ny favourites, a perfect match. Always inked and in rotation since I paired them.

 

Welcome Larrabeiti.

30 bottles of ink is more than I have. I'm only keeping what I use. Here is an ink you might want to look up that I have been using the last couple of days from a small company...it is stored a MB bottle

The picture does not do the ink justice. Plus that was an off white paper. It's blue with a very, very small hint purple. Not a Sapphire color. If you go to their website they make vintage style pens or use to and there ink colors are somewhat vintage as well. Ink cleans up well, not overly saturated, not wet however not dry. They also sell many different nib grinds and are reasonably priced.

Regards,

David

Edited April 11, 2019 by JesusNeverTappedOut

[Enkida]

I have a lot of inks and a very short attention span, so it's hard to say. But some favourites do float to the top consistently:

 

Blackstone Barrier Reef Blue

Diamine Bilberry

Sailor Doyou

Montblanc Lavender Purple

Standardgraph Fig Brown* -> I like the bottle I have, but their quality control is so bad I don't want to repurchase anything from them

Rohrer & Klinger Sepia (as my replacement for Fig Brown)

Lamy Black / J. Herbin Perle Noir, both of which I actually do not own any bottles of somehow though...

Waterman Serenity Blue (just for the utlility, not really the colour or whatnot)

 

Lamy Beryl, Caran D'Ache Infinite Grey, Diamine Eclipse and Diamine Asa Blue may be clawing their way into that list but they're not quite there yet. Also I feel like there should be a turquoise in this list somewhere, but I haven't decided on which is my favourite yet. Turquoise is a very easy colour to get "right" it seems!

[Guardy]

Pelikan 4001 blue-black and Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa are my all-time favorites and by far my most-used inks.

I'm guessing that both of them being IG inks is not a coincidence.

 

I also have a soft spot for GvFC hazelnut brown and Iroshizuku syo-ro, as well as Standargraph burgundy and Diamine oxblood, though I rarely use those last two due to nib creep issues. Pelikan 4001 violet is also a former favorite, but Scabiosa promptly booted that from my rotation.

[NeverTapOut]

I know this will seem boring...I have been using MB Royal Blue for the last week. I really cleaned the feed and tines and I am getting sheen using it in a MB 149 with nib ground to a .30mm...by Brad Torelli. Paper HP Premium Choice 32. This combo is really making the nib glide...

Regards,

David

[gyasko]

Blue Black -- vintage Quink BB

Blue -- vintage Quink Washable blue.

Black -- if i must, Herbin Perle Noire

Red -- old Skrip red.

Purple -- Skrip Burgundy. I make do with Herbin Poussiere de Lune now.

Sepia -- OMAS sepia. Herbin Terre de Feu is my substitute.

Pink -- Herbin Rose Cyclamen

Green -- i like green as a color, but i just never use my green Skrip.

[amper]

My favorite ink is Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing, which I have been using every day as my primary ink since first reading about it and investigating it here.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/241257-mrs-stewarts-concentrated-liquid-bluing/

 

I have never before or since seen an ink this well-behaved. It is virtually waterproof on paper, permanent (in the archival sense, though it does exhibit temporary color shift when exposed to ultraviolet light, it will eventually change back if kept in the dark), pigmented, non-staining of plastic, and the most gorgeous color (Prussian Blue, ferric ferrocyanide). It never clogs and it doesn't bleed or feather on even the cheapest papers I've tried.

It has been approximately 6 years since I last purchased ink, but just this past month, I bought myself a new TWSBI Eco in Pink and a bottle of Sailor Jentle Sakura Mori ink to match, just for cherry blossom season. I could not be more thrilled with the Sailor ink—it's very beautiful and very well-behaved on my usual papers—and now I am going to buy the Waka-uguisu in the same line, as well as the Ikutagawa Sakura from Kobe Ink Monogatari, which is actually made for Nagasawa by Sailor.

Edited April 25, 2019 by amper

[SamCapote]

If I could only have one ink (although I actually have thousands), it would be my custom concentrated (from cartridges) Parker Penman Sapphire

[chromantic]

Well, I did just order a back-up bottle of Stilpula Light Blue ...

[Inky-Republic]

I've tried a few brands of ink and all have delivered in terms of colour. How they live within my pen's feed and filler mechanism is another matter however, since a number have contained elements that gum up the works if not drained and cleaned after every use!

 

The best fire and forget inks I've used so far are the Pelikan brands, with both 4001 and the Edelstein lines being truly excellent. Key things I like about these inks are:

 

They don't readily bleed

They don't penetrate thinner paper as much as others I've tried

They stay fluid and flow easily within the pen for a long time

They wash out of the pen without too much effort

They don't corrode my nibs or gold plating

They provide a good range of colours, although since they dropped the truly excellent Edelstein Amber, there's not much available at the yellow end of the spectrum - (blatant hint by the way Pelikan!)

They are very affordable (especially the 4001 series).

 

There would have to be something truly exceptional about a product before I'd be lured to another ink brand now, since I tend to be conservative and stick with the products I trust.