What Has Been Your Least Favorite Ink So Far?

[inkstainedruth]

Noodlers Russian series, meh, my fault for going against my spider's sense screaming NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO............

 

That Plains of Abraham fiasco.

 

Do you mean Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham? Actually, I like the color of it a lot, but the ink is on the dry side; and it did not do well in a Parker 45 with an oblique nib, and I couldn't tell whether it was the ink or that I was having trouble getting used to the nib. I keep meaning to try it in a wetter pen to see if that will be an improvement.

Haven't tried any of the Russian series inks. Some of the colors looked interesting -- but others, not so much.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

Diamine Kelly Green is the only ink I have poured down the sink with a feeling of good riddance. Not only is the color I turned out to really dislike -- I have never been able to enjoy paintbox-colored inks -- but it was insanely nib-crusty. I have inks like Diamine Ancient Copper that many have complained about which are well-behaved for me, but not Kelly. Ugh. Shudder.

 

Separate mention to J.Herbin Violette Pensee which I have actually bought twice, not believing that i found the color insipid the first time.

 

I tried Kelly Green early on, due to the reviews showing the amazing shading. But clearly I was not using the right combination of pen/paper/ink -- because it was this hideous color that was too light to be legible (and Meadow Green, while not as yellow leaning, wasn't much better). I may have those samples still floating around and had considered mixing in some PR Avocado Green, which was darker than I expected, to try and salvage either or both; but never got around to it.

I think I may have acquired a sample of Violette Pensee, but haven't tried it. I did NOT like J Herbin Lavender, which is very light and also very stinky (it smelled like artificial lavender -- the kind of stuff that was put in some hand sanitizer I bought by mistake.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[A Smug Dill]

The only two bottles of Noodlers that I have ever bought, or will buy: 54th Mass and Lexington Grey. Both were a runny, feathery mess.

You should at least try Noodler's Green Marine, Golden Brown and Kiowa Pecan; they're the reason I haven't completely sworn off Noodler's as a brand, after the disasters of its V-mail Operation Overlord Orange, Baystate Concord Grape and Polar Green. I believe there are still samples of some of each in the Aussie FPN pass-around box. That is, if the box is still being circulated. Or I can send you some samples of Noodler's inks I still have that I think are usable (including the first three listed above) by post – with thanks to @mariom.

[silverlifter]

Thanks ASD, that is a very kind offer. However, I'm pretty happy with my current palette of inks.

 

I'm also unlikely to be swayed on my views about Noodlers. There is nothing particularly mysterious about the chemistry of fountain pen ink production; almost everyone that does it commercially seems to get it right. I have little patience for those that are unable to reach even that low bar. If I decide in future that I'd like buying a bottle of ink to be a lucky dip in terms of colour, consistency and behaviour, I'll reconsider Noodlers. Until then, I'll just purchase inks that do what they say on the bottle...

[SwipedFromTruman]

Though I don't have any catastrophic fountain pen tales, for me it's Robert Oster's Summer Storm.

 

https://www.gouletpens.com/products/robert-oster-summer-storm-ink-sample?variant=11884707676203

 

It looks so cool, like it might shade well, but no matter what pen I ink up with it, regardless of what quality/brand paper I use, this ink barely shows up. It has almost no depth and takes a bit of time to dry as well.

 

No shading. Long dry time. Too light colored to be of much pragmatic use. Not water proof.

 

I was expecting Thunderstorm with a touch more playful shading since it wasn't as dark. I was mistaken.

[torstar]

 

Do you mean Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham? Actually, I like the color of it a lot, but the ink is on the dry side; and it did not do well in a Parker 45 with an oblique nib, and I couldn't tell whether it was the ink or that I was having trouble getting used to the nib. I keep meaning to try it in a wetter pen to see if that will be an improvement.

Haven't tried any of the Russian series inks. Some of the colors looked interesting -- but others, not so much.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Thanks Ruth, i recall that the original batch was released in Canada with much fanfare....

 

It is my understanding that a revamp of the ink was performed with better results.

[Beechwood]

A Herbin pink ink, not for what it was but the hot water that followed it.

 

I was in a stationery store in Portugal, they sold Herbin inks in cartridges in those little metal pots, I asked for black in my best Portuguese and was handed the pot of cartridges which I brought home, realised that I had been given Pink, which of course I am going to use, not!

 

I handed them to a female friend, I knew that was going to be a mistake. She looked me hard in the eyes and said 'Bit sexist isnt it, assuming that I am going to use pink ink just because I am a woman', I reached out to take them back, she grabbed them and and put them in her bag with a 'I will keep them anyway as a reminder'

 

I was so grateful.

[A Smug Dill]

...'I will keep them anyway as a reminder'

 

I was so grateful.

 

 

[inkstainedruth]

 

Thanks Ruth, i recall that the original batch was released in Canada with much fanfare....

 

It is my understanding that a revamp of the ink was performed with better results.

 

I don't know what version of the ink I have. I got it about four summers ago when I had to be at a conference in Toronto, so I went up early and fought traffic in a construction zone before the Peace Bridge, then fought Friday night rush hour traffic on the Queensway all the way from Hamilton to get to Wonder Pens. Drove around the block a few times trying to figure out where the store was (it was in. a side entrance off a walkway/alley in the building it's in) and also find parking. Then had to fight rush hour traffic to get to the conference, which was at a hotel at the airport). Fortunately, I did find the store, had a lovely conversation with the guy working there, and bought the ink and a packet of silly paperclips that are shaped like cats.... And I had plenty of CDs in the car to listen to on the drive up to Toronto and back from Pittsburgh.

As for BUPA, I like the color a lot. It really is a pretty blue grey color, although I don't know the history behind the color or the name -- my knowledge of Canadian politics is limited to the Meech Lake Accords (my husband and I honeymooned in Nova Scotia) and then three years later when that all fell apart (I went with him to Edmonton Alberta when he had to meet with people on a project he was on at the time) and all the ads on TV were saying "Buy NOW before GAT hits"); and then when I got home from Alberta, the Premier of Nova Scotia was on McNeill Lehrer one night, saying "Well, if Quebec secedes, the Maritime provinces are just screwed -- and we'll have to petition to join the United States...."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[torstar]

Thanks Ruth, made my morning reading that!

 

I visit Pittsburgh every few years, take in a Pirates game, chat up the docents at the Warhol Museum, stop at Grove City for an hour of shopping.

 

Wonderpens has 2 locations now, they moved the first one a few times (used to be conveniently located on my drive home from work, alas...)

Edited September 12, 2019 by torstar

[inkstainedruth]

Do you just go to the Grove City Outlets? Because if you head east into the center of town, there are a few antiques stores. I went up there a while back on my way back up to another antiques place in Harrisville (to pick up a 1980s-90s era Waterman, and to also pick up a "window" Jotter BP for JotterAddict62; and in one of the places in downtown Grove City, I found a second (different) window Jotter. Traded him the two BPs for a couple of bottles of vintage Quink (Microfilm Black and Washable Violet) that he'd gotten at an auction out his way.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Waltz For Zizi]

I have a bottle of Diamine Oxblood, that crystalises around the feed if not used daily and can be a bu**er to clean out. I have a few of their inks and it's the only one that does it, although that might be because I use the other colours more so less time to crystalise so for all I know they all do it.

 

Paul

Mine doesn't do this, and I sometimes leave my pens for at lest a week before using them again.

[A Smug Dill]

Mine doesn't do this, and I sometimes leave my pens for at lest a week before using them again.

I fill my Pilot Elite 95s (with the deep red coloured barrel, of course) with Diamine Oxblood and, in my experience, I can leave the pen capped and untouched for two months, and the nib will still write immediately upon uncapped and without any hint of nib crud.

[tleek]

The replies here are interesting.

I have had a few diamine inks that crystallize. Oxblood is a pain to fill with because i always drop chunks of dry ink when I unscrew the cap. I love the color though. Diamine Pumpkin crystallized around the feed. Maybe they are just very concentrated.

 

Parker Quink Black has been a bit of an old stand by. It was my first bottle of ink and it performs well in every pen I have put it in. I dont understand why it gets so much hate. I do prefer noodlers black, but use quink regularly.

 

I tried a standard pilot black cartridge that came with a pen and it feathered like crazy. I didnt like it at all.

 

I also dont like the maintenance issues Ive had with an old bottle of Private Reserve Tanzanite. It stains and is hard to clean out.

[PAKMAN]

Levenger - Always Greener

[ErrantSmudge]

Levenger Cardinal Red, Gemstone Green and Mocha Brown were the only inks I ever poured out, due to their featherocious performance on just about any paper.

 

Private Reserve Hot Bubble Gum Pink could have been called Bay State Pink. Indelibly stained anything it touched.

[elh93]

Noodler's Green Marine, took forever to dry.

[lurcho]

Diamine Ancient Copper. Lovely-looking but ruinous. Like one or two old girlfriends.

 

I wanted to sell a Decimo on eBay recently, to partially finance my wife's fiftieth, and I had a devil of a job making the bugger write. In the end, I had to slide the nib off the feed and scrub the feed to get the crud off. At first sight it looked like the channels had been ripped, and I wondered if I'd once taken a blade to them and then forgotten about it. But it turned out that it was merely heavily-encrusted DAC.

 

To be fair, the pen became a marvellous writer again following this scrubbing and a very long soak. I think I'd use the ink again in a more-easily accessible feed. But you don't want to be fiddling with that teeny VP nib too often.

Edited September 29, 2019 by lurcho

[McBaneG]

Performance: Private Reserve Ultra Black. This stuff has not worked properly in any of the half-dozen pens I've tried it in. Leaks, feathers, blots, squirts, whatever. Ack.

 

Color: Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Red (not!)

 

Unlike an earlier poster, I do like Waterman Harmonious Green. I use it for grading.

 

 

 

[cobalt]

In terms of colour, I just can't get to like Sepia. Have a bottle of Diamine Sepia, which is pretty close to the authentic 'aged' shade, but it looks better on old photos. I have black ink (Herbin), which I used once, and decided I didn't like black ink at all. Might as well use a felt marker. Can't comment on performance or technical features.