Inky T O D - what is an ink that you have never tried, but you could be convinced to try or buy?

[A Smug Dill]

44 minutes ago, amberleadavis said:

KWZI Sheen Machine

 

I found KWZ Ink Sheen Machine to be more obnoxious than even the most troublesome of Diamine's ultra-sheening inks, in terms of being apt to smudge after drying on the page, and being messy to clean out of my pen, so I gave my bottle away.

 

47 minutes ago, amberleadavis said:

Daimine Winter Spice,

 

I haven't attempted cleaning the FPR pen's vegetal resin converter with a fill of Sailor Shikiori Doyou yet. I've previously touted it as this round's Winter Miracle, the one sheening+shimmer ink to get from Diamine Inkvent Red Edition colours if I'm choosing only one.

 

 

[amberleadavis]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

I found KWZ Ink Sheen Machine to be more obnoxious than even the most troublesome of Diamine's ultra-sheening inks, in terms of being apt to smudge after drying on the page, and being messy to clean out of my pen, so I gave my bottle away.

 

 

I haven't attempted cleaning the FPR pen's vegetal resin converter with a fill of Sailor Shikiori Doyou yet. I've previously touted it as this round's Winter Miracle, the one sheening+shimmer ink to get from Diamine Inkvent Red Edition colours if I'm choosing only one.

 

 

 

Good to know of Sheen Machine and on the second, you were the one who motivated me.

[A Smug Dill]

22 hours ago, amberleadavis said:

Lamy Azurite

 

Seeing as there are apparently no reviews for Lamy Azurite on FPN, I just reviewed it for you.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/364909-lamy-t53-crystal-ink-azurite/

 

On the whole, I'm a bit wary about the Lamy T53 Crystal Ink line, because Lamy Topaz ink has already ruined two of my (Chinese) pens, by somehow gluing the nib housing to the gripping section just from using the ink (and keeping it there for a few months) in the converter-filled pens, such that trying to unscrew the nib unit wrecked the threads inside the gripping sections. Lamy Benitoite is OK — and I'd even say I like the ink — but it was a little difficult to clean out of my Lamy 2000 blue Bauhaus LE after being in there for a few months (without drying out and without causing hard-starts), but at least I was able to safely disassemble that pen for deep cleaning and servicing.

 

[inkstainedruth]

On 2/8/2022 at 12:52 AM, amberleadavis said:

Okay, I've thought of a few....

 

What do ya'll think?

 

KWZI Sheen Machine and Discovery Green

Laban Purple and Red

Daimine Winter Spice, Tempest, Star Gazer

Monarca Rey Gaguar, Carona and Cenote

Lamy Azurite

 

Sailor 223, 943, 950

The only one on your list that I've actually tried is Sailor 943.  I was looking for a better behaved substitute for Noodler's KTC, but this doesn't seem to be it -- the color was similar, but the dry time (on the crummy absorbent paper in the cheapie Piccadilly sketch books (about $5-6 US the last time I picked one up at a local Barnes and Noble -- that they're in the bargain book section should tell you something) was relatively poor: about 30 seconds on that paper (although admittedly it was with the Sailor 1911 S with the firehose of a "music" nib).

I may have a written test of Lamy Azurite from one of my visits to the Lamy Soho store in NYC (they had tester pens for all the Lamy Crystal inks) but apparently I bypassed getting a bottle in favor of Benetoite.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Misfit]

I’ve never tried Caran d’Ache inks. I would love to try the Unobtainium Colors of the Earth, especially Storm, Amazon, and Grand Canyon. 

[inkstainedruth]

Grand Canyon is a very nice very dark brown.  I found a bottle of on clearance one time when I was in the Boston area a few years ago, and had taken the train into Boston to go to Bromfield's Pen Shop.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[amberleadavis]

19 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Seeing as there are apparently no reviews for Lamy Azurite on FPN, I just reviewed it for you.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/364909-lamy-t53-crystal-ink-azurite/

 

On the whole, I'm a bit wary about the Lamy T53 Crystal Ink line, because Lamy Topaz ink has already ruined two of my (Chinese) pens, by somehow gluing the nib housing to the gripping section just from using the ink (and keeping it there for a few months) in the converter-filled pens, such that trying to unscrew the nib unit wrecked the threads inside the gripping sections. Lamy Benitoite is OK — and I'd even say I like the ink — but it was a little difficult to clean out of my Lamy 2000 blue Bauhaus LE after being in there for a few months (without drying out and without causing hard-starts), but at least I was able to safely disassemble that pen for deep cleaning and servicing.

 

 

Well, dang, I am not a fan of ink that eats pens. (I have a dog for that job).  Thank you so much for the amazing review. That was a wonderful gift.

 

16 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

The only one on your list that I've actually tried is Sailor 943.  I was looking for a better behaved substitute for Noodler's KTC, but this doesn't seem to be it -- the color was similar, but the dry time (on the crummy absorbent paper in the cheapie Piccadilly sketch books (about $5-6 US the last time I picked one up at a local Barnes and Noble -- that they're in the bargain book section should tell you something) was relatively poor: about 30 seconds on that paper (although admittedly it was with the Sailor 1911 S with the firehose of a "music" nib).

I may have a written test of Lamy Azurite from one of my visits to the Lamy Soho store in NYC (they had tester pens for all the Lamy Crystal inks) but apparently I bypassed getting a bottle in favor of Benetoite.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Okay, you have saved me 943 is out.  If I want the color of KTC, I'm using KTC. 

[Misfit]

On 2/9/2022 at 6:10 PM, inkstainedruth said:

Grand Canyon is a very nice very dark brown.  I found a bottle of on clearance one time when I was in the Boston area a few years ago, and had taken the train into Boston to go to Bromfield's Pen Shop.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Nice, and on clearance too!  I could have bought two bottles several years ago, but the shipping was high.  I’m not sure what the colors were, but probably not Amazon. I had bought a Waterman Phileas in Amazon green, and discovered too late the Colors of the Earth ink line. 

[amberleadavis]

On 2/7/2022 at 9:52 PM, amberleadavis said:

Okay, I've thought of a few....

 

What do ya'll think?

 

KWZI Sheen Machine and Discovery Green

Laban Purple and Red

Daimine Winter Spice, Tempest, Star Gazer

Monarca Rey Gaguar, Carona and Cenote

Lamy Azurite

 

Sailor 223, 943, 950

 

I think I requested Discovery Green and Winter Spice. I just tried Tempest and Discovery Green and I like them both.  I didn't get a chance to try the Monarca inks and based on the review, Azurite doesn't speak to me anymore. I don't remember which ones the Sailor inks are.

[dragondazd]

I have only samples a few iroshizuku inks and only bought three bottles. Early on they were The Expensive Line and while many inks have gotten as expensive, including some in my possession, I have not really gotten over my original perceptions. It doesn't help that I really like shading and these seemed monotone, especially compared to sailor/taccia. What am I missing? Any different colors I need to try?

 

Thoughts on inks so far:

yama budo: love it!

Kiri same and fuyu syogun: interesting and rarely used

Ku jaku: disappointingly not peacock enough

Kon peki: a little flat?

 

 

[amberleadavis]

On 7/16/2022 at 3:39 PM, amberleadavis said:

 

I think I requested Discovery Green and Winter Spice. I just tried Tempest and Discovery Green and I like them both.  I didn't get a chance to try the Monarca inks and based on the review, Azurite doesn't speak to me anymore. I don't remember which ones the Sailor inks are.

 

Oops, I was confused, Azurite speaks to  me.

[A Smug Dill]

8 hours ago, dragondazd said:

Early on they were The Expensive Line and while many inks have gotten as expensive, including some in my possession, I have not really gotten over my original perceptions.

 

To me, early on, they were “The Expensive Line” of relatively exotic (but safe, unlike Noodler's Ink) inks… that I could get somewhat cheaply, which turned it to an overall positive instead of a negative. The local Kinokuniya store, and ‘boutique’ fountain pen specialist stores, in town that stock them wanted ≥A$50 a 50ml bottle, whereas I could get them for the effective price of A$17 a bottle, provided that I always engineered to spend >US$100 per order. That's how I ended up with 15 out of the 24 colours in the original regular line-up of Iroshizuku inks, by the time 2014 rolled around.

 

7 hours ago, dragondazd said:

It doesn't help that I really like shading and these seemed monotone, especially compared to sailor/taccia. What am I missing? Any different colors I need to try?

 

You certainly don't need to, but I think you “should” try them all, especially if you have ready access to ink samples (as in being able to buy them for no more than, say, $2 a pop on average inclusive of tax and delivery, even if you have to buy several at once to minimise shipping charges), as is the case in the US but not in, say, Australia.

 

Yu-yake shades very well, so you should try that especially if you put such a premium on apparent shading (with at least as much importance as whether you like the colour).

 

Ina-ho is still “the” gold ink for me, even though Platinum Classic Ink Citrus Black is more interesting (in an almost gimmicky way). It's only been discontinued relatively recently, so by no means is it unobtainium by the 50ml bottle at this stage. It has surprisingly good water resistance, which sets it apart from other contenders.

 

The also relatively recently discontinue Tsukushi will probably take something like Tomoe River FP paper to really show off its complexity and sheen.

 

8 hours ago, dragondazd said:

Kiri same and fuyu syogun: interesting and rarely used

 

Again, they offer surprisingly good water resistance for lighter-coloured inks. A long time ago, before I had several dozens to hundreds of different inks at my disposal, I didn't think much of them in terms of have practical uses for the colours; but now I've grown to really appreciate how they stand out among other a plethora of unsaturated pale ink, in terms of legibility and other qualities (such as water resistance) on paper; whereas the crowd favourites such as Kon-peki and Asa-gao are far more readily substitutable with inks of other brands.

 

Whereas Chiku-rin, for me, remains “interesting and rarely used”.

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

I reallllyyyy wanted original Krishna Jungle Volcano, now Unobtainium.  I'm on an ink embargo, but maybe I could be convinced to attain something similar.  😝

[ErrantSmudge]

I would be very interested in trying the Birmingham inks, for some of their unique-looking colors such as Eroded Bronze, Cordovan, Waterfront Dusk and Rotten Seaweed.  But I'm also a bit reticent to do so because photos I've seen of their inks in other forums look completely different from the samples shown on their website.  Then there's also the thing about them having completely replaced their first lineup of inks (the ones all named after places and personalities in Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania) making those inks unobtanium.  

 

But I think it's mostly that I have too big of a backlog of inks I haven't tried yet; I have sample sets of Ferris Wheel Press and Colorverse inks I haven't yet touched, not to mention sample sets of other brands such as Aurora and Platinum.

[Misfit]

@ErrantSmudge  I’ll soon be posting photos of Eroded Bronze ink. They will be in the Stub of the Day thread.  I could also post it here. I think I have Waterfront Dusk in a pen. Once I check, I can post that too. 

[ErrantSmudge]

11 hours ago, Misfit said:

@ErrantSmudge  I’ll soon be posting photos of Eroded Bronze ink. They will be in the Stub of the Day thread.  I could also post it here. I think I have Waterfront Dusk in a pen. Once I check, I can post that too. 

 

Thank you, I'll be on the lookout.  There's surprisingly few reviews of the current Birmingham ink lineup here on FPN, so photos and reviews are definitely welcome.  Especially since Birmingham sells their inks only in bottled form, so it's hard (impossible?) to get them as samples.

 

[dragondazd]

1 hour ago, ErrantSmudge said:

 

Thank you, I'll be on the lookout.  There's surprisingly few reviews of the current Birmingham ink lineup here on FPN, so photos and reviews are definitely welcome.  Especially since Birmingham sells their inks only in bottled form, so it's hard (impossible?) to get them as samples.

 

Even harder now that the free shipping limit is up to $75 AND they stopped selling the smaller bottles. I won't be making another order for a long time...

 

I can do reviews of the following. Let me know if interested and I will move it up the queue.

Chrysan themum (already posted)

Periwinkle

antique sepia

sea holly

Waterfront dusk

Weathered brick

Celestial blue

Electron

the new set (Basil pesto, elderberry, cherry blossom, agave, oil beetle, molten tin)

[ErrantSmudge]

4 hours ago, dragondazd said:

I can do reviews of the following. Let me know if interested and I will move it up the queue.

Chrysan themum (already posted)

Periwinkle

antique sepia

sea holly

Waterfront dusk

Weathered brick

Celestial blue

Electron

the new set (Basil pesto, elderberry, cherry blossom, agave, oil beetle, molten tin)

 

Of the ones you've listed, these look the most interesting:

 

Waterfront dusk

cherry blossom

oil beetle

 

I'd also add Electron, but even though I love cyan-turquoise blues, I already have several in my collection!

 

Thanks!

[inkstainedruth]

I have a bottle of the (older?) version of Waterfront Dusk.  It was lot redder than I was expecting from the name and from a description I'd seen.  But I've noticed that a newer version of another Birmingham ink -- Walnut Street Brown -- is a very different color (more red-leaning and less sepia-toned) from what my bottle looks like ...  I remember that about the time the B&M store closed for good, some of the colors had already been changed: and that was partly due to switching where the inks (or their component inks were coming from....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Mayo]

Shimmering inks, overall. I'm not too into very bright and sparkly colors but sometimes I see some pictures that make me want to try one of them out one day.

 

Parker Quink. They have none of what I look for in an ink, but maybe if I find a great deal or a vintage bottle I might try them out.

 

Sailor Manyo/Shikiori. They actually have quite a few ink I'm interested in, so I haven't got any yet because they're quite expensive and I can't choose a color to try first.

 

And quite a few others that are very interesting,  and I just haven't got them yet due to already have similar colors with similar properties. Noodler's 54th Massachussets and Heart of Darkness are two inks I liked as samples but haven't got a bottle because I just am not in a hurry to try them out.