Some Ink Tests

[Penguincollector]

On 1/23/2025 at 10:36 AM, Mechanical said:

 

Thanks, @USG, it really doesn't do so well, does it?  

 

I will say, all these examples with Teranishi Lady Emerald ink are making me a fan. 🙂

 

  It’s a beautiful ink, I highly recommend it! 

[Lithium466]

On 1/27/2025 at 12:36 AM, USG said:

 

Fresh from the bottle only counts with dip pens.  In the real world of office pens, the color of the ink is the color after it settles in.  Sure, after a refill, you might get the lighter, out of the bottle color, until the fresh ink in the feed is used up, or it sits over night,  then it's back to the darker color you've become used to.

 

 

Sailor #743 is a touch too dark?  Horizon Blue and Sargasso Sea are darker.  Diamine Sapphire is a different color.

Talking about smell, check out Noodler's Liberty's Elysium.  I don't know what's going on with that ink.

 

 

After these inks settle in the only way you'll be able to tell them apart is to use Cosmo Snow or Iroful paper and even then it's hard to tell them apart.

 

I never experienced Waterman Blue or Aurora Blue fading.  How did you get them to fade?

 

The other thing is, who constantly cleans out their work pen?  After a number of refills, I found the feeds in work pens developed a reservoir of dye that would tend to keep the ink color dark.  Do you think anyone was busy washing out their Parker 51s back in the day or just refilling and refilling and refilling?

 

I could be wrong but I think Asa-Gao is darker than #743 after a day.

 

I haven't tried the other side of the page.  Why bother if the first side feathers?  Smooth?  I think you could say it was like OPTIK with tooth but definitely not white like OPTIK.

 

I can't tell you how many notebooks I have with only a few pages used.  I'm on page 19 in the 70 page Red 'n Black OPTIK notebook.

 

I only used a few pages in these notebooks because they Feather.

L to R

Sugar Cane, LIFE, Kokuyo, APICA thin, Stalogy, Nemosine... not shown Maruman brown cover, Kokuyo white cover and others.

 

It is true that my only real work pen (a Majohn A1) gets refilled with whatever, and the resulting ink is some kind of dark blue purple stuff  

Other pens, I don't keep them inked long enough as I'm trying hard to only have a few pens inked at a time. The exception would be pen filled with bright red or orange that don't get much use, after a while the ink it too concentrated and not in your face enough so they get cleaned and ink gets wasted. A smart person would add some distilled water or something instead 🤔

 

I am out of 743 (as well as Horizon blue), but I have it darker than the other two in the "historical writing" I was able to find. That will need retesting, especially since I found a note where I had written "very smooth ink" on the side 😱 Also saw some writing with 443 and gosh that was boring.
There is a big difference in some inks when they are used in dry EF nibs, I'm still trying to find good matches...What I get is often a pale boring copy of the writing samples you show.

I need to try that Noodler's L E. I'm somewhat reluctant to buy that brand for no good reason, and I have a local-ish store that sells some, so no excuse there 😕 

 

Waterman blue, shows some fading in some old writing. I don't use it anymore and mostly don't care about it, maybe it's improved (paper is better for sure) but the dye used aren't the most stable...it looks good in your writing samples but carries too much of overuse and meh factor to me! Aurora blue I only had a sample, bought in early 2023, writing on Oxford Optik now shows it much lighter than I remember it. I'm blaming the paper, it's old Oxford Optik. Pretty much same chemistry style as W blue so no interest anymore there.

 

Now Diamine Saphire and Herbin EdS. I found a variety of writing on various paper/ pen combinations, some looked nice. I need to retest PR Lake Placid blue to see if it could be a more saturated EdS. You could be right about Asa-Gao...didn't like my old writing with it.

 

Yu-Sari. Sometimes one side works better than the other. Optik with tooth? Strange!

[inkstainedruth]

My problem with Asa-Gao was that I'd get these big blob drops of ink roll down the nib and go splat onto the page.  

As for Eclat de Saphir?  That is ABSOLUTELY one of my go-to inks for using in Parker 61s with the capillary fill system because it's so well behaved -- doesn't clog up the teflon sponge.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[USG]

9 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

My problem with Asa-Gao was that I'd get these big blob drops of ink roll down the nib and go splat onto the page.

 

I think I might have had that happen to me once but I don't remember the circumstances. 

[USG]

Yu-Sari paper continued:

 

PGC remarked that she used some dual shading inks to test paper so I thought I would try that too.  I only have 2 dual shading inks, Sailor Manyo Nekoyanagi and Sailor Manyo Fuji.

 

The test didn't go well for the Nekoyanagi.  I've had problems writing with with this ink before.  It doesn't get along with some paper and apparently Yu-Sari is one of them.  Fuji was OK.  Neither paper displayed dual shading.

 

 

I started in the top left and it feathered. 

 

I wrote with Fuji to the right.

I repeated the test on the left side under the first one to see if the first results were a fluke.  More feathering.

Because there was no feathering with Fuji, I wondered if maybe there was a problem with the coating on the left side of the paper so I repeated the test right under Fuji.  Still feathering but less.

 

As a control I repeated the test on Cosmo Snow paper which had better color and no feathering.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lithium466]

He's dead, Jim.

 

But your reviewing is making me want to try it more now.

[Lithium466]

13 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

My problem with Asa-Gao was that I'd get these big blob drops of ink roll down the nib and go splat onto the page.  

As for Eclat de Saphir?  That is ABSOLUTELY one of my go-to inks for using in Parker 61s with the capillary fill system because it's so well behaved -- doesn't clog up the teflon sponge.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I had remembered your comment about EdS in finicky fill system pens, and I used it in a Hero "chinaerometric" with full success (admittedly, that isn't a finicky filling system)  

I don't remember Asa-Gao being wet or drippy, and my historical writing is showing something pretty dry flowing, but that was wi5 Japanese EF, so maybe it's best suited there. Need retry...but when there is Taccia Ao for cheaper and with more sheen, choice is easy!

[USG]

11 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

He's dead, Jim.

 

But your reviewing is making me want to try it more now.

 

Thank You McCoy.👽

 

I encourage you to hop on Amazon and get some Yu-Sari paper so we can review the same thing.  My results are only speculation until someone reproduces them. 😀👍

 

 

11 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

I had remembered your comment about EdS in finicky fill system pens, and I used it in a Hero "chinaerometric" with full success (admittedly, that isn't a finicky filling system)  

I don't remember Asa-Gao being wet or drippy, and my historical writing is showing something pretty dry flowing, but that was wi5 Japanese EF, so maybe it's best suited there. Need retry...but when there is Taccia Ao for cheaper and with more sheen, choice is easy!

 

Retesting sounds like a plan.. 😀👍

 

[USG]

On 1/28/2025 at 4:01 AM, Lithium466 said:

It is true that my only real work pen (a Majohn A1) gets refilled with whatever, and the resulting ink is some kind of dark blue purple stuff

 

Gotta love that Dark Blue Purple Stuff.... 😀👍

 Forever to be known as DBPS

 

On 1/28/2025 at 4:01 AM, Lithium466 said:

Other pens, I don't keep them inked long enough as I'm trying hard to only have a few pens inked at a time.

 

LOL, I wish I could be you,  every pen I have is inked.  😱

 

On 1/28/2025 at 4:01 AM, Lithium466 said:

...after a while the ink it too concentrated and not in your face enough so they get cleaned and ink gets wasted. A smart person would add some distilled water or something instead

 

I actually like the more robust ink colors after they concentrate... 🤪

 

CluelessMe has been using sink water since grade school...🤯

 

 

On 1/28/2025 at 4:01 AM, Lithium466 said:

I am out of 743 (as well as Horizon blue), but I have it darker than the other two in the "historical writing" I was able to find.

 

Maybe it faded..... 😎

 

On 1/28/2025 at 4:01 AM, Lithium466 said:

There is a big difference in some inks when they are used in dry EF nibs, I'm still trying to find good matches...What I get is often a pale boring copy of the writing samples you show.

I need to try that Noodler's L E. I'm somewhat reluctant to buy that brand for no good reason, and I have a local-ish store that sells some, so no excuse there 😕 

 

Speaking of EF nibs, I ordered an Asvine V200 with a F Bock nib and they sent me an EF.  You would like this pen if you don't already have one.  Interesting design, very smooth EF Bock nib.  I have an Asvine P20 with a F Asvine nib, which is also very smooth but slightly smaller in physical size relative to the Bock nib.

 

 

Regarding the Noodler's Liberty's Elysium:  Giant bottle of chemical smelling ink.  I really like how it shades but as soon as I take the cap off the pen, Wow.... It's not as off-putting as Diamine's moldy smelling blue inks but it's stronger.  I have it in my 629Au.

 

On 1/28/2025 at 4:01 AM, Lithium466 said:

Waterman blue, shows some fading in some old writing. I don't use it anymore and mostly don't care about it, maybe it's improved (paper is better for sure) but the dye used aren't the most stable...it looks good in your writing samples but carries too much of overuse and meh factor to me! Aurora blue I only had a sample, bought in early 2023, writing on Oxford Optik now shows it much lighter than I remember it. I'm blaming the paper, it's old Oxford Optik. Pretty much same chemistry style as W blue so no interest anymore there.

 

I sorta agree with you about Waterman Blue being around so long it's become boring.  I never noticed the fading problem and I use it in 3 pens because it's such a nice dark blue that works in every pen I've tried it in.

 

Aurora Blue:  My Aurora Blue is missing.  I can't find it.  I have the black but I want to blue to refill my Aurora pens.

OPTIK paper:  Splurge! Iroful or Cosmo Air Snow.

 

On 1/28/2025 at 4:01 AM, Lithium466 said:

Now Diamine Saphire and Herbin EdS. I found a variety of writing on various paper/ pen combinations, some looked nice. I need to retest PR Lake Placid blue to see if it could be a more saturated EdS. You could be right about Asa-Gao...didn't like my old writing with it.

 

Yu-Sari. Sometimes one side works better than the other. Optik with tooth? Strange!

 

I have Diamine Sapphire in 2 pens, even though it smells like it needs to  be thrown out and the pen disinfected.  I have a sample of Herbin EdS but it didn't look much different than all the other Sapphires. ISR liked it so maybe I'll take another look.

Lake Placid Blue is a darker wet ink, kinda like Asa-Gao, but not as dark as American Blue.  It's claim to fame for me is that is seems to glow under certain light.  I have it in a Lamy Aion EF.

 

Yu-Sari is waiting for you. 

(Both sides seem the same)

 

You mentioned Horizon Blue.  I consistently found it too wet for my M pens.  I may try it again since you got me into these EF nibs. 🥸

 

[USG]

Check this out:

I made some more samples comparing the Yu-Sari paper to Cosmo Snow and I noticed something.... see if you can see it...

 

 

The Cosmo Snow had a little more shading... but that's not it...

 

What I noticed on the Yu-Sari paper was that it was covered with a random scattering of small lighter colored vacuoles.

 

I decreased the brightness and contrast so you can see them better.  Maybe this is the reason some inks feather on Yu-Sari.   By contrast, the surface of Cosmo Snow is homogeneous and devoid of imperfections.

[Lithium466]

On 1/29/2025 at 4:54 PM, USG said:

 

Thank You McCoy.👽

 

I encourage you to hop on Amazon and get some Yu-Sari paper so we can review the same thing.  My results are only speculation until someone reproduces them. 😀👍

 

 

 

Retesting sounds like a plan.. 😀👍

 

+1 on retesting, I have the Asa Gao bottle out and lined up for a very dry WS 698 (yes I could make it wetter, but no I like this one being dry).

Then Yu-Sari... one day, when my local Amazon gets up to speed with civilized world Amazon To compensate, I just ordered some (overpriced) Kobeha Gaphilo)

 

On 1/29/2025 at 6:37 PM, USG said:

 

Gotta love that Dark Blue Purple Stuff.... 😀👍

 Forever to be known as DBPS

 

 

😂

 

On 1/29/2025 at 6:37 PM, USG said:

Speaking of EF nibs, I ordered an Asvine V200 with a F Bock nib and they sent me an EF.  You would like this pen if you don't already have one.  Interesting design, very smooth EF Bock nib.  I have an Asvine P20 with a F Asvine nib, which is also very smooth but slightly smaller in physical size relative to the Bock nib.

 

 

Looking good, and smooth EF nib, sounds like something I would like

 

On 1/29/2025 at 6:37 PM, USG said:

 

 

I have Diamine Sapphire in 2 pens, even though it smells like it needs to  be thrown out and the pen disinfected.  I have a sample of Herbin EdS but it didn't look much different than all the other Sapphires. ISR liked it so maybe I'll take another look.

Lake Placid Blue is a darker wet ink, kinda like Asa-Gao, but not as dark as American Blue.  It's claim to fame for me is that is seems to glow under certain light.  I have it in a Lamy Aion EF.

 

Yu-Sari is waiting for you. 

(Both sides seem the same)

 

You mentioned Horizon Blue.  I consistently found it too wet for my M pens.  I may try it again since you got me into these EF nibs. 🥸

 

 

I think you're referring tot he older Lake Placid blue, pre Yafa? Mine if on the medium blue side, nice and wet, and glowy. Less purple than Asa Gao too
EdS, I can only like it in a concentrated form. For a long time after filling, it's way too shady for my tastes. But I find it very easy to clean, and it works very well with a multitude of pens. Probably something I'd recommend having in an ink selection, if you don't want something like Waterman blue or Pelikan 4001 & co.

 

Yu-Sari is on my list, but toward the bottom now. Plus not only it's expensive, but also hard to get (for me). Meh.

 

Horizon blue, I remember it working very well in a dry Pilot Capless, so you may be right about it! And that's making me want to try it even more.

[Lithium466]

On 1/29/2025 at 8:26 PM, USG said:

Check this out:

I made some more samples comparing the Yu-Sari paper to Cosmo Snow and I noticed something.... see if you can see it...

 

 

The Cosmo Snow had a little more shading... but that's not it...

 

What I noticed on the Yu-Sari paper was that it was covered with a random scattering of small lighter colored vacuoles.

 

I decreased the brightness and contrast so you can see them better.  Maybe this is the reason some inks feather on Yu-Sari.   By contrast, the surface of Cosmo Snow is homogeneous and devoid of imperfections.

 

I'm on the fence with NLE. Shading.

Is Yu-Sari an over-engineered paper aimed at giving a particular feedback or result? It does seem to do well with Lady Emerald, Melancholic blue and the 4001 BB.

[Penguincollector]

13 minutes ago, Lithium466 said:

Yu-Sari is on my list, but toward the bottom now.

  I’ll send you a couple of sheets to sate your curiosity. 
 

  I’ll give the Asa-Gao on Yu-Sari a try, as well as some of my wetter inks to see what happens. Old Private Reserve Tanzanite is rather wet. 

[Lithium466]

6 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

  I’ll send you a couple of sheets to sate your curiosity. 
 

  I’ll give the Asa-Gao on Yu-Sari a try, as well as some of my wetter inks to see what happens. Old Private Reserve Tanzanite is rather wet. 

🙏🙏🙏

 

If you happen to have KWZ Grapefruit around, I'd be curious too! 

[Penguincollector]

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

🙏🙏🙏

 

If you happen to have KWZ Grapefruit around, I'd be curious too! 

  I think you sent me some. I’ll try it as well.

[USG]

 

Hi Guys

I have a lot to say about Asa-Gao.

Asa-Gao has been a staple in my Namiki Shogun for a long time.  Certainly since 2022.  At one time I used a converter but because I couldn't see the ink supply I switched to cartridges, which are easy to refill with an eye dropper.  I use the pen almost every day, for something, so what I've been doing is to refill the cartridge when it gets low.  I'm not a compulsive pen cleaner, so like many of my pens, it hasn't been cleaned in years because there hasn't been a reason to.

 

While I was trying out inks for the Asvine V200, I was startled to see that my perception of the color of Asa-Gao was way off.

 

 

This is Asa-Gao in the Shogun right today....  My preferred color for this ink. Btw, notice no feathering like on Yu-Sari.

 

The "Glow" shot

 

 

[USG]

8 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

I'm on the fence with NLE. Shading.

 

CluelessMe:  what's NLE shading?

[inkstainedruth]

I was guessing that Lithium466 meant "Noodler's Liberty's Elysium".

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[USG]

1 minute ago, inkstainedruth said:

I was guessing that Lithium466 meant "Noodler's Liberty's Elysium".

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Of course...  Totally Clueless 😱

Thanks ISR 👍😀

[inkstainedruth]

Oh, don't feel bad -- everyone has days like that. 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainederuth