Your top three brands?

[Chris1]

Never bought the green. I think it was my PA saying to me that only mad people use green ink that put me off 😃 but then she thought I was half way there anyway for always using a fountain pen and buying my own ink when the office supplied free biros.

[torstar]

7 minutes ago, Chris1 said:

Never bought the green. I think it was my PA saying to me that only mad people use green ink that put me off 😃 but then she thought I was half way there anyway for always using a fountain pen and buying my own ink when the office supplied free biros.

 

a local store was selling off all the flavours for $50 a bottle, 10?? years ago, bought a healthy amount of all, sapphire was most prized

 

auditing and green ink have a history, I use it to cause bad memories for auditors, and enjoy green sometimes.

 

 

[torstar]

17 minutes ago, Chris1 said:

Top three brands by number of bottles only:

Parker (Penman, not horrible Quink, dwindling supply of Sapphire, Ebony and Ruby)

Montblanc (original, permanent Midnight blue-black - running out too!)

Diamine (assorted colours)

 

But most used is probably Pelikan blue-black as it is cheap and doesn't feather on my newspaper when doing the crossword and other puzzles.

 

 

 

Aurora Black is my one and only for brand and colour, but it's not used as much as the top 3

 

 

[Chris1]

Same here. I bought the last dozen Sapphire and half-dozen Ebony at a local penshop for (drum roll) £3.99 per bottle - and they delivered them to the office in person. Such a shame they closed down. T'was many years ago though.

 

I always wanted to try Aurora black but never got round to buying it.

[torstar]

8 minutes ago, Chris1 said:

 

 

I always wanted to try Aurora black but never got round to buying it.

 

You'll love it. 

 

The blue is purple-ish; as I'm a green-ish blue fiend, one from Aurora might have solved almost all my ink requirements.

 

edit:  at least how i see the colours, PR Tanzanite is from the purple side for my 35 or so bottles emptied.... 

 

 

[PithyProlix]

17 hours ago, yazeh said:

If money isn't a problem, get them. If I had the funds, I would buy all the series. As of now, Kala & Octopus (Write & Draw) are my favourite pigment brands. I sort of went off, Noodler's, thanks to tariff threats. It's a pity, because I have many favourites. 

 

I have a fairly expensive pen to sell soon and, when I do, I've promised myself to buy them. (There are a couple Kyo No Oto inks I really want at the same store, so that adds a bit to the total, as does Thai Customs.) Kala has been at the top of my 'want list' for a long time.

 

So, some semblance of responsibility, at least.

 

17 hours ago, yazeh said:

Note the Gemstone/Abstraction series are subtle, if you use primarily  EF/F nibs, you  might not see much of a difference. It might look blackish/ dark brownish, or greyish. For example Sillimanite and Moonlight tide look quite similar.  

...

 

So, if you get them or the Abstraction series, you might want toward distinct colours and not towards the neutral ones.

 

I want to get lighter tinted ones, which is what I usually do anyway. I intend to get Nostalgia Abstraction Sierra Mist & Winter Dawn, Nostalgia Gemstone Star Garnet, and (to try one of their dye inks) Island #38 Taro Balls. If I have enough interest in an ink that comes out too dark for my taste, I've taken to diluting them with a diluent specifically for ink, though I prefer to use them straight, if I can, of course.

[yazeh]

@PithyProlixthat's a wise plan. Well thought out

[Chris1]

On 2/7/2025 at 5:14 PM, torstar said:

 

You'll love it. 

 

At the risk of going off topic a bit as this was all about top three ink brands, I find Aurora Black is now hard to find in the UK. But, it reminded me I have a bottle of Montblanc Permanent Black so maybe I should try that.

[torstar]

On 2/9/2025 at 7:35 AM, Chris1 said:

At the risk of going off topic a bit as this was all about top three ink brands, I find Aurora Black is now hard to find in the UK. But, it reminded me I have a bottle of Montblanc Permanent Black so maybe I should try that.

 

Topics rarely hold past page 1 in their purity, outlying inks of value can be mentioned on page 3...

 

MB has stepped up the quality of its inks over the past 15 years, my #4 after many prior years of disappointment; the competition has forced them to step up.

 

 

[JonDoh]

Edelstein

Private Reserve

Waterman

[PBWilson1970]

Diamine for the vast color choices and affordability (I'm enjoying some murky greens now)

Rohrer & Klingner also for their affordability and iron gall choices

Robert Oster for their amazing colors

 

[PithyProlix]

On 2/16/2025 at 11:23 PM, PBWilson1970 said:

Diamine for the vast color choices and affordability (I'm enjoying some murky greens now)

 

Which greens? I really like Salamander. Classic Green, Safari, and maybe Evergreen look intriguing. I didn't warm up to Wagner.

[PBWilson1970]

I've got Salamander, Green Umber, Great Wall of China (all Diamine), Robert Oster Devon Green, R&K Alt Goldgrun and Platinum Forest Black in rotation.

Devon Green and Great Wall have wonderful shading.

All of them look great on the page and don't shout when reading. I really like that. 

That said, I really enjoy using Diamine Meadow for it's brightness. There's a green for every occasion for sure.

[dhanks]

Pelikan, Waterman, Sheaffer.

 

Rumpole

[PithyProlix]

18 minutes ago, PBWilson1970 said:

I've got Salamander, Green Umber, Great Wall of China (all Diamine), Robert Oster Devon Green, R&K Alt Goldgrun and Platinum Forest Black in rotation.

Devon Green and Great Wall have wonderful shading.

All of them look great on the page and don't shout when reading. I really like that. 

That said, I really enjoy using Diamine Meadow for it's brightness. There's a green for every occasion for sure.

 

Oh, I forgot about Great Wall of China. I have it and love it! I also have Green Umber but it hasn't spoken to me yet ...

[Bo Bo Olson]

How every one said the liked Diamine Meadow Green, I had to have had a bad bottle, in old pre-new formulation Lamy Green beat it.

It is my understanding that there is a new Lamy Green.

 

Should I buy a pack of New Lamy Green cartridges, or a bottle that can't be more than double the cartridges?...@ €10 for a Classic Bottle of Lamy ink.

[inkstainedruth]

On 2/5/2025 at 11:11 AM, torstar said:

For a brand that is new to you, always secretly check out the price before you jump in...

 

In my life a new unopened bottle in stock can cost me $7.50 to $75 for a regular volume bottle.

 

In my Sunday walking area the boutiques are exclusive and sometimes they preemptively ask if I really intended to spend $200 on a new bath towel or other sticker shock. 

 

This is why I like getting samples first whenever possible.  If I don't end up liking an ink, it means I'm not out a lot of money.  And if I DO like it?  Sample vials are great for refilling for travel purposes.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth