Two things one always hears being asked: where is a good pen store, and what is a good pen ink. Got a personal view about your favorite ink? Yeah right. There are a good many very strongly held views on the various brands of ink. Readh any discussion page and the commends are plentiful.E-mail your views and I will include the comments on the page.
This page contains:
- A Few Words.... some general comments about fountain pen ink.
- Comments by Brand - a listing of inks by brand.
- My Inks of Choice
A Few Words about Inks
- Ink for fountain pens
- Mixing colours
- Fresh ink
- Ink on your fingers
- Cleaning Pens
- Acid/Alkaline levels
- Pen and ink companies
- Thick or thin ink
- How come the colour is different
Ink flowing from your pen. Well it is the drip. The controlled drip. Gravity takes place, the capillary action of water controls it all. Thanks to the invention of the fountain pen, slots allowing ink to flow out of a storeage contained, and slots allowing air to flow back, the pen works. Waterman is credited with inventing the the fountain pen. As the nib touches the paper, the flow starts. Not enough air coming up into the pen... no ink flows out. Too much, ink flushes to the page.
Fountain Pens Use Water-Based Inks Fountain pen ink is water-based with dyes and other chemicals required for proper function. Do not use non-water-based permanent drawing ink in a fountain pen. Stay away from all Indian or drafting inks.Its All Chemicals Despite passion towards the ink we use, it is only a mixture of chemicals. The chemicals mix create the appropriate surface tension -- viscosity. Antibacterial additions are included so the ink does not muck up in inside of your pen!
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Waterman pen factory in Nantes, France. At Waterman, a basic ink is used for the base and then dyes are added to create specific colours. All Waterman inks are made in their factory in France. Waterman decides on the "blend" of chemicals so that the ink has an appropriate amount of surface tension, flow and drying time assessed as best for their pens. Each manufacturer has their formula. So they say. But some companies use common inks. They just change the bottle.
Mixing Your Own Colours This is a big-time activity. Check our the ink section of Pentrace, a very good source of information on inks, and you will find the formulas for the perfect colour.
A word of caution. Mixing of inks sometime causes problems with a reaction between the various dyes etc. For an example, see the notes under Private Reserve ink. That company warns about the mixing of certain colours. Good for them for posting the notice. When mixing ink, wash the pen, including the converter, with a very mild ammonia and water solution.
I have found I can never get two bottles to be the same so I have moved away from the practice. I do, sometimes, add a few drops of a darker colour if I find the dye lot too weak.
Fresh Ink Can you use old ink? Most will agree you can, provided the ink has not been subject to sunlight, and has been properly capped. Give the bottle a shake and try it. If in any doubt, always have a cheaper pen available for your more daring moments. I use inks that are many years old with no problem.
Inky Fingers? Ink on your fingers? My worst fear. It seems that everyone in my office is just waiting for the big ink disaster to occur. Here is my secret. Just place some automatic dishwasher soap on a cloth and rub it over the ink stain. It will be gone with a little rubbing. As I proudly say... try that with ball point ink!
Let pen soak in room-temperature water with a little non-sudsy ammonia.Cleaning Pens If you have problems with your pen, and the ink is just not coming out the way you think it should, give the pen a good cleaning. The best way is to use room temperature water. To help clean out any ink deposits you can place some very very diluted non-sudsy regular household ammonia in the water. Allow to soak and this will dissolve most fountain pen inks. Now we are talking about just a little. A cap in a cup or so of water.
Avoid hot water as this could damage certain parts of the pen. If you are not regularly using a pen, then clean the ink out with plain water. Otherwise, after a dozen or so fills, take the time to give it a flush with water.
Be careful with rubber-based pens. Leave out the ammonia and try straight water.
I found that leaving the nib section in a cup of water and coming back in 4 or so hours does the trick just about every time.
Acid & Alkaline Levels What about the acidity of ink? This seems to be a point of ongoing talk on various discussion sites. Is it really important? On one hand I am told it is not that much of an issue. The compatibility of inks and dyes used in the particular inks is more of an issue.In 1996 Gregory Clark had an article published in Pen World giving the pH levels of a wide variety of inks. A low pH reading indicates the relative level of acid to a high pH reading that indicates the level of alkaline. Some brands/colours are listed with two different readings. That is because Gregory included both the pH levels found through his testing and those reported by the pen manufactures. Confused? Well as a reference point, water has a pH of 7.
Readings were reported for pH levels of :
- 1.7 for Omas Blue-Black, Omas Royal Blue, Visconti Lapis Blue;
- 2.2 for Montblanc Blue-Black, Montblanc Bordeaux, Pelikan Blue-Black, Viconti Turquoise;
- 2.7 for Pelikan 4001 Blue, Visconti Permanent Blue-Black, Pelikan 4001 Turquoise, Quink Washable Blue, Waterman Purple;
- 3.0 for Montblanc Emerald Green, Quink Permanent Black, Waterman Blue-Black, Waterman Blue;
- 4.0 for Sheaffer Brown, Emerald Green, Peacock Blue;
- 6.3 for Parker Penman Emerald;
- 6.5 for Omas Sepia;
- 6.6 for Parker Penman Ebony;
- 6.8 for Herbin Green, Omas Vespucci Red, Parker Penman Mocha, Parker Penman Sapphire;
- 7.0 for Waterman Havana
- 7.2 for Omas Permanent Black;
- 7.5 for Parker Penman Ruby; Pelikan Brilliant Green;
- 7.8 for Visconti Black
- 7.9 for Rotring black, Waterman red
- 8.2 for Pelikan brilliant red, turquoise, violet
- 9.0 for Sheaffer jet black
What does all that really mean? Clark came to the conclusion that all the modern inks were safe to use in pens. Pens with piston or vacuum fillers would be subject to staining of some inks. Pens with sacs or converters would not have that issue. Neutral inks were considered to be those in the ph 6 to 8 range.
Feel free to try different inks with different pens. Some different brands of ink are made by the same company. For example, Cross inks are made by Pelikan.Ink Manufacturer and Pens Should you only use the same manufacture's ink in your pen? No. Not really. Manufacturers include promotional information about how their particular brand and how it is developed to work work with their pens. Many different brands are actually made in a ink factory. Think your Cross ink a bit like Pelikan ink?
Try a few brands and see what works best for you. Generally, you will be hooked on a particular ink and will attest with strong conviction. Each ink writes better or worse. That's the fun of using a fountain pen.
You will find the "mysterious relationship" of inks and pens -- they all seem to write best with different brands of ink!
Of course you need more than one pen! Three aspects come to play in your writing experience. Your experience with a particular pen depends on three aspects:- the flow characteristics of the ink;
- the flow characteristics of the pen and nib; and
- the characteristics of the paper
Thick or Thin Ink? Ranked inks from Thick to Thin in the following order:
THICKER INK TO THINNER INK:
Panache
Parker Penman (now discontinued)
Rotring
Omas
Aurora
Parker Quink
Dupont
Waterman
Pelikan
Visconti
Pilot/Namiki
Yard-o-Led
Montblanc
Lamy
Sheaffer
Herbin Colour differs depending on the ink, nib and paper.
Why are Colours are Different? Enjoy using different inks you'll soon notice that no two inks are the same. The colour/tone of the ink depends not only on the ink itself, but also the width of the nib, the ink flow characteristics and the paper used.
Abraxas Orion BlueI have heard very positive comments on this ink. Abraxas Orion Blau No. 53. is listed as an "artist line writing ink". It is made in Switzerland.
- Orion Blue described as an opaque medium blue with a slight green tint. Free-flowing and very pleasant to use. Available in the US at $8.50 a 30 ml bottle (Nov 99). The ink is sold as being "Usable for fountain pens. Ingredients: Water, plant extracts, nature-identical colours, natural glues and natural essential oils. Dilutable with distilled water and can be mixed freely to create your own colour shade." (Thanks: P. Johnson)
Greg Clark, who publishes the Ink Sampler Book notes that Flak Art Supply in Brisbane, CA (415-468-7530) carries them under the "Artist Line" label.
Aurora
Blue, Black
Ink in two basic colours: blue and black. Inks are rich in tone. The bottle
will fit into a briefcase the long narrow shapes causes some problems when filling pens. The label on the bottle is the same for both colours. Look carefully to ensure you are buying the correct colour.
Black - I vote this as one of the best blacks. Rich tone, flows so the nib glides across the paper. I'm not alone in by view of this ink. It is consistently noted as one of the best blacks to use.
Blue - deep rich tone, with just a hint of purple, great flow operates well in just about any pen. One of my Ink of Choice
Bexley inks, available in a variety of colours, is made
by the manufacturer of Private Reserve. Bexley should include the same warning
as Private Reserve not to mix certain colours.
The bottle has a wide opening with shallow depth. Filling large nibs pens
will be a challenge when the level of ink is low. As with most saturated
colours, if you change your ink colours regularly, you may spend more time
rinsing the pen out with water than enjoying the ink!
- Turquoise - good colour with real depth.
- Crimson - rich red, but be warned, do not mix with other colours, that means a good flushing of your pen before changing colours.
Cross Blue, Black
Cross inks are made by Pelikan. Comments on colours between
these two brands are interchangeable.
- Black - Looks pretty good when writing with a fine nib, however, loses its dark tone with medium and broad nibs. (Thanks: M Ferrier)
Magenta, Light Green, Washable Blue, Steel Blue, Brillian Red, Pink, Dark Brown, Jet Black, Lemon, Acqua Brown, Turquoise, Amber, Orange, Raw Sienna, Cerise, Blue Black
This ink is now more readily available in the US. It is
made in the United Kingdom. There are drawing and calligraphy lines. Use
the writing ink for fountain pens. Available in 17 colours.
I ordered by first three bottles from the folks at Pendemoniumand they did a great job in packaging up the bottles so they all arrived intact my mail. The ink comes in a very large 80 ml bottle, twice what you get in a normal bottle of ink so it will take a while to go through this batch.
- Bue Black - this is a very dark, flat almost a black in colour. It really reminds me of some of the old Bleu-Black inks I remember writting with many many years ago. Probably because Diamine is a very old company. I think I am going to really like this one.
- Jet Black - I have only been able to use this ink for one day but I like it. Good deep true black colour. Flow seems very good.
- Imperial Purple - a good solid purple, nothing unique, I tend to like the deep rich Tanzanite of Private Reserve a little better. The Diamine Imperial Purple is close to that by Waterman.
Blue, Black, Night Blue, Turquoise, Sienna
I received a bottle of Dupont Blue as gift. I was really
impressed with the bottle until I went to use the ink. Bottle too shallow
for large nibs.
- Blue - The blue, available in bottles, similar to Waterman Florida Blue but with less saturated tone.
- Black - I have not used it, however, the black is described as a "wonderful black ink, with no problem clogging pens, good with even broad-nib pens". (Thanks: M Ferrier)
Blue Myosotis, Black, Grey, Rose, Vert Reseda, Poussiere de Lune, Cafe de Iles, Bert Pre, Blue Nuit, Orange Indien. Violette Pensee, Bleu Azur, Rouge Caroubier, Blue Pervenche, Olive Green, Buttercup Yellow
Herbin, a company in Paris that dates back to 1670. Ink production commenced 1700. The first Herbin ink, called La Perle des Encres (the jewel of inks), was soon followed by L’Encre Des Vaisseaux (the ink of ships) -- the traditional French violet has been used by student in France. Fountain pen users would buy what is known as the "D" bottles. A classic bottle that has been around for a long time. The "D" stands for a French unit of measure, “la Demi Courtine”. Now 40 ml bottles. There is quite the collection of colours, and these are not all of them! Herbin ink is available through a variety of locations in North America.
Herbin has more than fountain pen ink. Some specialty inks are for dip pens. Do not use in a fountain pen.
The fountain pen ink is available in 17 beautiful colors. There are even more colours in cartridge (universal style). Some of the colours I have found to be too delicate -- I tend to lean towards bold vibrant colour of ink, as with a broad or stub nib strong colours look best. .
- Blue Nuit - P. Johnson provides her review of that colour: "Drab ultramarine with dull purple overtones. Looks like faded watercolor when dry."
Reviews from others are that it is a very good brand of ink that flows reliably with a great colour selection. About those colours:
- Rouge Fuchsia/Opera - a true dark red, not a ruby or Bordeaux, and is virtually identical in color to the Omas Amerigo Vespucci. The Opera is the scented version. This color is to be distinguished from Herbin's attempt at regular red -- Rouge Caroubier -- which, unfortunately, is a washed-out red like those from so many other brands of ink.
- Rose Cyclamen - an almost fluorescent purplish pink, and is a very noticeable color. It also tends to spread more than other colors on paper. A unique color.
- Orange Indien - pretty good orange, a bit darker than Omas Triratna (which is more of a butterscotch orange), and it's lighter than Omas Return to the Motherland (which is a red-orange).
- Jaune Bouton D'Or is a yellow ink -- a true, vibrant yellow.
- Jaune Bouton D'or - a buttercup yellow with a bright yellow look, the kind of ink that looks great for small amounts of ink on a paper.
- Vert Olive is a true medium olive and is unique. One can use it for serious writing or signatures in place of green.
- Averse Reseda - a beautiful, vibrant turquoise green.
- Blue Pervenche - a beautiful, vibrant turquoise blue, a little lighter than Waterman South Sea Blue.
- Gris Nuage is a well-balanced gray, lighter than Omas' version and better looking than Sheaffer's.
- Bleu Azur is a delicate, light blue. It's too light for serious writing, but can be used for art work.
- Vert Pre is a delicate, light green. Here's where there is a big difference between the bottle and cartridges. Greg Clark shows the color as a lime green, and the cartridges back him up. However, two bottles of the color show no sign of the "lime." By adding some yellow ink, however, even the bottled ink can have the lime green look. It's a very nice lime green.
Thanks Don Weinberg for many of the comments on Herbin ink.
Lamy Blue, Black, Blue-Black, TurquoiseThe bottle may be more exciting than the ink. Some of the bottles have a small roll of blotter that rolls off the bottom.
- Blue - weak in colour, similar to the Waterman Florida Blue but a little pale when compared.
- Turquoise - I gave a bottle to a friend and she raved about it as one of the best she has used.
- Black - good saturated colour, very close to Aurora, and generally rated as a very good black. Slower ink flow than Aurora.
Amethyst, Cardinal Red, Cobalt Blue, Cocoa, Gemstone Green, Raven Black
Levenger ink is not readily available in Canada
and I was fortunate enough that a reader of this site sent me a few bottles
of the Cobalt Blue.
My first response to the ink was favorable. I really liked the deep rich colour. But in using the ink I experienced the issue of smudging that I have seen references about on other pen discussion boards. Its not a case of smudging while it is wet, for some reason if there is any moisture on your fingers, and you pass them across the ink - days later - the ink smudges.
Cartridges are available in the six classic colours: Cobalt Blue, Gemstone Green, Cardinal Red, Amethyst, Cocoa Brown, Raven Black.
- Cobalt Blue - a nice rich blue colour, good flow. I have been using it in pens with broad nibs and the ink looks and writes very nicely indeed. Thanks Eddy Day for the experience! This colour has made a bit of a name for itself on some of the pen discussion boards. Kind of a love-hate thing. Many like the colour, others note it can take a dozen or so flushing with water to clean then pen. I find that because of the smudging that I don't seem to be filling up as often as I once did with this ink.
- Black - semi-permanent, takes its time drying.
- Always Greener - kind of like grass green.
- Skies of Blue - Like a denim blue.
- Bahamas Blue - Reported to be a "nice" blue.
- Fireball - a red with yellow-orange undertones.
- Pinkly - a hot pink.
- Smoky - grey ink.
- Cardinal Red - described by others as "stop sign red" - strong colour.
- Cocoa - I am told that fans of brown ink say this is the best colour brown since Penman Mocha. The Levenger ink runs a little lighter in colour, but has colour to it.
Black, Blue, Turquoise, Green
Despite positive comments on Montegrappa black, when I recently bought a Montegrappa Extra, in the Parchment colour (white and semi-transulent), the store steered me away from the ink and suggested I use Waterman Blue because of possible ink staining of the semi-transulent body. That concerned me. So, I have not tried any of their inks.
- Blue - the ink comes in a bottle that is described as being just about as good as an ink well. The blue has good colour and flow and is closer to a blue-black as opposed to the blues that tend to lean to a blue-purple. (thanks - M. Soards)
Royal Blue, Blue-black, Black, Emerald Green, Ruby Red, Turquoise, Bordeaux
I
find that Mont Blanc inks have a lower level of colour density than some other
brands. For example, Turquoise and green appear as either light tones or washed-out.
Omas Burgundy has richer tones than Mont Blanc Bordeaux although the Bordeaux
will provide good shading... one the characteristics of writing with a fountain
pen. Royal Blue has medium intensity of colour.
Stylophiles, an Internet site that should never be missed, includes a regular section on ink. Mike Stevens (Nov/Dec 1998) provided his comments on Mont Blanc ink. Mike pulled no punches when he says "The bad news, the ink is, at best mediocre. It gives you nothing that you can't get better, and cheaper, from other inks, and that's in the best case scenario!" But to balance his view he goes on to say that "In fact, the bottles are so good, after testing the inks, I dumped the remainder down the drain, and refilled the bottles with some of my favorite 'real' inks!"
On colour comparison, Mike Stevens' views are as follows:
- Green - "With a broad nib the green looks pretty good. It's a little more blue than the Waterman Emerald, which is what I usually use as a comparison for green ink."
- Red - "The red is, frankly, terrible, not quite as washed out as the Waterman, but not really a true red, when compared to the Waterman Vespucci red. It has more orange to it, but it's overall very light in color saturation, so it comes across as a pink, rather than a brick red."
- Blue and Black - "...not as bad as the red, in terms of color..." ... "Waterman and Aurora both offer much better blue inks..."
- Black - slightly less saturated than Pelikan,
the tint has a slight red tone when compared to the Waterman and Pelikan.
Good flow, but not as good as Waterman's. (Thanks: R. Womer) Also reported
as one of those inks that disappears without a trace at the sight of
water! A Black with a reddish or brown tone.
Blue, Black
Royal Blue. Blue-black. Gray, Green, Violet, Amerigo Vespucci Red, Permanent Black, Saffron Yellow, Sepia, Roma 2000 Blue (1999/2000)*, Hong Kong Red (1997)*, Triratna Saffron (1998)*, Green Italia 90 ** Limited Time Span Production
The
large octagon-shaped bottle, they have used it since it was first introduced
in the 1930s, looks great on a desk is a pain to get into a briefcase!
While I personally think that the violet, gray and green are too light in colour when compared to some other brands, I am always reminded that there are a range of tastes! Others have written to note the colours provide good shading... especially the gray.
In November 1999, one participant to the alt.collecting.pens-pencils news/discussion group reported the suspicion that Omas Blue-Black ink caused the corrosion of a nib in a matter of days. The discussion that followed was interesting, with opinions at all spectrums. A regular contributor to the group, Frank Dubiel, noted: "I'm the one who spent 20 years running an ink and dye lab and I never saw any ink in all that time that could eat a hold in a nib in a few days. Sure Omas ink is terrible, there is no doubt in that. No doubt the pH is lower than it should be. My point is Omas varies all over the place in its contents, and perhaps its pH as well. But even a pH of 1.7 will not eat a hole in a modern nib in months, probably not for years." ... "Folks talking about pH really don't seem to understand that even a rather low pH is not acid enough to damage any material used in any normal pen made in our lifetime. Again its a problem far more in theory than if fact. I'd have no problem using inks with a pH of 1.7 in any pen I've ever owned. But I'd have a BIG problem with ink that contains gunk, or one with dyes so strong they may stain. Neither of which has the slightest thing to do with pH"
Frank is pretty knowledgeable about pens and as a book "Fountain Pens, the Complete Guide to Repair and Restoration available. You can contact Frank by e-mail.
Omas pens are made with natural resins do be careful about what inks you do use in those beautiful pens. Luckily, Omas ink comes in a wide range of colours.
- Vespucci Red - good density and flow. The red used as a comparison for other colours. It can be a hard ink to find.
- Hong Kong Red - made in 1997 for that year only, leans on the weaker tone side of inks.
- Roma 2000 Blue - deep rich royal blue with a light touch of ultramarine. Dense and free-flowing. Dries fast, no colour shift. A very popular ink. It is reported that OMAS is continuing production of Roma 2000. The company produces special colours for set time frame. Some report that the Omas 2000 Blue shows staining of the plastic body of converters. Keep that in mind with translucent pens. Bill Ripel gives a great review of the Omas Roma 2000 ink in the February edition of Stylophiles. Bill describes the Blue as a useful "day to day ink, one that has become an instant favorite for me." He says it is a little "down" in colour from previously available Penman Sapphire. It is a darker and deeper in tone than Aurora or Waterman blue. Good flow, good colour.
- Black - some users report problems with clogging. A a rich black but not as rich in tone as the Pelikan Brillant Black, Private Reserve Velvet Black, Bexley Midnight Black or the Aurora Black (R Ragner)
- Green (Italia 90) - limited edition run made for 1990. Green colour of the Italian flag. I found it a bit light. Okay in a medium nib, but too light with a Broad. Looks good on cream-colour paper.
- Triratna - orange but a little on the weak and watery side. Less intense than the near fluorescent Private Reserve Tangerine Dream, but more orange than the Private Reserve Orange Crush - which leans towards a burnt orange with red and brown tones to the colour. (R Ragner)
- Violet - lighter than the Pelikan Violet and significantly lighter than the Waterman Purple (R Ragner)
- Sepia - so for your browns, this one is a little darker than the Private Reserve Copper Burst or the Bexley Mocha, and also darker than the Waterman Havana. (R Ragner)
Panache ink, made by Hunt, have rich colour tone. I have found that the inks don't do well with broad nib pens. They tend to dry quickly. Some comments received that this line of inks, despite being labeled as fountain pen ink, is not recommended for fountain pens.
- Red - The Red is one of the richest I have found, and does not have that orange colour found in many other reds.
- Blue - a fine rich colour, a couple of tones lighter than the Penman Series. Dries quickly so does not work that well in large broad nibs.
On this brand, based on my experience with the ink, I go along with some of the comments received ... this is not an ink recommend for fountain pens. Check out the Herbin colours as you can get the same red there in a good flowing ink.
Parker
Quink
Blue,
Blue-black,
Green*,
Red*,
Peacock Blue*,
Brown*
Penman
Sapphire Blue*,
Emerald Green*,
Mocha Brown*,
Black*,
Ruby *
*These inks discontinued for year 2000.
Quink
Parker has been making inks for some 60+ years. The Quink brand is made
in England. With the Penman line discontinued this is the sole ink Parker
markets. Available in blue, blue-black and black.
- Blue-Black - varies by dye lot, the colour is fairly dark, flow good, performs well in both broad and medium nib pens.
- Blue - a colour of blue that won't have anyone look twice at your document!
- Black - mixed reviews on this ink. They range from being not one of the blackest inks around to a very underrated ink. Described as a "moderate black" with a blue-grey hue. Moderate flow. Good water resistance.
- Green - light tone to the colour.
- Red - medium colour, very little orange tone.
Penman
Visit a pen discussion site and you will read strong feelings on this
ink. Comments range from staining, clogging to just perfect! The ink is
now discontinued (Dec 99). The ink was actually made by a company in Germany
and not at Parker's plan in New Haven, England.
- Sapphire Blue - I used Sapphire Blue as one of my standard inks ever since the ink came our, and until I use my last bottle. I have had no problems with any pen, any nib. While I have some bottles left, an Ink of Choice. From time to time I hear from individuals that have found stores that still stock the ink. As of Summer of 2003, Laywines in Toronto, Ontario, Canada has it the Sapphire Blue. They were charging a steep $40 a bottle. But, if you are travelling to Britian, Webster's Pen Shop bought up all they could and sell it for a reasonable 5 British Pounds per bottle (Aug 2004).
- Emerald Green - I found this ink to dry quickly and will clog some nibs. Margo, at Vancouver Pen has had this as her favourite green for years. What will she do now! I look back at documents that I wrote with this green and there has been no fading, the colour looks great years later.
- Black - I found it has a gray tinge to it and not dark enough for my liking.
- Ruby - I had forgotten about the Ruby, and Erika Moore wrote to describe it as burgandy-ish red with just a hint of black. The Ruby is a bit thinner than the black and has a moderate drying time. I remember picking up a bottle in France but at the time I was totally hooked on Omas' burgundy so when I judged it it really wasn't a fair comparison!
Brilliant Black, Blue, Blue-black, Violet, Brilliant Brown
Pelikan make a great ink and worth a try in your sampling
of inks. I find that the bottles nicely fit in a briefcase so I have no
problem porting them around. The ink work fine in all my pens. The only
comment, and one from the company's own literature, that causes me concern
is: "Royal Blue can be eradicated and washed out." So
what does that mean to the other colours?. In addition the regular ink
bottle, the company has an 1897 Line which is a squarish bottle
with a pen holder surface.
In July 2002 I had a number of reports of a batch of Pelikan ink with mould or sludge in the bottles.
- Brilliant Black - a nice rich black ink, and close second to Platignum's noir perfection, the violet and the brown both have rich colour tone. This is probably my second favorite in black. The Aurora Black is my first. The black has more saturated colour than say Waterman Black, and sharing a slightly blue-grey hue. Good flow, although a little slower than the Waterman black. (Thanks. R. Womer).
- Violet is one of my main-stay inks. Rich tone, sometimes appears to be a bit edgy. It is rich enough to work well with a broad or stub nib. Good flow. We often hear of "staining" and I know my plastic converters have a stain with prolonged use of the violet ink. So I don't use this ink in any of my piston pens.
- Brilliant Brown has a chestnut brown look. Some users like the highlights are created with this colour. I have found that the ink is fine for limited work but a whole page of meeting notes in this colour doesn't sit well with me!
- Blue - not one of the blues that will stand out and say something!
- Orange - I have been told about this ink, although I have never seen in sold in any stores, it is a dark orange that has some hints of red and brown in the colour.
PlatignumBlue, Calligraphers Black, Brown, Red, Green
Difficult to find this ink. The black is one of the darkest and best flowing ink I have used and works great in just about any pen. I regularly get requests as to where you can buy Platignum inks. I am told that Platignum inks in a wide variety of colours are available from Wallacks on Bank Street in Ottawa, Ontario. (Thanks to Alan Bennett for helping with that) and also Robert Antovel of Art & Frame of Sarasota sells the ink in blue and black, bottles and cartridges.
- Black - dark rich colour with good flow
- Brown - a dark flat brown in colour, I have not been able to get this ink for years but found long after dried, it was susceptible to smudging if your fingers were moist.
Ink is made in Japan. The company has been in operation for over 80 years. A smooth flowing ink. The company makes what is referred to as regular fountain pen ink and also a black carbon ink. I have have reports that the carbon ink works fine in fountain pens with Fine and Extra-Fine nibs
- Blue-Black leans more to the blue than the black.
Private Reserve
Velvet Black, Lake Placid Blue, Naples Blue, Sherwood Green, Copper Burst Brown, Candy Apple Red, Tanzanite Purple, Plum, Hot Bubble Bum Pink, Fiesta Red, Orange Crush, Baby Lips Pink, Blue Suede, Avacado, Sonic Red, Sonic Blue, Shell Pink, Purple Haze, American Blue
There
are positive and negative comments expressed about Private
Reserve ink but overall this ink is a winner. I have purchased some of
the colours from The
Ink Pallette - a good source for all inks. When in Vancouver, BC Canada
drop by Vancouver Pen as they now carry the full line of Private Reserve
inks. Private Reserve is now making international size cartridges in some
of their key colours.
Mixing some Private Reserve ink colours gave unpleasant results. Three colours, now discontinued (july 2002), but bottles may be around in shop stocks, should never be mixed with others: Candy Apple Red, Hot Bubble Gum Pink and Tangerine Dream. Mixing these colours results in a sludge.
Comments on the range of colours are as follows:
- American Blue - December 03 - this ink is just recently out. When I tried it in the store I really liked the depth of colour to the blue, so as with all ink addicts, I bought three bottles - a bottle for home, for the office, for the brief case. Doesn't everyone do that? Now that I have used the ink for a while I find that it is really great in a medium nib, but in a broad or stub nib the flow is heavy and the ink is easy to smudge. But I think I am going to really like this colour.
- Avacado Green - my first reaction was very positive to this green and I ended up buying a couple of bottles. The ink has a softer tone than Sherwood Green, but I have reverted back to Sherwood Green for my green, as I find that colour crisper.
- Black Cherry - I picked up a few bottles of this colour for Christmas. I must admit, the colour has an appeal. It is almost a burgundy but there is a brown undertone. Overall, good dark tone, writes well with both broad and medium nibs.
- Blue Suede - this is really closer to a teal blue/green, but it does have a nice rich tone in both medium and broad nibs. It has been an ink of choice for the past few months. Again, the colour is deep enough to look okay for business writing. I find I use it more and more.
- Black - evidently the formula has been updated and the black is reported to be a very rich colour. Worth a try!
- Black Magic Blue - I picked up a few bottled of this, when you open the bottle and see some of the ink on the cardboard liner of the cap you will think you have opened a bottle of Tanzanite Purple in error. The colour is the dark rich purple with added colour to give a very dark blue-black look.
- Burgundy Mist - don't be mistaken by the title, there is really nothing "misty" about this colour. It is a nice rich Burgundy-colour ink, and quickly becoming one I am enjoying to write with. It has even edged into my Inks of Choice.
- Candy Apple Red - reported as gorgeous, comes with its own battery pack. Note the caution on mixing. Flush your pen out when changing colours.
- Copper Burst - a real golden brown with, just like its name, a definite copper look.
- DC Super Show Blue (2003) - when I tried this ink in the store I really liked it. Then for the next few days in the office I was pleased. With continued use, and continual smearing, I find the ink does not dry fast enough and is very sensitive to any moisture resulting in bleading and smearing. Kind of put this one to the side of the desk. I don't have to worry about this as the ink was made in limited production.
- Fiesta Red - a dark saturdated red, very close to OMAS Amerigo Vespucci. This is a nice dark red that does not scream at you like the Candy Apple Red. (R Ragner)
- Grey Flannel - I am not sure why I bought this ink. For a grey ink it has a nice tone. Looks better after it dries than when you are actually writting. Found quite a difference depending on what kind of paper I wasu using. In the end, not a business ink, but would look good to be used with personal correspondence on a cream paper.
- Lake Placid Blue - Some say this is a neutral blue. I bought a bottle, used it for a day and will never return. It is a non-descript blue. A bit washed out.
- Orange Crush - this has been described a really being a burnt orange with red and brown tones (R Ragner)
- Midnight Blues - Okay, I have bought numerous bottles of this stuff in just a little over a week. Great rich blue-black ink. Good flow, great tone. An Ink of Choice.
- Naples Blue - rich peacock blue, colour and tone dark enough for business writing. I always seem to get good comments when people see this colour on the page.
- Plum - good tone, somewhat like the Pelikan Purple, but has a rich colour all its own. I find it great for my home office but a little too startling for office documents!
- Purple Haze - a lighter tone of their purple ink.
- Shell Pink - the ink has a softer look, which has been described as being pastel in nature.
- Sherwood Green - okay, I have now found a replacement for the deep rich Penman Green ink that I used to enjoy. Anyone who likes green, see's this ink and says that is it for them! An Ink of Choice.
- Sonic Blue - I would call this part of the blue-gray family of inks, the ink just looks too ale for my taste. .
- Tanzanite Purple - deep, rich purple, almost a dark blue, I use this ink often. It is not the type of purple that seems out of place on business documents. This is one of the fastest flowing inks I have every owned. If you have a pen that typically has a slow ink flow... try it with this ink. An Ink of Choice.
Royal Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Turquoise, Black, Violet. Pink, red, Brown, Green
I've used the blue as sometimes if you need ink when you are traveling, and you did not bring a printed copy of Glenn's Pens with you, you can usually find an art supply or drafting store that stocks Rotring inks.
- Royal Blue - okay colour. You can buy really small bottles if you want!
- Seville Red - intense coral, not a true red.
- Brown - range of opinions from a little on the flat look to a nice dark brown with no yellow or red undertones.
Red, Turquoise, Purple, Black, Orange, Pink, Green, Grey, Yellow, Blue, Brown
Ink is made in Italy and sold by Rubinato in Treviso.
I have never seen the ink in Canada.Other brands of ink are made by Rubinato
makes, like some Colorado Pen ink.
Blue, Blue-Black, Peacock Blue, Red, Brown, Green, Black, Burgundy, Gray, Lavender, King's Gold
Sheaffer has been make their own inks for all of this century. A new series of colours were introduced in 1998.
Opinions vary. Some write and say the ink is too thin and the colours have low density. Others find the colours just fine. A number of pen stores that regularly keep Scheaffer in ink wells for dipping. The blue is considered a safe ink for pens. The King's Gold is interesting. The new colors of Burgundy, Lavender and Gray have medium density of colour.
Sheaffer inks are often consider among the "safest" inks for use in pens as it is thought they will not stain the pens. Various sources on pens talk "for" and "against" the idea of staining. Interestingly enough, in Gregory Clark's 1996 article on pH levels of inks, published in Pen World, Sheaffer inks came out at both ends of the spectrum. Sheaffer Black has a pH level of 9 and the Blue, Blue-Black, Peacock Blue were right in the middle. As the article reported, "...ink never touches the body material. The remainder are usually made of cellulose acetate, plastic resin or acrylics, none of which are damaged by moderated acids." The most neutral inks were since to be in the 6 to 8 pH range.
In 2003 they introduced their "new" colours. Dissappointing. Washed out appearance.
- Lavender -a true lavender purple and thus unique. Can be used for writing in place of regular purples.
- King's Gold - a gold yellow that stands out on white paper. It might not Xerox too well, but it is readable with adequate lighting.
- Blue-Black - a decent colour.
- Blue - a cobalt blue colour - either too light or okay.
- Black - a "warm black", tone and saturation similar to Mont Blanc Black, but better flow. The ink can be sensitive to variations in paper finish. It can occasionally spread and feather before it dries. (Thanks: R. Womer). Excellent water resistance.
- Brown - described as being "earthy" with no hint of red or yellow. Kind of your basic brown and often used as a point of comparison for other colours.
- Gray - gray is one of the colours that I keep thinking I would like, but I have never kept them in a pen for too long. There is a brown undertone to this ink. Not one of my favorites.
Expensive ink. The bottle has a unique design. Not one a standard stationary or medium pen store. You'll have to search out this ink. The look of the bottle always scares me. I have enough ink nightmares as it is.
The colours are acceptable. A balance between a ink that will move quickly out of most pens yet have a colour that is strong enough. I use broad and stub nibs so unless the colour is rich enough, it just looks pale.
- Red - not one of the strongest reds you'll find, reported to be a little on the washed-out look.
- Turquoise - reported to be a very good colour, close to the Waterman South Seas Blue. The blue is a medium in intensity.
Black, Florida Blue, Red, Purple, Green, Blue-Black, South Sea Blue, Brown, Rose
Waterman produces their own inks in their factory in Nantes, France. They use a basic base ink for all colours and then add tints.
From the comments I receive, and those comments that regularly see posted on Internet discussion pages -- this is the ink you love to hate! You have to love the ink for its great flow... but for some the distinct "odeur d'encre" is just too much.
Over the past years, in talking with various pen stores, Waterman Blue comes out as one of the most recommended inks for all pens.
Florida Blue has good colour density and flow. Works well in just about every pen. This is one of the most basic blue inks around. Judging from comments on Internet discussion boards, its very well accepted. When pushed so that I could only take one bottle of ink with me... dread that day... it would be this one, Florida Blue. The all round best blue ink - an Ink of Choice.
Black is an interesting colour. I use this quite often when I am travelling and have to depend more on cartridges. The Florida Blue cartridges sometimes don't seem right to me and the Blue Back has more tone. I have gone back over old notes made years ago and the Blue Black still looks pretty good. I would call it one of those basic colours you should have on hand. An Ink of Choice.
- Black is pretty good, although there is a "gray" look to the ink. It has been referred to as the least-saturated of the inks and a grey-black with a hint of blue. It is a ink with great flow. As there is relatively a low level of pigmentation, it can given your writing a personality, as the line is darker where the nib has moved across the paper more slowly. (Thanks: R. Womer). Good water resistance.
- Purple flows well and has a nice rich look. I still prefer the Pelikan purple as a brighter, sharper colour but I use this ink on a regular basis. One of my most popular selections and the second best purple around. An Ink of Choice.
- South-Sea Blue is somewhat light. The Turquoise by Lamy has richer tones.
- Rose - I have only seen the Rose colour in France.
- Havana Brown - nice tone, no longer available in cartridges throughout North America, but the bottles are everywhere. A very rich dark brown. This is the benchmark for brown inks. When people compare browns, Waterman Havana Brown is usually the colour the is the reference points. Browns are either reddish or yellowish as compared to this one. I use this often when I go through my brown stages. When you go back years later and look at notes written this colour they look good. If you want to try a brown ink this is one I recommend.
- Green - a great green - a bit of a blue tinge to it. Good flow. Works well in many different pens. I would consider this one of the greens with the most colour to it. An Ink of Choice.
- Red - Boy, here is a colour with a wide range of colour quality. Some bottles I have bought are a nice red. Others have a orange-red washed out look. When you get the right dye lot the colour is great but there sure is a lot of variances to my buying history with this colour.
While Herbin inks are known for their scents, Waterman inks are known to have a scent of their own!
Yard-O-LedBlue, Black
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OTHER INTERNET SITES WITH INFORMATION ON INKS
- Pentrace - A must site you visit everyday for pen information, recently added a section dedicated to ink.
- Penoply - Not a site to buy ink, but good information on inks.
- Ink Pallette- They do ink! Check out the site. Prompt service.
- Greg Clark's Ink Sampler - Greg produces a very popular book that provides colour samples of many inks.