Let’s think about ink!

When new to fountain pens, the massive array of ink choices out there can be overwhelming, and not just in regard to colors. Inks can do things. They sheen. They shimmer. They change hues. They’re capable of all sorts of delightful tricks. It was all tempting when I first started delving into fountain pens. My “want” list was greedy. I needed it all. Er… or not. I’m happy to say it really didn’t take long for me to come to my senses and mellow out in that department.

The thought of having an over-abundance of ink stresses me out. I don’t see how people can stand to own dozens or hundreds of bottles of ink. I write slower than most people, so ink lasts a pretty long time for me. I’m afraid for it to sit around too long and go bad. I was fortunate to discover some inks that please me early on, so why keep searching and amassing more and more? I don’t want to drown in the stuff! And I don’t have room for an ink horde, either.

So what inks do I use? They seem to fit into three categories: business inks at one of the spectrum, fun inks at the other, and wine in the middle. Wine? Yeah, I know that sounds weird. Bear with me. I’ll explain.

(DISCLAIMER: Colors may be slightly inaccurate. They look different as scanned images than when observed in real life. All swatches below are on Rhodia paper.)

As always, business first. These are the mild-mannered, ultra-conservative inks that seem most appropriate for serious environments. They are also the inks I tend to use the most.

Diamine Blue/Black: It’s not quite navy blue, but pretty close. Sometimes it seems to have a faint hint of teal, but still, not quite. It’s the best of both worlds. Most importantly, it doesn’t smear or sheen. It is so difficult to find dark blue inks that don’t smear or sheen! So Diamine Blue/Black wins the practical dark blue award. I use it all the time.

De Atramentis Johann Sebastian Bach: This is one of the first inks I ever used, and I fell in love with it from the get-go. It’s a brown with a lot of character that makes writing look antique. I like it so much that I feel no need to try out other browns. I am content with it. Why mess with perfection?

Graf von Faber-Castell Stone Grey: It’s moody. It’s broody. It reminds me of whales and threatening skies at sea when a nasty storm’s a-brewing—which is to say, it makes me a bit homesick for the shore. I adore it. And with its massive bottle, I know it will last eons.

De Atramentis Document Ink: Black: It’s archival and I draw with it. It’s a basic necessity and it means business, as it is super-duper waterproof.

And now it’s time for wine.

I don’t drink the stuff—wine, I mean, not ink—AACK! I don’t drink ink, either! I’m a bit of a teetotaler, really! But I do love wine-ish colors: deep reds, burgundies and purples. They are somewhat dignified and businesslike, but not quite cheerful enough to go in the “fun” category—hence wine. I feel no need to itemize all these inks, but I think Herbin Poussière de Lune and Diamine Writer’s Blood hit the sweet spot—Poussière de Lune, especially. I seem to have wine inks covered. No need for more.

Time for fun inks!

No need to spell out every ink here, either. When I want something cheerful and relaxing, I tend to go for various turquoises and lighter/brighter purples. (I own more turquoises than shown here, but they are in cartridges. Diamine Turquoise and Kaweco Paradise Blue, in case you were wondering.) This is the one category in which I’m more inclined to play and explore new inks. I’m not as “settled” on my “fun inks” as I am with the others.

I do want to mention Sailor Ink Studio 224. It’s one of those fancy-schmancy special property inks that I really enjoy. It's a hue changer! It predominantly seems to be grey, but it gets this marbleized effect with hints of purple, turquoise, and green that is so mesmerizing and meditative to watch as it glides across the page. I love it for slow, thoughtful writing with a wet pen and large stub nib (because it’s a lighter ink). It’s so relaxing.

Some concluding thoughts on ink…

One of the troubles with ink, and with fountain pens as well, is this limited edition, now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t nonsense. That, or sometimes things get discontinued or find some other way to fade from existence before you get around to ordering it. This easily turns people into impulse buyers, which I never used to be. For years, I was typically prone to thinking about making a move until the world rots, which means I have missed out on a number of potentially spiffy things. But is this really such a tragedy? Flex your self-control muscles and get over it, my friends—there’s clearly no ink famine yet and there are still so many to choose from.

I have boundaries when it comes to ink. I avoid shimmering inks completely because I have no luck with them—only clogs. I shy away from sheening inks as well (but, as shown below, I did try Nitrogen, as every newbie does). I dislike their tendency to smear afterwards and they are harder to clean. Basically, I avoid high-maintenance inks for the most part. They may be pretty to look at, but I don’t appreciate the extra labor.

For writing, I tend to have only two or three pens inked at once, usually from different ink categories. I like having different colors for contrast to make different thoughts/text stand out. If I have too many pens inked up at once, I’m likely to injure myself from writing too much.

Boundaries are beneficial. They certainly help the wallet! Perhaps I seem picky when it comes to inks… I prefer to see it as being content. I have my favorites that I’m happy to keep coming back to, and there’s nothing wrong with that.