Ink question

I have 6 Diamine ink samples. So far I've used Ancient Copper and like it quite a bit.

This is my second Diamine ink and I am very happy with the brand. Is there another reason to buy a different brand, other than desiring a color not available from Diamine?

I started using Noodlers, Scribal Workshop, and Private Reserve. I'm currently transitioning most of my ink over to Diamine because I don't have trouble with clogging, drying out, or staining with Diamine compared to the other 3. Diamine is very hassle free to me. I have also used some quink washable blue in a Pelikan and it was terrific, too.

Water resistance, possibly, if you want it, and particularly if you want it with a specific color. Some Diamine inks have that quality, others do not.

I like Diamine Syrah; the only other one of their inks I've tried was Asa Blue, which I didn't care for as much. I've got other brands that I'm happy with, but if you're satisfied with Diamine, then there's nothing else that I'd say was an absolute must try.

It depends.

Different inks perform differently, and have different characteristics. Dry time, feathering, bleed-through, shading, saturation, water resistance, anti-forgery qualities, lubrication, anti-freezing ... there are lots of things guys can look for, beyond the specific colours.

Ultimately, it's up to you whether you are happy where you are, or whether or not you want to keep looking for "the perfect ink".

Doc4 said:

It depends.


Ultimately, it's up to you whether you are happy where you are, or whether or not you want to keep looking for "the perfect ink".

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I'm afraid I don't know enough yet to recognize the perfect ink if it jumped up and bit me. That's why I ask you guys, and I have already learned considerably more by asking. Thanks.

musicman1951 said:

Is there another reason to buy a different brand, other than desiring a color not available from Diamine?

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YES! This from Glenn's Pens:

Fountain pen ink is a rather complex medium. It is a blend of solvents, pigments, dyes and water. Ink is not ink, and as you use various different brands you will find that some ink just does not work in some pens very well, some inks are are too "thin" or "thick" dry to fast or not fast enough. A wide range of criteria that each user holds to define the acceptance of a particular brand and colour of ink.

For me, it depends on the pen. I was very happy with a couple of inks and a couple of pens for many years. As I acquired more pens, I found some pens just prefer specific inks, so experimentation became necessary. Although I now have enough ink to last me a few years, I will still pick up something new when I get in the mood for a specific color now and then, but I generally stick with a few brands that I know will perform well with most of my pen / paper combinations.

I'm a bigger user of Diamine inks they are my primary ink. I also use DeAtramnetis inks because they work well and have unusual colors.
I impressed with the performance of Organic Studios Raven Red, it is very well behaved.

musicman1951 said:

I'm afraid I don't know enough yet to recognize the perfect ink if it jumped up and bit me. That's why I ask you guys, and I have already learned considerably more by asking. Thanks.

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It may have already jumped up and bit you.

The key here is that "perfect" is a personal preference sort of thing. Yes, there are inks that most guys will agree 'basically suck', and there are inks that tend to show up in a lot of "top ten" lists. But ultimately, it's a "who's hotter: Ginger or Mary-Anne?" question rather than "who has more money: Skipper or Mister Howell?".

For a lot of guys, there's a lot of fun in "the hunt", experimenting with different inks. Others like to find a good ink and stick with it. Either approach is fine ... although one of them is a lot more enjoyable and expensive.

Doc4 said:

It may have already jumped up and bit you.

The key here is that "perfect" is a personal preference sort of thing. Yes, there are inks that most guys will agree 'basically suck', and there are inks that tend to show up in a lot of "top ten" lists. But ultimately, it's a "who's hotter: Ginger or Mary-Anne?" question rather than "who has more money: Skipper or Mister Howell?".

For a lot of guys, there's a lot of fun in "the hunt", experimenting with different inks. Others like to find a good ink and stick with it. Either approach is fine ... although one of them is a lot more enjoyable and expensive.

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Mary Ann, definitely.

oc_in_fw said:

Mary Ann, definitely.

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In the spirit of the nib, get both!

I have a drawer full of various inks from several different makers. They each have their pros and cons, some Diamine inks are very dry in my pens, in fact I sent Jessy a bottle of quartz black because it was too dry in the pens I tried it in and didn't like it. It really comes down to preference and performance, plenty of our parents and grandparents used one brand and even one color of ink their entire lives.

I would be perfectly happy with Diamine inks if it weren't for Iroshizuku and Edelstein.

Also vintage inks can be a lot of fun to play with. Waterman's Carnation Red is one of my favorites so far.

I've used Noodler's bulletproof, Squink (from the 70's and 80's), and Diamine inks. That's not a lot of ink experience in these waters. But, for my usage and my pens the Diamine inks work extremely well for me. They work well in my Franklin-Christoph, Parker 51s and 21s, and Sheaffer pens.

This doesn't mean I won't give another ink a try. But, at the present time Diamine's China Blue and Sapphire Blue inks are my go to inks.

As always, YMMV...

I really liked both Denim and Sargasso Sea- both are very nice blues. There are reviews of each in the nib reference section.

Doc4 said it the best when it comes to modern pens, and I think this is solid advice about any ink out there.

Doc4 said:

Different inks perform differently, and have different characteristics. Dry time, feathering, bleed-through, shading, saturation, water resistance, anti-forgery qualities, lubrication, anti-freezing ... there are lots of things guys can look for, beyond the specific colours.

Ultimately, it's up to you whether you are happy where you are, or whether or not you want to keep looking for "the perfect ink".

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Some pens that can be finicky with one ink work better with different inks. Some inks don't do well in some pens but are fantastic with others. I can't explain it objectively, but if you ask around you will hear others' experience about it.

Things can be a little different with vintage fountain pens. Some modern ink brands (especially Noodler's, but I'm sure there are others) can be formulated to have specific properties or compositions that don't do well in vintage pens. For example, you'll read about Noodler's Baystate Blue a lot and how it can stain just about any surface it contacts. That's an extreme example, so people will use that ink in specific pens and "safer" inks in other pens.

Diamine is generally regarded as safe but there are a few inks from them that I've heard can be trouble. Vintage Parker Superchrome ink tends to destroy pens, so you typically want to stay away from it. Parker Quink and Pelikan 4001 are two brands that are recognized as being safe for (just about) any pen out there, so you'll read about those brands being used as a test or base ink for new pens or ones that have just been restored.

Mike,thank you for your comments. I'm headed to my local place Monday to buy all the iron gall MB they have available.

RichieRich3902 said:

Mike,thank you for your comments. I'm headed to my local place Monday to buy all the iron gall MB they have available.

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Just be aware that you'll need to use the pen more often and clean it more regularly if you use an iron-gall ink. I'm not the expert on iron-gall inks, but know that quite a few vintage inks were.

I'm aware of the care for iron gall inks. MB midnight blue is my everyday ink.