17 Ink Questions
When I was browsing one of the many blog roundups in our little corner of the stationery internet, I discovered a new to me blog by Lisa at OliveOctopus.ink through her post about the 23 Memorable Inks of 2023. Wanting to read more, I flipped through some of the past blog posts and discovered the list she compiled of 17 Ink Questions back in the summer. They were really fun questions, and I’m on an inky collection thoughts kick, so here we go!
One. What was your first (memorable) ink?
I bought my very first bottle of fountain pen ink at the same time I bought my first fountain pen. The fountain pen was a white Lamy Safari with a F nib and the bottle was Lamy Turquoise. While the pen still hangs out in my collection, the bottle is long gone.
Two. What is your favorite ink bottle design, and which bottle (or cartridge) is your favorite to use?
My favorite ink bottle design is a tie between Colorverse and the Montblanc square bottles. Both are iconic and recognizable, they make me smile whenever I see them. As far as ink bottle to fill from, I would say anything with a low profile and able to be stabilized with one hand while the other is working the converter or ink syringe.
Three. What is an ink you love or find useful, but would not use for everyday writing?
Honestly, I am willing to use any and all inks for everyday writing. I journal, brainstorm, do research, and write stories in so many different colors. If I had to choose a least favorite category, it would be yellow inks (not gold, but yellow yellow). They are fun, but rarely practical. It really takes the right nib and paper combo for a pen with yellow ink in it to see much use.
The only yellow I currently have in my new ink log.
Four. Where do you discover new inks?
Instagram and blogs, especially when people are posting pictures of their writing/calligraphy. Some favorite Instagram folks are: Scrolling fellow bloggers currently inked lists over time has led to a lot of inks entering the try list.
Five. Do you use ink for anything other than writing?
Not really. I dabble in calligraphy from time to time and I’ve dabbled in fountain pen sketching, but most ink is definitely getting laid down as words on the page.
Six. What’s an ink worth hoarding?
If I had to pick one that I would never run out of, I would say Colorverse Apollo 11. It was the large bottle from the First Moon Landing Special Edition set. It’s a great blue and I plan on enjoying every last drop before trying to hunt down a dupe.
It was the first ink I reached for to ink my newest pen - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo.
Seven. How do you choose which ink goes into a pen? Do they have to match? Do you always use the same ink in that particular pen?
The answer to the first question is deserving of its own blog post, but the short answer is it changes. A lot of the time it is a feeling, but sometimes it’s a deliberate choice.
For me, it’s not important for pens and inks to match. Any ink will be tried in any pen. That being said, sometimes a pen and ink just clash and I end up switching it to something else. I lean toward certain nibs for certain ink properties though. Some ink colors just look better with a broader or narrower nib.
Eight. Do you use ink samples? If so, is your goal to eventually buy a bottle or get a smaller amount of ink to use?
Discovering ink samples were a thing that really changed my fountain pen hobby. It gave me a chance to buy more inks and colors because we were no talking $2-$5 a sample as opposed to $15+ for a bottle. They also take up a lot less room than ink bottles. If an ink caught my eye, I could try it and if it really caught my fancy I could then buy a bottle. For a few years I would probably buy a dozen or more ink samples a month to play with.
However, this accumulation led to a lot of decision paralysis and not even knowing what I have. I’m currently working on a better system for trying the samples I have before they dry up (had that happen more than once) and better plan for future purchases. There are so many inks out there that I want to try and samples will continue to be part of my collecting.
A small portion of the stash.
Nine. Is there a popular ink that is just not for you? What underhyped ink would you like to see more people try?
For the most part I am not a fan of sheeny/shimmery teal inks (like J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor). Sometimes one can win me over, but I mostly like seeing what other people do with those inks rather than writing with them myself.
I would say that some underhyped inks are Papier Plume inks like Caramel, Oyster Gray, and Iron Lace. They are really interesting inks, solid, and not very expensive. As an ink maker they also make some really cool special editions.
Ten. What do you do with any unused ink when you clean out a pen?
Unless I absolutely hate the ink (in which case it’s just getting dumped), I usually move it to a pen/nib that I think will show it off better. Some inks make a few rounds in a few different pens until I find a winning combo or it runs out. Sometimes I choose an ink on a whim that just doesn’t suit at the time, but I still try to use it.
Eleven. What is the most unique ink you’ve used/seen?
As far as used myself, I have two Sailor Ink Studio 280 and Ferris Wheel Press Roaring Patina Black. 280 has such an interesting chromashading property with the green, brown, and pink. Ferris Wheel Press Roaring Patina Black is a very dark blue with a red sheen and gold shimmer. It’s just really cool and fun to write with. Those are all properties you can only get with a fountain pen and it’s so fun.
Twelve. How do you catalogue, swatch, track, and store your inks?
You can read about my updated ink tracking system here. Project Enjoy Collection has been a fun process for engaging with my collection.
Thirteen. What is your favorite ink color/color family?
Blue. It’s such a varied category from dark and serious navy blues to bright and airy sky blues. While I dabble in purple, gray/black, and brown these days, blue will always have my heart.
Fourteen. What ink-related tool or accessory can you not live without?
A blunt syringe, necessary for refilling cartridges.
Fifteen. Have you ever mixed inks or used shimmer additives?
Both. I would be interested in doing more of it. I have a few of the Wearingeul shimmer additives and it’s a good time trying to get the proportions right so that the shimmer actually shows up but doesn’t clog the pen. Sample vials and small amounts are key!
Sixteen. What is your favorite ink delivery system?
I prefer re-using cartridges by filling them with bottle ink. I have a few piston converters for various pens and they work fine, I still tend to fill them up with an ink syringe though rather than sticking the pen in the bottle.
Seventeen. What inks are you excited about right now?
Wearingeul has definitely gotten my attention. I am fascinated by their more subtle colors like Othello, Romeo, and Anubis. I am loving using those and I’m excited to see what else they come out with this year (Frankenstein ink might be calling my name…).
Current state of my Wearingeul collection… Twelfth Night is the outlier color.
Thanks for the great questions Olive Octopus! You can read Lisa’s answers here.
Currently Inked
Bungubox Melancholic Grey - Kaweco Liliput Copper 14K M ‘selvedge’ - On the last bit of the fill of this ink. Swapped the nib out of my Tiger’s Eye Art Sport and using it a lot more in my liliput.
Diamine Pick Me Up - Kaweco Liliput Fireblue 14K M ‘journaller’ - Also working through the second fill of this one. About 1/3 of the cartridge left (will probably run out before the weekend). Trying to decide what blue I want to plop in here next.
Ferris Wheel Press Land of Shangri-la - Kaweco Art Sport Terrazzo M stub - So many of my pens are almost empty! Still trying to decide if this sparkly brown should get a re-ink or if I want to mix it up. This is a gorgeous color that I didn’t give enough credit to last year.
Wearingeul Othello - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye 14K B - Talking about refills… this one will be getting one. This ink is seriously so cool. It starts off kind of a cool gray and then darkens to a warm gray/taupe when dry with a silver sparkle.
Colorverse SM1 - Kaweco Ice Sport Red B - A sheener that has been sitting on my shelf for a while. The sheen from this series of Colorverse inks was wonderful. This one has a brighter blue undertone (kind of in-between Supernova and Quasar) and it’s adding a pop of color to the lineup.
Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho - Kaweco Sport Dark Olive BB - I can’t believe how often I skip over this ink. It’s one of two Iroshizuku inks that I own (Yama-budo is the other one) and it’s just such an interesting brown. I don’t think I actually have any other browns in this range… yellowish greenish browns.
Ferris Wheel Press Brilliant Beanstalk - Kaweco Sport Iridescent Pearl M CSI - A nice earthy green with silver shimmer. It can have a slight brown undertone where the ink pools. A good entry in my green exploration.