De Atramentis recommendation?

[TSherbs]

Hi folks,

I would like to try a De Atramentis ink but I can't really tell where to start; I get overwhelmed by all their offerings and names. Can you help me with some recommendations? I don't live anywhere near a pen/ink store, so....

I like blue(darker), blue-black, purple, green. Anyone have any faves in these colors from De Atramentis?

Thanks!

--T

[migo984]

Yes, the naming conventions are very peculiar - and confusing!

I like Guiseppi Verdi (aka Dark Blue), a near blue-black with no noticeable leanings to teal. Moderately saturated, shades well if that's your thing. But, like a number of D A inks, being generally very wet inks, it can feather on copier-type papers.

An alternative is Indigo - slightly lighter & with some teal.

Edit: forgot Sherlock Holmes. That's a good blue too.

For 'purple' I do like Puccini (aka Aubergine). Saturated colour; again, a slight tendency to feather.

Be careful with the scented inks; some smell - odd!

[TSherbs]

Thanks, migo.

Nothing scented is going into one of my pens! Well, except for that lovely industrial "scent" of some of the cheaper inks...

I am always partial to inks with author names. The Organic Studios Walt Whitman was one of my favorite greens until it molded on me...

[Laura N]

Sherlock Holmes is my favorite, a dark blue, very nice ink.

William Shakespeare is a nice dark red-brown. You may like that one.

DA inks have always had excellent quality for me.

[jvlgato]

I have a bottle of Alexander Hamilton which I like quite a bit. They call the color 'aubergine', I experience it as a moderately dark purple. Nice flow properties,as well.

[Robert]

If you're interested in a permanent ink, you might take a look at De Atramentis Dark Blue Document Ink. Nothing really flashy, but it is highly water resistant. I have used it to sign important documents - like my will.

[Lady Onogaro]

I like De Atramentis Blue Plum, De Atramentis Sherlock Holmes, and De Atramentis Myrrh (it's a scented one, but it doesn't bother me--I love the color). The first one I ever bought was Magenta Violet--I like that one still.

[TSherbs]

Thanks, folks, for these thoughtful recommendations. Some of the blues look nice, and that Magenta (although my Majestic Purple looks similar and I still have an entire bottle left).

[TSherbs]

Sherlock Holmes is my favorite, a dark blue, very nice ink.

William Shakespeare is a nice dark red-brown. You may like that one.

Yup, on both.

[naimitsu]

One of my favorite dark purples is de Atramenti Aubergine. It's a great color. Dark enough to be professional, but light enough to tell that it is a purple. And it writes beautifully. It was one of Laura's Mystery Inks and even non-purple people loved it.

And going non-scented is a very good idea with de Atramentis inks. I have yet to find one that does not smell like an over-perfumed granny. Or just flat-out foul (like Patchouli... that one smells like an dirty hippie, like literally a hippie that hasn't showered or bathed in months).

[erpe]

There are to many to choose from so any recommendation is very personal. I like Amaretto and Whiskey. The dark blue is also good as daily office writer.

[Scooby921]

Yes, the naming conventions are very peculiar - and confusing!

I like Guiseppi Verdi (aka Dark Blue), a near blue-black with no noticeable leanings to teal. Moderately saturated, shades well if that's your thing. But, like a number of D A inks, being generally very wet inks, it can feather on copier-type papers.

An alternative is Indigo - slightly lighter & with some teal.

Edit: forgot Sherlock Holmes. That's a good blue too.

For 'purple' I do like Puccini (aka Aubergine). Saturated colour; again, a slight tendency to feather.

Be careful with the scented inks; some smell - odd!

While thinking about permanent inks to recommend in another thread I ran across a sample of the Guiseppi Verdi. In addition to being a rather nice dark blue it also appears to offer pretty good water resistance.

One of my favorite dark purples is de Atramenti Aubergine. It's a great color. Dark enough to be professional, but light enough to tell that it is a purple. And it writes beautifully. It was one of Laura's Mystery Inks and even non-purple people loved it.

And going non-scented is a very good idea with de Atramentis inks. I have yet to find one that does not smell like an over-perfumed granny. Or just flat-out foul (like Patchouli... that one smells like an dirty hippie, like literally a hippie that hasn't showered or bathed in months).

I was going to recommend aubergine as well. I think it was just after playing with the mystery ink that I decided to go out in search of a purple ink.

[Laura N]

One of my favorite dark purples is de Atramenti Aubergine. It's a great color. Dark enough to be professional, but light enough to tell that it is a purple. And it writes beautifully. It was one of Laura's Mystery Inks and even non-purple people loved it.

And going non-scented is a very good idea with de Atramentis inks. I have yet to find one that does not smell like an over-perfumed granny. Or just flat-out foul (like Patchouli... that one smells like an dirty hippie, like literally a hippie that hasn't showered or bathed in months).

Aubergine was a nice one! My old friend Karen actually picked that one for MI and sent it out to everyone. TSherbs, that was Mystery Ink No. 6, which you can find here by doing an advanced search for the title (Mystery Ink No. 6).

And that reminds me of yet another: Mystery Ink No. 4 was De Atramentis Black-Brown. I really like that one, too. Naimitsu sent me a sample of DA Black-Green, which was nice, too.

Those MI threads are good to look at if you are interested, because everyone who tried it posted a photo or scan and talked about the ink's behavior for them. So it ended up being like a group review.

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

I can recommend two that I really like:

De Atramentis Mint Turquoise is a nice bluish green. It's a pleasant color that works in any setting.

De Atramentis Blackberry is a scented ink (not necessarily blackberry) which really does look like dried blackberry juice. It's a wonderful reddish purple with some shading and character.

[TSherbs]

Mystery Inks? Another guessing game or something? Yippee!

[TSherbs]

I can recommend two that I really like:

De Atramentis Mint Turquoise is a nice bluish green. It's a pleasant color that works in any setting.

De Atramentis Blackberry is a scented ink (not necessarily blackberry) which really does look like dried blackberry juice. It's a wonderful reddish purple with some shading and character.

so now you know which inks to use in your next letter....

[Sammyo]

I have to second, third, forth and fifth both Sherlock Holmes and Aubergine.

Sherlock Holmes is one of my favourite dark blues (blue/black?). I tried a sample of it during my dark blue / blue black phase and really liked it. It only lost out due to cost (back before i had expendable cash!).

I was one of the DE Aubergine Mystery Inkers and have to say the colour and behaviour of the ink was superb... And that is what I have come to expect from DE inks.

The only caveat I have is DE Whisky. I like the colour; it is easy too clean; but I found that out feathers any paper other than Tomoe River. But that could just be my bottle as they are "hand mixed" and I believe there are slight variations between batches... not huge changes, just subtle variations. But someone else might have had the same experience with that particular ink.

[TSherbs]

I have to second, third, forth and fifth both Sherlock Holmes and Aubergine....

so noted

[Waski_the_Squirrel]

I can recommend two that I really like:

De Atramentis Mint Turquoise is a nice bluish green. It's a pleasant color that works in any setting.

De Atramentis Blackberry is a scented ink (not necessarily blackberry) which really does look like dried blackberry juice. It's a wonderful reddish purple with some shading and character.

so now you know which inks to use in your next letter....

I think I owe you one! My parents are visiting right now, so I'm a little behind on letters.

[TSherbs]

so now you know which inks to use in your next letter....

I think I owe you one! My parents are visiting right now, so I'm a little behind on letters.

no problemo

have fun with them!