Ink testing

[Frantik]

So after owning just 3-4 pens in total and got myself couple of new inks I realised that they look different in different pens or at least they behave differently.

So a question for the experts here how do you decide which pens to use to test a new ink you get? Or do you try in different pens? Or same pen with different nibs?

[earthdawn]

The question you are asking has a depth to it that could be written in a full book.... an excellent and common question but one that holds a deep and complex answer.

The short answer is that everything factors into it. Nib, ink & paper combination is what it is about.

Nibs flow at different rates. Width changes the dynamics of the ink as well. One paper being more porous than another changes the ink as well. Finding the right ink for the right pen and the right paper to write it on is what we all seek. You will find it but it takes a few tries for sure.

What helps me is a Notebook I have dedicated to "What ink is in my pens" Each page is for 1 pen and when I change inks I write in the date & writing sample on a line. Now I know how the ink behaves in that pen. Even thought paper is different from notebook to notebook I can at least get an idea how it will behave and perform. As you get more experience with other papers you will develop a better sense of how they might behave. When I got my first Iroshizuku ink, Yama Budo, I tried it in several pens so i now have several examples of it in different pens/nibs.

Bottom line is YES you can have a pen dedicated to testing inks and a paper you favor for doing this. It will help you judge what shades well or has sheen, what dries fast or what takes forever to dry lol.

It's a fun game that when you win, meaning you find "the" ink/pen/paper combo, it is true bliss..... it makes you want to write more and more and continue on your quest. That also leads to IAD, Ink Acquisition Disorder. Don't worry if you catch it as it runs rampant around here and is a highly accepted disorder to have :crazy_pilot:

[RayCornett]

One thing I do is I have a speedball nib holder, and 2 nibs. One basically the size of a medium nib. The other about the width of a fine nib. I dip test that way.

This is faster than dip testing a pen because the Speedball nibs are easier to clean out than it is to flush out a nib and section if I don't like the color. Especially if I am testing multiple inks in a testing sessions. This helps me see if it works best in a medium nib or more of a fine/ef nib. Then, say if is an ink that looks better coming from an f/ef nib, I grab one of my favorite pens with that size nib and dip test that pen. If it still looks good, then I fill it and use that ink for a day or two, see if it dries out after sitting for a few hours unused making it a hard starter, etc.

[Potter]

It's a fun game that when you win, meaning you find "the" ink/pen/paper combo, it is true bliss..... it makes you want to write more and more and continue on your quest. That also leads to IAD, Ink Acquisition Disorder. Don't worry if you catch it as it runs rampant around here and is a highly accepted disorder to have :crazy_pilot:

Will my Doctor understand when I tell him I've got IAD:confused:

[sharmon202]

I really enjoy receiving letters and seeing all the ink/pen/paper combos, a collection to help me decide what pen/ink/papers I might want to try. I usually write letters with more than one pen to see the differences. These are an addition to the notebook I use to document every pen fill to see my own combos. I love reading and seeing pictures of all the reviews but sometimes it is different in person. You can easily get more learning's than just your own use.

[Morgaine]

It's a fun game that when you win, meaning you find "the" ink/pen/paper combo, it is true bliss..... it makes you want to write more and more and continue on your quest. That also leads to IAD, Ink Acquisition Disorder. Don't worry if you catch it as it runs rampant around here and is a highly accepted disorder to have :crazy_pilot:

Will my Doctor understand when I tell him I've got IAD:confused:

If you write to your Doctor about your disorder, you might not be able to read his (or her) written reply.

[The Good Captain]

I use a couple of Lamy Safari pens, M nibs, as 'dip' testers. Usually on Rhodia dot 80gsm paper. Well, that's for starters!

[Chrissy]

I definitely have IAD, but I don't want it treated.... yet :)

[fncll]

Every time I ink up a pen with a different color, I write a paragraph and some squiggles and hashes, etc. in an ink diary (a Clairefontaine notebook)...it is amazing, looking back, how different an ink can look depending on the nib width, flow, etc. I also keep a swatch book that includes a small writing sample of every new ink and ink sample, all created using the same dip pens and swabs, which gives me a more "raw" comparison...