Unique, strange, and hard to get inks

[pensloth]

What are the most unique fountain pen inks on the market? How about the strangest (sheen, handling characteristics, or any other quality)? Have you discovered any that are amazing, but really hard to get a hold of?

The pen sloth is curious. :)

[carlos.q]

Parker Penman Sapphire... :thumb:


Many times imitated, this ink should be on every geek's bucket list.

[Chrissy]

Montblanc Hitchcock is a great red, and is very difficult to find, as well as being ridiculously expensive if you do. However, the colour is the same as Diamine Burgundy Rose, and you can buy that at a fraction of the price. :thumb:

Parker Penman Sapphire is an ink that I would also call a geeks ink, but it's a 'high risk' ink in many pens. :(

[KKay]

I have Burgundy Rose inked up now. I love it.

Lamy-Dark Lilac and Petrol are very hard to get.

[Lady Onogaro]

Petrol IS hard to get, but I just don't get the mania for it. It has no sheen to speak of, and it's not that different from R & K Verdigris or Diamine Schubert. I like De Atramentis Plum a LOT better.

[Chrissy]

When I last looked La Couronne du Comte had bottles of Lamy Petrol in stock at the regular issue price. :)

[Chrissy]

Petrol IS hard to get, but I just don't get the mania for it. It has no sheen to speak of, and it's not that different from R & K Verdigris or Diamine Schubert.

You're right! Diamine Schubert is similar. :)

[Chrissy]

Another ink that used to be hunted down was Omas Amerigo Vespucci Red, but like many of these 'hard to get' inks, when you eventually get it you wonder why you bothered. :facepalm:

It looks almost exactly the same as J.Herbin Rouge Opera :)

[inklord]

Petrol IS hard to get, but I just don't get the mania for it. It has no sheen to speak of, and it's not that different from R & K Verdigris or Diamine Schubert. I like De Atramentis Plum a LOT better.

... one vote in support of that; and the ink is even too green to precisely match the Safari Petrol LE.

[inklord]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".

[Lady Onogaro]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".

Inklord--I'll send you a sample if you want one. PM me with your address. I think you will like "Terra Firma" better, though.

[Chrissy]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".
Although Collodi is also hard to get, that's a Terracotta shade. Just add a bit of red to Collodi and you've got Leonardo Red Chalk. :)

I must admit I've never seen any F-C Terra Firma.

[Dhruv]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".

At one point, I owned both of them. I liked Terre Firma since it had nice flow, but not Red Chalk. Ended up selling it (Red Chalk) for... $12 with one fill taken. Have used about 2ml of Terre Firma and I prefer that.

[KKay]

I'm not even trying to find Petrol. I was at first, then I got mad about it and said to heck with it. I was just answering the op's question. Terra Firma is a lovely ink alright. I think it is a little dry though. I have Terra Firma. It was my first brown ink.

[Dhruv]

Terra Firma is a lovely ink alright. I think it is a little dry though. I have Terra Firma. It was my first brown ink.

Maybe a bit, but definitely much better than red chalk. MB inks don't flow well even in their own EF nibs.

Didn't like Petrol either. Maybe dark lilac has given unrealistic expectations with Lamy.

[grainweevil]

When I last looked La Couronne du Comte had bottles of Lamy Petrol in stock at the regular issue price. :)

Trouble with that is LCdC has everything listed as in stock until you come to order it. Anyway, I absolutely agree that Petrol is a steaming puddle of mediocrity and not worth the hunt, and most irritatingly, as inklord says:


...and the ink is even too green to precisely match the Safari Petrol LE.

Pelikan Edelstein Amber, the 2013 self-styled "Ink of the Year", is the hard to get ink I'd like to find. To my irritation, for some reason Pelikan decided to make Aquamarine, another IOTY, part of the standard line-up (which is about as underwhelming as Petrol) but not Amber, which so many people want. I will never ever understand the logic employed by pen companies, particularly, it seems, the German ones.

[SIR]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".


Not all that helpful as one of the ingredients is another hard to find ink - Organics Studio Mercury, but i did make an attempt at an homage to MB LDV RC recipe;
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/15464-SIR-s-world-famous-blended-ink-recipes!?p=163785&viewfull=1#post163785

[inklord]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".


Not all that helpful as one of the ingredients is another hard to find ink - Organics Studio Mercury, but i did make an attempt at an homage to MB LDV RC recipe;
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/15464-SIR-s-world-famous-blended-ink-recipes!?p=163785&viewfull=1#post163785
Right, forgot about that... thanks!

[inklord]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".

At one point, I owned both of them. I liked Terre Firma since it had nice flow, but not Red Chalk. Ended up selling it (Red Chalk) for... $12 with one fill taken. Have used about 2ml of Terre Firma and I prefer that.
How did the two compare color-wise?

[inklord]

How about MB Leonardo? Never got a hold of that one, but I like red chalk/terra cotta inks, my current favorite being Franklin-Christoph "Terra Firma".

Inklord--I'll send you a sample if you want one. PM me with your address. I think you will like "Terra Firma" better, though.
Thanks for the offer - but I seem to hear a lot of "thumbs up" remarks for "Terra Firma" - so maybe I'll pass on the kind offer. Could anyone who owns both do a side-by-side swab?

[inklord]

Btw. has anyone spotted OS "Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass" lately? that is for me a really exceptional, though not everyday ink with its muted shades of brown and green, terriffic shading and smooth flow..

[Scooby921]

I think any inks made for a specific brick and mortar shop are going to classify as hard to get. I've seen a few unique inks pop up in the "guess the ink" thread from some small, single location shop somewhere in Europe. There are also the Sailor inks made for Bungubox and Kingdom Note in Japan. I suppose with Paradise Pen going out of business any of their inks are now hard to find and will fall into the same category as all of Montblanc's one-run limited edition/special release inks. Those go the way of Parker Penman Sapphire, Montblanc Racing Green/Hitchcock/Gandhi/JFK/BMW/et al., Sheaffer Skrip Peacock...and so many more.

My favorite of the unique inks would be those from Sailor. I love the way their inks write as well as the wonderful sheen most of them produce. We're talking Martin, border-line Charlie.

[migo984]

I have to mention the Maruzen Athena Nihombashi inks. Not quite as tricky to obtain as in the past, but still require a little extra 'effort' to purchase. I particularly love Nihombashi Midori.

[Dhruv]

How did the two compare color-wise?

They are not completely indistinguishable, but very close. I could make out the difference. I'd say 90% same.

[Dhruv]

For the actual topic, I'd say sailor inks. Not all of them, definitely not Maruzen or Kingdom Note, but there are some which are extremely hard to get. You have to visit the shop in person located in some corner of Japan to buy those inks. I have at least 30 of those and they are great.

[TSherbs]

Btw. has anyone spotted OS "Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass" lately? that is for me a really exceptional, though not everyday ink with its muted shades of brown and green, terriffic shading and smooth flow..

One of my favorite inks for a few years now. Glad it came back.

[pensloth]

Try Bertram's Inkwell. I was in there on Saturday and I think I remember seeing some.

[naimitsu]

Maybe a bit, but definitely much better than red chalk. MB inks don't flow well even in their own EF nibs.

Odd, I thought Irish Green flowed too well out of the EF nib on my MB Brahms. Maybe it's a case of their "hand tuned" unreliable finish striking again.

FWIW, every MB ink I've put through a Pilot VP has flowed w/o a problem.

[FredRydr]

What are the most unique fountain pen inks on the market? How about the strangest (sheen, handling characteristics, or any other quality)? Have you discovered any that are amazing, but really hard to get a hold of?

http://coastalfinefoods.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Nortindal-Cuttlefish-Ink-200gm-Coastal-Fine-Foods.jpg

[kazoolaw]

Parker Penman Sapphire... :thumb:


Many times imitated, this ink should be on every geek's bucket list.

Sapphire is abundant compared to Omas 2000, a limited production beauty. Or DuPont Bleu Nuit. Or...

[carlos.q]

Parker Penman Sapphire... :thumb:


Many times imitated, this ink should be on every geek's bucket list.

Sapphire is abundant compared to Omas 2000, a limited production beauty. Or DuPont Bleu Nuit. Or...

If you find Penman Sapphire to be abundant then I must be shopping in the wrong places! :wink:

[Scrawler]

Cuttlefish ink? Do you drink it or write with it.

[Dhruv]

Cuttlefish ink? Do you drink it or write with it.

I have it. It contains ammonia and a quite dry to write with.