Pens to Inks and Inks to Pens

[Saintpaulia]

Have you all found that, as your collecting begins to mature and settle down some, you begin to narrow down what pens you use the most (and which are therefore favorites), and certain inks for each? I've come around to this activity from both sides of the equation: the pens and the inks.

One has to know one's pens, but also one needs to know about the inks and there are lots more of them than there are pens! (At least in my world :rolleyes:). I've honed my ink collection somewhat and also homed in on certain colors at a time til I find a set of each I like (i.e. browns, blues, reds, etc.). I'm still experimenting with some pens and inks. For example my turquoise Diplomat Traveler with Akkerman's Trèves Turquoise. I'm not sure I like that combo b/c of the Diplomat's nib/feed. But then there are certain pairings that really do work for me; e.g. my Prussian blue Pilot Cavalier and Waterman's Florida Blue. In that pen Florida is quite wet, and since the nib of the Cavalier is somewhat fine, that just makes it all work fine with a nice juicy medium line.

Likewise I have a Parker Arrow which I've been using to test brown inks. It sort of looks like a brown pen although it is actually matté black. I've had J. Herbin's Terre de Feu in it for about 6 months and it's okay, but...I decided tonight to try a brown on the opposite end of the spectrum to Terre de Feu - Akkerman's amber Hopjesbruin. And I have two more browns lined up behind that from Stipula and Diamine

Other situations arise different from these examples. I have a Pilot 78G with a medium nib in black with gold trim and I've always kept Noodler's X-Feather black in it. It's my go-to pen, always on the top of my desk within easy reach. This is because a) the pen is super-reliable (it's also very under-rated: the Rodney Dangerfield of pens), and b) I always need a good black inked pen for business stuff.

With my Grail Pen, my Parker Vacumatic in Azure Blue, I always have it inked up with my J. Herbin Violette Pensée. The deep, rich, blue stripes in the material of the barrel and cap remind me of violet. It also loves the Vacumatic with its custom medium nib.

But with only 18 months as a fountain pen geek, I still have about a dozen of my collection of 17 pens still to be sorted out. And that also means lots of inks too. It's a good thing I am not in a hurry and am enjoying every minute! What are some of your favorite pen/ink combinations?

[tiffanyhenschel]

I always use Iroshizuku Shin Ryoku in my raden Vanishing Point. I use it for editing with an xf nib, and every time I put in a different color ink, I end up switching it back.

Another is an Edison Nouveau Premiere with flex-modified nib combined with Binder Burgundy ink. That combo elicits comments every time I use it and has become my standard Christmas card signing pair.

[writingrav]

I find that every pen has its proper ink and it sometimes takes awhile to find it. I know the match is not right when I find myself not reaching for a pen, having to force myself to use it, even when it is a pen that, in theory, based on its intrinsic qualities, I love. once the proper ink is found it is rarely changed.

[KrazyIvan]

Most of my pens get Omas Blue for a first fill. It has slowly replaced Florida Blue for being a bit less purple, darker and a bit more vivid without burning my retinas out. If you get letters from me in Omas Blue, you know I am testing a pen.

[kaisnowbird]

I have more pens than inks, not a lot more though.

I'd like to pair a pen with inks whose colours correspond to the colour of the pen, eg. My blue Waterman Carene almost always gets inked with a bright blue, whereas my burgundy Montblanc Classic usually gets a brown or purplish ink (I seldom use red or wine colour inks).

Black pens are the exception to the rule. They go with any inks in my cupboard.

[heath]

So far the one's that seem to stay the same for me are a Roaring 20's Noodler's Konrad with X-Feather, all the Pilot Parallels, if you include them in the FP list, stay with Noodler's Black or X-feather (whichever is handy) a Safari 1.9 with Diamine Oxblood and an Ahab with PR Spearmint. Everything else changes. I do wish I could use the flex nibs with other inks though, but rather than change the inks I think I am about to get one or two more Konrads.

[pencils+pens]

I settled on a pink ink, Noodler's Rachminoff, which is only used for writing notes and letters to my wife. It only goes in the pink Lamy Safari LE, Noodler' Ahab Pink Tiger or Sheaffer No Nonsense magenta, whichever is in rotation at the moment.

The (new) copper/brown Schrade Tactical FP is filled with (what else) De Atramentis Khacki. That pen never leaves the rotation as it is the only pen that gets that ink.

The Noodler's Ahab Tiger gets Noodler's Dragon's Napalm and it also never goes out of rotation. Once the Napalm is used up it will be replaced by Noodler's Apache Sunset for a change of pace. That event is probably a few years away.

The Noodler's Ahab clear demo gets Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses. That pen also never goes out of rotation, although I will sometimes fill another pen with that ink.

One of several other purple pens, is kept filled with Private Reserve Purple Mojo. Purple is the only color, other than blue, that I have more than one shade.

The Visconti Dali Surrealist gets Visconti Blue Turquoise and it also never goes out of rotation.

The TWSBI Vac 700 demonstrator is filled with Levenger Blue Bahama and will stay in rotation until that ink (my oldest) is gone. That is probably a year away. Then it will probably be filled with Visconti Blue Turquoise and kept in rotation.

I have one green ink, Private Reserve DC Supershow Green. It goes in one of several green pens, one of which is in rotation at any time.

I have one red ink, Private Reserve Dakota Red. It goes in one of several red pens, one of which is in rotation at any one time.

I alternate my black ink between Private Reserve Velvet Black, Parker black cartridges and Sheaffer black cartridges. I always have one pen in rotation with one of those inks.

One pen, usually a clear demonstrator is filled with Levenger Smokey. That ink is no longer made. I already have its replacement, P.W. Akkerman Hofvihver Grijs. One pen is always kept filled with gray ink.

I have several (many) shades of blue ink. It is my favorite color. At any given time 3 or 4 pens, including the TWSBI Vac 700, are filled with various shades of blue ink.

I had a goal of keeping less than a dozen pens filled at any one moment. I gave up on that but I have been able to hold the line at 15 pens filled.

[AndyT]

A few combinations have worked out particularly well:

Pilot Penmanship and Diamine Monaco Red
The Typhoo Tea pen (think woodgrain Waterman 52 with a flexible medium) and Waterman Blue-Black
Noodler's Nib Creaper and PR Shoreline Gold
Waterman 351V and ESSRI (a recent discovery)
Swan 6141 self filler with half-and-half Lamy Green and Waterman Blue-Black
WH Smith's Seal (large BCHR pen with a very flexible Gillott medium) and R&K Scabiosa

Mostly I don't stray very far from blue black for day to day writing; when I do, the Nib Creapers are usually my first choice of pen.

[Pommel]

My rule is that I only put royal blues, or blue-blacks, from well established manufacturers in vintage pens, especially piston fillers.

As nice as a saturated turquoise may be, it's not the best choice for a vintage Pelikan or MB pen.

[ardgedee]

J.Herbin Perle Noir and Pelikan 4001 Black are my go-to black inks. The latter dries a little faster and is more permanent than the former, so it's better in flexible nib pens, where the ink's going to lay down more thickly. However the former seems to bleed a little less, I think -- haven't done a proper comparison yet. The Perle Noir is my standard ink in EF tip pens, especially the Esterbrooks, whose EF tips are really, truly extra fine. I want to experiment with more of Noodler's blacks -- so far, Polar Black is good in the EF pens but seems to be too dry for the flexible nibs, while Dark Matter works well in the flexible nibs and shades a little (about as much as I want it too), and the matte surface that gives it more of a dark grey look is kind of appealing.

My everyday carry usually has two pens with black ink; an EF and a flexible pen, plus a couple colors, plus a highlighter. So there's a lot of dependence on reliable blacks. The range of colors varies to suit my mood, but I do actually depend on having at least two colors handy for note-taking -- the colors themselves don't symbolize anything (eg, red doesn't mean "important"), it's the contrast that matters sufficiently to, eg, distinguish observation/hypothesis/comment.

In general a colored ink goes into a pen with matching color. A black ink is allowed in any pen. So a green pen might have a black ink, or a green ink, but not a blue or red. It's a practical matter as much as anything else -- I don't want to accidentally carry two pens with too-similar inks in 'em.

[Pommel]

I make the separation between unsafe and safe inks. Safe inks (like the various washable blues) can go in anything. Unsafe inks (highly saturated, or e.g. ferro gallic) only go in specific pens.

[AndyT]

Unsafe inks (highly saturated, or e.g. ferro gallic) only go in specific pens.

I think the statement that ferro gallic ink is unsafe needs some qualification. Given a sensible cleaning regimen my opinion is that modern iron gall formulations are among the safest (and most easily flushed) available, especially with gold nibs, ebonite feeds and no exposed steel parts. Agreed that low saturation washable blues and blue-blacks are reliably benign; I'd far sooner put something like Salix or the old MB Midnight Blue in a good pen than any heavily saturated ink, particularly a red.

[Pommel]

Unsafe is relative indeed, but I would not put e.g. MB blue/black in a pen that I only use now and then.

[I like mango pudding]

my TWSBI has seen nothing but Diamine Grape. My intitial fills on my MB's are always MBMB - that's my go to test fill and standard pen testing ink.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I find that every pen has its proper ink and it sometimes takes awhile to find it. I know the match is not right when I find myself not reaching for a pen, having to force myself to use it, even when it is a pen that, in theory, based on its intrinsic qualities, I love. once the proper ink is found it is rarely changed.

This is true.

I have several matches and even a few inks that turn reluctant writers into great ones. Some of the combos include a Parker Frontier with JH Terre de feu, and a burgundy Hero 616 with Levenger Shiraz. Diamine Eau De Nil cured a stingy, skritchy Nemosine Singularity italic.

I have Waterman Blue-Black in my first Montblanc, and I suspect it may stay there.

So I'm pretty close to where Stpaulia is now. ^^

[snedwos]

This is true.

I have several matches and even a few inks that turn reluctant writers into great ones. Some of the combos include a Parker Frontier with JH Terre de feu, and a burgundy Hero 616 with Levenger Shiraz. Diamine Eau De Nil cured a stingy, skritchy Nemosine Singularity italic.

I have Waterman Blue-Black in my first Montblanc, and I suspect it may stay there.

So I'm pretty close to where Stpaulia is now. ^^

The only almost permanent combination I have is Eau de Nil in my Vacumatic, which has a toothy fine nib. Eau de Nil was the first ink I tried in it once I got it repaired, which is lucky! Edelstein aventurine was too wet, wfb was scratchy, but EdN is perfect!

I also like Merlot in my Vulcan's Coral Ahab, though I have Kelly Green in it ATM.

[AndyT]

Unsafe is relative indeed, but I would not put e.g. MB blue/black in a pen that I only use now and then.

That's fair enough. I only keep one "proper" pen inked at any given time so the ink doesn't get much of a chance to settle.

[Senecabud]

I dislike changing ink colors in a pen, so I keep 9 pens constantly inked with different colors (using various nibs from 1.1 - 1.9 along with two flex pens). Each pen is a different color (although not necessarily the same color as the ink) to help me remember which pen has which color ink. I love and use them all several times each week. But if I had to chose only one pen and one ink, it would be a Lamy Safari with a 1.5 nib and sepia brown ink. Thankfully, I don't have to make a choice.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I dislike changing ink colors in a pen, so I keep 9 pens constantly inked with different colors (using various nibs from 1.1 - 1.9 along with two flex pens). Each pen is a different color (although not necessarily the same color as the ink) to help me remember which pen has which color ink. I love and use them all several times each week. But if I had to chose only one pen and one ink, it would be a Lamy Safari with a 1.5 nib and sepia brown ink. Thankfully, I don't have to make a choice.

I like having a different ink in each pen, too, and differing nibs, but my ink HAS to match. Or at least harmonize. -_-;

[cwent2]

Quite - It is an almost unerring feeling when writing with X pen and you are struck with the thought - This ink is not right for this pen. Excuse me, who said that, kind of realization.

Tis weird, unexplainable - but almost a fact, though I have not found it written - that x pen must have x's pen's ink color - then out of the blue - like the pen says I want y ink - so you fill the pen with y ink and you have an AH YES moment - and press on.

Then the next pen complains.....

Face it you have now entered the Twilight Zone!

[jacksterp]

I find myself erring on the side of color - not performance. However, I won't put potentially troublesome inks in any lever filler or vintage pen.