In an effort to create more content on FPG - and to answer a question I've been asking for over a year - I have just compared the top three contenders for my everyday, essential, no nonsense red. Like many of us, I suspect, I have far too much ink for own personal use. The idea of simplifying my life and distilling my ink collection down to fewer than 10 essentials across all colours really appeals to me. And so I started on my quest for the perfect red.
Requirements were quite simple, really:
- True red. Not orange, not pink, not burgundy.
- Looks good (i.e. red and legible) from an EF nib.
- Well behaved on most paper.
- Well behaved in all pens (i.e. easy to clean).
- Affordable. Personal threshold of £0.25/ml.
- Easily sourced. No limited editions or Japanese shop exclusives (you know who you are)
Permanent.
The last requirement was eliminated because I do not believe any ink can satisfy all my demands. Noodlers Fox Red is sometimes suggested as a permanent true red, but due to wholly personal and possibly unfounded concerns about Noodlers ink, it did not make the cut. Montblanc Corn Poppy Red and Diamine variants are possible alternative contenders.
In the end, my choices were narrowed down to:
Diamine Matador
- Love the name.
- Looked like a strong red when I ordered it as my first red.
- Cheap as chips and easy to source in the UK.
- Pretty well behaved, but does bleed/feather on cheap foolscap.
Sailor Irori
- Legendary Sailor behaviour. The pen glides across the page with this ink.
- Pushing the boundaries of affordability.
- Vivid red but possibly leaning orange...or pink. I can't be sure.
Sheaffer Skrip Red
- The go-to red for (dare I say) the majority of the fountain pen community.
- Affordable.
- Well behaved and easy to clean.
- The red ink your Dad used.
Below are some writing samples on Clairefontaine notebook paper (lined) and Tomoe River white paper. I apologies for the weird lighting and awkward shadows. I took these photos at night with artificial lights. Perhaps sunlight would be better, but due to the clocks turning back, that will have to wait until the weekend.
Comments welcome. I still haven't made up my mind between these three so maybe I should make this a poll...
P.S. the blob is Diamine Cerise to remind me that Sailor Irori isn't *that* bright!IMG_2387.JPGIMG_2388.JPGIMG_2389.JPG
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