View Poll Results: What is the best everyday, essential, no nonsense red ink?

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  • Diamine Matador

    4 22.22%
  • Sailor Irori

    0 0%
  • Sheaffer Skrip Red

    2 11.11%
  • Something else! See my comments below...

    12 66.67%
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Thread: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

  1. #1
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    Default Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    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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  3. #2
    Senior Member RocketRyan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    I'm enjoying quink red currently.

  4. #3
    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
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    Cool Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Sailor's Oku Yama or Platinum's Pigment Red or both mixed 1:1 .

  5. #4
    Senior Member grainweevil's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Quote Originally Posted by RocketRyan View Post
    I'm enjoying quink red currently.
    As we're apparently messing with your final three, I must admit in my limited experience the sadly no-longer-available-in-bottles-and-not-sure-the-mini-cartridges-are-the-same Quink Red would be my pick too. Although the very affordable Dollar Red isn't half bad, if you fancy an outsider.

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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    I keep coming back to Sheaffer. I grade student work with it. Works on any paper.

  7. #6
    Member Amanda's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    I don't have any of the inks in the poll. My closest would be Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Red which works well. It looks a bit orange when swabbed but is red out of a pen.

    Is Sheaffer Skrip disappearing? I vaguely recall a mention of it being discontinued. (Happy to have mis-heard.)

    I'll be watching the poll with interest and will probably order a bottle of the winner.
    It's all about the greys...

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    Senior Member VertOlive's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Diamine Oxblood, hands down. Looks less like arterial blood, more like venous blood...but my go-to red.
    "Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine

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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Mmmm........of the three you mentioned, I have Diamine Matador, which I like. I also have Diamine Oxblood, which I use quite a bit, but I wouldn't really describe it as a true red - maybe more of a brown-red? Looking at the scans, I like the Sheaffer Skrip Red the best. It seems to get positive reviews and looks like a solid, less intense red that is easy on the eyes - I'm trying to imagine a page of writing rather than just corrections or marginal notations. All that said, Montblanc Corn Poppy Red is another one I've thought about. In fact, I might give both Sheaffer Skrip Red and Montblanc Corn Poppy Red a try.

  11. #9
    Junior Member Northern Gentleman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Mmmm........of the three you mentioned, I have Diamine Matador, which I like. I also have Diamine Oxblood, which I use quite a bit, but I wouldn't really describe it as a true red - maybe more of a brown-red? Looking at the scans, I like the Sheaffer Skrip Red the best. It seems to get positive reviews and looks like a solid, less intense red that is easy on the eyes - I'm trying to imagine a page of writing rather than just corrections or marginal notations. All that said, Montblanc Corn Poppy Red is another one I've thought about. In fact, I might give both Sheaffer Skrip Red and Montblanc Corn Poppy Red a try.

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    Senior Member Pterodactylus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    When I need a true red I take normally Diamine Poppy Red.

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    Senior Member SIR's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by RocketRyan View Post
    I'm enjoying quink red currently.
    As we're apparently messing with your final three, I must admit in my limited experience the sadly no-longer-available-in-bottles-and-not-sure-the-mini-cartridges-are-the-same Quink Red would be my pick too. Although the very affordable Dollar Red isn't half bad, if you fancy an outsider.
    About 12 years unavailable in the UK now, that Quink Red; think I might have one long cartridge still somewhere...

  14. #12
    Senior Member RocketRyan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Quote Originally Posted by SIR View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by grainweevil View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by RocketRyan View Post
    I'm enjoying quink red currently.
    As we're apparently messing with your final three, I must admit in my limited experience the sadly no-longer-available-in-bottles-and-not-sure-the-mini-cartridges-are-the-same Quink Red would be my pick too. Although the very affordable Dollar Red isn't half bad, if you fancy an outsider.
    About 12 years unavailable in the UK now, that Quink Red; think I might have one long cartridge still somewhere...
    You can get it in cartridges still. I dont really write with it much so i don't get through loads.

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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    My go to is Montblanc Corn Poppy Red. My Skrip Red and Diamine Matador have not been opened since Corn Poppy was released.
    Iori is too bright and pink for me and also sits unused.


    Additionally, so far VERY impressed with KWZ Theif's Red.

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    Senior Member FredRydr's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    I use Hitchcock blood red by Montblanc. When it was first released before prices of MB inks started going crazy, I'd bought four bottles at the boutique and decanted two of them into a 60ml bottle. At the rate I use red ink, that bottle will last a long long time. I sent the extra two bottles to Laura N for MI9 of her sorely-missed Mystery Ink series.

    Fred

    IMG_4723.jpg
    Last edited by FredRydr; November 1st, 2017 at 06:57 AM.

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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Quote Originally Posted by BayesianPrior View Post
    [*]Easily sourced. No limited editions or Japanese shop exclusives (you know who you are)
    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    I use Hitchcock blood red by Montblanc.



    I would kill (haha) for a little more of the Hitchcock red. I have a tiny bit left. Sadly soon it will be gone.
    But I lament this much less than the impending doom of my last bit of Sailor Red Brown.

    Nice dip action.

  21. #16
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Skrip Red would be a good choice if you don't mind that it will rinse out of paper. I use Levenger's Cardinal Red for that because it is already in my ink cellar. For a permanent red, I use Noodler's Fox Red.
    "Nothing is enough for the man to whom enough is too little." -Epicurus-

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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Quote Originally Posted by Paddler View Post
    because it is already in my ink cellar.

    INK CELLAR

  23. #18
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Montblanc Corn Poppy Red. I like the color of Sheaffer Red, but there is something about it. Too dry? Just feels not-so-lubricious to me, comparatively speaking.
    --
    Mike

  24. #19
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Thanks everyone for your responses! Who knew that boring, reliable, no nonsense ink could be so hotly contested.

    I'm surprised to see no love for Sailor Irori, but I agree the colour is really on the borderline of what I would consider a true red. It just flows so well...

    Looks like Montblanc Corn Poppy Red should have been considered more seriously and I very much liked the reviews I saw of KWZ Thief's Red.

    I was debating with myself about spending £7 on a NOS bottle of Parker Quink Red. Should have snapped it up, it seems!

  25. #20
    Senior Member jacksterp's Avatar
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    Default Re: Everday, Essential, No Nonsense Red

    Having none of the poll choices, my 'go to' red currently is Mont Blanc Velvet Red which has replaced Diamine Ruby.

    I find both of these very enjoyable reds which do not creep and work well each and every time I have used them.

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