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Thread: What is your favorite set of inks?

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    Default What is your favorite set of inks?

    There is no hard and fast rule for "set of inks", but I was thinking along the lines of "Sailor Shikiori" or "Pelikan Edelstein" or "Diamine Inkvent". Basiclally, it could be any set of inks that make sense to the general consumer, not some set of inks from different brands that you arbitrarily grouped together.

    So far in my fountain pen journey, I've only been using black ink - because that's the kind of person I am - I am practical and I use fountain pens because I write a lot and it causes me much less discomfort to write with than say a rollerball/ballpoint. Any touch of color I put in my writing whether it be journalling or academic note-taking, I use fineliners or colored pencils to mark it up. I really detest the idea of using colored fountain pen ink - I need to maximal contrast between my words and the paper.

    But... tough life events have softened my personality, and I have been wondering if inking up one pen with color at any single time will lighten my mood once in a while. Since I am not well versed with colored inks I wanted to see what you guys enjoy and recommend.

    Love you guys as always,

    Jace.

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    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    I don't restrict myself to inks from one "set" and prefer to buy my inks from many different brands. I have many favourites from different brands and I very rarely use black ink since I'm retired and it isn't an essential for me to use it.
    I usually choose my favourite inks first as a colour, and then for the pen that I like to use them in.
    For example one of my current favourite blue-black inks for my Sheaffer Legacy is Pastellier Callifolio Equinoxe No.6, and my latest favourite blue-black for my Parker Duofold Centennial is Diamine Calm and Passion. Both pens write very nicely with these inks. My favourite ink for my Lamy 2000 is Diamine Steel Blue. They also write very nicely together.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    I'm not much into set either.
    But I have a soft spot for Noodler's Polar series....maybe it's a Canadian thing, I don't know.... But I have Polar Brown and Green... and have been tempted by Polar Blue and Black...
    and I really like R&K's Sketchink series, I have Klara and Marlene.... go figure

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    I'm with Chrissy...but I sort of go for color, becoming obsessed with one color or other, so then I have to buy ALL of them. I have like eight black inks. Why did I not just buy samples?

    Oh, and then I jussst haaad to buy one bottle of each brand to get the shape.

    Still waiting for that Akkerman. Soooo much ink..... *falls over*
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Yazeh View Post
    I'm not much into set either.
    But I have a soft spot for Noodler's Polar series....maybe it's a Canadian thing, I don't know.... But I have Polar Brown and Green... and have been tempted by Polar Blue and Black...
    and I really like R&K's Sketchink series, I have Klara and Marlene.... go figure
    I have at least one bottle of R&K SketchInk and haven't used it since I reviewed it. I must fill a pen with it soon.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    I like R & K Salix and Scabiosa

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    I have had most inks in the basic Pelikan 4001, except the purple. The black, blue-black and dark green have been basics I have used for years. This is nothing fancy, just your standard trusted inks for any pen you might have, new or old. Much the same for Parker Quink.

    Herbin launches sets of more or less limited edition inks. Prices vary a bit, but if you are open to experiment with colors, they have nice complete sets, special jars, various themes and fancy names. Bottle sizes are often 10 ml, 30 or 50 ml.

    I have only a few of the Pelikan Edelstein inks. I like them. I think the concept is to have an ink launched every year, and to get a full collection you probably should have started years ago. I only buy the single bottle now and then, mostly for the color. There is quite a few of them by now, and I just can't see my self starting a collection.

    Diamine had an anniversary ink set a couple of years ago, maybe they are still available. The small bottles were shaped angularly, and a set of them would gather in a half circle. I never had the full set, but if you go for sets, you can find nice bottles and designs like this.

    If you go for deep and intense colors, it might be more pratical to go by the color you like, jump between brands and lines. I find it near impossible to have more than an idea about how a color turns how from samples and test I find on the web. In that respect, sets of samples and 10ml bottles are quite good for exploring. You really have to like colors to delve into this though.
    Last edited by arrow; December 3rd, 2020 at 03:34 PM.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    My set is three Diamine blues (Oxford, Majestic, & Regency), a bottle of Mabie Todd Kingfisher Blue, and a bottle of Mabie Todd Blackbird Black.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    My set is Waterman Serenty Blue.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    I think Rohrer & Klingner Writing Inks can be considered a set. I have some of them but I don't want them all.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Juul View Post
    I think Rohrer & Klingner Writing Inks can be considered a set. I have some of them but I don't want them all.
    Ditto. And their SketchInks, I have some of them, but no desire for all the colours.
    It's all about the greys...

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ole Juul View Post
    I think Rohrer & Klingner Writing Inks can be considered a set. I have some of them but I don't want them all.
    I don't think any "group" of inks from any manufacturer should necessarily be considered as "a set" when they are available to purchase individually. Manufacturers' make inks in a selection of colours. The idea is to pick and choose the colours that you want, just like you did. No manufacturer would make money if they only produced inks that had to be purchased as a set. On the other hand I've seen some retailers stick a bunch of similar inks together and sell them as a set to make more money.

    Agreed that some manufacturers sometimes produce a batch of inks at the same time within their ink ranges and they label them with the same labels. The SketchInks though are just some inks that have similar waterproof features rather than specifically being issued as a set. There is nothing to say that the same inks may not also be available as different names in different R&K bottles. Akkerman and De Atramentis do the same thing. They issue inks that have more than one name.

    It's true that Diamine produced two sets that were originally only sold as sets: Flowers and Music. But now, although they can still be purchased in special bottles and boxes as a set, they can also be purchased individually in 30ml plastic bottles not as a set. That's because it can be quite rare for someone to want to pay for all of the different inks in one set because there are some colours they know they will never use.

    If the OP has a bottomless pocket and only wants to buy inks "as a set" then he or she is going to end up with some bottles of unused ink in their collection. Many of us have some of those, even though we don't buy inks as sets.
    Each to their own.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    The term "set" makes it vague by the definition. For instance - as mentioned - R&K standard line of inks: they are always available, they do not change the formula, they do not discontinue any of those inks, they do not drop nor add any colours (except LE), also it is not extensive yet it covers all main colours (while Diamine have over 100 "standard" inks and they add some new inks all the time, so I would hesitate to call this permanently expanding hoard "standard line"). Could we call them a set? I guess we can. That said if I had to choose it would be those R&K standard inks. Neither because they are the best inks, nor because I love all of them, but because they are just superb in general (and considering the cost in Europe that counts double). So if we had to call something a set, even R&K would make sense.
    And actually I quite liked all the Penman inks I have tried, despite some drawbacks.

    But I wholeheartedly agree with Chrissy - thinking of inks in sets or lines is quite useless, you either like a particular ink or not.
    Last edited by aurore; December 4th, 2020 at 04:04 AM.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    I once thought that all of the "Pilot - Iroshizuku" inks would be all I ever needed, and proceeded to buy 6 bottles of the ink colors I saw online that I thought would fit all of my needs for the rest of my ink journey.
    Upon their arrival, I realized that while they do indeed look beautiful, they didn't meet my actual daily needs.
    They are too flat and lifeless...
    I now have 6 bottles of Iroshizuku inks that I really only use to test pens with because the ink is reliably formulated.
    Eventually when I get my next desk for the office, they will be moved out of my ink box that they are stored in, and placed on the top level of my desk in an artistic fashion (in their boxes) probably in a pyramid shape and set in place with a plastic fitting so they don't fall down/out.

    When it comes to the actual ink I USE daily, it's a mix of Diamine, J.Herbin, Sailor and Monteverde inks.
    And when I say mix, I do mean MIX. I mix the inks to get the perfect color/lubricity/flow in my pens for each pen and shade that I seek.
    That is something I cannot do with the "Pilot - Iroshizuku" inks that I purchased.

    I, too, would recommend following your heart and needs when procuring inks. There probably isn't a pre-formulated "Set" that will meet all of your needs if you intend to step out of only using black ink.

    Good luck!
    Dm
    Last edited by Detman101; December 4th, 2020 at 07:51 AM.
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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by Detman101 View Post
    I once thought that all of the "Pilot Iroshizuku" inks would be all I ever needed and bought 6 bottles of the inks I saw online that I thought would fit all of my needs.
    Upon their arrival I realized that while they do indeed look beautiful, they didn't meet my actual daily needs.

    I now have 6 bottles of Iroshizuku inks that I really only use to test pens with because the ink is reliably formulated.
    When it comes to the actual ink I USE daily, it's a mix of Diamine, J.Herbin, Sailor and Monteverde inks.

    I, also, would recommend following your heart and needs when procuring inks. There probably isn't a pre-formulated "Set" that will meet all of your needs if you intend to step out of only using black ink.

    Good luck!
    Dm
    Yeah I figured that it is unlikely a set of inks would satisfy my needs. But the only purpose of colored inks, at least for me, is to add a pop of color, it's just an accessory... e.g. it would be a few paragraphs scattered here and there, in a sea of black, which is the bulk of my writing. That's my aesthetic.

    I definitely cannot see myself writing for an extended amount of time even with a dark-colored ink like blue-black. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to writing, and the slightly off contrast from black can drive me crazy. Even with the black inks I choose would preferably want them to have an rgb value that is as close to 000 as possible, with no bias towards red/green/blue.

    So having said that, my thinking process was like, let's just stick with a set of colored inks, the specifics shouldn't matter toomuch, and be done with it. I just need a pop of color, it doesn't have to be my favorite color, because my favorite color is the lack of it. I think I would be more looking into their properties like dry time, lack of feathering/bleedthrough, lack of killing my expensive pens, more than the actual color. As long as it is not hideous, I will consider it. I do not want to spend time cherry picking the colors from different brands because I like the idea of having the same bottles (why I was considering Pilot Iroshizuku - this word is so annoying to spell - was because of the pretty bottles and I don't mind collecting them) and as I said the color is not that important because they are not the star of the show, I want the writing to be.

    - I would preferably want the color scheme to have a diverse range touching the red, green, and blue spectrum.
    - Not too bright, maybe leaning towards warm tones.
    - Relatively cheap, and if the set is small, that helps I guess. I am definitely not going to look into a set that has more than 100 colors. Anything more than 10, I'd probably just get the samples.
    - Easily accessible, i.e. I can readily buy it in my local stationery shop.
    - Bottles look nice (e.g. Pilot Iroshizuku)

    I hope this makes more sense into why I started this thread. This probably won't suit a lot of people's needs, but it would definitely mine.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by aurore View Post
    But I wholeheartedly agree with Chrissy - thinking of inks in sets or lines is quite useless, you either like a particular ink or not.
    Please see my above post. Thinking of inks in sets or lines is quite useless is the sense that it doesn't suit your particular needs.

    I mean one can say that using colored inks is useless because what is the point of using colored ink at all? If you really cared about the writing or art, why distract yourself with color?

    So obviously people do not buy ink just to suit the pure action of writing. Some draw focus away from the writing and put it in the aesthetics of the writing process, whether it be the color, the properties of the color whatever.

    Why do I even bother explaining at this point?

    I am actually starting to think maybe I should stick away from colored inks after all.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Wait. I mis-spoke: counting just now, I have TEN black inks. Fourteen if you count Lamy and Sailor and Platinum and Pilot cartridges.

    There are really only excuses for three: my original Waterman, a vintage Montblanc (mostly because I wanted the round shoe bottle), and an Osmiroid for 25 cents from a yard sale. Four. Teeen. Black. Inks. Whyyyyy did I not just get samples?
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by jace View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by aurore View Post
    But I wholeheartedly agree with Chrissy - thinking of inks in sets or lines is quite useless, you either like a particular ink or not.
    Please see my above post. Thinking of inks in sets or lines is quite useless is the sense that it doesn't suit your particular needs.

    I mean one can say that using colored inks is useless because what is the point of using colored ink at all? If you really cared about the writing or art, why distract yourself with color?

    So obviously people do not buy ink just to suit the pure action of writing. Some draw focus away from the writing and put it in the aesthetics of the writing process, whether it be the color, the properties of the color whatever.

    Why do I even bother explaining at this point?

    I am actually starting to think maybe I should stick away from colored inks after all.
    Jace, at one point I wrote a lot. Depending what I wrote I needed a certain colour, shade or a specific pen and nib. It is idiosyncratic for many but for me, it helped with the flow of creation. I don't write in black though. I have some several black samples sitting there, waiting to be tested (I listened to Sailor ).
    However, I have a big bottle of Sumi ink for calligraphy.... but that's a different matter

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    From your rationalisation I would think a set of Diamine inks would be within reason. Ink is a bit expensive in general, but you get 10 x 30ml bottles in a box, at least in the flower and music line. You might have to add a color as an additional purchase, but it's not a bad workaround. For the odd decorative touch up, a dip nib and small ink bottles aren't bad at all either. This is one of the set I am tempted to buy too. Herbin have as mentioned nice ink sets too, but again, you probably need to add a color or two to complete it for your needs. By a "set", I guess you mean inks in the same type of bottle from the same maker.

    I have to say, I love writing with deep colors on a nice cream paper, blue-black, deep burgundy hues, dark greeen, dragon red, slightly flexy nib,... I understand your preferance for a nice black with any type of writing too.

    I just noticed there are mini Iroshizuku bottles, probably the least expensive way to test these inks.
    Last edited by arrow; December 4th, 2020 at 08:42 AM.

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    Default Re: What is your favorite set of inks?

    Quote Originally Posted by A Smug Dill View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Sailor Kenshin View Post
    Four. Teeen. Black. Inks. Whyyyyy did I not just get samples?
    Code:
    Colour group #1	COUNTA of Name or Colour
          blue	65
         brown	43
           red	37
         green	33
        purple	29
         black	27
          teal	24
          grey	21
        orange	15
    blue-black	12
        yellow	 3
         clear	 2
          pink	 1
    That's not a 'set'. That's an inventory.

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