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Thread: Cheerful ink choices

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    Member Ordinal's Avatar
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    Talking Cheerful ink choices

    What would be your inks that make you feel happy when you write with them?

    Obviously colour is an important part of this, but also, for instance, it is hard to feel happy writing with an ink that hurts your eyes, takes a year to dry (*cough* Majestic Blue) or which clogs the pen (*cough* Diamine Blue Black). One of my happiest inks is Waterman Violet, which is a nice bright colour yet not too bright, and also has a nice regular flow and works on any decent paper. I'm also fond of the Infamous Bay State Blue, even if it is turning my pens into Communists or whatever it does, though I have to dilute it a little or it will eat through the paper.

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    At the recent LA Pen Show, my wife and I were looking at a pen, and the fellow inked it up with Iroshizuku Yama-Budo. I had never entertained getting a bottle of their inks, though I had tried a couple samples, because of the expense. But she loved the way it wrote and looked, and she promptly bought a bottle. And it really is something else. An elegant ink, with just the right degree of smooth writing, little bleed, normal drying, and a color that stands out but does not blind you. That the bottle itself is beautiful is no small thing, either. I have just one pen with it (as does she) and it is something of a 'special occasion' ink, but I've used it on some notes and cards to friends, and the experience adds to the thoughts I'm sending them.

    I'm also really enjoying the Ecclesiastical Stationary Supplies Registrars Ink, an amazing iron gall ink from England. While it goes down a bit on the dry side, and I've kept it just for one particular pen that I can keep in good order (and use it for signing checks (or cheques, if you will)), it is completely fun to watch it turn from a modest blue-grey-black to a dark black-blue in just moments, and really becomes a solid, dark line over the next day or so. It isn't very costly, and is quite intriguing to use. I pick up that pen more often than I expected to.

    Well, there's a couple for you.
    Last edited by Jon Szanto; March 15th, 2012 at 12:11 PM.

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    Member Ordinal's Avatar
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    I've tried the Diamine Registrar's Ink and it _is_ great fun, isn't it? Colour-changing is definitely a good characteristic. The Diamine WES Imperial Blue goes on purple-y and then dries to a blue, which is diverting... I'm just not that keen on the final blue though unfortunately.

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Oh, one other: one of the first inks I purchased was Noodler's Black Swans in Australian Roses, and I still love that ink. Especially with a nib that is either flex, or a nice italic or stub, the variation in color is just lovely. I don't tend towards light-coloured inks, but even though dark, this has a lot of character and life in it.

    Sorry it isn't the English Roses version, that one was a bit too brown for me. You know the drill: just lay back and...

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    FPG Donor ♕ KrazyIvan's Avatar
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    I think cerulean (sp?) blues are very cheerfull. PR Tropical Blue, Diamine Asa Blue and Noodler's Midway Blue would be good examples.
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    Senior Member fountainpenkid's Avatar
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    Diamine Kelly Green, Diamine Coral, Pelikan Eidelstein Mandarin

    Light inks make me happy!!!

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    Senior Member fountainpenkid's Avatar
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    And the one color that I will never buy and refuse to use ever in a FP? BLACK!!!

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    Senior Member peterpen53's Avatar
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    Any ink that flows well and makes my pens write smoothly makes me happy, even if it's black. I have quite a number of black inks and I still think black script on white paper looks awesome. But I'm also very happy with a clear, dark blue ink that really stays blue when it dries.
    I agree on the Yama-Budo, that's a beautiful purple. Another Iroshizuku ink that always strikes me when I see it is Fuyu-Gaki, a colour that is difficult to describe but is somewhere in the middle between red, orange and a bit of pink. I'll probably never own them, though. I can get almost four bottles of PR or Diamine for the price of Iroshizuku over here.
    Another very nice and happy colour is MB Saffron, a somewhat subdued orange that did not make me search for my sunglasses. I saw it used in a pen review recently and it looked fantastic in that transparent Visconti Ripple.

    Cheers,
    Peter


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    Senior Member klpeabody's Avatar
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    Diamine Meadow
    Caran d'Ache Sunset
    J. Herbin Vert Reseda
    MB Lavender Purple

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Hey Ordinal!

    Sorry for the shouting, just wanting to get O's attention - take a look here. This person is apparently in the process of beginning an ink sample service in the UK via eBay. If you want I can try to find out more info...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Hey Ordinal!

    Sorry for the shouting, just wanting to get O's attention - take a look here. This person is apparently in the process of beginning an ink sample service in the UK via eBay. If you want I can try to find out more info...
    HELLO

    A good call - I would look at Private Reserve inks as they seem to be pretty much non-existent over here.

    Incidentally I forgot one ink, which is J Herbin Violette Pensee. As bright and cheerful as Florida Blue, yet purple. Even more cheerful than Waterman Violet really.

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Cheery purples give me the hives. All I can muster up in my pens is Private Reserve Ebony Purple, but it is pretty wonderful. Black, inky, with just a myth of purple.

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    Senior Member peterpen53's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ordinal View Post
    HELLO

    A good call - I would look at Private Reserve inks as they seem to be pretty much non-existent over here.

    Incidentally I forgot one ink, which is J Herbin Violette Pensee. As bright and cheerful as Florida Blue, yet purple. Even more cheerful than Waterman Violet really.
    If you live in the UK, you can order PR online from The Writing Desk.


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    The Nibsmith dannzeman's Avatar
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    Levenger Pinkly.

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    I just found an unused gift card, and so I decided to try out some new ink. A brand many of you have mentioned - Isho (not sure how to spell without looking) and decided to try Green Pine Dew. Looking forward to branching out.

    Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

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    Noodler's Rachmaninoff
    It just makes me smile when I write with it. Esp compared to some of my other inks: Dark Matter, Black Swan in (both) Roses, Purple Heart.

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    Burgundies, Diamine Imperial Purple, Diamine Turquoise (I think the latter is a cheery ink that's blue enough to be good in correspondence &c too).

    Although not stereotypically cheerful, writing with Diamine Majestic Blue is always fun - I love the reddish sheen this ink has.

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    Senior Member Sailor Kenshin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KrazyIvan View Post
    I think cerulean (sp?) blues are very cheerfull. PR Tropical Blue, Diamine Asa Blue and Noodler's Midway Blue would be good examples.
    And Pelikan Turquoise, JHerbin Bleu Azur, Waterman South Seas Blue....

    Also the right spring-like greens and pinks makes me feel cheerful. J Herbin Vert Olive, and Rose Cyclamen and some carnation-y color whose name eludes me.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD

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    Just about any turquoise colour but Parker Quink Turquoise and Sheaffer Peacock Blue do the most.For me those two colours bring memories of happy school times.

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