#17InkQuestions

Question 1 What was your first (memorable) ink?

One of the first bottled inks I used was Ink Institute Jade Vine, a bright teal ink in a frosted glass bottle with a beautiful ink painting of the striking jade vine flower on the label.

Question 2 What is your favorite ink bottle design, and which bottle (or cartridge) is your favorite to use?

I love the variety of glass bottle shapes, I'm particularly fond of the square Sailor Manyo bottles with the sketches of the plants and flowers that inspired the ink names on the labels. While some bottles are distinctly NOT easy to use, I'm not sure I can pick a favorite among what I have. While I haven't yet had the chance to use one, the tall neck Akkerman bottles look like they would be fun and satisfying to use though. I'll pick up one eventually, if I can actually decide on a color.

Question 3 What's an ink you love or find useful, but would not use for everyday writing?

Dan Hwang by Colorverse is a beautiful but light yellow-orange. With a very wet line it gets dark enough but I've only been able to achieve this with a glass dip pen. Regardless it's a lovely delicate, complex color for sketching or painting.

Honorable mention goes to the very unique Railroad Worm by Birmingham Pen Co that looks like it's glowing on the page, sometimes with a dark orange border.

Question 4 How do you discover new inks?

I love seeing inks being swatched and used so I follow the online pen community via Instagram, Mastodon, Twitch, YouTube, Slack, Discord, etc. More recently I've started attending local Pen Club meetups where people share inks too. Whenever something catches my eye I take a photo, screenshot, or write it down for future consideration.

Question 5 Do you use inks for anything other than writing?

Yes, using inks for ink washes, swatches, sketches, and painting has become my primary creative outlet that I'm making time for each week. I'm not in the habit of writing much beyond notes and to-do lists, but I'm trying to do more and getting a little artsy helps.

Question 6 What's an ink that's worth hoarding (whether you actually do or not)?

Sailor Manyo Shirakashi is my sentimental favorite ink. It's one of the first inks that introduced me to how complex and interesting fountain pen inks could be, with the rich earthy tones that are my favorite colors. Not everyone will love a muddy green/brown/blue ink but I sure do—I want to always have it inked up and love using it for sketching and painting too. (I do have more than one bottle of this ink.)

Question 7 How do you choose which ink goes into a pen? Do they have to match? Do you always use the same ink in a particular pen?

I think it's satisfying to match or coordinate the color of the ink with a pen but it's not a requirement, I'm not looking to find one perfect ink for a pen. I consider nib size and ease of cleaning when using a shimmer ink or something that's very light or dark. The novelty of change and having several colors at hand is core to why I got into fountain pens.

Question 8 Do you use ink samples? If so, is your goal find an ink to buy a bottle, or just get a smaller amount of ink to use?

I use ink samples, sometimes with the goal of finding inks that are particularly interesting or distinct from others I have before buying a full bottle. Other times I'll get random packs of samples for fun, to swatch a common or popular ink for comparison purposes, or because a sample amount of a pricey ink is enough to use for a fill or two or with a dip pen.

Question 9 Is there a popular ink that's just not for you? What underhyped ink would you like to see more people try?

I'm reluctant to choose a bright blue ink like Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao, even though I don't dislike the color. However, I have become a big fan of blue black ink (in standard pens too). Another Iroshizuku ink, Shin-Kai, is a very popular blue black, but I recommend checking out Taccia Ainezu, a slightly darker shade that leans more toward green than purple.

Question 10 What do you do with any unused ink when you clean a pen?

I generally try to use up the ink before cleaning a pen, even if it's just scribbling doodles or the alphabet over and over. I'm reluctant to "waste" ink so if there's any left I'll dump it in a spare sample vial to use it for ink washes or other arty things later.

Question 11 What is the most unique ink you've used or seen?

The most unique is Platinum Citrus Black, an iron gall ink that starts out a bright, clear yellow until it reacts with the air as it dries turning dark brown or green. Honorable mentions go to Coloverse α UMa which starts out gray but dries a mysterious green with purple edges, the striking pale blue-gray with bright red shimmer of Colorverse Gyeyu Jeongnan, and all the dark, shifting colors of the second Sailor Yurameku series.

Question 12 How do you catalog, swatch, track, and store your inks?

Swatching inks has become a big part of my enjoyment of this hobby—creating Col-o-ring & Col-o-dex cards and swatching/sketching in Tomoe River TN inserts. I use Fountain Pen Companion to catalog inks, and loosely track "currently inked" in various TN notebooks. Inks are stored in Ikea Alex drawers and sturdy "Really Useful Boxes" plastic bins, but I will probably move everything into the Alex drawers eventually.

Question 13 What is your favorite ink color/color family?

I can appreciate any ink color but I like muted earth tones best, especially greens. I'm also a big fan of dual-shading inks that defy simple identification or classification.

Question 14 What ink-related tool or accessory can you not live without?

This simple flour sack towel that's absorbent and doesn't leave lint fibers behind is an invaluable tool. Over the last few years it's collected the mark of dozens of inks wiping clean the sections of just-inked pens and cleaning my swatching and art tools. It's functional but also carries a piece of my history.

Question 15 Have you ever mixed inks or used shimmer additives?

I've had fun with the mixable “everlasting” (pigmented) Birmingham Pen Co inks in essentially CMYK colors. I don't have a lot of permanent ink so I appreciate the ability to mix almost any color I want when needed, or create water-resistant art on an envelope, postcard, or for display in a humid environment. I've also started using some Pennonia shimmer additives, I haven't mixed brands but in Pennonia inks they work well.

Question 16 What is your favorite ink delivery system (cartridges, type of filling system for bottled ink, etc.)?

I like the practicality of a simple converter for general use, but that's not the most fun to look at. So I would say my favorite filling systems are those where the ink is prominently on display in a demonstrator-style pen, like most TWSBIs, or via eyedropper like my Franklin-Christoph Pocket 66 in Antique Glass or an Opus 88 Japanese-style eyedropper.

Question 17 What ink(s) are you excited about right now?

I've filled this 10 sample case with new & interesting inks to share:

1. Sailor Manyo Shirakashi
2. Amarillo Stationery's Rosa Mexicano
3. Monarca Nopal
4. Pen Addict Fire on Fire
5. Colorverse α UMa
6. Teranishi Gentle Green
7. Taccia Ainezu
8. Color Traveler Miyajima Sea-eel Rice Beige
9. Troublemaker Abalone
10. Colorverse Iris Nebula