8 Must Try Inks
With over 700 inks to choose from, knowing where to start can be hard. So we've put together 8 inks that you must try- at least once!
The list:
Jacques Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor
You've probably heard of Emerald of Chivor. This ink EXPLODED onto the market years ago when only a few fountain pens were available with any sort of shimmering component. This color not only shimmered with its glittery…microparticles…but with paper that wasn't super absorbent, you could also catch a red sheen in there. We can say that Emerald of Chivor was instrumental in popularizing the intentional use of sheen and shimmer in fountain pen ink. Check out our review of this ink here.
Robert Oster Rose Gold Antiqua
Robert Oster Rose Gold Antiqua is an ink you should try for two reasons. One – you get to see what a liberal amount of shimmer looks like in fountain pen ink. The shimmer in the ink doesn't stay in suspension for very long. It settles to the bottom of the bottle, and will likewise settle in your pen. You'll need to gently agitate your pen before you write, and ideally, take some moments to do it while writing. Two – this one really captures the true rose gold color – which is very difficult to do. The ink is a true rose color, and the gold shimmer mixes together nicely to bring out that luxurious rose gold look. It's a must-try if you like things that are elegant, pretty, or fun!
Organics Studios Nitrogen
If Rose Gold Antiqua ramped up the shimmer, Organics Studios Nitrogen ramps up the sheen. And then it ramps it up again and again. This ink is almost infamous. If you don't have a pen that seals exceptionally well, your feed will dry up super fast with this ink. Also, Nitrogen dries on paper slowly. Very slowly. If it dries at all. However, it looks SO COOL. This ink is almost ALL sheen! Despite the high maintenance this ink requires, people love it and are often curious to give it a shot. For this reason, it's on our must-try list!
Diamine Marine
Diamine Marine is popular, but not as popular as it should be which is a big reason we think it's a must-try ink recommendation. This is a lovely turquoise ink, but kinda basic. There's no sheening, or shimmering with this ink. But this ink is a beautiful pure turquoise/teal combination in an ink that just works. It's easy to maintain, has a good saturation, and doesn't take forever to dry.
Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo
Pilot's Iroshizuku Ink collection enjoys an excellent reputation, and Yama-Budo is one of the more popular colors there. One reason you should try this ink is that if you for some reason think that magenta isn't your style, or you've never thought to give magenta ink a shot -Yama-Budo is the magenta you should try at least once. It's not just magenta – give it a shot. Plus, as an added bonus you sometimes can see a tiny bit of gold sheen, and hunting for gold is always fun.
Noodler's Southwest Sunset
Perhaps the most universally appreciated color within the Noodler's Ink brand is Southwest Sunset. Simply put, it's a beautiful orange ink that showcases an ink properly known as shading. This occurs when your stroke appears lighter at the start of a word, and then the ink pools at the bottom of the letters creating an interesting variation in color depth. Some people like this effect – and this is a must-try for anyone who likes a little variety in their writing.
Sailor Manyo Haha
Speaking of shading, Sailor Manyo Haha is a shader on a totally different level. Haha is the most popular ink within the "chromashading" category of inks. These are ink colors that shade like Southwest Sunset, but not JUST with two levels of saturation. Chromashading ink colors like Haha also shade in additional colors. You're getting a light blue, a bit of lavender, and a little halo of emerald. Without a doubt an ink you MUST-try.
Platinum Carbon Black
Platinum Carbon Black is an ink you should definitely check out for a couple of reasons. First of all, this ink is PERMANENT! Any amount of water would destroy your paper before it would remove this ink from the page. Secondly, it's an example of pigmented ink. Most fountain pen inks are colored using dyes. Pigment is teeny tiny solid particles in liquid suspension. This creates a super deep, very rich presence on the page that also happens to be quite permanent in this case. However, it's also a bit more high maintenance in terms of cleaning. It's easier to clean than you might expect, but the result is worth the effort!
