Dear Good Folks of FPN,

While I was working on my review of FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown ( http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...dpost&p=166196), I thought this was a good opportunity to compare a few brown inks. BTW, this is the high bandwidth version of this article.

In order to do this comparison, I had to choose a pen, or a nib. As it really is a lot of work to properly rinse and flush a pen in order to clean it from all ink remnants, and the use of a single pen for 27 inks would have meant at least 27*2=54 days, if not more, to carry out this experiment, I opted for the use of a dip nib.

The dip nib used is a medium italic dip nib, without tipping, but with a little reservoir. This is nib #3 as used in the FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown review, and I have used this nib also in other ink reviews, often also as #3 in the list of used nibs.

The choice fell on this nib, apart from the advantages a dip nib has with regard to cleaning over a fountain pen nib, because it behaves very similarly to a fountain pen nib, in my experience. It is not as finicky with fountain pen inks, which are rather thin compared to dip nib inks, as most other dip nibs are, in my experience anyway. It is a bit more sensitive to ink flow than fountain pen inks, but basically, if an ink behaves quite well with this pen, from my experience it generally behaves well to very well in a fountain pen.

In order to see more of a variety in behaviour, I used not only my standard fountain pen friendly paper, but also a few quality papers for testing, namely FPN Notepad paper, and a very creamy, heavy paper, with which brown inks combine very nicely in my opinion.

The writing samples are presented very much as I do with ink reviews, namely with the aid of clickable thumbnails, which open new browser windows in order to show a more detailed version of the page, and a link wich shows all pages, one after the other, to check out at your ease.

The inks of which writng sample are shown are:

• 1. Noodler's FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown
• 2. AM Tobacco
• 3. Caran d'Ache Grand Canyon
• 4. Stipula Calamo Terra di Siena
• 5. J Herbin Cacao du Brésil
• 6. J Herbin Café des Îles
• 7. J Herbin Lie de Thé
• 8. Montblanc Season's Greetings
• 9. Montblanc Sepia
• 10. Noodler's Red Black
• 11. Noodler's Kiowa Pecan
• 12. Swishmix Cocoa
• 13. Omas Sepia
• 14. Parker Penman Mocha
• 15. PR Copperburst
• 16. PR Chocolat
• 17. Sailor Jentle Brown
• 18. Sailor Jentle Red Brown
• 19. Visconti Sepia
• 20. Waterman Havana
• 21. De Atramentis Kupferbraun
• 22. De Atramentis Havanna
• 23. De Atramentis Sepiabraun
• 24. De Atramentis Rotbraun
• 25. De Atramentis Terra di Siena
• 26. Swisher Maroon
• 27. Noodler's Cayenne

Here are the clickable thumbnails:










And here is the link to all pages:
All 27 inks viewable in a single browser window

Short notes as to performance of these inks:
1. Noodler's FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown - A great ink, easy to use, and performs extremely well, even in a dip nib.
2. AM Tobacco - Feathers very badly, and a very watery ink.
3. Caran d'Ache Grand Canyon - A difficult starter, and in my opinion too dark.
4. Stipula Calamo Terra di Siena - This is an extremely difficult ink to write with, the flow is essentially free fall.
5. J Herbin Cacao du Brésil - This ink is ok, except on the FPN notepad, and is also too dark IMO.
6. J Herbin Café des Îles - This is a very hard starting ink. I like this ink and actually use it in one pen, but I had to adjust the flow dramaticaly in that pen just to get it to write properly.
7. J Herbin Lie de Thé - Also a very hard starting, and thin ink.
8. Montblance Season's Greetings - Very hard starting, and way too dark. It is supposed to smell of chocolate, but to me it smells like licorice, and the colour looks like licorice as well.
9. Montblanc Sepia - Rather hard starting, but writes reasonably after.
10. Noodler's Red Black - An excellent ink.
11. Noodler's Kiowa Pecan - Also excellent, but a little on the light side for a brown ink.
12. Swishmix Cocoa - This writes ok, but it does show too much feathering.
13. Omas Sepia - Also ok, only little difficulties writing with it.
14. Parker Penman Mocha - Ok, but too dark IMO.
15. PR Copperburst - A reasonable, middle of the road in everything ink.
16. PR Chocolat - This is not such a great performer, and too dark IMO.
17. Sailor Jentle Brown - A reasonable ink, be it a bit thin.
18. Sailor Jentle Red Brown - This one is ok, but rather thinnish.
19. Visconti Sepia - Ok performance wise, but maybe a tad light.
20. Waterman Havana - A very good performer, almost as good as Noodler's FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown and Noodler's Red Black.
21. De Atramentis Kupferbraun - Not a very borown colour, and dries much too slowly.
22. De Atramentis Havanna - This is ok, maybe a bit too thin, but again dries slowly.
23. De Atramentis Sepiabraun - This is good, a bit dark maybe.
24. De Atramentis Rotbraun - An ok performer, but a bit thin, and too red IMO.
25. De Atramentis Terra di Siena - This a a good ink.
26. Swisher Maroon - A very good to excellent peformer, but really too red for a proper brown.
27. Noodler's Cayenne - Just added to fill the page really: it is very good, but of course too orange for a brown ink.

When you write with so many inks, you really start admiring Noodler's inks. They perform generally very, very well, compared to any other manufacturer's inks. Actually, they just work much better in most instances.

In conclusion, the top three performers, in my opinion, of these inks are:
1. Noodler's FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown
2. Noodler's Red Black
3. Waterman Havana

These will work well with any pen, just that in that regard, in my opinion, Galileo Manuscript Brown outperforms all others.

Anyway, I hope you found this article useful!

Warm regards, Wim

Thanks much Wim! I really love these ink reviews of yours - as usual, very thorough.

Your ink reviews read like novels!

Thank you very much for mentioning dip nibs in your reviews.

-Hana

Wim--Thanks also for this in addition to the FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown review. This is a great comparison! One wouldn't guess that there were so many brown inks in the world--and to think that that's not even all of them--mindboggling!!! Your notes on the performance of the inks make a great reference.

Best, Ann

..

Thank you!

Now I know I have to have the Galileo...

Thanks so much Wim. Very helpful to pick out a brown ink.

BTW, what is your standard fountain pen friendly paper?

Thanks so much Wim, this must have taken you hours. I mostly use my brown inks on cream paper, so the extra work on duplicating it all a second time is really appreciated.

I really loved the helpful reviews as well: one line with all the essential data.

If I hadn't already ordered a bottle of the Galileo, this would have sold me on it

Another gr4eat review Wim.

You have so many brown inks! But not the Pelikan brown Although it is hard to tell by looking just at a monitor, it seems a slightly lighter and ever so slightly more coppery version of the gallileo ink

Amazing review, Wim. Not that you need to add any more to your review but I do have a few brown inks not on your list. I'd be happy to send samples to help you complete your collection of browns. Hard to imagine anyone has come closer than you have.

27 browns in one review . It's just too much excitement to bear -- I've gone a bit light-headed! Thanks for this incredible post, Wim.

Neil

Yeah, where's the Pelikan Brown??







Just kidding!!


Thanks so much for the ink reviews, Wim

Just one question for you: out of all the inks in your review, which ink in person, comes closest to the FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown?

Hi chainwhip,
Thank you once more!
Just now I start blushing!
Warm regards, Wim

Hi Hana,

I think dip nibs are a great way to try out new inks, especuially as there are a few around that show the real colours of the ink, like the poster nib, or work more or less as a fountain pen.

Of course the school dip nib is something I am utterly familiar with, although I don't understand how I could ever write well with it. At primary school we were taught cursive with a dip nib, and I used one for the first 5 years at primary school! Exactly the same one I use now- they're still available, including the exact same plastic and copper holders!
(yes, I am fairly ancient )

Warm regards, Wim

Thak you very, very much for your kind words, Ann!

And no, those are no tall brown insk by a long shot . Actually, not even all the ones I own. I still have a 12 ml Sheaffer Bordeaux Brown Granate, but I didn't manage to open it. The lid is very much stuck on...

BTW, would you consider J Herbin's Ambre de Birmanie a brown ink? I have that, too...

Warm regards, Wim

I really love that comment...

BTW, I also love your dancing Pelikan avatar... it is just great!

Warm regards, Wim

Yes, it is quite clear, isn't it?

There is no real competition...

Warm regards, Wim

Hi Lisa,

Thank you!

And the fountain pen friendly paper I use most is Multo colledictaat / lecture notebook / Collegeblock / bloc de cours, 80 pages, 80 grams, spiral bound with ring binder holes.

It is available from, amongst others, Bruna, at 2.95 euros if I am not mistaken...

Warm regards, Wim

Hi DillettanteG, Thank you! BTW, make that days of work ... Well, that is exactly why I did this: many people use it on cream paper. It looks so nice on a lightly tinted paper after all .


Warm regards, Wim

Hi Stylo,

Thank you for your kind words!

I don't have Pelikan Brown currently, but I was certainly thinking of extending this list, if I do get more, and if I do manage to open my little bottle of Sheaffer Bordeaux Brown Granate ink .

Warm regards, Wim

Hi Margana,

Thanks!

I do have a bunch of KCat vials, so I am happy to exchange a few inks if you like... I think my collection is up to 155 botles now anyway . Just send me a PM, and we can arrange something...

I am pretty sure some people have more browns, though

Warm regards, Wim

Hi Neil,

Nah, only 26 browns, and 1 orange .

And thank you, for your kind words!

Warm regards, Wim

Hi Maja,

Don't have Pelikan Brown (yet ).

Which one comes closest? The naughty answer of course is FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown . Looking at it to try and give a real answer, and the scans are actually very much lifelike on a calibrated monitor, it depends a lot on the pen and paper used.

In the lists here, with the medium italic dip nib, on my standard fountain pen friendly paper, Noodler's Red Black is a bit redder and darker, Omas Sepia is a bit darker and shades less, and Visconti Sepia is a little lighter and shades a lot less. These 3 are the ones that come closest, I would say. But none really have that nice chocolatey feel, and none shade so well, and so intrigueingly.

On FPN Notepad paper none come close; they all look very distinctly different. FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown is a litle lighter here as well, BTW.

The cream paper shows Noodler's Red Black to come closest, but the Red Black is less lush and chocolatey. Omas and Montblanc Sepia clearly have a bit more black here, and the Montblanc Sepia is duller as well.

HTH, warm regards, Wim

Thanks for the answer, Wim!
(I like the word you used to describe it--"chocolatey".... )

Thanks for the info.
Multomap paper from Bruna that says "Multo colledictaat / lecture notebook / Collegeblock / bloc de cours, 80 pages, 80 grams" on it. Check.

Thank you so much for this comprehensive review. It is excellent, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Sorry, Lisa, typo: it says "collegedictaat" of course, not "colledictaat"...

Warm regards, Wim

Hi Maja,
- that's certainly what it looks like to me. It shades from a very light milky brown chocolate, to a very nice, rich dark chocolate, depending on the pen used, of course, with this just barely noticeable rust brown fringe, at times....

Just a pity it doesn't smell of chocolate, though. I would describe the scent as a combination of latex wall paint and rum...

Warm regards, Wim

Thank you, blueiris! I am glad you did!

Warm regards, Wim

Makes more sence too.
Writing it down on inferior (Hema) paper now.

Well, thanks for posting these scans. But just so we're clear, what is the basis for saying that several of these inks are "too dark?" I look at many of these inks and think "weak color." The darker browns are more intensely colored--which is what I like in an ink.

Obviously a darker brown is more likely to be used as a daily writing ink while the light browns are novelty items--IMO. I can't imagine writing several pages with the weak colors and then having to go back and review that much writing--which I do frequently each day.

I like this review a lot (but where are Noodler's Walnut and Noodler's Beaver?!). I like it specially because I thought I was crazy about ink and now I know I'm just normal and I have no problems at all about trying many ink colours

I started a new normal life after reading this

Hi pmormack, It is a pleasure! Intensely coloured and dark is not necessarily the same. Anyway, what I mean by too dark, is that in a wet writer, which this dip nib is in fountain pen terms, the colour becomes so dark, that you can´t see it is a brown anymore. That is the only criterium for this statement.
Well, I do write with lighter colours during the day, and sometimes pages of it. I like to vary ink and pens, especially if I have the time to write a little more slowly than maximum note taking speed. I guess it is really what you´re used to, or what your preferences are.

Warm regards, Wim

Hi Jikan, Thank you! Regarding the two browns you mention, unfortunately, I don´t have those (yet) .
Well, just tell everybody you know this guy who has 155 bottles of different fountain pen inks (and later today 156 ), and actually uses them too .

Warm regards, Wim

WOW! Wish I'd seen this before I bought 4 bottles of ink I won't like as much as Galileo.

Thanks for the thorough comparison review. I've never before used Caran d'Ache inks, but I am very impressed with the Grand Canyon. The ink is a really beautiful deep saturated brown, and it seems to be the most feathering resistant ink in the whole bunch. I've had feathering problems of late (Noodler's Purple Wampum and Tiananmen), so you've really piqued my interest with this ink. I need to be on the prowl for a bottle of this.


Dave

Fabulous review. I kind of like the darker browns, so this lets me know which are in that category. Very complete review.