I'd much like to know what FPNers out there think is the best grey ink. Which has the greatest saturation? Which has the least? Which gives the best shading? Which gives the best lubrication?

Thanks

Noodler's Lexington Gray is probably the most saturated gray around and has a fairly wet flow. It is also waterproof.
Herbin Gris Nuage is probably one of the softest grays, with good shading.
Those are the two I have experience with.

QM2

PR Gray Flannel is nice deep grey that won't be mistaken for black.

However, Gray Flannel feathers slightly for me... for that reason I'm soon adding Sailor Grey to my collection.

I second QM2's comment about Herbin Gris Nuage offering excellent shading and being one of the softest greys around. (In fact, it can be so soft that it doesn't photocopy very well, as I found out when trying to make a copy of an important document.) Diamine Grey also shades rather nicely, and I'd say that it's a touch lighter than Lexington Gray (which can, to my eye, often appear black). My favourite grey, though, is the old-style Omas Grey, which is/was a beautiful and unique colour with really subtle tones. I understand, though, that the new variety is a slightly different shade.

Neil

I might be a bit sarcastic and this is surely not intended to offend anyone - but in my eyes, the best grey I've ever seen is Waterman Black. In my dry nibs, this ink has never looked black, but when I have to be honest, it's that pale - a very good grey.

I'm quite a fan of Diamine inks - their traditional series (which includes a nice grey) is very "well behaved", in the sense that it is not so pigmented that it is a nightmare to clean out of pens. The flow of their ink is also extremely good, in my experience.

Jentle! (Sailor.)

This Japanese ink flows well through all my dozen or so modern and vintage pens and produces a genuinely grey line.

I've only tried Omas Grey and Sailor Gray. I've posted a comparison scan here:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry540965

The Omas is a new bottle (from a few months ago). I've compared notes with Michael R., and it is probably a different shade that the browner-tinged version of Omas Grey that had been released a few years ago. It sounds more like the old-style version that NeilB references, so perhaps they've recently reformulated it again. It's a silvery color to me. I've only tried it in a flex nib, and it does have nice shading. It is not very saturated and is very easy to rinse out of a pen, and it flows nicely.

Sailor Gray looks very much like I'd written with a pencil. It's darker, not as cool-silver as the Omas. I think it shades nicely, too. I only have a sample of this, so I can't comment on other characteristics.

I've been very interested in a grey ink recently, but there is always that guy (I forget who) who chimes in the reviews that an equal grey can be achieved with a 1/10 water to bulletproof black dilution. How viable is this? Has anyone done a test of Lexington Grey versus watered down black?

I dunno who "that guy" is...

...but I did like the effect I got with highly diluted Heart of Darkness. Not a "smooth" feeling blend, but a great pencil gray colour line with pronounced shading. I used it with no ill effects in a Pelikan M250.

YMMV!

I'm not "That Guy", but after reading him many times did try his 10:1 ratio with Noodlers Black. My opinion is it takes more like 5:1 maybe 4:1 to make a Grey like Lexington. It works fine and have used the diluted black in some mixes like with Noodlers Forest Green to make a watered down Zhivago.

Have Lexington Grey and like it very much. Use in a Hero 237-1, Accountant, a XXF, so don't see much shading, but some ... a nice ink. Like having both inks.

I don't know if it would have enough saturation for you but if you have Noodlers bulletproof black, you can dilute it with different amounts of distilled water and come up with various shades of gray. One part black and four or five parts water gives a result that looks like pencil. And it's just as bulletproof as the straight stuff.


EDIT: Haha. I see SallyLyn and I said almost the same thing at the same time.

Great Minds!!!

I do agree with Limerick in the fact that Waterman Black makes a good grey. The only true grey ink that I have used, though, it Levenger's Smokey. It has a very nice, dark color, but I used it in a Fine tipped pen. Best of luck in your search.

-Cody

I don't have any Waterman or Noodler's Black. However, I do have a 2 ounce bottle of Pelikan Brilliant Black laying around unused. I will experiment with this and see what kind of grey I get. I'm looking forward to nice shading -if I can get it.

NeilB sent me a writing sample of Lexington Grey a while ago and I thought it had a slightly unpleasant brown tinge to it (similar to what I remember from trying Sheaffer Grey cartridges when I was at school some 25 years ago). I still haven't bought a grey, but every time that I see a scan of PR Grey Flannel, it seems to shout: buy me. It seems to have a very "vintage" look about it, which is exactly what I want from a grey.

I've just tried some Visconti black and to me it appears to be dark grey rather than a real black.

sailor gray is my favorite
and herbin gray coming in next.
i bought, but am not in love with, PR gray.

sailor and herbin and beautiful, herbin is paler and ghostlier.
i put it in my lamy 2000 broad and it is just gorgeous because of the shading.

Sailor Jentle Gray ink is the best of the grays.

I like the Noodler's Lexington waterproof Gray ink. It has a slight feather to it but is a lovely ink. A nice neutral gray. I also use a Lexington Gray ink Wash in my Brush pen, about 1/3 Lex. Gray to 2/3 water. It allows you to build up tone nicely.