In another post, Richard Bender suggested that regular fountain pen inks don't really work too good with dip pens due to viscosity differences. What are the dip-penners using?

The only dip pens I use are the type which have feeds (such as the Esterbrook dip-less pens). For those pens I use the same inks as I use in my fountain pens. It makes sense that feedless nibs would perform better with more viscous inks. Seems to me that PR Tanzanite and Sherwood Green are more viscous than other FP inks.

I find that almost any ink can be used for dip pens. I have found that inks that are wetter write better with broader nibs rather than writing type nibs.

I regularly use fountain pen ink for dip-pens. I see no reason why I can't. They work fine so if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Plus, it's cheaper.

The other advantage of using a dip pen is now you can use inks that contain pigments which you can't do with fountain pens.

Higgins Eternal.

OK, the Higgins is on my list. What about a blue and a brown?

I generally use fountain pen ink. One bonus with dip pens is that you can use metallic inks which would ruin a fountain pen.

I use Ziller ink that I bought from Pendemonium (outstanding service, usual disclaimer) - it's great for dip pens but a no-no for fountain pens. The Ziller dark purple is lovely.

Oh, yeah, I thought I had seen some dip specific inks somewhere. Thanks.

Ziller brown is a great color, and I like Winsor & Newton Ultramarine for a blue.

FP Inks work fine with dip pens, but you'll get less ink/words per dip because they do not adhere to the nib as well as inks made for dipping. My favorite dip pen ink is Ziller - these inks are made specifically for using with steel dip pen nibs. Remember to clean your dip pen nibs before use, especially vintage ones. They all have a light, invisible coating of oil which keeps inks from adhering to the nib. Wipe them down with rubbing alcohol, or drop them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes then dry thoroughly. If you want the total-old fashioned dip pen experience, lick them with your tongue!

Sam