Top 5 Of 2018?

[Tas]

Im going with Top meaning most used

 

1. Gris de Payne - so easy on the eye that I find I reach for this more and more.

2. Prussian Blue - same & instantly vintage looking.

3. Pelkan Blue Black - finally got a batch that works and looks a dream.

4. Ancient Copper - firm favourite.

5. Sailor Sou Boku - only bought some in Sept (hence No 5) and predicting this will be at the No 1 spot next year.

[uceroy]

Just started this year, my current top 5:

 

Noodler's burgundy

Lamy Crystal Agate

Lamy Crystal Peridot

Diamine Sargasso Sea

Noodler's Army

 

🙂

[VivaTerlingua]

Top 5 new inks (to me) in 2018:

1. Sailor Nano Souboku

2. Nagasawa (Sailor) Ginza Gold Sepia

3. Colorverse Dark Energy

4. Kyo-no-oto Yamabukiiro

5. Colorverse String

 

Honorable mentions: Colorverse Supernova, Sailor Yodaki, Bungubox Clown Tears, KWZI Old Gold

 

Should get Sailor Kingdom Note Uca arcuata (my first Japan-exclusive ink) in the mail tomorrow so that might slip into the list!

[DrDebG]

My most used inks of 2018:

 

1. Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuyu-kusa

2. Stipula Calamo Deep Blue

3. Stipula Calamo Dark Red

4. Montblanc Lavender Purple/DeAtramentis Pearl Violet (tie)

5. Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake/Rohrer & Klinger Smaragdgrun (tie)

 

New inks for me which I have fallen in love with:

 

1. Stipula Calamo inks - Deep Blue, Dark Red, Saffron, Bright Green

2. Rohrer & Klinger Aubergine (sad that it is a LE)

3. Blackstone Sydney Harbor Blue

4. Monteverde inks - every color that I have tried I love.

5. DeAtramentis Emerald Green, DeAtramentis Amarant

[Tuderte]

I'm new this year, too. My favourites (at this early stage) are -

 

1. Pilot Iroshizuku Yama Budo

2. Pilot Iroshizuku Shin Ryoku

3. Diamine Syrah

4. J. Herbin Perle Noir

5. Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown (made by Diamine)

[Aquaria]

I'm the most boring person here. These are my most used inks of 2018:

 

1. Pilot Namiki Blue

2. J Herbin Poussière de Lune

3. Sailor Jentle Black

4. Diamine Prussian Blue

5. Random colors of short international cartridges I have lying about that I'm trying to get rid of, but they keep multiplying on me...! Stooooppppppp!

 

Favorite inks bought and used in 2018

 

1. Colorverse Tokyo Hayabashi Glistening

2. Organics Studio [Longest Name Ever] Twilight Blue.

3. Sailor Maruzen Athena Renga

4. Kobe Bordeaux

5. Pilot Iroshizuku Ina Ho

[Cargoblues]

My top five :

 

J. Herbin "Rouge D'orient"

L'artisan Pastellier "Bosphore"

Rohrer & Klingner "Aubergine"

Sailor "Blue black"

J. Herbin "Vert Empire"

[ENewton]

My top five :

 

J. Herbin "Rouge D'orient"

L'artisan Pastellier "Bosphore"

Rohrer & Klingner "Aubergine"

Sailor "Blue black"

J. Herbin "Vert Empire"

 

I didn't acquire my bottle of Aubergine until 2019, but what an attractive, versatile, and well-behaved ink!

[by_a_Lady]

Diamine Eau de Nil

This was part of my very first ink order, and I didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. It's a subdued colour, though by no means pastel-y or undersaturated, while still having a good, strong presence on the page. I find the colour to be extremely calming and refreshing (especially in summer), it exactly matches my romanticised daydream of how the Nile's water would have looked like as Cleopatra's pleasure boat glided over it (I'm picturing the opulent 1963 movie here, of course). You don't see it mentioned too often, though when you do it's always in praise.

 

Diamine Asa Blue

The second of the two all-time favourites, also one of my first inks. It's reviving in the same way that Eau de Nil is calming, representing two characteristics of water. I think it comes pretty close to the colour of the Carribbean Sea. As above, you don't see it mentioned too often, perhaps because it's damn near identical to Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, but the people that did try it agree almost unisono that it's very unique.

 

KWZ Honey

New to me this year, I fell in love with it the instant I put down the first line. I'm not going to waste too many words on it, as I find that the reviews cover everything there is to cover, but the three reasons I love it for: It looks exactly like blossom honey (wild/forest honey is darker). It smells like some kind of vanilla goodness (coming from a person who hates the sickly-sweet vanilla smell that permeates all the shopping streets). It shades beautifully, enhancing the honey look even further. I wouldn't use this in a dry or fine pen, that makes it look to light, but coming out of a stub or any "juicified" nib/feed it's gorgeous.

 

Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün

Also new in 2018. It reminds me of the earliest grass of spring, illuminated by a still-wintery sun (I know, poetic, but vague). I can see that some people don't like this colour, as under certain conditions it can come out looking like newborns' diarrhoea, but to me it's beautiful.

 

Diamine Oxblood

This was also part of my first ink order, and, judging by the amont of ink left in the bottle, my most-used ink this year (15ml used in two years). It's by and large a perfect red, dark enough to be suitable for daily use, but not so dark that you would mistake it for a brown; if I had to point out any drawbacks, it would be that I personally would like it to have just an itty-bitty more lubrication, because I'm spoiled by the smoothness of Japanese inks, and if it shaded just a tiny little bit more (or rather, if it displayed some more graduation between the lighter and darker spectrum of the colour) it would look even more eye-catching.

 

Honourable mentions

• Diamine Ancient Copper
• Diamine Earl Grey
• Diamine Majestic Blue
• Diamine Mediterranean Blue
• J. Herbin Lie de Thé
• J. Herbin Poussière de Lune

[ethernautrix]

Five most-used inks in 2018:

Noodler's Black

Noodler's Lexington Gray

KWŻ Flame Red

Pilot Blue-Black or Pilot Blue

Faber-Castell Stone Grey

[Mongoosey]

1. Sailor Kiwa-Guro
2. Iroshizuku Take-Sumi
3. Iroshizuku Yama-Guri
4. Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite
5. Noodler's Heart of Darkness

Honorable Mention: Sailor Souboku

[shinryu]

I only own like 5 bottles but Im fond of them overall.

 

1. Diamine Eau de Nil - feels like writing with mystical water

2. Callifolio Equinoxe 6 - work appropriate version of Eau de Nil

3. Herbin Lierre Sauvage - vibrant green that is kind to the eyes

4. KWZ Honey - cant really describe it but a soothing color

5. Robert Oster Fire and Ice - literally looks like blue fire

[Kalessin]

Five most used in 2018:

 

1) Namiki Blue (local pen store carries the Namiki bottles, but not the larger Pilot ones with the same ink inside)

2) Skrip Peacock Blue

3) Waterman Absolute Havana Brown

4) Montblanc Burgundy (vintage)

5) Montblanc Lucky Orange

[ScarletWoodland]

I was new last year as well. My favs purchased in 2018 were:

 

* Monteverde California Teal - (Try it, seriously. It's like writing on silk.)

 

* Monteverde Capri Blue - (A flowy, shading, tropical blue with a hint of sheen)

 

* Noodler's Saguaro Wine - (Bought because I couldn't afford Yama Budo at the time but I love its rich, saturated colour)

 

* Noodler's Ottoman Rose (Had a surprise craving for a lipstick, rosy red/pink and this is beautifully dark and rich. Not the least bit girly)

 

* Diamine Autumn Oak - (Yes it's a bit of a finicky, pain in the bottom but it's worth it. Stunning shading and looks different in every pen.)

 

The Organics Studio sheen monsters Walden Pond and Nitrogen were up the top for a while but in the end it was just TOO MUCH SHEEN.

[Old_Inkyhand]

It was a tough choice!

 

• Graf von Faber-Castell Stone Grey – good properties, pleasant shading, very versatile, available in handy universal cartridges.
• Sailor Yama-Dori – wonderful dark teal, nice sheen, good as "blue with a bit of flair", wet and smooth.
• Kaweco Caramel Brown – I know this ink doesn't have many fans, but I love its chocolate colour and have never had a reason to complain about its properties.
• KWZI Honey – beautiful shading, sweet smell, deep colour, great properties.
• Noodler's Army Green – wonderful shading, my replacement for the unobtainium MB Daniel Defoe ink

Edited February 2, 2019 by Old_Inkyhand

[Darth_Roo]

I'm quite boring in my tastes.

 

I've always got a pen in rotation with

 

Diamine Bilberry

Monteverde Smoke Noir

Montblanc Irish Green

Edelstein Onyx

And

Diamine Blue Velvet

[uceroy]

Tough choice.. I'll settle for:

 

Noodler's heart of Darkness

Diamine Amazing Amethyst (blew through the sample.. Really need a bottle of it 😂)

Lamy Agate

Pelikan Smoky Quartz

Diamine Sherwood green

[TackyChic]

This is super hard for me. I only have one pen inked at a time (sacrilegious I know!) and I change inks constantly (probably twice a week). I love color and I love shading (though sheen is fun too)...my favorites are just ones that Ive filled more than once!

 

KWI grapefruit

Noodlers Squeteague

DeAtramentis Alexander Hamilton

Robert Oster Summer Storm

Robert Oster Thunderstorm

 

Honorable mentions:

Noodlers cayenne

Robert Oster Blue Water Ice

GVFC Moss Green