20 Grey Inks

[rudyhou]

thank you for sharing this. i'm a fan of grey inks and so this is very helpful.

[Venator]

I am a huge fan of fuyu-syogun. I like Graphite but it doesn't really feel like a grey to me when I use it. I like the look of Infinite Grey and I now need to get my hands on a sample of Silbergrau. Diamine Silver Fox is another that looks very interesting to me.

 

Thanks for the comparison vis, you do excellent work.

[FatherFP]

Thank you for your (many) review(s). I know they're not your thing, but I *love* grey inks. This will make a wonderful reference when making a few more purchases at the end of this week! Voted in the poll of course. Noodler's Lexington Grey is my favorite of the greys, followed closely by Diamine Grey and J. Herbin Encre Authentique.

[FOUR X FOUR]

Thank you for your (many) review(s). I know they're not your thing, but I *love* grey inks. This will make a wonderful reference when making a few more purchases at the end of this week! Voted in the poll of course. Noodler's Lexington Grey is my favorite of the greys, followed closely by Diamine Grey and J. Herbin Encre Authentique.

Wow, that's good to know that Lexington grey is a popular grey.

[FOUR X FOUR]

I have no idea why most of my pics turn out sideways

[FatherFP]

I have no idea why most of my pics turn out sideways

 

Samsung Android Phone? Pretty typical of them. Try downloading the GoogleCamera application. Sometimes that can help. Other times, you have to crop a little bit off the photo and then rotate it around within the Gallery or Photos application itself.

 

Wow, that's good to know that Lexington grey is a popular grey.

 

Again, its very near the top of my favorite of all inks period. Its a true grey and not a watered down black. I'm not sure what the bright blue that "halos" out of it on a papertowel or chromotography paper is about -- it must add something of course, but it's a beautiful color that shades well, behaves well in my pens, and looks professional enough to get by in the office but still has some spunk to it!

[pgcauk]

This is a lovely comparison - so interesting to see the subtlety of variation.

I have a trio of greys that I use regularly as the "stone" half of my "sub-tertiary color circle": De Atramentis Cement and Fog greys, which have a green and blue undertone respectively, and Sailor Jentle Chu Shu, which is also clearly a stone grey but with an undertone of violet.

Obviously in this instance these undertones are a feature I am looking for rather than an impurity.

(It looks from this review as though Payne's Grey and Anthracite might be possible substitutes if De Atramentis ever disappear mysteriously!)

I am also very fond of J Herbin Cocoa du Bresil, which is probably best called Taupe - looks grey against browns and brown against greys.

[Jan2016]

If someone is looking into greys, look also at this one:

 

Kyonooto Aonibi

 

blueish grey

 

and

 

Sailor Chu SU

 

blackish grey

[visvamitra]

Good choices.

[Misfit]

What an incredible display for ink comparisons Visvamitra. You amaze again and again with your reviews and ink comparisons.

 

I own Diamine Grey, De Atramentis Frankincense, J Herbin 1670 Anniversary Stormy Gray, and a sample of Mont Blanc Oyster Grey.

 

I had a pen filled with Diamine Grey that ran out of ink. I was visiting my brother, saw his bottle of J Herbin Gris Nuage, and filled my pen (somehow missed seeing it evidently run down my wrist and land on my bracelet's sides and back). I liked the ink. Now how much Diamine Grey could have mixed with the Gris Nuage I'll never know. But I liked the Gris Nuage better that the darker Diamine.

 

I know that the Diamine deserves another chance in a wider nib. Most inks deserve that chance as there can be dramatic differences in how the ink looks. I do want Gris Nuage though.

 

I'll look at your displays of ink again and try and make an impartial choice in my vote.

 

After looking at your photos again I realized I have De Atramentis Silver Gray. I bought some DeA Richard Wagner ink and it arrived as Silver Gray instead of Maron which it should have been.

Edited April 6, 2017 by Misfit

[Misfit]

Ugh, I tried to pick one but it's harder than I thought. I like the printed DeA silver gray. But in other ways I like the mausgrau, and also Omas new gray.

 

Which is to say I like gray inks. Gray and red together can be a good pairing.

[Misfit]

I have no idea why most of my pics turn out sideways

That's what I've wondered about mine! It's my iPhone photos that post sideways here because I use the phone more than the computer.

[ENewton]

Robert Oster Purple Rock is another lovely grey, with purple tones evident depending on the pen and paper.

[Carrau]

Oyster grey by Papier Flume is another beautiful grey I learned about from a review by Visvamitra in March 2016.

[Aquaria]

The four you picked were the grays I also liked best.

 

I only disagree about the Anthracite, which I liked a great deal, and now will probably buy. I like purple-grays like that.

[CrispyBacon_87]

Huh, I own 4 grey inks and none are listed in the original poll

 

Does this mean I should just buy the winner of the poll?

[jmeldorf]

Your review was a phenomenal piece of work! Thx

Should you decide to expand your review, please consider adding Robert Oster's Graphite. Made me ditch my favorite grey of a couple of years, Lexington Gray, for the darker shade I can use on professional documents.

[ManofKent]

Nice summary.

 

I've been playing with Diamine Silver Fox - a little too pale for me, needs a wet broad nib and slightly absorbent paper to get the best out of it, and Papier Plume Oyster Gray - lovely ink with just the merest hint of a bluey/purple tone.

[KKay]

Papier Plume-Oyster Grey is beautiful to me. I only got a sample, but plan to get a bigger bottle in the future.