Boutique Or Pen Manufacturer Inks. Your Preference?

[tonybelding]

Just wanted to find out what the fountain pen community prefer using more. Boutique inks such as Noodlers, Private Reserve, Diamine, etc or Manufacturer inks by Pilot, Monblanc, Waterman etc and reason why you prefer one type over the other.

 

 

I'm old enough to remember the Bad Old Days when all you could get were a few colors of weak-and-watery pen manufacturer's inks, like Sheaffer Skrip and Parker Quink. Blue Skrip played a big role in turning me off from my first encounters with fountain pens. Yes, it was that bad. Thank goodness we've left those times behind!

 

Keep in mind that pen makers are also producing "boutique" lines of ink now, usually in addition to their legacy, less expensive inks. (Actually, Parker Penman was the first boutique ink that I ever encountered.) Pilot Iroshizuku, Pelikan Edelstein, and probably every ink from Mont Blanc fall into this category.

 

I don't believe that simply being branded and sold by a pen maker automatically results in an ink being trouble-free. It sounds good in theory, but experience just doesn't support it.

 

 

I have tried a few Private Reserve and while there are some inks I like, I find PR inks tend to be very saturated and not always practical on cheaper papers.

 

 

Private Reserve has everything, just everything: mold, staining, smearing, flow problems, clogging, turning to cement in the bottle. In my experience PR is the most highly saturated ink you can get, and often needs to be diluted before it will even flow properly in a pen. I've had more problems with it than every other ink brand put together. It's the only brand that I've vowed to never use again.

 

I'm a huge Noodler's fan myself, but I've also had good luck with Herbin, Diamine, De Atramentis, Iroshizuku and Mont Blanc. Caran d'Ache is next on my list to try.

[Algester]

GvFC is also on my next line of ink to try and finally start with a hazelnut brown... Though I'm slightly pretty sure Pelikan makes their inks...

[storyteller]

When it comes to ink, I do not think that either boutique or manufacturer get it right all the time.

 

I have seen manufacturer ink progressively clog even the feeds of their own pens! By clogged, I mean definitively clogged.

 

I have had sticky goo and hard precipitation/deposits in boutique inks that were well within their 'use-by' dates.

 

I've had serious nib creep, feathering, sac staining etc., etc. from both parties as well.

 

 

Consequently, I now purchase an ink based on its individual merits, not its origins. It doesn't matter where it comes from, if it works, it works, if it doesn't...

 

The ink reviews here at FPN are extremely useful....

[inkstainedruth]

I have a mix of inks -- both "boutique" inks and manufacturer brands. And I'm starting to pick up vintage ink if and when I come across it at a good price.

For individual bottles, I probably have more Noodler's ink than from any other brand -- but my stashes of Diamine and KWZI inks are (both) starting to rival the Noodler's collection.

And +1 to what storyteller said about sometimes having trouble with inks not doing well in their own brand of pen. The Sheaffer Snorkel with the EF nib is particular persnickety about what inks do well in it -- even vintage Skrip wasn't a roaring success; OTOH, modern Skrip Purple did quite well in it.

And I've had sac staining from so-called "safe" inks -- Sailor Jentle Sky High permanently stained the (just replaced) pliglass sac in one of my Parker 51s (good thing I like the ink in other respects, or I'd be fairly PO'd about it...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Runnin_Ute]

Right now I have more so called boutique inks than manufacturer inks.

 

Diamine, Blackstone, Noodler's, Pelikan, Waterman, Levenger and KWZI in bottles.

[webgeckos]

I am totally addicted to the small shop inks of Japan, made by Sailor. So I guess in a way they fall into both categories. I would have to say, aside from Sailor inks, I like boutique ink. I want ink where that is the main focus of the makers, and not a secondary market for pen makers.

[DrDebG]

The vast majority of my inks are probably "boutique" inks - L'Artisan Pastelier Callifolio, GvFC, Franklin-Christoph, etc. I also have a lot of DeAtramentis and Rohrer & Klingner which I like. But, in all truthfulness, I have not found one Noodler's ink that I like. I like the colors, but I just don't care for the ink formulation.

[WaskiSquirrel]

I go for colors I like. I don't care who made them. I'm a Noodler's fan, but I'm open to any ink brand. I love my one bottle of Montegrappa Bourdeaux. What an amazing ink! And I have others, also made by pen manufacturers. As long as I like the color, it's all good.

 

Of course, in general, the boutique inks seem to come in more exciting colors.

[max dog]

I go for colors I like. I don't care who made them. I'm a Noodler's fan, but I'm open to any ink brand. I love my one bottle of Montegrappa Bourdeaux. What an amazing ink! And I have others, also made by pen manufacturers. As long as I like the color, it's all good.

 

Of course, in general, the boutique inks seem to come in more exciting colors.

I am enjoying my two bottles of Noodlers. The Apache sunset has not left my Pelikan M200 italic. The shading from yellow to dark orange is fascinating, especially in a wet pen, so I have written many pages with it. It's a bit addictive.

 

I discovered why it is called "Black Swan in Australian Roses". When that ink shades it leaves a nice black tail as the ink dries. I can certainly see the appeal of Noodlers as their inks have amazing color and character. Will definately try out a few more Noodlers now that I have found a penshop that carries them here in Vancouver.

[max dog]

 

 

I'm old enough to remember the Bad Old Days when all you could get were a few colors of weak-and-watery pen manufacturer's inks, like Sheaffer Skrip and Parker Quink. Blue Skrip played a big role in turning me off from my first encounters with fountain pens. Yes, it was that bad. Thank goodness we've left those times behind!

 

Keep in mind that pen makers are also producing "boutique" lines of ink now, usually in addition to their legacy, less expensive inks. (Actually, Parker Penman was the first boutique ink that I ever encountered.) Pilot Iroshizuku, Pelikan Edelstein, and probably every ink from Mont Blanc fall into this category.

 

I don't believe that simply being branded and sold by a pen maker automatically results in an ink being trouble-free. It sounds good in theory, but experience just doesn't support it.

 

 

 

Private Reserve has everything, just everything: mold, staining, smearing, flow problems, clogging, turning to cement in the bottle. In my experience PR is the most highly saturated ink you can get, and often needs to be diluted before it will even flow properly in a pen. I've had more problems with it than every other ink brand put together. It's the only brand that I've vowed to never use again.

 

I'm a huge Noodler's fan myself, but I've also had good luck with Herbin, Diamine, De Atramentis, Iroshizuku and Mont Blanc. Caran d'Ache is next on my list to try.

Makes sense. There is no hard fast rule, just because it is a manufacturer ink that it will be safe. Assessing each ink for it's own merit sounds like the best approach irregardless of the brand, manufacturer or boutique.

[fplover01]

I have used most mainly pen manufacturer inks throughout my fountain pen journey. Starting from Parker, Waterman, then Pelikan, then Lamy. Pelikan and Lamy inks have served me without problems for almost a decade now. The last couple of years I have also included Rohrer und Klingner inks gradually in my rotation and I am very happy with them. Salix is becoming my all time favourite blue black lately. I generally prefered classic and tried inks that work without issues.