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Inky T O D - If You Had To Rebuild Your Ink Collection From Scratch, What Would Be Your Initial Selections?


amberleadavis

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YES, I did grab Ghost Blue on my second trip to the office.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I confess that I am not separated from my ink collection. It is about 6 feet away.

 

But, if I had to rebuild my ink collection, I would probably be very satisfied with those listed below. But the short version is I would focus on Montblanc, Pilot Iroshizuku, Sailor and Stipula inks with a few others thrown in. And since I use blue more than any other color, I would focus on those first.

 

 

Blue-Black: GvFC Cobalt Blue

 

Permanent Blue: Sailor Souboku

 

Dark Blue: Sailor Manyo Kikiyou and Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao

 

Medium Blue: Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuyu-Kusa and Waterman Serenity Blue

 

Light Blue: Diamine China Blue; Sailor Manyo HaHa

 

Sky Blue: Montblanc Unicef Blue, Sailor Manyo Sumire

 

Turquoise: Montegrappa Turquoise, Visconti Turquoise

 

Green: Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku Rin, Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-ryoku, Montblanc Irish Green

 

Yellow/Orange: Stipula Sapphron, Sailor Manyo Yamabuki

 

Red: Stipula Florentine Red, Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji

 

Dark Red/Burgundy: Sailor Manyo Kuzu, Montblanc Antoine de Saint Exupery Desert

 

Brown: Montblanc Swan Illusion, GvFC Hazelnut Brown

 

Purple: Montblanc Lavender Purple, DeAtramentis Pearl Violet; Sailor Manyo Nekoyanagi

 

Gray: Stipula Fading Gray

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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If I lost all of my inks and had to rebuild I would simplify by just getting the entire range of Pilot Iroshizuku inks as they have wonderful colors and are good performers. But it took the journey of buying many inks to come to this conclusion.

...............................................................

We Are Our Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams

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If I lost all of my inks and had to rebuild I would simplify by just getting the entire range of Pilot Iroshizuku inks as they have wonderful colors and are good performers. But it took the journey of buying many inks to come to this conclusion.

SO true.

 

I can say the same about fountain pens (and have said it already at least once).

 

I think that with the exception of Noodler's Blue Ghost, I would have to reconsider all my current inks and decide carefully if I really need them again.

 

I would need inks that didn't cost the earth, that behaved well, and could be used in my vintage pens (as well as my modern ones). I would likely buy the bulk from the brands of Platinum, Diamine, J. Herbin, Iroshizuku, Lamy, and Robert Oster.

 

I would need the list below at the minimum for writing and marking up/color coding my notes. Think of it as the Crayola 8 Color pack:

  1. medium-to-dark red
  2. a good shading orange
  3. yellow-gold
  4. viridian green
  5. deep sapphire blue
  6. dark purple
  7. rich reddish brown.
  8. deep black

 

Secondary colors would build on the primary colors like the Crayola 12 Color pack:

  1. pink
  2. aqua
  3. yellow-green
  4. a navy blue-black

 

Tertiary colors:

Sheening and shimmer inks of various base colors.

  1. Lamy Violet for that wonderful green sheen
  2. Lamy Pacific Blue/Turquoise for the pink sheen
  3. Diamine's Shimmering Seas, a lovely blue black with gold shimmer
  4. Diamine's Golden Sands for that liquid gold effect.
  5. Diamine's Red Lustre for the gold and red

That's 17 inks plus Blue Ghost for a round 18.

 

But really? I would miss all the other colors and would happily obsess over tracking them down and buying them. It's impossible to limit myself to just the 18 if there is any chance I could have more.

Edited by taimdala
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I know this is harder to get for people outside the US, but Vanness Pens has a product called White Lightning that helps the flow of dry inks. It was recommended to me by Ana of The Well Appointed Desk blog.

 

OO That's good to know.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thank goodness I'm locked down with all of my inks but if I did have to start over:

 

Robert Oster Blue Sea

Monteverde Capri Blue

Monteverde California Teal

Diamine Honey Burst

& Iroshizuku Momiji...

 

Would all wing their way to me straight away. After that I'd probably grab a few I've wanted to try but can't justify with similar shades in my collection so:

 

Iroshizuku Yama Budo

Sailor Irori

Sailor Yodaki

and an ultra dark navy from either Sailor or Iroshizuku.

 

I'd probably pick up these old favs sooner or later too:

 

KWZ Honey

KWZ IG Violet #3

Robert Oster Fire & Ice

 

I'd mainly restart by buying the inks I really wanted in the first place, instead of buying multiple "almost there" versions because they were cheaper 😁.

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Lamy or sheaffer turquoise

4.5 oz Noodlers black

Baystate blue (I know but I love it)

Iroshizuku kon peki

Iroshizuku ku-jaku

Noodlers liberty's elysium

Waterman purple and Sheaffer red for binder burgundy

Noodlers bad belted kingfisher

Noodlers Apache sunset!!!

For fun: j. Herbin rouge hematite and emerald of chivor

Edit:

Green: j herbin lierre sauvage

Edited by stoof2010

-Stefan

 

 

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk245/WIKKID85/me/pen%20stuff/SnailBadge.png

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk245/WIKKID85/me/pen%20stuff/unnamed.jpg

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As I don't use that many different colors, if I had to start all over again, I would buy a bottle of J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche, and for a darker blue, packs of blue and blue slim cartridges for Cross pens.

 

Building upon that, I would try out new colors based on the reviews here.

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To start over I'd probably grab

 

#1 goes to Diamine Emerald

Then Sailor Oku-Yama/Grenade

And Taccia Murasaki Purple (the last purple you'll ever need)

& Taccia Uguisu

& Maruzen Renga (this color is not real, I can't even decide where it falls)

& Pelikan 4001 Turquoise (first and last turquoise if it came down that way)

 

Finally I'd need Sailor Seiboku

Any blue say Diamine Majestic Blue or Taccia Ao or any other Sailor/Kobe blue (too many and all would be a good choice)

Pilot Fuyu-Syogun

Pilot Ama Iro

 

The list goes on and gets more interesting from here...

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Noodler's would be the priority:

 

Legal Lapis

Black

Bad Green Gator

Bad Belted Kingfisher

Wahaleman's Sepia

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MB BRG.

 

MB midnite blue IG

 

Florida Blue

 

Pelikan BL-Blk

 

I have a guilty love of DC Suoershow blue

Cheers,

 

“It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness

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I suppose I am a BB/Teal/Turquoise kind of a guy...

Pelikan 4001 Blue-Black

Pelikan 4001 Turquoise

Sailor Souboku
Diamine Eau de Nil

Diamine Alexandrite

I should really get a "black" black ink too... maybe Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black or Montblanc Permanent Black?

Kind of funny, haven't had any black in for almost over ten years now, had a bottle of modern black Quink but was so disappointed by its lack of smear/waterproofness of any kind that I gave it away (made a drawing with it but ended up smudging it after the fact due to accidentally wiping it with a sweaty hand).

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Sashku - If Emerald and Renga ever meet up there's going to be a fiesta! I'd love to see! Maybe throw in some mustard for a lovely plate of Tapas!!

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Sashku - If Emerald and Renga ever meet up there's going to be a fiesta! I'd love to see! Maybe throw in some mustard for a lovely plate of Tapas!!

 

Loooooool! If I had the guts I'd totally try to mix them :)

 

And I'd need yellow ink to complete the trio!

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  • 6 months later...

I've been checking in on this topic every so often for a while now. It's nice to see all the different inks all of you would choose as a must-have. For me, if I had to start from scratch, I'd choose the following (subject to change at any time without notice):

 

Iroshizuku: Tsuyu-Kusa, Syo-Ro, & Yu-Yake

Herbin: Vert Reseda

MB: Irish Green

Sailor: US State Colorado

Diamine: Oxblood, Blue Black & Golden Honey

Noodlers: Bulletproof Black, Navajo Turquoise & Apache Sunset

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I would be looking for a balance of waterproof and not in each of my most used colours.

 

R&K: Sepia, Document Brown

Platinum: Carbon

Noodlers: Polar Brown, Lexington Grey

Diamine: Safari, Deep Dark Purple, Earl Grey

Pilot: Black, Blue Black

Edelstein: Smokey Quartz

 

and a replacement for Lamy Petrol (hoping there would be something that's close in colour and affordable).

Will work for pens... :unsure:

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I'd start with

 

Sheaffer Lavender

Sheaffer King's Gold

Sheaffer Melon Red

Sheaffer Peacock Blue

Waterman's Vmail Black

Waterman's Tropic Green

 

If these bottles ever ran dry I'd buy a modern ink mixer set.

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If starting over, for use in most of my pens I’d buy R&K Salix & Scabiosa, and Parker Quink Blue, and Diamine Chocolate Brown.

For a green I’d probably buy Diamine Classic Green, and for red Diamine Red Dragon.
I am not sure which black I would buy. I have and like Noodler’s Black, but could be tempted to buy either the R&K ‘Dokumentus Black’, or Pelikan Fount India.

 

That said, I own a Pelikan M805, and I would want to re-buy all the Edelsteins that I currently have for use in that pen.
I have Onyx, Tanzanite, Sapphire, Olivine, Garnet, Topaz, Smoky Quartz, Aquamarine, Mandarin, and Star Ruby, and I like them all.

Foul in clear conditions, but handsome in the fog.

mini-postcard-exc.png

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If starting over, for use in most of my pens I’d buy R&K Salix & Scabiosa, and Parker Quink Blue, and Diamine Chocolate Brown.

 

 

What are your pens of choice for Scabiosa?

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What are your pens of choice for Scabiosa?

I use it in a Pelikan M205F, and in Parkers with ‘M’ nibs and ‘F’ nibs (Vectors, Frontiers, and first-series Urbans). Its shading is peerless, and I love its sui generis colour.

 

The only exception that I have found is that it feels un-usably dry from the ‘F’ nib on my first aerometric Parker “51”. Salix works well in that pen, but Scabiosa had so little lubrication that I actually dumped it out of the pen.

Foul in clear conditions, but handsome in the fog.

mini-postcard-exc.png

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