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

[amper]

I don't have an extensive ink collection, to begin with, but If someone came in and took all my inks away?

Firstly, a bottle of Mrs. Stewart's Concentrated Liquid Bluing. It's been my daily use ink for a decade, and it has all the properties I need to keep using it as my daily writing ink for the rest of my life.

Secondly, although I don't use black ink very much, I would definitely buy a pigmented black ink. I don't actually own any at the moment, so I don't know which I would choose. Maybe the Platinum Carbon Black?

Third, I just got a bottle of Teranishi Guitar Brand Taisho Roman Haikara Modern Red, because I needed a true red ink, and this was the most beautiful one I could find. I'm very happy with it, so I would definitely buy it again.

I think I want to purchase the Salon de Violet from the same line, just because I love violet inks. I used to use Pelikan 4001 Violet, and then J. Herbin Violette Pensée, but I like the look of Salon de Violet better than both of those. I don't need another blue, but I might get the Melancholic Blue from this line, as well, just because I like the aesthetic of this line of inks. I did also buy the Antique Black from this line, but only because I was looking for black and red, together, so I bought the Antique Black. I haven't even opened the bottle, yet. There are a few other colors in this line I like, but I don't actually need them, so I probably won't ever actually buy them.

Fourth, I do like the occasional seasonal color, and two of the ones I really like are Sailor Jentle Sakura Mori and Nagasawa Kobe INK Monogatari Ikutagawa Sakura. These are very close cherry blossom pink siblings. Sakura Mori tends a little more orange, and Ikutagawa Sakura tends a little more purple. They are both made by Sailor.

Fifth, I have my eye on the Kakimori pigment inks, and I want the black and red. They aren't strong priorities for me, right now, but they are on my wish list.

Other than these, I want a nice yellow highlighter ink. I have one, but I don't know if I'd buy it again. And I want a really nice green as a seasonal color, but I haven't found "the one", yet.

[Estycollector]

M thought on ink is, one must have something for which to communicate. 

[Runnin_Ute]

Here is a starting point. These are all inks that I have finished one or more bottles and purchased another. I have finished others, but for whatever reason never got a second.

 

Pelikan 4001 Blue Black - have finished at least 4 bottles.

Edelstein Olivine

Levenger Amethyst

Levenger Cobalt Blue

Levenger Forest Green

Levenger Pomegranate - unfortunately no longer available - I would get a 3rd.

KWZI El Dorado

KWZI Pine Green

Waterman Serenity Blue

Blackstone Sydney Harbour Blue

Lamy Turquoise

 

Some that I use enough that once the bottle is empty I will be buying another:

Diamine Merlot

DIamine Classic Red

Levenger Blue Bahama

Edelstein Topaz

Pelikan 4001 Violet

 

 

There would probably be others as well. Aventurine and Sapphire from Edelstein are in this group.

[ethernautrix]

SHORT ANSWER: Only two - [spoiler, heh] Sailor Kiwaguro and Montblanc Permanent Blue.

 

I'm sure there are others, but I would feel the urgency to replace them as I would with the above two.

 

***

 

From the star on the topic, I can see that I've replied to this thread, but I don't remember which inks I named, although #1 would have been Noodler's Black.

 

Which has been unseated since about a year or two ago by... Sailor Kiwaguro.

 

I'm still seeking my "the one" blue (waterproof preferred), and after having had terrible ink-flow problems with Montblanc Permanent Blue back in 2014, I was loathe to use it. 

 

But... I have Kaweco pens that use the small cartridges, and I had Mb Permanent Blue cartridges (also purchased in 2014), so I... with some hesitation, popped one into a Sport...and lo!, the beautiful color entranced me again. I went through an entire (somewhat evaporated) cartridge of the ink without any problems.

 

So now I have a bottle of Montblanc Permanent Blue taking the place of Platinum Blue-Black. I still like the PBB, but MbPB is more vivid without the red sheen. (I don't like the red sheen of many blue or blue-black inks.)

 

These are the two inks I currently would replace immediately.

 

I've just tried Mb Corn Poppy Red (cartridges for another Kaweco Sport), and wow, I love this color! Also still love KWZ Flame Red (but MbCPR comes in cartridges, so...).

 

 

[OCArt]

5 hours ago, ethernautrix said:

I'm still seeking my "the one" blue (waterproof preferred), and after having had terrible ink-flow problems with Montblanc Permanent Blue back in 2014, I was loathe to use i

 I, too, had problems with MB Permanent Blue but have found a great alternative in Noodler's Baltimore Canyon Blue. It's very vivid and archival, waterproof, etc.  I've been using it as my standard ink for over a year and recommend it highly.

[ParramattaPaul]

I offered a comment listing three inks when this thread first started, but TBH I currently only use one ink and that would be the only one -- at least for now -- that I would replace.  Diamine Oxford Blue.  

[ethernautrix]

2 hours ago, OCArt said:

 I, too, had problems with MB Permanent Blue but have found a great alternative in Noodler's Baltimore Canyon Blue. It's very vivid and archival, waterproof, etc.  I've been using it as my standard ink for over a year and recommend it highly.

 

 Good to know, thanks!

 

So far, this newer bottle of MbPB is performing beautifully (in a Pilot Custom 74, EF). I'm thinking maybe Mb has worked out the kinks.

[txomsy]

I seem to remember they changed the formulation in the 10's, so it may be the likely explanation.

 

[midnightblues]

My answer would change every week most likely, but I'd start with Waterman Harmonious Green, which I always keep in stock in memory of a friend who passed away suddenly. It was the only colour he would use! I'd add Mysterious Blue, as a good solid, yet interesting blue. Red - I've never found my perfect one yet, so I'd probably buy a bunch of samples. Something waterproof, to go in my fineliner - probably Scabiosa. Take-sumi for my black, Wearingeul Path for shimmy green, either Diamine Ochre or Herbin Lie de The for brown, and Private Reserve Black Cherry for a rich burgundy. Oh and Bouquet d'Antan as the closest to the dusty pink that I can picture but can't quite match. After that I'd probably get a bunch I haven't tried before.