What color ink for new Pilot Custom 823 Amber?

[LeadoutTJV]

I recently received my first order from Goulet Pens, which in lauded a pilot custom 823 amber, which came with a beautiful bottle of blue ink.  However, blue strikes me as a little safe, and doesn't really pair well with the amber.  What ink should I use for its maiden voyage?  I also purchased two ink samplers form Goulet (Brian's favorites, and work appropriate).  I also picked up a small bottle of Diamine ancient copper.  Should I not go with a brown/orange, or something closer to Amber?  What say ye?

[A Smug Dill]

I don't have a Pilot Custom 823, but I do have a Wing Sung 699 vacuum-filler in that colour (as well as one ‘smoke’ and one clear); I fill that pen with Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz ink.

[SpecTP]

I went with MB's Red Fox to break in my 823 with FA nib.

[ENewton]

It might be helpful if you mentioned the nib width and the type of paper on which you anticipate using the pen.

 

I, too, would probably not choose to use a blue ink in an amber pen, nor would I use an orange, for fear that it would clash.  Of the inks you have, I would lean toward some of those in the work-appropriate set.  I have never used Noodler's inks, but Nightshade looks nice, and reviews of that ink make me think that it comports itself well.    

 

A very nice amber ink is Kobe Taisanji Yellow, but like most amber inks, it is arguably legible only when used with a broader nib and/or a more absorbent paper.  I would strongly recommend trying a sample before investing in a bottle.

 

As for brown, I am partial to J Herbin Cacao du Bresil, but perhaps you should spend some hours reviewing forum threads that compare brown inks.  There are many other attractive ones from which to choose.

 

 

 

[LeadoutTJV]

Mostly my Rhodia and Goulet journals. 
 

Thank you so much for these wise suggestions. This forum, as I’m sure you all know, it’s awesome!

[sandy101]

I wouldn't put Diamine Ancient copper in your 823.

 

In my experience Diamine ancient copper cruds up very easily - it will clog and not be very easy to remove. 

 

I agree an amber/brown ink would look nice, but would suggest an ink that doesn't crud up so easily - Waterman's Havana brown, or MontBlanc's Toffee brown, perhaps? Pilot also has two browns in its line up - yama guri and tsukushi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Frank C]

I have several Custom 823s. I use them at work, so I use Pilot Blue-Black, Pilot Black, or Pilot Blue in that order. The pens and inks are dark enough that I can't distinguish the color of ink in the pen unless I write with it. I do tend to use a given manufacturer's ink in their pens, if possible. Of course, with Pilot, that allows me to use all the Iroshizuku inks. Pilot makes good ink. It works well on the cheap copy paper they use to make forms at work. I buy 350mL. bottles on Amazon for about $25 USD. 

 

I would avoid highly saturated ink and ink with nano-particles. The pens are difficult to clean. Taking them apart tends to crack the barrel. Pilot USA won't replace the barrel; they just offer a discount on the purchase of a new pen. 

[rdh]

I found that my 823 was very particular with inks.  It works very well with Pilot inks, but has issues with others, even Waterman inks.  A quick sniff, will show that Pilot inks are indeed different.  I would recommend that you should feel free to try anything, but if things look like they aren't going well, go back to the Pilot inks.

 

Dave

[Honeybadgers]

depends on the nib, but for an amber pen, I would go with black ink. 

 

And avoid glitter/carbon inks. Like others have said, they're a bit of a pain to clean - a TWSBI wrench can unscrew the back and remove the piston assembly, but you should only be doing that maybe once a year to lube the piston/rod (and do not "tighten it down. as soon as it feels just the TINIEST bit snug, stop tightening. They CAN be cracked if you wrench on them too hard, but if you're gentle and do it just tight enough to make the gold band not spin feely, you'll be fine.

[kenrapoza]

Good question - I wondered the same thing a while ago when I got my 823 in Amber.  I specifically bought a bottle of Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Guri to use with that pen, and I am pleased with the combination.  I feel that some type of brown ink is the best fit for it.

[A Smug Dill]

12 hours ago, Frank C said:

The pens are difficult to clean.

 

8 hours ago, Honeybadgers said:

I would go with black ink.

 

1 hour ago, kenrapoza said:

I feel that some type of brown ink is the best fit for it.

 

Looks to me the use of Sailor Shikiori Doyou ink is indicated.

[kenrapoza]

9 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

 

 

Looks to me the use of Sailor Shikiori Doyou ink is indicated.

 

Oh nice one, I love the Shikiori inks!  I also think that their RickyuCha is worth looking at for this type of color.

[A Smug Dill]

8 minutes ago, kenrapoza said:

I also think that their RickyuCha is worth looking at for this type of color.

 

I like Rikyucha far more than I do Doyou, but the latter has a reputation for being an ink with miraculous cleaning power for stains and such from other inks.

[silverlifter]

If it was my pen, I'd ink it up with either KWZ IG Blue Black (for an almost black line), or Platinum Blue Black for a blue leaning Blue Black. The colour of the ink in the amber barrel of those pens is indeterminate, so I'd be more intersted in how it looks on the page.

[LeadoutTJV]

Thank you all. The nib is medium 

[Acer]

I've settled on Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi ink in my amber 823. As others have mentioned, the 823 seems to be fussy about the inks you put in it.

 

Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz would also be a great colour & in fact one of my favorites in Pelikan pens, but not sure how it would flow in the 823.

 

Cheers,

 

Michael 

[lonelyboy]

Montblanc Toffee Brown!

[SoulSamurai]

Noodler's Blue Ghost.

[collectorofmanythings]

MB James Purdey and Sons? Monteverde Joy? Any sepia or amber color would be nice.

[Recursion]

I have to agree with lonelyboy. I also use Toffee brown in my P823 Amber with a fine nib. Writes like a dream.