"Best" Italian Fountain Pen Inks

[Dblchief2]

NB: I put "best" in quotes because, of course, subjective considerations make determining any single ink or class of inks as "best." Okay, now on to the question:

 

Just for fun, I try to match the country of origin of my pens and my inks. For Japanese and German pens, this is fairly easy to do, because there are so many inks produced by companies based in both countries that finding inks which meet my desired characteristics is easy. I'm interested in beginning the hunt for the best Italian inks. I'm not wedded to blue or blue-black, although I do want to have a good blue or blue-black in the stable if possible.

 

My only two necessary characteristics are as follows: some water resistance (i.e. legible after a brief spill), good performance on cheap paper (I do a lot of annotating on texts for which I cannot choose the paper).

 

What are your favorites?

[arcfide]

Unfortunately, to the best of my research, I've been unable to determine any inks that are actually made in Italy which are sold by major brands. All the inks sold by major Italian brands, I believe, are manufactured in another country, usually Austria or Germany. 

 

If it is sufficient to simply stick with Italian brands, versus Italian manufacturing, then Aurora undoubtedly has the highest general reputation, with Visconti coming in second, I think. Aurora's Black, Blue Black, and Blue inks are highly regarded as very smooth, lubricating, and reasonably wet, though this means they may not be the best for cheap paper. Aurora has a nice set of colors out as an Anniversary set, but I've not seen a huge discussion about those recently. Visconti seems to be much like Aurora in general with their inks. In any case, I don't know that any of these inks have a reputation for being very good on cheap paper, but they do seem to be the most popular Italian ink brands that I see mentioned around. Aurora Black, especially, has a terrific reputation. 

[Dblchief2]

Thanks so much for this information! It's too bad they aren't manufactured in Italy, but "Italian brand" will do for my purposes. Thanks!

[Bo Bo Olson]

I had enough trouble getting German inks..Pelikan, MB, Kaweco, Octupus, Lamy, and some Herbin inks........to really chase  Italian inks. Lately Diamine.

 

Aurora black was for decades before Noodlers considered the best black in in the world.

I have 2/3rds of a 15 year old bottle of Pelikan black...so I don't need that Aurora, though I had the itch to buy.

 

I have Aurora blue...so so in color, didn't think to check out other aspects, in it is not on my buy again list. There is a similar Herbin ink I'm never going to buy that seems from my reading  the same dull blue.

Suddenly after decades Aurora is offering other ink colors.

 

Visconti blue has been on my buy list for 15 years. There is a couple other of their inks that were well liked.

For someone who's 'not into blue inks', I have a lot of them.

 

Mount Grapa?? has inks that are well liked.

Do go to the Ink Review section.

[PPPR]

Considering @arcfide's information, there must be vintage Italian inks if a "truly" Italian ink is sought. Major manufacturers' inks couldn't have all been made out of country.

 

For instance, there are OMAS inks, purchased in the 1990s, with the bottles and boxes stamped Italy. Of course, there is no way to know where the ink was made, but it's the best case for an all Italian ink on my shelves. However Aurora, Visconti, and Campo Marzio Roma (small manufacturer) inks from the same period lack any such mention.

 

HTH

[Runnin_Ute]

The only Italian branded ink I have is a 30 ml bottle of Visconti Van Gogh Starry Night. A deep dark blue that is almost black. Very saturated. Have never tested its water resistance so I can't address that.

[Penguincollector]

  I like Aurora and Leonardo inks. I don’t really water or light test my inks, so I don’t have any of that information.

[alfredop]

I also think that there are no inks presently manufactured in Italy.
 

Concerning italian branded inks my preferred  are Leonardo Black and Visconti Blue.

 

Alfredo

[Bo Bo Olson]

In I like shading inks, being spill proof is not an ink I need...took me decades to learn not to spill things on my desk, or put wet bottomed glasses or cups on paper with writing on it.

And I don't live in Seattle....Germany use to be wet enough, some years lately we have droughts so walking around outside and writing is safe.

[chromantic]

Stipula inks say "Produtto in Italia" on the boxes. Now, whether that means the ink itself is made in Italy or made elsewhere and bottled and packaged in Italy, I can't say.

 

So many beautiful colors - my favorite blue-black Notturno Gianutri, Fumo Gregio, Musk Green, Purple, Saffron - lovely shading, dry for taming wet pens like Souverans, big 80ml bottles.I don't know about water resistance but likely not. Pen Chalet carries the full line in the US.

[Chris1]

I love Visconti blue as a colour and it is an easy-to-use ink. Currently in my MB Starwalker.

[Dblchief2]

5 hours ago, chromantic said:

Stipula inks say "Produtto in Italia" on the boxes. Now, whether that means the ink itself is made in Italy or made elsewhere and bottled and packaged in Italy, I can't say.

 

So many beautiful colors - my favorite blue-black Notturno Gianutri, Fumo Gregio, Musk Green, Purple, Saffron - lovely shading, dry for taming wet pens like Souverans, big 80ml bottles.I don't know about water resistance but likely not. Pen Chalet carries the full line in the US.

Those inks look very interesting! Pen Chalet is currently sold out--but I take it that that is temporary and the inks are still in production?