my favorite inks of 2021

Just because this blog is pivoting to Other Content doesn’t mean I’ll stop talking about inks. I will never stop talking about inks.

I wanted to post this earlier, but as they say, life finds a way. I've cut down on my inked pens drastically: I keep three to four fountain pens on me now, which is a wild number considering I used to have my entire collection inked at once. So when I remembered that I used an ink I really liked and I should ink that up again for this post, well... it had to wait a minute. Or a month.

My list of my favorite inks of 2021 is pretty short. I used the same ink more than once, sometimes giving a pen a refresh rather than swapping for a new ink (something I almost never did before!). I found myself returning to a few basics, reaching for inks that I’ve had for years. And while writing this post I had a nice laugh realizing that I have a very clear soft spot for a specific color. Can you tell what it is…

Colorverse Brunch Date

Brunch Date is a pretty simply ink, but I found myself reaching for it on a regular basis. It’s easy to read without being in your face. Brunch Date isn’t mauve, but it made me realize there aren’t a ton of mauve fountain pen inks out there. I wonder why?

Nagasawa Taisanji Yellow

Nagasawa Taisanji Yellow is something like a honey yellow. I've been really into these rich yellows lately (maybe this is my love of midcentury modern furnishings raising its head). I think it looks stunning on cream-colored paper, though it's still quite the looker on white paper.

Takeda Jimuki Kyo No Oto Hisoku

Takeda Jimuki inks have a bit of a reputation for having a dry flow, but there’s a lot to love about Hisoku. It’s a soft blue-gray ink with a hint of green. Fantastic shading! It’s a real treat in super broad nibs.

Sailor Ink Studio 162

Yet another dual shading ink that I got my hands on this year. It’s more green than Manyo, which is why I felt completely justified in getting it. My scan makes it look lighter and thus harder to read, but it's pretty reasonable in person. Sailor Studio inks are eye-wateringly expensive, but I felt pretty satisfied with a sample from Yoseka. We’ll see if I pick up a full bottle.

Sailor Ink Studio 370

Another Sailor Ink Studio ink. 370 is a neutral green with very faint hints of brown dual shading. I think it's fairly similar to Robert Oster Avocado, though the latter has more brown to it. I like 370 because it's very readable, and I like the slightly muted/chalky color of the ink. 

Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun

Fuyu-syogun is an ink I’ve had for a very, very long time. I thought it was a pretty enough gray, but it never really clicked with me until this year. I have a big soft spot for this color and the second gray ink in the Iroshizuku lineup, Kiri-same, which is a warmer gray.

Sailor Manyo Haha

I mean, just look at this ink. A pale blue with gorgeous green-purple dual shading. I will admit it doesn’t show up well if you tend to use finer nibs, so put this in your broad pens!

Diamine Oxblood

I've had Diamine Oxblood for an impressively long time, and it's still one of my favorite red inks. Many dark reds skew purple, which I don't like very much, but Oxblood is (to my eye) a dark red that's actually red red. Just be sure not to spill any on your hands, because it really does look like blood.

My goal for this year is to—hoo, boy—use up inks that I own. Yes, yes. This is the boast of every fountain pen user toward the beginning of the new year. And then... well. Life and impulse purchasing and "I deserve a treat" buys happen. And before you know it, you somehow have two drawers full of ink and an extra box of ink at your office desk because you had to take some bottles on a little journey. But I mean it! Ink bottles will be used up. Seriously. This time. For real.

Seriously.

The stickers used (that I could track down) are:

• King Jim Kitta Seal Cat Stickers
• King Jim Kitta Seal Animal Stickers
• Midori Sticker Marché Antique Stickers