For EU people, there's a good shop that have lots of inks -including those- called fountainfeder, I believe it is run by a single person in Germany and you usually get a free chocolate with your orders :) I'm not affiliated in any shape or form, I just find it difficult to find good EU stores and this one is my go to.
Guitar Nostalgic Honey! I'll get that Blue Koi. I like Baystate Blue a lot, but I use it exclusively in a clear Ahab (I get a kick out of the staining). That Octopus ink looks very nice!
Damn, Dood! This is a great video. Comparing inks on photocopier paper is super helpful. I have committed 100% to using fountain pens so I do find myself writing on all sorts of marginal paper. Plus, I sign cheques for work (yes, old fashioned I know) and this helps a lot. Happy New Year!
1. I have gone all waterproof and fade-proof for my pen & ink drawings. This lets me draw one line over another without either bleeding all the hell over the place, AND hang it on the wall without it fading (though avoiding direct sunlight). So the only line I buy anymore is De Atramentis Artist Ink. It only comes in about a dozen colors, but it turns out, aesthetically, that I can live with that. Side benefit is that I have completely stopped thinking about what inks to buy or try out, freeing me up from watching so many dang ink videos. 2. There are so many gorgeous blue inks; I don't think I've seen an ugly blue. I sure do wish I could find ANY red ink I liked. 3. I'm happy for you finding an ink you are enthusiastic about. It ain't BSB but it ain't bad. 4. My favorite ink today is De Atramentis Artist Ink Yellow. Almost as beautiful as Sailor Storia Spotlight yellow. Both are useless for writing, but bring a nice punch to drawings.
These ones are lightfast as well so don't have to worry about sunlight. Yes, a good red is hard to find. My favorite red ink I have (and it was the first one I ever bought) is Kaweco Ruby Red. I was actually thinking of doing a video on red inks and why I seem to be disappointed all the time by reds... except for Ruby Red
This is a burghundy rather than a full red, but I've found noodlers black swan in english roses to be an incredibly nice ink that is semi waterproof, shades nicely, and doesnt ghost or feather on cheap paper.
Even though I don't own many inks. If you ever have the chance to see Montblanc corn poppy red with lamy 1.9 nib. Wow, I do love it just the way it darkens on the edges and goes brighter in the middle. Only problem is I don't think you can get it any more. But still worth a shot.
This video right here made me buy Octopus Fluids Blue Koi. And then went ahead to get their Black Elephant, Brown Penguin and Green Crane. Thank you for bringing these inks to light.
Glad to hear of another waterproof ink! And glad I'm not the only person who needs waterproof ink! I live in Hawaii and we have lots of rain and wet too!
I do have Koi Blue currently inked. I find it very wet anf flowy, so much it adds one nib size. Waterproofness is fantastic. Colorwise I do prefer Rohrer & Klingner Documentus Dark Blue, which is leaning a tint more towards violet. All other properties are surprisingly similar to Koi Blue. They could be from the same manufacturer, but are not.
This is one informative video! Currently my favourite is the Diamine Registrar's blue black. Nice shading, strong water resistant, turns to almost black colour in a few days.
I can also recommend Graf von Faber-castell inks. Most of them are document proof, so the text will still be readable (maybe in another colour), even if you soak the page in water.
I have a list of several inks that i use in my pens. Think I'm sitting at 5 total inks now. My favorite of the bunch is Diamine Writer's Blood. Love the dark red colour and how it dries to almost a brown. Absolutely stunning. I'm also a big fan of Laban Artemis Navy Blue which is the blue ink that i use the most of. It's stunning for such a simple colour and I'm always a sucker for anything related to mythology especially Greek mythology. My most used black ink is the Teranashi Guitar Roman Antique Black which is a lovely ink, again drying with sime brown tones to it. For brown inks i have 2 of them, the Anderillium Cuttlefish Brown and Ferris Wheel Press Steeped Umber both of which are really nice. I have a tiny bottle of the Colorverse Sky Tinted Waters from their state colours line which i use on occasion as like a special ink, so that's there This year I'm hoping to find a nice purple and a nice green ink that i really really like. Fingers crossed lol
If you like lighter greens, I can recommend j.Herbin "vert pré" . it's a really nice hue, almost like a may green and it flows really nicely. I like using Herbin inks in pens that want to be gentle with like my vintage pen. It cleans out very good. It's not waterproof though.
Have you tired Rohrer and Klingner SketchInk? They have a lot less colors but amazing waterproofness and they feel very wet in my Preppy. Lately my favorite ink is the extremely basic Parker Quink black. I think of it as dark grey because it's the lightest black I have ever used but I like greys. It's just water resistant not waterproof but its good enough with my paper and thin lines, as I only write with EF pens.
@doodlebud if you check your bottle it says for calligraphy nibs and dip pens but interestingly you can buy ones for fountain pens my bottles from them all say for fountain pens.
Thanks so much! All too often I succumb to my pen addiction with yet another pen -- it's nice to have inputs on inks and paper! It's a bit ironic. I've been into FP's for, oh, nearly 40 years now and for years bought inks because I liked the color and had no attention to paper whatsoever (mostly using cheap paper at work, ending up with lots of EF nibs to minimize feathering! How's that old line go? Too soon old, too late smart!
I like to draw with a waterproof blue fountain pen ink and then watercolor over it. You’ve given me another great option. Currently I’m using Platinum Pigment Blue.
A few months ago I finally got a sample of Taccia Sabimidori after all the talk about it recently in the pen community. It quickly became one of my favorite inks. It nice to watch the color change in real time to such a unique final result. Going to need to get a bottle once the weather warms up a bit.
Thank you for posting Doodlebud! I recommend Noodler's Legal Blue, it has similar properties and is a nice tone of blue, especially in a wet broad writer! I've been buying the Octopus Fluids Unicorn sheening ink, definitely NOT waterproof but I love the blue color.
Well, here we are blessed with at least four companies in the country, all producing wonderful ink. I love all of those I know ;) In use right now I have some document-ink from Octopus and Rohrer & Klingner, some of the Neons and the Sheens of Octopus, an Pelikan Edelstein and an iron-gall-ink. I think that was pretty much it. With Octopus I fell in love because they have a real red as document ink.
My workplace uses green ink as a standard color to differentiate our writing from our customers'. I went through many green inks before I settled on Noodler's Gruene Cactus Eel, and it's been a great choice ever since. I love that it's just green. Not blue green, not yellow green, just the green that I think of when I say the word green. It's well behaved, doesn't smear, and flows really well because it's a lubricated ink. I'll have to try Octopus though. Water-fastness isn't usually a factor that I care about, but if it doesn't affect the performance of the ink it might be worth considering as long as I like the shade. Thanks for drawing this brand to our attention.
I have been super interested in Octopus inks since I tried a sample of Blue Sloth. I love how saturated it is while still being a pastel blue! I will definitely have to try out more of their offerings.
If you haven’t tried Montblanc blue permanent check it out! It’s my current favourite. Each and every quality you are looking for and more however it is a bit pricey. It is the gold standard for me after years and years of searching. The MB blue permanent is a nano particle formula that ‘webs’ between flexed tines better than any other ink I’ve tried. I’ve been so happy with it I no longer begrudge paying the premium price. A shoot out between the two inks would be amazing.
My favorites at the moment are sailor blue and blue black. I also have Karibik and Sepia black. The latter is really nice too. They seem to have a new series of sheening inks in their collection.
I’ll check those octopus inks out. I like Sailor Seiboku. It’s a nice blue with a tinge of green and it even shades a bit. It’s about 90% water-resistant. I love waterproof inks, but this one does have some nice wetness and character to it.
i like taccia benitsutchi, an orange ink with tea stain brown streaks. when washed, it leaves behind a drafting blue ink color that is very readible. hey, happy new year, and may it be a blessed new year.
I'm fairly new to fountain pens. I have a problem with my hand and discovered about a year ago that fountain pens are the way to go. I only have a handful of different inks. I would like to find a good waterproof ink to use with watercolor. I tried Noodler's Black which kept clogging up my pen. Maybe the pen I used it in (Pilot Metropolitan) doesn't seal very well. I don't know how one tests that. The problem went away when I switched to a different ink. My favorite ink so far is Diamine Blue Velvet. It's not waterproof, but I love the color, the way it flows, and it never clogs my pen. It seems to work well on any paper, but looks particularly good on Regalia. Thanks for all your videos! I always enjoy them.
I don't have an absolute favorite ink but most inks in my collection are blue, I once heard or read (Reddit, Goulet or Goldsot probably) that the most sold color of fountain pen inks is always some kind of blue. From Octopus Fluids I love Lindgrün and their Pastell colors, at first I thought they were too faint but with time they've been growing on me, specially Blue Iris.
Basic question for the community from a fountain pen rookie. I recently purchased a new Montblanc 149 fountain pen. I love it! The Montblanc salesperson advised I should only use Montblanc ink. I realize there is a sales aspect here but I really do want to experiment with other inks. (I use my pen mostly for journalling). Several of the brands listed here seem very interesting. Thoughts?
I've asked this at the Vancouver Pen Shop as well. I've used many other inks in my MB149 without issue. But the told me they had a customer have an issue who had issues with theirs after using non MB ink so I don't know. I've just enjoyed my MB149 for a number of years now using all sorts of inks. I don't use anything thats tricky for cleaning (no heavy sheen or shimmer inks), but other than that I just enjoy the pen with whichever ink I feel like using.
Most manufacturers will recommend their own inks, and while there may be some truth that the ink formulation is designed to work best with their own pens.. there is absolutely nothing wrong with trying ANY fountain pen ink. Just be more mindful of permanent inks, iron gall, things with shimmer or sheening properties etc. I would buy a few budget pens to try those more "high maintenance" inks. Something like a Platinum Preppy and an ink syringe to refill the cartridge, those pens are around $7 or so. Also I recommend a bulb syringe for cleaning your pen and watching the 101 videos from Goulet Pens for some great info. Welcome to the hobby!
Hi Doodle Bud great video. 100% with you on the PR bottle. It’s a shame as otherwise very very good ink. My ink of last year was Monteverde Green. It performs well with every pen
I love the idea of a waterproof ink, but in practice I didn't think I could sleep at night knowing I have pigments floating in my pens, potentially clogging it beyond repair
I was concerned at first, but hasnt been an issue so far with this ink. I do use it pens I can fully disassemble if I need to take things apart for cleaning
With the new inks actually it is not bad if you use them regularly. Just clean them out before a longer period of not using a pen. As long as the inks (I am speaking of the document inks and the ones with I suspect nano-pigments) don't dry out inside the pen, any clogging can be washed out. Octopus as well as Rohrer & Klingner have a wash for fountain pens, I think there exists one from Diamine, too.
Loving this vid. I recently discovered Octopus Inks and picked up a fluorescent Pink for the fun of it. Lately I’ve been digging on Colorverse Inks. Namely TexMex, Extra Dimension, Space Laika, and Mariner 4. It occurred to me that there is a lot of talk of “wet” & “dry” inks, and yet I haven’t seen any listing that makes that distinction anywhere. (Perhaps a future video?) 😉
Favorite. Still and probably always: Diamine Oxblood. For traditional colors, Luoshi Black and Luoshi Blue-black. (Their red is nice as well.) Karkos black is another nice one, but it is far too wet for this overwriting lefty. Pelikan 4001 is NEVER a bad choice for us lefty overwriter types as well. It is dry enough with fine to medium nibs to not be a mess when surfing over the page.
I do really like chou kuro (pronounced cho, by the way; just make that o longer) but you do have to wait for it to dry or it smears which is a bummer. I definitely prefer waterproof and fast drying, so actually my current (boring) favorite is basic Noodler's bulletproof black. It drys fast, works on even crappy paper, and is a fairly good black, though not nearly as black as chou kuro. For blue I've been using the pilot blue that came with my 823. Kind of flat, but waterproof and I have tons of it, so might as well use it, eh? But I love the blue you show here. I'll have to order some!
How does Blue Koi compare to the Platinum Pigment Blue? And how do they compare in terms of nib lubrication with Platinum Carbon Black? I find that for whatever reason the Carbon Black makes my Pilot Metropolitan fine nib glide a lot more smoothly on the paper, and I'm wondering if this is true for other pigment inks.
Thanks for the introduction to this brand. I’ll have to find some and try these out, particularly Blue Koi. I’ve been looking for a water resistant blue that pops like Baystate that isn’t Baystate and this may just be the one. Vegan ink, that’s a new trend I’ve never heard of LOL!
the Ink is called "Grüne Cactus" which ...I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't inspired by the song "Kleiner Grüner Kaktus" [little green cactus] by the Comedian Harmonists, a famous German (+ 1 Bulgarian I think?) sextet from the 1920ies and '30ies.
I do not know how well the Rohrer and Klingner Blue Permanent does with the water test. But the colour is amazing. It has been my favourite waterproof ink because it's just a little bit more of an exciting shade of blue, yet permanent. Maybe give that a try. Here in germany, they are ultra cheap. Shouldn't be a lot in canada, if you can find them.
@@0mdm2 I have only used it in dry nibs because I use permanent inks for every day writing, which also means bad paper. So unfortunately, I can't really give you a good/definitive answer. The thickest nib was my EF Diplomat Aero in which I would say the flow was quite average, maybe a tad on the dry side but that's very hard to say with an ef.
The R&K Blue Permanent is very little permanent. Most of the ink washes off, but a light line remains. Octopus Write and Draw, Rohrer & Klingner Documentus and sketchINKs are not at all bothered by water.
@@naher1277 well thank you for the answer. Nice to hear. I guess I'll use the Blue Koi for my final exam in a few months lol. I would like it to be a bit drier because I have to write on shitty paper but I guess it'll work. Currently using it in a Pilot 912 EF.
Very curious discovery! Outside of BSB I'm fairly certain Noodler's doesn't make a bulletproof blue (water resistant yes, but something with so little smearing no), so this is quite a unique ink. (Ok comments are saying it's just pigmented, so that makes sense that the ink is waterproof, and that Noodler's doesn't have an equivalent since Nathan produces very few pigmented inks.)
I really want to try the blue koi but I think to remember that they say to wash the pen after every use and I just can’t with that. Wish they brought the blue koi in their certified document ink line, the current blue has this weird violet hue to it that I only know of ballpoints…
I have the black elephant but it clogs all the pens I try it on, but I tried Rohrer & Klingner sketchink in Lotte and it is a lot better. I think the black elephant one is little too thick, maybe should I try in other colours.
Is that a Moscow Mule? Love it! Several years ago our club did a black ink throw down had about dozen inks and Auora black got most votes for blackest. Hey what is your favorite bbakey item?
Its a mule mug since I love them, but was just having diet tonic and lime LOL. When it comes to bakery stuff I love to try new things. The bakery next to the pen shop has a line up pretty much every morning outside
It was hard to tell on copy paper but is your dragons night more blue or more purple? I got mine hoping for blurple but got a dark purple instead. Also, how did the inks look on the back of the paper? (Edited to fix typo)
If you see when I do the first water smudge that is with the dragons night. I can't remember how it did on the back side. I threw out the paper after the video
I've never understood why anyone would choose a non-waterproof ink. My favorites are Noodler's 54th Massachusetts (gray-blue), Rohrer & Klingner Salix (blue), and Platinum Carbon Ink.
@@galessi1226 I've never had this problem. If 'EF' means extra fine, maybe the problem is with your nib or pen? I use many pens, but my favorites are Pilot 95s and Parker 75.
Wow, you know what? I never even thought about waterproofing for inks, and if I want to go to Vancouver, it wouldn't be a bad idea, to have a pen inked up with something. Thank you, DB, for another awesome tip! Oh, greens, my favorite color, but I don't own any green inks. Does anyone have any ideas?
@christophermckellar1352 I just looked it up, and wow, it really is a marvelous green. I'm going to put it on my list of inks to check out next time I'm at the pen store.
Well guess that I’ll be having a new favorite ink, thanks. I’ve been using a lot of Pelikan Turquoise and Topaz with Diamine Marine, but not in the same pen. My ink selection just exploded, not explosive, but expanded in varieties, not as in got fat. So next week my favorite ink will be three different ones.
@@ichirofakename lol yes. That’s very good advice. I can now understand just how easy that would be. Once you have one lifetime’s supply it stands to reason you will somehow need another.
All Write and Draw inks by Octopus are waterproof. The other inks by Octopus are not. You can easily recognize it is a W&D ink by the name of an animal and a color in the name of the ink.
I did not trust you at all and you should warn people about the Platinum Chou kuro but Octopus is great! It's a drawing ink but fountain pen friendly safe and they don't use schlack as a binder! Love octopus!
I need to try that one again. I got a sample, it sat for a few months. But when I finally opened it up to ink a pen, it was all a glob of sludge. Guess it got contaminated somehow
Octopus did (or maybe still does) inks for Diplomat, so you can buy "Diplomat by Octopus Fluids" inks, besides regular (and nothing special) Diplomat inks. They are just Octopus inks, relabeled by Diplomat.
Noodler's Cactus was the first green ink that got my heart beating. Glad to know you enjoyed it too. I think naming an ink Octopus can make anyone think that the pigment is derived from the sea creature. Veganism isn't limited to food choices, some people are against using any products derived from animals like honey or silk.
Please do your research, Octopus Fluids is an industrial brand that mostly produces inks for lots of applications including printers, art and a whole lot etcetera, their fountain pen ink branch was like just a side project until a few years ago, the Diplomat branded inks are also produced by Octopus Fluids. I kind of understand your statement but people are supposed to do research before wrongly assuming such things, it's as easy as just googling it.
Hi DB!: That is a pretty good looking, and good lasting ink, too! And not TOO expensive! Problem is, I am a KLUTZ! I have already gotten fountain pen ink on my clothes several times in the last year. Permanent inks like this one, I should probably stay away from! BUT for documents or if you are a person who takes their journal writing SERIOUSLY, you should at least try these inks!
I saw the german writing on the band of the bottle, and it says "Tusche" !!! from the french word "toucher". We here never give "Tusche" in our pens, because of ingredients of Schellack or other binders. Hope your pens will stay in good condition. But please be careful. The German word für good ink is "Tinte". Best wishes also for an interesting new year 2024. Manfred here, from Vienna in Austria.
There is no shellac in the Write & Draw inks. They have used another binder to make it compatible with fountain pens. Just visit their website and read the article about Write & Draw Inks. The probably call it "Schreib- und Zeichentusche" to emphasize its properties are just like what someone would expect for writing (with ink) and drawing with "Tusche".
My ink must contain zero meat!! Brands just do not emphasize this enough! So many bottles I have with bacon bits floatin around (super sheening inks🧐 too meaty for my blood.. or my lamy)! Love this vid! Lovin the look of those Octopus inks, plus you know James Bond would check out this brand for sure (I’m sold). My current fave ink is a super basic one (for me anyway😊): Diamines Earl Grey, which was my first ever bottle of ink which I hated. But right now, I love it. And we’ve been going steady for 2 weeks now & im ab to introduce Earl to my parents, so it’s pretty serious. Maybe diamine inks are just better aged. Also sailor 'Yoi', another killer grey, genuinely neutral & No Aging Required!^TM (🤌🏻Sailor dry ages all inks prior to sale, which is reflected in their Wagyu🥩 style pricing).
I have a black octopus fluids ink from a Diplomat package I bought last year. Not a bad ink at all. Haven't tried their other inks One thing I will say though... I bought an Endless paper Creative Block in Large A4 size I believe. I got it from you raving about it so much. It has got to be one of the worst papers I've ever bought in the last 3 years of being in this hobby. The feathering on it, bleed and show through is so terrible I think the copy paper at my work is better than this stuff. I don't know if I just got a bad batch of it or what?? I've seen some reviews where it does exactly like mine, a bunch of dots on the bleed through and feathering. I hope they got that sorted out because if not they are going to get a really bad reputation very quick. I might buy another small one and give them a go again later on. The paper itself feels smooth and it writes smooth. I wanted to like it so much.
Thats odd about the paper. I got mine a while ago and have it in several formats and all have been great. But I've heard someone say they used up their older stuff and ordered more, but it was really bad compared to their previous stuff. Curious is something happened. It has such a lovely smooth feel to it I just love it. Hope that issue is a one off!
For EU people, there's a good shop that have lots of inks -including those- called fountainfeder, I believe it is run by a single person in Germany and you usually get a free chocolate with your orders :)
I'm not affiliated in any shape or form, I just find it difficult to find good EU stores and this one is my go to.
Guitar Nostalgic Honey! I'll get that Blue Koi. I like Baystate Blue a lot, but I use it exclusively in a clear Ahab (I get a kick out of the staining). That Octopus ink looks very nice!
You make the best pen videos. Period.
Thank you kindly 😁
Damn, Dood! This is a great video. Comparing inks on photocopier paper is super helpful. I have committed 100% to using fountain pens so I do find myself writing on all sorts of marginal paper. Plus, I sign cheques for work (yes, old fashioned I know) and this helps a lot. Happy New Year!
1. I have gone all waterproof and fade-proof for my pen & ink drawings. This lets me draw one line over another without either bleeding all the hell over the place, AND hang it on the wall without it fading (though avoiding direct sunlight). So the only line I buy anymore is De Atramentis Artist Ink. It only comes in about a dozen colors, but it turns out, aesthetically, that I can live with that. Side benefit is that I have completely stopped thinking about what inks to buy or try out, freeing me up from watching so many dang ink videos.
2. There are so many gorgeous blue inks; I don't think I've seen an ugly blue. I sure do wish I could find ANY red ink I liked.
3. I'm happy for you finding an ink you are enthusiastic about. It ain't BSB but it ain't bad.
4. My favorite ink today is De Atramentis Artist Ink Yellow. Almost as beautiful as Sailor Storia Spotlight yellow. Both are useless for writing, but bring a nice punch to drawings.
These ones are lightfast as well so don't have to worry about sunlight. Yes, a good red is hard to find. My favorite red ink I have (and it was the first one I ever bought) is Kaweco Ruby Red. I was actually thinking of doing a video on red inks and why I seem to be disappointed all the time by reds... except for Ruby Red
This is a burghundy rather than a full red, but I've found noodlers black swan in english roses to be an incredibly nice ink that is semi waterproof, shades nicely, and doesnt ghost or feather on cheap paper.
Even though I don't own many inks. If you ever have the chance to see Montblanc corn poppy red with lamy 1.9 nib. Wow, I do love it just the way it darkens on the edges and goes brighter in the middle. Only problem is I don't think you can get it any more. But still worth a shot.
@@Doodlebudwould love to see your red inks. Cool you found another bulletproof brand.
@@jamesmackinnon6108 yes it is pretty, but like the Australian one even more.
This video right here made me buy Octopus Fluids Blue Koi. And then went ahead to get their Black Elephant, Brown Penguin and Green Crane. Thank you for bringing these inks to light.
Happy you're enjoying the inks!
Great video. You know it's good review when this ink is out of stock at most retailers!! Lol. Well done DB.
That Baystate Blue video kicked off my obsession. Never owned a fountain pen before. I have 11 now........
Glad to hear of another waterproof ink! And glad I'm not the only person who needs waterproof ink! I live in Hawaii and we have lots of rain and wet too!
I do have Koi Blue currently inked. I find it very wet anf flowy, so much it adds one nib size. Waterproofness is fantastic. Colorwise I do prefer Rohrer & Klingner Documentus Dark Blue, which is leaning a tint more towards violet. All other properties are surprisingly similar to Koi Blue. They could be from the same manufacturer, but are not.
This is one informative video! Currently my favourite is the Diamine Registrar's blue black. Nice shading, strong water resistant, turns to almost black colour in a few days.
Great Video! btw Chou kuro also doesn't budge when exposed to water but you have to let it dry fully before you swoosh it around
How difficult or easy it is to clean out of the nib and feed?
I can also recommend Graf von Faber-castell inks. Most of them are document proof, so the text will still be readable (maybe in another colour), even if you soak the page in water.
I do love Baystate Blue, a very vivid color IMO.
I have a list of several inks that i use in my pens. Think I'm sitting at 5 total inks now. My favorite of the bunch is Diamine Writer's Blood. Love the dark red colour and how it dries to almost a brown. Absolutely stunning. I'm also a big fan of Laban Artemis Navy Blue which is the blue ink that i use the most of. It's stunning for such a simple colour and I'm always a sucker for anything related to mythology especially Greek mythology. My most used black ink is the Teranashi Guitar Roman Antique Black which is a lovely ink, again drying with sime brown tones to it. For brown inks i have 2 of them, the Anderillium Cuttlefish Brown and Ferris Wheel Press Steeped Umber both of which are really nice. I have a tiny bottle of the Colorverse Sky Tinted Waters from their state colours line which i use on occasion as like a special ink, so that's there
This year I'm hoping to find a nice purple and a nice green ink that i really really like. Fingers crossed lol
If you like bright purple, try Noodlers concord grape
If you like lighter greens, I can recommend j.Herbin "vert pré" . it's a really nice hue, almost like a may green and it flows really nicely.
I like using Herbin inks in pens that want to be gentle with like my vintage pen. It cleans out very good.
It's not waterproof though.
Have you tired Rohrer and Klingner SketchInk? They have a lot less colors but amazing waterproofness and they feel very wet in my Preppy. Lately my favorite ink is the extremely basic Parker Quink black. I think of it as dark grey because it's the lightest black I have ever used but I like greys. It's just water resistant not waterproof but its good enough with my paper and thin lines, as I only write with EF pens.
Haven't tried those yet but want to
Comment before watching- my fav blue is Baltimore Canyon Blue by Noodler’s
@doodlebud if you check your bottle it says for calligraphy nibs and dip pens but interestingly you can buy ones for fountain pens my bottles from them all say for fountain pens.
Very enjoyable video. Thank you
Thanks so much! All too often I succumb to my pen addiction with yet another pen -- it's nice to have inputs on inks and paper! It's a bit ironic. I've been into FP's for, oh, nearly 40 years now and for years bought inks because I liked the color and had no attention to paper whatsoever (mostly using cheap paper at work, ending up with lots of EF nibs to minimize feathering! How's that old line go? Too soon old, too late smart!
Playing with paper and ink is a fun side of the hobby to play around without have to be buying new pens.
I like to draw with a waterproof blue fountain pen ink and then watercolor over it. You’ve given me another great option. Currently I’m using Platinum Pigment Blue.
A few months ago I finally got a sample of Taccia Sabimidori after all the talk about it recently in the pen community. It quickly became one of my favorite inks. It nice to watch the color change in real time to such a unique final result. Going to need to get a bottle once the weather warms up a bit.
Love that color as well!
Thank you for posting Doodlebud! I recommend Noodler's Legal Blue, it has similar properties and is a nice tone of blue, especially in a wet broad writer! I've been buying the Octopus Fluids Unicorn sheening ink, definitely NOT waterproof but I love the blue color.
Pretty ink. My favorite ink is still Stilo & Stile Roman Bronze Oxidation. I just love the color so much.
Well, here we are blessed with at least four companies in the country, all producing wonderful ink. I love all of those I know ;) In use right now I have some document-ink from Octopus and Rohrer & Klingner, some of the Neons and the Sheens of Octopus, an Pelikan Edelstein and an iron-gall-ink. I think that was pretty much it. With Octopus I fell in love because they have a real red as document ink.
Love my Octopus inks for sketching.
My workplace uses green ink as a standard color to differentiate our writing from our customers'. I went through many green inks before I settled on Noodler's Gruene Cactus Eel, and it's been a great choice ever since.
I love that it's just green. Not blue green, not yellow green, just the green that I think of when I say the word green. It's well behaved, doesn't smear, and flows really well because it's a lubricated ink.
I'll have to try Octopus though. Water-fastness isn't usually a factor that I care about, but if it doesn't affect the performance of the ink it might be worth considering as long as I like the shade. Thanks for drawing this brand to our attention.
I agree, Noodler's Gruene Cactus Green is beautiful.
I have been super interested in Octopus inks since I tried a sample of Blue Sloth. I love how saturated it is while still being a pastel blue! I will definitely have to try out more of their offerings.
If you haven’t tried Montblanc blue permanent check it out! It’s my current favourite. Each and every quality you are looking for and more however it is a bit pricey. It is the gold standard for me after years and years of searching. The MB blue permanent is a nano particle formula that ‘webs’ between flexed tines better than any other ink I’ve tried. I’ve been so happy with it I no longer begrudge paying the premium price. A shoot out between the two inks would be amazing.
Wanted to buy it but like you said found it to be pretty pricey. Might have to get it some time
I appreciate the ink review and the link to blesket. Thanks to you I went ahead and bought a bottle.
Favorite ink at the moment is Lamy Topaz. It is a true & vibrant brown, like a chocolate milkshake.
Sounds like a great ink!
My favorites at the moment are sailor blue and blue black. I also have Karibik and Sepia black. The latter is really nice too. They seem to have a new series of sheening inks in their collection.
Great video, never heard of Octopus ink. Thank you.
I’ll check those octopus inks out.
I like Sailor Seiboku. It’s a nice blue with a tinge of green and it even shades a bit. It’s about 90% water-resistant. I love waterproof inks, but this one does have some nice wetness and character to it.
I love the inks they make for Diplomat. I think they make some Pelikan inks too.
I'm definitely going to have to give these a try.
Recently discovered your wonderful channel! Really enjoying it. Especially love the fact that you are local .. I’m in Fort Langley 👋
@@jsollowsphotography Oh hey! Fort Langley is a nice spot
i like taccia benitsutchi, an orange ink with tea stain brown streaks. when washed, it leaves behind a drafting blue ink color that is very readible. hey, happy new year, and may it be a blessed new year.
I'm fairly new to fountain pens. I have a problem with my hand and discovered about a year ago that fountain pens are the way to go. I only have a handful of different inks. I would like to find a good waterproof ink to use with watercolor. I tried Noodler's Black which kept clogging up my pen. Maybe the pen I used it in (Pilot Metropolitan) doesn't seal very well. I don't know how one tests that. The problem went away when I switched to a different ink. My favorite ink so far is Diamine Blue Velvet. It's not waterproof, but I love the color, the way it flows, and it never clogs my pen. It seems to work well on any paper, but looks particularly good on Regalia. Thanks for all your videos! I always enjoy them.
I don't have an absolute favorite ink but most inks in my collection are blue, I once heard or read (Reddit, Goulet or Goldsot probably) that the most sold color of fountain pen inks is always some kind of blue.
From Octopus Fluids I love Lindgrün and their Pastell colors, at first I thought they were too faint but with time they've been growing on me, specially Blue Iris.
Basic question for the community from a fountain pen rookie. I recently purchased a new Montblanc 149 fountain pen. I love it! The Montblanc salesperson advised I should only use Montblanc ink. I realize there is a sales aspect here but I really do want to experiment with other inks. (I use my pen mostly for journalling). Several of the brands listed here seem very interesting. Thoughts?
I've asked this at the Vancouver Pen Shop as well. I've used many other inks in my MB149 without issue. But the told me they had a customer have an issue who had issues with theirs after using non MB ink so I don't know. I've just enjoyed my MB149 for a number of years now using all sorts of inks. I don't use anything thats tricky for cleaning (no heavy sheen or shimmer inks), but other than that I just enjoy the pen with whichever ink I feel like using.
Most manufacturers will recommend their own inks, and while there may be some truth that the ink formulation is designed to work best with their own pens.. there is absolutely nothing wrong with trying ANY fountain pen ink. Just be more mindful of permanent inks, iron gall, things with shimmer or sheening properties etc. I would buy a few budget pens to try those more "high maintenance" inks. Something like a Platinum Preppy and an ink syringe to refill the cartridge, those pens are around $7 or so. Also I recommend a bulb syringe for cleaning your pen and watching the 101 videos from Goulet Pens for some great info. Welcome to the hobby!
J.Herbin inks have a good reputation for being trouble free in any pen so you could start there.
Thank you so much! Very helpful indeed. You have great content!! From a fellow Vancouverite :)
Very helpful information thank you so much!!
My favourite new ink in 2023 was Monteverde Copper Noir. My favourite of all is Noodler's El Lawrence.
Very helpful video! I am waiting, waiting, for Vaness to receive a shipment of Blue Koi.
Hi Doodle Bud great video. 100% with you on the PR bottle. It’s a shame as otherwise very very good ink. My ink of last year was Monteverde Green. It performs well with every pen
I like the old vintage one i have a pilot H478 myself that writes the same as your elite and i love it
0:47 Chou is pronounced cho, but with a long O. Kuro is like the words "coo" and "row," but both short syllables, no stress on either one.
Regalia paper is so good it actually made that random ink smear look Fantastic ..
Love thst paper!
It is indeed awesome (o:
Please try pelikan blue black
It has some iron gall like characteristics
Its like 90% waterproof and
Is a FANTASTIC document ink
Do you mean the 4001 blue black?....I was surprised at how waterproof it is....but the color is that " Dusty" blue he talks about...
@@galessi1226 yeah
I love my octopus ostrich! It was a random sample and I got caught off guard :)
I love the idea of a waterproof ink, but in practice I didn't think I could sleep at night knowing I have pigments floating in my pens, potentially clogging it beyond repair
I was concerned at first, but hasnt been an issue so far with this ink. I do use it pens I can fully disassemble if I need to take things apart for cleaning
With the new inks actually it is not bad if you use them regularly. Just clean them out before a longer period of not using a pen. As long as the inks (I am speaking of the document inks and the ones with I suspect nano-pigments) don't dry out inside the pen, any clogging can be washed out. Octopus as well as Rohrer & Klingner have a wash for fountain pens, I think there exists one from Diamine, too.
Loving this vid. I recently discovered Octopus Inks and picked up a fluorescent Pink for the fun of it. Lately I’ve been digging on Colorverse Inks. Namely TexMex, Extra Dimension, Space Laika, and Mariner 4.
It occurred to me that there is a lot of talk of “wet” & “dry” inks, and yet I haven’t seen any listing that makes that distinction anywhere. (Perhaps a future video?) 😉
Already done it my friend 🤓
ruclips.net/video/SzYkIhuDDcc/видео.html
My first gold nibbed fountain pen was a Pineider Avatar UR Deluxe. Really bouncy EF gold nib!!!
WELL, U HAVE TO TRY NOODLER'S BALTIMORE CANYON BLUE THEN !!!
BTW, BSB 1:1 WATER, SOLVES ANY PROBLEM WITH CHEAP PAPER ;) BEST BLUE EVER !
Gruene is prounounced "Green". People from New Braunfels, TX will let you know. 🙂
Favorite. Still and probably always: Diamine Oxblood. For traditional colors, Luoshi Black and Luoshi Blue-black. (Their red is nice as well.) Karkos black is another nice one, but it is far too wet for this overwriting lefty.
Pelikan 4001 is NEVER a bad choice for us lefty overwriter types as well. It is dry enough with fine to medium nibs to not be a mess when surfing over the page.
Where can you get Luoshi inks? I have a couple of Luoshi pens, which I like...
Wow, for me Karkos inks (pink and turquoise) have turned out to be super dry, I will try black then 🤔
Yeah, on three different nibs (xf,f,m) the black was/is really too wet for me. Great color though.@@manuelsalazar3938
Octopus makes ink for several other brands, including Diplomat.
I love you and your channel!
I do really like chou kuro (pronounced cho, by the way; just make that o longer) but you do have to wait for it to dry or it smears which is a bummer. I definitely prefer waterproof and fast drying, so actually my current (boring) favorite is basic Noodler's bulletproof black. It drys fast, works on even crappy paper, and is a fairly good black, though not nearly as black as chou kuro. For blue I've been using the pilot blue that came with my 823. Kind of flat, but waterproof and I have tons of it, so might as well use it, eh? But I love the blue you show here. I'll have to order some!
Chou Kuro is amazing!!!
I've got the exact same Moscow Mule mug!
How does Blue Koi compare to the Platinum Pigment Blue?
And how do they compare in terms of nib lubrication with Platinum Carbon Black? I find that for whatever reason the Carbon Black makes my Pilot Metropolitan fine nib glide a lot more smoothly on the paper, and I'm wondering if this is true for other pigment inks.
I don't have either of those inks so I can't give you any input. Check out the website mountainofink as they do much deeper reviews into inks
Thanks for the introduction to this brand. I’ll have to find some and try these out, particularly Blue Koi. I’ve been looking for a water resistant blue that pops like Baystate that isn’t Baystate and this may just be the one.
Vegan ink, that’s a new trend I’ve never heard of LOL!
You might want to take a look at Noodler's 54th Massachusetts, closish to BSB.
You have to watch out organic is next. XD
@@octoberfox3399 Gluten Free, cruelty free, free trade and free range inks!
the Ink is called "Grüne Cactus" which ...I'm not sure but I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't inspired by the song "Kleiner Grüner Kaktus" [little green cactus] by the Comedian Harmonists, a famous German (+ 1 Bulgarian I think?) sextet from the 1920ies and '30ies.
Have you found any of the other colors from that brand (or another brand) with similar properties? Thanks!
The whole line up of their write & draw inks are pigmented and share the same properties
Definitely writting the name of that ink in a sure place! But what about the problems of bleeding and see through?
I do not know how well the Rohrer and Klingner Blue Permanent does with the water test. But the colour is amazing. It has been my favourite waterproof ink because it's just a little bit more of an exciting shade of blue, yet permanent. Maybe give that a try. Here in germany, they are ultra cheap. Shouldn't be a lot in canada, if you can find them.
how's the flow of that ink? I use de atramentis document black and I love hoy juicy it is!
@@0mdm2 I have only used it in dry nibs because I use permanent inks for every day writing, which also means bad paper. So unfortunately, I can't really give you a good/definitive answer. The thickest nib was my EF Diplomat Aero in which I would say the flow was quite average, maybe a tad on the dry side but that's very hard to say with an ef.
thanks for taking the time to respond!@@camorakidd_edc
The R&K Blue Permanent is very little permanent. Most of the ink washes off, but a light line remains.
Octopus Write and Draw, Rohrer & Klingner Documentus and sketchINKs are not at all bothered by water.
@@naher1277 well thank you for the answer. Nice to hear. I guess I'll use the Blue Koi for my final exam in a few months lol. I would like it to be a bit drier because I have to write on shitty paper but I guess it'll work. Currently using it in a Pilot 912 EF.
Very curious discovery!
Outside of BSB I'm fairly certain Noodler's doesn't make a bulletproof blue (water resistant yes, but something with so little smearing no), so this is quite a unique ink.
(Ok comments are saying it's just pigmented, so that makes sense that the ink is waterproof, and that Noodler's doesn't have an equivalent since Nathan produces very few pigmented inks.)
Baltimore Canyon is a brighter water resistant Noodlers ink.
baystate blue, my faviout, but only in Jinhao and Twsbi.
It would be nice if the write and draw ink was sold on Amazon and prime eligible.
I really want to try the blue koi but I think to remember that they say to wash the pen after every use and I just can’t with that.
Wish they brought the blue koi in their certified document ink line, the current blue has this weird violet hue to it that I only know of ballpoints…
Yeah they say that, but I've had it in a pen for over a month and no issues when cleaning it out afterwards
So I took the plunge. Love the ink!
Thank you so much for the recommendation!
Where can I get these inks. Got good experience with Noodlers
I left a link in the description for a Canadian retailer, but it all depends where you are located however many retailers carry them
Going to get some.
Mine is Super5 Atlantic Blue ( waterproofed ink from Germany )
I have the black elephant but it clogs all the pens I try it on, but I tried Rohrer & Klingner sketchink in Lotte and it is a lot better. I think the black elephant one is little too thick, maybe should I try in other colours.
That's interesting. I wonder if adding a touch of water might help?
@@Doodlebud Yea maybe, I will try that 🤞
How it compares to Pilot Tsuwario?
I've never used that particular ink so I can't comment on that
You should try sailor seiboku!:)
Is that a Moscow Mule? Love it! Several years ago our club did a black ink throw down had about dozen inks and Auora black got most votes for blackest. Hey what is your favorite bbakey item?
Its a mule mug since I love them, but was just having diet tonic and lime LOL. When it comes to bakery stuff I love to try new things. The bakery next to the pen shop has a line up pretty much every morning outside
At the 6 minute mark, what is the name of the pen?
Here's the review
ruclips.net/video/YLd2ZwBbxgQ/видео.html
It was hard to tell on copy paper but is your dragons night more blue or more purple? I got mine hoping for blurple but got a dark purple instead. Also, how did the inks look on the back of the paper? (Edited to fix typo)
If you see when I do the first water smudge that is with the dragons night. I can't remember how it did on the back side. I threw out the paper after the video
I've never understood why anyone would choose a non-waterproof ink. My favorites are Noodler's 54th Massachusetts (gray-blue), Rohrer & Klingner Salix (blue), and Platinum Carbon Ink.
I can not get 54th Mass. to 8:14 go down in an E F line....it bleeds all over every paper I use...Baltimore Canyon is brighter and bleeds less
@@galessi1226 I've never had this problem. If 'EF' means extra fine, maybe the problem is with your nib or pen? I use many pens, but my favorites are Pilot 95s and Parker 75.
Wow, you know what? I never even thought about waterproofing for inks, and if I want to go to Vancouver, it wouldn't be a bad idea, to have a pen inked up with something. Thank you, DB, for another awesome tip! Oh, greens, my favorite color, but I don't own any green inks. Does anyone have any ideas?
My favorite is Diamine Sherwood Green.
@christophermckellar1352 Quick question: Does it have a shimmer to it?
@@octoberfox3399 I don’t think so. It’s an older ink.
@christophermckellar1352 I just looked it up, and wow, it really is a marvelous green. I'm going to put it on my list of inks to check out next time I'm at the pen store.
@@octoberfox3399 I like that it is a dark green, and still green. Enjoy!
Well guess that I’ll be having a new favorite ink, thanks. I’ve been using a lot of Pelikan Turquoise and Topaz with Diamine Marine, but not in the same pen. My ink selection just exploded, not explosive, but expanded in varieties, not as in got fat. So next week my favorite ink will be three different ones.
Careful, if you fall down the ink rabbit hole before you know it you will have 200 inks.
@@ichirofakename lol yes. That’s very good advice. I can now understand just how easy that would be. Once you have one lifetime’s supply it stands to reason you will somehow need another.
@@Goldilockszone123 I have reached the point where I am trying to get rid of or use up pens, inks, and even paper.
I would like to see an example of you spilling a private reserve bottle that is nearly impossible unless you're having a full on DAA
I don't mean the bottle spills, but the wide mouth & cap design leads to having a fair amount of ink in the lid when it's removed.
Ah man, was hoping to see the Octopus black, this blue does look phenomenal though, thanks for sharing this ink brand!
I use it in this video
ruclips.net/video/qHht4G3Sd5A/видео.html
Great review as always. Are the other inks from this company also waterproof, or is that unique to blue koi?
This line up of inks are pigmented so they share the same properties
All Write and Draw inks by Octopus are waterproof. The other inks by Octopus are not. You can easily recognize it is a W&D ink by the name of an animal and a color in the name of the ink.
They have another waterproof line of inks: Certified Document Inks. Not so many colours like in the Write Draw Serie, only 9.
I did not trust you at all and you should warn people about the Platinum Chou kuro but Octopus is great! It's a drawing ink but fountain pen friendly safe and they don't use schlack as a binder! Love octopus!
If I'm not mistaken, the pronunciation is closer to "choh" said kind of fast. The sense being that it's saying "super black" in an impressed fashion.
My favourite ink is Diamine Onyx Black ⚫️ 🖤
It´s a staple for me, too. Black with black sheen makes it interesting.
@@MidlifeByKirstin I admit I sometimes write with a light in front of me just so I can watch it glisten as it goes down on the page.
I need to try that one again. I got a sample, it sat for a few months. But when I finally opened it up to ink a pen, it was all a glob of sludge. Guess it got contaminated somehow
@@Doodlebud 😱😱😱😢
On the pronunciation of the Noodlers "Gruene" which is pronounced "green"
It's nearly impossible to find or buy this ink online. And when you do find an online retailer, they're overseas and the shipping is cost prohibitive.
Turns out Flax carries some of them!
Octopus did (or maybe still does) inks for Diplomat, so you can buy "Diplomat by Octopus Fluids" inks, besides regular (and nothing special) Diplomat inks. They are just Octopus inks, relabeled by Diplomat.
Noodler's Cactus was the first green ink that got my heart beating. Glad to know you enjoyed it too.
I think naming an ink Octopus can make anyone think that the pigment is derived from the sea creature. Veganism isn't limited to food choices, some people are against using any products derived from animals like honey or silk.
Please do your research, Octopus Fluids is an industrial brand that mostly produces inks for lots of applications including printers, art and a whole lot etcetera, their fountain pen ink branch was like just a side project until a few years ago, the Diplomat branded inks are also produced by Octopus Fluids.
I kind of understand your statement but people are supposed to do research before wrongly assuming such things, it's as easy as just googling it.
Apparently they sell these at Opus Art Supplies.
Hi DB!: That is a pretty good looking, and good lasting ink, too! And not TOO expensive! Problem is, I am a KLUTZ! I have already gotten fountain pen ink on my clothes several times in the last year.
Permanent inks like this one, I should probably stay away from! BUT for documents or if you are a person who takes their journal writing SERIOUSLY, you should at least try these inks!
Its great for signatures as well
I saw the german writing on the band of the bottle, and it says "Tusche" !!! from the french word "toucher". We here never give "Tusche" in our pens, because of ingredients of Schellack or other binders. Hope your pens will stay in good condition. But please be careful. The German word für good ink is "Tinte". Best wishes also for an interesting new year 2024. Manfred here, from Vienna in Austria.
There is no shellac in the Write & Draw inks. They have used another binder to make it compatible with fountain pens. Just visit their website and read the article about Write & Draw Inks.
The probably call it "Schreib- und Zeichentusche" to emphasize its properties are just like what someone would expect for writing (with ink) and drawing with "Tusche".
Tinte just means ink. Tusche is a type of ink (India ink).
It does say on the back, that it’s vegan. so no shellac.
this ink is beautiful, almost use it as my main signing ink, but it take 40s+ to dry, too bad
My ink must contain zero meat!! Brands just do not emphasize this enough! So many bottles I have with bacon bits floatin around (super sheening inks🧐 too meaty for my blood.. or my lamy)!
Love this vid! Lovin the look of those Octopus inks, plus you know James Bond would check out this brand for sure (I’m sold). My current fave ink is a super basic one (for me anyway😊): Diamines Earl Grey, which was my first ever bottle of ink which I hated. But right now, I love it. And we’ve been going steady for 2 weeks now & im ab to introduce Earl to my parents, so it’s pretty serious. Maybe diamine inks are just better aged.
Also sailor 'Yoi', another killer grey, genuinely neutral & No Aging Required!^TM (🤌🏻Sailor dry ages all inks prior to sale, which is reflected in their Wagyu🥩 style pricing).
Doooooodlebud
I have a black octopus fluids ink from a Diplomat package I bought last year. Not a bad ink at all. Haven't tried their other inks One thing I will say though... I bought an Endless paper Creative Block in Large A4 size I believe. I got it from you raving about it so much. It has got to be one of the worst papers I've ever bought in the last 3 years of being in this hobby. The feathering on it, bleed and show through is so terrible I think the copy paper at my work is better than this stuff. I don't know if I just got a bad batch of it or what?? I've seen some reviews where it does exactly like mine, a bunch of dots on the bleed through and feathering. I hope they got that sorted out because if not they are going to get a really bad reputation very quick. I might buy another small one and give them a go again later on. The paper itself feels smooth and it writes smooth. I wanted to like it so much.
Thats odd about the paper. I got mine a while ago and have it in several formats and all have been great. But I've heard someone say they used up their older stuff and ordered more, but it was really bad compared to their previous stuff. Curious is something happened. It has such a lovely smooth feel to it I just love it. Hope that issue is a one off!
@@Doodlebud I'll probably give them another chance in the future probably wait a year or so and see.
It’s Gruene with an N - as in Gruene, TX - and is pronounced “green” here.