You example smacks a bit of Diamine Autumn Oak maybe, brown with a lot of orange in there.

I've had a bottle of this for about 10 years and haven't used it a ton, but my sample definitely leans way more to the brown side of things than what we're seeing here. I really like brown inks, but find myself being pretty picky about what I end up liking and using. Not sure why. I always have a couple of pens inked with brown ink. Herbin Lie de The in one and Taccia Tsuchi (Golden Wheat), which I really love, in another. Ancient Copper is always lurking around too and is one of my favorite inks period. Just beautiful. I'll have to revisit Brilliant Brown. Interesting stuff. Thanks for the video, James.

Interesting result James!! I myself got the 30 ml bottle of Brilliant Brown, but had not inked up a pen with it as of yet. Just now as I was getting to the end of this video I just had to do a quick test with a dip nib on an A6 size Collectible Pens pad crated in Italy which is more of a cream colored paper. I guess I managed to get a more consistent ink that does not appear orangish in any way. Of course, I also have Ancient Copper & Chocolate Brown from Diamine. If you want to try another brown ink there are 2 produced by Sheaffer - Latte, and Skrip Brown. I currently have my Sheaffer 300 inked with the Skrip Brown and it is definitely a darker brown brown!!

The first time I bought the ink, it was definitely orange. I thought maybe it was mislabeled. But the sample I bought from Anderson was definitely brown and not the same. I took the ink to a Pelikan Hub and they said there was something wrong with the bottle and that it's not suppose to be orange. I think it's a batch or quality control issue.

Move over SNL! 🦊

It almost looks like they forgot to add the blue to the ink to make it brown.. I have a bottle of Brilliant Brown ink, and it's definitely more brown than yours. And in the chromatography I see a blue component that yours seems to lack. Very interesting. I paint in watercolour and often mix browns and greys from orange and blue, so it makes sense to me that yours looks more orange than brown. Maybe add a drop of blue to a converterful of this ink to see what you get..?

When I wrote with it in a pen with a very broad and wet nib a few months ago it looked like it was blood orange. It never ever looked like a true sepia. Yea, I thought they might have made a mistake when they labeled the bottles lol. I'm not really into orange inks :(. Thanks for sharing.

I believe you were referring to Linda Richman on “Coffee Talk” Discuss…😅😂

I must get Ancient Copper! But first let's finish a bottle of ink.

Thank you, brother, for another great review. You did a terrific job. have several bottles of Pelikan's 4001 series inks. Which does include Brilliant Brown, which is 3-4 years old. However, the ink in my bottle of Brilliant Brown is certainly a deeper and darker shade of brown, which has a mild sheen to it when it dries. I'm thinking that you may have possibly gotten either a bad batch or a mislabeled bottle. The color brown from your bottle reminds me very much of Diamine's Ancient Copper, which is one of all time favorites. But it doesn't store very well if you leave it in your pen unattended too long, and that may vary. It seems to cake up as it drys out. Anyway, thanks again, and God speed. 😊

It's one of the first bottles I purchased, so mine is several years old. Definitely a milk chocolate brown, not orange. The variation from batch to batch is not what I would expect from a bulk manufacturer like Pelikan, more typical of one of the small batch ink maker.

I love this ink. I never really have the colour much thought because I liked what I got.

When I bought it was orange, some months down the road and on wetter pens, became real brown… and I like it now less 😊

Not only the video of James are of great quality, but his voice is so soothing! Everyone should rush buying that pen before tariffs reach 10000%!

One of my favorite inks, and I have noticed that it writes very, very differently on different paper. In fact, even on the Emshoi A5 it's more orange; on the Emshoi B5, it's very brown. On Midori MD paper, it's definitely brown. On the A5, no shading. On the B5, wicked nice shading. I picked up a bottle of Iroshizuku Yu-Yake in the search for the saffron orange of Omas Tritrana, and it's interesting how the Pelikan Brilliant Brown on some paper will closer resemble the Omas than the Yu-yake.

I bought two bottles couple of months ago but I haven't tried them yet. After seeing your review, I swatched one bottle on some no name non-coated dotted paper and it's definitely brown. If it means something, I bought mine in Serbia, Eastern Europe.

Thanks, James. That is a gorgeous color! I would call it burnt orange. I think I'll get myself a bottle and one for my grandbabies. Micah 6:8 is one of my favorite verses of Scripture!

I pike this ink, what I found is that with wetter nibs it goes closer to brown, and with drier nibs it goes lighter and looks more orange.

I love orange inks, thanks for a great review, as some people have actually got brown ink in their bottles I would be wary of purchasing it.....

Not an ink I like. If I wanted an orange/red ink I would have bought one.

*Micah 6:8?* (ESV? I love my ESV)

I have Brilliant Brown, but it came in a bottle with an old, dark sticker (30 ml). I'm not a big fan of brown inks, but this one is one of my favorite inks in the 4001 line (besides Violett and the all-time classic - Brilliant Black). And this one is really nice brown with some nice shading, but not as orangish as you show us. Looking at Your samples I must say that's awkward. PS. In Poland, Pelikan inks are much cheaper - I bought mine for about 11... zlotych (four times cheaper) ;)

Brown is actually just a dark shade of orange. So technically it is a bright or brilliant brown color . 😊

If it wasn't me, it's something I've said often. It's my favorite orange ink. Other orange inks I've tried underwhelmed me. We'll see if that changes when I get a Hongdian ink this week.

yea same issue with the brilliant red, which is more pink then red. no clue what is going on at pelikan, but the inks are not what they used to be. i had a bottle of brilliant red years ago and that one was a nice bright red. now it seems to be an issue with all their inks. still good inks but you no longer get what's on the bottle... if you want german made ink try octopus fluids. depending on where you get it, it's about the same price.

Thank you James, for the review of this ink. The only Pelikan ink I have is the 4001 Violet. I was disappointed by the paleness of the color. I am also disappointed by a brown that really is not brown but like a burnt orange. To date my go to brown has been Private Reserve Chocolat. No shading but this is brown, just brown. The closest I have come to a purple that is really purple has been Purple Bow by Diamine. Maybe it's me but my quest has been to have true basic colors for my pens. Maybe I will wander into the world looking for other inks but you have to start somewhere. Brilliant Brown is not the place to start.

My 823 <M> is currently inked with this ink. I get a dark brown on the paper that came with my leather binder. I'm surprised that such a dry ink feels so smooth, but it works really well for me as a lefty.

The sample of your bottle is really orangy

I have that brown ink. I really like it. There are very few brown inks that I do not like. The 4001 line of Pelikan inks are really quite nice. The violet ink has some very nice shading to it. You cannot beat it for the price.

In my experience, this ink is a bit darker than Diamine Ancient Copper. I have seen a very soft green sheen

This Pelikan Brilliant Brown is one of my favorite inks. What I Like Most is that the colour varies depending of the nib and the paper. Ranges from and orangy ochre to a deep dark Brown. The wider the nib, the darker hue. Absorving papers get darker tones. It is a wonderful ink. It reminds me of Diamine Ancient Copper.

I'm reliably told that there is no such colour as brown...only shades of orange.....

To me, I’ve thought that the ink shown on the bottle appears just as your ink - on the paper - matches; 🤷‍♀️ sorry! But that’s why I haven’t purchased that ink.

All I can think of with this color is the Technology Connections video "Brown is Orange with Context!"

I renamed mine to Brilliant Orange.

Would be pretty for October art like pumpkins, leaves, etc.

Great video! It shows the characteristics of that wonderful ink, and yes It Is More orange than brown but still nice and perform so well.

I have shared this ink on my channel. I purchased it for the orange properties to pair with my Pelikan m600 Artist Edition Glauco Cambon. Last December it was only $7.00/ bottle in the U.S.

Before I even watch the video, I will say No, it is not brown, it is orange. It was a big disappointment to me.

Huh. Interesting. Last brown ink I've used was vintage Sheaffer's Skrip (1950s) and both the washable and permanent ones. Original permanent was military brown, and the washable and the 1980s version was more of a ''chocolate milk" brown (same ink I'd have used to do my school diplomas for, my senior year in 1985.) Not like any you used for that. But still interesting. And in the brown family. 😊Stay safe and strong and God bless, my friend!

Great review. Got the teal- Tuned the nib and now it flows so nice and smooth. Light and comfortable for journaling. Getting a converter. I have a lamy Safari to try out, but I have been happy with this one.

Really reminds me of ancient copper. A bit lighter but similar shade. I have not used Pelikan ink before but i wonder if this inconsistency is through their inks or just this shade. Wow, seeing that next to the ancient copper shows just how orange it is 😮

I got a orangey one, I consider it a Diamine Ancient Copper strecher

This was fascinating! I recently picked up a bottle because Schaefer Script Brown was oos and had not yet used it. It was with trepidation that I checked my bottle, which to my great relief is a deep, dark, chocolaty brown. I think yours is defective. It's one thing to have minor a color discrepancy, but not anything this drastic. I'd reach out to the retailer from which you got this bottle to see if they will make it right, because brilliant brown that ain't!

Love your channel, James! You’re a minister? I am ordained as well and do sermons, editorials, and the like.. thanks for your work! Frank

Ancient Copper is probably my favorite ink. Noodler's Kiowa Pecan is a good utility brown. I have always wanted to try KWZ's Honey, but I have not been able to justify buying another bottle of ink. Yet.

I don't think it's a batch issue. I put this ink in a Pilot Metropolitan with a fine nib, and it looks like what Mountain of Inks shows. However, in my Pilot E95s with an extra fine nib, it looks like your test. My swabbing also looks like yours.

mine is orange if I don't shake the bottle and brown if I do

I do not necessarily like this ink, as it is a bit less lubricated and wet than I like. Octopus Fluids Karamell is really similar in colour, but offers better performance, so that is what I use instead.

just ordered this ink yesterday, so we shall see