Fountain Pen Inks Explained: What Ink Should You Use in a Fountain Pen?

[@itsmeLori]

When I find a shimmering ink and/or sheening ink that behaves well and appears out of an F or EF nib I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot. This has happened the most for me with my favorite Herbin and Diamine inks. Love the way you test/compare/explain things-hope you’ll do reviews of the same ink across different nibs, that would be really informative!

[@Yoseka]

Will definitely keep this in mind :) Thanks for sharing!!

[@tiffanybluetarot]

Yes! I’m still searching for an ink just as you described…sheen/shimmer with an F nib. Do you have any favorites you might clue me in on?

[@itsmeLori]

@@tiffanybluetarot Diamine Jack Frost shocked me with an EF and F nib on Tomoe River paper, the sheen is super noticeable, a whole page of writing with it looks really pretty

[@tiffanybluetarot]

@@itsmeLori excellent. Thanks for the tip! I’ve had my eye on Jack Frost anyhow, so this may be the nudge I needed to purchase…

[@fairgreen00]

Would love to see you guys do a video on how to clean various brands and styles of fountain pens. Best practices and what to avoid. Keep up the great work!

[@Yoseka]

Great idea, thank you for the suggestion!!

[@pleestationeryteahouse]

I agree with this. I hope to see more videos like these for newcomers and enthusiasts of fountain pens.

[@lead-dog]

I think this is a great idea. Keep up the great work.

[@sirjoe88]

As someone very new to using and loving fountain pens, I found this video so informative and helpful. Thank you.

[@sassytbc7923]

I knew of your store long time ago, but didn’t know about your videos until today. The videos are absolutely amazing.. well researched and well presented . I will definitely be watching more. Thank you.

[@Fluffypotatoes4]

If you are a student i would highly recommend bottled ink, going through one or more cartridges a day gets really expensive.

[@lead-dog]

Hi Daisy, You're such a perfect NERD. I love it. Great video. So happy I discovered you. Have a great day!

[@wanderpetal]

Excellent overview. Thanks to all who requested this topic. I discovered Yoseka Stationery myself a couple of years ago when I stumbled upon the FANTASTIC video comparing ALL of the Pilot nib-gauges to Micron pen lines. That must have been SO much work to plan, set up, and execute, but it is the best video I know of that really shows what we need to see! So thank you thank you for this one as well. I may find myself watching it more than once.

[@Yoseka]

Thank you Mary!! 😭

[@5peeeedy1]

This was such a helpful video! Thank you for taking the time to explain and demonstrate everything!

[@ABirdWoman]

Very comprehensive presentation and helpful to this old lady who has just gotten back into using a fountain pen in my journaling.

[@marilyngardner4269]

Such a thorough overview -- great job! While I don't "hate" sheening inks, I do avoid the monster sheeners. The base color gets totally obscured by the sheen, the inks are harder to clean out of pens, and the worst part (IMO) is that some of them can smear days or weeks later. I like the look but they can be a hassle. Also, you may want to invest in some kind of macro camera if you're going to do more videos. I honestly couldn't see most of the effects you were referring to on my tiny phone screen and just had to listen to your verbal descriptions. I've seen some great KZbin videos showing inks or nibs that use extreme close-ups very effectively. Thanks, Daisy!

[@Yoseka]

Thanks Marilyn! I don't use too many sheening inks myself just because there are still too many great sheening ones I haven't tried! Ashley and I were just talking about how they smear more than others. Appreciate the suggestions :)

[@keithmclean3627]

I feel smarter for watching this! What a joy you are, blue and black are boring!❤

[@heidishaw1118]

The best explanation of inks I have seen. Not being very ink savvy, I really learned a lot. Thanks!!!!

[@Yoseka]

Thanks for watching Heidi!!

[@jinntaliswrites]

As a new fountain pen user, this was a priceless resource! Thank you!

[@Rgc571]

As many of your viewers do, I use an ink syringe to refill cartridges, converters and, eyedropper pens. To quickly prime the nib I often dip just the lower portion on the nib in the ink. Interesting thing about cartridges is that they do not preserve ink indefinitely. Yesterday I harvested ink from about 20 year old cartridges from various brands. A box of Mont Blanc cartridges provided no useable ink, the Cross cartridges were approximately 50% full. Waterman was the winner with little diminishment in ink volume. The take away for cartridges is they don’t last forever. Thanks for the review.

[@Yoseka]

Thanks for sharing!! Didn't think ink from a cartridge could evaporate like that!

[@rakisk8r]

Thank you for this information, Daisy! Can a shading ink be in a FP that is used only sporadically? Many thanks🌸

[@Rgc571]

I had similar results. With the Montblanc black cartridges I added rehydrating fluid and got a very light but legible grey. S the ink is in a Kakuno, carmaker there. I use harvested Water blue and black to mix into delightfully blue blacks inks. Finally sone very old Parker cartridges did not rehydrate. Sure is fun playing with ink.😊

[@melfraser463]

Thank you for all of your great info. I am new in the world of ink, etc., less than one month. I am actively learning the names, qualifiers, and applications of ink, paper, and pens, to start with. It is a vertical learning curve and exciting. Thank you!

[@crouserm]

What a fantastic cross-sectional overview! Thank you! There is another paper company I could have been interested in hearing about. Southworth. Their papers offer reliability, in terms of ink not feathering or bleeding, and, their high-percentage cotton fiber papers just feel good in the hand. But, the best overview I've ever seen. Well done!

[@roxannelucero3670]

Such a tedious process but very much appreciated! Thank you Yoseka for this wonderful introduction to fountain pen inks. I hope it would entice more people in the FP community ✨

[@jhartman2000]

Thank you for the very informative video! I didn't know it was safe to use iron gallinks in gold nib pens versus steel nibs.

[@BEASTxMODE]

Extremely detailed explanation 👏 I just got my first fountain pen, so all this info is on a whole new level.

[@pleestationeryteahouse]

Y’all really delivered on this video! I hope to see more “tutorials” and in depth videos like these. Great job!!

[@brigitteburrow]

I enjoyed this video so much! Very informative and I love how genuine your excitement and love of ink properties really came through in your explanations

[@fcsolis]

Fountain pen ink collecting has become a hobby. A favorite thing to do is to give each of my bottles and vials of ink a nice, gentle, ten-second shake a few times a week. A show of affection? They're like my little pets. I love the shape of Kakimori ink bottles. Thank you.

[@Yoseka]

Haha such a cute practice and a nice routine to appreciate what you have as well!

[@barry1863]

Excellent presentation! Your excitement makes the video not only informative, but also interesting.

[@tawallah77]

This was a great video on inks for someone who is diving beyond cartridges in fountain pens. Very informative.

[@Yoseka]

Thank you so much!!

[@brosamer]

most in-depth, helpful guide ive seen as a beginner! :)

[@Yoseka]

Aww such a compliment, thank you!!

[@dennisdelgado7350]

Thank you for this great video! I love shading and sheening in inks! They give my notes incredible character. Shimmering inks are most impressive, but I use them with glass dip pens only.

[@richardsimms251]

Great video. Thank you RS. Canada

[@sheilamillar8071]

Brilliant! I needed this before starting with inks. Very very helpful, clear and comprehensive. No other video does this it was really needed.

[@drnomad16]

Wow! This was comprehensive! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for us!!!

[@fossilimprint2954]

Big thank you for this most informative video. I never knew what were the differences between shading, sheen, shimmer.

[@ladyamalthea85]

I'm brand new to fountain pens, I've got 3, only 2 are currently inked up. I've only used cartridges so far but I'm excited to try bottled ink soon. Thanks for such a great video.

[@connieanderson6339]

Thank you so much for this in depth video, Daisy! I liked learning the difference between sheening, shimmering, and shading inks.

[@Yoseka]

Thanks Connie!! So glad you enjoyed the video!

[@mshushjan]

So interesting. Thank u a lot) wish u the best!

[@Becky936]

Such beautiful explanations. The young lady builds a foundation of knowledge, giving examples which aid in both understanding, and contrasting the conditions which require each type of ink. I will start learning with one type of ink for practice, and to enjoy the variety of colors, but plan to use another type of ink for important documents. It would be terrible to loose a will or important insurance papers, because of a hurricane. ❤❤

[@DasOrangensaft.]

Such a good and well structured video! Thank you! If you could reduce the background noises for the next one would be nice. And if you could include some text when a new chapter/theme starts that would just be a nice little bonus and bring out the good structure even better. Thanks again, really enjoyed! 🍀

[@Yoseka]

Thank you for watching and the suggestions!

[@eternalmonsoon8103]

Mountain of ink is a very impressive and valuable resource. Thanks for this overview.

[@jocelynehenry2281]

It doesn’t matter what you show.. I’ll be watching all of your videos ❤🎉

[@heathergleiser]

Great explanation! That Lennon Tool Bar green ink is gorgeous too, I’d never seen it before. I hope one day Yoseka will offer Diamine cartridges as I have a pen that only uses standard international short size and can’t take a converter. I don’t mind Kaweco but the Diamine 150th anniversary colors are so good!

[@yleexot]

Syringe! To make your own cartridges. Works well.

[@heathergleiser]

@@yleexot I need to get one of those. The pen is a Monteverde Tool Pen and I didn’t realize it was cartridge only til after I’d gotten it but I love its weird looks too much to part with it.

[@radnustuhab]

Hi Heather, I just use a syringe to initially clean a regulat cartridge that works in my fp, let it dry for a few days and then fill ithat cartridge with the ink I want to use. Works great for me. Good luck

[@susosu6070]

This is a very informative clip. Thank you so much for sharing. It helps me a lot for my next ink bottles. 🙏🏻

[@guanpengxu1854]

I stumbled on this video as KZbin recommended. Very informative, thanks!

[@shane6242]

Wow, that was comprehensive, great job! I might need some Dominant Industry inks now...

[@Yoseka]

Thanks Shane! You should! Dominant Industry makes beautiful inks!

[@doodoo3970]

nice content. love it the way you expressed this content.. good job mam 👍

[@jankafka7330]

Your mention of customers asking what kind of ink to use in their fountain pens made me chuckle. It also reminded me of the several stationery websites I've seen that offer suggestions for additional purchases to go along with certain products. More that once I've seen the suggestion of ink cartridges or a converter to go along with a piston-filling pen*. I tend to avoid making purchases from such companies. Thanks for your always informative and entertaining videos. *I'm tempted to troll such sites..."Do I need a standard international or proprietary converter to go with my Pelikan M1000?"

[@eileengoldenberg270]

A couple of points. You can refill the cartridges with a syringe. I find pilot cartridges are larger that the con 40… also you sell samples of ink which is a great way to try lots of inks with out buying a bottle. I hate when I buy a bottle and end up not using it.. great info BTW. I teach a fountain pen class and I cover all of this type of info.

[@Yoseka]

So true! Refilling the cartridge is a really good option that I left out!

[@DigitalMoonlight]

Pilot and Platinum cartridges can also be resealed without needing to use hot glue. The plastic disc on a Pilot cartridge can be retrieved with tweezers and resealed, the Platinum carts you need to cut open to recover the steel ball bearing which can be used for resealing a future cartridge. For perspective, the CON-40 has one of the lowest ink capacities of any converter at a mere 0.4ml, the CON-50 that it replaced was 0.6ml and the Pilot cartridges are 0.9ml

[@staceycv]

Hi, I must have watched this video many times before understanding inks & paper. Thanks

[@conor_olo]

This was a amazing video Daisy! It was so informative and seeing the paper comparisons were so cool. I have hidden from shimmer inks as i’ve been too scared of clogging my pens, but maybe it’s time to be brave

[@Yoseka]

Definitely time to be brave Conor! But with a Medium or Broad pen :)

[@gcvrsa]

So, this is my first time watching a Yoseka video. I didn't know the company even existed until a couple of hours ago, and I'm very pleased to find out it's an Asian American owned company based in New York City, since I am an Asian American person from New York City, although I live in New England, now. I see that Yoseka carries some of my favorite brands, too. Today, I took delivery of two bottles of Teranishi Guitar Brand Taisho Roman Haikara inks; it would be great if Yoseka carried those, too. For a little over 5 years now, TWSBI ECOs have been my go-to pens-I love them so much that I don't even use my expensive pens, anymore-and I plan to buy more of them.

[@amitanshuv]

Really a great video, as a beginner this cleared most of my doubts. Thank you.

[@Merklinginc]

This covered all the different inks and their use so well. Thank you!!!

[@Yoseka]

Yayyy thank you for watching!!

[@QuietTurbulence]

Love your deep dive videos! Learned a ton 🙂🖋️

[@kaijugoose]

Very informative video! Thank you.

[@HyeSookChung]

Daisy. Learned so much. Thx for taking the time to do the research. The for enabling. ❤❤

[@Yoseka]

Hahah anytime!

[@antoinetteaird5682]

YAS new Yoseka video! Happy to be here

[@Yoseka]

Thank you!!

[@Michael-lq5di]

VERY interesting and informative thank you so much !!

[@eileengoldenberg270]

Excellent. And informative!

[@Yoseka]

Thanks Eileen!!

[@edwardstaats4935]

Excellent presentation and preparation. Well done. I look forward to more videos

[@phalguninayak]

Thank you for making such a fantastic and comprehensive video! 😍😍😍😍

[@alsowentmyth]

Great video. I learned a few things and I’m sure I’ll be rewatching this!

[@Yoseka]

Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@kristinaugust8717]

Great video!!! so much great detail! Thank you!🎉

[@tinapanna3613]

Fantastic & very comprehensive video! Thank you

[@Yoseka]

Thanks for watching Tina! So happy you enjoyed it!

[@gobind1699]

any video on white ink for fountain pens. testing of white ink on black paper ?

[@sacredsortilege]

This video was so fantastic. Thank you!

[@heididouglass2132]

Great information! Thank you for sharing!

[@redparrot9489]

LOVE this video! 💕💕💕 Such a helpful summary.

[@Yoseka]

Thank you for watching!!

[@Phil-p7p]

Tremendous work Daisy.

[@Brosephus]

Hey thanks for taking the time in doing this experiment and all the tests, I appreciate it and it saved me a lot of time! PS I really like MD paper. Its nice :)

[@SunshineFL]

Good information ❤

[@itsmeLori]

The Yoseka ceramics Tang Mi Se Blue was one of my favorite shading inks last year btw!

[@Yoseka]

Aww omg I'm so happy to hear that!!

[@christianjohnson3205]

Well done! Great video! Thank you!

[@smileytavira7088]

I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE, I LOVE YOU

[@onjerraslist]

Love the video ! Thank you so much for the really good explanation !🥰🙌

[@Yoseka]

Thanks Jerra!!

[@truebajansugar]

This was a great video. Thanks 😊

[@JoJoTarz]

awesome video! thank you Daisy!! 🥰

[@Yoseka]

Thanks so much for watching Joanne!!

[@litzam.gonzalez]

I’m sorry!!! You were very informative but I’m fully new to this. Which white paper would you recommend as the best for all properties?

[@Yoseka]

For white paper, I would recommend Tomoe River paper (it comes in Cream and White) and Life Margin notebooks

[@PoliticalPars]

Great video.

[@lizpilgrim1]

Helpful video!

[@AndrewWertheimer]

Thanks for the basics. I wasn’t up on shimmering or the like. I use an EF or F nib, so that sounds like I might go easy on that route. Aloha and Happy New Year.

[@heathergleiser]

I love shimmer inks and had a much better experience with them once I added a broad nib to my collection. Some of them like Diamine will clog even a medium because they’re so sparkly. They’re fun to mess with and the burst of cheer I get writing mundane things like my grocery list with gold shimmer ink never gets old.

[@AndrewWertheimer]

@@heathergleiser thanks for the advice. Yes it is fun to add some joy to even everyday lists. Aloha

[@heathergleiser]

@@AndrewWertheimer You’re welcome! Learned through trial and error with the first medium nib I got. It wrote for about a minute with Diamine Winter Miracle and then stopped. Oops!

[@AndrewWertheimer]

@@heathergleiser sorry to hear of your troubles. As a late adopter, I will try to learn from such mistakes before doing too many of my own. A lot of my pens are older ones, so I should perhaps be even more careful.

[@rod4530]

Brilliant - thank you.

[@heather0842000]

About TWSBI, can you have a video explaining about TWSBI taiwan and TWSBI china? seems like there is a difference between there nibs.

[@urso3000]

I love it’s ❤thanks for sharing 😊

[@alicecollins8241]

Thanks,s so much for a great video,!

[@akshaysharma2786]

A moonman T1 with jowo broad I use for shading but I have to admit the best ink I have is an experiment that went so well that I am happy I have 50 ML of the mix but I have no idea as to how to recreate the magic again. 😢😢 If only I documented the procedure but still if you want to know it was majorly WATERMAN audacious red 20 to 25 ml mixed with 10ml of Iroshizuku Yama Budo plus some olive looking green ochre illusion superb ink it is a shade monster and when I put Waterman ink with that it became even more agreesive on sheen. Ochre illusion is a THE GREAT INDIAN INK brand ink.

[@Yoseka]

Wowww at least you have 50ml of it though!!!!

[@akshaysharma2786]

@@Yoseka yup so happy I use it wisely😁Just got. my Jinhao 9019 demonstrator it is sooo goood. Put some Yama bi do in it will put KRISHNA moonview ink sheen God it is as soon it arrives in mail. can you tell How to care for sheening inks I have not used one and it is said to be dry ink for th pen. Any thoughts

[@ColoradoKnitter]

Wondered about a video about fountain pen maintenance and cleaning?

[@Yoseka]

You're not the first person to suggest this and this is a great idea :) Thank you!

[@beritbunny]

I actually dislike sheening inks! (Well, I like 1 in 10-20!) As for shading inks, I love them. ❤️❤️

[@thedarkhorse9218]

Same here! I don't know why, but sheen really puts me off. I find shading to be gorgeous and so fun!

[@Yoseka]

Interesting!! I love both haha and shimmering as well for me!! Thanks for watching Berit :)

[@juliobarba8807]

very nice video of this beginning of Fountain Pens inks and one particular question about the international cartridges, really they are the same specifications I can use this in a Kaweco or Pelican or Caran d Ache or Waterman pens and they fit ok, thanks

[@Yoseka]

Thanks Julio! Don't have too much experience with Pelikan or Waterman but Kaweco and Caran d'Ache pens do take standard international :)

[@YASH_OSCAR_]

Is there any opposite ink of shading inks. Like I want the ink which do not shade in writing. It should be consistent over all, same colour overall. Please suggest if any? I have a Lamy Al star. Waterman ink blue and Lapis bard red. Both of them are too watery kind of and shades alot.

[@Wolverine3660]

Great video!!!! Well, a question for you, do you follks at Yoseka carry the full line of P.W. Akkerman inks? Thank you.

[@Yoseka]

Thank you for watching! We don't have any Akkerman inks for now!

[@TaraSueSalusso]

I’ve been using dip pens with Indian ink. I am thinking about shifting to using cartridge pins and want to know if I can use the Indian ink in my cartridges or if it is too thick or heavy. Any advice.

[@silkenpaw]

India ink is not meant for fountain pens and may damage them.

[@HumdrumCurio]

If you love shading inks, you’ve gotta check out Birmingham Pen Co. I currently am on the lookout for more shading inks and I want all of theirs 😍

[@Yoseka]

Yes! Have been meaning to try some Birmingham Inks too :)

[@stevieladphrao4445]

Thanks for this very informative video, Daisy! I do have a question about Iron gall inks - as I “had” a bottle of Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa that sat unused for a year - and I usually check an unused bottle that hasn’t been used in awhile for “funk” prior to inking up a pen (I’m a tad OCD). I did note that the Scabiosa had sedimentation that stuck to the bottom of the bottle, whereas another unused bottle of Platinum Iron gall ink didn’t have such a problem. Would you recommend disposing of the ink versus straining the ink and removing the organic sediments?

[@Yoseka]

Hi Stevie! Thank you for watching! I would recommend taking a small sample of the ink out into another glass jar/bottle and observing it over the course of a few days to a week to see if anything appears out of the smaller sample. If not, it should be pretty safe in your pen :)

[@dreamywench]

this video is so helpful! I want to buy ALL THE INK now! quick question - do you think a shimmer ink would be a bad idea in a medium fine sailor pro gear?

[@heathergleiser]

Probably, I’m sorry to say. To get the full effect of a shimmer ink with no clogging issues choose a broad, a stub, or at least a dip pen with no feed like the Pilot or Kakimori ones. Particularly with a Japanese nib such as yours that tends to be finer than the same size in a German nib.

[@dreamywench]

@@heathergleiser Thank you so much, Heather! I picked up a Fonte dip pen, so that'll be my designated shimmer pen until I can save up for a broad! :0)

[@heathergleiser]

@@dreamywench Both my broad and stub nib pens are Twsbi, one Eco and one Eco-T. They were I think $35 each? As weird as this might sound, I prefer piston fillers even with shimmer inks because I’m not having to remove and flush a converter then put it back in with water to flush the feed properly. You can disassemble an Eco or draw water into it then flush the whole pen at once. Makes cleaning much easier.

[@Yoseka]

Heather's got the right idea I think :) Better to stay away from the shimmer inks in your Sailor Pro Gear MF in my opinion! Any dip pens will be 100% safe to use with shimmer inks or even if you had a Sailor Broad, Music or Zoom nib, those would be safer.

[@smileytavira7088]

IM LOOKING FOR A GOLD NIB FOUNTAIN PEN WITH INK CONVERTER WHAT DO YOU BEST RECOMMEND ?

[@__Igor__87]

Hello! Sorry for my stupid question, but is it possible to use different inks using one fountain pen? Or if i choose to fill my pen with blue ink, i will be able to use only blue inks with this pen? Or i can simply clean my pen and use any other inks like red, green etc?

[@zytr0x108]

Of course you can change the ink, don’t worry - it’s part of the fun. You just need to clean your pen from the previous ink so they don’t mix (you can look up a maintenance guide for your fountain pen to learn how to thoroughly clean it). Especially with water soluble ink, you just wash out the remains of the old ink until it’s clean, then dry it so you don’t dilute the new ink and you’re good to go.

[@__Igor__87]

@@zytr0x108 Thank you :)

[@aksela6912]

While normal 80g Rhodia paper, like what you find in the notepads, don't show sheening well, the 90g ivory paper you find in the note books do, or at least Lamy Obsidian looks glistening beautiful on it.

[@Yoseka]

Thanks for the suggestion! Good to know :)

[@herr.kustini]

May I ask a couple of general ink questions? How long does ink last. I had a bottle that was about 10 years old - still in use - but was having some cleaning problems. I contacted the ink manufacturer (well known) and the COO said that this particular ink was good for about 6-8 years and then it was old. I had to replace. Do all inks have an expiration problem? Second, I am finding white globs (I assume mold) in my ink from time to time. Is there some kind of ink "hygiene" that I need to practice? Once I find mold I clear out the mold with a q-tip and it seems ready to go again. Reasonable or making things worse??? Thank you! Jim

[@Yoseka]

Hi Jim! Inks don't really expire but they can form solids if they become contaminated and mixed with other moldy inks or pens. It's important to clean your pens out thoroughly before filling with a new ink to ensure the longevity of ink bottles. Once mold forms in an ink bottle, it's probably best not to use it anymore actually even if it does seem like a shame to waste a whole bottle!

[@joanw131]

You mentioned that a bottle will save you money in the long run. It saves a lot - a bottle of ink plus a converter is already cheaper than the same amount of ink worth of cartridges by a lot

[@Yoseka]

Yes definitely!

[@joann001]

Can a person use Calligraphy ink in a fountain pen?

[@Yoseka]

Usually no, it should be ink specified for a fountain pen.

[@LlamaAlpaca8]

Wow I didn’t know twsbi uses european nibs

[@chongliu5383]

I might be crazy but sometime I see Fuyu-Aki and sometime Fuyu-Baki, Fuyu-Haki, Fuyu-Gaki ... .

[@Yoseka]

Haha like in my handwriting or just in general 😅

[@chongliu5383]

@@Yoseka Your handwriting 🤣. It's cool though, good guide starting from extremely basic to pretty advanced concepts.

[@cferracini]

I hate metalic inks for normal writing. To me, metalic looking inks are only for dark paper

[@Yoseka]

Totally get that! Sheen is usually a bit more subtle than a full on metallic ink though so maybe you can get a sample and see if you'd like it?