Ink Comparison: Brown Diamine Inks

The second half of my Orange and Brown Diamine comparisons. Here you’ll find the more obvious browns, and one from Waterman’s too, the Havane (which I do think is rather lovely). Let me know which is your favourite!
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Cheers for now!
Mike

[@sicilianeye]

Michael, I very much appreciate your videos covering the(mostly) Diamine colors. I started using Diamine inks a few years back because of the consistent quality and what I consider to be good value. I'm using the Diamine Sepia at the moment, but the dark brown really appeals to me. Your videos gives me another tool to evaluate ink color and I am thankful. I'm also thankful you have a new camera for that purpose!

[@marka.200]

I learned of Diamine from Michael, I was just starting to get interested in higher quality inks when I found him on KZbin while searching around for fountain pen ink videos. I'm up to 10 bottles of Diamine now, and I'm not done yet. Jecks should definitely get a commission. ;-)

[@writerlywitterings]

Hah - oddly enough, all these ink videos are still run on my old Nikon - I use the new Sony for when the daughter/director is off enjoying herself, because it automatically focuses on me. I like the Sepia more than the Dark Brown, I think. Not sure why - there is a base of brown with only sort of grey tones with many browns. The Sepia has more orange, which appeals more to me. I'm glad that you are finding the ink comparisons useful!

[@writerlywitterings]

Commission, royalties, sponsorships - basically I'll take money in any form!

[@Blissfulthings]

The rustic brown really has some nice shading, thanks for making these videos 😊

[@writerlywitterings]

Glad you like them! Thanks for the comment.

[@thedandymod]

Brown is my favorite color to write with a fountain pen. I am glad to see this video. Greetings from Spain! ^^

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks, Antonio, and glad you enjoy the videos!

[@thedandymod]

Not at all!! ^^

[@kristianduke410]

You prolly dont give a shit but if you are bored like me atm then you can watch pretty much all of the latest movies and series on InstaFlixxer. Have been streaming with my brother during the lockdown xD

[@peytonemmitt15]

@Kristian Duke Definitely, have been using InstaFlixxer for since december myself =)

[@jaxcanaan4030]

@Kristian Duke yup, I have been watching on instaflixxer for since december myself :)

[@TeamFish15]

Love that Dark Brown too. Not sure why it’s named Dark Brown, because it’s much lighter than some of the others; but it’s quite lovely nonetheless.

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks, Team - yes, it is a surprise name. I can only imagine that it was one of their early browns, and got named before they developed more colours.

[@martinmcconigley5583]

These ink videos have been a revelation. I will be buying your new book because I want to read it, but also to say thank you for these thoroughly useful and watchable videos.

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks so much, Martin - I really appreciate it !

[@gents6379]

Love that rustic brown. Thanks for another great video!

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks, Gary - glad you liked it!

[@christinearmington]

Saddle brown is well named with that red undertone.

[@writerlywitterings]

Very true!

[@imgriss]

This is very helpful! Thank you for sharing! 😊

[@writerlywitterings]

You're so welcome!

[@vergitube]

Thank you for the comparisons.

[@writerlywitterings]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching!

[@lancefellows6391]

Hi Michael. Am a new subscriber to your channel which I discovered recently when looking for reviews on available inks.. I too like brown ink in a fountain pen - I will follow up on the Rustic Brown which I find very appealing. Am also thoroughly enjoying going through your many videos - very helpful and entertaining. Also a big thanks for the time and effort you commit to the channel given you are an extremely busy person - much appreciated! Best wishes from Australia.

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks so much, Lance. It's really good to see how many people are enjoying these ink comparisons, although I've been surprised by how many people really like browns! I had always thought it was my own slightly guilty secret, but I'm learning lots of other love their browns too!

[@johnnymontalvo5620]

Thanks! I like to mix Diamine Oxblood with Chocolate Brown, but it may be faster to simply buy Diamine’s Rustic Brown.

[@writerlywitterings]

That could save a bit of time!

[@LuisSilva-li8dv]

I love this series

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks so much, Luis!

[@nemomuse4370]

daughter's opinion=HAHAHAHA!!She's brilliant!!love it!!

[@writerlywitterings]

She is scary, too. Did I mention that?

[@caomhan84]

Golden Brown looks like Herbin's Lie de Thé, which I have and like (and which also gets unpleasant associations from some people, like your daughter's reaction). But if I were to choose out of that batch, it would be Chocolate Brown for me. I do love brown inks though. I have quite a large amount. Current favorite is Sailor/Kobe Ginza Gold Sepia.

[@writerlywitterings]

I do like browns, but the Chocolate is too dark for me. It is so strong that there's little to no discernable shading, which is one of the things I really love about fountain pen inks. The Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown has just a tinge of orange in it, which makes it a little more positive for me - but these things are so subjective, aren't they? Which is, of course, why I started this project in the first place!

[@jillbartos8893]

Lie de the is in my fine Twsbi mini and is the pen I reach for most often.

[@jillbartos8893]

Diamond Espresso is also a very pretty dark brown. I like Golden Brown's greenish tint and D. Ochre shades beautifully in my Jinhao 992 fine nib. Very interesting comparisons!

[@writerlywitterings]

I don't have a version of Espresso, but I'll have to try to get some. I do love the Golden Brown, but I have to admit that the Alt Goldgrun is really appealing just now (and it's inked in my Kaweco this morning as a result!).

[@jillbartos8893]

@@writerlywitterings Alt Goldgrun is gorgeous, I have it inked in a lime green Lamy Safari fine and it has some nice shading. (for some reason when I type Diamine my fingers type Diamond:)

[@JBFire97]

The Dark Brown for me! Thanks

[@writerlywitterings]

It does give very nice effects!

[@pamelaboxall7015]

Rustic Brown gets my vote, although that Golden Brown has a certain something. Does anyone else find they are talking to you as you are doing the writing samples? I realise I am going "Ooh, that's lovely," or "Not so keen on that one," as you are writing.

[@marka.200]

Yes, and I'm not sure if I picked it up from Michael or what. Luckily I am usually alone when it happens so nothing to get embarrassed about.

[@writerlywitterings]

I think it's rather nice to hear that you get so involved that you want to talk to me/your tablet! I keep going back to these pages and comparing the Golden Brown and the Sepia. Yes, Golden Brown has something about it (other than my daughter's comments!), but there are so many good colours here. Especially the Rustic Brown - a cross between Syrah and Oxblood, now I look at them side-by-side!

[@writerlywitterings]

As an author, I'm often acting out sections or speaking out dialogue aloud. It's hard to get embarrassed when you're talking to yourself all the time!

[@evybrowning]

The Rustic Brown I think though that Golden is terribly tempting (but then I seem to be drawn to greens when it comes to book bindings for some reason & there is definitely a tinge of the whacky unusualness (now is that really a word???) about that Golden. Really loving this series - good to watch for unwinding.

[@marka.200]

I bet Golden would be interesting on the off-white/ivory paper. On the pure white of the Tomoe paper I am afraid to admit I agree with Daughter/Director.

[@writerlywitterings]

I know what you mean - and I do really like the Golden Brown, although I will probably stick with Sepia or Ochre for my own use. They have a slightly more "natural" look to them, to my eye!

[@writerlywitterings]

Agreeing with her is so much safer than disagreeing, I find ...! Thanks for the comment, Ryjox!

[@gristlevonraben]

great review

[@writerlywitterings]

Thanks so much. Glad you liked it!

[@gristlevonraben]

@@writerlywitterings You have a cool style, and your videos are fun to watch.

[@writerlywitterings]

@@gristlevonraben Thanks, Gristle - it's always really good to hear from people who have enjoyed the videos, my friend!

[@marka.200]

The only brown I have is a bottle of Montblanc Toffee Brown, which is a very nice ink, and doesn't seem to match any of these Diamines. I would describe it as a dark caramel color, not matching any of these Diamine browns, so might be worth a look if you like browns. Think I'll be getting some Diamine Ochre and perhaps a couple of the others.

[@writerlywitterings]

I do like the Ochre. Never tried any Montblanc other than their black (to be tested shortly), but a caramel colour would appeal to me. I'll have a look at that if I can. Thanks, Ryjox!

[@marka.200]

@@writerlywitterings Update on the Montblanc Toffee ink: I've discovered it only shows nice dark caramel when I use it in a stub pen (my TWSBI GO) on high grade paper. Currently I'm trying it in a medium nib Jinhao X450 that flows a lot of ink, and it's a very dark brown. Burnt caramel I guess you'd call it, though on cheaper paper it's just plain old brown. Still a nice ink, and the nifty bottle design is worth having.

[@stargazer1359]

Love Diamine Ochre...my favorite ink. 🖋😀

[@writerlywitterings]

Very nice ... but beaten by Sepia, to my mind!

[@stargazer1359]

@@writerlywitterings Sepia has more shading, by far...but lighter in general.. Always enjoy your reviews.

[@NicholasColdingDK]

I think the Golden Brown looks like the new Diamine Tobacco Sunburst..

[@writerlywitterings]

Yes, very similar - and gorgeous.

[@peterkasza3980]

I really love brown inks, I own a few of them. Chocolate Brown is just fantastic, I like it too. I managed to get a hold of a bottle of Havana recently, quickly became my no. 1 brown of choice (sometimes bananas and cigar smoke appear during writing, a bit strange...). Waterman is so underrated these days, even though they make such nice and well behaved inks. I suggest you try Rohrer & Klingner Sepia. Very affordable, well behaved ink with a beautiful color and lovely shading. Best regards, Péter

[@caomhan84]

Even though R&K Sepia is an accurate approximation of some sepia photographs, whenever I use it I keep thinking of muddy pond water. And then I can't get back to the "sepia" association in my head.

[@writerlywitterings]

I've always loved brown inks (and in fact, I remember buying that Havane in around 1995! - it's lasted well!), but I was disappointed with Saddle Brown. It doesn't have the shading that I like. Oddly, the one that has the right tones for me out of all the dark browns I think is the Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown, which has a more orange tint than Chocolate. I do like Waterman's, but I'll have to try the Rohrer and Klinger. That sounds very interesting, and I do tend to like your taste in inks!

[@writerlywitterings]

Oh, that's sad! Mind you, the Diamine Sepia would be much better, perhaps - more of a golden/orange brown. The "Golden Brown" itself may make you think more of pond water!

[@peterkasza3980]

It was the same for me with Saddle Brown, not a bad ink, just not the right one for me. Another ink you might like is J. Herbin Cacao du Brésil, a nice light brown/grey. They have absolutely disfunctional bottles, but the ink has gorgeous shading, especially with a stub nib. And I guess I'll have to take a look at the Deep Dark inks since you like them and they do seem nice.

[@gauravgupta23]

Missed my favorite ink in your comparison. Ancient Copper

[@writerlywitterings]

That's in there, but it was with the yellows and oranges, I'm afraid (I didn't know what the colour was going to be like before I inked it up!). If you look in the summary video, you'll see it on the right hand side.

[@sistergoldenhair0727]

I think ancient copper is pretty ubiquitous! Everyone has it so probably why he hasn't done that one:)

[@sistergoldenhair0727]

The cappuccino you tried was amazing! I also really love an ink I haven't seen you do yet which is the Noodler's Ink "Black Swan in Australian Roses" - I had mentioned that to you in another comment but I didn't know the proper name as I couldn't read the bottle. I have since looked it up at JetPens.com where I bought the Brandy Dazzle you showed in another of your videos and I was on Vanness.com somehow to find some of that Akkerman ink you mentioned but they didn't have the Israel one you mentioned but they did have this other blue that I wanted to try as well as another ink the Organic Studios Santiago's Sea Blue that is a Hemingway color. Have you tried any of the Organic Studios inks? They look pretty nifty as well! Thanks for showing these inks off so well with your broad nib. Other videos I've seen are quite stingy with the writing samples and I feel this is the most important part...seeing how the ink looks with a really bold line!

[@writerlywitterings]

Hi, Tracie - glad you liked the cappuccino! It was really gorgeous on the page. I haven't seen the Black Swan in Australian Roses, no - I think the Noodler's inks tend to stick to the US for their sales, sadly. That Brandy Dazzle is lovely, though, isn't it? Shame Vanness didn't have the Israel's Zeeblauw, but I am not surprised. They tend to only sell that through the shops in Holland, I think. It's not on sale in the UK or Germany, from what I can see. Nope - haven't seen the Organic Studios inks either. I lead too much of a sheltered life! I'll have to see what I can do with that as well! Really glad you're enjoying the videos - your enthusiasm is firing me up for a filming tomorrow!

[@sistergoldenhair0727]

writerlywitterings that’s great! I’ll take a deeper, more far afield look for that Israel zeeblau as it is really stunning and of course I’ll be looking forward to your next video with great enthusiasm! I am also telling all my pen enthusiast buddies about your lovely channel as well;) have a great day in Dartmoor!

[@LovkynaPeral]

rustic brown👌

[@writerlywitterings]

Interesting - not one I'd go for, compared with some of the others, but it's all personal taste, isn't it?

[@MrDidaxi]

Hi! Inks I have too few to even mention. From the PELIKAN 4001 series, for the most part. Hence, my experience, as yet, is extremely limited. Before long, I shall acquire some more bottles, I hope... “writerly potions” I’d call them... A selection of half a dozen DIAMINE colours I have already my eyes set on. Now: brown seems to be my cup of tea, among others, no doubt. And among the very few ink bottles I own so far, is the “Brilliant Brown” by PELIKAN. And brilliant-it-is! As of late, I have been using it with one of my very few fountain pens; a TWSBI “Go”, with a medium nib. This particular pen, to me at least, is not for prolonged writing... it is tiring... my wrist suffers... its body is too thick a barrel... TWSBI Co have not designed it with comfort in mind, as a criterion... my opinion... but it sure is a good tool to get a feeling of how an ink looks. The TWSBI “Go” has an extremely wet nib (even at “M” format). And the PELIKAN “Brilliant Brown”, truly shines; even after it has dried. Back to TWSBI: my ECO (“F” nib; “F” I hold a great fascination for), is a top-notch fountain pen. Ergonomically “spot-on”. A true marvel. Anyway... coming back to inks... I will definitely give it a try with some brown-ish inks, in the near future. Brown-sh, copper-ish and so forth... Cheers! George from Hellas.

[@writerlywitterings]

Hi, George, Many thanks! If you like brown, I certainly enjoy using the Cappuccino, but I'd also recommend the Diamine Autumn Oak, Sepia, Golden Brown and Raw Sienna. They all give really good colour, shading and outlining to my eye. The TWSBI Ecos are lovely pens, aren't they? I have to admit, I still adore my Go pens - I prefer the fatter shape, I think, and the way that the mechanism works is just a joy to me. Also, they are so good at setting out a line that they take very little pressure. Incidentally, if you weren't aware, the nibs on the Eco and Go are interchangeable. Take hold of the nib and feed and pull, and it comes straight out for both pens. I rather like the fat 1.1 mm stubs, as you will know, but it's nice to alternate sometimes. All best!

[@MrDidaxi]

writerlywitterings oh! I had no clue! Thanks for the last tip and for all the ink hints for that matter! Cheers!

[@danielste-marie779]

Michael, I prefer the Diamine Dark Brown. By the way, what nib do you have in your Go? Love your videos.

[@writerlywitterings]

Hi, Daniel - my Gos all have 1.1mm stub nibs. One of them is a little rougher than the others, but generally I find them absolutely lovely to use. I adore the simple mechanism, which is so quick and easy to fill and clean. I thoroughly happily recommend the Go to people who want to try out fountain pens for the first time. Inexpensive, and lovely writers.

[@danielste-marie779]

@@writerlywitterings Thanks Michael. I will add it to my bucket list. As I live in a very small town in British Columbia I will have to wait until I get to a major city that has a brick and mortar store as the cost of shipping if I order online adds 15.00 dollars to the price tag.

[@carlosespinoza1198]

Me encantan estos vídeos de comparación de los diferentes colores. Me puede indicar se tipo de plumin está utilizando en estas escrituras. Saludos desde Ecuador

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks for the comment, Carlos - but sadly I don't speak any Spanish, so cannot answer your question, I am afraid!

[@srikaul968]

Hi Mike, can you please share product code or photo of Diamine Dark Brown...not able to find it. Appreciate if you can give link to buy the same. Thank you

[@writerlywitterings]

Sorry to hear that. My own bottle has "Dark Brown" and then a bar code which reads: 0 700987 829198 on it. But looking, I can't see it listed anywhere. I'd suggest contacting Diamine themselves and asking. It could be that they have stopped production. Hope that helps.

[@srikaul968]

@@writerlywitterings thank you very much

[@SidJ8300]

The pen you used is quite wet. I reckon it is a TWSBI, isn’t it ?

[@writerlywitterings]

Sorry to take so long to respond - ill health and deadlines! Yes, I use a TWSBI Go with a 1.1 mm stub nib so that the inks can show off their shading and thin and fat lines.

[@SidJ8300]

@@writerlywitterings Hope you are better now .. 🙂

[@sumansengupta2552]

What is that blue diamine ink @ 4.31?

[@writerlywitterings]

Apologies for not responding - health issues. The ink you managed to catch a fleeting glimpse of (and I'm really very impressed you noticed it!) was Diamine's Majestic Blue. Lovely colour, to my eye a deep blue/black, but with a lot of the darkness coming from a gorgeous sheen in red. I love it!

[@sumansengupta2552]

@@writerlywitterings sir I have used majestic blue but it does not sheeen on just any paper,Only on those where the ink is not absorbed and after the ink is pooled on the surface only then only it sheens.I hope your health is in good state now . Get well soon.

[@joeringer4373]

Hires photo's of the finished samples would be nice.

[@marka.200]

Agree! He's using the best paper I've yet to find for showing subtleties of inks too, so it would be well worth recording in hi-res. Assuming he has a macro lens and the time to mess with it. @writerlywitterings you could use hi-res macro photos for the "Best of" video we talked about. ;-)

[@writerlywitterings]

Hi res will be possible, and I'll see if I can do it on different papers so that you get a good comparison of the various inks on shades of cream/white etc

[@writerlywitterings]

Hmm. I will see what I can do with that. My old camera is suffering a bit - my macro lens developed a fungal infestation, and is unusable sadly, but the new Sony is supposed to be able to do close-up. I will experiment, but if you don't see something in the next couple of months, please remind me. I've a memory like a sieve, because of imagining myself as six different people every day while writing!

[@joeringer4373]

@@writerlywitterings A snap with your phone would probably suffice.

[@marka.200]

@@writerlywitterings I've been collecting different grades and brands of paper lately trying to find something as good as Tomoe River but in a larger book format and maybe not quite as pricey, which in turn leads to a lot of ink/paper testing. The inks you've shown with outlining/shading/sheening are particularly good for testing paper. The lower the quality paper, the fewer the subtleties appear, and in fact on the cheapest papers the good Diamines perform worst. Some of this is because all the subtleties are gone and some is because I have them in high-flow broad or stub nib pens and the cheaper papers feather like mad. Anyway, so far no paper has matched the Tomoe River (I have the exact same notebook you are using for your videos). Mnemosyne comes very close. Looking forward to your paper testing/comparison videos! (didn't you just volunteer to do that? hehe).

[@martinmcconigley5583]

These ink videos have been a revelation. I will be buying your new book because I want to read it, but also to say thank you for these thoroughly useful and watchable videos.

[@writerlywitterings]

Many thanks for that, Martin. I really hope you enjoy the book, and thanks so much for your kind words about the videos! I hope you have a great 2020!