What Are Some of the Most Under Rated Fountain Pen Inks? - Q&A Slices

[@davegoodridge8352]

Every since I had a major accident with a bottle of Noodlers Baystate Blue. I realized how good it looks on my floor, desk and ceiling. I knew i would like Baystate blue forever. Maybe

[@thecanadianborderguard5215]

Am I really the first to ask this… look, I get the floor, I get the wall, please explain the ceiling to me? My condolences

[@davegoodridge8352]

@@thecanadianborderguard5215 gravity mate

[@michaeldonoghue9015]

@@davegoodridge8352 wait, this still doesn’t explain the ceiling! Haha

[@davegoodridge8352]

@@michaeldonoghue9015 It will splash when the bottle is dropped just right. Murphy's law or something

[@michaeldonoghue9015]

@@davegoodridge8352 I see!

[@The4cr055]

J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune is the one that made me smile the moment I laid the ink on paper, my favorite shade of purple bar none.

[@Ladybellefiske]

It’s lovely.

[@lindseyc.7408]

Yes!

[@babsb9889]

When I write to penpals, the one ink I have consistently gotten asked about has been De Atramentis Jane Austen. It is the perfect green for me---a very soothing color, and I have never had issues with it no matter what pen it is put in. I have lots of other inks, but the Jane Austen is my favorite.

[@pinkpandamiranda]

Jane Austen is the best! Such a wonderful color and really good flow and drying time! It's dark enough to have good read-back but has enough pigment that anyone can tell it's a green. Top-five inks for me!

[@pat412pear]

I'm going old school on my under-rated inks: Waterman Serenity Blue and Parker Quink Blue (made in India, not the Washable Blue). Both are solid mid-range blues and in the right pens, they show red sheening. They both perform well on cheap papers and behave themselves in pens. With their prices they are great workhorse, everyday inks with a little panache.

[@margaretmarykingfisher]

Yes, I just rediscovered my Waterman Serenity in the back of the drawer too.

[@Laleolie]

I love Waterman Serenity Blue, but also Inspired Blue and Audacious Red.

[@pat412pear]

If you are in the market for a cheap shading ink, try Thornton's Turquoise. IMHO it shades as good as, if not better than Iroshizuku kon-peki. It's not as well behaved on cheaper paper and the bottles are not great, but you can buy 30ml for $9.

[@Laleolie]

@@pat412pear, definitely gonna check that out, thank you!

[@vergitube]

Serenity blue will be my "blue" in near future:)

[@avadakedavra6587]

Iroshizuku Yama Budo might be my favourite ink period. It's incredibly compatible with ECO stub.

[@pamelapeniston1661]

I adore that Herbin Poussin de lune!! It's gorgeous on ivory and the dusty green Vert Empire is another of their inks I adore.

[@avgjoeshow4208]

Thank you for your help yesterday Brian. Love doing business with you guys. Customers for life here!!

[@TheToweringOtakunt]

I really love Noodler's Navajo Turquoise. It's really one of the most vibrant blues I've ever seen. It's really good in most of the range of wetness. Sometimes, when a pen puts down a thin layer, a lot of the value of the ink's color gets lost, but Navajo Turquoise is just really vibrant no matter what. I had to use like a really dry, broad stub to get it to begin fading out at all. And if you want a sort of red and you have a kind of wet pen, Noodler's Tokyo Gift is a good one. It kind of drops off with pens that are on the dry side, but it's still a very beautiful color. I think they treat it as a pink, but it's like the that sort of reddish Japanese plum color. And Platinum's Carbon Ink is quite a magical black if you're looking for a dark-as-the-void black. You'll want to clean your pen out every couple of months with the Carbon Ink because it's a pigment thing and it can gum up the works if you let it sit there forever.

[@eN-Rom]

I put forward the Waterman line of inks, and Sheaffer Skrip, as two sets that are under rated but great fountain pen inks.

[@asheirahs_nook]

Rouille d'encre is one of my favourite colours, it's nice and subdued, and as someone who's hypersensitive, that's very nice and easy on the eyes. Coraille de tropique is a nice one as well. In general, Herbin has great colours, and most of them are quite underrated ^^

[@liveforlife2494]

I'm personally really fond of Herbin's Bouquet D'antan, which is extremely similar but a bit more pinky-pink tone. It's also really nice on the eyes and look lovely in a Japanese Medium/Western Fine or broader nib!

[@amrutaponkshe]

I recently ordered a bunch of inks from the Goulet pens site and one of the inks I ordered- Montverde Scotch Brown is such a great, solid color ink awesome for everyday writing. It is no fuss, has some goregous shading on most paper/ nib combinations I've used it on and reminds me of melted milk chocolate every time I write it with (Cadburys dairy milk chocolate) which is quite a nostalgic trip.

[@Foxtrotlima73]

I love Robert Oster's Motor Oil - absolutely gorgeous shading ink but I rarely hear it spoken about. It is my personal workhorse ink.

[@jonathanoehlert5672]

I just looked that up. Thanks for mentioning it. Looks great!

[@Gouletpens]

That one is SOOOOOO good! - Drew

[@marlenekayenright9346]

What does it mean when you say “Shading ink” ?

[@Foxtrotlima73]

@@marlenekayenright9346 A shading ink is one that has variations in the strength of the colour as you write - it isn't just one completely uniform colour. They can be a bit flat, but a shading ink has the subtle variations that give it a bit of character.

[@sistergoldenhair0727]

It just has a horrible name. When I think of motor oil I think of a funky car engine and it grosses me out.

[@christinetempleton7657]

I'm using the Diamine Polar Glow sheening ink in my TWSBI Diamond ALR. I wrote most of my Christmas cards with it and do really like it. I do wish it would show that red sheen a bit more though.

[@colinsmith5218]

Poussière de Lune and Lie de Thé are in my top 5 with Apache Sunset.

[@davidpan572]

J. Herbin Poussière de Lune was the first bottle of ink I ever bought and one of the only colors I never get bored of using.

[@DarkSeraph01]

I love purple - purple is my blue, you could say! - and I love de Lune. Soft and dusky, like an antique rose, but still well-saturated and easy to read.

[@veejay-Vee_Jay]

I used the Diamine Graphite on a Platinum #3776 Century with Ultra Extra Fine nib, the result was a real pencil !!!

[@kattz753]

Drew - the "OG" sheening inks might be a great episodes. I don't want all that glitter mess in my pens. I know that a lot were mentioned today. A demo would be so awesome.

[@florencefortyseven]

There is a Top Ten Sheening Inks video, which mentions Majestic Blue, Yama-Budo and four other non-shimmery sheeners (say that ten times fast).

[@Gouletpens]

Great idea! - Drew

[@randallmartel7804]

Noodler's Cayenne is my favorite correction ink. Have had it loaded in a TWSBI ECO clear for many years…absolutely adore it.

[@bobbyv3]

The first two minutes of this video is Brian getting super into the topic and Drew with this "what a nerd" look on his face. Lolol. Love it.

[@rhosymedra6628]

Herbin Myosotis blue is one of my a favourites that I haven't seen others using much.

[@MultiBjorn21]

I absolutely love my Mont Blanc moctezuma. Super bright vibrent colour and great shading.

[@adamsteineke4661]

Diamine Blue Velvet... to die for. So buttery smooth in a medium Vanishing Point.

[@karidru5272]

Poussiere De Lune was my second fountain pen ink I ever bought, and I've been buying it ever since. It's easy on the eyes and gives me no trouble ever. I think Herbin in general is kind of underrated. People just don't seem to talk about them much. (My first ink btw was Parker Ruby, RIP.) Another ink I think people don't know about that I get compliments on every time I use is Monteverde Cherry Danish. Reds are tricky to get just right, IMO. But this one has great shading and has been approved by my biggest delicate diva of a pen.

[@mariapaulavasquezsepulveda2123]

I recently bought Lie de thé and it's my new favorite ink

[@qvisionstudios]

This question could be a suggestion for a small episode. Which staff member is in charge of fulfilling the ink sample orders? Do you have a small inventory of samples per ink already made or are the samples made up as needed? Which are your popular ink sample requests but not in full bottle sales? Curious subscribers wants to know.

[@Will-jd2br]

Sailor Souboku. You can write with pigmented inks on pretty much any surface and it will stick and not smear (plastics, tape, cheap paper ect). Also, Sailor pigmented inks have nice flow and can be run in problematic pens like the vanishing point. Embrace the pigment.

[@agnesrambling]

Sailor seiboku and souboku are my preferred permanent ink properties. I love the shading that those two ink

[@garykarlin1777]

Diamine Oxford Blue. When I first tried it I thought it was a little dull, but the more I use it the more I like it as an interesting workhorse dark blue. Definitely grows on you, and very professional in a fine nib.

[@chuckbaker7909]

My two favorite Diamine inks are Oxford Blue and Midnight. Midnight is a just a shade darker but not too much. Love those blues.

[@agnesrambling]

I fell in love with this ink the moment i wrote with it. It is my preferred shade of blue

[@fastwalker128]

I have both J Herbin colours but haven’t used them in a long time. Time to ink up a pen with it now.

[@chuckbaker7909]

I love Noodler's Ottoman Azure. It is the only ink that had ever been in my Visconti HS Magma. That ink with that nib (older nib, not the newer ones) is a perfect combination.

[@arubafanatic]

I love this ink, but drying time is forever!

[@ladyredl3210]

Moon Dust is my absolute favorite ink! It's very antique looking!

[@alexuny]

The most underrated ink is the one in the complimentary cartridges included with the pens. Lamy blue, Parker Quink blue (¡and washable blue!), and other royal blues... And you know it. 😂 P.D: I like very much Parker Quink black and blue-black, Waterman/Kaweco misterious blue (other blue-black inks) and Pelikan 4001 blue-black. Diamine Indigo (other name since a time ago, i think), Sepia and Havasu Turquoise and the Röhrer & Klingner Salix and Scabiosa. The Pilot blue ink I like it very much too (and very nice bottle ink).

[@controversyV4S]

I have been using Pilot Tsutsuji and Kosumosu I'm pretty damn happy with those two inks :)

[@Taib89]

I have Kosumosu. It is really pleasing to the eyes and beautiful.

[@MotoMarta]

A fantastic dark grey similar to Graphite/Lexington that is also really well behaved and completely water proof is Monteverde Documental Black. The name doesn't fit at all because it is NOT black. It is a pencil led type of grey. One of my fave go to inks.

[@ghostyplans]

Pilot iroshizuku inks never let me down as a lefty. And Kaweco inks as well. I haven’t tried many inks though.

[@peteschiavoni]

My underrated inks are Schaeffer and Waterman in blue and black for daily use. The Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts is my absolute favorite tho.

[@lukaszpokoju]

Mmh are you sure Poussière de lune and Yama-budo are "underrated" ? I believe they are in the top 5 most popular inks of their respective lineup. I second Noodler's Cayenne, Ottoman Azure and I will take a look at Robert Oster's blue Water Ice. Some of my picks would be: Iroshizuku's - Ina-ho Noodler's - Purple martin Diamine - Monaco red Robert Oster - Great southern Ocean Sailor shikiori - Doyou KWZ - płomienna czerwień BTW: thank you guys for animating this Podcast, it makes my highway trip less boring.

[@houghwhite411]

I love Yama Budo as much as I tried to make one myself Still not as good as actual yama budo though

[@Gouletpens]

I agree - Yama Buda is popular, for sure. I think it's underrated when compared to the modern wave of heavily sheening inks, so I wanted to recognize it for that quality specifically. - Drew

[@lukaszpokoju]

@@Gouletpens Oh, my bad. I've missed your point. Makes more sense 😅

[@krishnadasnair8765]

Videos which are informative and just great in general? Got it. THE best customer service in the whole wide world? Got that covered too. Thank you Goulet pens and Co. :-D

[@Gouletpens]

Haha! Thank so very much! - Drew

[@jackjstrange]

My favorite ink for years, bar none, is Private Reserve's DC Supershow Blue. How different is the "Electric" version? Jack

[@paths1111]

I own waay too many pens from you guys and am a big fan of Noodlers Liberty's Elysium and Midway Blue, because of the water resistance. I like Bad Belted Kingfisher when it has to be a more "professional" shade of blue. What I would really like to know though, is where to get an awesome leather coffee cup sleeve like that one!

[@KatBee1742]

Got a sample of Sailor Seboku Pigmented Blue Black and wasn’t sure I’d like it. It’s now my daily driver for class notes and I love how it shades 🥰

[@jasonforster9445]

I got the last bottle for sale in Vancouver BC. It has a green to it. I went through half my bottle in 3 months! Sailor is a navy themed company. I think this ink looks precisely like the Sea of Japan.

[@steffymuze]

Poussiere de Lune was my 1st full bottle purchase so it gets a special place in my ❤

[@annlinsky7217]

Two new and interesting inks from Birmingham are Tesla Coil and Voltaic Arc. They have great sheening as well.

[@T_B1]

Diamine onyx Black is probably one of the blackest ink I've found. Great to write with

[@lukaszpokoju]

Good to know. I was wondering which of Onyx, Jet and Quartz black from Diamine was the darkest.

[@T_B1]

@@lukaszpokoju if you look at the ink colours on cult pens for diamine inks it shows onyx black well

[@lukaszpokoju]

@@T_B1 Thanks 😉

[@lukaszpokoju]

Update : I just bought a 30 ml bottle of Diamine's Onyx black based on your comment. I concur : It's really a real opaque black. For a non pigment ink, I'm really please with the results. So thanks again 👍

[@T_B1]

@@lukaszpokoju Superb!

[@pfridell8424]

My first favorite ink was Sheaffer Blue Black. I still have a bottle of that in my desk. Nice soft color. Now I see to favor Diamine's Earl Grey.

[@twitch7515]

Yes! Talk about underrated! My mom bought me some No Nonsense italic kits when I was a kid and bought some blue-black cartridges to go with them. My first thought, as a kid, was that it was a muddy, confused ink. I used it as practice ink but by the time I got to the last cartridge I really liked it. Pens fell off of my radar for a couple decades and fast forward to now and I have one cartridge of blue-black left (which I refuse to use) and all the bottles have been sold out for a long, long time. Congrats on your desk bling! It's a good one!

[@cthiker8588]

Because it was used in the thoughts Brian expressed for Midway Blue : Favorite 'words' to write. Consider the possibility of an episode collection of how we are pleased by the exercise of using a fountain pen for this reason ?

[@lizdelisle1912]

I like Montegrappa ink in my Montegrappa pens but I also like J Herbin.

[@aberwood]

Diamine Ancient Copper Lily SketchInk Diamine Eau de Nit Diamine Tobacco I sketch with an extra fine nib lamy safari and these 3 are awesome. So much better than using fine liners, cant imagine going back.

[@susancarr3673]

I really like the pilot namiki red cartridge ... No idea why Ilove this one so much...so easy but great!! Agree with the cayenne!

[@bebeveritas7306]

Have not been a big fan of the noodles inks for some reason. You get your money’s worth for sure. Rouille Dancre and poussire de lune are 2 of my favorites as is vert olive (?). I love a few others too, but Herbin inks are among my favorites. Not a fan of any browns, tans ore septa’s and will not use!

[@MotoMarta]

You're not alone. I can't stand Noodlers. Some wonderful colors but they are all horridly behaved. They either don't ever want to dry on paper or they dry up in the nib, they smudge, bleed, feather, flow like water or not at all... every single one has behaviour issues.

[@DreamsickIe]

@@MotoMarta +1 to that. The forever dry time is pervasive and not overly dramatized! Likewise, I received a bottle of Lexington Grey that is borderline unusable. Very watery and feathers and spreads like crazy. I can make limited use of it with specific pens and papers but De Atrimentis Urban Grey is (imperfect but) much, much better. Lexington Grey was also one of two Noodler's inks where, despite bubble wrap, the bottle broke in transit, soaking everything else in the box (two different shipments; two different retailers). The only other brand where I had a very minor leak (the plastic safety seal had some ink inside it but nothing leaked out further) was a bottle of Private Reserve, but I chalk that mishap up to Amazon, who just plopped the unpadded box of ink into a padded envelope and (as evidenced by the damage to the envelope and box) threw it around. Still, that bottle didn't shatter. Noodler's isn't inexpensive-it is cheap. Consumers play roulette with that brand.

[@browngirlreading]

I liked the Herbin. Rouille dance until it faded into an ugly orange after owing the bottle for a year and a half. The same thing happened to me with Herbin Diabolo Menthe which turned into a baby blue color from the beautiful sea green it was before. Has anybody had that happen to them?

[@kat0778]

Y’all gotta get your hands on the Van Dieman’s Tassie Seasons series Deciduous Beech. The most luscious orange with out of this world shading. 😍🙌

[@sistergoldenhair0727]

I’m a huge fan of Noodlers cayenne ink! Apache Sunset is great for stub nibs!

[@prof.schreiber8925]

Noodler's Blue was one of the first inks that I ever purchased and, other than the 54th Mass, it's my go-to ink.

[@Gouletpens]

Both are wonderful! - Drew

[@TXSuburbanHomestead]

I've been using Midway for a while and really like it even though I'm prone to more bold blues. One I really like that doesn't get a lot of pub is Diamine Oxblood. It's really a bold good flowing ink, I just wish it had more water resistance... or any water resistance.

[@twitch7515]

Noodler's Red-Black would be worth trying. It isn't an exact match to Oxblood but not too far off. The black component is supposed to be permanent.

[@DreamsickIe]

Sailor Seiboku and Sailor Souboku have a cult following for people who appreciate permanent/pigmented blues, but outside of that circle I don't see them getting much attention. It seems to me that Salix usually gets the spotlight (although I can see why; I love Salix, too). I think Kaweco's Palm Green gets overshadowed by Monteverde California Teal. Palm Green can be finicky about papers but I love its hue and it has my definition of ideal shading-vibrant medium green that glows compared to its vibrant dark green. Scribble Purple is a well-behaved purple that is dark enough to sneak into a business environment. Its metallic gold sheen offers up some fun pizazz. In the shimmer category: Robert Oster's Crystal Marine doesn't get enough press, J. Herbin's Kyanite du Nepal gets overshadowed by others in the same line-up, and Diamine's Arctic Blue is an ink that I use with or without the shimmer all year 'round. I feel like Private Reserve's DC Supershow Blue is overshadowed by a plethora of similar shades, such as Diamine's Blue Velvet and Majestic Blue, Monteverde Horizon Blue, and PR's own Electric DC and American Blues. I think DCSS Blue doesn't have the same wow factor but is better behaved than many alternatives and more vibrant than Majestic Blue. Similarly, Diamine's Asa Blue is a wonderful hue between Asa-Gao and Kon-Peki. It shades without distracting the eye and can be a sheener if conditions are right. And I'll put these underrated inks lower in the comment because Goulet doesn't stock them: Diamine's Registrar's Blue-Black (for a high-maintenance but well-behaved, fun iron gall ink), Diamine Alexandrite (it does to teal what Ruby Blues does to blue); Taccia's Kuro Black (a dark black with brass sheen? yes please!); and Diamine's Communication Breakdown (for people who always wished that Red Dragon had sheen).

[@arlenet.1520]

Hi Brian and Drew! One of your newbies here. La Poussiere de Lune is one of my fav Herbin inks and I just ordered a bottle of Diamine Syrah. I’m more intrigued by the inks on my new pen journey. Not sure why I am gravitating towards purples and dusty mauves. I have an idea for Goulet Exclusive…create a spicy 🥵 ink Drew influenced…like a reddish orange…just a suggestion! Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!

[@CatholicAmanda]

I would totally recommend Herbin's Bleu des Profundeurs. It is my favorite deep blue at this point.

[@ladyredl3210]

I'm thinking of buying that one, how does it compare to other blue black inks? I have the Pilot blue black I don't want something too similar

[@CatholicAmanda]

@@ladyredl3210 I have never used the pilot blue black. I do like Herbin's more than the blue black from noodlers. I'd recommend getting a sample vial to test the color to see what you think.

[@ladyredl3210]

@@CatholicAmanda way ahead of you I'll do a sample page! Thanks

[@marka.200]

Good call on Mystic Blue and yama-budo, though I want to comment that the sheen you mention is really hard to notice on most paper I've used. Only the tip top tier of smooth paper (Tomoe River and similar) seem to show it. So much so that I used both of these inks for some time before I knew they could sheen at all. Once I used them on Tomoe River and the sheen popped, I went back to the other placed I'd used them and looked closely under the best conditions, and some paper had hints of the sheen, while other paper (still decent midrange fountain pen friendly paper, mind you) I pretty much had to use my imagination to see the sheen.

[@Gouletpens]

You're right about that - the sheen is pretty rare. It's a delight when you catch it, though! - Drew

[@comprehendeth92]

I will dog on Visconti ink. I love their pens, but the ink doesn't work as well in a Visconti as a Noodler's ink does. I've used Noodler's for quite a while now. Probably got my first black just after they hit the market. I've used other brands too but I always go back to Noodler's.

[@charles-antoinecancedda8834]

Herbin Vert de Gris is such a nice under rated color

[@run-a-milekyle3835]

Syrah from Diamine is one of my favorites from them.

[@pugup]

another ink that i think doesn't get as much attention is the Noodler's Saguaro Wine. i bought it when cactus eel was out of stock for months and instantly fell in love. it has a bit more reddishness to it than cactus eel and pops out like anything on paper

[@Gouletpens]

Yes! I actually almost mentioned Saguaro Wine! To this day, that's the only bottle I've dropped and shattered. - Drew

[@pugup]

@@Gouletpens oh no! oof! oh dear. that made me shiver. hopefully it all came off

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Pousier de lune and lie de the are wonderful! Love my majestic blue and Yama budo as well. Majestic blue is still high maintenance, though 😟

[@faisalaminrabbi5366]

What a coincidence!!! I am using Diamine Syrah while watching this.

[@SirIsaacTheRed]

Thanks guys once again for a nice informative video. I really do enjoy your videos and I have learned a lot from them. After seeing another comment to the same effect, I thought I HAD to order something from you, however small, as a small token of appreciation. Don't get me wrong, your pricing is very competitive, it's the higher shipping costs (I live in Cyprus) and the VAT/ Duty /Customs fees on imports from non- EU countries that ruins things. As for the inks. Yes, completely agree with Drew on J. Herbin. My go to blue is Eclat de Saphir. And, their 1670 sheen/shimmer line is pretty safe as well as long as you are sensible about using it within a reasonable time and cleaning your pen as well. From today's video I liked the Robert Oster Blue Water Ice and I'll definitely be ordering that from you along with a couple of other small things :) Oh and Drew, thanks so much for being the reason I inked my Pilot Mu 90 after at least a decade. I forgot how wonderful it is. I have a Medium, and you won't believe how smooth that nib is on Rhodia. Gorgeous!

[@Gouletpens]

Thank you so much for choosing to support our shop! Any order is appreciated. - Drew

[@SirIsaacTheRed]

@@Gouletpens No problem. If you happen to handle my order you’ll figure out easily that it’s that one 🙂 .

[@honeymama777]

I love my Majestic Blue. Deep blue with a bonus.

[@splums]

I love Herbin's 'Lie de The' it's my everyday ink.

[@nola_carolyn]

Monteverdi Iced Cookies is my favorite blue. My best green Herbin Vert Empire ❤

[@bleukreuz]

wait pousierre de lune is not underrated? When I was starting and was looking for recommendation for Herbin inks, most of them recommends pousierre de lune, eclat de saphir, lie de the...

[@Michelt007]

There is so much interest for "special effects" inks that shade, sheen or shimmer, that the "classic" category of normal inks is in itself underrated. But these inks can be amazing too when their colour is vibrant, and, to me, no one does it better than Noodler's. Their inks with "boring" names have tremendous colour intensity, like Noodler's Blue, and I would, oddly enough, will use Noodler's inks and play with the paper with different angles and lights to verify that there is indeed nothing special but just solid, beautiful colour.

[@annlinsky7217]

Blue lovers should try Noodlers Eel Blue and Elysium. Also, could you guys please do a review of true, bright pinks sometime? My absolute favorite color and hard to get right.

[@ichirofakename]

You know what's under-rated? Bay State Blue. For all the chatter, there is nothing else like it. If you haven't tried it, do yourself a favor and buy a sample and a cheapo pen to dedicate to it. Maybe a Pilot Parallel.

[@Gouletpens]

I completely agree! - Drew

[@jonathanoehlert5672]

My favorite

[@pacificsword1632]

It feathers way too much. Can do the pen , love the colour but the feathering is really painful. With that the extra cleaning and staining isn’t worth it

[@ichirofakename]

@@pacificsword1632 I must be using a different paper than you. Yes, too much feathering is a deal breaker.

[@jonathanoehlert5672]

An idea for a segment: the smell of ink. Shhh, I think I'm addicted to Bay State Blue😅🤣

[@lavenderpurp6610]

Drews face while brian is talking about his colors 🥰🤭☺️

[@mushfiqurrahman7966]

Hi, Goulet pens! I would want some advice from you, as a fountain pen enthusiast, I got myself into it 2 years ago and am enjoying it a lot. But the sad thing is that I don't have that kind of money and am very careful while investing them in pens. I am only 15 and would be happy if you could advise how I can make up to reach a good level in the collection. And yeah, big fan of yours!!

[@SirIsaacTheRed]

A great hobby, but yes, you are right, it can be very expensive. However, it doesn't have to be. There are many very good relatively inexpensive fountain pens. Brian and Drew as well as others have made videos on that topic. My personal preference for a very cheap but excellent writer is a Platinum Preppy. Many recommend the Pilot Metropolitan for the next level, but I would go Lamy Safari (Vista or Sport). Take it easy, because it can be easy to get carried away:) Oh, and before I forget, also look at paper for fountain pens. If stuff like Rhodia and Tomoe River is too expensive, you can get regular 80 gsm notebooks or copy paper that may work. If bleeding occurs, use finer nibs. Wish you the best!

[@mushfiqurrahman7966]

@@SirIsaacTheRed thanks a lot!

[@Gouletpens]

I agree with that! The Vista or Safari is a great pen to get, because the spare nibs are affordable and easy to install. A new nib can make feel like a new pen - especially if you go with a 1.1 or a 1.5! Just have fun! - Drew

[@mushfiqurrahman7966]

@@Gouletpens thanks a lot :)

[@Konstantinos340]

Also as far as blues go MontBlanc Ultramarine is awesome

[@RinTV2]

Hey, how about a sample set of these inks as well as the Browns?

[@Gouletpens]

That's a really good idea! - Drew

[@kumarkartikeya7]

Daytone inks are highly underrated. If you snoop around you can get 1 litre {33 ounces} of ink at about 5 US $. Also there is an option for 15 ink colours of 60 ml {2 ounces} each at less than 10 US $. This is a indian brand. Other highly underrated ink is "BRIL" only 7 colours available but its only 0.40 US $ for a 60 ml {2 ounces} bottle, . I am not talking about cheap inks because there are 10s or other cheap inks available in india but these are very nice inks and are ignored just because they are cheap.

[@florencefortyseven]

I don't think enough people talk about the Diamine 150TH Anniversary inks. It's a lovely range.

[@lukaszpokoju]

Yes ! I wish they would merge thme into their standard line. I really like Terracotta and Blood orange.

[@houghwhite411]

Pilot Blue Black, or any standard pilot ink. They're wet and almost always works. They're cheap, cheaper than diamine

[@florencefortyseven]

0:30. I noticed those long pauses a lot these past couple of episodes; is that because of Zoom or were you just checking the script LOL?

[@Gouletpens]

In that specific instance we were confused about who was going to answer first. We've got it worked out now! One person reads the question and the other asks first! - Drew

[@jonathanoehlert5672]

One thing to say to Drew, "When there's trouble, you call D.W."

[@Gouletpens]

LET'S GET DANGEROUS! - Drew

[@coziii.1829]

Can we mix inks to get the best colors and shades

[@fastwalker128]

Syrah for me has lot of nib ink cheese. The ink is very musty smelling too. Maybe it’s my bottle. But it was like that ever since I bought it.

[@lukaszpokoju]

Lol some of my Diamine inks smell musty too.

[@Gouletpens]

Nib ink cheese! ARRRRGGH - Drew

[@normananderson8687]

My Syrah has the musty smell, too. So I use it in a dedicated Moonman.

[@jamesbell8730]

Enjoyed the chat, was a little blue , who doesn’t love the blues…

[@DarkKar]

Hahaha, "was it a demand??" xD

[@PandorasCrate0]

I bought a bottle of noodlers ink, polat eternal blue, and it bleeds through every paper i have, even my rhodia pad. I think i bought the wrong blue. :|

[@DreamsickIe]

Noodler's quality control is very questionable. Very inconsistent.

[@PandorasCrate0]

@@DreamsickIe I haven't had any problem with their Heart of Darkness ink, which is my favorite and I've been using since I made that post 2 years ago. Maybe I just got a bad bottle of that polar eternal blue. It really was a nice ink.

[@augsburgbiblechannel9246]

I love Noodler's Army Green!

[@Gouletpens]

That's a good one! - Drew

[@bkzwolf]

I still love my Herbin Vert Empire.

[@ashisheady8841]

parker quink is also quite underated.

[@houghwhite411]

It just works

[@elisaastorino2881]

@@houghwhite411 yes. I have my new 51 inked with the blue black - a real workhorse but more interesting than plain blue or black.

[@geneinpennsylvania]

Monteverdi Purple Reign

[@phillipstroll7385]

Why don't you guys ever talk about akkerman or viscontti inks? Both my favorite brands and my go to buys.

[@DreamsickIe]

They don't sell those brands of inks.

[@IanPSmart]

Noodlers x feather is underrated

[@paritoshdabral2946]

Exactly! X feather is my staple black ink: bulletproof and archival (not that I write priceless manuscripts!)

[@viarnay]

I find Apache Sunset hard to read at night under bedlamp light

[@DreamsickIe]

I agree. Apache Sunset's vibrancy and shading makes it a novelty "must try" ink but not a "must own" ink, IMO. I would not write a letter to a friend with it, for fear of searing their retinas. Samples are our friends. If you normally write with a waterproof ink, consider loading Sunset into a Pilot Parallel and using it as highlighter.

[@Konstantinos340]

noodlers zhivago and el lawrence

[@Gouletpens]

Oohh! Zhivago is definitely underrated! Good one! - Drew

[@stevenweiss7129]

What kind of a person sits around on a Saturday morning with a delicious cup of coffee watching fountain pen videos? My friends think I need therapy. So happy to have found you guys.

[@Sonicman415]

Pilot blue black rocks.

[@vergitube]

how can anyone underrate Yama-Budo ? :)

[@Gouletpens]

Yama-Budo is pretty popular overall, but I think it sometimes might get overlooked these days in comparison to some the newer sheening inks. - Drew

[@vergitube]

@@Gouletpens sheening-wise i can overlook it. I had no idea it had it. I will check more carefully next time i load it to my twisbi 580 broad:)

[@varadharajannadarajah]

Namiki Black ink