Fountain Pen Ink

Welcome to http://FountainPenInk.org.Fountain pen ink is a source of great fascination for fountain pen lovers and this site hopes to bring you valuable information about fountain pen inks which will allow you to enjoy your fountain pen collection all the more.

Fountain Pen Inks

Your choice of fountain pen ink will have a significant impact on the performance and longevity of your fountain pen.

Fountain pen ink is made up of dyes,pigments,solvents and water.Generally the best ink for your fountain pen will be made up of water,chemicals and dyes.Fountain pen ink is sometimes described as “wet ink” which is simply an indication of the viscosity of the ink and it’s propensity to flow across the paper.

Fountain pen inks can contain pigments as well as dyes but pigment tends to clog the nib and indian ink should be avoided as it contains shellac which acts as a binder which will clog your fountain pen.

All the major pen manufacturers supply their own branded ink although some don’t manufacture the ink;rather they relabel ink which is manufactured for them by other ink manufacturers eg AT Cross inks are actually Pelikan ink which is relabeled and branded by AT Cross.

Aurora ink

Aurora ink comes from Italy and is a very well regarded ink with a good flow quality and with a good,deep color of blue or black.

Noodlers Ink

Noodlers ink comes in a wider range of colors and features and one such unusual ink is the “bulletproof” ink from Noodlers which reacts with the cellulose in paper to make it solvent proof, waterproof and UV resistant.This bulletproof ink can only be removed by laser as proved in 2009 by a Yale graduate who rose to the challenge thrown down by Noodlers offering a prize to anyone who could remove Noodler’s bulletproof black or polar blue ink from a cheque.

Only the laser succeeded where many others failed in an attempt to remove the ink and Noodlers have since gone on to formulate an ink which is both laser and chemical resistant.

Noodlers also make other quirky inks such as invisible ink, lubricating and highlighting.

Parker Quink

Quink is non fading and quick drying(hence the name Quink form “quick” “ink”) and is one of the most popuar and best selling fountain pen inks on the market today.

Pelikan Ink

Pelikan fountain pens are amongst the most highly regarded pens among pen aficionados and their Pelikan ink is equally highly regarded.

Pelikan 4001

Pelikan 4001 fountain pen ink provides a very wide range of colors and is a very highly regarded ink which is very slow to clog or stain fountain pens.

Other fountain pen ink which we will be looking at elsewhere on this site will include Caran d’Ache ink which is regarded as top quality with great flow,Lamy ink, Skrip ink from Sheaffer and Waterman fountain pen ink.Personalized ink pens is another area well worth looking into from a marketing and personal perspective.

Pen ink for fountain pens does vary greatly in quality and you will also be faced with the choice of ink cartridges or bottled ink.

 

Cartridges are very convenient when you are on the move and away from your desk or office; you can always carry a couple of ink cartridges in your jacket or trouser pocket to ensure you do not run out of ink at important meetings or when you most need ink in your pen.

 

However it is much cheaper and more fun to have a nice collection of bottled ink on your desk or wherever you use your pen most. You will find that there are a wide range of inks available in various colors from leading manufacturers such as Sheaffer, Pelikan, Lamy, Parker, Noodlers, Private Reserve, Cross, Mont Blanc, Waterman, Diamine in the UK, Sailor and others.

 

Shopping around for different qualities and colors of ink can be fun and if your budget is limited you will find good deals online in such places as Ebay, Amazon and other websites such as the Fountain Pen Hospital or the Fountain Pen Network Forum which is a really great resource for fountain pen lovers. The latter forum will have a lot of well informed fountain pen ink reviews and tips from pen lovers from all over the world.

 

Once you start writing with a fountain pen and enjoy the quality of a fine ink you will not go back to using a ballpoint pen. If you are only beginning to write with a fountain pen you can start with an inexpensive pen like the Lamy Safari which is a lovely starter pen, beautifully designed along the Bauhaus design principles, and Lamy do a lovely range of inks in blue, blue black, red and many others.

 

You will also find that many leading ink manufacturers make ink for other companies which then put their own brand on it-own label ink as it were-so don’t discount cheap fountain pen ink entirely as it may well be manufactured by one of the leading ink manufacturers.