What makes an ink the best?
There are certain attributes that an ink brand must have for it to be considered one of the best.
Cost. The ink needs to be relatively inexpensive for it to be accessible to those who use fountain pens often. Many fountain pen users look at the cost per milliliter, and most want to get the most bang for their buck when purchasing a full bottle of inky goodness.
Versatility and performance. The best inks can only be considered as such if they perform well on a wide range of paper types, from high-quality Tomoe River and Clairefontaine to standard copy paper. They must be well-behaved with the right texture and flow to ensure a pleasant writing experience.
Wow-factor. The best inks don’t just make the cut; they go above and beyond to wow us. For some brands, that may mean having an extensive range of colors. For others, it may entail having superior flow in all types of pens.
Given these characteristics, here are some of the best fountain pen inks on the market:
Pilot Iroshizuku
No list of fountain pen inks would be complete without including the Pilot Iroshizuku line. They may not have as many colors to choose from, but their base offerings boast such excellent quality that there isn’t a need to introduce any more shades. These inks are known for their wet flow, decent dry time, and for being exceptionally well-behaved on many types of paper. Yama-Budo is an excellent vibrant fuschia to try from this line. You can’t go wrong with this choice for the best ink.
Robert Oster
Robert Oster offers a great selection of fountain pen inks that perform quite well. The colors are beautifully vibrant and they come at a very reasonable price point. Robert Oster inks are known for their Shake ‘n’ Shimmy line of shimmering inks that are beautiful to use on paper. Fire and Ice is a great blue that absolutely pops. If you want an ink selection that is bright, colorful, and versatile, then this is the way to go.
Wearingeul
Wearingeul may be new to the market, but it is already making waves in the fountain pen world. These inks certainly live up to the hype, with great color selections and additions of shimmer and sheen that match the saturation of the inks. These inks flow well, even after being in pens that have not been picked up in some time. Path and For Whom the Bell Tolls are great choices if you go with this line of inks.
Diamine
Those on the lookout for a wide range of colors at a decent price point will not be disappointed with Diamine. They have every fountain pen ink color imaginable in their collection, which may make it even more challenging to select just one color! They are mostly well-behaved and have a great consistency when you write with them. You won’t have any trouble using this on different types of paper, either. As far as shades go, the sky’s the limit, really, but we recommend trying out Oxblood and Sargasso Sea.
J. Herbin
J. Herbin inks, much like the others on this list, are decent, well-behaved, and easy to use. However, it is worth noting that this will be better for fountain pen users who prefer a drier consistency to their inks. Depending on the ink you choose, you’ll get decent shading properties and sometimes a beautiful sheen and shimmer. The ever-so-popular Emerald of Chivor is a gorgeous green-blue ink with red sheen and gold shimmer, and it is worth having in your fountain pen ink collection.
Sailor
Another great line of inks with excellent lubrication is Sailor. These inks are very agreeable with most pens, and as far as color selection goes, there are more options in the Shikiori line than there are in Pilot Iroshizuku’s range. The Sailor Manyo line also boasts dual-shading inks that look captivating on paper. If you want something bright, then check out Kin Mokusei for a vibrant yellow-orange shade. It is also worth checking out Fuji Sugata, which is a lovely violet ink. These inks perform well on most paper types, and though they are a little drier than the Iroshizuku inks, they are still wet enough to flow well in all pens.
The bottom line
Though we have outlined some exceptional fountain pen inks here, this is not an exhaustive list of all the best inks on the market. So many other inks out there perform well, and they are left to be discovered as we continue to enjoy using our fountain pens. Whether you want to try the best shimmering fountain pen inks or simple blue or black shades, these brands have plenty to offer.
Written by EndlessPens Blogger Ramona Kabigting
