Thursday Drops: 10 Fountain Pens, "Permanent" Inks, and More!

We’ve been hard at work restocking most of our favorite fountain pen and ink lines in advance of the back-to-school and back-to-work rush, including nearly all Pilot fountain pens, the popular Diplomat Viper, and many different Lamys including the Lamy 2000. Both Lamy and Pilot are well-represented in my recently published “10 Fountain Pens list”, as they are long-time personal favorites that I use on a near-daily basis. We also continue to have very good stock of TWSBI fountain pens (particularly the ECO) despite the brand being low at the distributor level. We are trying to restock on the newer models so if a specific colorway is currently out check back frequently as new stock arrives all the time.

The Pilot E95s is back in both colors and all nib sizes!

Finally, we’ve been receiving questions about fountain pen inks with permanence - typically lightfastness and water-resistance. In response, we’ve been making an effort to bring more pigmented and iron-gall inks into the shop, including different options from Platinum and Kakimori, which have the most extensive color ranges.

You can see these and more in our Nashville Shop this week, in addition to online. We are open regular hours, 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and from 10am-5pm on Saturday. Online is of course available 24/7!

1. Pilot Capless Vanishing Point and Decimo Fountain Pens. Vanishing Points are back in stock, in most finishes and both sizes.

2. Pilot Custom 74 Fountain Pens. This popular Pilot serves as an excellent entry point to Pilot’s 14k gold nibs, with the high capacity pump-piston CON-70 converter. If you still prefer a piston filler, the Custom Heritage 92 features the same nib.

3. Pilot E95s Fountain Pen. Looking for a gold nib pocket pen? The E95s is a portable, smooth writer with a unique look drawn from vintage Pilot fountain pens from the 1970s and 1980s. And yes, we do have the Ivory/Burgundy color combination, which is now exclusive to the U.S.

4. Lamy 2000 Fountain Pens. We cannot stay stocked with Lamy 2000s. Many of you have been asking about availability, and we recently received a shipment of fines and mediums.

5. Platinum Carbon Inks. Platinum’s line of pigmented “Carbon” inks are the most permanent inks that we have in stock, in terms of lightfastness and water resistance. Carbon Black is an ink of choice for those looking to do ink washes and artwork to which water might be applied.

6. Platinum Chou Kuro Ink. Looking for the “blackest of the black” inks? Chou Kuro is it. There is no ink more black. Think “black hole” black.

7. Platinum Classic Ink (Iron Gall Formulation). Iron Gall inks are more “water resistant” than “waterproof” - if they get wet they will leave behind the blue-black iron content that has bonded to the paper. A traditional ink formulation that Platinum has released in multiple colors, which will darken to a black-tinged hue as they dry on the page.

8. Kakimori Inkstand Colour Pigment Inks. We recently added the full line of mixable Kakimori pigment inks to our inventory. These particular inks are intended to be mixed with one another to create the color of your choice, or they can be used as stand-alone colors.

9. Kakimori Standard Line Pigment Inks. A range of more unique, subtle colors mixed by Kakimori. These inks can also be mixed with each other (or with the Kakimori Inkstand Colour inks) should you so choose.

10. Kakimori Ink Mixing Kit. This handy kit contains three small plastic measuring cups, pipettes, and instructions for mixing your own fountain pen inks. The precise measuring cups allow you to measure, document, and recreate your own ink mixes for future use.

Thursday Drops: New Notsu Paper, Permanent Platinum Inks, and a July 4th Weekend Promo!

Notsu continues to expand their lineup of fountain-pen-friendly organizational products, including more blue Centre Rise notecard holders, new sticky notes, and a new set of “To Do” desk pads. We’ve also received a fresh shipment of Platinum inks (including two new permanent inks) as well as a new addition to the Colorverse “Joy in the Ordinary” collection. Finally, we have more of our favorite iLootPaperie Washi Tape, as well as new Well-Appointed Desk stamps and stickers.

UPDATE: As of Friday July 3, TWSBI ECO “Horse Year” pens are now available for pre-order, with pens shipping July 6. This is a limited edition which will only have one run, per TWSBI.

Don’t Miss Our Fourth of July Weekend Promo: Free Ink!

We have a special offer this weekend - all orders placed 7/2-7/5 that qualify for free shipping ($75+) will automatically receive a complimentary bottle of fountain pen ink, valued anywhere from $9-15. In the regular course of shipping product, ink bottles and packaging get scratched, dented, and stained. While some of this is normal and the ink can still be sold, others get pulled as “scratch ‘n dent” items. Rather than run a sale we would prefer to just give it away, so all qualifying online orders will receive a free mystery bottle while supplies last! No coupon code necessary.

We are open this weekend in our Nashville shop normal hours: 1-6pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am-5pm on July 4th! If you’re in town for the weekend come by and visit!

1. Notsu Centre Rise To Do List Card Stand. The Notsu Centre Rise card box/organizer is back, and now with a blue option in addition to black and orange!

2. Notsu Large Format Dot Grid Notecards. These large 5x7 notecards are back in stock, and they fold in half so that you can tuck them away inside your notebook, pocket or bag for quick reference.

3. Notsu Dot Grid and Graph Sticky Notes. These sticky notes are sold in a four-pack, and feature dot grid, graph, or colored graph paper.

4. Notsu Writing Pads and To Do Pads. Notsu paper works well with most inks, and the thicker paper stands up well in a desk pad. In addition to the dot grid and graph pads (available in both letter and A5 sizes), Notsu now makes

5. Platinum Classic Inks. This series of fountain pen friendly iron gall inks offers six different colors that become permanent when they dry. Iron gall is a classic ink formulation used for centuries for archival purposes, and darkens as it dries, resulting in a unique look reminiscent of vintage letters.

6. Platinum Pigmented Inks. We’ve expanded our offering of Platinum Pigmented inks to include Brun Sepia, a permanent brown.

7. Platinum Chou Kuru Black. Do you require the ultimate black ink? As in, an ink as dark as you can possibly make it? Chou Kuro should be on your radar. While definitely one of the more premium inks that we sell, it’s always difficult to keep in stock.

8. Colorverse Joy in the Ordinary Inks. One of this year’s sleeper hits for us, the Colorverse “Joy in the Ordinary” line includes muted pastel inks and now the grey “Under the Shade.”

9. iLootPaperie Washi Tape (Yes, Including the Really Fun Ones!). We’ve restocked on our best-selling washi tape of all time. IYKYK.

10. Well-Appointed Desk Stickers and Stamp Sets. We have a fresh shipment of vintage-inspired stickers and rubber stamps designed by Ana! The rubber stamps are designed to help you set up your planner and organize your inks swatches.

Ask TGS: Permanent Inks for Artists and Attorneys

Whenever I get asked about permanent inks, it's typically a question from an artist or an attorney. Many artists enjoy inks that allow them to draw a dark line and then wash over it with ink or watercolors (or both), whereas the attorneys are typically concerned about permanence of a signature on a legal document and preservation of work product.

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This writing sample shown above was soaked for approximately 20 minutes in a sink full of water. This is the result. The paper wrinkled and started to fall apart more than the ink bled.

So what are my recommendations? While I'm not an artist, nearly all of my artist friends recommend Platinum Carbon Black as a drawing and sketching ink of choice. Carbon Black is a pigment ink, similar to other inks such as Sailor Kiwa-Guro "Nano Black", Noodler's Bulletproof Black, Tom's Studio Pigment Black, among others. These inks are formulated differently than most fountain pen inks, in that they rely on pigments that dry quickly and bond to the paper rather than water-based dye, and therefore have very fine particles that can potentially clog your pen if left to dry out. That's not to say they are "unsafe" - these inks are very much intended for use in fountain pens, but they do require periodic maintenance in the form of a thorough cleaning, especially when changing ink colors. The upside? I can say that these inks are absolutely "waterproof," not just water-resistant. (In addition to the photograph shown here, I posted a short video to YouTube demonstrating how I soaked this piece of paper in standing water and how the ink barely moved at all.) And if the ink does end up drying out and clogging your pen, a simple flush with water should fix the issue.

Water-resistant, but not waterproof: Caran d’Ache Magnetic Blue, a blue-black that was also soaked in the sink for the same amount of time.

For attorneys - and speaking as one myself - I would say that you have a bit more leeway. If you need absolute permanence (i.e., for a signature on a contract), you can of course use a pigmented ink or a ballpoint. But if what you're concerned about is preserving handwritten notes or marked-up documents, or simply avoiding losing work product due to spilled water or coffee, there are other suitable options to serve that more limited purpose. For example, certain blue-black inks such as Pilot Blue-Black, TWSBI Blue-Black, Pelikan Blue-Black, Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue, etc., are highly water-resistant to the point that most writing will survive a simple spill, especially one that is cleaned up quickly. Similarly, any ink that contains iron-gall will have high water-resistance, including the line of Platinum "Classic" inks. (As with pigmented inks, you should clean your pen thoroughly to avoid mixing iron gall inks with standard fountain pen inks, which could result in clogs.)

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Though pigmented black inks and blue-black inks with iron-gall content get the most attention (probably because they have been around the longest), companies do make other colors of permanent inks. Shown here are Platinum Pigment Blue cartridges (which we carry in our shop), and other options include the Kakimori pigment inks, Noodler’s “Bulletproof” inks, and Sailor Storia line, which come in a wide array of colors.

I personally don't worry much about permanence with fountain pen inks. In nearly 20 years of using fountain pens, I can count on one hand the number of times I've completely lost a piece of writing due to a spill, none of which ended up being of any importance. That said, I will regularly use low-viscosity ballpoints such as the Uni Jetstream whenever permanence could be at issue. You can even use pencil, which is both water and fade-resistant, though documents that must be permanent for legal reasons generally require ink.

Do you have a favorite permanent or water-resistant ink? Drop a comment!

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Ink Brand Profile: Platinum Mix-Free Inks

Occasionally I get to review a product (or line of products) that has been around for a long time, but that I’ve never reviewed. Platinum’s “Mix-Free” inks fall into that category. While Platinum has manufactured these inks for years, availability has been spotty at times, and the Mix-Free inks have never received the kind of attention you would expect for a product of this quality, especially given enthusiasts’ obsession with color-matching discontinued inks and the ability to create unique mixes from scratch.

Part of the issue is likely Platinum itself, which until recently never made much of an effort to promote their products heavily outside of Japan, and therefore trailed Pilot and Sailor as a “distant third” in terms of popular Japanese pen companies around the world. As Platinum’s limited and special edition pens have taken off in popularity, Platinum’s inks have also received more attention, including the Mix-Free line.

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The nine base colors, unmixed. Ink swabs done on Canson White Mixed Media Paper. These colors are quite vibrant, and I plan to try out a few of them on their own.

How Do the Mix-Free Inks Work?

It’s pretty self-explanatory: Platinum sells nine base inks (Aqua Blue, Aurora Blue, Cyclamen Pink, Earth Brown, Flame Red, Leaf Green, Silky Purple, Smoke Black, and Sunny Yellow) that you can combine to form your own colors, whether that be your perfect shade of blue-black, or a reproduction of that long-discontinued Montblanc Writer’s edition ink. As long as you have a syringe or pipette and a sample vial or empty ink bottle, it’s quite easy to experiment. (I’d personally recommend a syringe, since it’s easier to get precise measurements.)

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I’ve come up with two different mixes that I like a lot: a “Racing Green” mix, the base formula for which I found online and modified somewhat (Top) and a mix of my own creation that I refer to as “Alfred” (second from bottom). Montblanc Hitchcock is one of the hardest discontinued inks to duplicate, in part because of the rust-colored sheen it leaves. For now, I’m happy with how close I’ve gotten.

Formulas are: Racing Green (1 part Leaf Green, .5 parts Earth Brown, .5 parts Sunny Yellow, .3 parts Aurora Blue, and .3 parts Black); and “Alfred” (3 parts Earth Brown, 1 part Flame Red, 1 part Silky Purple, .5 parts Sunny Yellow). Forgive the janky measurements - for mixing purposes, equate “parts” with “milliliters” as measured on an ink syringe.

I’ve found the Mix-Free inks to be well-behaved and low-maintenance. The mixes that I use flow better than other Platinum inks (which can be on the dry side), and none of mine have feathered or bled on decent paper. I’ve also not had any trouble with staining or difficulty flushing the inks out of pens.

A Note of Caution: I’ve been warned by a couple different people that Platinum Mix-Free inks don’t “play nice” with Sailor and Pilot inks, due to their different chemical compositions. While I have used the Mix Free inks in pens that have previously held inks from Sailor and Pilot, I’ve always been sure to flush the pens thoroughly to avoid any clogging that might occur. If you are considering mixing inks, only mix the Platinum Mix-Free inks with other Platinum Mix Free inks, and not with inks from any other brand.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I have had Platinum Mix-Free inks loaded into several pens more or less nonstop since early December. Sure, I’ve used ink lines exclusively for long stretches before, but eventually I do get tired of the same colors. Here, with the ability to change up the colors, that same risk of boredom doesn’t really exist, and you can experiment with creating your own unique mixes without worrying whether your signature ink is “safe” for all pens, since the ink is still made by a reputable pen company.

In recent years, Platinum Mix-Free Inks have been hard to find at times, but that’s changed as the brand has improved distribution and experienced a surge in popularity. Not only are these inks in stock, but they sit at an attractive price point and come in two bottle sizes: larger 60ml bottles and smaller 20ml bottles. Given there is only a $4 price difference between the two sizes (currently $16 vs. $12 at site sponsor Pen Chalet), the larger bottles are a no-brainer for me. If you don’t already have syringes, pipettes, and leftover ink sample vials or empty ink bottles to hold your new creations, you can also purchase a “mixing kit” for $16, which also contains “dilution liquid” (i.e. ink with no dye) to soften colors. I don’t have the kit or the dilution liquid, so I can’t speak to its capabilities, but I’d imagine you could simply use distilled water to achieve the same effect.

I’m really enjoying these inks and look forward to sharing new mixes in the future as I get more experience mixing the colors. Stay tuned! After I dial in the formulas, maybe I’ll giveaway some samples of my creations.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I purchased the inks featured in this review from site sponsor Pen Chalet, using store credit generated through the Pen Chalet affiliate program, which is one of many ways I support the blog.

Ink Review: Platinum Classic Ink Cassis Black and My Thoughts on Iron Gall Inks

Until recently, Platinum was known for having a well-regarded but extremely limited lineup of inks. The company had a standard black and blue-black, as well as a small line of pigmented inks. Then came the "mix-free" inks, which are high-quality, but a lot of people write them off (ha!) because there's a perception that you need to purchase the entire set in order to enjoy them, as the purpose behind the inks is to be able to mix them to create any color you like. This year, Platinum expanded their ink lineup yet again, releasing six new "Classic" inks in somewhat offbeat colors: "Cassis Black," "Forest Black," "Citrus Black," "Sepia Black," "Lavender Black," and "Khaki Black." 

You may wonder, what's with the "black" theme? Well, all of these inks are iron gall inks, meaning that Platinum has added iron to the ink in order to make it permanent and to give it color-changing (i.e., darkening) properties. 

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You can get a sense of the color change here: compare the cherry-red wet ink on the inside of the cap to the dried writing sample/swab (on Col-o-Ring Paper). 

I picked up this bottle of Platinum Cassis Black at the Atlanta Pen Show back in April. While this particular color probably wouldn't have been my first choice, I really wanted to review one of the Platinum Classic Inks, and they were extremely difficult to find after they were first released. So what do I think? Here are my impressions: 

• As it turns out, this is a great color. I love red inks, and this one is extremely interesting. It starts out as a bright cherry red, but it surprised me by drying to a deep burgundy with black undertones. Reds - and especially burgundies - are some of my favorite colors to write with. 
• Like most iron gall inks, Platinum Classic ink feels a little dry for my taste. I'm not talking about bad flow - the ink flows well and pens will put a lot of it on the page - Iron gall inks are generally less lubricating and many people notice more feedback from the nib on the page. 
• No feathering, show through, or bleeding at all on cheaper paper, even work-issue copy paper that can barely handle gel pens.  
• These inks are a decent value. Though not inexpensive at $25 per bottle, you do get 60ml of ink. 

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Another writing sample in my Hobonichi Planner. 

My Thoughts on Iron Gall Ink in General

Inks with iron content are commonly known as "iron gall ink," because they traditionally were manufactured using oak galls. This is ancient technology that goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. If you're looking to replicate that blue-black or sepia-black ink color that you often see on old letters from the 1700s or 1800s, you should pick up a bottle of iron gall ink. But other than aesthetics, why do people still use iron gall ink today? 

• The inks dry extremely quickly.
• The inks change colors as they dry, leaving a very dark line in most cases.
• Iron gall inks are excellent on thin or cheap paper, and they don't feather. Many calligraphers love these inks because they allow you to write a very fine line. 
• Iron gall inks are permanent and waterproof. [Edit: It's been brought to my attention that "water-resistant" is probably a more accurate term.  See comments below.]

But won't iron gall inks corrode / eat your pens? You may have read "warnings" in various blogs and online forums that iron gall inks are dangerous and not suitable for fountain pens. In my opinion, categorical statements like these are off-base, because you can absolutely use iron gall inks in most fountain pens as long as you take certain precautions. A few tips: 

• If you load a pen with iron gall ink, use that pen, especially if it has a steel nib or metal parts, like a piston or vacuum-fill rod. When you hear reports of iron gall inks ruining pens, it typically involves the ink reacting with a steel nib or steel components that come into contact with the ink, and the pen being left to sit for a long period of time unused. You don't need to worry about gold or titanium, but a good rule of thumb that I follow is to use the ink or flush it after a week, regardless of what pen it's in.
• Under no circumstances do you mix iron gall inks with non-iron gall inks. If you're emptying a pen that was loaded with an iron gall ink, CLEAN IT WELL. Otherwise, the different inks can react and create clogs.   
• Vanness Pens has an excellent discussion of iron gall inks and precautions you should take on their KWZ Iron Gall page. (More on the KWZ inks below)

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A Montegrappa Fortuna nib that was damaged by old formulation Montblanc Midnight Blue. Note that the black coating on the nib was corroded along the nib slit and at the base. The nib still writes perfectly fine, but this was my fault for leaving the ink in the pen for too long. (Approximately two weeks). 

Takeaways and Where to Buy  

I don't use iron gall inks on a regular basis, but it's not because I have any great fear of damaging my pens. I just generally prefer more lubricated inks. I do, however, keep a couple bottles around in case I need a permanent ink or an ink that works well on super-cheap paper. Standard Platinum blue-black is my personal favorite. 

If you're interesting in testing out iron gall inks, Vanness Pens has one of, if not THE, largest selection of modern iron gall inks available. In addition to the Platinum Classic Inks mentioned above (and you can purchase a sample set of all six), Vanness also carries the entire line of iron gall inks by KWZ, which manufactures an extensive range of colors. If you're looking for a traditional blue-black, another option is Diamine's Registrar's ink. Finally, Rohrer & Klingner makes the Salix (blue-black) and Scabiosa (purple-black) iron gall inks that many people love. Montblanc Midnight Blue was reformulated a few years ago to remove and/or significantly reduce the iron gall content because there were reports of it corroding pens (which I experienced personally - check out the picture above).  

I'm sure there are other options, and if you are looking for a specific color ink with iron gall properties, reach out to the folks at Vanness Pens. They'll be able to point you in the right direction. 

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens provided me with the bottle of ink featured here for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.