Workhorse Inks Update: Water-Testing TWSBI Inks

July 13, 2021

Last week I wrote a post on TWSBI Blue-Black, a workhorse fountain pen ink that shows significant water-resistance to the point where I would consider the ink basically waterproof. Following that post, I received several questions about how the other TWSBI inks compared, so I decided to do a quick test.

Basically, the “test” was exactly what I did with the TWSBI Blue-Black: I dunked a sheet of Rhodia paper containing a writing sample of all five standard colors in a glass of water for five minutes. Admittedly, this is a pretty “extreme” test, so the effects are probably more akin to your notebook going through the washing machine than to a few raindrops or a spilled drink that’s quickly wiped away. Here are the results:

As you can see, TWSBI Blue-Black clearly performed the best, followed by TWSBI Black, which also showed significant water-resistance. TWSBI Midnight Blue also remained quite legible. Unsurprisingly, Sapphire Blue and Red showed little water-resistance, though both did remain legible to the point where you would probably be able to recover most of your writing.

Overall, I’m very happy with how the TWSBI Inks performed, and the Blue-Black, Midnight Blue, and Black inks will likely find their way into my permanent work rotation. I carry all five of these inks in the Curated Shop, and as I mentioned in the prior post, they’re priced competitively at $15.99 for a 70ml glass bottle. We also carry the full range of other TWSBI products, including the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR in “Prussian Blue,” as well as the new TWSBI ECO Lilac, which we recently added to our offerings!

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands we carry. By shopping with us, you are supporting original content, pen reviews, pen show events, etc. from The Gentleman Stationer. If you would like to support us even further, please consider checking out the T.G.S. Patreon Program, which offers access to online meetups, exclusive discounts and pre-orders, and more!

Workhorse Inks: TWSBI Blue-Black

July 7, 2021

I’ve been doing more ink reviews lately, probably because I’ve been doing more writing (including a heck of a lot of writing on cheap paper). One of my most frequently used “workhorse” inks has been TWSBI Blue-Black, a modern iron gall blue-black ink in the tradition of classic Pelikan Blue-Black, Lamy Blue-Black, and old-formulation Montblanc Midnight Blue.

Admittedly, this isn’t a flashy ink. The blue-black color goes on dark and dries to the steel blue color that you may recall seeing on vintage business documents. The big advantage is that iron gall inks tend to perform quite well on even the cheapest recycled copy paper and legal pads. I’ve managed to use this ink in a broad nib at work with decent results, whereas most fountain pen inks are unusable on our stock office paper. Iron gall inks also show good water resistance, so you’re writing will be protected against water (and coffee) spills. See below for an example of how well the TWSBI Blue-Black does after a dunk in a glass of water.

I think TWSBI describes this ink as “water-resistant” out of an abundance of caution. I soaked this writing sample in a glass of water for 5 minutes. I would consider this, in my own personal terminology, “waterproof”. This is HP 28lb copy paper.

But Won’t Iron Gall Inks Hurt My Pens?

One persisting “myth” of pendom is that iron gall ink will corrode your pens. While it’s true that you should exercise caution with vintage and homemade iron gall ink, as well as some of the stronger calligraphy formulations, most modern inks made specifically for use in fountain pens are safe to use provided you practice decent pen hygiene and flush your pen periodically. Even then, I’ve had TWSBI Blue-Black loaded into this Diamond 580 ALR Nickel for a couple of months, and there has been no clogging, staining, or corrosion.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

TWSBI Blue-Black has earned itself a place in my rotation as a go-to work/office ink, and I’ve had at least one pen inked with it for the past year or so. At $15.99 for a giant 70ml bottle, you’ll also get your money’s worth. You can purchase TWSBI Blue-Black ink, as well as other TWSBI products, in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. Recently, we added the TWSBI Diamond 580 ALR in “Prussian Blue,” as well as the new TWSBI ECO Lilac, to our offerings!

First Look: Introducing Esterbrook Inks!

June 26, 2021

I’m happy to reveal that Esterbrook inks will be coming soon to your favorite pen retailers, in a range of nine new colors, six standard and three shimmer. (You may have seen these teased on the Esterbrook Instagram account over the past week.) Cary was kind enough to send me samples so that I could publish my first impressions, and so far, so good. While I’ve not had the opportunity to fully test these inks in my pens, I inked up a few this morning and will be putting them through the testing process.

Standard colors include Cobalt (blue), Ebony (black), Evergreen, Aqua, Tangerine, and Scarlet. As shown below, there are also three “Shimmer” inks: Shimmer Aqua, Shimmer Tangerine, and Shimmer Lilac. At first glance, all of the colors are vibrant, and I haven’t noticed any loss of saturation or smearing in the two weeks since I swabbed the sample sheet shown here.

I chose Evergreen and Shimmer Lilac to test out for the week.

Initial Thoughts and Where to Buy Once the New Inks Hit the Market

I’m liking the color selection here, which strikes a good balance in the sense that Esterbrook has included somewhat offbeat colors such as the tangerine and lilac alongside more standard “pen company” colors such as blue, black, green, turquoise (“Aqua,” which is a shade darker than is typical) and red (“Scarlet”). Even the standard blue is a rich “Cobalt” that I could see getting plenty of use. While I’m not a huge shimmer ink user, I will note that the “shimmer” here isn’t overly glittery, seems usable for everyday writing, and might pair quite nicely with one of the Diamondcast Esterbrook pens.

Esterbrook chose a more traditional ink bottle design, akin to the classic Pelikan bottles.

The Esterbrook inks are not available for purchase quite yet, but they should start appearing at your pen retailer of choice over the next couple of weeks. I’m almost certain Vanness Pens will have these inks in stock as soon as they hit store shelves. Stay tuned for final details on pricing and for an updated link to purchase.

Disclaimer: Esterbrook provided me with the ink samples and ink bottle featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. This post does not contain affiliate links.

Workhorse Inks: Exploring Iroshizuku, Part II (Asa-Gao, Murasaki-Shikibu, and Aji-Sai)

April 28, 2021

Today I’ll delve further into Pilot’s Iroshizuku line, looking at three more inks from Pilot’s luxury ink brand. One of these, Asa-Gao (“Morning Glory”), has served as a core blue ink for me over the years, while the other two are inks with which I have relatively little experience: Muraskai-Shikibu (“Japanese Beautyberry”) and Ajisai (“Hydrangea”). All three are in the blue-purple family, with Asa-Gao being the most blue, Murasaki-Shikibu the most purple, and Ajisai a hybrid of the two.

Three writing samples compared, top to bottom: Asa-Gao, Murasaki-Shikibu, and Ajisai. All writing samples are done on Midori MD Cotton paper, which is now back in stock in The Curated Shop! Pens used for writing samples include a TWSBI Diamond 580 (… — Three writing samples compared, top to bottom: Asa-Gao, Murasaki-Shikibu, and Ajisai. All writing samples are done on Midori MD Cotton paper, which is now back in stock in The Curated Shop! Pens used for writing samples include a TWSBI Diamond 580 (Asa-Gao), a PenBBS 456 Vacuum Filler (Murasaki-Shikibu), and a TWSBI Vac 700R Iris (Ajisai).

Asa-Gao (“Morning Glory”)

I’m not particularly subjective here: Iroshizuku Asa-Gao is one of my favorite inks of all time. A rich royal blue that sometimes shows just the slightest hint of purple, it’s the ultimate workhorse ink because it’s not only gorgeous, but a well-behaved, non-distracting color that will look just as good in your journal as it does in the office. I’ve also found Asa-Gao less likely to take on that faded, washed-out look that some basic blue inks adopt as they dry. Though I haven’t made my way though the entire lineup yet, I can’t imagine liking any two Iroshizuku inks better than Asa-Gao and Yama-Budo.

Iroshizuku Asa-Gao: A “safe” blue ink that really pops.

Murasaki-Shikibu (“Japanese Beautyberry”)

The next two inks, Murasaki Shikibu and Ajisai, fall into the category of inks that I’m probably less likely to use on a regular basis, but are still excellent choices if you like the colors and appreciate shading. Murasaki-Shikibu, the “core purple” of the Iroshizuku lineup, offers a less-saturated purple option for those who love purple inks but perhaps don’t love using them in clear demonstrators, where they can be difficult to clean and even have a tendency to stain. (I’m looking at you, Waterman Violet - sorry, “Tender Purple.”)

Ajisai (“Hydrangea”)

Ajisai was a pleasant surprise! Like Murasaki-Shikibu, Ajisai is a softer color that shades nicely. Online reviews and ink swatches unfortunately tend to show Ajisai as much more washed out than the ink actually is. On more absorbent paper, the color is quite legible, to the point where I can see myself using this one regularly. I also have several massive hydrangea bushes in my yard, and can confirm that Pilot absolutely nailed the color match with a blue-purple hydrangea bloom. (Fun fact: Hydrangea blooms are either pink or blue, depending on the pH of your soil, so you can change the look of your garden with additives!)

In certain light, you can almost detect a touch of double-shading (i.e., when the ink shades in more than one color) in Ajisai. The lighter area of this swab shows the slightest hint of purple.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The deeper I go into the ink line, the more I love Pilot Iroshizuku. Prior to this year, I had never given much thought to Murasaki-Shikibu or Ajisai, and both ended up as inks that I could easily introduce into the regular rotation. One goal of this longer-term project is to evaluate Iroshizuku as a solution for those looking for perhaps not “one ink,” but a single ink brand from which they can select any color and expect consistent performance across the line. So far, so good!

As of 2023, The T.G.S. Curated Ship is able to offer you Pilot pens and inks directly, including the entire Iroshizuku lineup. We currently carry the 50ml bottles of ink, priced at $24.

Ink Review: Did Scribo Create the Best Ink Bottle Ever?

January 14, 2021

Scribo (a portmanteau of “Scrittura Bolognese”) launched following the closure of Italian pen company OMAS, helmed by former employees who sought to recreate the same writing experience loved by generations of devoted OMAS fans. While Scribo is not a direct descendant of OMAS (the assets of the company itself were acquired out of liquidation and revived in 2018 under the label “Armando Simoni Club”), many in the pen community have found that Scribo’s nibs are the closest you can get to the feel of OMAS in a modern pen. Scribo, however, makes no attempt to duplicate the look of OMAS, with their pens and inkwells taking on a unique new aesthetic that makes the brand a lot of fun to use. I’m working on a more in-depth review of the Scribo “Feel” fountain pen, which will follow in the near future, but today enjoy this look at the company’s excellent line of inks.

Scribo inks arrive in what I can only describe as an absolutely gigantic, 90ml glass bottle. While the ink is priced at $39 per bottle, the quantity of ink you receive, presentation, and practicality of the bottle put a lot of other ink companies to shame. I love the look of the square bottle, and the wide opening and deep inkwell allow you to fill even the largest pens with ease. Another feature many have commented on is the ability to “stack” these bottles for easier storage. While you can certainly stack the bottles - the underside is hollowed out to fit over the cap of another - given the weight of these things I wouldn’t recommend stacking them more than 2-3 bottles high. Otherwise things get a little “wobbly.”

The ink itself performs nicely. The insert that Scribo includes with each bottle indicates that the company designed the ink to flow well in their extra flexible nibs, and the ink does writes fairly wet. That said, I’ve found Scribo ink to dry quickly, not smear, and not feather or bleed on fountain pen friendly paper. (It’s a bit of a mess on less expensive office copy paper, as are most wet inks.) Currently, the colors I have tested are: “Blue Cosmico” (Blue-Black), “Rosso Chianti” (a wine red), and “Classico Sepia” (a rich brown).

Scribo Rosso Chianti. The color is slightly more muted and purple IRL than in the photo, which leans towards magenta. That tone is definitely there, but it’s not as pronounced..

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Scribo offers another good example of how the heritage of beloved former brand can live on in a new company, while still continuing to grow and bring new ideas to the table. I loved the old Omas octagonal ink bottles, but I may enjoy Scribo’s even more, and the ink itself is so good that I’m already looking to add additional colors to my collection.

I acquired these Scribo inks from Appelboom, located in the Netherlands, and international shipping is free on orders over 200 Euros. You can also purchase Scribo inks from Vanness Pens in the U.S. Bottles are priced around $39 U.S, for 90ml of excellent ink.

Disclaimer: I acquired the ink in question from Appelboom, using credit generated through the Appelboom affiliate program. The links in this post are NOT affiliate links, as I am moving away from an affiliate revenue model going forward.

But Won’t Iron Gall Inks Hurt My Pens?

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Initial Thoughts and Where to Buy Once the New Inks Hit the Market

Asa-Gao (“Morning Glory”)

Murasaki-Shikibu (“Japanese Beautyberry”)

Ajisai (“Hydrangea”)

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Further Reading

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Featured Posts