Testing an Entire Ink Line: The Tom's Studio Bottled Fountain Pen Inks

How do you actually test an entire line of ink? Honestly, you really can’t, at least not in a reasonable amount of time. The only way you can truly “get to know” a specific ink, with all its various advantages and disadvantages, is to write with it for an extended period. While it’s certainly fun to try, it’s hard for any reviewer or retailer to do that with every ink from a specific brand, no matter how much writing they actually do. For that reason, I try to avoid making categorical pronouncements about ink brands as a whole, and do my best to write with as many different inks as I can, for as long as I can, and given an informed judgment. When you’ve used hundreds of fountain pen inks over the years, you can get a pretty good sense of how an ink will ultimately behave from your swatch book!

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From the Top: Pigmented Black (060); Deep Black (01); Raspberry Sorbet (02); Neptune (03); New Forest (04); Cassis (05); Strawberry Jam (06); Mallard (07); Loch Ness (08); Constellation (09); Dove Grey (10); Iris (11) and Juniper (12). The Pigmented Black ink is water resistant.

I’ve spent the past week or so swatching and testing a new line of nineteen different Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks, and I absolutely love some of these colors. For those unfamiliar with the brand, Tom’s Studio is a UK-based manufacturer of fountain pens, dip pens, inks, mechanical pencils, and other assorted fine writing and calligraphy supplies. I was initially hesitant to order these, since many inks sold by calligraphy-focused companies tend to be thinner and somewhat watery, in order to emphasize shading in flexible nibs. There’s nothing wrong with this, and many people enjoy such inks, but for my use case I tend to favor more saturated inks that emphasize legibility. As it turns out - no such concerns here.

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From Top: Mulberry (13); Marianas (14); Rambling Rose (15); Sunny Teal (16); Damson (17); and Marmalade (18). Some of these inks show a touch of sheen around the edges, but none of them are “sheen monsters” and none of them smear once dry.

I’ve been thrilled to discover that most of the inks in this line are well-saturated, but not so much that they smear or suffer from long dry times. My swatch book is a Midori MD Cotton F3 notebook, which handles fountain pen ink well while being semi-absorbent, so it’s a reasonable approximation of most paper that I use on a daily basis. The colors actually tend to be on the muted side, which suits my style, and I’ve found at least a half-dozen in this line that I could see turning into everyday writers. As a bit of a fun experiment, and to showcase my favorites, I thought it might be interesting to pair several of these new inks with my latest Chicago Pen Show acquisitions! Here’s what I chose:

Edison Jameson in Bexley Scheherazade Acrylic: No. 12 “Juniper”

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This gorgeous Edison Jameson in new old stock Bexley Scheherazade Acrylic was the 2024 Chicago Pen Show Exclusive!

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Tom’s Studio “Juniper” is so dark that I’d call it a purple-black. This pen needs a dark ink, but I like a hint of color!

Skogsy Low Volume Eyedropper in Beige Ebonite and Clear Acrylic: No. 13 “Mulberry”

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There was a touch of an inksplosion when I opened the bottle of “Mulberry” (No. 13), but it’s a great match for this Skogsy Low-Volume Eyedropper in clear acrylic and beige ebonite!

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These No. 8 nibs are becoming more prevalent in my collection….

Edison Collier in Dragon’s Night Acrylic: No. 8 Loch Ness

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I’ve wanted an Edison Collier for years! I finally went for this dark, translucent “Dragon’s Night” Acrylic. I chose “Loch Ness” (No. 8) for this pen.

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Loch Ness is a dark teal-black. It might match this pen a bit better if it were just a touch brighter, but I do love the ink!

Newton Prospector in D Squared “Arkansas Abalone” Resin: No. 7 Mallard

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Ok, so this Newton Pens Prospector is gorgeous but pretty much impossible to pair perfectly with any ink. I went with “Mallard” (No. 7), which draws on both the green and purple/blue in the acrylic. I believe this particular pen is sold out but keep checking over at Newton Pens for details.

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The variation and depth in this material is stunning!

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Overall, I think I’m really going to enjoy using some of these colors. Personally, the ones that speak to me the most out of this line are the dark blue-greens (“Mallard” and “Loch Ness”), as well as the deeper reds (“Cassis” and “Mulberry”). I suspect the really dark purples (“Constellation”, “Damson,” “Juniper,” and “Iris”) will also prove popular. The Tom’s Studio Inks retail in our shop at $16 for a 50ml bottle. We currently have 19 different colors available. To be clear, these inks are all appropriate for both fountain pens and the Lumos series refillable fineliners.

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My Lumos Mini in “Ivy” with No. 14 “Marianas” and a .3mm tip. It’s become my Plotter Mini 5 Pocket Pen of choice.

Further Reading (And a Giveaway Opportunity FOr Those Who Read Through to the end!)

I’ve slowly been working my way through the entire Tom’s Studio line of products, and have previously provided overviews of their “Lumos” line of refillable fineliners, the Studio Pocket Fountain Pen (with their stock Architect Nib that’s now back in stock), and more. You can view the full line of Tom’s Studio pens, pen tips and nibs, and other accessories here.

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For those of you loyal enough to read all the way to the end, we’re going to give away two bottles of Tom’s Studio Ink, and they’re both red: Cassis and Strawberry Jam! Typical TGS Giveaway Rules apply: either leave a comment on this blog post or like the Instagram Post. I will number the entries and pick two winners with a random number generator. Giveaway closes this Sunday at 11:59pm CT! It’s open to everyone but international participants may need to chip in on shipping, depending on cost. Enjoy!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We greatly appreciate all your support!

Introducing the T.G.S. Fountain Pen Ink Review Archive!

Last year, I compiled and launched an archive containing all of the T.G.S. fountain pen reviews organized by brand. This morning, I finished updating an addition: a full archive of ink reviews, organized by color family and brand. I was surprised to learn that the current total is 114 ink reviews going back to 2014! There are also some editorial “best inks for ____ purpose” posts which are organized elsewhere in the informational resources section.

A note on this archive: One of the fun things about fountain pen inks is that some of them defy categorization. An ink that might appear green to me might lean more brown or grey to others, so please don’t take any of my “labels” as definitive. I hope you enjoy, and this will be regularly updated as more reviews are completed!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We greatly appreciate your support!

Offbeat Blue Inks: Trying Darker Teals and Turquoises

While blue ink is often the “safest” fountain pen ink out there - both for your pens and your reputation at the office - using a standard blue as your daily driver can eventually start to feel stale. I love my Waterman Blue, but given how much writing I actually do on a daily basis, I always try to keep a steady stream of “alternative blues” at the ready to avoid ink burnout. One of my favorite color families to explore are dark teals and turquoises, which add variety and possibly even a touch of sophistication to your notes and/or signatures.

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Did you know that it was National Rubber Duck day at the Philly Pen Show last weekend?

Lately, I’ve focused on four inks for my core “office” rotation: Pilot Iroshizuku Sui-Gyoku, a new release which might be my current favorite from the line; Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku, an old favorite which shares many of the same tones as Sui-Gyoku, only slightly darker; Laban Poseidon Green, which I consider a blue ink despite how it’s marketed; and Wearingeul Wayfarer, a shimmer ink with subtle pink sparkles that can also be used as a standard ink if you fill the pen without first shaking the bottle.

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For my “office paper” writing sample, I chose Clairefontaine Seyes/French-Ruled.

None of these inks would typically be considered exciting, but for work they strike an appropriate balance. “Professional” doesn’t have to mean “boring” - you just have to know where to draw the line. My own rule of thumb is that the ink you use in the office shouldn’t overshadow or distract from the substance of the work you are trying to do. (i.e., You want the person whose memo you are commenting on to focus on the substance of your edits, not the fact that you wrote said edits in fluorescent orange shimmer ink.) On most standard office paper, and to the fountain-pen-uninitiated, these inks will appear blue. When you’re back at your own desk, however, writing on your quality paper of choice, you’ll enjoy the bit of dark red sheen on the Iroshizuku Inks, the shading on the Laban Poseidon Blue, and if you’re really daring, the faintest hint of pink/red shimmer on the Wayfarer!

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Writing samples on Tomoe River paper in a Hobonichi A6 Journal.

General Takeaways and Where to Buy

If I recommend an ink for “office use”, it’s because I’ve found the ink to dry relatively quickly, and to resist bleeding and feathering on all but the cheapest of papers. All three meet these requirements, and they’re also relatively inexpensive. The Iroshizuku and Laban inks are priced at under $25 for a full 50ml bottle, and while Wayfarer is a bit pricier at $22 for 30ml, you do tend to pay more for inks with special properties like shimmer. I have to add that I love the look of the Iroshizuku bottles, and have for years kept at least one on my desk at the office as a conversation piece.

If you enjoy our content and are interested in any of the inks featured, we would greatly appreciate your support by visiting and purchasing via our shop. We carry both Pilot Iroshizuku and Laban Greek Mythology Inks in the T.G.S. Curated Shop, and for brands we don’t carry (such as Wearingeul), we would refer you to our friends at Vanness Pens!

Every so slight shimmer can be work-appropriate. Just know your workplace!

Editor’s Note: Why Should You Care About Ink Color?

Whenever I write a post like this one, I receive questions and comments about “why I care what people think” about the ink I use in the office. First of all, let’s be realistic - while there are workplaces that would tolerate the use of glitter/shimmer ink on professional correspondence, many do not. You know your office and what you can get away with. For many of us, simply writing with a fountain pen - and the “messiness” it entails - pushes the envelope in and of itself.

Second, many professions (like law) require the use of certain ink colors for specific purposes, with blue the most common for signatures and official documents. In my experience, standard blue ink tends to be the most universally accepted and to behave the best on the widest range of different paper, including cheap recycled copy paper. Teals and turquoises, such as those shown here in today’s post, have mostly similar ink formulations so the performance does not change dramatically.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. We greatly appreciate your support!

Diving into Diamine Inkvent for the First Time: Days One and Two

2023 marks the first year that I’ve acquired a Diamine Inkvent Calendar and had my stuff together far enough in advance to play along here on the blog. This “project” is pure fun for me and a bit out of my comfort zone for the blog, not being known for ink reviews and also as someone who’s admittedly a bit “boring” in terms of the inks they use on a daily basis. So how’s it going? So far, so good, and as expected about 1/3 of the inks have turned out to be colors that I would use semi-regularly.

Note: In order to allow myself adequate time to photograph and video each ink, I’m currently working about five days ahead. So even though we’re technically only on “Day Two” of Inkvent, I’ve already opened and swatched through Day 5.

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How Does the Diamine Inkvent Calendar Work?

Like a typical Advent calendar. You receive a box that has 25 numbered “doors” punched into it. If you use the calendar as intended, you open one door for each day of Advent. The calendar contains 25 bottles of different inks behind each door: 24 15ml bottles and one 30ml bottle, with the latter intended to be a “special” ink opened on Christmas Day. Diamine claims these inks are all unique for each year’s Inkvent, and they have started releasing the inks in full bottles about six months later.

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What Inks Are In and Inkvent Calendar?

Diamine includes 25 different ink samples featuring “Holiday-themed” inks from across their various lines, including standard ink, Shimmer Inks, and even “Chameleon” inks (shimmer inks that change color depending on the light). This week, Door No. 1 included “Fortune’s Gold,” a gold ink with gold shimmer that leans yellow-green in different light. Door No. 2 contained “Cashmere Rose”, a dusty pink that’s more my style, and will probably end up inked soon as I have several pens getting ready to run dry and will need a refill.

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This year, I plan to use a large Col-o-Ring Folio pad to swatch all 25 inks side by side. Many thanks to my friend Ana over at the Well-Appointed Desk for supplying the large Col-o-Ring!

What Are You Going to Do with All That Ink?

Probably keep the ones I like and give away the ones I won’t use, including most of the Shimmer and Chameleon series. It’s not that I don’t enjoy playing around with these inks - I might use them to jot quick holiday messages to friends and family - but afterwards will probably pass them along since inks containing shimmer or heavy sheen don’t receive much long-term use from me.

How to Follow Along with Inkvent 2023

I won’t be posting regular Inkvent updates here on the blog - there’s simply too much ink to do individual reviews, though I might do a general overview at month’s end. I will, however, be doing daily - or as close to daily as I can manage - posts over on Instagram and YouTube, as well as posting more detailed thoughts on the inks on the Patreon Channel. If you’d like to follow along in person with your own Inkvent Calendar, we still have a few available in the shop. Enjoy the holiday season!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. If you’re looking for gift ideas, check out our 2023 Holiday Gift Guide!

Ink Review: Anderillium Viceroy Butterfly Orange and Atlas Moth Brown

Wow, do I have a large backlog of products to review! Before I left on vacation earlier this month, I had somehow ended up with 30 inked fountain pens, most of which I had intended to review (either the pen itself or the ink), but at the end of the day I figured it was best to do a reset and choose 10 or so combinations on which to focus. Today, I’m going to look at two of the inks I selected, both of which come from Anderillium: Viceroy Butterfly Orange and Atlas Moth Brown, from the recently released Lepidopteran Series.

Yes, I know it says “Monarch” - whenever I think of an orange butterfly I think of Monarchs, and apparently the two are easily confused!

As many readers already know, Anderillium is one of the brands that we stock in our own shop (full disclosure!), and we love their inks not just because they represent good value and good quality, but because we also enjoy the company’s carefully thought-out themes - typically based around nature - and their offbeat takes on classic ink colors. The initial two series of Anderillium Inks included the Cephalopod Series (squids and octopuses) and the Avian Series (Birds), so the recently released Lepidopteran Series (moths and butterflies) continues the nature trend.

There is no red ink in the Lepidopteran Series: Viceroy Butterfly Orange is a dark reddish-orange that serves that role. You can check out a picture of the full range of colors - some of which are quite unusual - at the bottom of this post.

Viceroy Butterfly Orange - which I keep trying to call “Monarch Butterfly Orange” - is a beautiful dark orange that leans heavily red. Unlike many orange inks, I’ve had no issues with nib crud forming, which is a huge bonus for an ink in this color family since orange and yellow dyes can be finicky in that regard. I chose this ink as the perfect pairing for my TWSBI Diamond 580 Sunset Yellow fountain pen. I typically enjoy pairing orange pens with a red ink (and vice-versa), and this particular ink is red enough that it accentuates the lighter orange/gold of TWSBI’s latest Diamond 580 release. This particular pen also sports a broad nib, which gave me the opportunity to test how the Anderillium ink behaved in a pen that lays down a thicker, wetter line. The end result? Viceroy Butterfly Orange is a great ink that dries relatively quickly and resists smearing. Once you consider this alongside the lack of precipitation/nib crud, you have a fabulous orange workhorse.

Atlas Moth Brown is a VERY dark brown. While you can make out the slight brown hue when it dries (particularly in a broader nib or a wet writing sample), in a finer nib this ink appears black. Also be sure to check out the writing sample below, which definitely shows green undertones, and the reverse shot of the page, which shows purple?

Atlas Moth Brown is the “Black” ink from the Lepidopteran Series. While technically a very dark reddish-hued brown, I can really only discern these undertones when this ink is wet. (Those looking for a more traditional brown should check out “Toltype Moth Warm”, which itself isn’t necessarily traditional, but will get you more shading and visible brown tones.) Like the Viceroy Butterfly Orange, Atlas Moth Brown is well-behaved. Though it dries perhaps a touch slower than the Viceroy, I experienced no bleedthrough or feathering in everyday writing except on the cheapest of copy paper. The almost-black hue when dry lends itself quite well to office use, and this ink will see a repeat run through the rotation when I have to return to the office in two weeks. :(

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In my Midori MD Cotton ink journal (which I’ve been using for my ink reviews), this ink looks almost green-black. AND then…

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On the reverse of the page, the bleedthrough from the swabs appear purple? (This bleedthrough is not reflective of everyday writing. I literally poured ink onto the page with a pipette to see what kind of sheen I could get when the very wet samples dried.) This is a truly interesting one.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’ve been extremely pleased with the performance of both inks, having written with them consistently over the past three weeks. The Viceroy Butterfly Orange in particular stands out - strike up another win for Anderillium in the yellow/orange category that includes their excellent Flapjack Octopus Orange (from the Cephalopod Series) and American Goldfinch Yellow (from the Avian Series). Orange inks, and particularly lighter oranges and golds/yellows, can be tricky to get right, as ink makers have to balance legibility with the tendency of orange dyes to precipitate and form nib crud. All three Anderillium inks strike a good balance. The Atlas Moth Brown is what I’d probably characterize as an “interesting black ink alternative,” because it dries so dark. I rarely write with pure blacks, opting for darker versions of other colors that can look black when dry, especially in a finer nib, making them good work alternatives yet at the same time less “boring”.

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You can purchase Anderillium Inks, including the two featured here, directly from us in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. As I mentioned above, both of these inks are from Anderillium’s recently released “Lepidopteran Series,” where all the inks are themed around moths and butterflies. Other series from Anderillium include the Cephalopod Series (based on squids and octopuses) and the Avian Series (based on birds). Inks are sold in individual 1.5oz widemouth bottles ($14.50) or in sets of 8 mini-bottles ($50), which allow you to sample the entire line.

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I likely won’t re-review these two pens, given that they are simply new colors of two pens that I’ve already reviewed multiple times: the TWSBI Diamond 580 and the Sailor Pro Gear. But I will say that I absolutely adore both of these editions. As I mentioned above, the TWSBI is the recent “Sunset Yellow” release, and the Pro Gear is this year’s “Moonlight over the Ocean”.

The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Anderillium Inks.