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Red ink?

I like Leonardo Rosso Passione (Passion Red) for a standard red. It is a true red but not too bright, and the shading is just right. It is well behaved.

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Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
Then definitely avoid Diamine Amaranth. The only ink (so far) that I've bought, which went down the drain. I do like their Red Dragon though.
Ya thanks I’m looking at red dragon but might try another brand just to spread it out. I like their ox blood but never really thought of it as a red before
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I like their ox blood but never really thought of it as a red before

I know what you mean! I suppose it depends what you/we want from a red ink. Just because an ink is reddish in colour, doesn't necessarily mean that it will serve the intended purpose, especially if that purpose is to boldly stand out from other inks on the page.

I do have a few "contrast" inks, and while they are not all red in colour, they will all serve the purpose of boldly standing out from "general use" inks.

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The uppermost six inks in this picture, are what I would use for contrast, or the role that reds inks might traditionally be used for. The "notice me, notice me" inks. Only two of them are actually red.

The bottom row are a few of the inks that I would use as a secondary "general use ink", alongside a blue or black in in my primary pen. Nice colours, dark enough for everyday use, but not bold or punchy enough to stand out like the contrast inks do. There are more of this category reds in my drawer, than there are the brighter contrast reds. I have other greens and purples for this bottom group too, but don't have any other inks that would belong in that top row. However, those two reds, three oranges, and one purple, do what I need for that (Western?) traditional red ink role.
 
I generally like J Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite as a red fountain pen ink. It seems very red to me and to have little or no orange or pink. (I am talking about the original version. I cannot quite tell from what I looked at on line just now, but there seems to be a version now with "gold sheen" in it, so not that one. I like this orginal one, and own a bottle each of a couple of other colors of the 1670 inks. My recollection is that I have not been as impressed with those and the metallic elements to them, or some of them, don't do much for me. )
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I generally like J Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite as a red fountain pen ink. It seems very red to me and to have little or no orange or pink. (I am talking about the original version. I cannot quite tell from what I looked at on line just now, but there seems to be a version now with "gold sheen" in it, so not that one. I like this orginal one, and own a bottle each of a couple of other colors of the 1670 inks. My recollection is that I have not been as impressed with those and the metallic elements to them, or some of them, don't do much for me. )

I know what you mean. I'm not one for shading, shimmer or sheen. Inconsistencies like that give me eye strain.
 
I'm not one for shading
I was trying to think whether there was ever a situation where I thought what I think of as shading was over done. I generally like shading, but shiny metallic bits and multiple colors around edges and such are what what I am usually looking for in an ink!
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
there seems to be a version now with "gold sheen" in it, so not that one

I know what you mean. I'm not one for shading, shimmer or sheen. Inconsistencies like that give me eye strain.

shiny metallic bits and multiple colors around edges and such are what what I am usually looking for in an ink!

Agreed.

I'm not looking for the ink in my old-school, traditional writing implement to be anything other than old-school and traditional.

Glitter pens and the like are for pre-adult girls. Not for middle aged men with their heads stuck in the fifties. (And I'm not specifying which fifties, either!)
 
Diamine if it is your first use. Caran D'ache if you need to have Infrared vision like Superman. And Nikita Red from Noodler's when you need an eyedropper.
 
Noodler's Ink Company of Massachusetts also makes a lovely Rattler Red with lubricating properties for piston converters that need a bit of lubrication.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
I decided to go with twsbi red. A brand of ink I haven’t tried. 70ml good price/value. Very cool bottle. It’s made in China I was assuming Japan. I loaded up a pen but haven’t put it thru the paces. Initial assessment is okay. Seems like a very wet ink. Very bright red. Some what pink possibly. I’ll need to use it during the week. The bottle comes with a strange small plastic cone like cup. Possibly for loading the pen. It doesn’t really fit the twsbi pen. And otherwise seems useless and easy to tip over if full. I just put the pen in the bottle.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
I decided to go with twsbi red. ... It’s made in China I was assuming Japan.

I would have assumed "Taiwan". TWSBI is a company based in Taiwan, but depending on who you talk to, Taiwan is actually "The Republic of China".

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... or not, if you are paid enough.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
I would have assumed "Taiwan". TWSBI is a company based in Taiwan, but depending on who you talk to, Taiwan is actually "The Republic of China".

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... or not, if you are paid enough.
I suppose you are correct. I received the twbsi ink pot today and it has a made in Taiwan sticker on it.

The red nk is great. Not as pink as I initially thought. Very wet great flow.
 
My favourite red was MB Cornpoppy red, sadly discontinued.

By the way you may want to think about using red ink when writing a letter, some people regard it as very unlucky, perhaps even fearsome of a red ink letter. In years gone by red ink was kept for Letters of Execution.
 
I decided to go with twsbi red. A brand of ink I haven’t tried. 70ml good price/value. Very cool bottle. It’s made in China I was assuming Japan. I loaded up a pen but haven’t put it thru the paces. Initial assessment is okay. Seems like a very wet ink. Very bright red. Some what pink possibly. I’ll need to use it during the week. The bottle comes with a strange small plastic cone like cup. Possibly for loading the pen. It doesn’t really fit the twsbi pen. And otherwise seems useless and easy to tip over if full. I just put the pen in the bottle.

That little plastic cone is for helping fill pens and helping use as much of the ink in the bottle as possible. If you insert it into the bottle you can fill the little cup by hold the bottle upside down and after a few seconds or so the cup will fill. You can find more info online and utoob.

I know you already picked a colour, I like Diamine Oxblood, I want to add writer's blood to my small arsenal.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
That little plastic cone is for helping fill pens and helping use as much of the ink in the bottle as possible. If you insert it into the bottle you can fill the little cup by hold the bottle upside down and after a few seconds or so the cup will fill. You can find more info online and utoob.

I know you already picked a colour, I like Diamine Oxblood, I want to add writer's blood to my small arsenal.
I like the oxblood too. But it’s not red red. The twsbi red has been good. Regarding the little cup. It’s hard to even comprehend the explanation. If I ever tried that I’d be wearing that bottle of ink. 😁
 
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