What is the Barbasol of Inks ? the Gillette Foamy ?
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Parker Quink
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Interesting thread!
Parker Quink for Barbasol, and Waterman Serenity Blue (formally Florida blue) as Foamy
Parker Quink, Sheaffer Skrip and Waterman are all good solid, no frills performers at a very good price.
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Yes , that's what I'm looking for , the classic everyday workhorse inks ; blue .
Any others ?
Shaeffer Scrip is the one in my earliest memory and in the large bottle at my dad’s office.
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Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue
Others not yet mentioned I'd suggest looking at are Diamine and J. Herbin. Reasonably priced and they've been doing ink for centuries.
I wouldn't want to compare fountain pen inks to any kind of canned goop.
Perhaps the products mentioned might be comparable, in the pen world, to any decent ballpoint refills. Too bad you left your fountain pen at home, but usable if that's what you have. Say Schmidt and Fisher.
Now for fountain pen inks, perhaps we could ask for the Van der Hagen and the Arko. For the former I might nominate Pilot/Namiki "regular" inks, Blue, Blue Black, or Black. Simple and unpretentious, and not as pricey as their excellent Iroshizuku line.
And for "Arko", well, I won't claim to be a frequent user of Hero brand inks, but there is an analogy, I think. Cheap, smelly, and works pretty darn well.
Perhaps the products mentioned might be comparable, in the pen world, to any decent ballpoint refills. Too bad you left your fountain pen at home, but usable if that's what you have. Say Schmidt and Fisher.Now for fountain pen inks, perhaps we could ask for the Van der Hagen and the Arko. For the former I might nominate Pilot/Namiki "regular" inks, Blue, Blue Black, or Black. Simple and unpretentious, and not as pricey as their excellent Iroshizuku line.
And for "Arko", well, I won't claim to be a frequent user of Hero brand inks, but there is an analogy, I think. Cheap, smelly, and works pretty darn well.
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
I’m with @Slivovitz. Ballpoints are the canned goo of the stationary world. But since Barbasol and Gillette foamy do have some classic heritage and are still beloved by many wetshavers, let’s say they are like the Parker Jotter and Bic Crystal respectively.
As some of the others have alluded to, the shaving goo world and the FP ink world don't offer 1:1 product comparisons ... and that becomes far more problematic when we don't know if your opinion of Barbasol is the same as ours. (Imagine an Arko fan asking for suggestions of "the Arko of inks" ... and we think he's asking what absolute *** he should avoid.)
If you just want classic everyday workhorse blue inks ... just say so!
I'm a big fan of Noodler's inks, which are a "love it or hate it" sort of brand. Are you looking for a darker "dignified" blue? A brighter and vibrant blue? A dark blue-black?
You will find that a lot of the "real classic" inks have sadly been discontinued. There's way too many colour variants, and performance variations, for there to be one "everyone's favourite" ink ...
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Aside from the Quink in a few Parker cartridges, I only buy Diamine inks, both bottled and in cartridges. It's very affordable, readily available (here in the UK, at least) in a myriad of colours, and it just works!
Having said that, I am about to bail on a bottle of Teal, and a bottle of Amaranth. The Teal has a nasty habit of gobbing feeds up, which none of the other colours have done to me (Twilight is a very similar colour, which has given me no issues at all). The Amaranth is sadly a colour I simply can't get along with. I did try mixing some Grape into it, but it still has a pinky tinge that I can't abide. Not a product fault, just a poor shopping decision. I am however replacing both with yet more Diamine (Bilberry and Writer's Blood).
Having said that, I am about to bail on a bottle of Teal, and a bottle of Amaranth. The Teal has a nasty habit of gobbing feeds up, which none of the other colours have done to me (Twilight is a very similar colour, which has given me no issues at all). The Amaranth is sadly a colour I simply can't get along with. I did try mixing some Grape into it, but it still has a pinky tinge that I can't abide. Not a product fault, just a poor shopping decision. I am however replacing both with yet more Diamine (Bilberry and Writer's Blood).
The Barbasol and Gillette are equivalent to ballpoint pens.
I have no idea where gel or roller ball pens come in.
However writing with a fountain pen you are in the wet shaving category of writing, maybe using a double edge razor.
The question you should be asking is what is the equivalent of Proraso or 3Ts of inks.
I have no idea where gel or roller ball pens come in.
However writing with a fountain pen you are in the wet shaving category of writing, maybe using a double edge razor.
The question you should be asking is what is the equivalent of Proraso or 3Ts of inks.
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Gel is easy. Gel pen = shaving gel. Cheap. Colorful. Trendy. Gel-y. Nothing too serious.
Proraso = Waterman Serenity Blue. Cheap. Easy to get. Gateway drug. Pretty much the benchmark for everything else.
3T's = Diamine. Been around since the 1800's. So quintessentially English you can almost hear the choir singing Rule Britannia when you crack it open. God save the Queen!
Bonus: Mitchell's Wool Fat = ESSRI. If the 3T's and Diamine aren't English enough, you need the Englishist English thing ever from Ye Merry Olde England. You need hardcore. You need a legend. No school like the old skool.
I would have thought 3Ts would be Diamine, Noodlers and Robert Oyster.
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
I guess it depends how you want to define it. To me, 3Ts=English. Also, Noodlers/Nathn Tardiff and Robert Oster are artisans, not large scale manufacturers, so remind me more of the artisan soapmakers. In fact, I think Noodlers is the Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements of inks - innovative, adventurous, eccentric and somewhat controversial proprietor, kind of a love it or hate it vibe.
Did not think of that way, but you do have a point. I got the impression that eventually everyone who is into fountain pens or inks would go for them.
Maybe 3Ts, Dr. Harris, Mitchell Wool Fat are similar to Pilot Iroshizuku, Pelikan and Montblanc. On the basis that it is mass produced and luxurious, not as niche like of AdP, Penhaligon or Floris.
How about Sailor, Lamy and maybe Diamine in AoS category.
I would put Waterman, Parker and Sheaffer under the Proraso category. Great value for money and the gold standard.
tankerjohn
A little poofier than I prefer
Works for me. Since Lamy has started to open retail stores in major cities, the comparison with AoS is a good one. Sailor doesn't have its own boutiques, but it does partner with B&M stationary shops in Japan. Close enough.
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