Work hard, play hard - whatcha “inking”?

[tankerjohn]

What is your favorite ink for work? Business appropriate color, works on crappy office paper, etc. What is your favorite “fun” ink for personal use? Or maybe your “fun” ink is for work? As a newby to fountain pens, the only ink I currently have is the cartridges that came with my pens and a bottle of Monteverde Horizon Blue that came free with the order. I’ve been reading ink stuff on the multitude of pen blogs and various “best ink for ___” lists. But I thought I’d throw out the question to y’all and would really love to know what you think.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Back when I needed a "work ink" setup, I found Noodlers X-Feather in any pen with a dryer writing fine nib to be pretty spot on, regarding not so great paper. While that ink helps cut back on feathering, the nib being on the dry side and finer helped reduce bleed through issues on all but the worst quality paper I ran into. That paper didn't even work well with like gel pens, tho. lol

For fun inks I like the stuff that has great shading properties, or the sheen sort of inks. So far I have found Monteverde's Napa Burgundy to shade nicely with medium or bigger nibs, Noodlers Black Swan in Australian Rose is another. Sheening ink I only have one, Organics Studio's Nitrogen, but really digging it for both the color and the sheen qualities.

 

[BMWRider]

For work any "plain" blue or black. Right now I have a pen inked with Schreibtinte Leipziger Schwartz. For fun inks I like the Diamine and J. Herbin glitter inks. Which one? All of them.

 

[Slivovitz]

I prefer dark blue inks, which should be appropriate for most work. I got tired of mandatory black when I was in the Navy. I prefer reasonable water resistance, but don't typically write around chemicals, so I don't worry about, say, an acetone spill.

There are a number of inks that I like, but I keep coming back to Pilot (or Namiki) Blue and Blue-Black, the latter being more blue than black. I got a bottle of De Atramentis Document Blue recently, and quite like it too, a very rich color.

Actually, nobody at work is going to object to any color that I use, within reason; invisible ink, or white ink on white paper would probably be frowned on, but I've used Sailor Jentle Doyou (brown) and Shigure (purple), Pilot Iroshizuku Yama Budo ( a sort of pinkish purple), and a couple of greens. But then, I don't write anything by hand that a customer is going to see, apart from the occasional signature.

It would be no fun for me to use a color that would be hard to read, such as light pink or yellow. And I keep returning to my blues.

 

[Doc4]

What is your favorite ink for work? Business appropriate color, works on crappy office paper, etc.

Noodler's Kung Te-cheng
Ecclesiastical Stationary Supplies Registrar's Ink

 

[Runnin_Ute]

I keep at least one pen inked with a "business appropriate" ink. Right now, that includes Pelikan 4001 Blue Black in my Pelikan 140 (F) and Waterman Serenity Blue in my 1st quarter 1948 Parker 51 Demi Vacumatic (EF I think).
Other currently inked pens and inks:
Pelikan M200 brown marbled (M) KWZI Pine Green
Pelikan M200 blue marbled (old style) (OB) Diamine Steel Blue
TWSBI 580 B stub Lamy Petrol
True Writer Silver Anniversary (F) Lamy Pacific
Platinum 3776 Century Borgogne (B) Diamine Merlot
Pelikan M200 Cognac (F) Levenger Pomegranate
Pelikan M400 White Tortoise (B) Pelikan Edelstein Olivine

I don't have to worry about "for others eyes" in my professional work setting to much, but am prepared for when I do. The copy paper we use is really bad, I have seen ink feather with some of my finest nibs. (even some EF or finer nibs)

 

[H4nk]

Nobody cares at work but odd colors stand out when you are in IT. I got Amethyst and it was OK. My wife confiscated it because it was her alma mater's color. I got a sample of Diamine Syrah and I thought it was too brown but now it is not. I work for a university and it looks a bit like our primary color. It may end up being the right color for work. Our primary color is Chicago Maroon.
I bought Monteverde Horizon Blue for home and it is really growing on me.

 

[PhillyB]

Currently loving a Christmas present from my coworker. Noodler's Baystate Blue, and using that in my Pilot Metropolitan.

Other than that, I have a Jinhao x450 with Noodler's X-Feather. I kinda swap between the two, but I also have a sample pack of Noodler's inks that I'm working through.

 

[kcore]

for work most of what I write is for my own use since the majority of stuff is all done electronically. For my fountain pens I have been using Monteverde DC Supershow Blue. I also really enjoy using Pilot Blue/Black but since I just finished my bottle I only have one pen left with some of that ink. I havent decided if im going to buy another bottle or try another brand of Blue/Black ink. If I need to sign something in black ink I just use one of my ballpoints or one of my gel pens. As long as an ink can be used in a copier its pretty much fair game to use.

 

[tankerjohn]

Thanks guys! Great replies!

In the Army, we’re also black-only for official paperwork. But then it occurred to me, as @kcore mentioned, most forms and documents these days are done electronically. Even signatures are digital! And also like @kcore noted, I can always grab a ballpoint if I do need to fill out something old school. So maybe I should loosen up and live a little.

Pilot Blue-Black seems a popular choice, here and out on the various pen blogs.

 

[StuMcB]

In my FP's im not very adventurous its Parker quink black for everything. At work as its bball points its balck again. However its currently Cross in my sheaffer award and a parker G2 black in my Caren D'arche 489

 

[captp]

Work? What the heck is that?
I would stick with a seriously dark black, like Noodler's Black (bulletproof, waterproof, probably nuclear explosion proof) or their Baystate Blue (pretty close on all the above). Both rather slow drying, but once it's dry, Damn near nothing can hurt it.

 

[Raissermesser]

What they buy. For work, I prefer the Uni-Ball Signo 207 in Ultra-Micro black. What I'm using is what I have in my desk drawer. I had so many partial pens than I'm using them up before opening a new one. At the moment it's a Foray Celio gel pen in fine point (0.5mm). It was part of a lot purchased as cheap "leave out" pens because the Pilot G2s everyone else prefers tend to walk off. The Foray Celio is an incredibly smooth pen that is just small enough for some of my work needs (hence the Ultra-Micro point - our Pilot G2s are 0.38mm). I don't know how it holds up over time.

I don't need super archival quality for work, but I do need fade resistant inks for records that might be kept for years. The Pilot G2 and, of course the Uni-Ball Signo 207 hold up well for this.

When I got my Metropolitan fine point, I used Noodlers Bad Black Moccasin, then Noodler's Black. It tended to write a little large for some applications at work, but having to almost constantly remove the cap proved annoying, and it just didn't work well under some environmental conditions.

 

[KW Driver]

Back at work, it was a Fisher Space pen in black, then fountain pens with Noodler’s Heart of Darness and 5 O’Clock Shadow.

R&H Scabiosa was a serious favorite until I saw it get wet and bleed off most of the color. Now, I’ve been using Diamine’s Registrar’s and really happy with it. I don’t do funky colors.

 

[Deacon Frank]

For work: Noodler's X-Feather in a Hero 1000 and Montblanc Midnight Blue in a Lamy Safari

For everything else: Noodler's Bad Blue Heron in a Platinum 3776, R&K Sepia or Noodler's Navy in a Lamy 2000

Just used the Platinum 3776 to sign a contract to buy a house, my first home purchase! Bad Blue Heron is a picky ink, but the cap system in the Platinum seems to alleviate the issue. It's a great ink for poor quality paper, too. X-Feather is another good ink for copy paper.

 

[Doc4]

my first home purchase!

Now you have somewhere to put a lot more pens and ink ...

 

[Frozenshades]

For work any "plain" blue or black. Right now I have a pen inked with Schreibtinte Leipziger Schwartz. For fun inks I like the Diamine and J. Herbin glitter inks. Which one? All of them.

No fancy collection here so I only have two inks, but a J. Herbin glitter ink is one of them. Stormy gray. I think it looks fantastic with the sheen of the gold glitter.

The other bottle is Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue.

 

[BMWRider]

No fancy collection here so I only have two inks, but a J. Herbin glitter ink is one of them. Stormy gray. I think it looks fantastic with the sheen of the gold glitter.

The other bottle is Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue.

Both are fine choices, I really enjoy the Stormy Gray, it is down to half a bottle.

 

[Frozenshades]

Both are fine choices, I really enjoy the Stormy Gray, it is down to half a bottle.

Well this inspired me to get a couple more, hah.

Have ordered the following:

Monteverde California Teal
Iroshizuku Bamboo forest
Iroshizuku Deep Sea

 

[Deacon Frank]

Now you have somewhere to put a lot more pens and ink ...

Haha! But no money with which to buy those pens and inks...