SIRIUS’ SPILLED INK STAINS

Notes and stains from fountain pen inks.

INK INDEX

Ink index organised by Brand from A to Z.

DE ATRAMENTIS
INKS

De Atramentis are well known for their high-quality, handmade fountain pen inks. They’re made in Germany by Dr Franz-Josef Jansen, using dyes sourced from within Europe.

De Atramentis Pearlescent Gold Ink

Ink Review #1

Bordeaux Red-Gold

On the De Atramentis website, Bordeaux Red-Gold is described as a deep red ink with gold shimmer.

However, in my swatch on Clairefontaine 90gsm paper, the base colour looks more like a soft pink. This could be down to sunlight exposure over time, which may have caused the dye to fade. I did buy my bottle of Bordeaux Red-Gold second-hand, though, so that’s really just speculation.

In my writing sample (written with a Jinhao x750 fountain pen, medium nib), you can see quite a bit of shading. Where the ink looks darker, there’s a lot more shimmer pigment. One thing worth noting is that I didn’t use the flash as directly when taking the writing sample compared to the ink swatch, as the golden shimmer can really overpower the writing at certain angles.

Above is a rather fun swatch showing what Bordeaux Red-Gold looks like in full light (or flash, in this case). The writing on this swatch was done using a glass dip nib attachment for my Jinhao x82 that I got from Aliexpress. The stamp design is Essence of Death by LuFish Co.

Below you’ll find links to all the equipment used:
Please note that all Amazon and AliExpress links are affiliate links.

  • Clairefontain Triomphe Writing Pad 90gsm | Amazon

  • De Atramentis Pearlescent Bordeaux Red-Gold | De Atramentis

  • Jinhao x750 fountain pen, medium nib | AliExpress

  • Jinhao x82 fountain pen | Aliexpress

  • Glass dip nib attachment for Jinhao x82 | Aliexpress

  • LuFish Co. Essence of Death Magic Ink Swatch Stamp | Etsy

Diamine Inks

Diamine have been making ink since 1964. Founded by Thomas Webster, they’re one of the last remaining ink manufacturers in the UK. The company set up its production facility in Liverpool in 1925 and has remained in the same area ever since. Diamine is a family-run business that specialises in high-quality fountain pen inks, as well as calligraphy.

Diamine's Fountain Pen Inks

Inks from Diamine’s standard 111-colour range, available in both 30 ml and 80 ml bottles, organised alphabetically from A to Z.

Ink Review #2

Amazing Amethyst

Amazing Amethyst is a medium to dark, muted purple ink with a slightly warm, reddish tone.

As always, I’ve used Clairefontaine Triomphe 90 gsm paper for all of my swatches and the writing sample. In the sample itself there’s no sheening, though I think it’s worth noting that others have reported this ink sheening. On the plus side, there’s a bit of shading, which is always something I enjoy in a fountain pen ink.

For the writing sample, I’ve written the first sentence of Chapter 1 from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Overall, it's harder to see the shading when it comes to the writing sample.

This is just another fun way for me to swatch inks. The stamp design is by LuFish Co. and is called Essence of Death.

This is an actual swatch card and the design is of the Begonia window grilles from Hong Kong, designed by Lucia/LuFish Co. I thought it would be a fun addition, just to see how the ink looks on a different type of paper. And again, you can really see the shading!I only have a 3 ml sample of Amazing Amethyst, but after seeing these swatches, I’m thinking of picking up a 30 ml bottle—especially since Diamine inks are so affordable.(If you're not based in Europe, it's usually cheaper to buy Diamine inks from a European retailer. My go-to is Cult Pens).

Below you’ll find links to all the equipment used:
Please note that all Amazon and AliExpress links are affiliate links.

Ink Review #3

Ancient Copper

Ancient Copper is a dark orange-red ink with shading and a brown sheen.

Clairefontaine 90 gsm Triomphe paper was used for all of these swatches, as it really brings out the ink’s properties and is something I’ve found to be quite affordable.

I did two brush stroke swatches for this ink, as the first one didn’t really show much of the lighter shades or the sheen you can get with it.

There’s some shading in the writing sample, which, as usual, is taken from the first chapter of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

For the most part, when used in a wetter nib or laid down more thickly on the page, the ink looks fairly uniform in colour.

This is a Hubble-A ink swatch card by Colorverse, showing both the ink’s shading and its brown sheen. I thought it would be fun to see how it looks on a different type of paper. I got these swatch cards from Goldspot.I use this ink quite a lot, though apparently not enough to commit to a full 80 ml bottle, despite already owning two 30 ml bottles. I’ll practice a bit of self-restraint and only pick up another 30 ml bottle once both of these are empty (even though Diamine is affordable in England).Overall, it’s a lovely colour and, like other Diamine inks, it behaves well in fountain pens. A great choice for anyone who enjoys orange-red inks.(If you're not based in Europe, it's usually cheaper to buy Diamine inks from a European retailer. My go-to is Cult Pens).

Below you’ll find links to all the equipment used:
Please note that all Amazon and AliExpress links are affiliate links.

Ink Review #4

Autumn Oak

Autumn Oak is a saturated orange-yellow ink with brown tones, and it shows medium shading.

As with all my swatches and writing samples, I use a Clairefontaine Triomphe 90 gsm writing pad.

The writing sample shows a lot of the lovely shading you can get with this ink. If it were any lighter, it would probably be harder to read, and I’d be a bit hesitant to use it in anything smaller than a medium nib.

The writing sample is taken from the first chapter of The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

When using a glass dip pen, the writing initially comes out as a solid, deep orange-brown. In the stamp swatch, you can really see the ink’s shading, especially in the neck of the bottle on the Essence of Death stamp by LuFish Co.

This swatch card is from The Hong Kong Colour Archive: Ink Swatch Cards by LuFish Co. I think it does a great job of showing the range of tones you can get from this ink, from pale yellow through to orange-red, with a slight brown undertone.

I find this ink works well on its own, but it’s also great for mixing, which makes it really versatile overall. The dry time is pretty standard for Diamine inks, and it behaves fairly well, especially considering that yellow inks tend to be quite dry regardless of the brand.

This ink is particularly special to me, as it was the very first fountain pen ink I ever bought. I have the 80 ml bottle and have only used about half of it, even though I’ve had it for years now. It’s also the ink that kicked off my collection, which has somehow grown to over 100 bottles.

Below you’ll find links to all the equipment used:
Please note that all Amazon and AliExpress links are affiliate links.

Ink Review #5

Bilberry

Diamine Bilberry is a very dark violet with a beautiful copper sheen.

In the writing sample, there isn’t much visible shading, but you can see the sheen where the ink was laid down more thickly.

In the stamp swatch, the colour is pretty solid throughout. The glass dip pen writing shows some sheen, which is to be expected with this ink.

In this ink swatch, you can see the ink’s sheening qualities. The colour appears lighter in this image, and I’m not entirely sure why, as the swatch was made using the same sample. The swatch card used is from The Hong Kong Colour Archive: Ink Swatch Cards by LuFish Co.

Below you’ll find links to all the equipment used:
Please note that all Amazon and AliExpress links are affiliate links.