This is a very interesting question Chris. Work used to influence my pen and ink choices, now it's primarily mood. Kind of like choosing what I'm going to wear.
If the pen I chose has a distinct colour I'm compelled to choose a matching ink colour (same or complementary), so a green pen either gets a green ink or a purple/violet one. If the pen is black, I'm free to choose. However I always try to test some new colours and I've more inks any sane person would need. Sometimes the choice is depending on the season. I have some beautiful pens in an autumn finish and then Diamine Autumn Oak is a must. I just ordered some of the Diamine Inkvender inks and they might become my holiday inks.
Hi Stephan - oh I didn't realize the Inkvent inks were now available. That was such a cool offering from Diamine. I didn't get it because I'm in such an ink sample overstock situation here! :) But the idea is so cool.
@@ChrisSaenz13 Officially the series is called "Diamine Inkvent Blue Edition Ink" (Here in Germany they are named "Inkvender Tinten"). They are in cute 50 ml bottles and cost a bit more than the standard 80 ml bottles and regardless of the name they contain all kinds of colours not just blue inks. Maybe they'll start a "Red Edition" next year.
It may be strange, but I still have more pens than inks. And I still love my outstanding fountain pens a bit more than my amazing inks, whatever that means. I reckon I usually (not always) match pen colour with inks. For black pens, anything I especially fancy will do. Even my favourite black inks. And for clear demonstrators I choose ink colours with a lot of thought and intention. I’m also never afraid to use unconventional, catchy ink colours in conventional settings and writing situations. Also like you, Chris, I’ve for long been most fond of broad and stub nibs. And lately, italic nibs are my new love. Choosing inks for my pens is always an added pleasure because I know my pens with those nibs will always do justice to the splendid inks I put in them.
For me it all depends on what has just come in - ink or a new pen. Generally, it's the ink so I just decide which pen I want to see it in (or nib). But if it happens to be a new pen, then I decide the perfect ink for its maiden voyage. Wonderful video! Thanks for sharing. And I have to add, it would blow my mind to have to choose from the number of inks you have. ;-)
Your system makes a lot of sense. I've been in the hobby for approximately four years and haven't worked out a system for myself. You have inspired me! The only consistency I've had is red and green ink in December for Christmas cards. Thanks for your informative and entertaining videos!
Hallo - thanks for sharing - it's always nice to have a visit with you. I notice how clean and tidy your desk is today - it's looking lovely! I know that Cocoa has resulted in having to keep everything much more in order, but it looks like you've been busy as always and have rationalised things a little bit. I like your little notice board with your cat pictures! In the 1970s I was given two fountain pens when I left home for University - a steel Parker, and a small medium nib black Parker of some kind - someone suggested it might have been a 21. I used those throughout my studies, with Quink - I had a bottle of black and of blue - I don't much like writing with blue ink (even still) so I would mix them to get a blue-black, which I don't think was available to buy. Well, that paints a picture right off, doesn't it! Ink matters. Later on, in the 80's I fell in love with and bought an expensive Waterman Lady in gold - it was beautiful but very heavy. I also discovered artists drawing inks ... that was the trouble - I did NOT know they were not suitable for FPs and I ended up having such trouble with clogged feeds that I (how STUPID of me) ended up not using the pens, thinking they were damaged and throwing them away (MAJOR mistake and I keep kicking myself now)! ... but clearly INK MATTERS - I made this horrendous mistake because the colour of ink matters! Lately, having decided once more to use FPs, I have officially got TOO MANY PENS - but the overwhelming majority of them are very cheap. I have a few more expensive ones, but probably the total number that cost more than £20 can't be more than 15 or 20. Where I spend proper money on a pen I will always choose a stub nib - that's always important if I have a choice. I have replaced nibs on a few of the cheap pens, but not many. Those fine and extrafine nibs are useful for writing on the very common crap paper which is everywhere! - and was prevalent when I was in work. Now I'm not n work perhaps I should review my stash of pens! However (get to the point, wumman!) for me, the point of having a FP is the INK! The vast array of colours and other characteristics of modern inks just Was. Not. Available when I started, hence mixed Quink and disastrous art inks! I don't have a LOT of inks but I do make sure that I can represent the complete colour palette and rainbow! I love the colours, shading and sheen available - I like the THOUGHT of sparkles, but don't want the cloggs, so avoid those. I recently had an EVENT with a sample of Troublemaker ink that I was trying to inject into a converter using a very fine needle - it kept shooting off the syringe and everything apart from the converter was inked - I was comprehensively splattered. And I knocked over the sample to boot ... but when I slopped up the mess ... the shine, gold sheen from what I have to assume were particles, was amazeballs! However the capsized vial removed the issue - almost none left! I am currently on an ink-buying embargo because I have about 40 samples Plus new ink bottles I haven't swatched yet!!! ... in fact I've decided not to swatch the samples in as much detail as I usually do! I always have too many pens inked. When was in work I carried a pen case with at least 10 pens inked ... plus highlighters, pencils etc - too much. Now I don't need that but I still have those pens in it. Inked. And I always keep pens with notebooks in use - too many! AND since I'm not doing much writing ... well, housekeeping work is well overdue. I like to chose colours for the specific pen too - but not always to match - sometimes to complement the pen, from the other edge of the colour wheel. And I hardly ever use black ink - there are too many other colours! I have a couple of black pens which I think of as stealth pens - usually inked with very shockingly bright colours like pink or orange. Works for me. I try to change the ink once each pen is empty. I KNOW you're supposed to wash them out, but I don't always do that - sometimes the resulting change in shade from old ink to new is very pleasing! - it has never caused me problems to be honest, and can be a little adventure. I'm such a slattern, am't I !
Hi Margret - 40 samples sounds so good to me. Manageable. Ah yes Coco ... he is such a rascal I had to switch to staples on my bulletin board -- he was pulling off the push pins/thumb tacks I'm not sure what you call them there. He really keeps me on my toes. Ah that's sad about the ink issues back when ... I know back then we didn't have Brian Goulet or even really good instruction manuals. Good thing I only used ink cartridges in the 70s. :) It's so good to hear from you my friend!!!!
I am a total newbie to fountain pens, and I’m still determining which pen(a) to purchase first. I’ve spent many hours over the past month doing research and watching videos, all very helpful! I just found your channel, Chris, and I really enjoy your content. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and perspectives.
Hi Kay + welcome! I'm so glad you found us!!! Also, just in case you have missed it -- Goulet Pens has a cool Fountain Pen 101 series that is a must see: ua-cam.com/play/PL1AEFDC6AC935BAFC.html
I woke up this morning wondering how you use monthly pens and inks - and I knew you had done a video. I am so overwhelmed with the amount of choices I have. This video was so helpful. Thank you 🥰
Hi Charmi -- I was just thinking about this video. I know that I'm a bit weird in how I over-focus on inks!!! When I get a new pen that I'm excited about I still choose the ink with how it's going to look on the page in mind ... but literally .... I enjoy choosing my inks first then going into my pen case(s) and searching out the perfect pen/nib for that ink. That's why there are so many repeats in pen choice for my Chris' Inked Pens I think .... I have nib favorites!!!! LOL Some people have told me they even put their pens in a separate case after use so that they have to choose different ones the next week/month. Happy choosing!!!! I know the struggle is real...!
Definitely an ink person. I'm at a very nice pen and bottle and sample amount, so I made a chart so all my pens can try all my bottled inks before I decide on permanent inkings. Decision Roulette helps a bit, especially for samples that might get neglected.
Hi Astrid - those are great ideas! I know I've been going thru ink after ink searching for the right ink for my Pilot Vanishing Point. (for example) And I definitely need to try decision roulette for some sample color families that I take too much time debating each month!
All the BOTTLES of ink i own have a certain color & quality i like (high/low shading/sheen, gold/silver/blue shimmer, dark light coloring, with the rare exception of rarity/exclusivity of the ink). The SAMPLES i buy are merely to test if any of those inks are better to replace my current bottle, so relatively utilitarian in my color/attribute choice for whatever i need it for; but i wont go near yellows or grays, they just aren't fun for me to use, tried samples, meh'd them all.
Hi Robert - I'm the same about yellow but I love grey inks! Your process sounds so good - and makes sense fully to me! I often wonder who would I be (ink/pen wise) if I hadn't leaped into reviewing inks. :)
Hi Chris! I think I'm a little of both. I usually start with what pen I want to use, then it may be one that I match but I don't color match all my pens. Sometimes, I'm just really in the mood for a particular ink and then I'll think about which pen would be fun to go with it. I'm trying to shrink the number of pens I have inked at one time, because sometimes I have too many and then one will sit there too long and dry out.
Thank you, Chris. Glad to see you looking well I hope everything is good with the family. I am very much driven, if I had to say or be shot. by ink, although pens are also a big part of it. I sympathize about black inks, I brought samples of most commercially available black inks ages ago and I've just started using them. For example, I will fill a pen and use all the sample in that pen (assuming there are no issues with flow, etc..). I am finding that black really has many guises and is really as diverse as other colours , although it's much more subtle. At present, I use one black in one pen than when that's finish I fill another. If you filled all your pens with black it would be a little depressing although there is nothing wrong with black. Wishing you and your family good health and happiness. :-)
Hi Matthew!!! I remember the one black ink review I did do, I was astonished at the subtle differences on the comparison panel even so I know just what you mean about the differences! I thought you might be a primarily ink camp person! Of course pens are great too!!! :) Take good care my friend - all is well here although we admit to some restless times of boredom and blah. I think we're not alone in that!
I’m definitely in for the inks, but I love the pens, too. I find my mood dictates where I lean though - either I want to write with specific pen, or I have to try out an ink. The newer the item, the more on my mind it is. 😂
@@ChrisSaenz13 well I wish you a good journey thru your inks. I only have a few bottles.. All but one are Birmingham pen inks. I am always afraid to ink too many pens at one time of fear of drying up. I also wanted to let you know I made a few if the passport booklets you shared in another video. I also made a c few leather covers to hold three at a time.
Inks first. Pens second. As soon as a pen runs out I clean it and put it away. Find a new ink I want to use and then look for a clean pen to put it in. For colorful inks demonstrator pens. Dark inks in closed pens. If I'm journaling or note taking on a particular subject I usually stay with one color til I'm through with that subject. E.g. I have a journal for notes on Stoicism .. always use Diamine Red Dragon. Sometimes I'll use a different color in it to highlight a quote. But I want the Red Dragon to be the major color for that journal. Peace, Mark
Mark, have you been following SBRE's series on Stiocism? I've watched only one or two but plan to go through the whole eventually - he's so clear and engaging!
Hi Mark! Oh that's a really good way to ink - dark inks in closed pens - it surely would help with the clean out and staining issues I sometimes encounter. I tend to keep 2 or 3 pens inked with grey ink they are my steady primary journaling inks for my bullet journal and quick notes then I come in and use color for emphasis. My primary 8 pens are 95% letter writing. That's cool you have a Stoicism journal. I have a big segment of notes from "How to be a Stoic" in my 3rd bullet journal which I reference often.
Bums. this is really sensible and I love it and I should do it but I know I don't have the discipline or logic and I have too many pens inked up all the time so I use the one that comes to hand first and I wish I was more like you because this is so cool! ... OK note to self : breathe ...
I usually pick both with pens and inks. And I tend to just put together the ones I want to work with. But that has gotten me some terrible combinations, and they have been learning experiences. Thanks so much for sharing! 🧡🖋
Hello Chris, thank you for the video. I have a bottle of the Twisbi blue/black on order so I was very pleased to see this review. I like Diamine Oxford Blue and Waterman Blue/Black as well. I find that I can use about half a bottle and then I get bored and have to change colour, somehow a sample is just not enough. Stay well and best wishes.
I try ink in every nib size. I would like to have more pens so I could see how ink performs in different pen, there are wetter and drier pens so thats interesting but I like both pens and inks. I wish to find that one favourite pen for my inks.
Yes same here testing ink in different nib sizes. Sometimes you get dark writing out of a fine where the same ink with broad gives completely different light shades. I have a green that is spruce dark in fine but almost lime yellow in broad.
I do ink first! I decorate my journal every week so I base the ink on the theme I choose and then pick the pen based on the ink. I often repeat colors throughout the month, but there is always one or two that change each week. Ink first, pen second! 😃
Hi @michellet5978 oh that's just how I used to do my selecting! Now, just recently in fact, I often have an idea of the pens first ... but in my heart the ink is the main thing lol.
My choices on the whole are random. Though if I get any new inks or pens, I do like to try them out. At the moment I'm using one pen per week (in a bid to determine which ones I want to get rid of) so my choice of pen is determined simply by the fact that it's the next one in the pen case. Inks are very disorganised and they are not even sorted into colour families. I did purchase 5 bottles of Diamine inks last week, which arrived yesterday, so I will be trying those out. Initially, I was trying to find a bottle of Holbein Special Black to use for drawing, but couldn't find any for sale in the U.K. and somehow ended up with 5 bottles of ink on my shopping trip 😂😂😂
Hi Annie! Are you finding that you want to keep every pen? Or are some easy to know right away that a week is too long to write with it? LOL I have very few I'd want to write with all day for a week but some that work great for note-taking but not letter writing. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 I have identified pens that I want to get rid of. Writing with the same pen all week has not bothered me, and I have not found any that I don't actually want to write with. One thing that I have found out from this exercise is that I am enjoying fine nibs more than I was. I'd got it into my head that I prefer writing with a 1.1 stub nib, and pens with fine nibs didn't really get used. Writing with a fine nib all week has certainly changed that mindset. When it's been a week where I've used a vintage pen, that has invariably ended up with me using the same ink for the whole week, which is definitely not ideal. This is purely because I really detest cleaning those pens out and one of the reasons why most of the vintage pens will probably end up in the "pens to get rid of" pile. Other pens that are in that pile are there because of size, weight, design, quality etc. I think it's week 21 now, so 21 pens thoroughly tested, but I've still a lot of pens yet to get through 😂
“Overwhelmed by blue”. . . That is my fondest wish! Nearly half of my bottles and samples are blue, and I always want more. This was a fun video. I’ve wondered about your selection process too. I’m happiest when I choose the inks that call to me.
Hi Mary - during this process I realized I'm probably only trying 1 or 2 blue inks a month this might be why I'm overwhelmed .. by the ones I have yet to try. Maybe it's time for a blue month. :)
I did an all blue month in April, a different bottled ink each day. In May, I’m doing a different blue sample each day. Yes, two months of blue inks and I’m not tired yet! In fact, I think I might do any blues I haven’t sampled yet in June. :-0
Thanks for your video - I've often wondered how to choose what colors to put into what pens. At the moment, I only have 1 of each: one pen and one ink. But, that will change soon! I'm definitely team Ink! There are just so many color choices, and cool bottles! I'm struggling to decide which one to buy, so I'm looking into an ink flight. Any recommendations?
Hi Fountain Pen Teacher! I would recommend trying out MANY different brands of ink through samples ... I wish I had done that sooner in my fountain pen path. And now I'm realizing that even a more costly ink can be worth it if I write with it and love it - so I would not be afraid to try Bungubox, Akkerman and Pelikan Edelstein inks! Ink Flight is great because you get to try out inks from all different makers in a variety of colors!!! I discovered I really love Straights Pen Honest Inks and Taccia inks! Have fun!!!!
that shell box looks like what my dad used to keep his shot gun shells in . oh i think ink is my passion along with vintage pens . If you ever find yourself in Houston check out Dromgooles they have been in business since 1961 yeah 59 yrs and the address is 2515 Rice Blvd Houston Tx 77005. I heard from one of my pen pals they just love that store and they browse and buy . They love it .i can truly say i dislike jinhao pens very much but that is me .
Hi phonelady61 -- oh I love Dromgoole's - I've never been there in person but they are awesome to order from online!!! Hopefully I'll get to go there in person one day!!! Yes, the boxes are intended for shot gun shells -- it's such a cool way though to organize ink samples! :)
Hi Chris, this video raises a question I’ve had for some time. Inks vary from wet to dry and so do pens. It’s hard to keep track! Can you help me understand how to pair the “best” pen for a certain ink? I get so frustrated when I go through them process of inking up a pen and then find it gushes out or doesn’t flow or whatever. If you don’t have time to answer this, can you refer me to a website, etc., ? Thanks!
Hi Alexdandra - I wish it were an easy answer in terms of pen/ink match ups - it just varies SO MUCH and paper has a big role as well. As far as just determining wet vs dry inks you might check out Brian Goulet's video: ua-cam.com/video/i2pn5uAH_jU/v-deo.html
Hi Jessica - oh I wish you did too! My Mom has just one room and private bathroom ... she's pretty amazing how she organizes everything - you just wouldn't believe how she has her room set up! :) I fought for this odd sized (long/narrow) room I work in because we just don't use it as a dining room anymore and so we compromised and my husband let me have this room but we put the dining table in one of the bedrooms ... it's pretty weird. :)
Chris Saenz lol not weird. I have my moms kitchen table in my living room in front of the window. Its a nice table and makes a pretty good work table. I inherited alot of her furniture when she passed away last years. Youre always so organized!! Im in the ink camp. I get bored and switch inks like crazy especially if it came from a bottle. That being said i just got the lamy studio and pilot vp both in matte black. Glad you have your own space!!
I do love inks, and I'm always looking for new shades I love, but inks are a distant6 second to the pens. Even in retirement, I write five or more hours every day, so it's the pens that keep me going. I seldom buy ink samples. I watch reviews, ones that don't rely on swatches. I've yet to see an ink swatch that looks the same as the ink looks when used in one of my pens. If I like what I see in a review, I buy as large a bottle of the ink as I can find. If it turns out that I don't like it, I give it to a pen friend. Or sometimes break it up into samples and give it to several friends. I do sometimes buy cartridges of a new ink because I like using them when away from home, and it's a fairly cheap test. But this is rare. As for picking which inks to use, I give away far more inks than I keep. Purple, green, and burgundy are my favorite colors, so this is where I do the most searching. But I've found inks I truly love in each color, so something had to be very, very new and different to knock one of these out of rotation. For me, it's simple. I have seven inks I love. I use them routinely, month after month after month. Only two new inks have forced their way into this set of standards in the last year: Private Reserve Orange Crush, and Private Reserve Plum. PR Plum is my current favorite ink. I love it. Outside of these seven standard inks, I change colors only when I'm writing to a pen friend, and know their favorite color. I'll use that color in letters,, but often will include a separate page with a writing sample in a new ink I've found. Anyway, choosing which inks to use is easy for me. I stick to my favorites until and unless a new ink beats out an old favorite. Until a couple of months ago, choosing pens was almost impossible. I simply had too many pens. I like using things i own, and if I can't use them, I get rid of them. But I allowed my pen collection to grow far beyond what I could possibly use. So I sold every pen I had that was worth more than a hundred dollar, all to one collector. I wanted to start over, and doing so feels wonderful. With one exception, I have only a few gold nibs remaining, all of them pens that came with steel nibs, and that I added gold nibs to. They're all pens I love, and like inks, it takes something special to make me move one into the "don't use this month" category. That one exception is a Sailor 1911 Large that I just bought. It's a pretty cheap pen, but has a 21k nib, and writes like a dream. I'm going to slowly and carefully select seven or eight more pens, and then stop. I'm not a collector, I'm a writer. I use fountain pens because of how enjoyable they make the writing process. I use fine and medium nibs. I don't like broad nibs at all because my handwriting is simply too small. I don't like stub nibs because I greatly prefer to use dip pens with flex nibs, and other specialty nibs, for anything that I want to make fancy. I have nine pens on a pen rack that sits at the back middle of my writing desk. These hold my seven favorite inks, plus one with Noodler's Heart of Darkness, and one with Monteverde Ruby, which is the brightest, reddest, wettest, most in your face red I've ever used. I need black, red, and green for much of my daily work, which is why the last two are on the rack. I do try new inks, and I do try a new pen fairly often, but I seldom keep either. I'm just not a collector, with inks or with fountain pens. I have the few pens and inks I love. That's enough. First and foremost, I'm a writer. I love writing with my few favorite pens, using my few favorite inks. It's wonderful. But I love dip pens, as well. I can go weeks using nothing except dips pens. I also love antique mechanical pencils, and three or four modern mechanical pencils. There are also rollerball pens on the market now that write as smoothly, and with as little pressure, as a fountain pen. I'm making this much more complicated than it really is. I have a few favorite pens, and I have a few favorite inks. I use them pretty much day in and day out. WHAT I write comes first, what I write it WITH comes second, and the ink I use comes third. I just don't have many decisions to make where pen and iink are concerned. My biggest decision is whether to use a fountain pen, a dip pen, a rollerball pen, a mechanical pencil, or even a hand cut quill.
Hi James! It's so interesting and helpful to read your perspective on your pens and inks! I've had a high level of frustration because I over acquired cheap pens ... I know cheap means different $ amounts to different people so in my case I'm talking about $5 or $10 and less. I have only 3 pens worth $100 -- one was a gift from a viewer, one was from a drawing I won and the 3rd is my Pilot Vanishing Point that I purchased. I've always written a lot ... journaling has been a big thing for me for most of my life. I'm happy as long as I have notebooks and pens and I use many types of pens for journaling but only fountain pens for letter writing. At times I truly think that having a relatively small budget/allowance affects how I go about things ... it probably shouldn't matter because small frequent purchases add up to a big amount of $. But I'm learning. :)
This is a very interesting question Chris. Work used to influence my pen and ink choices, now it's primarily mood. Kind of like choosing what I'm going to wear.
Hi Cathy - that's a good comparison! I'm heavily influenced by color with my shirts - jeans are the other part of my "uniform" lol.
If the pen I chose has a distinct colour I'm compelled to choose a matching ink colour (same or complementary), so a green pen either gets a green ink or a purple/violet one. If the pen is black, I'm free to choose. However I always try to test some new colours and I've more inks any sane person would need. Sometimes the choice is depending on the season. I have some beautiful pens in an autumn finish and then Diamine Autumn Oak is a must. I just ordered some of the Diamine Inkvender inks and they might become my holiday inks.
Hi Stephan - oh I didn't realize the Inkvent inks were now available. That was such a cool offering from Diamine. I didn't get it because I'm in such an ink sample overstock situation here! :) But the idea is so cool.
@@ChrisSaenz13 Officially the series is called "Diamine Inkvent Blue Edition Ink" (Here in Germany they are named "Inkvender Tinten"). They are in cute 50 ml bottles and cost a bit more than the standard 80 ml bottles and regardless of the name they contain all kinds of colours not just blue inks. Maybe they'll start a "Red Edition" next year.
It may be strange, but I still have more pens than inks. And I still love my outstanding fountain pens a bit more than my amazing inks, whatever that means. I reckon I usually (not always) match pen colour with inks. For black pens, anything I especially fancy will do. Even my favourite black inks. And for clear demonstrators I choose ink colours with a lot of thought and intention. I’m also never afraid to use unconventional, catchy ink colours in conventional settings and writing situations. Also like you, Chris, I’ve for long been most fond of broad and stub nibs. And lately, italic nibs are my new love. Choosing inks for my pens is always an added pleasure because I know my pens with those nibs will always do justice to the splendid inks I put in them.
Hi Sajjad - oh yes the broad and stub nibs just show the ink qualities and color so very well!
Chris Saenz ...Yea, any ink owes a special thank you to broads and stubs for enhancing its appearance on the page. 🙂
For me it all depends on what has just come in - ink or a new pen. Generally, it's the ink so I just decide which pen I want to see it in (or nib). But if it happens to be a new pen, then I decide the perfect ink for its maiden voyage. Wonderful video! Thanks for sharing. And I have to add, it would blow my mind to have to choose from the number of inks you have. ;-)
Hi Donna - it is a mixed blessing to have so many samples. I'm glad I'm not getting more anytime soon. :)
I am in it for the inks. I am new to the hobby, and I got lured in by those great videos by Goulet.
Hi Thomas - they have such great videos - Brian Goulet seems to love ink too!! :)
Your system makes a lot of sense. I've been in the hobby for approximately four years and haven't worked out a system for myself. You have inspired me! The only consistency I've had is red and green ink in December for Christmas cards. Thanks for your informative and entertaining videos!
Hi Andrew - thank you! This seems to work for me now and I get a fairly good variety of inks going in my pens each month!
Hallo - thanks for sharing - it's always nice to have a visit with you. I notice how clean and tidy your desk is today - it's looking lovely! I know that Cocoa has resulted in having to keep everything much more in order, but it looks like you've been busy as always and have rationalised things a little bit. I like your little notice board with your cat pictures!
In the 1970s I was given two fountain pens when I left home for University - a steel Parker, and a small medium nib black Parker of some kind - someone suggested it might have been a 21. I used those throughout my studies, with Quink - I had a bottle of black and of blue - I don't much like writing with blue ink (even still) so I would mix them to get a blue-black, which I don't think was available to buy. Well, that paints a picture right off, doesn't it! Ink matters. Later on, in the 80's I fell in love with and bought an expensive Waterman Lady in gold - it was beautiful but very heavy. I also discovered artists drawing inks ... that was the trouble - I did NOT know they were not suitable for FPs and I ended up having such trouble with clogged feeds that I (how STUPID of me) ended up not using the pens, thinking they were damaged and throwing them away (MAJOR mistake and I keep kicking myself now)! ... but clearly INK MATTERS - I made this horrendous mistake because the colour of ink matters!
Lately, having decided once more to use FPs, I have officially got TOO MANY PENS - but the overwhelming majority of them are very cheap. I have a few more expensive ones, but probably the total number that cost more than £20 can't be more than 15 or 20. Where I spend proper money on a pen I will always choose a stub nib - that's always important if I have a choice. I have replaced nibs on a few of the cheap pens, but not many. Those fine and extrafine nibs are useful for writing on the very common crap paper which is everywhere! - and was prevalent when I was in work. Now I'm not n work perhaps I should review my stash of pens!
However (get to the point, wumman!) for me, the point of having a FP is the INK! The vast array of colours and other characteristics of modern inks just Was. Not. Available when I started, hence mixed Quink and disastrous art inks! I don't have a LOT of inks but I do make sure that I can represent the complete colour palette and rainbow! I love the colours, shading and sheen available - I like the THOUGHT of sparkles, but don't want the cloggs, so avoid those. I recently had an EVENT with a sample of Troublemaker ink that I was trying to inject into a converter using a very fine needle - it kept shooting off the syringe and everything apart from the converter was inked - I was comprehensively splattered. And I knocked over the sample to boot ... but when I slopped up the mess ... the shine, gold sheen from what I have to assume were particles, was amazeballs! However the capsized vial removed the issue - almost none left! I am currently on an ink-buying embargo because I have about 40 samples Plus new ink bottles I haven't swatched yet!!! ... in fact I've decided not to swatch the samples in as much detail as I usually do!
I always have too many pens inked. When was in work I carried a pen case with at least 10 pens inked ... plus highlighters, pencils etc - too much. Now I don't need that but I still have those pens in it. Inked. And I always keep pens with notebooks in use - too many! AND since I'm not doing much writing ... well, housekeeping work is well overdue.
I like to chose colours for the specific pen too - but not always to match - sometimes to complement the pen, from the other edge of the colour wheel. And I hardly ever use black ink - there are too many other colours! I have a couple of black pens which I think of as stealth pens - usually inked with very shockingly bright colours like pink or orange. Works for me.
I try to change the ink once each pen is empty. I KNOW you're supposed to wash them out, but I don't always do that - sometimes the resulting change in shade from old ink to new is very pleasing! - it has never caused me problems to be honest, and can be a little adventure.
I'm such a slattern, am't I !
Hi Margret - 40 samples sounds so good to me. Manageable.
Ah yes Coco ... he is such a rascal I had to switch to staples on my bulletin board -- he was pulling off the push pins/thumb tacks I'm not sure what you call them there. He really keeps me on my toes.
Ah that's sad about the ink issues back when ... I know back then we didn't have Brian Goulet or even really good instruction manuals. Good thing I only used ink cartridges in the 70s. :)
It's so good to hear from you my friend!!!!
@@ChrisSaenz13 😮😉
I am a total newbie to fountain pens, and I’m still determining which pen(a) to purchase first. I’ve spent many hours over the past month doing research and watching videos, all very helpful! I just found your channel, Chris, and I really enjoy your content. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and perspectives.
Hi Kay + welcome! I'm so glad you found us!!! Also, just in case you have missed it -- Goulet Pens has a cool Fountain Pen 101 series that is a must see: ua-cam.com/play/PL1AEFDC6AC935BAFC.html
Wonderful video!! That explains a lot about how you choose which pens you ink up every month!! Thanx for sharing!!
Hi Sharon - you're welcome! :)
I woke up this morning wondering how you use monthly pens and inks - and I knew you had done a video. I am so overwhelmed with the amount of choices I have. This video was so helpful. Thank you 🥰
Hi Charmi -- I was just thinking about this video. I know that I'm a bit weird in how I over-focus on inks!!! When I get a new pen that I'm excited about I still choose the ink with how it's going to look on the page in mind ... but literally .... I enjoy choosing my inks first then going into my pen case(s) and searching out the perfect pen/nib for that ink. That's why there are so many repeats in pen choice for my Chris' Inked Pens I think .... I have nib favorites!!!! LOL Some people have told me they even put their pens in a separate case after use so that they have to choose different ones the next week/month. Happy choosing!!!! I know the struggle is real...!
Definitely an ink person.
I'm at a very nice pen and bottle and sample amount, so I made a chart so all my pens can try all my bottled inks before I decide on permanent inkings.
Decision Roulette helps a bit, especially for samples that might get neglected.
Hi Astrid - those are great ideas! I know I've been going thru ink after ink searching for the right ink for my Pilot Vanishing Point. (for example)
And I definitely need to try decision roulette for some sample color families that I take too much time debating each month!
All the BOTTLES of ink i own have a certain color & quality i like (high/low shading/sheen, gold/silver/blue shimmer, dark light coloring, with the rare exception of rarity/exclusivity of the ink). The SAMPLES i buy are merely to test if any of those inks are better to replace my current bottle, so relatively utilitarian in my color/attribute choice for whatever i need it for; but i wont go near yellows or grays, they just aren't fun for me to use, tried samples, meh'd them all.
Hi Robert - I'm the same about yellow but I love grey inks! Your process sounds so good - and makes sense fully to me! I often wonder who would I be (ink/pen wise) if I hadn't leaped into reviewing inks. :)
Hi Chris! I think I'm a little of both. I usually start with what pen I want to use, then it may be one that I match but I don't color match all my pens. Sometimes, I'm just really in the mood for a particular ink and then I'll think about which pen would be fun to go with it. I'm trying to shrink the number of pens I have inked at one time, because sometimes I have too many and then one will sit there too long and dry out.
Hi Terri! I've been happier with 8 to 12 pens instead of so many like I used to do! :)
Thank you, Chris. Glad to see you looking well I hope everything is good with the family.
I am very much driven, if I had to say or be shot. by ink, although pens are also a big part of it.
I sympathize about black inks, I brought samples of most commercially available black inks ages ago and I've just started using them. For example, I will fill a pen and use all the sample in that pen (assuming there are no issues with flow, etc..). I am finding that black really has many guises and is really as diverse as other colours , although it's much more subtle. At present, I use one black in one pen than when that's finish I fill another. If you filled all your pens with black it would be a little depressing although there is nothing wrong with black.
Wishing you and your family good health and happiness. :-)
Hi Matthew!!! I remember the one black ink review I did do, I was astonished at the subtle differences on the comparison panel even so I know just what you mean about the differences! I thought you might be a primarily ink camp person! Of course pens are great too!!! :) Take good care my friend - all is well here although we admit to some restless times of boredom and blah. I think we're not alone in that!
I’m definitely in for the inks, but I love the pens, too. I find my mood dictates where I lean though - either I want to write with specific pen, or I have to try out an ink. The newer the item, the more on my mind it is. 😂
Hi Manda! That's so true when a pen or ink is NEW it's always at the top of my mind too! :)
Love this series! Thanks for the insight.
Thanks Susan!
another informative video. Wow you do love your inks, that is a lot of ink😊
Hi Pam! It's too much - I'm still on a mission to try and finish a lot of samples this year!
@@ChrisSaenz13 well I wish you a good journey thru your inks. I only have a few bottles.. All but one are Birmingham pen inks.
I am always afraid to ink too many pens at one time of fear of drying up.
I also wanted to let you know I made a few if the passport booklets you shared in another video. I also made a c few leather covers to hold three at a time.
Inks first. Pens second. As soon as a pen runs out I clean it and put it away. Find a new ink I want to use and then look for a clean pen to put it in. For colorful inks demonstrator pens. Dark inks in closed pens. If I'm journaling or note taking on a particular subject I usually stay with one color til I'm through with that subject. E.g. I have a journal for notes on Stoicism .. always use Diamine Red Dragon. Sometimes I'll use a different color in it to highlight a quote. But I want the Red Dragon to be the major color for that journal. Peace, Mark
Mark, have you been following SBRE's series on Stiocism? I've watched only one or two but plan to go through the whole eventually - he's so clear and engaging!
Hi Mark! Oh that's a really good way to ink - dark inks in closed pens - it surely would help with the clean out and staining issues I sometimes encounter. I tend to keep 2 or 3 pens inked with grey ink they are my steady primary journaling inks for my bullet journal and quick notes then I come in and use color for emphasis. My primary 8 pens are 95% letter writing. That's cool you have a Stoicism journal. I have a big segment of notes from "How to be a Stoic" in my 3rd bullet journal which I reference often.
Bums. this is really sensible and I love it and I should do it but I know I don't have the discipline or logic and I have too many pens inked up all the time so I use the one that comes to hand first and I wish I was more like you because this is so cool! ... OK note to self : breathe ...
I usually pick both with pens and inks. And I tend to just put together the ones I want to work with. But that has gotten me some terrible combinations, and they have been learning experiences. Thanks so much for sharing! 🧡🖋
Hi Casey! :) Ah yes there are times when the combinations don't work out at all!
Hello Chris, thank you for the video. I have a bottle of the Twisbi blue/black on order so I was very pleased to see this review. I like Diamine Oxford Blue and Waterman Blue/Black as well. I find that I can use about half a bottle and then I get bored and have to change colour, somehow a sample is just not enough. Stay well and best wishes.
Hi Chris! Good to hear from you! What are your favorite pens in your collection and why?
Hi Yvonne - great question - more on this soon!
I try ink in every nib size. I would like to have more pens so I could see how ink performs in different pen, there are wetter and drier pens so thats interesting but I like both pens and inks. I wish to find that one favourite pen for my inks.
Yes same here testing ink in different nib sizes. Sometimes you get dark writing out of a fine where the same ink with broad gives completely different light shades.
I have a green that is spruce dark in fine but almost lime yellow in broad.
Hi LadyAlleria - it is amazing how different the ink looks depending on the nib!!!! I wish you good luck in finding a favorite pen!!!!
@@ChrisSaenz13 Thanks a lot!
I do ink first! I decorate my journal every week so I base the ink on the theme I choose and then pick the pen based on the ink. I often repeat colors throughout the month, but there is always one or two that change each week. Ink first, pen second! 😃
Hi @michellet5978 oh that's just how I used to do my selecting! Now, just recently in fact, I often have an idea of the pens first ... but in my heart the ink is the main thing lol.
My choices on the whole are random. Though if I get any new inks or pens, I do like to try them out. At the moment I'm using one pen per week (in a bid to determine which ones I want to get rid of) so my choice of pen is determined simply by the fact that it's the next one in the pen case. Inks are very disorganised and they are not even sorted into colour families. I did purchase 5 bottles of Diamine inks last week, which arrived yesterday, so I will be trying those out. Initially, I was trying to find a bottle of Holbein Special Black to use for drawing, but couldn't find any for sale in the U.K. and somehow ended up with 5 bottles of ink on my shopping trip 😂😂😂
Hi Annie! Are you finding that you want to keep every pen? Or are some easy to know right away that a week is too long to write with it? LOL I have very few I'd want to write with all day for a week but some that work great for note-taking but not letter writing. :)
@@ChrisSaenz13 I have identified pens that I want to get rid of. Writing with the same pen all week has not bothered me, and I have not found any that I don't actually want to write with. One thing that I have found out from this exercise is that I am enjoying fine nibs more than I was. I'd got it into my head that I prefer writing with a 1.1 stub nib, and pens with fine nibs didn't really get used. Writing with a fine nib all week has certainly changed that mindset. When it's been a week where I've used a vintage pen, that has invariably ended up with me using the same ink for the whole week, which is definitely not ideal. This is purely because I really detest cleaning those pens out and one of the reasons why most of the vintage pens will probably end up in the "pens to get rid of" pile. Other pens that are in that pile are there because of size, weight, design, quality etc. I think it's week 21 now, so 21 pens thoroughly tested, but I've still a lot of pens yet to get through 😂
“Overwhelmed by blue”. . . That is my fondest wish! Nearly half of my bottles and samples are blue, and I always want more. This was a fun video. I’ve wondered about your selection process too. I’m happiest when I choose the inks that call to me.
Hi Mary - during this process I realized I'm probably only trying 1 or 2 blue inks a month this might be why I'm overwhelmed .. by the ones I have yet to try. Maybe it's time for a blue month. :)
I did an all blue month in April, a different bottled ink each day. In May, I’m doing a different blue sample each day. Yes, two months of blue inks and I’m not tired yet! In fact, I think I might do any blues I haven’t sampled yet in June. :-0
Thanks for your video - I've often wondered how to choose what colors to put into what pens. At the moment, I only have 1 of each: one pen and one ink. But, that will change soon! I'm definitely team Ink! There are just so many color choices, and cool bottles! I'm struggling to decide which one to buy, so I'm looking into an ink flight. Any recommendations?
Hi Fountain Pen Teacher! I would recommend trying out MANY different brands of ink through samples ... I wish I had done that sooner in my fountain pen path. And now I'm realizing that even a more costly ink can be worth it if I write with it and love it - so I would not be afraid to try Bungubox, Akkerman and Pelikan Edelstein inks! Ink Flight is great because you get to try out inks from all different makers in a variety of colors!!! I discovered I really love Straights Pen Honest Inks and Taccia inks! Have fun!!!!
@@ChrisSaenz13 Thank you! I'm signed up for the ink flight from Inkjournal. Can't wait!
that shell box looks like what my dad used to keep his shot gun shells in . oh i think ink is my passion along with vintage pens . If you ever find yourself in Houston check out Dromgooles they have been in business since 1961 yeah 59 yrs and the address is 2515 Rice Blvd Houston Tx 77005. I heard from one of my pen pals they just love that store and they browse and buy . They love it .i can truly say i dislike jinhao pens very much but that is me .
Hi phonelady61 -- oh I love Dromgoole's - I've never been there in person but they are awesome to order from online!!! Hopefully I'll get to go there in person one day!!! Yes, the boxes are intended for shot gun shells -- it's such a cool way though to organize ink samples! :)
phonelady61 thats so cool they’ve been around that long!! I just got my firs order from them recently. Great customer service
Some of both, I think. Inks perhaps a bit more than pens-until I see a beautiful pen that strikes my fancy!😉
Hi Cheryl! :)
Hi Chris, this video raises a question I’ve had for some time. Inks vary from wet to dry and so do pens. It’s hard to keep track! Can you help me understand how to pair the “best” pen for a certain ink? I get so frustrated when I go through them process of inking up a pen and then find it gushes out or doesn’t flow or whatever. If you don’t have time to answer this, can you refer me to a website, etc., ? Thanks!
Hi Alexdandra - I wish it were an easy answer in terms of pen/ink match ups - it just varies SO MUCH and paper has a big role as well. As far as just determining wet vs dry inks you might check out Brian Goulet's video: ua-cam.com/video/i2pn5uAH_jU/v-deo.html
Thanks Chris!
I wish i had my own room for crafting and writing.
Hi Jessica - oh I wish you did too! My Mom has just one room and private bathroom ... she's pretty amazing how she organizes everything - you just wouldn't believe how she has her room set up! :) I fought for this odd sized (long/narrow) room I work in because we just don't use it as a dining room anymore and so we compromised and my husband let me have this room but we put the dining table in one of the bedrooms ... it's pretty weird. :)
Chris Saenz lol not weird. I have my moms kitchen table in my living room in front of the window. Its a nice table and makes a pretty good work table. I inherited alot of her furniture when she passed away last years. Youre always so organized!! Im in the ink camp. I get bored and switch inks like crazy especially if it came from a bottle. That being said i just got the lamy studio and pilot vp both in matte black. Glad you have your own space!!
I do love inks, and I'm always looking for new shades I love, but inks are a distant6 second to the pens. Even in retirement, I write five or more hours every day, so it's the pens that keep me going.
I seldom buy ink samples. I watch reviews, ones that don't rely on swatches. I've yet to see an ink swatch that looks the same as the ink looks when used in one of my pens. If I like what I see in a review, I buy as large a bottle of the ink as I can find. If it turns out that I don't like it, I give it to a pen friend. Or sometimes break it up into samples and give it to several friends.
I do sometimes buy cartridges of a new ink because I like using them when away from home, and it's a fairly cheap test. But this is rare.
As for picking which inks to use, I give away far more inks than I keep. Purple, green, and burgundy are my favorite colors, so this is where I do the most searching. But I've found inks I truly love in each color, so something had to be very, very new and different to knock one of these out of rotation.
For me, it's simple. I have seven inks I love. I use them routinely, month after month after month. Only two new inks have forced their way into this set of standards in the last year: Private Reserve Orange Crush, and Private Reserve Plum. PR Plum is my current favorite ink. I love it.
Outside of these seven standard inks, I change colors only when I'm writing to a pen friend, and know their favorite color. I'll use that color in letters,, but often will include a separate page with a writing sample in a new ink I've found.
Anyway, choosing which inks to use is easy for me. I stick to my favorites until and unless a new ink beats out an old favorite.
Until a couple of months ago, choosing pens was almost impossible. I simply had too many pens. I like using things i own, and if I can't use them, I get rid of them. But I allowed my pen collection to grow far beyond what I could possibly use. So I sold every pen I had that was worth more than a hundred dollar, all to one collector.
I wanted to start over, and doing so feels wonderful. With one exception, I have only a few gold nibs remaining, all of them pens that came with steel nibs, and that I added gold nibs to. They're all pens I love, and like inks, it takes something special to make me move one into the "don't use this month" category.
That one exception is a Sailor 1911 Large that I just bought. It's a pretty cheap pen, but has a 21k nib, and writes like a dream. I'm going to slowly and carefully select seven or eight more pens, and then stop. I'm not a collector, I'm a writer. I use fountain pens because of how enjoyable they make the writing process.
I use fine and medium nibs. I don't like broad nibs at all because my handwriting is simply too small. I don't like stub nibs because I greatly prefer to use dip pens with flex nibs, and other specialty nibs, for anything that I want to make fancy.
I have nine pens on a pen rack that sits at the back middle of my writing desk. These hold my seven favorite inks, plus one with Noodler's Heart of Darkness, and one with Monteverde Ruby, which is the brightest, reddest, wettest, most in your face red I've ever used. I need black, red, and green for much of my daily work, which is why the last two are on the rack.
I do try new inks, and I do try a new pen fairly often, but I seldom keep either.
I'm just not a collector, with inks or with fountain pens. I have the few pens and inks I love. That's enough. First and foremost, I'm a writer. I love writing with my few favorite pens, using my few favorite inks. It's wonderful.
But I love dip pens, as well. I can go weeks using nothing except dips pens. I also love antique mechanical pencils, and three or four modern mechanical pencils. There are also rollerball pens on the market now that write as smoothly, and with as little pressure, as a fountain pen.
I'm making this much more complicated than it really is. I have a few favorite pens, and I have a few favorite inks. I use them pretty much day in and day out. WHAT I write comes first, what I write it WITH comes second, and the ink I use comes third. I just don't have many decisions to make where pen and iink are concerned.
My biggest decision is whether to use a fountain pen, a dip pen, a rollerball pen, a mechanical pencil, or even a hand cut quill.
Hi James! It's so interesting and helpful to read your perspective on your pens and inks! I've had a high level of frustration because I over acquired cheap pens ... I know cheap means different $ amounts to different people so in my case I'm talking about $5 or $10 and less. I have only 3 pens worth $100 -- one was a gift from a viewer, one was from a drawing I won and the 3rd is my Pilot Vanishing Point that I purchased.
I've always written a lot ... journaling has been a big thing for me for most of my life. I'm happy as long as I have notebooks and pens and I use many types of pens for journaling but only fountain pens for letter writing.
At times I truly think that having a relatively small budget/allowance affects how I go about things ... it probably shouldn't matter because small frequent purchases add up to a big amount of $. But I'm learning. :)
Don’t care at all for the intrusive ads that interrupt you in mid sentence !
Ugh sorry! I'll look into it - they don't give me too much control over the ads.
I am willing to pay for no ads because I watch you tube more than Netflix!