Which Ink Would You Suggest?
11/07/2022Some time ago, I purchased a Majohn (Moonman) S5 Eyedropper fountain pen. The EF nib would not loosen so I could not install one of the alternate nibs that came with the pen. As a resident of the pen drawer it passed from memory. Rupertarzeian reminded me of the S5 in a recent post. Yesterday, I gave it another try and with a bit more muscle, the nib came loose and what appears to be a right or reverse oblique got installed. Well, sort of. The nib and feed will not align correctly so I am skeptical but a proper test it shall have.
Now for the really hard part. What ink would be best for a pen that will hold enough of it to last months. Red, yellow and orange are not colors I would use page after page but that leaves half a rainbow of other options. What ink would you suggest? Well-behaved is the only essential characteristic though shading would be a nice touch. The transparent barrel will show off the color so that is to be considered, too. Which ink would you put in the S5?
An Inkophile's Blog 
Diamine Solstice: a black with green shimmer
Robert Oster Shake n Shimmy: Black n Blue, a dark blue (or black) with blue shimmer.
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Thanks for the suggestions. Both are inks with which I have no experience, so will look into them.
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How about Faber Castell Cobalt Blue. It would would look great in that pen
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Another ink with which I have no experience. Will check it out. Thanks.
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Very pretty in the bottle meh on paper
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On an eye dropper like the S5 choose your most common business color as you are correct it’s months of writing. I would go with a blue black ink as it can be used for signing documents and will last forever!
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There is a bottle of Waterman Blue-Black on my desk that I used to test the nib. The pen is destined for journal writing rather than business use so the ink could be a little more flamboyant. Or not. WBBk certainly fits the well-behaved requirement so there is that in its favor. Thanks for weighing in.
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Use an ink color that you find most pleasing to your eyes; it could be a color that you have used more often. That way, even if you do not like the nib-pen combination, you will most certainly empty the pen by the end of the month.
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I have one of these pens. 🙂 I like the EF nib, so I’ve never tried swapping mine out. Currently I have J. Herbin Rose Cyclamen ink in mine. It’s really pretty to watch swirling around in the barrel, and since I use the pen for me (and not for business) I can have as bright an ink as I desire in there. The pen works well with the Herbin ink, in my experience.
(I also tried this pen with Organics Studio L. Frank Baum ink at one point, and it did not work nearly as well. The ink didn’t flow as well as I had wanted it to, and so the nib felt dry and scratchy. Definitely the pen+ink combo, though, since I’ve had good luck with several other inks since then!)
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That’s interesting though Herbin has worked well in every pen in my collection. Waterman is consistent as well. Poussiere de Lune, Cafe des Iles, Vert Olive or Vert de Gris? Might not have the latter. Waterman BBk and Florida Blue are contenders. That’s at least a manageable group to consider.
So you like the EF. It was scratchy to me but the right ink might have tamed that. The only oblique I have used was a vintage Montblanc so this one could be a decent substitute as it is very smooth if less sharp.
What prompted you to buy an S5?
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Herbin does just seem to be a great ink with any pen! I haven’t used much Waterman, other than the cartridges that came with my (now very old) first ever fountain pen.
I do like the EF, but I’ve been meaning to try the other nibs that came with it eventually. That versatility was one of the reasons I bought the S5. The other was I wanted to try out an eyedropper, and had seen good reviews for this one.
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WBBk was one of my first inks. Then came PdL and Lie de The. Always good performance from them. Which JH inks do you like best?
Love the eyedropper filler but the pen has been a disappointment due to flow issues. My three Delike/Moonman New Moon 2 pens are much better for my needs though the EF required a nib swap to be in the same class as the fudes. I haven’t run across any negative reviews of the S5. For whatever reason, I got a stinker, but I will continue to tinker with it in hopes it will decide to be a good pen rather than spend eternity in the pen drawer. We shall see…
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Lie de The is a favorite! Other than that, I just kinda like them all? The first Herbin ink I bought was Emerald of Chivor, but I don’t use inks with glitter in them as much as I used to, so it’s fallen a little out of use.
I hope your S5 can come around! It’s one of my favorite pens to use these days.
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I relayed your remarks to the S5. Hopefully, it will take the hint.
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😀
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With a wider nib like that, I enjoy using my more shade-inclined inks. Currently enjoying the neutral grey of “Ash” from last year’s Diamine Advent Calender, which shows off lots of different grey tones. Since you mentioned journalling, how about Moss Green from GvFC, or one of the Platinum classic range?
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Agree with you on shading inks in wider nibs. What are your favorite pens for them?
Of the inks you mentioned, I only have the Plat Classics. Four or five of those look promising, citrus and lavender in particular. Thanks for the suggestions.
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I bought a few replacment nibs from AliExpress that put 1.1mm stubs or “Naginata-style” nibs at a very affordable price points on a whole range of my pens. I have an all stainless steel Lamy 2000 with a medium nib which aspires to BB. A Jinhao 80 (similar profile to L2000 but much lighter and standard Lamy-esque nib) with a 1.1 stub is a joy with shading inks. Just last night I swapped out the hooded nib on a cheap EF Jinhao 992 with one of the “Naginata-esque” nibs, and it may well become a new favourite, though it looks a bit bulbous. Such line variation, and gorgeous shading toboot.
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Nib variety makes writing so much more appealing. Because most of my pens get used in reviews, I usually stick to stock nibs so readers can purchase the same pen. Consequently, I have little experience with swapping nibs. The S5 has proven to be beyond my limited skills. Perhaps someday when I have nothing more inviting to do, I will tinker with it again. Until then the New Moon fudes will do for nib variety.
Your nib collection is admirable. My stainless Lamy Studio runs wide though not to the degree that your 2000 does. The Studio one of my favorite pens and the only stainless pen that I have ever really enjoyed. The balance is perfect for my hand and the nib is very smooth. It was purchased used and a very good addition to my collection.
You are fortunate to have had good success with AliExpress. I have not and no longer recommend them. The upside to that is that I am spending less on my hobbies and that is a good thing.
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