Unlike those silly drama queens seeking attention from social media, this baby’s got the right moves – not too much victim but just enough to earn appreciation for a well-executed whine…
When it comes to ink, color grabs us first. Whether the jewel-toned dual colors that have emerged in recent years or the traditional single colored inks that have been around forever, it is the property we prize the most. But what else does fountain pen ink have to offer?
Prior to the introduction of inks that sheen and shimmer, more subtle characteristics like shading and outlining (sometimes called haloing) received the attention and praise of aficionados. They are natural properties of some inks that can lend the written word a very unique look.
Shading happens when ink pools usually at the bottom of a letter. The higher concentration of ink produces a deeper shade than the upper portion. Outlining is a thin, dark line around a letter and is less common than shading. Flex nibs produce it best though wide nibs can do it, too.
Writing examples that illustrate shading and outlining.
Noodler’s Standard Flex and Apache Sunset
Platinum Century FF and Iroshizuku fuyu-syogun
Namiki Falcon SF and Diamine Mediterranean Blue
Noodler’s Standard Flex and Australian Roses
Noodler’s Konrad and Blue Nose Bear
Namiki Falcon SF and Noodler’s Kiowa Pecan
Noodler’s Dostoyevsky
Esterbrook 9128 with Namiki Blue
Platinum Music Nib and Diamine Sepia
Diamine Sepia will outline well, but paper may matter more with it than the other inks.
There are too many inks on the market these days to test them all so my list is rather short. You may find inks you already own will outline when used with a soft or flexible nib. There are a few relatively inexpensive fountain pens that would be up to the task of testing ink, but in that category, I only have experience with Noodler’s Standard Flex Pen. It might be better called a soft nib, but it will, with a little practice, produce enough line variation to tease an outline from an ink that is so inclined.
A thread at FPNÂ offers more suggestions. I have used a few of the inks mentioned but have experienced different results or at least less dramatic results. Diamine Wild Strawberry is a case in point. It is excellent in my Platinum Century Nice medium nib with good performance all around. Though it produces crisp edges, the outlines are so close in color to the ink, that they are only discernable under magnification. Thus it outlines but not in a meaningful way. Some of the other inks mentioned in the FPN thread look promising and several are truly dazzling especially those from Robert Oster and Blackstone.
Does outlining appeal to you? Let me know if you discover an ink that does it well. Not that my ink collection needs to be expanded, but for outlining, I could make an exception or two.
Dark green ink is a fixture in my kit whether Montblanc Racing Green or Sailor Tokiwa Matsu and it is always in my holiday rotation. This year the latter is in a silver Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib. Holiday perfection!
Oh, man, I want to sleep like that. Well, except for the twitching tail.
Gobsmacked by the first link. Mother Nature is a very confused lady…
Japanese Flex Nibs
From left to right, Platinum #3776 Century Fine Flex (FF), Pilot Custom 742 Falcon (FA), and the Namiki Falcon Soft Fine (SF). None of the nibs are damaged but they do have little touches of ink here and there.
Recently, Rodney sent a letter affixed with sealing wax, a delightful surprise. Admittedly and not for the first time, I almost succumbed to yet another hobby. Then I ran across GeekTells post about his descent into the cauldron. Is resistance futile?
A Comparison of Two Namiki Falcon Nibs
This week my list of Favorite Fountain Pens received its annual update. A number of the pens have been inked since they arrived. That is a very good measure of user satisfaction when they go into rotation and remain there for months if not years. Kudos to those manufacturers who have earned my loyalty.
Once the list was set, it struck me that any of them would make a good gift. To make it simple, here is the list with links to Amazon for models that are currently available. Prices fluctuate so do shop around. If you purchase from Amazon, Inkophile earns a tiny commission that will be used towards the purchase of new products to review.
Happy shopping!
A Namiki (Pilot) Falcon sporting a soft fine nib makes a lovely bridge between J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir and Clairefontaine French-Ruled paper. This isn’t calligraphy, but rather whimsical, swirly lettering that suits the way the nib likes to dance over the smooth surface of the paper. The ink provides proof that the pen and paper came together.
If you want the trio, Writer’s Bloc carries the pen, paper and ink. Nibs.com carries the pen and will modify it in amazing ways. John Mottishaw is their nibmeister and he may well be the best at his craft.
If you want to experiment with a flex nib but not tax your budget, Noodler’s makes fountain pens that will give you a sense of what it’s like to achieve thick and thin in the same stroke. Amazon offers the range in various colors though my clear Standard Flex is hard to beat when it comes to showing off ink to its best advantage.
So go have some flex fun filling lots and lots of pages, but don’t be surprised if it becomes an addiction. It’s a fat-free, guilt-free one and will even keep your hand out of the cookie jar while you doodle away. Cool, eh?
An Inkophile's Blog 
