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Giveaway #8: Vanness Pens Ink Giveaway

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Today’s giveaway is from my good friends at Vanness Pen Shop and it’s inspired by our MORE THAN TEN Favorite Inks post this morning. We picked a few of our favorite inks from the post for the giveaway so the (one) winner of the giveaway will get one bottle of each of the following inks:

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me your favorite inks. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the monkeys some time.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Saturday, June 13, 2020. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping will be handled by Vanness Pen Shop. Vanness Pen Shop will ship internationally for this giveaway but please review their shipping policies before entering.

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255 comments

  1. The Precious ink that I have? the Tolstoy blue by Monblanc. But really? I think my favorite that I have is Gray Flannel by Diamine.

    One day I will break down and by some Emerald of Chivor.

    1. I’ve always wanted to try Callifolio Adrianople, especially after your stellar reviews of it. I do like Yama Budo alot myself!

  3. Graf Von Faber Castell, Stone Grey (a water resistant ink)
    and Caran D’Ache, Infinite Grey (goes on green and dries a more neutral grey) are my favourite everyday writing inks.

  4. I have been able to try out very few inks, but of the ones I have, Diamine Oxblood is up there for me!

  5. Hello – my favorite ink for the past couple of years is J Herbin Cacao du Bresil. I love the color so much I painted my bathroom the same color

  6. I have a deep fascination with the “wound drainage” color family from all brands.

  8. I love Sailor Apricot and Pen addict fire on fire, and never forget the J Herbin 1670 inks!!!!

  9. I like Robert Oster’s Sparkling Cranberry. It’s such a cheerful red ink. I’ve heard that Rubine is pretty much the same color without the shimmer so I might try that next.

  10. I am just beginning to build my ink collection. Thus far, my favorite inks in my collection are Diamine Bilberry and Diamine Rustic Brown.

  11. I am still trying out a lot of inks so I don’t have a favorite. Though because I use my ink and pens more for art than writing, I have to say Platinum Carbon Black is a staple. A sentimental favorite is J. Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey because it is the first bottled ink I purchased.

  12. Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku is my signature ink. It’s reserved enough to use at work, but unique enough that it feels special to use even after 3 years using it

  13. My two favorite inks to date are Akkerman KoninginneNach-Blauw and Diamine Ancient Copper.

  14. My very favorite blue is Sailor Shikiori Yonaga.
    I adore the Pen Chalet Monsoon Storm. If you missed it, I can send a sample, very great ink.

  15. My current favorite ink is Sailor’s Manyo ink yamabuki. It’s a lovely yellow/orange.

  17. I’m loving the Diamine Blue Edition inks, especially the sheeny/sparkly ones like Blue Peppermint, Snowstorm, Happy Holidays and Solstice. Another recent fave is Vinta’s Andrada — it’s a really lovely dark, almost-black ink with a deep red sheen that could be office appropriate but is still more interesting than plain black.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

  18. I love all things Robert Oster. My oddest favorite is Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-yake. It Is beautiful with a water brush.

  20. I have a bunch of favorites! Noodler’s Ottoman Azure, which is like the blue in Portuguese tiles; Sailor Rikyu-cha, which is like green tea; and Pelikan Edelstein Garnet, just because.

  21. My daily favorite is whatever ink is in my pen, but my all time favorite is J. Herbin Rouge Hematite which I almost always have in my Karas Kustoms brushed aluminum Ink pen.

  22. Hard to choose a favorite ink. I seem to go to my Robert Oster inks. They perform well in any of my pens. Favorite this week is Robert Oster Cosmic Swirl.

  24. I have this thing for Pelikan 4001/Edelstein inks. I LOVE smoky quartz. Star Ruby is growing on me. [Not so sure about 2020 IOTY Moonstone!] My favorite ink to sign documents with Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue (Konigsblau) but unfortunately it looks really watery when scanned. So … I keep 2 pens inked with smoky quartz at any given time!

  25. I love most of the Pilot Iroshizuku inks. They’re so well mannered and colors are usually very well saturated.

  26. I have so many, like you said in your post, but I love Kon Peki. It is a perfect mix between blue and turquoise.

  27. My favorite ink is Gerber Gulf Tower by Birmingham Pen Company. I love Nick and Josh’s commitment to creating original inks – I adore the faded muted quality and the color of this particular ink. Great company- great ink.

  28. My current favorite is the Robert Oster / Pen Addict Fire on Fire. I’m surprised to be picking an orange but it has more variation than most of the inks I’ve purchased so far. After reading your article I think the Robert Oster Torquay might be my next buy.

  29. Right now my favorite inks are mostly Diamine. Especially the Peacock Flare, Ancient Copper, Dragon Red and Imperial Purple.

    I also really like the Robert Oster Blue Water Ice.

    Right now I’m jonesing for some more inks to try…you can never have enough!

  30. My favorite inks are those with tons of sheen/glitter. Usually the J Herbin 1670 inks do the trick. I’m such a sparkly girl!!

  31. Tough one to answer… I really like Robert Oster’s Summer Storm in a 1.1. Shading is awesome, and on the right paper there is sometime outlining. Then there is J. Herbin’s Blue Myosotis… Goes on blue & dries to a dusty dark lavender.. and finally there is Birmingham Pen Co’s Railroad Strike Riot Ember… I just love this color at a pure color.. So there you go!

  32. J Herbin Cornaline d’Egypte. The first ink that caused my toddler to stop destroying the house and say, “WHOA what dat?”

  33. I enjoy the Diamond inks- pumpkin and presidential blue. Also Akkerman- residentie bauw.

  34. Iroshizuku Yama-budo is one of my very favorites. It has performed well in every pen I’ve every put it in and I love the color.

  35. This combo makes me want to cry. My favorite inks are Pilot Blue-Black, Kyo No Oto Kokeiro (ALL THE YELLOW OCHRE/OLIVE/AVOCADO INKS TBH), Diamine Tobacco Sunburst, Noodler’s Black Swan in Australian Roses, plus Herbin Corail des Tropiques.

  36. My favorite ink right this moment is the Caroube de Chypre 1670 ink from J Herbin. Brown inks are my favorites, and this deep red-brown with gold sheen is possibly the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen.

  37. Oooh, I love see all of your ink swatches! What a great selection. My go-to’s include California Teal, Emerald du Chivoir, Rohrer& Klingner Solferino, Monteverde Brown Sugar in a wet Nib…so many to choose from! Oh and most recently Colorverse Glistening Felicette—such a happy color!

  38. Diamine Pumpkin. Dromgooles put it in my first gold-nib pen (Sailor 1911 Royal Tangerine) and I finally understood that inks can be delightful.

  39. My favorite inks (at the moment) are Noodler’s Cayenne, Private Reserve Tanzanite, Akkerman Shocking Blue, and Diamine Blaze Orange. I find myself really drawn to these more intense colors at the moment. Although I love browns and greens, none make this list. By next month, my list of favorites will be completely different! I keep several pens inked up constantly, and I find myself choosing the pen due to the color, since it makes my journal look cool as I flip through it after the fact. Live for color!!

  42. I’m one of those people who was overwhelmed and then disillusioned by the incredible volume of inks available in our modern era. I’m a pretty new collector, and I’ve focused more on pens so I have only 3 ink bottles after a year and a half (I know, crazy!). That said, my goal is to have one to three inks from each color range, preferably from different brands all with cool bottles, since half the fun of any ink is watching the bottle on your desk. My favorite ink might be Sailor Yama-Dori, as basic of a choice as it is: for me there’s not a lot of green in it, so I use it like a blue-black and the behavior is amazing even with the sheen! I don’t even like blue!

  44. I love Pilot Kon-Peki and Noodler’s Heart of Darkness.

    All of the Iroshuzuki inks seem to have very smooth flow. My writing preferences have changed from the narrow, scratchy accuracy of a few years ago to much more bold, free-flowing lately. I love how writing changes with one’s attitude.

  45. My favourite ink would have to be Diamine Sargasso Sea, it holds a special place in my heart because it was the first real ink I bought when I got into fountain pens. And it is a lovely blue colour, too.

  46. My favorite ink at the moment is Platinum Citrus Black Iron Gall. I love how quickly it changes colors right after it hits the page!

  47. Iroshizuku kon peki is my all time favorite. Lately I’ve also been using a lot of J Herbin inks. Bleu nuit, bleu austral, and bleu de
    Minuit.

  48. Sweet giveaway! I have a thing for inks that shade. Shading is more difficult to do than eye searing sheen or adding glitter.
    – Sailor Sei-Boku – Dark readable blue and the shading is crazy good.
    – Diamine Autumn Oak – Again, the color is “just right” shade of blood orange and the shading is spectacular.
    – KWZ El Dorado – Beautiful gold color with nice shading.
    – J. Herbin Rouille D’ancre – a non day glow pink that is still pink, dark enough to be readable, and crazy shading in a wet or flex nib.
    – Montblanc Beetles – I love purple and it’s a unique shade – I wish someone would dupe this one already.
    – Penlux Amber – It’s warm medium brown with nice shading. It’s very close to SBRE brown but made by Sailor not Diamine.
    – J. Herbin Cacao du Brasil – This one needs a wet nib. It’s a grey brown (weird) but very readable, strong shading, and a nice change from boring black or invisible grey inks.
    – Iroshizuku Ku-Jaki – This one doesn’t need an explanation, it’s like the perfect teal, wet so I can use it all day with a flex nib and shades unlike other inks of the same teal shading.
    – Sailor Studio 123 – Yeah, unique color shading ink that’s readable and pops on Tomoe River
    – Iroshizuku Hoteison – Because I want a little pop in my black ink
    – Waterman’s Blue Obsession (Inspired Blue) – A beautiful shade of blue that’s cheap as **** with a hint of red sheen and shades like crazy. Bonus points for being vintage pen safe and easy to clean.

    Honestly, it’s hard to pick, so many to choose from.

  49. My favorites at the moment happen to all be J. Herbin inks:
    Rose Cyclamen (hot pink!), Vert Olive (mossy green), and Lie de The (brown)

  50. My most used and favorite inks at the moment are: Robert Oster Fire on Fire and Colorverse Supernova

  51. I own no bottles of ink yet but would love to win these to start my collection Thanks

  52. Favorite inks include Waterman South Sea Blue, the discontinued Nemosine inks (several) Montblanc Corn Poppy Red, Visconti Sepia, Kaweco Summer Purple, and J Herbin Gris Nuage and Poussiere de Lune.

    Thank you to The Desk and Vanness for this giveaway. The Well Appointed Desk is the only blog I read regularly.

  53. My current favs are J herbin vert de Gris and lie de the. Plus diamine November rain

  54. My favorite inks are Pilot Blue-Black, Sailor Soubokou, Noodlers Red Rattler Eel, and Montblanc Tolstoy. I could name about 50 others.

  57. Aurora Green, Diamine Jalur Gemilang, Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai, Herbin Émeraude de Chivor are my current favorites.

  58. I’m currently loving Skull and Roses by Diamine. But sometimes my favorite ink is Sailor Oku-yama for the green sheen that sometimes appears unexpectedly.

  61. My absolute favorite ink is Monteverde Capri Blue. I was happy to see California Teal included on that list, because that is another of my favorites.

  62. Favorite inks (I can’t pick just one!):
    Blue: Kon-Peki
    Blue/black: BungBox 4B
    Green: Robert Oster Eucalyptus and Green-Black and Monteverdi Olivine
    Redish: BungBob Tear of Clown(Ruby)
    Turquoise: Robert Oster Fire and Ice

  63. I don’t have many inks yet, but of the few I do have, my favorite so far is Diamine Sherwood green. Of the ink in this giveaway, that blue black looks beautiful. I am currently researching to decide on the perfect purple to buy next.

  64. De Atramentis Aubergine (Alexander Hamilton), Sailor Studio 735, Jacques Herbin Amethyste de l’Oural, Standard Bindery Clear Seas (I was so sad when they went out of business).

  66. Not super fancy, but my first bottle of ink was Diamond Sherwood Green, and it’s still my favorite!

  67. Happy to see that at least one other person loves Graf Von Faber Castell, Stone Grey (Alex L). Also love Birmingham’s Waterfront Dusk.

  68. I really like the yellow tones. I just purchased the Lamy Mango to check it out but so far Sailor Apricot and Herbin Amber de Birmaine are awesome. I also recently got a sample from a friend of David Oscarson’s Chartreuse and it is lovely!!!

  69. I am a big fan of the Robert Oster ink line but have also been impressed by the Vinta inks I have tried.

  70. My absolute favorite ink is Sheaffer Script peacock blue but also adore JHerbin Emerald of Chivor and Birmingham Pen Co.’s winter garden snowflake.

  71. I love my Robert Oster Green Green, Diamine Deep Magenta and Waterman inspired blue. I’ve moved away from traditional blacks and blues this year and I love it.

  72. My favorite ink is, unfortunately, Lamy Dark Lilac. I shed tears as I write this, since it was a limited edition and Lamy hasn’t been enlightened yet to include it in its regular line of inks. I’m still looking for a good purple ink, and Diamond Grape has been a joy to use as well.

  73. I seem to always have either Waterman Serenity or Diamine Prussian blue in one pen or another.

  75. I’ve been a fan of Monteverde inks recently, my newest fave being Moonstone. I like a muted but interesting color for writing up notes at work.

  76. Right now I am loving the following inks: Kobee #14 Maya Blue, Pilot Iroshizuku ASa Gao and Take Sumi, plus Kaweco Ruby Red <3

  77. My favorite inks are probably Diamine Twilight and J Herbin Lie de The. Although R&K Verdigris is a close third!

  79. I have been enjoying Oster Soda Pop Blue very well of late.
    It’s an odd name, in that I can’t think of a soda pop that is coloured blue. (I’m pretty sure I have had blue soda pop, but it was oddball stuff from odd manufacturers. I seem to recall Jones Soda having one in blue…)

  80. It’s too hard to pick a favorite ink. I do love shimmer inks, and one of my recent favorites is Diamine Arctic Blue.

  81. I’m so new to this, but I love Diamine Amazing Amethyst and Akkerman Oranje Boven and Diamine Presidential Blue

  82. My absolute favorite ink that I own is Rohrer & Klingner’s gorgeous Alt-Goldgrün. The runner-up would be Diamine Earl Grey, the ink color chosen by Redditors. I never fail to get complements on either of these!

  83. Favorite ink right now is a turquoise, Akkerman #11 Treves Turquois. As always thanks for doing the give-away.

  85. I might love ink more than FPs! My first loves were the Sailor Jentel Four Seasons ink. Yama-Dori is my favorite. Currently, I am searching for my perfect sheening blue black with a hint lavender (color of the flower). Much like the photo of Taccia Aoguro

  86. For me that would be Akkerman Delfts Blauw which I think is the most gorgeous subtle blue there is. Or it could be Les Couleurs du Comte – Pain d’Épices which changes from bright red to warm brown with an olive green sheen when it dries.

  87. I’d say my current favorite (because my fave changes from time to time) is Sailor Studio #264. I love the blue-green color! It’s light and on the aqua side of teal. My absolute favorite color, period!

  89. Bungubox Sumeramurasaki Imperial Purple
    Pilot Jurojin
    Mont Blanc Lucky Orange
    Callifolio Olivastre
    Rohrer & Klingner Salix

  91. I currently have two favourites – J. Herbin’s Lie de The and Noodler’s Apache Sunset, but I’m itching to get acquainted with my new J. Herbin’s Caroube de Chypre. I love the way the inks change under the nib giving a very organic writing experience.

  92. Favorite ink?? Hmmmm. De Atrementis Document Ink Fuchsia would be one for sure. Probably also Blackstone Blue Gum.

  93. Only naming one favorite is hard, like how can you pick one favorite. My favorite black is El Lawrence, I just love how it looks like motor oil.

  95. I’m enjoying both the Peridot and Topaz inks from Lamy Crystal. Those are dark and well-behaved for regular journal use, but they also have a rich color. To get to free shipping at Dromgoole’s, I added in a small bottle of 3 Oysters Hun Min Jeong Eum Cobalt. It is on the blue side of blue-black. I like it.

  97. Waterman mysterious blue. It just works. It’s not totally boring. Monteverde Napa Burgundy is nice too.

  98. My favorite inks are almost always in shades of teal. Diamine Eau de Nil is a gorgeous, slightly desaturated teal that is, in my opinion, an amazing teal. I find that on a swatch it seemed very turquoise-y but in my pilot fine nib, it feels more desaturated/darker, especially on cream paper. To be fair, I am very attached to this color as I discovered it early on in my fountain pen life.

    For a teal that is more blue-saturated without being turquoise, J Herbin Bleu Austral. If I want something more bold than Eau de Nil, this is what I choose. It’s a delight in a wet nib!

  99. As a somewhat newbie, my favorite inks are Apache Sunset and Robert Oster’s Fire and Ice…thank you for offering these giveaways….

  100. Currently my favorite inks are Robert Oster Heart of Gold, Noodler’s 54th Massachusetts and Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo. Happy Birthday The Well Appointed Desk!

  101. I am currently using Waterman Tender Purple, Diamine Oxblood, and Platinum Carbon Black. I love the depth of all three colors. My favorite short intl. cartridges are the Speedball assorted colors box of 10 sold at Michaels. Very vivid colors.

  103. De Atramentis Pearlescent Heliogen Green-Copper just takes my breath away when the light shines on it. I also appreciate Pelikan Edelstein Star Ruby for its smoothness. I love the variety of fountain pen inks!

  104. The list is long, but my number one ink is probably Iroshizuku Yama Budo. Also love Ama-iro. I love Waterman Harmonious Green, Sailor Ink Studio 431 (hot pink with gold sheen), all the Robert Oster blues, teals, and turquoises, and Diamine Tuqoise and Monboddo’s Hat.
    Thank you for your list! I need to get my hands on a sample of Bungubox 4B.

  107. I can’t pick just one, so my top 3:
    Noodler’s Whaleman’s Sepia- the perfect brown
    Noodler’s Navajo Turquoise- the perfect shade
    Sailor Jentle Do You- just something about it and the name makes me giggle

  108. Sailor Jentle Tokiwa-matsu
    Diamine Autumn Oak
    Diamine Ancient Copper
    KWZ Honey
    Private Reserve Blue Suede
    Private Reserve Black Cherry
    Private Reserve Sepia
    Private Reserve Ebony Green

  111. I have so many favorite inks! I love Diamine Skull and Roses, Jack Frost, Arctic Blue, KWZ Walks Over Vistula, J Herbin Kyanite du Nepal, Robert Oster Fire and Ice… All the sheeny shimmery things!

  112. I’m glad there is plenty of space to write, but I’ll keep it to a dull roar. Sailor Jentel Apricot, Bungubox Ebisu, Mont Blanc Lucky Orange, PW Ackerman Shocking Blue and Chinatown Red. The list could go on and on.

  113. Really really hard to pick one. I love all the sheen inks from Organics Studio, particularly Nitrogen.

  114. I love dusky purple inks! And dark blue inks. Purple Rock (I think RO?) and Diamine Oxford Blue come to mind! Oh, and Diamine’s Lilac Night, heart eyes.

  115. Daily writer ink revolves between Blackstone Sydney Harbor blue, MB Toffee, Lennon Toolbar Sugitanii, and Diamene Earl Grey. More recent faves are Standard Bindery roadtrip green, Kala nostalgia abstraction spring rain, and Kyoto Tag cherry blossom.

  116. I tried out some Walden Pond at a pen show last summer, I really liked it. Bit of an oil spill quality. That doesn’t sound great, but it is. It is awesome.

  118. Hi!
    I can’t commit to a favorite ink (on which pen? for what purpose, etc.), but if I had to choose one ink to use forever it would be Diamine Scribble Purple. It flows nicely. It easily passes for a “normal” business black ink. Meanwhile you know it is a purple ink and it has a beautiful green sheen.

  119. I am still experimenting with inks because there are so many. Recently I picked up a bottle of Pelikan Edelstein in jade, and it’s one of the few inks that made me sit back and say , “Wow!” By far, one of my favorites.

  120. I love my Monteverde Caribbean Blue! I have been wanting to try RO Coffee Crema so fingers crossed!

  121. I don’t have any experience with inks. Just getting started in my fountain pen journey. Hoping to start with these inks.

  122. I really love the Diamine Shimmer inks because they give a color I like an extra something without the flaking off bits of real glitter. Lilac Satin (a purple on the blue end of purple rather than the red end with silver shimmer) is one of my favorites. It’s pretty much the only ink that goes in my TWSBI Eco pink with a broad nib.

  123. My favorite ink at the moment is definitely Lennon Toolbar Plastic Sky. Although Robert Oster Sublime is a close second!

  124. Okay, asking me to name my favorite ink is like asking me to choose my favorite child. I can say, that I don’t mind a well behaved shimmer on special occasions, it is not a need in my life. Same goes for super sheeners, I am happy to admire them at a distance. I love a color with complexity depth of color, shading and maybe a bit of haloing. But it must behave and be user friendly, because I write with my pens and inks. And just like I expect my kids to say please and thank you, and offer to help clean up, when they’re visiting, I want my inks to be good house guests!

  125. I do not own a fountain pen or any ink (hope you won’t bar me from the blog after this confession!!) but every time you post a Pink ink it becomes my new favorite. And I am not even a huge fan of the color pink!

  126. It changes over time, but for today I’Lloyd go with Diamond Ancient Copper; thanks for the 10th Anniversary giveaways!

  127. As much as I love and use Blue-Blacks the most, my single favorite ink has to be Sailor Sky High.

  129. Oxblood and Kon-peki, of course. I loved Nemosine Solar Storm 1859 and am still looking for a replacement. (Lamy Bronze wasn’t quite there.) And I adore my Kingdom Note Massugu which my boyfriend got me in Japan. I’m using it very sparingly so I don’t use it up.

  130. I’m especially fond of the Sailor Studio 773 orange and Troublemaker’s Petrichor.

  131. Some of my favorites inks are Emerald of Chevior, Diamine Alexandrite, Diamine Solstice, Diamine Ancient Copper and Akkerman SBRE Brown

  132. I’m afraid I have not been very adventurous with inks. I’ve mostly stayed with basic blues, and I haven’t used all that many of those. I’d say my favorite is Pilot blue ink cartridges, followed by Pelikan Royal Blue. I have a few others blues waiting to be tried, but first I need to whittle down my stash of Pilot cartridges and finish off the Pelikan bottle.

  134. Gotta go with Robert Oster 1789 maroon — it’s a great Texas Aggie maroon! Brings color to my bullet journal, without being over the top.

  135. Since I got it, I can’t get enough of the Takeda Jimuki Kyo No Oto Hisoku ink. However, it did not play nice with the pen I wanted to use it with until I added white lightning from Vanness!

  136. I only own one bottle: Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo (I like how different it looks with different nibs). I only started with pens about three months ago, so I’m trying lots of samples. I’m pretty sure I’ll be buying a bottle of Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite. Your lists and posts are so helpful!

  138. Since I love all things bright and shiny, my favorite inks are the Diamine Shimmer inks. However, I have yet to find a pen in my collection that does not clog on me. To be fair, most of my pens have fine nibs so that has provided me a good excuse to start buying wider nib pens. Thanks to you and Vanness Pen Shop for such a great giveaway. No shimmy shimmy inks but all are gorgeous, with that luscious Robert Oster Caffe Crema being my favorite.

  139. My favorites are Robert Oster Velvet Storm, Kyo No Oto Hisoku, Colorverse Horizon, and Platinum Carbon Black!

  141. Rome Burning is my favorite. It always writes and I love the bronze color, plus it’s permanent. A second favorite is J Herbin Emerald of Chivor. It, too writes very well.

  142. As an all-around good ink, I like Diamine inks. They mix well together when I get an idea for a new color.

  143. Diamine Blue Velvet, and De Atramentis Charles Dickens are two I continually go back to regardless of how many other inks I have on hand. Diamine Oxford Blue is another favorite.

  144. So many inks. I tried so many inks I have completely filled one ink testing book and am on a second one. I do like blue inks and the the Pelikan Edelstein Topaz is a beautiful shade

  145. Mine are Diamine Blood Orange and Aurora Blue Black are my favorites. Work well, easy to find.

  146. It’s super basic but I really love Yama-Budo. Every time I try something else, I quickly revert back to it. I love it’s wetness and the color is fantastic.

  147. I’m new to fountain pens but ALL THE INK was the reason I got started. I haven’t tried very much but have started to fall in love with Robert Oster inks. The flow is great! I look for anything that shades beautifully and am really drawn to the dual shaders like Sailor Haha and Nekoyanagi. I like Great Southern Ocean and also Summer Storm. Congrats on 10 years!

  148. My inks are 80% blue blacks, I think I might have boring taste in inks. Lol. My all-time favorite is the Pelikan Blue-Black. The Sailor Manyo Kikyou a very close second.

  149. The ink I keep coming back to is Iroshizuku Shin-Kai. I never tire of it. Flows so well. Not too dark, not too bright. Sheening, yet professional. Shading, yet legible. Reminds me of storm clouds on the horizon.

  150. I really love J. Herbin Stormy Grey, I always have it in a pen. It is a beautiful black, and the gold makes it resemble graphite.

    Sailor Jentle Yama dori is another on I nearly always have inked too. I like teals and blues the most. Oh! And Diamine Oxford Blue, so pretty.

    There are so many inks I love though!

  151. I don’t have a lot of inks yet as I am relatively new to fountain pens. My current favorite is Pilot Iroshizuku in kon-peki.

  152. In rainbow order: Diamine Red Dragon, Robert Oster Fire on Fire, KWZ Honey, Akkerman 28, Iroshizuku Kon Peki, Iroshizuku Mirasaki shikibu.
    And a brown, J Herbin Lie de The.

  153. The girly girl in me loves Unicorn Blood. The sedate, chill me loves Monteverde Iced Cookie.
    And, the romantic and passionate me loves Noodler American Eel Cactus Fruit.

  155. Don’t have a ton of inks (just yet ), but really like Robert Oster’s Lake of Fire and Astorquiza Rot (fantastic name!), Colorverse Walk the Dog, and Organics Studio Ralph Waldo Emerson. Shout out for Asa Gao, too.

  156. I am tempted to say Walden Pond and Santiago’s Sea, but they are both so damned finicky that they fell out of my #1. Replacing was the stunning Apache Sunset. Cliche, I know, but there is a reason everyone loves that color.

  157. I don’t have a ton of inks (just yet ), but I really like Robert Oster’s Lake of Fire and also Astorquiza Rot (fantastic name!), Colorverse Walk the Dog, and Organics Studio Ralph Waldo Emerson. Shout out for Asa Gao, too.

  161. My favourite inks are any blue from Robert Oster. I can tell the difference between them…I swear!

  163. I love the Monteverde documental black ink for everyday use because it is not a very dark black, it is more a grey ink than black and it is a very consistent and smooth ink, perfect for bullet journaling. I love also blue inks like Diamine Asa Blue or Kensington blue and all olive or kaki green inks.
    My dream is to try Robert Oyster inks.

  164. Current favorites are Kobe Bauhaus Orange, Pilot Iroshizuku Syo Ro, Sailor Kim Mokusei, Robert Oster Aussie Gold and Montblanc Irish Green.

  167. I’ve been enjoying Poussiere de Lune from J. Herbin and Nitrogen Royal Blue from Organics Studio.

  168. My favourite inks right now, in no particular order:
    Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa – Nice dusty purple that writes on ANY paper really well, while also being waterproof
    Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun – Lovely grey that’s very well behaved
    Diamine Aurora Borealis – Wow this colour is great

  169. My current favorite is very basic bottle of black sailor ink. Because it is the only bottled ink I have so far. For my white Lamy Safari I also like very colorful inks but I currently only use those via cartridge so I’m hopeful to get some more color options 🙂

  171. I switch up my inks each month and for June my current favourite is Sailor Jentle Tokiwa-matsu, a lovely olive green with a beautiful copper sheen when using a wet pen on great paper such as Tomoe River.

  173. I always have Robert Oster Soda Pop Blue in my Pilot Custom 74 Teal! It always puts a smile on my face when I write.

  174. My favorite inks are the inks that are packed with chroma . Pecan from Papier Plume and Warsaw Dreaming :KWZ are my 2 favorite inks for sketching with washes. The inks in this giveaway
    Look super fun!

  175. My favorite inks have to be Noodler’s, I prefer saturated inks with some level of permanence. Black Swan in English Roses has clinched the top spot. I got it as a mystery sample and it was my favorites from the start. It’s awesome.

  176. My absolut favorite ink is a very old Montblanc special edition Japan exclusive Sakura scented ink. But i love the Star Ruby by Pelikan and the Lamy dark lilac too. I am happy that I have two bottles of each. I am really happy that I have also two different bottles of Mr. SBRE Brown Ink.

  177. Robert Oster inks are favorites; Aussie Blue Sky or Charcoal are two I’ve finished cuz I reach for them so often. Btw all but the Taccia are in my wish list!

  178. Colorverse Schroedinger is my favorite green, a perfect leaf green with great shading.

  183. So, I am not a fountain pen noob but I’m not a fountain pen expert; I am somehow somewhere in the middle of all that. What I do know for certain is that I love ink that has dimension to it. I guess you’d technically call that shading ink and that is not as extreme as sheening ink because I don’t like HEAVY, PUNCH ME IN THE EYES sheen. (That kind of sheen that smudges your paper to oblivion later :[) I just love some texture and dimension that I can distinguish. I think a couple good examples, and my personal favorites, are Roher & Klinger Sunflower and the newer Sailor Manyo Nekoyanagi. They’re lighter inks with some depth and intrigue. Sunflower gives a beautiful dark yellow edge to my letters when it’s in my TWSBI Eco Clear Orange with a 1.1 mm stub nib and I am forever in love with that combo!

  184. I’ve been putting the inks in pens, but I see you have a brush, and now I’m totally curious at trying that out! Congratulations on 10 years! And, keep inspiring 🙂

  185. Most of my inks are Iroshizuku, and my favorite is either Shin-kai blue-black or Shin-ryoku dark green.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

  186. My favorite ink is Diamine autumn oak but I can’t use it at work because it’s not dark enough. The ink I use the most that I can still pass as “work appropriate” is Diamine aurora borealis

  188. Impossible to choose! Some I seem to use more than others are: Bung Box L’Amant and Sapphire, Mont Blanc Emerald, Lamy Dark Lilac. (And thanks for turning me on to Sailor Irori!)

  189. I have a bottle of the Taccia Aoguro that I bought from Vanness at the SF Pen Show and think it’s a fantastic ink. Those other colors look great as well! Thanks for the great giveaway!

  190. Not very exciting but I do like my reliable Waterman Serenity. A friend gave me an old bottle of Shaeffer’s Skrip that I haven’t tried yet. Another great giveaway!

  191. Gosh, it is really hard to pick a favourite ink! Some of my faves: Montblanc Irish Green, Sailor Manyo Nekoyanagi, Organics Studio Nitrogen 🙂

  192. Hi Ana! Thanks for all you do! Like so many others, as a brand I love Pilot Iroshizuku inks. Individual inks – PI Kon-Peki because it’s beautiful and so well behaved in all of my troublesome pens. Current fav inks are two TWSBI Inks – Black and Midnight Blue. And to round out my fav inks are Herbin Lierre Sauvage and Jacques Herbin Gris de Houle.

  193. I understand the struggle of picking a favorite ink, and not sure I ever could. Some top ones for me would be Diamine Magical Forest, Sailor Manyo Yomogi, and Noodler’s Ottoman Rose.

  194. Ooo! Cafe Crema is already on my wish list and the others I haven’t tried yet. Thanks for the giveaway Vanness and Well Appointed Desk team!

    My favorite inks is a hard one to answer. I’m a fan of a lot of the dark blue black, green black, purple black type inks like KWZ’s Warsaw Dreaming, Bungubox Ink of Witch and Silent Night. I also love the sheen inks and my favorite currently is still the Sheen Machine from KWZ. I’m testing out the Diamine Inkvent currently and love love love Holly! Still in the process, so may add more to this list. LOL.

    Thanks again!

  195. My favorite inks so far are ku jaku, j Herbin bleu pervenche, black swan in English roses, and Apache sunset

  196. It just so happens that my two current favorite inks are the two Callifolio inks I bought several months ago to try out this brand (in those very cool pouches) – Olivastre and Bleu Equinoxe 6..!! I thought I was a dark green person and really loved Diamine’s Sherwood Green, but because of Olivastre, I now realize I love olive green inks even more! Its color against tomoe river paper is just gorgeous and makes me so happy to keep staring at it. And that Bleu Equinoxe 6 – I have now found my ultimate favorite shade of blue! It is a rich shade of, to me, ideal clear ocean blue over white sands, not too dark like the ocean depths or too light of an ice-blue. But the perfect…blue!

  197. Just getting back into fountain pens after two decades away, so it’s too soon to have a favorite ink yet. What an amazing universe of inks there is now! I have so many inks on various wish lists it makes my head spin. As I try to decide, I’m focusing first on olive greens and dusty purples. But how to choose? Happily, I’ve just discovered Goulet Pen’s vast sample selection. What fun!

  198. My favorite inks in my collection so far are Robert Oster Summer Storm, Taccia Ao Blue, and Diamine Aurora Borealis!

  201. R-S Alt-Goldgrun & Pilot Blue-Black in cartridges (which seems to give more a red sheen). I just can’t quit them.

  202. It’s so hard to choose just one! But let’s go with 2: Robert Oster Bass Straight and Blue Water Ice. Love the shading and slight sheen.

  204. Rome Burning! What’s not to love about gold that turns into purple? Yay Noodlers!

  205. My favorite ink is probably The Sea of Notions by 3 Oysters. I got suckered in by the beautiful packaging, but it’s such a beautiful and versatile ink that I love it. There’s so many inks to choose from, though. I’m a big sucker for J. Herbin, for example (though who isn’t?).

  206. My favourite ink has got to be J Herbin Kyanite du Nepal. I love the shading and the sparklies of it. Also up there is the Emerald of Chivor.

  208. I have two favorites though many more to try. #1 is Akkerman’s Voorhout Violet. #2 is Graf von Faber-Castell’s Deep Sea Green. Plus, they both have wonderful bottles.

  209. My current favourite is Diamine Scribble Purple but a close second is the sheeting Cult Pens Christine. Your competition is going to make someone v happy. Thanks.

  210. Some of my favorites are Akkerman 05 Shocking Blue, Bungbox Ink of Witch, Pen Addict Fire on Fire, Rohrer and Klingner Cassia, and Organics Studio Jazz Hands.

  211. I’d go with either Akkerman SBRE Brown or Montblance Le Petit Prince Red Fox. Yeah, that’s my jam.

  212. My favorite ink is the old Peacock Blue from Sheaffer. It was one of many cartridges in a calligraphy set I was given in high school.

  213. This is a hard question for someone who loves bright and colorful inks. Lately I’m all about things in the yellow-green range with Sailor Studio 670 being way up there. But Waterman Inspired Blue is a solid favorite and a go-to.

  214. I bought Cross Violet because I had heard it was a good substitute for Lamy Dark Lilac. But it turns out I like Cross Violet better!

  215. I love Robert Oster Jade, Robert Oster Blue Denim, and Iroshizuku tsutsuji and Iroshizuku yama-budo. Also cannot deny my everlasting love for J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor in a nice broad nib! And Platinum Carbon Black is one of the best inks out there. I have so many more favourites, but those are the first that came to mind today.

  216. I have a lot of inks; so I would be hard pressed to list a favorite. However I do like to match my pen and ink. Right now, a match that I am liking a lot is my lime Visconti Breeze matched with Papier Plume Marina Green. It makes me happy every time I use it.

  220. I like Taccia Sora, Taccia Ebi and Taccia Uguisu. Also Montblanc JFK, Rohrer & Klinger Verdigris, Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi, Monteverde Iced Cookie. Probably that’s more than enough. Thanks for the chance to win.

  221. My favorite inks have been the Pilot Iroshizuku, but I don’t have much experience using other brands so more of a lack of knowledge then preference…

  222. This is a really hard question to answer. But if I had to pick only one ink for the rest of my life, it would probably be J. Herbin Cacao du Brésil. It’s subdued enough for workplace use, but it’s one of those really subtle colors that’s hard to nail down (is it brown? is it grey? is that purple I see in there?) and that has tons of character and personality on the page.

  223. Using the empty bottle test, my favorite inks are Kaweco Midnight Blue and Franklin-Cristoph Midnight Emerald. My true favorite is probably Iroshizuku Hoteison, but limited edition so I hoard it. Why do they do that?

  224. Oh, Lord, my favorite inks? I’ll try to narrow it down. Well, I’ll confess right now that Robert Oster Caffe Crema is already one of my favorites, but I have a plan regarding who that new bottle will go to if I win. Caffe Crema is on my desert island list, even. I also love Robert Oster’s Deep Sea, Red Orange (terribly underrated), and Forest Green. Diamine’s Eau de Nil (no such thing as too much teal, okay?), Golden Brown and Terracotta (I’m way down the rabbit hole on earth tone inks), Papier Plume’s House of the Rising Sun (I swear it seems to glow from within, and I wish I had their Michigan Summer), Monteverde’s Copper Noir (makes me swoon), Rose Noir, and Moonstone (so complex), De Atramentis’ Pigeon Blue (it’s my house blue), Noodler’s Kiowa Pecan (a gorgeous, warm, incredible shading brown, but takes absolutely forever to dry – but that’s what blotting paper is for…and patience), KWZ El Dorado (whoa, what a gorgeous shader), and Edelstein Aquamarine. I’m not big on using a lot of blues like it seems most Americans are. And when I do use a blue, I don’t want it to be a mid-range blue that could have come out of a commercial roller ball. I need it to be more interesting and unique, generally. There are more, but, you know, you have other things to read, so, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Oh – and, I hope your birthday surrounded you with love and affection. ❤️

    1. De Atrementis Pigeon Blue is one of my favorites too and just barely missed being on the list. I also like De Atrementis Petrol which is not like the Lamy Petrol but still a nice steely blue.

  227. I love my Noodler’s Inks especially the bulletproof Warden series inks.

    Black: Aurora Black
    Blue: Bad Belted Kingfisher
    Green: Bad Green Gator
    Red: Diamine Red Dragon
    Others(for their fun features): J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor, Organics Studios Nitrogen, Noodler’s Apache Sunset, Lamy Azurite

  228. My favorite ink changes day by day! Two go-to inks are Iroshizuku Fuyu-syogun and ColorVerse Opportunity

  229. The one ink that I could not do without is Diamine Oxblood.
    But I always have the following in rotation:
    KWZ Baltic Memories, KWZ Warsaw Dreaming, Sailor Rikyu-cha; Kaweco Sunrise Orange

  230. I don’t think I can name a favorite. Diamine has so many beautiful colors. I love signing birthday cards with shimmering Diamine Spearmint Diva. Monteverde Jade Noir and Ocean Noir feel great for longer writing and are such saturated colors. Noodler’s inks have such great labels and back stories, plus great value. The ink I love to show to folks who are just starting to appreciate ink is the super sheener Organics Studio Walden Pond.

  231. I think currently my favorites inks are Robert Oster: Pen Addict Fire on Fire, and Tranquility.

  232. I didn’t expect to love Sailor Shikiori Yamadori as much as I do … but I do. Iroshizuku Kon-Peki is my favorite every-day blue that isn’t everyday. KWZ Honey and Papier Plume House of the Rising Sun also have beautiful shading (and a yellow halo in the latter’s case). I also think Diamine Sherwood Green is a great color for use every day.

  233. I love inks that shade – Sailor Rikyu-cha and Diamine Ancient Copper. Right now at work I am using a lot of Robert Oster Great Southern Ocean

  234. My favourite ink is Krishna Ghat green which I randomly ordered during my first online group buy. Since then I’ve become friends with moat of them. And all of them are so helpful

  235. Hi! Hope you’re wonderful:)
    My favourite inks, Pilot Iroshizuko 100th Anniversary Limited Edition in Benzaiten. This beautiful soft pink gives me a soft peaceful feeling when writing…
    And J. Herbin 1798 Cornaline D’Egypt, i feel the person the receives a letter that i wrote with this ink, happiness and old true friendship bonds…xox

  236. My favourite ink is penbbs 279. It’s a really wonderful muted blue with great shading and a subtle gold shimmer

  237. I really love Sailor Four Seasons Yama Dori and Kinmokusei. Kwz green gold, too, but I think I lost my sample somewhere. They’re well-behaved, vibrant, and good shaders.

  238. I am giant fan of Diamine Ox Blood and anything Orange! I have one pen that is solely inked with Pilot Blue-Black for work as that is my go to professional ink.

  239. My top two inks right now are Corail des Tropiques from Herbin and Razzmatazz fr Diamine

  240. Today (but maybe not tomorrow) my favorite ink is Noodlers Van Gogh Starry Night for Fountain Pen Network

  241. My favorite ink is Lamy Ocean Pacific (turquoise), but really I have many favorite turquoise inks: Pelikan 4001 Turquoise, Waterman Inspired Blue, Pilot iroshizuku ku-jaku (slightly greener), Blackstone Sydney Harbor Blue, Diamine Arctic Blue (shimmer) – you get the idea. Edelstein Aquamarine is a little too green for me, as is the Colorverse Constellation Ship from the 2020 Baltimore Pen Show.

  242. My favorite inks lately have been the Rohrer & Klingner sketch inks because they come in nice muted colors and they are waterproof so I can draw with them & fill in with watercolor.

  243. LAMY Neon Coral (no longer available) is my first love. I truly truly enjoy reading my notes in it, usually in a Safari F.
    Waterman Harmonious Green is another love usually in an AL-Star EF
    RO PA – Fire on Fire took over where Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki left off (in any stub)!
    Blackstone Lemur Lime has been a recent fun discovery.
    Krishna Black Rose has been another new discovery in my new TWISBI Rose Gold/stub.
    Yikes, shall I go on?

  245. I’m really enjoying using Diamine Oxford Blue. I think it’s a perfect dark blue that’s not black-blue

  246. Hello, and thanks once more for the great blog and the giveaways.
    I am a big fan of Herbin inks, most of all the light ones with all the shading. Diabolo Menthe and Rouille d’Ancre are among my all-time favourites. They are quite picky about the pen and one needs to look for a good match, but once the pen-nib match is found, they are magic.
    I also like a lot Waterman turquoise (Inspiration blue), this is the only ink that I replace as soon as I finish a bottle.
    Mikel

  247. My favorite ink is a simple Mont Blanc. Because I went into their store in SF looking like a homeless person and they didn’t like it one bit.

  248. I think my favorite ink is Noodler’s Baystate Blue. It’s a nice bright blue. I have it in my Esterbrook Dip-Less pen.

  249. Old favorites are Iroshizuku Ku-jaku and Fuyu-syogun, Edelstein Garnet, and Diamine Autumn Oak. I’m starting to explore dusty pinks (Tono & Lims Disturbing u) and can’t resist a legible yellow (3Oysters Hwangto) these days!

  250. I just purchased Diamine Shimmering Sea and fell in love with it and second would be Ferris Wheel Press Lady Rose.

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