I know it’s only mid-December, but I’ve probably re-inked my pens for the last time this year so it’s recap time! This is the first year I’ve put all my data into a spreadsheet to figure out what inks I used the most. But we’ll get to that later.
My 2025 Ink Intentions
In 2024, my ink collection grew by. . . a lot thanks to generous members of the DC Metro Pen Club. Someone was making a big move and didn’t want to take their bottles of inks with them. I initially only grabbed two bottles so other members could partake. Two hours later, many bottles remained on the freebie table and we were encouraged to take more. How could I say no?
My main intention in 2025 was to use a wider variety of inks, including the samples I’d received in various swaps with the lovely people in the fountain pen community. I think I only purchased a handful of bottles for personal use this year. (I bought many bottles for the classes I taught at the DC Pen Show.)
I also wanted to use up samples in which I only had a couple of mL or less. Which was quite a bit.
Did I succeed? Let’s find out!
2025 Inks by the Numbers
According to my notes, I used 64 different inks this year! Not bad for someone who only keeps 10-12ish pens inked at a time.
I didn’t track how many sample vials of inks I used up but my conservative guess is at least 10 vials. I don’t think I emptied any bottles of ink. (Cries) At the rate I’m acquiring ink, I doubt I’ve made a dent in my collection.
I also refuse to count how many bottles of ink I own. It’s better that way. Plausible deniability and all.
2025 Most Used Inks
#1 De Atramentis Document Black & #2 De Atramentis Document Grey (my own mix)
I’m not surprised that these are my most used inks. I keep a bottle of D.A. Document Black in a drawer next to my desk and a vial of grey I mixed myself using the black and De Atramentis Dilution Solution.
Why these inks? They’re 99.99% waterproof. The black is dark but not Anish Kapoor black. I use this ink in my illustrated journal because I can use watercolors over them, in my bullet journal for drawing/tracing spreads, and in my commonplace notebook. For the last two, I frequently use mildliners over my notes and the ink won’t smear.
#3 De Atramentis Document Violet
This is my second favorite D.A. Document Ink. It’s a dark blue-leaning violet. I use this color so much, I bought a bottle years ago instead of mixing it myself. It’s nice to be able to add some color to my commonplace notebook and not worry about losing my notes if I spill my coffee or water.
#4 Wearingeul Dracula
Shimmer inks are my kryptonite! I love how this ink works in my flex nibs and had to force myself to use a different inks in order to stick with my intentions above. I love red and deep/hot pink inks. Add shimmer and I’m a goner. Also, how could I resist a name like Dracula?
2025 Favorite New to Me Inks
In no particular order:
The CoffeeMonsterz Co Forgotten Iced Coffee
I got caught in the Esterbrook x TCMC collab hype because Pen Boutique (my local pen store) held a launch party for it. I attended the party and restrained myself to purchasing the blotting papers and the ink. The shading in this ink is super fun.
Diamine Fortune’s Gold
I used up my tiny sample of Pelikan Edelstein Golden Beryl earlier this year. It’s a gorgeous ink and I’m sad I missed out on it. The ink performed incredibly well in my Stylosuite flex nib. I asked around for a dupe and Fortune’s Gold was one of the many suggestions. While it’s not close to Golden Beryl, I enjoyed this ink very much. I’m not sure if I’ll buy a bottle once my sample is gone though. waves at my ink collection
Wearingeul Persephone
Yes, another shimmer ink. What did I tell you? I’m glad I bought a bottle of it. Another fantastic ink for my flex nib. I have no qualms about pushing how much shimmer that nib can take. Spoiler: it’s a lot.
Final Thoughts
I don’t have numbers for my 2024 inks used, but I’m happy with how I was able to use so many different inks this year. We’re all creatures of habit. I found myself reaching to some of my go-tos quite often but managed to stop myself most of the time.
I’m not sure what my 2026 ink intentions will be yet. I want it to be something that feels attainable so I won’t say things like, “Use up all my sample vials first.”
How about you? Were you happy with your fountain pen ink usage in 2025?
Tools:
- Pens: Dip nib in Tachikawa TP-25 Nib Holder and paintbrush with synthetic fiber
- Paper: Daiso 3×5 blank index cards
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) and Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)