The Harmless Dilettante

dil‧et‧tante  [dil-i-tahnt] –noun : a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, esp. in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler. "Harmless": The entry for Earth in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Later ammended to "Mostly Harmless." FYI: Most of the scans are from 1-2 MB. Just click on the picture for a gigantic version!

Friday, September 25, 2009

My Digital Ink Sampler

Total reviews added to date: 166

Just click on the brand you're interested in to take you to the review links.

If you'd like a 1-2 MB picture, you can just click on the small post picture. A gigantic color corrected scan will follow. The full-sized image will depict more accurate representation of each ink color.

Aurora

Bexley

Caran d' Ache

Cross

De Atramentis

Diamine

Fahrney's

Higgins

J. Herbin

Lamy

Levenger

Montblanc

Namiki

Noodler's

Omas

Parker Penman

Parker Quink

Pelikan

Platinum

Private Reserve

Rohrer and Klingner

Sailor

Sheaffer

Smythson

Stipula


Swisher

Visconti

Waterman


Yard-o-Led

Thursday, September 24, 2009

My Big Fat Pen Collection

While I'm making lists, I thought I'd do throw this one up there as well. It's easy to spot my favorite models as I generally buy multiples of them in different colors. Last year, I decided to limit my fountain pen collection to thirty max and sold off seventeen pens to make that goal. Now I'm up to forty-seven fountain pens, with at least one more on my wish list (Pelikan's M620 Berlin .) It's not a collection, it's a compulsion! Of course, the nine "other pens " listed below shouldn't really count since they're mostly just "and guest" pens from Fountain Pen sets. Total Pens: 56

Note: "Binderized" refers to pens that have been modified by Richard Binder, Nibmeister extraordinaire at Binder Pens.

If you need to do a more detailed inventory of your own pens, I highly recommend Jon Rosen's excellent and free database. You can find it here on the Fountain Pen network:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=29267

Fountain Pens
Because it's not a real pen unless it sucks ink from a bottle.

Bexley
Sheherazade in Blue with an 18kt Fine Nib
Sheherazade in Gray with an 18kt Medium nib
Sheherazade in Custom Ruby with an 18kt Stub Nib
Sheherazade in Custom Teal Pearl with an 18kt Stub Nib
Sheherazade in Tortoise with an 18kt Stub Nib

Conklin
Mark Twain Crescent in Brown Celluloid with a 14kt Medium Nib, LE for Farhney's Pens

Montblanc
146 Le Grande in Discontinued Burgundy with a 14kt Medium Nib
147 Traveller in Black with a 14 kt Medium Nib

Namiki
Decimo in Pink with a 18kt Binderized Italiafine Nib, LE
Falcon in Black with a Binderized Flexible Fine 14kt Nib
Falcon in Discontinued Blue with a Binderized Flexible Fine 14kt Nib
Falcon in Discontinued Burgundy with a Binderized Flexible Fine from a Broad 14kt Fine Nib

Parker
51 Aeromatic in Burgundy and Gold with a Broad Binderized Stub Gold Nib, Vintage
51 Vacuumatic in Cedar Blue and Gold with 14kt Fine Nib, dated 1948
51 Vacuumatic in Cordovan and Gold with a 14kt Fine Nib, dated 1946

Pelikan
M200 Discontinued Amber Demonstrator with a Binderized Medium Crisp Italic Steel Nib
M200 Blue Demonstrator with a Binderized Broad Crisp Italic Steel Nib
M200 Discontinued Green Demonstrator with a Binderized BB Crisp Italic Steel Nib
M200 Discontinued Red Demonstrator with a Broad Italic Steel Nib
M620 Discontinued Grand Palace with a 14kt Mottishawed Spensarian Nib
M620 Discontinued Madrid with a Binderized Italifine 14kt Nib
M620 Discontinued Picadilly Circus with a Fine 18kt Nib
M620 Discontinued Shanghai with a Fine 18kt Nib
M620 Discontinued Stockholm with a Broad Cursive Italic 18kt Nib
M800 Blue and Black with a Binderized Cursive Italic Broad pf 18kt Nib
M800 in Red and Black with a Binderized Cursive Italic Broad pf 18kt Nib
M800 Old Style in Black with a Discontinued 14kt Fine Nib
M800 Old Style Green and Black with a Discontinued 14kt Medium Nib
M1000 in Green and Black with a Binderized Cursive Italic BBB pf 18kt Nib

Pilot
Parallel Pen with a 1 mm Steel Nib
Parallel Pen with a 1.5 mm Steel Nib
Parallel Pen with a 2.4 mm Steel Nib
Parallel Pen with a 3.8 mm Steel Nib
Parallel Pen with a 6.0mm Steel Nib

Sheaffer
Desk Touchdown in Black with an Inlaid 14 kt Fine Nib, Vintage
Desk Touchdown in Black with an Inlaid 14 kt Medium Nib, Vintage
Legacy 2 Touchdown in Discontinued Copper with a Binderized 18 kt Broad Stub Nib
Legacy 2 Touchdown in Discontinued Fluted Gold with an Inlaid 18 kt Stub Nib
Legacy 2 Touchdown Discontinued Green Laque and Gold with an Inlaid 18 kt Stub Nib
Prelude Discontinued Calligraphy in Chrome with a Steel Fine Italic Nib
Prelude Discontinued Calligraphy in Chrome with a Steel Medium Italic Nib
Prelude Discontinued Calligraphy in Chrome with a Steel Broad Italic Nib with Binderized Increased Flow
Prelude in Chrome with Gold Trim with a Medium Steel Nib
Prelude in Chrome with Gold Trim with Pendemonium's Cursive Italic Broad Steel Nib
Truimph Imperial in Discontinued Black Calligraphy Set with Inlaid Fine, Medium, and Broad Italic Steel Nibs

Visconti
Hanoverian with a Medium 14kt Nib, LE

Waterman
52 in Black with a Flexible Stub Gold Ideal Nib, Vintage

Other Pens (The Joy of Sets)

Fisher
Space Pen Ballpoint in Chrome
Space Pen Bullet Ballpoint in Gold

Montblanc
Le Grande Highlighter 166 in Discontinued Burgundy

Sheaffer
Prelude Ballpoint in Chrome with Gold Trim, Two
Prelude Mechanical Pencil in Chrome with Gold Trim
Prelude MPI in Chrome with Gold Trim, Two
Prelude Roller ball in Chrome with Gold Trim

Monday, September 14, 2009

My Big Fat Ink Collection

Bottles of ink: 179 (plus 4 duplicates)
Bottles of Ink Reviewed: 150
Bottles Still to Review: 29





Aurora
Black
Blue

Bexley
Lapis Blue
Mountain Violet
Ocean Blue

Caran d' Ache
Amazon
Blue Night
Blue Sky
Carbon
Caribbean Sea
Grand Canyon
Saffron
Storm
Sunset

Diamine
Coral
Imperial Blue
Imperial Purple
Orange
Prussian Blue

Higgins
Black Eternal Permanent Ink
Sepia Calligraphy

J. Herbin
Bleu Myosotis
Cafe des Iles
Encre Ambre Parfumee Orange
Encre Bleu Parfumee Lavande
Encre Rouge Parfumee Rose
Encre Verte Parfumee Pomme
Encre Violette Parfumee Violette
Gris Nuage
Ink for Man Black
Ink for Man Blue
Ink for Man Burgundy
Lie de The
Poussiere de Lune
Rouge Caroubier

Levenger
Always Greener
Amethyst
Blue Bahama
Cardinal Red
Cobalt Blue
Cocoa
Fireball
Gemstone Green
Pinkly
Raven Black
Skies of Blue
Smokey

Montblanc
Black
Blue
Blue Black
Bordeaux
Emerald Green
Je t'aime Love Letter Ink
Racing Green
Ruby Red
Season's Greetings 2005
Season's Greetings 2006
Seasons Greetings 2007
Violet

Noodler's
Aircorp Blue Black
Antietam
Apache Sunset
Army
Baystate Blue
Baystate Cape Cod Cranberry
Baystate Concord Grape
Beaver
Black
Blue
Blue Black
Boston Brahmin Blue
Brown
Burgundy
Cayenne
Concord Bream
Firefly
Forest Green
FPN Dumas Tulipe Noire
FPN Van Gogh Starry Night
Green Marine
Golden Brown
Heart of Darkness
Kiowa Pecan
La Coleur Royale
Manhattan Blue
Midnight Blue
Navajo Turquoise
Navy
Nightshade
Nikita
Ottoman Azure
Ottoman Rose
Purple
Purple Martin
Purple Wampum
Red
Red-Black
Sequoia Green
Shah's Rose
Squeteague

Tiananmen
Turquoise
Violet
Walnut
Widow Maker
Yellow
Zhivago

Noodler's American Eel
Blue
Cactus Fruit
Green Cactus
Rattler Red
Turquoise

Noodler's Eternal Inks
Bank Note Green
Blue Ghost
Eternal Brown
Fox Red
FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown
Hunter Green
Iraqi Indigo
La Reine Mauve
Legal Lapis
Lexington Gray
Luxury Blue
Navy
Polar Black
Polar Blue
Russian Rachmaninov
Year of the Golden Pig
Whiteness of the Whale

Noodler's Swishmix
Burgundy
Lakeshore Spruce
Nile Ebony
Tahitian Pearl

Noodler's Waterproof for Swisher Pens
Aquamarine
Devil Red
Goldfinch
Gulfstream Blue
Hellbender Red
Naval Orange
Verdun Green

Parker Penman
Ebony
Emerald
Mocha
Ruby
Sapphire

Parker Quink
Red

Pelikan
Brilliant Black 4001
Brilliant Brown 4001
Brilliant Green
Royal Blue 4001
Turquoise 4001
Violet 4001

Platinum
Carbon Black

Private Reserve
Arabian Rose
Avacado
Black Magic Blue
Blue Suede
Burgundy Mist
Chocolate
Daphne Blue
D.C. Supershow Blue
Electric D.C. Blue
Fiesta Red
Purple Mojo
Shell Pink
Sherwood Green

R&K
Alt Bordeaux

Sheaffer NOS
Blue-Black
Brown
Burgundy
Jet Black
Peacock Blue

Smythson
Claret

Visconti
Black

Waterman
Blue Black
Florida Blue
Havana
Purple
South Seas Blue

Normally, I'm happy to entertain trades for samples of these inks. (My sample vials are about 5-7 mLs each.) However, I'm trying to review my collection at the moment. I'll let you know when I catch up!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

My Big Fat Ink Sample Collection

Samples Reviewed: 11
Current Total Number of Vials: 92
Samples of ink still to be reviewd: 89




De Atramentis
Bambusgrun
Bordeauxrot

Diamine
Cerise
Emerald
Indigo
Light Green
Monaco Red
Royal Blue
Sepia
Umber

J.Herbin
Bleu Pervenche
Bouquet d'Antan
Lierre Sauvage
Verte Reseda

Lamy
Blue-Black
Green
Turquoise

Montblanc
Turquoise

Namiki
Black
Blue

Noodler's
Dragon's Napalm
Green
Highlighter Ink Atlantic Salmon
Highlighter Ink Georgia Peach
Highlighter Ink Hellfire
Highlighter Ink Lightning Blue
Highlighter Ink St. Patty's Eire
Highlighter Ink Sunrise
Old Manhattan Black (Exclusive to Fountain Pen Hospital)
Polar Black, New
Saguaro Wine
Swishmix Glacier Blue

Noodlers's Eternal Inks
Art Brown Legal Blue
Russian Dostoevsky

Russian Esenin
Russian Lermontov
Russian Pushkin
Singapore Honourable Blue
Singapore Judicial Black
Singapore Lotus Grace
Singapore Majestic Orange
Singapore Peranakan Brown
Singapore Samsui Red
Singapore Sentosa Tranquility
Singapore Sepia
Singapore Sling
Singapore Spirit of Bamboo
Singapore Vanda Miss Joachim
SingaporeEsplanade
U.K. Britannia's Blue Waves
U.K. El Lawrence
U.K. Empire Red

Omas
Grey
Red
Roma 2000 Blue
Violet

Parker Quink

Black
Blue

Pilot Iroshizukus
Fuyu-syogun General Frost (Bluish Dark Gray)
Kiri-same Misty Rain (Misty Dark Gray)
Kon-peki Deep Ocean Blue (Deep Blue)
Ku-jaku Peacock (Deep Turquoise)
Fuyu-gaki Japanese Sweet Persimmon Red (Vermilion)
Tsukushi Field Horsetail Brown (Reddish Dark Brown)
Yama-guri Wild Chestnut Brown (Dark Brown)
Shin-ryoku Deep Forest Green (Deep Green)
Syo-ro Pine Tree Dew (Dark Turquoise)
Tsuki-yo Night Sky (Greenish Deep
Tsuyu-kusa Day Flower (Deep Blue)

Platinum
Black
Blue

Private Reserve
American Blue

DC Supershow Green
Foam Green
Midnight Blue
Sonic Blue

Rohrer & Klingner
Alt Goldgrun
Black
Helianthus

Sailor
Blue
Blue-Black

Red Black

Sheaffer
Blue


Sheaffer N.O.S.

Blue
Emerald Green
Gray
Lavender

Stipula
Calamo
Moss Green

Visconti
Bordeaux
Turquoise

Waterman
Black
Green

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Noodler's Inks

Air Corp Blue Black*

American Eel Blue

American Eel Cactus Fruit

American Eel Green Cactus

American Eel Rattler Red

American Eel Turquoise

Antietam

Apache Sunset

Army Green

Art Brown Brooklyn Brawn

Art Brown Manhattan Blue

Art Brown Pinstripe Homage

Art Brown Subway Series Sepia

Baystate Blue

Baystate Cape Cod Cranberry

Baystate Concord Grape

Beaver

Black Mamba (for felt tipped pens only)

Blue

Blue-Black*

Borealis Black

Boston Brahmin Blue

Brown*

Burgundy

Cayenne

Concord Bream

Dark Matter

Dragon's Napalm

Dromgoole's Raven

Dromgoole's Texas Patriot (for the Dallas Pen Show)

Electric Color Series (Highlighting Ink) Atlantic Salmon

Electric Color Series (Highlighting Ink) Firefly

Electric Color Series (Highlighting Ink) Georgia Peach

Electric Color Series (Highlighting Ink) Hellfire

Electric Color Series (Highlighting Ink) Lightning Blue

Electric Color Series (Highlighting Ink) St. Patty's Eire

Electric Color Series (Highlighting Ink) Sunrise

Forest Green

Fountain Pen Network Dumas Tulipe Noire

Fountain Pen Network Van Gogh Starry Night

Golden Brown*

Green

Green Marine *

Gruene Cactus

Habanero

Jet Pens White Peacock (Not Fountain Pen Safe)

Kiowa Pecan *

La Coleur Royale

Midnight Blue

Navajo Turquoise

Navy*

Nightshade

Nikita

Ottoman Azure

Ottoman Rose

Purple

Purple Martin

Purple Wampum

Red

Red Black*

Saguaro Wine

Sequoia

Shah's Rose

Squeteague

Summer Tanager

Swisher Pens Antigua Blue

Swisher Pens Apricot Orange

Swisher Pens Blue-Black

Swisher Pens Cocoa

Swisher Pens Dark Purple

Swisher Pens Emerald Green

Swisher Pens Intense Red

Swisher Pens Maroon

Swisher Pens Midnight Black

Swisher Pens Nantucket Blue

Swisher Pens North Sea Blue

Swisher Pens Quick Lime

Swisher Pens St. Elmo's Fire

Swisher Pens Yellow

Tiananmen

Turquoise

Violet

V-Mail Burma Brown Road

V-Mail GI Green

V-Mail Mandalay Maroon

V-Mail Midway Blue

V-Mail North African Violet

V-Mail Operation Overlord Orange

V-Mail Rabaul Red

Whiteness of the Whale

Walnut*

Widow Maker

World Lux Emerald City Green (I don't think this is an Eternal, but I'm not sure)

Yellow

Zhivago*



Noodler's Waterproof, Eternal, and Bulletproof Inks

American Eel Black (May be the same as Polar Black)

Art Brown Legal Blue (contract ink)

Australia Ayers Amber

Australia Coral Sea

Black

Blue Ghost

Canada Blue Upon the Plains of Abraham

China Kung Te-Cheng

China Year of the Golden Ghost

China Year of the Golden Pig

Dragon Catfish Highlighting Ink Green (not fountain pen safe)

Dragon Catfish Highlighting Ink Pink (not fountain pen safe)

Dragon Catfish Highlighting Ink Orange (not fountain pen safe)

Fox Red

Fountain Pen Hospital Bank Note Green

Fountain Pen Hospital Ellis Island Blue-Black

Fountain Pen Hospital Old Manhattan

Fountain Pen Network Galileo Manuscript Brown

Germany Prussian Blue

Heart of Darkness

Hunter Green

India Upper Ganges Blue

Japan Kanazawa Wave

Jet Pens Manjiro Nakahama Whaleman's Sepia

La Reine Mauve

Lexington Gray

Luxury Blue

Pendemonium Eternal Brown

Pendemonium Iraqi Indigo

Pendemonium Legal Lapis

Pendemonium Violet Vote

Periwinkle

Polar Black, New

Polar Black (Original Formula)

Polar Blue

Polar Brown

Russia Akhmatova

Russia Chekhov

Russia Dostoevsky

Russia Esenin

Russia Kuprin

Russia Lermontov

Russia Pasternak

Russia Pushkin

Russia Rachmaninov

Russia Tchaikovsky

Russia Tolstoy

Russia Tsvetayeva

Singapore Esplanade

Singapore Honourable Blue

Singapore Judicial Black

Singapore Lotus Grace

Singapore Majestic Orange

Singapore Peranakan Brown

Singapore Samsui Red

Singapore Sentosa Tranquility

Singapore Sepia

Singapore Sling

Singapore Spirit of Bamboo

Singapore Vanda Miss Joachim

Sweden Stockholm Indigo

Taiwan Black Strait

Taiwan Fort Zeelandia

Taiwan Mazu

Swisher Pens Swishmix Burgundy

Swisher Pens Swishmix Glacier Blue

Swisher Pens Swishmix Lakeshore Spruce

Swisher Pens Swishmix Nile Ebony

Swisher Pens Swishmix Royal Aztec

Swisher Pens Swishmix Seminole Sepia

Swisher Pens Swishmix Tahitian Pearl

Swisher Pens Swishmix True Rouge

Swisher Pens Waterproof Aquamarine

Swisher Pens Waterproof Devil Red

Swisher Pens Waterproof Goldfinch

Swisher Pens Waterproof Grizzly

Swisher Pens Waterproof Gulf Stream Blue

Swisher Pens Waterproof Hellbender Red

Swisher Pens Waterproof Naval Orange

Swisher Pens Waterproof Verdun Green

The Color of the King (Only 10 bottles made for the Raliegh 2004 Pen Show)

U.K. Britannia's Blue Waves

U.K. El Lawrence

U.K. Empire Red

U.K. Highland Heather

U.K. Mati Hari's Cordial

U.K. Prime of the Commons

U.K. Socrates

U.K. The Sun Never Sets

U.K. Victoria's Mint

Warden's Bad Blue Heron

X-Feather Black



*This ink has been designated "Near Bulletproof." "Near Bulletproof" is a term used on The Fountain Pen Network's Waterproof Ink List. You can find it here.

If you'd like to see what the bottles and labels look like Jet Pens' got pictures of most of these inks, albeit oddly and randomly rotated. It's also the only store which has Noodler's divided into "Standard" and "Specialty" issue inks, (as well as the usual Eternal, Electric Color. etc. )Noodler's has included an insert in their packaging that categorizes their inks this way as well. If anyone knows how or why this distinction is made I'd love to hear it.

I've divided Noodler's inks into just two categories: Regular ink and Eternal Ink. Some of Noodler's regular inks have been upgraded to "near bulletproof," so I've noted that with * by their names in the regular ink section.

Noodler's Website

Thursday, May 14, 2009

What's New: Thursday

-Changed Noodler's Zhivago color category from black to green. I've been using it in my 3B cursive italic Pelikan M1000 and it really does look more green than black.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

What's New: Wednesday

I added four more inks to my Noodler's list. Thanks Kookychick!

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