What kind of ink should I use in my fountain pen?
Ink Options
Whether you own a cartridge-converter or piston filled pen, there are lots of options for ink. The only hard and fast rule that we have is make sure your ink is traditionally formulated for a fountain pen. Any ink we sell is one that someone here in the shop has put in a pen and tried. All of our Cartridges or Bottled inks should be safe with your pen. Do keep in mind that ink cartridges may be proprietary.
No matter what ink you choose, we do recommend regular cleaning of your pen. This is especially true if you use pigmented or carbon inks, which do have more potential for causing clogged feeds if neglected. Take a look at our Pen Maintenance page for more information.
Inks To Avoid
Inks not clearly identified as suitable for fountain pen use should always be avoided. This includes, but is not limited to, India ink and other artists or drawing inks.
There are two current fountain pen ink brands, neither of which we choose to sell, which have been the subject of much debate in the fountain pen world. These are non-traditionally formulated inks, and while many users are very devoted to them and report no difficulties, many other users report problems with leaking, clogging, and poor ink flow after using these non-traditional inks.
Best Choices
Particularly if you are new to fountain pens, our suggestion is to stick with reliable, traditionally-formulated inks. And with the numerous exotic ink hues available there is certainly no need to sacrifice color or variety while sticking with an ink that won't harm your pen. We include a converter with all of our cartridge-converter pens to make sure you're ready to go with the Bottled ink of your choice.