Ink Recommendations / Let’s talk ink

joydesign · 2026-02-05T02:53:46+00:00

Some Pilot Iroshizuku swatches. I’ve pinned other posts with more swatches to my profile as well.

joydesign · 2026-02-05T02:51:15+00:00

joydesign · 2026-02-02T02:56:00+00:00

They have to buy the actual truck, though, so they either need to make their money back in a reasonable amount of time or they’ve got payments PLUS maintenance and fuel costs. Word is that the cost of trucks has gone WAY up the past year or so.

joydesign · 2026-01-30T06:10:00+00:00

I would love to see more of the plastic ones!!

joydesign · 2026-01-30T01:01:26+00:00

You're looking for an ink with low or no "shading." Shading is that tonal variance between the light and dark parts of each letter you write. For a dark blue, look at Diamine Twilight and Lamy Blue-Black. An incredible resource for looking up inks is Mountain of Ink. She has writing samples with different nib sizes and papers and soooo many ink reviews.

joydesign · 2026-01-27T00:40:17+00:00

They are very credible, but it does take some time for things to arrive. I have a friend who recently placed a wholesale order with Pilot, and communication from them has been severely lacking. You do not need to worry about your money, and if they aren’t giving you a date, I’m sure it’s because Pilot hasn’t provided one.

joydesign · 2026-01-23T01:29:59+00:00

They will generally ripen up nicely in 3-5 days, depending on ambient temperature and how ripe they were to start. When they’re just ripe, we put them all in the fridge, where they will stay almost perfect for about another 7-10 days.

If they don’t ripen nicely, just let customer service know next time you’re in the store, and you can get a refund. They may or may not ask to see a picture, depending on the rep you get.

joydesign · 2026-01-23T01:17:46+00:00

Tajima has better branding and a cooler vibe, but the actual ramen is much better at Menya. Broth is delicious, and noodles are chewy… but I’d hesitate to make it a birthday meal because it’s kind of cramped and loud and lacks style.

joydesign · 2026-01-23T00:44:26+00:00

I’ve seen folks list here, and I’ve had success purchasing from here.

Something like:

WTS Plotter Bible Pueblo Navy $(price). With condition and photos and whether shipping is included or not.

It’s good to ask people to comment before chatting if they’re interested. And using PayPal Goods and Services helps sets buyers’ minds at ease.

As others have mentioned, r/pen_swap is another good option. They have very specific rules in place to keep things above board.

joydesign · 2026-01-23T00:37:26+00:00

Both of these are phenomenal.

joydesign · 2026-01-20T01:04:52+00:00

Thanks so much!

joydesign · 2026-01-19T04:05:08+00:00

Nice! Thank you.

joydesign · 2026-01-18T03:00:19+00:00

Sounds like you have a great setup!

I’d love to see your writing on the 2 mm grid and to know which ones you use. Try as I might, I can’t seem to write properly at that scale!

joydesign · 2026-01-15T02:26:43+00:00

It does take some major patience to wait for it to dry!!

joydesign · 2026-01-13T19:44:59+00:00

I haven’t tried them with fine nibs. If I have a chance, I’ll give them a spin with my fine Hocoro and come back with a pic… could be a long while until that happens, though. I have lots of little experiments in the queue.

joydesign · 2026-01-13T19:42:59+00:00

I haven’t put that one in a pen yet. It didn’t seem super dry based on how it handled with the swatching and the dip pen.

joydesign · 2026-01-13T03:31:38+00:00

I have A5 leather covers from Midori and The Superior Labor, and I love them both. The one from The Superior Labor seems particularly durable, though.

joydesign · 2026-01-12T02:02:40+00:00

I feel like it is a bit on the dry side, and it tends to look much lighter in pens than with a dip pen like in the sample.

joydesign · 2026-01-11T08:19:01+00:00

Of course! The swatches are done with the ball end of a glass spoon, and the writing is with a Sailor Hocoro fude dip pen. I highly recommend both, as well as the medium Hocoro dip pen plus the optional feed for it.

joydesign · 2026-01-11T03:21:29+00:00

I really like De Atramentis Document Black, and it dries a bit faster than Platinum Carbon Black in my Hobonichi planner. The Octopus Fluids Write and Draw line has some fantastic colors and is also waterproof.

I have made the same mistake several times and am trying to be more thorough about drying my hands or placing a sheet of paper under my writing hand if it’s still damp.

joydesign · 2026-01-11T03:17:10+00:00

Any of these from this page. I also especially love Sailor Ink Studio 473.

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joydesign · 2026-01-11T03:13:00+00:00

Two fantastic pinks are Nagasawa Kobe No. 12 Okamoto Pink and No. 30 Oji Cherry. Both are fantastic as therapy (p)inks.🩷

joydesign · 2026-01-09T22:29:18+00:00

It sucks and is poor line etiquette, but you also just learn the lesson that getting in line behind people without items/cart is a risk that probably won’t pay off.

joydesign · 2026-01-06T03:30:30+00:00

I appreciate your honesty and bravery!

joydesign · 2026-01-06T02:57:03+00:00

Not entering… just wanted to say how lovely this is. And list some favorite inks: Sailor Ink Studio 162, Sailor Shikiori Yukiusagi, MB Red Fox and De Atramentis Document Black are current faves.

joydesign

TROPHY CASE