In Pen Review

Inkmas Day 4: My 2025 Top Inks

Author Thien-Kim LamPosted on Leave a comment
Inkmas Day 4: My 2025 Top Inks

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!

I make a 3×5 Index card every time I re-ink my pens

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:

In Link Love

Link Love: We’e Not Gonna Talk About Pantone

Author AnaPosted on 1 Comment
Link Love: We’e Not Gonna Talk About Pantone

This week my social media apps exploded in outrage and skepticism around the announcement of the Pantone Color of the Year for 2026. There is sooooo much to say about the choice of color, a white they are calling “Cloud Dancer” and the outrage pouring from every source on the internet.

Laura and I plan to spend a good deal of time talking about color in January so put this outrage on your back burner until then. We have the entirety of 2026 to rail against Pantone as well as to make some recommendations for other colors that could be considered as the color for 2026 — whether you are hoping to feel optimistic or pessimistic about the year will bring. So right now, we’re not talking about Pantone, but you can in the comments!

Color of the Year (We Are Not Talking About):

It’s Inkvent/Ink Advent/Inkmas Season (potential spoilers):

Pens:

Ink:

Notebooks & Paper:

Art & Creativity:

Other Interesting Things:

And lastly, if you live in the Kansas City area and would like to shop for Well-Appointed Desk and Skylab products this weekend (along with lots of other cool art and craft makers), consider stopping by the Unity Temple on the Plaza on Saturday or Sunday. Say hi, buy some stuff and enjoy the holiday vibes on the Plaza!

We offer lots of cool stuff that is exclusively available to Patrons.  Maybe this is the year you join our Patreon and get to hear my journey with digital detox firsthand, or maybe you want free printables and downloaable files? Patrons get that and more! Patrons supports this site. Without them, and without you, we could not continue to do what we do. Thank you!

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 3: Sailor Manyo Ukikusa

Author Laura CameronPosted on Leave a comment
Inkmas Day 3: Sailor Manyo Ukikusa

I couldn’t kick my contributions to Inkmas off without a green? I actually bought a bottle of Sailor Manyo Ukikusa (50mL for $24) a few months ago, but then decided to hold onto it for a little Inkmas fun.

The Sailor Manyo line is a collection of inks inspired by the leaves and flowers of Japan. Manyo sort of translates into “Ten Thousand Leaves.”

And Ukikusa is the perfect green leaf color. Bright, springy, with lots of beautiful shading.

I thought I had some similar options in my ink stash, but I really don’t. I always think of Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku Rin (bamboo) but it’s definitely yellower. Robert Oster Sublime is a great green, but not as blue as Ukikusa. And even Pennonia Almazold (Apple Green) isn’t quite right.

(Side note – how crazy is it that the Chiku Rin card has faded like that? I’m not sure if it’s sun exposure or what. I need to reswatch!)

Sailor inks are lovely to work with. Sort of a Goldilocks ink – not too wet, not too dry, dries on the page fairly quickly. This one’s a keeper!

DISCLAIMER: Special thanks to Jet Pens who sent us the ink sample for the purposes of review. Other items may have been received for review, or purchased with our own funds. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 2: Colorverse USA Idaho- Giant Potato

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Inkmas Day 2: Colorverse USA Idaho- Giant Potato

Over the summer, I kept seeing the little USA Series bottles from Colorverse at various pen shows and when I saw Giant Potato (15ml bottle for $15) I knew I needed to grab a sample of it. I know that making the ink for Idaho a potato brown color is probably a little simplistic view of the state but the color is a lovely light warm brown with just a slight haze to the color like a dusty baking potato pulled fresh from the ground. I have been very into brown ink this year so I couldn’t resist this.

 

In writing, the color may be a little light for a fine or extra fine nib but it is still legible. I do think the ink looks better in wider nibs, showing the range of tints from a light golden brown to a deep chocolatey color.

When compared with other inks, I had a hard time finding a close comparison. Deeper browns in the same color family were much darker. Lighter inks lean a bit more golden or orangey. Swan Illusion from Montblanc is a seriously collectible ink and while a little deeper brown, when you look at the writing on the Col-o-dex cards above, it was probably the closest color. The two Robert Oster inks shown– Toffee and Gold Antiqua, are closer in value but are clearly more orangey.

If you have Giant Potato, do you have a closer comparison?

I really like this color. The slight haze reminds me of Mars Curiosity from Colorverse too and its one of the more unusual inks in my collection. So, I think I’ll definitely have to invest in a full bottle sometime.

Tools:

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In feature

Giveaway: Hobonichi Techo 2026 (English, Mon Start, A6)

Author AnaPosted on 31 Comments
Giveaway: Hobonichi Techo 2026 (English, Mon Start, A6)

We pause our regularly scheduled Inkmas to announce a very special giveaway. A kind reader has an extra Hobonichi Techo (classic A6-sized, Monday Start for 2026) that she doesn’t need and asked that I give it to a reader. For full details on this planner, check out the full description on 1101.

If you missed a chance to buy one domesitcally or are feeling a little strapped for cash this year, this may be your chance to get a new planner thanks to the kindness of a stranger. A Santa gift!

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and tell me how you might “pay it forward” if you win. 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 CDT on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Instagram, X, 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 via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

And now back to our holiday tradition, Inkmas, already in  progress.

In video

Product Review Video: Lgaba Zipper Pen Case

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Product Review Video: Lgaba Zipper Pen Case

I know we already started Inkmas but I recorded and edited this video so I wanted to share it with you. Would you like to see more video reviews from us or do you prefer old school text-and-photo posts. Leave a comment and let me know!

Products mentioned in the video:

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 1: Oblation Papers Oblation Olive

Author Thien-Kim LamPosted on 1 Comment
Inkmas Day 1: Oblation Papers Oblation Olive

When my sister planned our family vacation in Portland, Oregon this summer, I knew I had to visit Oblation Papers & Press. It’s a beautiful, well-curated shop full of stationery, pens, inks, and vintage typewriters. It’s a writer’s dream shop!

Of course I had to purchase some of their exclusive inks. After much deliberation, I chose Oregon Marionberry and Oblation Olive. The staff was very patient with me as I hemmed and hawed over their swatches. They also sell stickers featuring their exclusive inks. Of course I bought one.

Packaging & Inspiration

Before I discuss the color, let’s admire the packaging for Oblation Olive (currently sold out). The box and ink label were made via their in-house letterpress. The cap has been dipped in wax and stamped with a fleur-de-lis seal.

The care they’ve put into the packaging makes me feel like I’m sitting in my cottage with my dip pen, ready to write a letter to my dearest loved one. I enjoy running my fingers over letterpress work because you feel the words. If you visit the store, you can catch a glimpse of the back room where their letterpress machines are.

Based on the bottle and the wax on its cap, I’m guessing Oblation Papers worked with Papier Plume to create a custom color inspired by Portland’s olive trees. My quick Google research says that the trees are drought-resistant and are popular in urban landscaping in Portland.

I love that they’re creating inks inspired by the Pacific Northwest. I’m a sucker for inks that tell a story.

Oblation Olive Swatch on Col-o-dex Card

Ink Swatches & Writing Samples

Oblation Olive is a yellow-leaning, desaturated earthy green that—no surprise—looks like a green olive. There’s a little bit of shading depending on your nib but don’t expect a lot of it.

It’s not water-resistant, which means you can do fun things with it! I drew some an olive branch using a Kanwrite EEF Ultraflex nib. Once the ink dried, I used water and a paintbrush to create a controlled bleed, essentially “coloring” in my drawing. I’m quite pleased with how it came out.

Drawing of an olive branch using Oblation Olive Ink

The ink is well-behaved. It’s not dry like other Papier Plume inks I’ve tried in the past. (Though they updated their formula a month ago.) I currently have it inked in my Leonardo Momento Zero Rangoli with a Kodachi nib. It’s been a pleasure to use.

Ink Comparison

I don’t have a lot of earthy greens in my ink collection, but let’s do a comparison. Oblation Olive is most similar to Kyo No Oto Kokeiro. Troublemaker Kelp Tea is more desaturated and Troublemaker Tuslob Buwa is darker and browner.

I’ve had Oblation Olive inked in my pen for a month now. It’s been a delight to write with.

Tools:

 All items featured in this post were personally purchased.