Once the reserve of the examiner or school teacher, red ink has undoubtedly enjoyed a renaissance among the fountain pen community over recent years. Some of the best-selling red fountain pen inks at Pure Pens are our best-selling products overall.
The reason? Just as blue ink provides almost limitless choice, red inks come with a similar swathe of options in terms of brand, price point, hue, shade, sheen and shine. That’s why we’ve put together this feature on five of our most popular red fountain pen inks, along with a few other wise choices.
1. Diamine: Oxblood
Rich, velvety and premium in its appearance, Diamine’s Oxblood is the perfect choice for artists and writers alike. Its deep red-brown tones provide an incredibly warm stroke that stands out from the page, with its shading adding further depth when used in a wider nibbed pen. It doesn’t stop there either, surprising you with a green sheen when pooled in larger swabs (you may not notice this in regular use, however).
As you may expect from such a well-established producer of fountain pen inks, Oxblood is also fit to use in all pens, with little need to worry about regularity of use either – thanks to its lack of tendency to dry up in your barrel or skip too much upon first use. As with all standard Diamine inks, it also comes in a handier 30ml size, to give you a flavour before committing to its more presentable glass jarred version.
2. Pure Pens: Cadwaladr
We are a little biased, so please excuse us for this – but from the feedback we’ve received over the years – Cadwaladr is up there for many when it comes to red fountain pen ink. It shows many similarities to Diamine’s Oxblood, but whereas that sits at the darker end of the scale, Cadwaladr provides a lighter finish, countered with brown-black shading on your downstrokes. It’s another ink that is conducive to longer form writing, and its more gradual contours prove not to be too overbearing.
We named the ink after the King of Gwynedd between 655 and 682 – the last King of Britain. Given his coat of arms boasted the red dragon – choosing this name was a bit of a no-brainer for us all, as proud Welshies!
Discover Pure Pens Cadwaladr >
3. Noodler’s: Black Swan in English Roses
Another maroon ink in the pile, Noodler’s Black Swan in English Roses is a subtle brown burgundy that sits among the most popular of producer Nathan Tardiff’s range. Like Diamine’s Oxblood, there is some interesting sheen (almost a shimmer) that appears in swabs – this time more golden. It’s pleasant on the eye, and quite an understated tone that you’ll grow to love.
Possibly its greatest selling point, however, is its suitability for heavy usage. Nathan’s inks are well-known for being some of the most durable around, and English Roses sits in his ‘Bulletproof’ series – meaning that, on paper, it will remain permanent in the face of water, but any excess ink that doesn’t come into contact with the paper (e.g. skin, extremely wet writing) will wash off. Certainly, one to try out if you haven’t already!
Discover Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses >
4. J. Herbin ‘D’: Rouge Grenat
J. Herbin really do take care to present their inks with care and elegance. Their ‘D’ range, in which Rouge Grenat sits, delivers ink in miniature 10ml or 30ml glass bottles. The ink itself oozes history, with the company’s roots going back to the 17th century. No wonder then, that Rouge Grenat provides fountain pen users with a wonderfully balanced mid-ground red.
While it pools very darkly, and in a thicker nib will also write at the darker end of the scale, it will also present as a lighter burgundy in a drier line. We’d recommend dipping your nibs with the 10ml, and then if you like, try their more presentable 30ml.
Discover J. Herbin Rouge Grenat >
5. De Atramentis: Document Red
De Atramentis’s Document Red sits firmly in the centre ground of the spectrum and proves a popular benchmark for many fountain pen users. While an independently hand-made ink, the German brand sources all of its dyes from companies throughout Europe who produce in accordance with international standards.
It’s probably no surprise then that this red sits objectively and uniformly as a primary colour. It’s somewhat understated with gentle shading from pale to fuller red, and if you’re looking for a classic red, you won’t go far wrong.
Discover De Atramentis Document Red >
Some other close runners
- Diamine Shimmer: Firefly
- Dominant Industry: Romania Red
- Colorverse: Brunch Date
- Sailor Manyo: Kuzu
- Ferris Wheel Press: Wonderous Winterberry
We’ve only touched upon a small handful of the red inks out there for you to get your hands on. It seems the most popular are the darker, burgundy tones, but some of the lighter (think pinks and oranges) are also worth exploring. If you’re interested, take a look at Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Budo, or Troublemaker Inks’ Mango – just a couple more we have a soft spot for!
Get in touch to let us know your favourites!