How do you actually test an entire line of ink? Honestly, you really can’t, at least not in a reasonable amount of time. The only way you can truly “get to know” a specific ink, with all its various advantages and disadvantages, is to write with it for an extended period. While it’s certainly fun to try, it’s hard for any reviewer or retailer to do that with every ink from a specific brand, no matter how much writing they actually do. For that reason, I try to avoid making categorical pronouncements about ink brands as a whole, and do my best to write with as many different inks as I can, for as long as I can, and given an informed judgment. When you’ve used hundreds of fountain pen inks over the years, you can get a pretty good sense of how an ink will ultimately behave from your swatch book!
From the Top: Pigmented Black (060); Deep Black (01); Raspberry Sorbet (02); Neptune (03); New Forest (04); Cassis (05); Strawberry Jam (06); Mallard (07); Loch Ness (08); Constellation (09); Dove Grey (10); Iris (11) and Juniper (12). The Pigmented Black ink is water resistant.
I’ve spent the past week or so swatching and testing a new line of nineteen different Tom’s Studio fountain pen inks, and I absolutely love some of these colors. For those unfamiliar with the brand, Tom’s Studio is a UK-based manufacturer of fountain pens, dip pens, inks, mechanical pencils, and other assorted fine writing and calligraphy supplies. I was initially hesitant to order these, since many inks sold by calligraphy-focused companies tend to be thinner and somewhat watery, in order to emphasize shading in flexible nibs. There’s nothing wrong with this, and many people enjoy such inks, but for my use case I tend to favor more saturated inks that emphasize legibility. As it turns out - no such concerns here.
From Top: Mulberry (13); Marianas (14); Rambling Rose (15); Sunny Teal (16); Damson (17); and Marmalade (18). Some of these inks show a touch of sheen around the edges, but none of them are “sheen monsters” and none of them smear once dry.
I’ve been thrilled to discover that most of the inks in this line are well-saturated, but not so much that they smear or suffer from long dry times. My swatch book is a Midori MD Cotton F3 notebook, which handles fountain pen ink well while being semi-absorbent, so it’s a reasonable approximation of most paper that I use on a daily basis. The colors actually tend to be on the muted side, which suits my style, and I’ve found at least a half-dozen in this line that I could see turning into everyday writers. As a bit of a fun experiment, and to showcase my favorites, I thought it might be interesting to pair several of these new inks with my latest Chicago Pen Show acquisitions! Here’s what I chose:
Edison Jameson in Bexley Scheherazade Acrylic: No. 12 “Juniper”
This gorgeous Edison Jameson in new old stock Bexley Scheherazade Acrylic was the 2024 Chicago Pen Show Exclusive!
Tom’s Studio “Juniper” is so dark that I’d call it a purple-black. This pen needs a dark ink, but I like a hint of color!
Skogsy Low Volume Eyedropper in Beige Ebonite and Clear Acrylic: No. 13 “Mulberry”
There was a touch of an inksplosion when I opened the bottle of “Mulberry” (No. 13), but it’s a great match for this Skogsy Low-Volume Eyedropper in clear acrylic and beige ebonite!
These No. 8 nibs are becoming more prevalent in my collection….
Edison Collier in Dragon’s Night Acrylic: No. 8 Loch Ness
I’ve wanted an Edison Collier for years! I finally went for this dark, translucent “Dragon’s Night” Acrylic. I chose “Loch Ness” (No. 8) for this pen.
Loch Ness is a dark teal-black. It might match this pen a bit better if it were just a touch brighter, but I do love the ink!
Newton Prospector in D Squared “Arkansas Abalone” Resin: No. 7 Mallard
Ok, so this Newton Pens Prospector is gorgeous but pretty much impossible to pair perfectly with any ink. I went with “Mallard” (No. 7), which draws on both the green and purple/blue in the acrylic. I believe this particular pen is sold out but keep checking over at Newton Pens for details.
The variation and depth in this material is stunning!
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Overall, I think I’m really going to enjoy using some of these colors. Personally, the ones that speak to me the most out of this line are the dark blue-greens (“Mallard” and “Loch Ness”), as well as the deeper reds (“Cassis” and “Mulberry”). I suspect the really dark purples (“Constellation”, “Damson,” “Juniper,” and “Iris”) will also prove popular. The Tom’s Studio Inks retail in our shop at $16 for a 50ml bottle. We currently have 19 different colors available. To be clear, these inks are all appropriate for both fountain pens and the Lumos series refillable fineliners.
My Lumos Mini in “Ivy” with No. 14 “Marianas” and a .3mm tip. It’s become my Plotter Mini 5 Pocket Pen of choice.
Further Reading (And a Giveaway Opportunity FOr Those Who Read Through to the end!)
I’ve slowly been working my way through the entire Tom’s Studio line of products, and have previously provided overviews of their “Lumos” line of refillable fineliners, the Studio Pocket Fountain Pen (with their stock Architect Nib that’s now back in stock), and more. You can view the full line of Tom’s Studio pens, pen tips and nibs, and other accessories here.
For those of you loyal enough to read all the way to the end, we’re going to give away two bottles of Tom’s Studio Ink, and they’re both red: Cassis and Strawberry Jam! Typical TGS Giveaway Rules apply: either leave a comment on this blog post or like the Instagram Post. I will number the entries and pick two winners with a random number generator. Giveaway closes this Sunday at 11:59pm CT! It’s open to everyone but international participants may need to chip in on shipping, depending on cost. Enjoy!
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