Purple Ink

Among purple inks, I especially like Waterman Purple, Pelikan Edelstein Amethyst, Sailor Kobe Tamon Purple Grey and J. Herbin Poussière de Lune.

Poussière de Lune is a dusky purple, similar to Pelikan Edelstein Amethyst except bluer where Edelstein Amethyst is redder. Both have beautiful shading. Ink swabs of Poussière de Lune can be seen in the photo above.

Amethyst, however, seems to have nudged PdL aside for me, at least temporarily. I like Amethyst’s warm purple, and I really like how it flows in my pens. Unfortunately, Amethyst won’t be around forever, since it’s Pelikan Edelstein’s Ink of the Year for 2015.

Waterman Purple, now renamed “Tender Purple,” is a straight-ahead purple. When you think “purple,” chances are you think of this color. And you know what? It’s a great purple ink with good behavior and beautiful shading, at a wonderful price. It also mixes very well with other inks, if you like to mix your own inks occasionally.

Probably my favorite purple is one of Sailor’s special Kobe inks, Number 32, Tamon Purple Grey. Unlike some purple-gray inks I’ve used, Tamon Purple Grey completely avoids dreariness. I think it’s interesting. It also works very well in extra-fine nibs. You can find this on eBay.

So, three very different purple inks. That is kind of lucky.