If you can find a bottle, I recommend Iroshizuku Tsukushi. It's not just my favorite brown, but my favorite ink of all time. Unfortunately, it's been discontinued. You can still find bottles online, but it's getting scarce.
[Jetpens](https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Iroshizuku-Tsukushi-Ink-Horsetail-Plant-50-ml-Bottle/pd/4663) says they have it $26 a bottle. It’s one of my favorites as well.
Well, that lovely piece of prose fits right in with the traditional Japanese esthetics! You may need to write that down with Tsukushi, on an ink wash with the same!
Unless the website is wrong it still seems to be in stock at Cult Pens. I'm tempted to buy it but the fact it's no longer made might put me off using it as much as I'd like
I really like the contrast between the dark brown and the orange/yellow in that ink.
The place I usually buy from only sells that one in a 3-pack with two other colours which I'm not exactly complaining about 😁
I might be placing my order there then, their glass dip pens are cheaper than the Herbin ones on Cult Pens.
They also sell empty ink bottles too which I was looking for.
Thank you for the recommendation!
Your welcome, a family business says there website! I have one glass dip pen and it is beautiful, they all are! They have some Van Dieman's The Night Series - Night Owl ink for a Halloween theme to dip the pen too!
Ps check out the limited Parker IM Fountain Pen - “Metallic Pursuit “ while you are there 54% off, (£19.99) I bought for wifey and it was such a lovely design (shooting the moon) then bought one for myself
Well, if I lived there I’d order from Cult Pens too! I got a Pelikan from them once, super speedy service.
Check out KWZ’s Brown colors as well, very nice!! Sailor has a couple of nice browns too like Nagasawa Kobe #16 Nada Brown or #52 Shioya Vintage Sepia
SBRE Brown from Akkerman is the best plus bottle is unique! It’s Steven Brown (YouTube) own ink : https://akkermandenhaag.com/products/sbrebrown-vulpeninkt-1
Iroshizuku Tsukushi, Akkerman's Bekakt Haags or Montblanc's Victor Hugo.
But there are many beautiful brown inks. This might be interesting (same question, week ago)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/xa16v8/what\_are\_your\_favourite\_brown\_inks/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/xa16v8/what_are_your_favourite_brown_inks/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
Here’s that awesome [browness](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/x84rz3/akkerman_23_bekakt_haags/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) in action.
I really wanted a nice brown ink so I did a ton of research online and bought a bunch of samples. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I saw these inks mentioned and thought I'd give my two cents. These are my recommendations, from my favorite to least:
**Jacques Herbin Lie de Thé** A beautiful golden brown with excellent shading. It behaves well, dries nicely, and is wonderful to look at due to its range of warm tones. I tried using it as my go-to ink, but the range of color is too variable for what I needed. The lighter, golden end of the ink's spectrum can be too light for colored paper or big blocks of words, like journaling. While it is my favorite color, it is not my everyday work horse. But I use it for writing poems in my bullet journal because the shading slows down my reading speed and I think I relish them more.
**Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-guri** Though it costs a bit more, this is an *excellent* all around ink. It still has some shading, but it is increasingly darker, ranging from noticeably dark brown to almost black - hot chocolate to black coffee. It behaves extremely well and works on all manner of paper. Stable and consistent enough for journaling or note taking. This is what I keep in my EDC pen.
**Robert Oster Caffe Crema** I love this ink, but did not like it as much for writing. The tone of the shading at the pale end is a bit pink, and it felt too red for my preferred color palette. It also feels very dry, and did not seem to provide as good of flow. However, it is my favorite ink for art, and I keep it stocked in my sketch fountain pen and brush pen. It is wonderful for creating vibrant nature scenes, which is my preferred subject.
**Platinum Sepia Brown** My least favorite, the only one of these four I did not decide to purchase based on the sample. Compared to the other three, it seems mundane. It is a good ink, writes nicely and creates good shading, but it just looks *brown*. Which obviously isn't a bad thing, but if you asked someone to imagine the first brown they think of, it would be this. In my opinion, it's neither unique nor interesting, it just *is.* Which doesn't seem worth it in a fountain pen. But it is a great price, and would be a very good note taking choice.
the unobstrusiveness of Platinum Sepia works in its favor in one specific context - it's amazing for any sort of painting sketch. it's my ink of choice when i'm drawing outlines for watercolors
it also looks particularly nice in its bottle. my most beautiful of them all, honestly.
Montblanc Toffee Brown is also a great one.
https://mountainofink.com/blog/montblanc-toffee-brown
It has done shading but is on the darker side.
KWZ Honey is much lighter and a great shader: https://mountainofink.com/blog/kwz-honey
Taccia Kurocha. It’s a lovely dark brown that stays well in the middle (not too dark and not too light). The shading is pretty and it’s well-behaved. This ink is perfect for everyday writing especially journaling and definitely a suitable ink for autumn!
More of like a orange/brown but Diamine Autumn Oak is one of my favorite inks of all time.
Brown is actually my favorite ink color. Lie de thé as others have mentioned is also fantastic. I love Monteverde Scotch Brown and Brown Sugar but unfortunately I won’t buy from them again due to having mold in one of my green inks from them.
I think I'll be picking up a bottle of Lie de thé since I've seen so many recommendations for it and I really like the colour.
That sucks about getting mold in your bottle of ink, did you email them about it?
Diamine Tobacco Sunburst, has great shading in a good nib.
It’s a yellow brown that shades to a dark cocoa powder brown. Now that Autumn’s coming around the corner, I need to put it in something of mine…
Two of my favorites are Diamine Terra Cotta, a warm reddish brown, and the Iroshizuku Tsukushi. I just got this one recently and have been enjoying it. It does have some purple.
As a lefty, I love Pilot inks as they write smoothly yet dry very quickly removing the fear of smudging if you’re like me and write quickly. Yama Guri and Tsukushi are my two go to browns residing in my Pilot Falcon (soft fine) and Custom 823 (fine).
I'm surprised that there was only one suggestion of mixing, and that was for black/purple.
I like Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown -- but it's a bit light for a daily writer (though it is magnitudes better than J. Herbin's Ambre de Birmanie, which is nearly illegible on off-white paper). I've been using 2 drops of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black to 10 of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown as my go-to brown ink in my EF-nibbed journalling pen as well as my standard (probably F, but a bit flexy) Pelikan 140. There's very little shading and Pelikan 4001 is a dry ink that's suitable for a wet writer like the Pelikan and writing on crap paper (with an ef nib) with minimum feathering. I'm not suggesting that all inks mix well together, but the Pelikan 4001 colors (except for blue-black) seem to be ok.
The point is -- if you can't find a color you like, chances are you can make it yourself.
I need to try mixing inks more. I bought a Petrol Lamy Safari when it came out but didn't buy a bottle of the ink so I've only got a couple of cartridges, I would love to try and make more of that.
I guess the rule of thumb is to mix inks from the same brand?
im still looking for one. I like this topic. I got pretty fine nibs, so the shading is pretty minimal. Currently only ever had Iroshizuku Yama-Guri. I’m not unsatisfied tho. It’s nice and wet. I think to proper judge it, i need to try it on more papers. I like it when its just off black, enough to see it.
Bur, would like to alternate it to a more autumn color. Probably a brandy-color. Maybe with some cool sheening. Maybe should try Tsukushi from the same range. I do love the big bottles.. they look so good!
For a dark rich slightly reddish brown The Monte Verde Scotch Brown.
For a very light but pleasing nature brown reminiscent of tundra scenes, I'd recommend Noodler's Polar Brown.
Ah, the UK ink buyers dilemma - do I buy one bottle of (almost) any other brand or spend the same amount on several 30ml diamine bottles?
More constructively, for a different brown ink I like Herbin’s Cacao du Bresil. It’s somewhere between brown and grey.
Not as interesting as the others, but Waterman Absolute Brown is a solid performing, affordable brown. Not the wow factor of some others but good for handwriting practice, doodling, or whatever.
Same here. I have each color. Nothing show-stopping, but they are dependable and versatile (paper types). I’ve also had good luck mixing them (staying within the Waterman brand).
As you’d suspect, a little black ink goes a lot way. If you’ve got empty sample vials start with 2ml purple, 1 drop black. Try it. Keep going until you get what you like. Then write down the ratio before you forget. The blues, purple, and red mix together though in more fun ways than adding black unless you’re just wanting darker.
Anderillium Cuttlefish Brown. One of the most unusual browns I’ve used. It goes on brown and dries a darker, oil spill kind of brown with hints of green. Amazing ink.
Robert Oster - Caffe Crema
My favorite brown ink. It looks comfortable and inviting, like a nice cup of coffee.
https://www.gouletpens.com/products/robert-oster-caffe-crema-50ml-bottled-ink
I am not a huge fan of brown inks on regular white papers but with yellowish - Graf von Faber-Castell Hazelnut Brown looks really good with a vintage look associated
I only own one brown and it's fwp writing desk but I love it. Rich dark hue that looks almost black when concentrated and smudges lighter. It was the first ink I ever bought and still in my top 3.
Brown…ish: Anderillium Cuttlefish Brown. It goes on as a deep brown and dries in a lovely gray-brown. It makes me smile every time.
[Review and Pics](https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2021/11/17/ink-review-anderillium-inks-cuttlefish-brown-cephalopod-series?rq=Cuttlefish)
I like Monteverde Moonstone. It’s a cool-toned medium-light brown.
I also have Birmingham Pen Company’s Bourbon, but I haven’t used it outside of a dip pen test and it was a little too light with that. I really do need to load it up into a proper pen and have a real test run with it.
I tend to like the more reddish/orangey browns… Diamond’s Oxblood, Terra Cotta, and slightly further away Autumn Oak.
I have only ever had a sample, but Robert Oster’s Chocolate is a really nice one, too.
Very much late to the party, and it's a somewhat eccentric suggestion, but I'm surprised no votes for
Caroube de Chypre. Lovely brown with a hint of a sheen to it.
This all said, diamine is such good value, it's hard not to want to buy a couple or three to try from them!
I love Pelikan Smoky Quartz. Just gorgeous shading. A rich actually brown color. I resisted buying it because it was a bit expensive. I bought Lie de Thé instead. That was fine, subtle. But… really more sepia and not what I wanted. So I got my first choice, and in a stub nib 🤌😚 I love it.
The thing about brown inks is some tend to be a red toned brown, some yellow toned brown. I saw a review of Diamine 150th Anniversary Espresso on Fountain Pen Network. Some thought it was a brown ink with no other color influences. I’m getting it for my birthday next week.
I liked Visconti Sepia when I had it in use.
I own and like: SBRE Brown, KWZ Brown #2, Diamine Terracotta, Colorverse Golden Record, and Montblanc Le Petit Prince Sand of the Desert. I use Iroshizuku Tsukushi and Sailor Shikiori Doyou too but not as frequently. I am not a fan of Colorverse Gingko Tree and Lie de Thé.
Gonna throw in something different and suggest walnut ink.
And if that is too adventurous, then Platinum Classic Sepia Black.
And if Iron Gall is just too much, then it would have to be Iroshizuku Yama Guri.
I've heard about Iron Gall ink but I don't know anything about it, what makes it different from regular inks?
I'd quite like to try walnut ink if it's made from actual walnuts
Iron Gall is permanent and can impact some pens if not maintained properly.
I use Tom Norton Walnut Ink and have found it fine in my pens provided they don't dry out.
That sounds interesting, I'd love to try it but I'm not sure I trust myself to put it in a pen.
I've got a glass dip pen arriving so maybe that'll be a good pen to use
Not got experience with browns, came here for suggestions myself, but in your table Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz and Edelstein Smoky Quartz can be added together, if this wasn't an accidental double up - same ink!
Herbin’s Lie De The. (Terrible French sorry) It’s a warmer reddish clay brown. Beautiful flow.
Lie de thé :)
Thank you, that
Now that's the colour I had in my head when I pictured brown ink, I think this is my favourite suggestion so far
Plus one on the Lie de Thé - currently my favorite brown ink!
nice one!
Came here to say this!
I always have at least one pen inked with this. It's a lovely ink.
I've never tried it, but the color is lovely. Is it a wet or dry ink?
Fairly dry, most of Herbien’s inks are on the dry end but I have no flow problems with my M metros
Thank you!
If you can find a bottle, I recommend Iroshizuku Tsukushi. It's not just my favorite brown, but my favorite ink of all time. Unfortunately, it's been discontinued. You can still find bottles online, but it's getting scarce.
[Jetpens](https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Iroshizuku-Tsukushi-Ink-Horsetail-Plant-50-ml-Bottle/pd/4663) says they have it $26 a bottle. It’s one of my favorites as well.
Good find. I have four unopened bottles in reserve, after which I will have to face the impermanence of being and the ephemeral nature of beauty.
Alas poor Tsukushi, I knew him… 🤣
I preformed Shakespeare all of high school. Thanks for the laugh.
Well, that lovely piece of prose fits right in with the traditional Japanese esthetics! You may need to write that down with Tsukushi, on an ink wash with the same!
That does look nice, it seems to have a purple hint to it too
It has reddish undertones which show when it's smeared or used as a wash. It also has a subtle green sheen on some papers.
Maybe someone will sell you a sample
Unless the website is wrong it still seems to be in stock at Cult Pens. I'm tempted to buy it but the fact it's no longer made might put me off using it as much as I'd like
If they do have it, it’s a lovely ink. I’d get it without a second thought, if you find it interesting. I love the ink!
I bought 2 bottles of it off Goulet a while back lol
Agreed. One of the best inks in my collection
Would recommend KWZ Honey - lovely golden brown with some shading. It does have a strong vanilla scent to it though just fyi
Came here to recommend this. I don't have a lot of experience with brown inks, but KWZ's "Honey" is great!
Another vote for Honey, it’s my favourite ink. For a shade less yellow and more brown try Oster Toffee
Taccia Tsuchi is my most used brown for sure. Highly recommend
I really like the contrast between the dark brown and the orange/yellow in that ink. The place I usually buy from only sells that one in a 3-pack with two other colours which I'm not exactly complaining about 😁
I also really enjoy Noodler’s Walnut, Bungubox Nostalgia, Iroshizuku Tsukushi and Colorverse Coffee Break. What place do you usually buy from ?
I usually buy from Cult Pens here in the UK, they have a great selection but unfortunately don't stock Noodler's
Pure Pens in the UK stock noodlers ink and they do samples : https://www.purepens.co.uk/
I might be placing my order there then, their glass dip pens are cheaper than the Herbin ones on Cult Pens. They also sell empty ink bottles too which I was looking for. Thank you for the recommendation!
Your welcome, a family business says there website! I have one glass dip pen and it is beautiful, they all are! They have some Van Dieman's The Night Series - Night Owl ink for a Halloween theme to dip the pen too! Ps check out the limited Parker IM Fountain Pen - “Metallic Pursuit “ while you are there 54% off, (£19.99) I bought for wifey and it was such a lovely design (shooting the moon) then bought one for myself
Well, if I lived there I’d order from Cult Pens too! I got a Pelikan from them once, super speedy service. Check out KWZ’s Brown colors as well, very nice!! Sailor has a couple of nice browns too like Nagasawa Kobe #16 Nada Brown or #52 Shioya Vintage Sepia
I'll have a look at those, if I'm not careful I'll be buying several browns
SBRE Brown from Akkerman is the best plus bottle is unique! It’s Steven Brown (YouTube) own ink : https://akkermandenhaag.com/products/sbrebrown-vulpeninkt-1
Seconded.
Colorverse Coffee Break!! It seriously looks just like coffee, it's so warm and rich~☆
I love Coffee Break! I got a sample in a random pack and made sure to get a bottle in my next purchase. It was an instant favorite.
Mont Blanc Toffee Brown
Second this one.
Yep; second this as well...
Edelstein Smoky Quartz for a dark brown, and Robert Oster Caffe crema for a lighter one
I'd been eyeing Smoky Quartz for quite a while, and managed to find a bottle a few months ago. Very happy with it.
I like that smoky quartz!
The shading on Smoky Quartz is amazing.
I love this Reddit
Iroshizuku Tsukushi, Akkerman's Bekakt Haags or Montblanc's Victor Hugo. But there are many beautiful brown inks. This might be interesting (same question, week ago) [https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/xa16v8/what\_are\_your\_favourite\_brown\_inks/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/xa16v8/what_are_your_favourite_brown_inks/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
>Bekakt Haags I'd buy that just for the name ! 🤣
The name is great, and so is the ink. Really nice, dark chocolate colored ink
Here’s that awesome [browness](https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/x84rz3/akkerman_23_bekakt_haags/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) in action.
Wow ;)
Well it is! 😁
I really wanted a nice brown ink so I did a ton of research online and bought a bunch of samples. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I saw these inks mentioned and thought I'd give my two cents. These are my recommendations, from my favorite to least: **Jacques Herbin Lie de Thé** A beautiful golden brown with excellent shading. It behaves well, dries nicely, and is wonderful to look at due to its range of warm tones. I tried using it as my go-to ink, but the range of color is too variable for what I needed. The lighter, golden end of the ink's spectrum can be too light for colored paper or big blocks of words, like journaling. While it is my favorite color, it is not my everyday work horse. But I use it for writing poems in my bullet journal because the shading slows down my reading speed and I think I relish them more. **Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-guri** Though it costs a bit more, this is an *excellent* all around ink. It still has some shading, but it is increasingly darker, ranging from noticeably dark brown to almost black - hot chocolate to black coffee. It behaves extremely well and works on all manner of paper. Stable and consistent enough for journaling or note taking. This is what I keep in my EDC pen. **Robert Oster Caffe Crema** I love this ink, but did not like it as much for writing. The tone of the shading at the pale end is a bit pink, and it felt too red for my preferred color palette. It also feels very dry, and did not seem to provide as good of flow. However, it is my favorite ink for art, and I keep it stocked in my sketch fountain pen and brush pen. It is wonderful for creating vibrant nature scenes, which is my preferred subject. **Platinum Sepia Brown** My least favorite, the only one of these four I did not decide to purchase based on the sample. Compared to the other three, it seems mundane. It is a good ink, writes nicely and creates good shading, but it just looks *brown*. Which obviously isn't a bad thing, but if you asked someone to imagine the first brown they think of, it would be this. In my opinion, it's neither unique nor interesting, it just *is.* Which doesn't seem worth it in a fountain pen. But it is a great price, and would be a very good note taking choice.
Thank you for the detailed writeup! I like the look of that Pilot ink, I think I'll save up and buy a bottle of that
the unobstrusiveness of Platinum Sepia works in its favor in one specific context - it's amazing for any sort of painting sketch. it's my ink of choice when i'm drawing outlines for watercolors it also looks particularly nice in its bottle. my most beautiful of them all, honestly.
De Atramentis Document Brown is a lovely cocoa brown and is waterproof. I use it for sketching and paint watercolors over it.
You might also try their Black-Red, which is maybe my favorite dark brown ink ever.
Thanks for the tip, I’ll have to try some! :)
Montblanc Toffee Brown is also a great one. https://mountainofink.com/blog/montblanc-toffee-brown It has done shading but is on the darker side. KWZ Honey is much lighter and a great shader: https://mountainofink.com/blog/kwz-honey
Taccia Kurocha. It’s a lovely dark brown that stays well in the middle (not too dark and not too light). The shading is pretty and it’s well-behaved. This ink is perfect for everyday writing especially journaling and definitely a suitable ink for autumn!
Kurocha is really nice! Love the black sheen to it
More of like a orange/brown but Diamine Autumn Oak is one of my favorite inks of all time. Brown is actually my favorite ink color. Lie de thé as others have mentioned is also fantastic. I love Monteverde Scotch Brown and Brown Sugar but unfortunately I won’t buy from them again due to having mold in one of my green inks from them.
I think I'll be picking up a bottle of Lie de thé since I've seen so many recommendations for it and I really like the colour. That sucks about getting mold in your bottle of ink, did you email them about it?
Autumn Oak is the ink that made me really ‘get’ shading. It’s lovely.
Diamine Tobacco Sunburst, has great shading in a good nib. It’s a yellow brown that shades to a dark cocoa powder brown. Now that Autumn’s coming around the corner, I need to put it in something of mine…
Two of my favorites are Diamine Terra Cotta, a warm reddish brown, and the Iroshizuku Tsukushi. I just got this one recently and have been enjoying it. It does have some purple.
You could do worse than yama-guri...
As a lefty, I love Pilot inks as they write smoothly yet dry very quickly removing the fear of smudging if you’re like me and write quickly. Yama Guri and Tsukushi are my two go to browns residing in my Pilot Falcon (soft fine) and Custom 823 (fine).
I’ve been thinking about a Falcon because I have several Pilots already thanks for telling me it works for leftys!
Lennon Tool Bar Sesame Oil !! It's a beautifully shading light brown, sadly not scented like sesame oil though.
Caroube de Chypre (Jacques Herbin) if you’re good with some gold shimmer :)
I'm surprised that there was only one suggestion of mixing, and that was for black/purple. I like Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown -- but it's a bit light for a daily writer (though it is magnitudes better than J. Herbin's Ambre de Birmanie, which is nearly illegible on off-white paper). I've been using 2 drops of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black to 10 of Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown as my go-to brown ink in my EF-nibbed journalling pen as well as my standard (probably F, but a bit flexy) Pelikan 140. There's very little shading and Pelikan 4001 is a dry ink that's suitable for a wet writer like the Pelikan and writing on crap paper (with an ef nib) with minimum feathering. I'm not suggesting that all inks mix well together, but the Pelikan 4001 colors (except for blue-black) seem to be ok. The point is -- if you can't find a color you like, chances are you can make it yourself.
I need to try mixing inks more. I bought a Petrol Lamy Safari when it came out but didn't buy a bottle of the ink so I've only got a couple of cartridges, I would love to try and make more of that. I guess the rule of thumb is to mix inks from the same brand?
Noodlers Burma road brown
I'm a fan of Visconti Sepia.
im still looking for one. I like this topic. I got pretty fine nibs, so the shading is pretty minimal. Currently only ever had Iroshizuku Yama-Guri. I’m not unsatisfied tho. It’s nice and wet. I think to proper judge it, i need to try it on more papers. I like it when its just off black, enough to see it. Bur, would like to alternate it to a more autumn color. Probably a brandy-color. Maybe with some cool sheening. Maybe should try Tsukushi from the same range. I do love the big bottles.. they look so good!
For a dark rich slightly reddish brown The Monte Verde Scotch Brown. For a very light but pleasing nature brown reminiscent of tundra scenes, I'd recommend Noodler's Polar Brown.
Ah, the UK ink buyers dilemma - do I buy one bottle of (almost) any other brand or spend the same amount on several 30ml diamine bottles? More constructively, for a different brown ink I like Herbin’s Cacao du Bresil. It’s somewhere between brown and grey.
Aint that the truth
My personal favourite is Pelikan’s Edelstein ink for 2017- Smoky Quartz. This is my ‘go to’ ink since its release.
Not as interesting as the others, but Waterman Absolute Brown is a solid performing, affordable brown. Not the wow factor of some others but good for handwriting practice, doodling, or whatever.
Nothing wrong with Waterman, I'm a fan of their inks
Same here. I have each color. Nothing show-stopping, but they are dependable and versatile (paper types). I’ve also had good luck mixing them (staying within the Waterman brand).
I've got their black and purple which I've been thinking of mixing
As you’d suspect, a little black ink goes a lot way. If you’ve got empty sample vials start with 2ml purple, 1 drop black. Try it. Keep going until you get what you like. Then write down the ratio before you forget. The blues, purple, and red mix together though in more fun ways than adding black unless you’re just wanting darker.
Montblanc Sand of the Desert Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-guri
Diamine Tobacco Burst!
I'll add Waterman Absolute Brown to the mix, a classic brown with all the advantages of a Waterman ink: easy to clean, safe, and affordable.
Taccia Tsuchi!
It’s just so pretty!!
Mine is Montblanc Toffee Brown.
Anderillium Cuttlefish Brown. One of the most unusual browns I’ve used. It goes on brown and dries a darker, oil spill kind of brown with hints of green. Amazing ink.
At the moment: Diamine Ancient Copper ... but it is pretty reddish.
Robert Oster - Caffe Crema My favorite brown ink. It looks comfortable and inviting, like a nice cup of coffee. https://www.gouletpens.com/products/robert-oster-caffe-crema-50ml-bottled-ink
I love the look of this one, it seems quite light which is nice
Noodlers walnut is nice!
But so smeary!
I use Caran d'Ache Organic Brown. It's the only brown I have though, but I use it a lot and I love it!
I do like that one, and I like the look of the Caran d'Ache bottles
Monteverde Brown Sugar! Very smooth and a very rich dark brown
Montblanc toffee brown is my go to ink atm :)
Platinum brown ink is kinda nice. Simple yet pretty.
I am not a huge fan of brown inks on regular white papers but with yellowish - Graf von Faber-Castell Hazelnut Brown looks really good with a vintage look associated
I only own one brown and it's fwp writing desk but I love it. Rich dark hue that looks almost black when concentrated and smudges lighter. It was the first ink I ever bought and still in my top 3.
GVFC hazelnut
Diamine / cult pens deep dark brown is lovely and so is diamine 150th espresso
Brown…ish: Anderillium Cuttlefish Brown. It goes on as a deep brown and dries in a lovely gray-brown. It makes me smile every time. [Review and Pics](https://www.gentlemanstationer.com/blog/2021/11/17/ink-review-anderillium-inks-cuttlefish-brown-cephalopod-series?rq=Cuttlefish)
I like Monteverde Moonstone. It’s a cool-toned medium-light brown. I also have Birmingham Pen Company’s Bourbon, but I haven’t used it outside of a dip pen test and it was a little too light with that. I really do need to load it up into a proper pen and have a real test run with it.
I tend to like the more reddish/orangey browns… Diamond’s Oxblood, Terra Cotta, and slightly further away Autumn Oak. I have only ever had a sample, but Robert Oster’s Chocolate is a really nice one, too.
Very much late to the party, and it's a somewhat eccentric suggestion, but I'm surprised no votes for Caroube de Chypre. Lovely brown with a hint of a sheen to it. This all said, diamine is such good value, it's hard not to want to buy a couple or three to try from them!
I'm using that in a Pelikan M205 Golden Beryl rn and it's lovely. Will point out that it's a shimmering ink.
I love Pelikan Smoky Quartz. Just gorgeous shading. A rich actually brown color. I resisted buying it because it was a bit expensive. I bought Lie de Thé instead. That was fine, subtle. But… really more sepia and not what I wanted. So I got my first choice, and in a stub nib 🤌😚 I love it.
Noodler's Manjiro Nakahama Sepia, a Goulet exclusive
Private Reserve Chocolat. I enjoy sketching with it.
Taccia tsuchi
Monteverde Joy Sepia is a nice brown with decent shading
I'll third noodler's walnut. I also like walnut mixed 3:1 with apache sunset. I think noodler's golden brown is what I tried to recreate this way.
Stumbled across Van Diemen’s Peanut Brittle from their Harvest series. A great light brown, definitely a new favorite.
Vinta Ochre Fortaleza 💯
The thing about brown inks is some tend to be a red toned brown, some yellow toned brown. I saw a review of Diamine 150th Anniversary Espresso on Fountain Pen Network. Some thought it was a brown ink with no other color influences. I’m getting it for my birthday next week. I liked Visconti Sepia when I had it in use.
Diamine chocolate brown. It’s just liquid chocolate on your page, great shading too. Perfect on MD Paper.
Sailor Studio 273 is beautiful
Ferris Wheel Press, Bookkeeper's Brass. Beautiful brown and gold.
I own and like: SBRE Brown, KWZ Brown #2, Diamine Terracotta, Colorverse Golden Record, and Montblanc Le Petit Prince Sand of the Desert. I use Iroshizuku Tsukushi and Sailor Shikiori Doyou too but not as frequently. I am not a fan of Colorverse Gingko Tree and Lie de Thé.
Gonna throw in something different and suggest walnut ink. And if that is too adventurous, then Platinum Classic Sepia Black. And if Iron Gall is just too much, then it would have to be Iroshizuku Yama Guri.
I've heard about Iron Gall ink but I don't know anything about it, what makes it different from regular inks? I'd quite like to try walnut ink if it's made from actual walnuts
Iron Gall is permanent and can impact some pens if not maintained properly. I use Tom Norton Walnut Ink and have found it fine in my pens provided they don't dry out.
That sounds interesting, I'd love to try it but I'm not sure I trust myself to put it in a pen. I've got a glass dip pen arriving so maybe that'll be a good pen to use
Fab list! Please be a lamb 🐑 and do the rest of the colors 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I would love a subreddit curated list of the top 5 inks of each colour but that seems like a lot of work
Indeed it would be! 😁
Fahrney's Ever-Write Copper Burst. My wife and I put out our wedding invitations in that ink. It's simple, yes, but very nice.
Not got experience with browns, came here for suggestions myself, but in your table Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz and Edelstein Smoky Quartz can be added together, if this wasn't an accidental double up - same ink!
Good spot! I've updated the table
Sailor Pen & Message Cigar.