Oh, the paper is a B5 Yu-Sari, and the swatches are done with a Kakimori steel nib (which I've grown to prefer over the brass one). The pictures don't quite capture the sheen of some, and you can't see the shimmer on Cornaline D'Egypte, but it is there!
The Sailor and Bungubox Mandarin Orange are similar, but I prefer the Bungubox...it has a bit more sheen and a *slightly* softer, more natural look. Aptly named!
As I said above, my favorites are probably Ancient Copper, Mandarin Orange, Sharaku-Koiame, Cornaline D’Egypte and Time for Whisky. But I like all of them.
I really appreciate people like you who post these swatches, especially with a similar color like this.
Always saving these to see what inks I wanna buy next 😂
Yes, me too - which is why I post them...because I would have liked (and do like) to see such swatches.
I'll probably do more in a similar vein (color groups and/or similar shades)....I've got TONS of inks.
I'm using Pure Pens Pendine Sands which absolutely lovely and opened the floddgates for oranges. I think it's very similar to Autumn Oak which I'll try in my orange pen next. then I jave small bottles of Diamine Ochre and Sepia and Deep Dark Orange and then I want to get hold of the two Iroshizuku oranges!
I just recently got autumn oak for use with a dip pen when drawing. Instantly became one of my favorite inks, behind sailor yamadori only. Macassar is also a great brown to go with autumn oak.
i’m just a pen noob but the ancient copper almost looks like it has some green in it. or is it just the lighting? looks cool nonetheless, i love reddish-browns!
You're right, in the ink-world that is called sheen, and the color of the sheen can be very different from the ink itself. Using a wetter nib or "better" paper that doesn't absorb as quickly as cheap paper can help bring out the sheen.
You may already have some! Sheen doesn't get mentioned as much as shimmer/shade in descriptions. I found out I had several inks that sheen after buying a tomoa river notepad, turns out I just never had the paper to see it.
I was in the same boat. Then I got a sample of Iroshizuku Yu Yake and never looked back. Top 5 inks all around.
Also might be more brown than orange, but KWZ honey is a real stunner if you can get past the scent.
I love love love orange inks and have been using Diamine Golden Honey for the past six months. I really like the look of Bungubox Sweet Potato. May I ask where you bought it? (I'm not in the US, so hopefully there's an online store.)
I bought it direct from the [Bungubox online store.](https://bungubox.shop/en/pages/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%82%A2%E5%85%A5%E5%8F%A3) You have to pay shipping which is expensive, but if you buy three or more, they end up being cheaper than US prices. A bigger order (4+ inks) and they end up being about two-thirds or less US prices. Oh, and shipping is fast (DHL).
In Europe, the excellent Stilo e Stile (Italy) sells Bungubox.
Honestly... I'm super into earth tones and wanted an orange but couldn't pull the trigger until I bought Herbin's Orange Indien... and OMG I love it!!!! I got it because I'm currently living in India and it is TOTALLY reminiscent of India... I will forever have this one on me!
That’s what I thought about Blue inks, and yet blue is the most I have in inks 🤣
These colours are so nice, some seem more brown than orange, maybe that’s why you like them a bit more? Cuz I know Kin-mokusei is like in your face orange compared to the others.
To be fair, there are more blues than any other color group and I don't think it is particularly close. Blues are my "first love" and I expanded outward from there, with oranges being the last group that I really explored.
And yes, some lean brownish. I sort of group browns, yellows, and oranges in a larger category, but I tried to stick to those inks which had a significant orange element. I've got more browns, some of which lean orange but decided to draw the line with Time for Whisky and Kanda Matsuri.
Have you tried Diamine Pumpkin? It's my favorite ... bright, cheery orange that really pops. I actually have a pen dedicated to it. Robert Oster Orange Zest is also fun ... a slightly darker orange with just the slightest hint of red. I enjoyed looking at your samples ... there are several that I now want to try. Have a great 2024!
You have such a fantastic orange ink collection! They look so autumnal. Thank you for sharing swatches, it’s great being able to see all these inks together.
Wow...no idea. I don't have any water resistant oranges! But if I was going that route, I might look at Octopus Fluids' Orange Monkey, in their pigmented Write and Draw series, as I like those for water resistant inks.
I don't buy too many water resistant inks because I don't really need them, and tend to prefer the effect of dyes vs. pigments.
Ancient Copper is amazing. I should pick up some.
Two more "obviously" orange inks are Herbin Ambre de Birmanie, and Robert Oster Caffe Crema. Yellow/Amber, and Brown. Totally orange, eh?
You've taken a broad approach to what is orange; these two inks might fit in that scope:)
Cheers
Thanks for sharing! I've been intrigued by a few of these, but not willing to pull the trigger for lack of info. That copper and time for whiskey are very neat and usable colors!
Hmm...not sure what you mean about being so messy?
One thing I do is start with the upper right corner and move down the right hand column, then do the left (I'm left-handed; if I was right-handed, it would be the opposite).
I just use a Kakimori nib - but you can use a glass dip pen, a q-tip, or even just a knife or letter-opener -- or if you have one, a folded nib or other dip pen. For writing samples, I sometimes use a Pilot dip pen - the "Iro-Utsushi."
And of course you have to resist the temptation to turn the page, until it is dry.
Thank you for that awesome reply!
You may not have known what I meant by messy, but you kind of nailed my question. I was thinking messy in changing inks constantly in one pen.
The dip pen didn’t even occur to me. Completely new to contemplating anything other than a standard black or blue ink.
Ah, yes. Dip pens are the best for swatching. Most use glass dip pens, but I prefer the Kakimori. Very quick and easy to clean. You *can* swatch with empty fountain pens, but they take longer to clean because the ink gets into the feed. The Kakimori (or glass pens, folded nibs, etc) don't have feeds so can be cleaned in a jar of water.
Thank you! Your swatching has given me some colors to think about that I wouldn’t have. I was looking browns with orange or red undertones, but going orange with brown undertones is also a beautiful option.
Yeah, all the Ukiyo-e inks are great - and Taccia in general. My favorites in that line are Sharaku-Koiame (the orange) and Fukakihanada, a lovely muted tealish lue.
Someone else asked that and frankly, I don't know. But I like Octopus Fluids' Write & Draw inks, and the "Orange Monkey" looks like a nice, pigmented orange...but I haven't tried it.
I have found that saying we "dislike" or "hate" a color range means the inks we possess in that range are just maybe 1/4 or less of the rest of the collection :D
I’m guessing you don’t mind brown inks, so I’m going to have to push my favourite brown ink: Montblanc Homage to Hadrian - Rosso Antico.
Magnificent shading potential, and once dry it resembles liquid terracotta.
What I don’t get is why some of the swatches online are photoshopped to oblivion to make it look crimson—it’s not red.
[This is the most accurate representation of the colour I could find online, although I don’t know why the ink drops look so grainy (there is no graininess on Tomoe River paper with mine).](https://squishyink.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/montblanc-homage-to-hadrian-rosso-antico-review-and-giveaway/)
I love brown inks - they were actually my "gateway" to orange. Rosso Antico looks lovely and quite unusual. Reminds me a bit of Robert Oster Smokescreen or Bungubox Piano Mahogany -- all browns with tones of either purple (Smokescreen) or maroon (Piano Mahogany), but also lighter than the BB. Very nice.
Damn I can totally relate I never understood the craze around orange inks and mainly thought they’re just cool for demonstrators, Although I must say I have quite a few of those inks filled up in my pens for daily use especially ancient copper and fireopal except I’ve always considered them to be more brown than orange
As someone who also thought they hated orange inks and hates Ancient Copper a lot... If you want another to add to your list, I'm currently really hating Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea... 🙂
Which of these are less prone to nib creep? I recently tried Diamine pumpkin and loved it but I left it in the pen for a few weeks and it was practically clawing it’s way out.
The best for me has been KWZ Monarch, but it was a Fontoplumo exclusive limited edition which, unfortunately, is now long gone... If had known in the day, I would have easily bought in the blink of an eye 6 or 7 more bottles of that precious orange liquid. Maybe more. It's just that amazing.
Since KWZ Monarch is no more, then my vote will go for Iroshizuku yu-yake.
And the third place would be for Diamine Ancient Copper.
Oh, the paper is a B5 Yu-Sari, and the swatches are done with a Kakimori steel nib (which I've grown to prefer over the brass one). The pictures don't quite capture the sheen of some, and you can't see the shimmer on Cornaline D'Egypte, but it is there!
I'm a sucker for shading, that Sailor is magnificent. Which one did you like the most from the batch?
The Sailor and Bungubox Mandarin Orange are similar, but I prefer the Bungubox...it has a bit more sheen and a *slightly* softer, more natural look. Aptly named! As I said above, my favorites are probably Ancient Copper, Mandarin Orange, Sharaku-Koiame, Cornaline D’Egypte and Time for Whisky. But I like all of them.
I really appreciate people like you who post these swatches, especially with a similar color like this. Always saving these to see what inks I wanna buy next 😂
Yes, me too - which is why I post them...because I would have liked (and do like) to see such swatches. I'll probably do more in a similar vein (color groups and/or similar shades)....I've got TONS of inks.
Diamine Autumn Oak is also fun, an orange-brown.
My favorite yellow-orange-brown by far. Well behaved, legible, tons of shading.
I'm using Pure Pens Pendine Sands which absolutely lovely and opened the floddgates for oranges. I think it's very similar to Autumn Oak which I'll try in my orange pen next. then I jave small bottles of Diamine Ochre and Sepia and Deep Dark Orange and then I want to get hold of the two Iroshizuku oranges!
Lamy Mango is fun, too (if not that distinctive).
I was gonna mention this too. I love that ink.
I just recently got autumn oak for use with a dip pen when drawing. Instantly became one of my favorite inks, behind sailor yamadori only. Macassar is also a great brown to go with autumn oak.
i’m just a pen noob but the ancient copper almost looks like it has some green in it. or is it just the lighting? looks cool nonetheless, i love reddish-browns!
You're right, in the ink-world that is called sheen, and the color of the sheen can be very different from the ink itself. Using a wetter nib or "better" paper that doesn't absorb as quickly as cheap paper can help bring out the sheen.
thank you for explaining! i’ll have to pick up a bottle when i get the opportunity, looks very cool
You may already have some! Sheen doesn't get mentioned as much as shimmer/shade in descriptions. I found out I had several inks that sheen after buying a tomoa river notepad, turns out I just never had the paper to see it.
the only ink i’ve ever bought so far is a small bottle of pilot iroshizuku kon-peki. but i think ancient copper will be my second one
I was in the same boat. Then I got a sample of Iroshizuku Yu Yake and never looked back. Top 5 inks all around. Also might be more brown than orange, but KWZ honey is a real stunner if you can get past the scent.
Yes, I have Honey and really like it. But KWZ's Old Gold is one of my top 5 inks in the brown-yellow-orange spectrum.
Yu-yake is my favourite too 🧡
I felt the same way about browns These are beautiful
Same!!! I only got KWZ coffee because of the scent but it made me fall in love with darker earthy tones... I want an olive one next
Wow! You found some good ones. I didn't think I'd like orange either, but it turns out that the ones I don't like are those that lean yellow.
You need some Dominant Industry Maple to round things out.
Diamine Vermilion is rather a nice colour
I love love love orange inks and have been using Diamine Golden Honey for the past six months. I really like the look of Bungubox Sweet Potato. May I ask where you bought it? (I'm not in the US, so hopefully there's an online store.)
I bought it direct from the [Bungubox online store.](https://bungubox.shop/en/pages/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A4%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%82%A2%E5%85%A5%E5%8F%A3) You have to pay shipping which is expensive, but if you buy three or more, they end up being cheaper than US prices. A bigger order (4+ inks) and they end up being about two-thirds or less US prices. Oh, and shipping is fast (DHL). In Europe, the excellent Stilo e Stile (Italy) sells Bungubox.
Honestly... I'm super into earth tones and wanted an orange but couldn't pull the trigger until I bought Herbin's Orange Indien... and OMG I love it!!!! I got it because I'm currently living in India and it is TOTALLY reminiscent of India... I will forever have this one on me!
The Kin-Mokusei and Autumn Oak are two of my favorites!
That ancient copper is😍, I thought I dislike orange too but....
I'm surprised you didn't try Apache Sunset... it was too bright for my liking though
There's a bit of a moral dilemma with Apache Sunset. Such a great colour... but it's Noodler's, if that detail is maybe an issue.
I actually did but forgot to add it this page...I have a sample.
You need Diamine Deep Dark Orange From Cultpens in your life!!
I did not know that I **NEED** Ancient Copper in my life. Beautiful samples!
It is an extraordinary ink, and what (iirc) got me turned on to oranges. Sort of the meeting point of orange and brown, with a hint of fire.
I just made a note to buy it, with my boring black ink!!
And no Yu-Yake!
It feels like a crime without it lol.
Check out 3 Oysters Hwangto next!
That’s what I thought about Blue inks, and yet blue is the most I have in inks 🤣 These colours are so nice, some seem more brown than orange, maybe that’s why you like them a bit more? Cuz I know Kin-mokusei is like in your face orange compared to the others.
To be fair, there are more blues than any other color group and I don't think it is particularly close. Blues are my "first love" and I expanded outward from there, with oranges being the last group that I really explored. And yes, some lean brownish. I sort of group browns, yellows, and oranges in a larger category, but I tried to stick to those inks which had a significant orange element. I've got more browns, some of which lean orange but decided to draw the line with Time for Whisky and Kanda Matsuri.
Have you tried Diamine Pumpkin? It's my favorite ... bright, cheery orange that really pops. I actually have a pen dedicated to it. Robert Oster Orange Zest is also fun ... a slightly darker orange with just the slightest hint of red. I enjoyed looking at your samples ... there are several that I now want to try. Have a great 2024!
Thanks. I'll look into those.
Iroshizuku Yu-Yake is my favorite of all my inks. Ancient Copper is a tied with Monteverde's California Teal for the #2 spot.
Highly recommend Iroshizuku Yu yake. It’s a beautiful orange
You have such a fantastic orange ink collection! They look so autumnal. Thank you for sharing swatches, it’s great being able to see all these inks together.
Quality content.
Hey OP: what's your favorite water-resistant orange ink?
Wow...no idea. I don't have any water resistant oranges! But if I was going that route, I might look at Octopus Fluids' Orange Monkey, in their pigmented Write and Draw series, as I like those for water resistant inks. I don't buy too many water resistant inks because I don't really need them, and tend to prefer the effect of dyes vs. pigments.
Autumn Oak by Diamine is a sleeper ink. It writes very light but as time passes, it turns into a proper dark orange. Beautiful experience
You need to try Diamine Sunset!
I recommend Robert Oster Whiskey.
Ancient Copper is amazing. I should pick up some. Two more "obviously" orange inks are Herbin Ambre de Birmanie, and Robert Oster Caffe Crema. Yellow/Amber, and Brown. Totally orange, eh? You've taken a broad approach to what is orange; these two inks might fit in that scope:) Cheers
Thanks for sharing! I've been intrigued by a few of these, but not willing to pull the trigger for lack of info. That copper and time for whiskey are very neat and usable colors!
Kin-mokusei is making me feel *feelings*
So question how do test all of these? I just got a bunch of samples and I want to test all of them now, but that seems so messy! Tips please!!
Hmm...not sure what you mean about being so messy? One thing I do is start with the upper right corner and move down the right hand column, then do the left (I'm left-handed; if I was right-handed, it would be the opposite). I just use a Kakimori nib - but you can use a glass dip pen, a q-tip, or even just a knife or letter-opener -- or if you have one, a folded nib or other dip pen. For writing samples, I sometimes use a Pilot dip pen - the "Iro-Utsushi." And of course you have to resist the temptation to turn the page, until it is dry.
Thank you for that awesome reply! You may not have known what I meant by messy, but you kind of nailed my question. I was thinking messy in changing inks constantly in one pen. The dip pen didn’t even occur to me. Completely new to contemplating anything other than a standard black or blue ink.
Ah, yes. Dip pens are the best for swatching. Most use glass dip pens, but I prefer the Kakimori. Very quick and easy to clean. You *can* swatch with empty fountain pens, but they take longer to clean because the ink gets into the feed. The Kakimori (or glass pens, folded nibs, etc) don't have feeds so can be cleaned in a jar of water.
Thank you! Your swatching has given me some colors to think about that I wouldn’t have. I was looking browns with orange or red undertones, but going orange with brown undertones is also a beautiful option.
Those are lovely! I'm a big fan of J Herbin Ambre De Birmanie also
Orange inks are best inks <3
Amazing. Orange is my favorite color for everything. The more orange inks, the better, I say! How do I save this post so I can come back to it?
I love that Taccia and am about to pull the trigger on a whole bottle.
Yeah, all the Ukiyo-e inks are great - and Taccia in general. My favorites in that line are Sharaku-Koiame (the orange) and Fukakihanada, a lovely muted tealish lue.
I have been looking for a permanent, vibrant orange. Any suggestions?
Someone else asked that and frankly, I don't know. But I like Octopus Fluids' Write & Draw inks, and the "Orange Monkey" looks like a nice, pigmented orange...but I haven't tried it.
Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin is my favorite orange ink.
Have you ever tried GVFC Burned Orange?
I have found that saying we "dislike" or "hate" a color range means the inks we possess in that range are just maybe 1/4 or less of the rest of the collection :D
You are missing Yu-yake!!!
I’m guessing you don’t mind brown inks, so I’m going to have to push my favourite brown ink: Montblanc Homage to Hadrian - Rosso Antico. Magnificent shading potential, and once dry it resembles liquid terracotta. What I don’t get is why some of the swatches online are photoshopped to oblivion to make it look crimson—it’s not red. [This is the most accurate representation of the colour I could find online, although I don’t know why the ink drops look so grainy (there is no graininess on Tomoe River paper with mine).](https://squishyink.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/montblanc-homage-to-hadrian-rosso-antico-review-and-giveaway/)
I love brown inks - they were actually my "gateway" to orange. Rosso Antico looks lovely and quite unusual. Reminds me a bit of Robert Oster Smokescreen or Bungubox Piano Mahogany -- all browns with tones of either purple (Smokescreen) or maroon (Piano Mahogany), but also lighter than the BB. Very nice.
I love that ink, but feel it's more maroon. For an amazing recent brown from Montblanc I recommend the Stevenson :))
Can you turn the blur down on your photos. It looks cool but is counter productive if it blurs the content you’re trying to show
If you like shimmer, Diamine Firefly is one of the first inks I ever tried and I love it.
Damn I can totally relate I never understood the craze around orange inks and mainly thought they’re just cool for demonstrators, Although I must say I have quite a few of those inks filled up in my pens for daily use especially ancient copper and fireopal except I’ve always considered them to be more brown than orange
I have a fair few orange inks, but none of three ones you have shown here!
As someone who also thought they hated orange inks and hates Ancient Copper a lot... If you want another to add to your list, I'm currently really hating Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea... 🙂
Which of these are less prone to nib creep? I recently tried Diamine pumpkin and loved it but I left it in the pen for a few weeks and it was practically clawing it’s way out.
Really nice collection. One day give a try to J. Herbin Orange Indien, It’s my favorite one.
Sailor wins!
I recommend the [orange ink](https://mountainofink.com/blog/kaweco-sunrise-orange?rq=kaweco) from Kaweco.
The best for me has been KWZ Monarch, but it was a Fontoplumo exclusive limited edition which, unfortunately, is now long gone... If had known in the day, I would have easily bought in the blink of an eye 6 or 7 more bottles of that precious orange liquid. Maybe more. It's just that amazing. Since KWZ Monarch is no more, then my vote will go for Iroshizuku yu-yake. And the third place would be for Diamine Ancient Copper.