Diamine Ink

Diamine has been around for almost 150 years. They have been making ink since 1864. In 1925 they located in a more modern factory located in Liverpool. In Canada, the distributor is Stylus Fine Pens.

Despite numerous changes of ownership, Diamine has maintained production of good quality ink. The most recent change was in 2006 when Diamine merged with Speciality Inks and thus the new name: Diamine Speciality Inks.

Their fountain pen ink is made and marketed as being perfect for any brand of pen, as well as being a recommended choice for vintage pens. Diamine says their inks are made from non-toxic ingredients, and have excellent flow characteristics. They have over 50 colours so it makes the line of inks able to match just about anyone's individual preference.

In March 2008 I set out to test the line, give the various colours a run for their money so to speak through the various pens I have in my collection. This would mean writing on good quality cotton rag stationary at home, to eco-friendly recycle office paper at work. The latter, while it makes you feel best, typically does not match well with fountain pens.

Diamine offers two lines of fountain pen ink: Old English, and New Century.

Old English - This line has thirty different colours that lean to more traditional.

New Century - This line has twenty colours with a market that is aimed towards a younger generation of writers.

An important consideration for any ink is the bottle. If the bottle is wide and shallow, then it is only good for the first couple of fills. My Pelikan M100's and Omas Paragons need a bottle that the pen nib can get well into.

The Diamine bottles hold 80 ml of ink, more than the typical 50 ml found in Waterman and most brands. It is a very attractive bottle with a classic look. The Old English line has a smart lable in gold tone, the New Centrury with a silver tone lable. The base of the bottle is a wide two inch square - so there is lots of stability when this bottle sits on the desk.