Bottled fountain pen ink was once an everyday essential. While less commonplace today, at Kakimori we believe it deserves a special place in our lives, now more than ever. We created our original inks and bottles in close collaboration with Turner Colour Works and Yamamura Bottleworks, two Japanese makers who share our passion for craftsmanship.
Here, we’ll share some of our favourite ways to use and enjoy our fountain pen inks, so you can explore them with confidence, even if it’s your first time.
Kakimori fountain pen inks
Most fountain pen inks are water-based. While Kakimori inks are no exception, they are a type known as pigment ink that offers resistance to both water and light. These unique properties allow lines drawn with pigment ink to be layered with watercolours and other media without running — making it particularly well suited to illustration work.
Kakimori pigment ink (top) and dye ink, the most common type of fountain pen ink (bottom)
While called ‘fountain pen’ ink, it’s worth noting that our versatile inks work beautifully with a variety of pens, and beyond — our team’s business cards feature a coloured edge, in an ink colour personally created by each staff member. With bottled ink, the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
Kakimori business cards, hand-coloured on the edge with a one-of-a-kind ink. A way to show individuality beyond our names, the process is enjoyed by the whole team.
Choosing and creating your colour
At Kakimori, we offer two ink collections. Kakimori colour is our collection of ten signature colours, with each evocative colour inspired by Japanese onomatopoeia, while Inkstand colour features 14 vibrant, almost primary hues, formulated specially for mixing.
For a touch of personalisation, we have additional options: a diluting solution that lightens ink colours, and a pearlescent solution that brings a hint of shimmer to your ink.
The colourless diluting solution can be added to any ink to lighten and soften the colour, and is safe to use in fountain pens.
If you have a particular hue in mind or want to create a truly one-of-a-kind colour, we invite you to explore Inkstand — in-store or online — to order your very own original ink.
Choosing your pen
From classic fountain pens to rollerball pens designed for fountain pen ink, choose your best match from our range of styles and designs.
Or why not try your hand at a dip pen, where you dip the nib directly into the ink to write. With a dip pen, you can easily switch ink colours with a simple rinse in water, allowing you to enjoy multiple colours in one session.
Our ink-friendly pens at a glance. Read our guide for more.
Before you begin
Once you’ve chosen your pen, it’s time to start writing in a notebook, a letter or whatever inspires you. An easy tip for beautiful results is to choose bleed-resistant paper.
While Kakimori notebooks and letter-writing sets feature ink-friendly paper, if you’d like to use your own stationery, we recommend testing the paper first.
Our A5 notebook and Mini note feature Menuet, a crisp paper that retains ink colours beautifully.
More creative ideas
Starting with a favourite colour and building up a collection opens up a world of possibility — just like paints, our inks can be mixed to create new shades.
Illustrating with ink used as an art medium. Read more in our how-to guide.
Kakimori fountain pen inks are made for a range of different pens, and wherever your creativity takes you. If you’re curious, we invite you to start by finding your perfect colour.
