Anything that turns to jelly like this bottle of Private Reserve or inks that separate when sitting for a few hours – most inks from Diamine or Noodler’s – I avoid like the plague.

I avoid shimmer and glitter inks too.

Article about an iron gall ink.

Now – I’m not saying you should avoid these inks, or that there’s anything bad or wrong with them. I avoid them. I like easy to clean inks and water proof writing isn’t important to me.

Diamine Lavender separated in the converter…

I decanted the lavender into an empty bottle once the sediment settled so I could use it without the headache. Is the color a little different? Yes, but it’s still purple, and for me that’s good enough.

What are some inks that I consider safe? Sheaffer, Waterman, Parker, Pilot, Pelikan, Montblanc, Monteverde, and a few colors from DeAtramentis, KWZ, and I know there are more, but I mostly stick to Sheaffer and Waterman for tuning my nibs, so that’s where my experience lies.