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Gray Fountain Pen Inks That Are Stunning 🩶 My Top Picks · Ink Exploration

julia here.

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Swatching what I think are the best gray fountain pen inks I’ve used so far!
Check out more faves and ink exploration here: Ink Color Faves

#juliahere

0:00 - Intro + Color Psychology
2:22 - Gray Fountain Pen Ink #5
4:32 - Gray Fountain Pen Ink #4
7:06 - Gray Fountain Pen Ink #3
8:58 - Gray Fountain Pen Ink #2
10:43 - Gray Fountain Pen Ink · Honorable Mentions
12:51 - Gray Fountain Pen Ink #1 + Outro

✒️ Supplies & Mentions:
2025 Ink Journal — https://bit.ly/40ndXh3
Colorverse Korea Turtle Ship: https://bit.ly/4jHOXYa
Pelikan Edelstein Moonstone: https://bit.ly/4dlXFIT
Diamine Earl Grey: https://bit.ly/4e1nUUK
Pilot Iroshizuki Kiri Same: https://bit.ly/3TLREO4
Wearingeul The Picture of Dorian Gray: https://bit.ly/3ZUxbsO
Kobe City Museum Gray: https://bit.ly/4g7Lamn
Ferris Wheel Press Leadcast Letters: https://bit.ly/3Huk0sX
Sailor Hocoro: https://bit.ly/49mq5Ap
Glass Stirrers: https://amzn.to/45OXK7b
Mini Spoons: https://amzn.to/4kGnZSc
Pipettes: https://amzn.to/3FtPFuc

✨Some of my favorite stationery supplies, filming equipment, and more (Amazon Storefront): https://www.amazon.com/shop/juliaroyal

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website: juliahere.com

20 Comments

@WaskiSquirrel 1 year ago

Nice to see you focus on one color! I'm trying to work down to one favorite ink in each color group. My favorite grey is Iroshizuku's Fuyu-syogun.

@Michelt007 1 year ago

ha! Gray inks! So mysterious, so underestimated! But then, when we try them, we see their amazing personality! The Lexington Gray's amazing shading, the deep tones of Dark Matter, those pigmented black ink that looks having grey sheene! Amazing!

@mandir5615 1 year ago

I always have Diamine Earl Grey inked up! Its my go to for everything. That FWP is looking like I need at least a sample!

@phoenixfire8978 1 month ago

Wearingeul “I am a Cat” for me! Middle gray with gold shimmer. Reminds me of my late lady

@RandyFenter 1 year ago

Great choices. I also like Anderillium Whale Shark Gray.

@nancyrhm2094 1 year ago (edited)

It took me some time to find my gray ink. It's Diamine Grey. I don't know if they even make it any more. It's dark enough to be perfectly legible without reading black. It's conservative enough for any use, while also being a little subversive. What I love most about it is that there is no undertone of another color. No green, no red, no blue. Just pure gray, exactly like a #2 pencil.

@onemooreperson13 1 year ago

My first grey inks were Herbin Gris Nuage Ink and Kaweco Smokey Grey, both in cartridges. I got them at the same time so I could have a warm toned grey and a cool toned grey. Now I love Diamine Silver Fox.

Great video as always. Love the way you do your swatches. It shows off the variation in the ink so well.

@christyncreates 1 year ago

Loving all the Grey recs in the comments! My favorites are Colorverse Iris Nebula, Ink Institute Ice Fog in a stub, and Diamine Moondust.

@smin8239 1 year ago

I love Diamine Silver Fox for grey!

@stephanie1076 1 year ago

Love me some grey, peaceful!

@Cozytravelers 1 year ago

My favorite gray is BPC Megalodon. Sadly it was limited but it's such a perfect warm gray.🦈

@oliviatrelles 1 year ago

So many of my favs but I’d add Montblanc Cool Grey

@autisticbucky 1 year ago

it’s so fun guessing the inks as you go! :) i have been very into grey for mimicking graphite recently. thank you for another lovely video!

@darlamaple6319 1 year ago

I have so many grey inks that I love, but the two most recently re inked are Ferris Wheel Press Glistening Glass and Visconti Old Vineyard and Peasant Woman. Thanks for the awesome videos :)

@frederikbruck5210 1 year ago

My goto gray is Kaweco's smoky gray.
If you get your hands on it, give it a shot.
The mentioned "pencil lead" appearance is just perfect here! I do write with pencil sometimes and have a hard time to tell them apart on re-reading...

@montecruz2618 1 year ago

I only have a small bottle of kiri-same and I mostly use it for mixing. My favourite is Lennon Toolbar Twilight, a pigmented blueish grey. Your #1 looks very interesting and special.

@PenMaiden56 1 year ago

So glad to see someone do this color family. I only have Kiri-same and on my Staology notebook it shades brown. Beautiful color though.
I’ve heard it said that Noodlers Lexington gray and Endless Alchemy’s Wizards Pencil look
Like graphite.

@LittleCocoStudio 1 year ago

Love this! I’ve been very into grey, lately. I love Kiri same, and I recently (ish) got Diamine earl grey which I can’t wait to ink into a pen! 🩶

@RG-yf3uj 1 year ago

I love grey/gray inks. Along w/blue blacks, deep purples & greens. So awesome that you mentioned Pen & Pad. They're great, we've been going there for many years. Although I liked their original store better.

@Indigostar262 1 year ago (edited)

Lovely video, thank you. I love Ferris Wheel Press April Showers: light gray, silver shimmer that distributes well and a bit of blue undertone. I inked it twice in a row in a Pilot Kakuno Madoromi light blue fountain pen.with a medium nib. I was surprised that I liked it so much: it's so pretty! I have and love Pelican Moonstone too.