Push/Pull Fountain Pen Inks

Push/Pull is a small studio in Seattle that hand-mixes fountain pen ink in small batches. Most of the colors carry a shimmer of mica (gold, silver, ruby or pink), and they have names like Mer-Cat, Revenge of the Vampire and Purple People Eater. Every ink here comes in a 20 ml glass vial, which is enough to fill a converter many times over without committing to a full bottle.

How to use shimmer ink

Shake the vial before you fill, because the shimmer settles to the bottom. Shimmer inks are happiest in a pen with a medium or broader nib that is easy to take apart and rinse, and you should clean it every few fills. Don't put shimmer ink in a retractable pen like the Daybreak Click: the mica can clog its nib shutter. The darker colors (Salish, Mer-Cat, Elderberry, Blood Orange, Revenge of the Vampire) are dark enough to write a full page in; the bright ones (Nuke Mutant, Slime, Marigold) are accent inks for headings, underlines and doodles.

Which color to start with

• Blues and teals: Salish, Mer-Cat, Faerie Dust, Ducky, Magpie
• Greens: Shamrock, Jabberwocky, Secret Moss, Slime
• Reds and pinks: Haute Red, Revenge of the Vampire, Pink Pony, Mauveberry
• Purples: Purple People Eater, Elderberry
• Yellows and oranges: Marigold, Nuke Mutant, Cub, Blood Orange