A Comparison of Green Inks

August 3, 2014 Matt
38 Comments
Ink

My favorite color is green. So, I was unsurprised when reviewing my ink collections and samples, that I have a lot of green inks. Below is a comparison of all of them.

Green Ink Comparison

My personal favorites include (in no particular order):

  • Diamine Sherwood Green
  • Caran d’Ache Amazon
  • Montblanc Irish Green
  • Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine
  • Private Reserve Spearmint
  • Private Reserve Avacado

Are there any other beloved greens out there that I need to put on my must-try list?

Ink
Ink

  • Good review. ^^!

  • Brian Fait

    Try Graf von Faber Castell’s Moss Green Ink. A document-proofed green ink with wonderful sheen is something you might like! 😉

    • This one is on my to-buy list. I need to get a sample of it from AndersonPens.net the next time I put in an order. Plus, I just love those bottles!

  • Matauco

    Hi Matt, I know you really like green inks, so you have to try the new Montblanc Daniel Defoe ink (Writers Edition 2014), it is a really nice green!

    • I love MB inks. I haven’t found anyone that has it in stock here in the US yet, but as soon as I do, I’m getting it and the other new LE ink that’s coming out this year.

  • Bronson

    Wow, that Vert Empire reads really gray… It’s got quite a bit more green in it in my experience. Also, have you tried J Herbin’s Lierre Sauvage? It’s a lovely shade, as well.

    Thanks for all the work you do. I really dig your reviews.

    • There’s a bit of color correction that I couldn’t get quite right, so mine is just a hint more green than that…but not by very much. It’s always been quite grey from my bottle. Maybe I just got a bad batch.

      • Randy R

        Hi Matt. I know this response/question is to a year-old review, but I’m curious and hope to hear your thoughts. I enjoy the pen, ink and paper reviews and have tried enough combinations to know that the behavior, tint, hue and shading vary considerably depending upon the specific combinations. What I haven’t seen is any real commentary or review of how the same ink varies from one bottle to the next as you sort of implied in your note above.

        I imagine the ink’s formulation can vary, the dyes or lubricants might have aged, the water chemistry might have changed or the sequence of mixing the components during compounding might have varied from one batch to the next. I would not expect you to get into the chemistry aspect, but rather an analysis of the final result.

        Have you or any reviewers you’ve run across attempted to analyze the reliability or variance between a specific ink a year or so ago and the same ink made “this” year? I’m interested because I have sometimes based my purchases on the reviews. So, your mission, should you care to accept it … this message will self-destruct in 3… 2… 1…

        Oh, by the way, I just recently found your reviews and stumbled across a kind of dialog between you and SBRE Brown about you taking a hiatus. I know you’ve had a chorus of support, but I’d very much like to add a belated THANK YOU for coming back! The quality of your reviews, photography and “ethics” are phenomenal and I appreciate them and you.

        Sorry for the length. Brevity is difficult. Hope you make it through this! 😀

      • John Hanson

        My Vert Empire is much greener too, a lovely, shading ink. For the record.

  • ashokdad

    +1 for J. Herbin’s Lierre Sauvage

  • Drew Walker

    Diamine Kelly Green! My favorite green ink for sure.

  • I really like Noodler’s Sequoia and Diamine Evergreen.

  • LisaC

    This probably sounds boring, but my favourite green is Waterman. Just a well-behaved, nice green.

  • Julie Halperson

    Try Organic Studio’s Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass. Lovely!

  • rdcalhoon

    Private Reserve Spearmint is my current favorite green, but I also enjoy the dark greens: Diamine Salamander and Evergreen and Noodler’s Zhivago.

  • Dale

    My favourite green is that lovely fresh ‘Meadow’ from Diamine – wonderful!

  • Thanks for the comparisons, Matt. Diamine Apple Glory. Noodler’s St. Patty’s Eire is decidedly different, and it fluoresces under UV.

  • dothgrin

    I really needed this review. I am very picky about greens, and this is a good review. I have tried three of your top five and I agree you. I love the Avacado and the Aventurine.

  • Gordon

    I have bottles of J.Herbin Lierre Sauvage and Noodler’s Green Marine – both of them fairly strong inks, Green Marine a little darker (though not compared to PR Ebony Green !). I think you’d like them, but not sure they’d be much different from some of the shades you already have.

    The Goulet Samples for Christmas last year included DeAtramentis Pine Green, a more muted and ‘earthy’ green which really lived up to its name! Oh, and I have a 60ml pouch of Toucan Bright Green which is a lighter ink, but I really enjoy it – and Toucan Aqua, which is much more green than blue, and a ‘stronger’ colour than the green. Problem is, Toucan inks are made in Australia, and as yet have no American distributor…

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  • Oh myyy, that’s a lot of green inks!

  • Ted

    You already have my three favorite: Spearmint, Av(a)cado, and Epinard

  • Glenn Higley

    I’d give Private Reserve “Avacado” (SIC) a go, Matt. Shades beautifully with all the colors you’d find in an avocado.

    I’m also fond of Diamine Emerald for a brighter green when I’m not in the mood for the darker Diamine Sherwood Green.

    Watch yerself with frequent use of green inks though. According to an episode of the Australian TV series “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” (Netflix – recommended) it may be a sign of sexual perversity. Too late for me, but you may still have time to save yourself. ; )

  • strombomboli

    How come J. Herbin Vert Empire looks grey on your page? On my pages it looks green and is the only green ink I like.

  • LisaC

    J Herbin Lierre Sauvage. Solid green with nice shading.

  • SteveE

    Noodler’s Bad Green Gator – have you tried it?

  • Hashan

    I loved Parker green. Very expensive now since it’s discontinued. Waterman green too looks good. Just ordered one.
    – A fellow dev

  • penlover

    I think you should add Noodlers Gruene Cactus eel

  • Cross-Nemo

    Avoid the Sheaffer Skrip, unless you like cyan. At best it’s a strong blue-green. Hoping to mix it with another to get an actual green (needed for my work). Maybe I got a bad bottle, but the stuff’s cyan. If the pen top’s left off and exposure to air occurs, it’s somewhat darker … maybe an aquamarine … for a bit.

  • Samuel

    Hey Matt, would you post some of your favorite brown inks too ? I would greatly appreciate it !

  • José Manuel Lacleta

    I would reccomend P.W. Akkerman nº 28, Hofkwartier Groen.

  • Rodrigo

    I like darker colours, so I would recommend Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Ryoku (I kinda like all colours in Iroshizuku’s Ink Collection). Also, the classic Lamy Green and Kaweco not-a-single-shade Palm Green

  • Pascal Leers

    I recently discovered Diamine Apple Glory. A really bright green with nice shading.

  • Pascal Leers

    Pelikan Edelstein Aventurine. (I love that ink).

  • Michael Elliot

    Hey Matt. If I can put you on the spot for a minute – which would you buy if you could only have one green ink?:)

  • Gordon Blanchard

    Diamine Kelly Green

  • Jo Febo

    Diamine Apple Glory was a pleasant surprise. It is much darker than swatches would have led me to believe.