# Shakespeare MK2 FP - Ink Cartridges.



## Duckmeister (Sep 5, 2018)

Someone help me out on this, please.  What size ink cartridge is used in the Shakespeare MK2 Fountain Pen and what is the best brand of ink to buy?
Thank you.


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## monophoto (Sep 5, 2018)

Turner's Warehouse appear to supply that kit with a Diamine ink cartridge.  Diamine is a third-party ink producer - they only do ink, not pens, and as far as I can determine, their cartridges conform to the standard international short configuration.

Brand of ink is a very personal decision - in the boxers vs briefs category.  Factors to consider include the available range of colors, color saturation, drying time, feathering, bleedthrough, and a myriad of other things.  Diamine inks are good inks and you can't go wrong using them, but there are other excellent inks packaged in standard international cartridges that you can choose from.  Other excellent brands include Private Reserve, J. Herbin,  Pelikan, and Kaweco.  There are also a number of no-name suppliers in China.

There are a few ink cartridges you should avoid because they are proprietary and fit only pens made by the ink supplier.  Cross, Lamy, MontBlanc, Aurora, Namimki, Pilot, Parker, Platinum, Shaeffer, and Waterman are examples.

You can also buy a converter (aka, a 'pump') that allows you to use any brand of bottled fountain pen ink.  Using a converter expands your selection of inks exponentially;  using a converter allows you to use inks that are only available in bottles (such as Noodlers) as well as the bottled version of inks from the proprietary manufacturers.  Converters generally hold more ink than cartridges so your 'driving range' will increase.  And bottled ink is less expensive in $/ml than cartridge ink.

A good place to start shopping is Goulet Pens, https://www.gouletpens.com/.  They have a very extensive selection, and are extremely helpful - really good people to do business with.


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## Duckmeister (Sep 5, 2018)

Thank you very much for your time and insight.  Big help.


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## ajollydds (Sep 6, 2018)

Agree with everything Louie stated. Goulet Pens also sells inks samples that you can test inks out with, so you can try before you buy a bottle. 

I bought samples of 10-12 different “blue” inks to see which one I liked best and which worked best on the type of paper I use.


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