The Ink Drop Tasting Kit - Build Your Own (4 x 3.5ml Vials)

The Ink Drop Tasting Kit - Build Your Own (4 x 3.5ml Vials)

£12.50
£12.50
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The Ink Drop Tasting Kit - Build Your Own (4 x 3.5ml Vials)
  • The Ink Drop Tasting Kit - Build Your Own (4 x 3.5ml Vials)
The Ink Drop Tasting Kit - Build Your Own (4 x 3.5ml Vials)

The Ink Drop Tasting Kit - Build Your Own (4 x 3.5ml Vials)

The Inkwell Ink Tasting Kit lets you try four fountain pen inks in 3.5ml vials before committing to a full bottle. Choose any four from our curated tasting range — each one chosen to show off a different ink property: shading, sheen, shimmer, iron gall oxidation, waterproof archival behaviour, and more. £12.50 for all four, shipped in a presentation box with a tasting note card.
Ink Type
  • Vial size: 3.5ml per ink, standard across the entire tasting range
  • Format: glass vial with secure cap, individually labelled with ink name and property
  • Quantity: choose any 4 vials from the eligible tasting range — mix properties or compare within one
  • Packaging: presentation box with tasting note card explaining each chosen property
  • Not refillable — vials are single-use sample sizes, not a refill ink format
  • Shelf life: use within 12 months of purchase for true colour and behaviour
£12.50
£12.50
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Packaging: 

We know art supplies are fragile. All professional pair and boards are shipped in reinforced rigid flat mailers. No tubes, no folds, no crushed corners. 


Order Processing Times: 

Orders are processed within 1–2 business days - we always aim to dispatch all “in-Stock’ items within 24 hours..

Note: Orders placed after 2 PM GMT on Fridays will be processed the following Monday.

Domestic Shipping (UK):

Standard (2–4 days): £3.50 (Free for The Illustrator & Studio Master tiers).

Priority (1–2 days): £4.50 (Free for Studio Master tier)

International Shipping: 

We ship globally. Costs are calculated at checkout based on weight and destination. Please note that customers are responsible for any local customs duties or taxes.

Order Tracking: 

You will receive a tracking link via email the moment your tools leave our studio. 
Returns

30-Day Change of Mind: 

We offer a 30-day return window (exceeding the UK legal minimum of 14 days). Items must be unused, in original packaging, and in "as-new" condition.

Faulty Goods: 

In the rare event of a defect, you are entitled to a full refund or replacement within 30 days. We will cover all return shipping costs for faulty items.

Defective Nibs: 

Occasionally, a pen may arrive dry or a nib maybe scratchy. Contact us within 7 days of purchase with a photo/video of the issue and we will send a replacement immediately.

Exclusions:

Due to the nature of the product, unless faulty we cannot accept returns on opened markers or used paper pads returned.

Digital Goods: 

The "Birthday Palette" and other digital downloads are non-refundable once accessed.


How to Start a Return: 

Email studio@inkwellartsupplies.com with your order number. We aim to process all refunds to the original payment method within 5–10 business days of receiving the item
The Nib Safety Net

"Gravity Happens. We’ve Got You Covered."

We know the heartbreak of a fountain pen hitting the floor. As a member of our Creative Rewards, you don't have to worry about the 'tines.' If the worst happens, just send us a photo and we'll send you a 50% discount for a fresh start.

"The Nib Safety Net" – Terms & Conditions

  • Eligibility: This benefit is exclusive to active members of the Creative Rewards program at the time of the accident.
  • Coverage: The 50% discount applies strictly to accidental damage (e.g., dropping the pen) that renders the nib unusable. It does not cover intentional damage, loss of the pen, theft, or normal wear and tear.
  • The Claim: To activate your discount, you must provide a clear photo of the damaged nib and your original order number to oops@yourstore.com.
  • Limitations: This discount is valid for a one-time replacement per pen purchased and applies only to the cost of the replacement nib unit. It cannot be combined with other promotional codes or used for full pen replacements.
  • Availability: We will provide the discount for the exact nib model where stock is available. If the model is discontinued, we will offer a 50% discount on a comparable alternative nib unit.

Why taste before you buy a full bottle

A full bottle of fountain pen ink is a commitment — in cost, in shelf space, and in cleaning out a pen if the colour or behaviour isn't what you expected from a screen swatch. The Tasting Kit solves this the way a wine tasting flight does: small, honest samples, chosen specifically to show you the range of what ink can do rather than just another four colours. Every ink in the eligible tasting range was chosen because it demonstrates a genuine property — not because it's popular this month.

The eligible tasting range

Not every ink in the Inkwell range is available as a vial. We deliberately curate the tasting pool around distinct ink properties, so that any four vials you choose teach you something real about what's possible — rather than four versions of the same thing


Property

Eligible inks (2-3 colours each)

What it teaches

Shading

Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo (blue-black with green undertone) + Yama-budo (magenta-purple, gold sheen bonus)

Colour that visibly darkens and lightens within a single stroke

High sheen

Wearingeul Dracula (dark red, gold-blue glitter sheen) + For Whom the Bell Tolls (blue-green, dramatic red sheen)

A second colour visible at an angle in pooled ink

Shimmer

Diamine Shimmertastic Cobalt Jazz (blue, gold shimmer + red sheen bonus) + Golden Sands (yellow, gold shimmer, very visible particle)

Physical metallic particles suspended in the ink — a different mechanism from sheen

Iron gall

Rohrer & Klingner Scabiosa ( the signature oxidising purple-grey)

Ink that chemically changes colour on the page over days and weeks

Waterproof - dye-based

De Atramentis Document Black + Document Sepia

Waterproof once dry, without being a pigment ink

Waterproof - pigment

Kakimori Sumi Black 

True pigment waterproofing — denser and more archival than dye

Small-batch character

3 Oysters Delicious Black Moss + Purple Gray

Korean small-batch ink culture, distinct from mainstream Western brands

British heritage standard

Diamine Standard (Oxblood + Sargasso Sea)

The dependable, do-anything daily writing ink — the baseline to compare everything else against

 

Honest Note:

Vials are decanted from our standard bottle stock at the time of your order — they are not a separately manufactured product. This means very occasional dispatch delays of a day are possible if an ink is freshly decanted, and it means vial contents are not refillable or returnable once opened. Colour and sheen behaviour in a 3.5ml vial will match the full bottle exactly, but very large sheen effects are easier to see in a wider ink pool (as in a converter or wide nib) than in the vial itself.

Who is it For?

  • Fountain pen users who want to try shading, sheen, shimmer, and iron gall before buying a full bottle of any of them
  • Anyone who has read about a property (like sheen or iron gall) and wants to see it for themselves rather than judge from a photo
  • Gift buyers who want to introduce someone to fountain pen ink without overwhelming them with a 50ml bottle in a colour that might not suit them
  • Existing customers building a varied ink collection who want small amounts of several properties rather than committing fully to each

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUSTIONS (FAQ)

Can I choose any ink in the Inkwell range for my tasting kit?

No — the tasting kit draws from a curated eligible range only, organised around eight distinct ink properties (shading, sheen, shimmer, iron gall, waterproof dye, waterproof pigment, small-batch character, and British standard). This is intentional: every combination of four vials you choose will show you something genuinely different, rather than four very similar inks.

How do I choose which 4 vials to include?

Use the picker on this page to select any 4 from the eligible range. You can pick one ink from four different properties to sample the widest range, or pick 2-3 colours within a single property if you want to compare similar inks closely — for example, two different sheen inks side by side.

Is 3.5ml enough to properly try an ink?

Yes — 3.5ml fills a standard fountain pen converter several times over, or fills a dip pen for an extended testing session. It is enough ink to write several pages and properly judge shading, sheen, and drying behaviour.

What is the difference between this and the Quarterly Drop / Currently Pouring kit?

This Tasting Kit is build-your-own and always available — you choose your 4 vials from the permanent eligible range. The Quarterly Drop uses the same vials and packaging but is a fixed selection of 4 inks that we choose each season, often featuring something new or limited. Both are £12.50.

Works perfectly with....