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PenBBS

386

Blues & navies#2170B4

Numbered, seasonally released Chinese inks from the PenBBS forum community, spanning hundreds of literary- and nature-themed colors.

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Specs

Color familyBlues & navies
Approx. hex#2170B4
SheenNot typically noted
BrandPenBBS

Paper & pairing

Blues and navies are the most broadly "safe" fountain pen colors: legible, professional, and unlikely to raise eyebrows in an office. This ink will behave predictably on most fountain-pen-friendly paper. Cheap, highly absorbent paper (standard copier paper) will dull any ink's saturation and can cause feathering or bleed-through with wetter nibs.

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About PenBBS

PenBBS grew out of China's largest online fountain pen forum, which began producing its own pens and inks for the community in the mid-2010s. Its inks are released in numbered seasonal batches, with each color carrying a catalog number and a name drawn from Chinese literature, history, places, and nature. The huge, ever-rotating range spans well-behaved workhorse colors as well as shimmer and sheen formulas at a modest price.

China Founded 2006
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Storing and using the bottle

Bottled fountain pen ink has an effectively long shelf life when kept capped and out of direct sunlight: most inks remain usable for years. The main risk isn't the ink spoiling, it's a pen sitting inked and unused for weeks: that's what causes clogs, not the ink's age.

Frequently asked questions

What color family is 386?
386 falls into Inktend's blues & navies family based on its typical swatch color.
Does 386 have sheen?
386 is not typically noted for sheen. If you want that effect, browse similarly colored inks tagged with sheen in the ink library.
How should I store a bottle of 386?
Years, easily, as long as it stays capped and out of direct sunlight. The thing that actually shortens an ink's usable life is sitting unused inside a pen, not sitting on a shelf.
What paper works best with 386?
It behaves predictably on most fountain-pen-friendly paper. Stick to something reasonably absorbent-resistant, since cheap copier paper dulls saturation and can feather.

Similar shades By colour distance

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Tramol

Color shown is a close digital approximation of a typical swatch, not a calibrated color match.