Ready for a battle of the purple inks? I hope so because we’ve got one of your favorite guest reviewers prepped with purple inks and ready to go! Let’s compare some popular purple fountain pen inks in what we’re coming to fondly think of as the Battle of the Purple Inks (March 2023 Edition) searching for the best purple ink of 2023!

Our Guest Reviewer: Melyssa N.

We’ve worked with Melyssa N. before, and I’m sure we’ll work with her again! She is purple’s biggest fan, and she adores inks, so she’s the natural choice for any and all purple ink questing. This is our second Battle of the Purples with Melyssa. We hope you love this one just as much as the last one, and that you discover a new purple ink or two you may need to add to your list of favorite fountain pen inks! You can find our previous Battle of the Purple inks here. And you can find more pen, ink, and journaling fun with Melyssa here.

The Contestants: Which Will Be 2023’s Best Purple Ink

Let’s take a look at this year’s contestants! In the March 2023 Edition of Battle of the Purples, we sent 6 inks out to Melyssa:

1. Robert Oster Purple Rock ink (one of Robert Oster’s Signature inks)
2. Colorverse Red Planet Opportunity ink (available in a 65ml bottle with an accompanying 15ml bottle of Spirit ink OR as a Colorverse mini 15ml standalone bottle)
3. Dominant Industry Manschurian Violet ink (one of their Standard Series inks)
4. Montegrappa Knight Bus Purple ink (one of their licensed Harry Potter inks, and currently SOLD OUT!)
5. Wearingeul World Lit Jane Eyre ink (this world lit inspired ink collection releases a new ink each month and we love it!)
6. Sailor USA 50 States Colorado ink (this ink collection will eventually contain one ink for each of the 50 states in the USA)

Other Products You’ll See in the Battle of the Purples (March 2023 Edition):

You’ll also notice a few other products Melyssa uses during her ink swatching, writing samples, etc. as she searches for the best purple ink among this year’s contestants. You’ll notice that Melyssa adores her Nahvalur Original Plus Limited Edition Matira White fountain pen (with M nib). The pen features Nahvalur’s new vacuum filling system (they introduced their first vacuum filling system in 2022 with the Nahvalur Original Plus fountain pens). Earlier in 2023, they released a limited edition version of the original plus vacuum filler featuring two colors, both inspired by a famous island beach. You’ll see Melyssa using the Matira White pen inspired by the Matira Beach in Tahiti throughout her Battle of the Purples fun. Other products you’ll likely notice include:

• Kaweco Lilliput Flame fountain pen
• Folded nib in nib holder
• Hobonichi Techo Planner

First Impression: Which Purple Ink Do You Like?

Check out Melyssa’s sneak peak into the latest Battle of the Purples! It’s been a while since we’ve done a Battle of the Purples! If you haven’t joined us for a Battle of the Purples before, check out the 6 contestants, and then shout out your vote in the comments! Just based on first impressions, which do you think will be your favorite of the group?

Battling it Out for Best Purple Ink: Let’s Go Through the Inks!

Ink #1 is Wearingeul Jane Eyre ink, a lovely light purple. This pastel Violet gray ink is part of Wearingeul’s Monthly World Literature Collection is inspired by Jane Eyre. Just a heads up – it is wildly easy to fall in love with, so use caution approaching. It retails for $20, and you get 30 ml, so it’s $0.66 per ml.

Ink #2 for the battle of the purples is Dominant Industry Manschurian Violet and it’s a light blue-violet ink. 💜 Although, it looks blue on some papers. You get 50ml per bottle and retails for $18, $0.36 per ml.

Ink #3 for Battle of the Purples is Colorverse Opportunity. This one isn’t REALLY a purple ink – it leans more toward magenta (but it’s still beautiful). If you get the Colorverse Mini ink bottle that’s 5ml of ink for $6.99, or $1.39 per ml. (It’s also available in a larger bottle (65ml) paired with a smaller bottle (15ml) of coordinating ink).

Ink #4 for Battle of the Purples is Sailor Colorado ink. Sailor Colorado is from the Sailor USA 50 Sates collection (highlighting something specific about each state). This rich purple ink color is inspired by the Colorado state flower, the Rocky Mountains Columbine. It retails for $25 (currently $20 on sale) and you get 20ml $1.25 per ml.

Ink #5 The next ink in the Battle of the Purples is Robert Oster Purple Rock. A dark almost black but not as dark as RO Black Violet.

Ink #6 is Montegrappa Knight Bus Purple ink, a darker, more vivid purple than some of the others in the March 2023 battle for best purple ink. This ink is a part of Montegrappa’s licensed Harry Potter Collection and retails for $39 (currently on sale for $28 at PenChalet.com) you’re getting a 50ml bottle, so that’s $0.78 per ml. **If you love this color, but need some alternatives, watch Melyssa’s account because she’s going to put together a post with a list of similar inks you might love. There are a lot of good alternatives!**

The Winner: Best Purple Ink from March 2023’s Edition of Battle of the Purples!

And just like that, it’s the end of Battle of the Purples March 2023 Edition! Which color was your favorite?

The WINNER of the March 2023 Edition of Battle of the Purples? If we judge by which one stole Meylyssa’s heart, it’s definitely Wearingeul Jane Eyre ink!

“The color I used most was definitely Jane Eyre. I’m still currently using it and will most likely fill my pen up with it again as soon as it runs out. So, I think it’s safe to say it’s the winner of this round!” -Melyssa N.

Melyssa’s New All Time Favorite Pen & Ink Combo:

We just thought you might need another little look at this pretty pen and ink combo that the March 2023 Edition of Battle of the Purples got Melyssa N. obsessed with; it’s now one of her all-time pen and ink pairings!

If You Love Wearingeul Jane Eyre Ink You Might Also Love:

Melyssa wanted to point everyone who agrees with her conclusion toward another fabulous ink that she loves seeing side by side with the winner of this BATTLE royale, Ferris Wheel Press Madam Mulberry ink. Take a look at the comparison in the image above, and you’ll see that while they aren’t actually similar colors, they just create a great contrast of purples. Placing Ferris Wheel Press Madam Mulberry ink beside Wearingeul Jane Eyre ink really amplifies the grey in MM beautifully. Both these inks are favorite “light purple” inks that Melyssa can’t do without.

Shop the Best Purple Ink + Purple Pens + Inks and Pens in Other Colors at Pen Chalet:

Have fun in your continued search for the perfect purple ink. When you’ve decided which purple ink is your favorite, let us know! You can shop plenty of purple inks (along with the BEST purple ink from today’s battle) along with all your other writing, sketching, or ink-related needs at PenChalet.com.