My shipment of inks from the Writing Desk arrived last week: Two bottles of turquoise, which are off to Dad for Christmas, one tall bottle of Aurora Black, and a fat bottle of Diamine Monaco Red.

I have been using Diamine Monaco Red in my daily writer for the past week. It is a dark, blood red with a subtle hint of brown. Recommended for anyone looking for a writer, as opposed to a highlighter.

The pen is nearly dry; I have to consider what ink to use next. Normally I use Waterman Havana, a dark chocolately brown. However, I'm itching to try out the Aurora Black, which came highly recommended.

I thought buying inks would be cheaper than buying pens. Sadly, I have discovered that the more inks you buy, the more pens you need to have access to all your new inks. It's a vicious circle - proceed at your own risk.

• Glenn Marcus' Ink Reviews
• The Ink Spot @ Pentrace - some user ink reviews, if a little dated
• The Writing Desk - a great selection of inks