This is my final installment of my Inktober Skirmishes series. If you want to see the photos of the skirmishes, check out my other Inktober 2025 posts.
My initial goal was to use Inktober to work on my resolution to get rid of some inks. I’d hoped to get rid of one ink from each skirmish, but that’s not quite how things worked out. Although a bit time-consuming with needing to clean out the pens each day, I enjoyed these skirmishes. They were a great way to clear out some inks, and more fun — for me — than Ink Battles.
I’ve got a favor to ask of you at the end of this post, so even if you aren’t interested in reading through, please scroll down. Thanks in advance!
Winner Recaps
- Kyo-Iro Soft Snow of Ohara vs Colorverse Tang Pyeong — Tang Pyeong
- J. Herbin Vert Empire vs Colorverse Hwang Cho — Both stay
- Pilot Iroshizuku Hana-Ikada vs Sailor Jentle Sakura-Mori — Sakura-Mori
- Diamine Kelly Green vs Van Dieman’s Elegant Peacock Tail — Both stay
- Ink Institute Cat at Noon vs Sailor Ink Studio 173 — Both eliminated
- Diamine Moon Beam vs Wearingeul Half Moon with Dimmed Light — Both stay (for now)
- Colorverse Adobe vs Kyo-No-Oto Yamabukiiro — Both stay
- Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao vs Pennonia Azul Frida — Azul Frida
- Robert Oster Velvet Storm vs Laban Hera Dark Green — Hera Dark Green
- Diamine Macassar vs Laban Demeter Brown — Demeter Brown
- Diamine Deep Dark Orange vs Diamine Blood Orange — Blood Orange
- Diamine Tinsel vs Pennonia Dahlia — Both stay
- Colorverse Gluon vs Sugar Kelp — Both stay
- Troublemaker Petrichor vs Vinta Armada — Petrichor
- Robert Oster Sydney Lavender vs Robert Oster Summer Storm — Sydney Lavender
- Anderillium Luna Moth Green vs Sailor Ink Studio 160 — Luna Moth Green
- Robert Oster Fire on Fire on Fire vs Sailor Jentle Apricot — Both stay (for now)
- Sailor Agave vs Diamine Chichen Itza — Agave
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
- Caran d’Ache Infinite Grey vs Dominant Industry Downpour — Downpour
- Robert Oster Cherry Blossom vs Wearingeul The Flowers on the Way — Cherry Blossom
- Taccia Tsuchi vs Colorverse Coffee Break — Coffee Break
- Diamine x Mann Inc. Tudor Green vs and Diamine Sugar Snap — Sugar Snap
- Kobe #80 vs Colorverse Lights on Ceres — Both stay
- J. Herbin Ambre de Birmanie vs Colorverse Rising Reflections — Rising Reflections
- J. Herbin Vert de Gris vs Lennon Tool Bar George Kerr — Vert de Gris
- Diamine Prussian Blue vs Colorverse 75t Rocket Engine — Prussian Blue
- Wearingeul Anubis vs Birmingham Pen Co Antique Sepia — Anubis
- Diamine Tudor Blue vs DeAtramentis Document Blue — Tudor Blue
- Birmingham Pen Co Cherry Blossom vs Diamine Tyrian Purple — Both stay
- Pilot Iroshizuku Syo-Ro vs Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku — Ku-Jaku, but both stay
- Diamine Marigold and Ink Institute Puffin’s Beak — Both stay
Stats
62 inks went in, 22 inks got the boot and 41 inks got to stay — Document Green also got disposed of, although not because of a skirmish. The results are not quite as good as I’d hoped. I wanted to dispose of 31 inks, but it’s not bad.
Of the 31 skirmishes:
- 4 had inks that were virtually the same
- 10 had inks of the same hue, but different shades
- 9 had inks of different hues, but the same or similar shades
- 8 had inks of different hues and different shades
Color breakdowns (by number of skirmishes):
- Red & pink: 4.5
- Orange: 2.5
- Yellow & gold: 3
- Green: 4
- Teal & turquoise: 4
- Blue: 4
- Purple: 3
- Brown: 3
- Gray: 3
Brand breakdowns:
| Brand | Inks included | Kept | Disposed of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anderillium | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Birmingham Pen Co | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Caran d’Ache | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Colorverse | 7 | 6 | 1 |
| Diamine | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Dominant Industry | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Ink Institute | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| J. Herbin | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Kobe | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kyoto TAG | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Laban | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Lennon Tool Bar | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pennonia | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Pilot Iroshizuku | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Robert Oster | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Sailor | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Taccia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Troublemaker | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Van Dieman’s | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Vinta | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Wearingeul | 3 | 2 | 1 |
So What’s Next?
I’d like to make this a yearly thing. It’s a good way to declutter some ink bottles. I’m not sure if I’ll post them every year, though. Or maybe I should just have one post at the end of the month? I’ll give it some thought.
I’ll probably do other skirmishes for myself throughout the rest of this year and into next year since I really need to continue reducing my ink collection.
I’m also seriously considering adopting the Ink Skirmish format for my Ink Battles, although I’d probably include the scribble section.
A Favor
While I don’t really concern myself with numbers and engagement on my blog, I do still want to create content that others enjoy. So, I’d really appreciate it if you took a moment to answer the two questions below.
This is the end of ink skirmishes for this year. I need to start considering if I’m going to do my annual 25 days of dupes. Are you interested in me duping the Diamine Inkvent again this year? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. Make sure to subscribe to my blog or follow me on Instagram so you don’t miss any posts. I generally post at least once a week.
