Dominant Industry Standard A22 Allegory – 25ml Fountain Pen Ink

Alchemists loved a good pairing of opposites — soul and body, cold and warm, one thing that only makes sense next to its counterpart. Allegory takes its colour from exactly that idea: the unicorn, representing the soul, rendered in cool grey; the stag, representing the body, in warm grey. Blended together, they become something harder to name than either alone.

Dominant Industry Standard A22 Allegory is a 25ml fountain pen ink from the Standard Series, made in small batches at Dominant Industry's studio in Paju, South Korea. It's the companion ink to Unknown Land in "A Log of Elixir," a collection built around vintage illustration and alchemical storytelling.

Available at Shosai (shosai.ca) in Gatineau / Ottawa — with in-store pickup (J9J 0K6) and Canada-wide shipping.

The Colour

Base Tone

Allegory is a deep charcoal grey — as close to charcoal as an ink gets without actually being black, carrying a distinct blue-violet undertone that keeps it from ever feeling flat or purely neutral. Depending on the paper, it can dry closer to a midnight blue-grey or lean more purple, which is exactly the point: this is a grey built from two opposing tones rather than a single flat pigment.

Shading

Allegory shows genuine, well-developed shading, moving from a pale grey through to a deep, blue-violet charcoal wherever the ink pools — particularly visible with broader nibs or on papers that hold more ink. Reviewers who collect grey inks specifically have noted how hard it is to find a genuine substitute for this one, since most greys lean clearly warm or clearly cool rather than balancing both.

Sheen & Shimmer

Allegory has no shimmer. As a Standard Series ink, some light sheen may appear depending on nib size and paper, though the ink's character comes primarily from its shading and colour complexity rather than a strong metallic effect.

Ink Properties at a Glance

Flow & Dry Time

A smooth, well-behaved flow suited to fountain pens, with a moderate dry time — not especially fast, but manageable for daily writing.

Formula & Safety

A dye-based ink, pH-neutral and safe for resin and celluloid fountain pens.

Water Resistance

Allegory has low water resistance and is not suited to documents requiring permanence.

Paper Performance

Allegory performs well on fountain-pen-friendly papers, with the full shading range and blue-violet undertone most visible on premium, low-absorbency surfaces.

Recommended Uses

• Daily journaling and formal correspondence — a sophisticated alternative to plain black or standard grey
• Alchemy and mythology-themed writing — a natural fit for anything referencing dual symbolism, balance, or transformation
• Pairing with gold or silver-trimmed pens — its blue-violet undertone works elegantly against either metal finish

About the Standard Series

The Standard Series is Dominant Industry's core lineup of everyday fountain pen inks — no shimmer, no colour-changing effects, just richly developed colour and shading built for daily use. Allegory belongs to "A Log of Elixir," released alongside a companion ink archiving book, wood stamp, and swatch materials exploring alchemical themes.

About Dominant Industry

Dominant Industry is a South Korean ink studio based in Paju, dedicated to small-batch production and colours drawn from natural light and landscape. Rather than working from a flat colour chart, the brand develops each ink around a specific narrative idea, aiming for what they describe as "bottled light" — colour that can be felt as much as seen.

Product Specifications

Available at Shosai — Ottawa–Gatineau

Shosai (shosai.ca) is a fine stationery boutique serving the Ottawa–Gatineau National Capital Region. We carry a curated selection of premium fountain pen inks, papers, and writing instruments from the world's most respected stationery brands.

• 📍 In-store pickup: Gatineau, QC — J9J 0K6
• 🛵 Local delivery: Available in the Ottawa–Gatineau area
• 🚚 Canada-wide shipping
• 🇨🇦 Bilingual service — English and French

Whether you are new to fountain pens or a seasoned collector, Shosai is your local destination for inks that go beyond the ordinary.