Ink Review #919 Redux: Diamine Holly

Diamine Holly was first released as part of the 2019 Inkvent Calendar, but is now available on its own as part of the Blue Collection. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Holly is a dark green with lots of sheen.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink shows off all the pretty sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm.

Dry time: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

Other properties: medium shading, high red sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Holly is very close to Diamine November Rain. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Esterbrook Estie Oversize Montana Sapphire with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I like it better than Diamine November Rain (this is me ducking for cover, please don’t throw things) because it has high sheen which means there’s plenty but it doesn’t smear as much, it shades a little bit more and it’s easier to find in the US. It’s not a must-have for me, but it’s definitely a fun one to use.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does contain affiliate links but this post is not sponsored in any way.