Ink Review #547: KWZ Maple Red

When I saw a picture of KWZ Maple Red online, I really wanted to try it, but it was exclusive to the 2018 Scriptus Pen Show. I was able to snag a sample from a friend at a pen meetup a few months ago in Seattle (thanks @murberdraws!).

The color:

Maple Red is a great autumn red, the color of red leaves in the fall.

Swabs:

In large swabs the color is pretty consistent, just a little bit of shading and no sheen. The ink does have a slightly brown finish as it dries.

Writing samples:

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

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering and bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Birmingham Carnelian Silk and J Herbin Rouge Grenat seem the closest to KWZ Maple Red. Click here to see the KWZ inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a medium Pelikan M605 White Transparent on a Midori MD Notebook. The ink had a wetter than average flow.

Overall, I like the flow of KWZ inks. Since this ink was only available at Scriptus, take a look at J Herbin Rouge Grenat or Birmingham Carnelian Silk.

Disclaimer: A sample of this ink was provided by a pen friend. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.