Ink Review #1171: Diamine Ochre

Let’s take a look at Diamine Ochre today. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens.

The color:

Ochre is a medium warm-tone brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some shading and a bit of black 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and just a few dots of bleeding in the swab.

Comparison Swabs:

Ochre is a bit more orange than these other brown inks, but it’s closest to Colorverse Soul and Jacques Herbin Terre d’Ombre. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Bronze with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s pretty well behaved, but there’s nothing about it that makes me want to use it often.

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

Ink Review #1170: Troublemaker Hanging Rice

I have one more Troublemaker ink to review today, Troublemaker Hanging Rice. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Hanging Rice is a dark olive green with a strong yellow undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a surprise pop of gold shimmer. It’s very subtle and didn’t show up in writing at all, just the large swabs.

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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and a little bit of gold shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Hanging Rice is much yellower than most of these, and way more saturated than Troublemaker Kelp Tea. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Sage with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. I was surprised by the little bit of gold shimmer, but it wasn’t visible in writing and didn’t mess up the ink flow so I don’t mind it.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1169: Troublemaker Opon Channel Blue

Troublemaker Opon Channel Blue isn’t really blue, more of a dark teal so the name is a bit misleading. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Opon Channel Blue is a dark teal with sheen.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has some 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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low-there was some feathering in the larger nib sizes on Rhodia and Leuchtturm.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Open Channel Blue is similar to Robert Oster Deep Sea, Diamine Aurora Borealis and Noodler’s Turquoise. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco-T Mint with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely ink but hardly unique, there are quite a few inks similar to this one already. Robert Oster Deep Sea, Diamine Aurora Borealis and Noodler’s Turquoise are all good alternatives.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1168: Diamine Monaco Red

Let’s take a look at Diamine Monaco Red today. Diamine has so many different reds, but I’ve never played with Monaco Red. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Monaco Red is a dark unsaturated red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading and a little bit of black 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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny black sheen, and no shimmer. The sheen is only visible in large swabs on Tomoe River Paper.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Monaco Red is a bit darker and less saturated than Diamine Matador. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop in Turquoise with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a pretty well behaved ink, but I’m just not in love with it. I just feel like there are a lot better reds out there.

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

Ink Review #1167: Diamine Midnight

Diamine Midnight has been sitting in my ink drawer for white a while, so it’s time to test it out! I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Midnight is a dark, slightly unsaturated blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper you can see some of the black 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: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no shading, high black sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Midnight is a little bit lighter than Diamine Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue, and less saturated than Diamine Regency Blue. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Pastel Blue with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a nice dark blue ink. It’s pretty close to Diamine Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue so you probably don’t need both of them.

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

Ink Review #1166: Troublemaker Purple Yam

Let’s take a look at another Troublemaker ink today, Purple Yam. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Purple Yam is a deep blue-violet.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has a bit of green and bronze 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Purple Yam is closest to Sailor Jentle Shigure and Diamine Lilac Night. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Transparent Purple with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet, slightly sticky flow.

Overall, it’s a nice ink but not one I think I need a full bottle of. I think I just prefer Sailor Jentle Shigure over this one and both colors are similar.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1165: Troublemaker Blue Guitar

Troublemaker Blue Guitar is another recent addition to the Troublemaker standard lineup. I know shipping and stock is all messed up right now, but I wanted to review it for when it comes available again. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending a sample over for review!

The color:

Blue Guitar is a bright medium blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty dark pink 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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low-there was a bit of feathering on Leuchtturm and Rhodia in the flex nib.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was a bit of bleeding on Rhodia in the flex nib.

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Guitar is a bit darker than KWZ Hawaii but not quite as dark as Colorverse Superenova. Click here to see the Troublemaker inks together and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Pacific Blue with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet, slightly sticky flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely ink, but it does have a few quirks-a little bit of feathering and bleeding, and it does smear just a bit on Tomoe River Paper after drying. I really enjoyed the pretty shading though.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Shigure Inks for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1164: Diamine Merlot

Let’s take a look at Diamine Merlot today. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Merlot is a dark, dusky, unsaturated purple.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading, and a tiny bit of green and brown 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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer. The sheen is only visible in large swabs on Tomoe River Paper.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Merlot is more purple than any of these other inks and much less saturated. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M205 Star Ruby with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s good but not great. It’s pretty well behaved, but I don’t love the color and it doesn’t have much shading. I’m just not in love with it.

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

Ink Review #1163: Diamine Mediterranean Blue

Today let’s take a look at Diamine Mediterranean Blue. I’ll eventually make it through all the Diamine inks, but there are a lot of them! I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Mediterranean Blue is a vibrant medium blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper there’s some pretty shading. Such a pretty color and just a little bit of red 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer. You can see just a little bit of red sheen in large swabs on Tomoe River Paper, but it isn’t visible in writing.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Mediterranean Blue is a little bit more vibrant than Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M400 White Tortoise with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a gorgeous medium blue with a little bit of shading. I do wish it had just a little bit more, but it’s still a good ink as it is.

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

Ink Review #1162: Diamine Matador

Let’s take a look at Diamine Matador today. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Matador is a dark unsaturated red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading.

Writing samples:

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

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no shading, no sheen, and no shimmer. You can squeak out a little bit of shading, but it has to be in just the right conditions so I’m gonna say no shading in most circumstances.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

MMatador is a bit brighter than Diamine Monaco Red, but not as bright as Diamine Carnival. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop in Purple with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely classic red. It’s a good color, well behaved and affordable. It’s a good fall/winter red.

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