Ink Review #2561: Octopus Fluids Red Koala

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Octopus Fluids Red Koala is from the Octopus Write & Draw collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens (I don’t know of any other US retailers that sell it).

The color:

Red Koala is a true bright red.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink is darker where it pooled, but doesn’t have any sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and a few dots of bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Red Koala is closest to Taccia Aka Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Strawberries with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly wet flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. I love the color, it’s my favorite shade of red. I love the slightly wet flow and the high water resistance. It’s a really good water-resistant red ink.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2560: Parker Quink Blue Black

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Parker Quink Blue Black is a classic in the fountain pen community. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Blue Black is not really a blue black, it’s more of a classic blue.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink is definitely blue and not blue black.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Black is closest to Birmingham Fair Wheel Blue. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Wish with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow. The ink started out darker and just got lighter and lighter as I continued to write.

Overall, it’s a good classic ink. It’s definitely blue and not blue black, but it’s still a good color and well behaved.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2559: Endless Alchemy Wizard's Pencil

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Endless Alchemy Ink is a new-to-me ink brand, so let’s take a look at Endless Alchemy Wizard’s Pencil. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Wizard’s Pencil is a medium grey.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some black sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Wizard’s Pencil has a little more of a green undertone than these other grey inks. Click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M205 Moonstone with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely grey ink with an average flow. It’s well-behaved and comes in a cool bottle (I only have a sample so unfortunately I can’t show you the bottle but there’s pictures of it on Vanness’s website).

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2558: De Atramentis Diamond Black

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Today’s ink is De Atramentis Diamond Black from the Standard collection. This ink is also known as Franz Schubert and Andrew Jackson. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Diamond Black is a classic medium black.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink dries to a shiny finish, but it’s not sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 60 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink worked pretty well, just a little bit of feathering and bleeding in the swab.

Comparison Swabs:

Diamond Black is a bit lighter than Platinum Carbon Black. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M605 Black Tortoise with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a wet flow.

Overall, this is a good classic black without any extras. The flow is nice and smooth. It’s a great office ink.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2557: Wearingeul Tick Tock Croc

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Wearingeul Tick Tock Croc is from the Peter and Wendy collection. You can find this ink for sale at a few retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Tick Tock Croc is a medium green.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some red sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Tick Tock Croc is just a tiny bit darker than Waterman Harmonious Green. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Benu Talisman with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a dry flow.

Overall, this ink is beautiful, but too dry for me. I’d rather use Waterman Harmonious Green, which is very similar in color.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2556: Papier Plume Cherry Red

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Papier Plume Cherry Red is from the Papier Plume Classic collection. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens and directly from Papier Plume.

The color:

Cherry Red is just that-a bright cherry red.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks a little darker where it pooled.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and a few dots of bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Cherry Red is just a touch brighter than Anderillium Vampire Squid Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used an Esterbrook Estie Maraschino Red with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a nice bright cherry red. I love that it’s available in different bottle sizes from Papier Plume, and that it’s affordable.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2555: Van Dieman's Marilyn

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Van Dieman’s Marilyn is from the New Hollywood collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Marilyn is a magenta purple with silver shimmer.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has lots of silver shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Marilyn is one shade lighter than Van Dieman’s Diamonds are a Girl’s BFF. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I like the color, but the shimmer does not stay put. It transfers onto your hands, other papers, just everywhere. It’s also pretty similar to Van Dieman’s Diamonds are a Girl’s BFF, so you probably don’t need both.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Monteverde Color Changing Inks, Part 1

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Monteverde released a set of 9 Color Changing inks, with a color changing solution. Let’s look at the first five inks. You can finds these inks for sale at a lot of retailers, including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Black to Green, Brown to Green, Burgundy to Orange, Red to Yellow, and Fuchsia to Yellow.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 5-60 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: Medium

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Medium

Other properties: None

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was some feathering in every nib size and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Black to Green isn’t super close to any of these other blacks-the green undertone is strong.

Brown to Green is closest to Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz.

Burgundy to Orange is closest to Van Diemen’s Duck Wing.

Red to Yellow is a bit brighter than Esterbook Scarlet.

Fuchsia to Yellow is close to Octopus Fluids Orchidee.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. The last four had average flows, and Winter of Mudeung has a dry flow.

Overall, I hate these inks. They bleed and feather a ton, even on Tomoe River paper, and I don’t like the colors after they have been changed.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #2549: Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown

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Today’s ink is Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Brown. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Brilliant Brown is a medium brown with a red undertone.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks less red than it did on the Col-o-ring swab.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Brilliant Brown is less red than Ink Institute Taipei Metro Wenhu Line. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M800 Renaissance Brown with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a dry flow.

Overall, this is a good basic brown ink with some shading. It is dry, so I prefer to use it in wet Pelikan pens, which is what it was designed for.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #2548: Journalize Elphaba

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Journalize Elphaba is from the Whimsical collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Elphaba is a medium purple that shades toward blue.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has lots of green shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Elphaba is closest to Dream Inks Mermaid. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Violet with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, the color is interesting and I actually like the purple and green shimmer combo, but the shimmer smears everywhere, so it’s not the ink for me.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.