Monteverde Sweet Life Inks, Part 2

Earlier this week I reviewed the first half of Monteverde’s new Sweet Life collection. You can find the Sweet Life set for sale at most US retailers including Goulet Pens. I decided to break the collection down into two sets for this review, today we are going to cover the second half: Key Lime Pie, Iced Cookie, Blue Velvet Cake, Blueberry Muffin, and Birthday Cake.

Swabs:

Left to right: Key Lime Pie, Iced Cookie, Blue Velvet Cake, Blueberry Muffin and Birthday Cake.

Writing samples:

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

Water resistance: Low

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

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was some bleeding on Leuchtturm in the flex nib.

Other properties: low to medium shading, no to medium sheen, and no shimmer. Out of the set only Blue Velvet Cake shows any sheen.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was lots of feathering in every nib size as well as a lot of bleeding, so I would not recommend these inks for cheap paper.

Comparison Swabs:

Key Lime Pie is warmer than Robert Oster Light Green, but cooler than Diamine Jade Green. Iced Cookie is similar to Lamy Amazonite. Blue Velvet Cake is similar to J Herbin Bleu Des Profondeurs. Blueberry Muffin is a little bit darker than Platinum Lavender Black. Birthday Cake is warmer than Monteverde Charoite but cooler than Monteverde Amethyst. Click here to see the Monteverde Inks together.

I used a Lochby Lined Refill A5 notebook (Tomoe River 68gsm). All of the inks had a wetter than average flow.

Overall, I love all five of these inks. They go well together, are generally well behaved, and have a nice wet flow. I love these colors together, and have been using them daily for the last week. Definitely worth a try!

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

Ink Review #879: Robert Oster Vitstyle Red Bear

Vitstyle is a pen store in Hong Kong. Recently they sent me two of their store exclusive inks to try, Robert Oster Vitstyle Red Bear and KWZ V-Dream. Today we are going to take a look at Red Bear. Thanks to Vitstyle for sending the ink over for review!

The color:

Red Bear is a dark, slightly unsaturated red. This would be a great color for the fall and winter.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks much less saturated, almost red-brown.

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: Low-there was some feathering on Rhodia

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was a little bit of bleeding on Rhodia.

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering in every nib size, and some bleeding in the flex and broad nibs.

Comparison Swabs:

Red Bear is a little darker than Robert Oster Clay Red and a bit warmer than Franklin-Christoph Sweet Maroon. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a medium Pilot Custom 74 Merlot on a Lochby A5 Lined Refill-Tomoe River 68gsm. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ink. It’s well behaved, pretty, different enough from the other Robert Oster reds to keep it interesting, and perfect for the fall and winter seasons.

Disclaimer: This product was provided by Vitstyle 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.

Monteverde Sweet Life Inks, Part 1

Monteverde is one of my favorite ink brands. Every time they release a new collection I get excited and can’t wait to try them out. When I attended the San Francisco Pen Show in August, YAFA (Monteverde’s US distributor) had the new Sweet Life collection for a really great show price and I immediately picked one up. You can find the Sweet Life set for sale at most US retailers including Goulet Pens. I decided to break the collection down into two sets for this review, today we are going to cover Chocolate Pudding, Pumpkin Cake, Cherry Danish, Strawberry Shortcake and Mango Mousse.

Swabs:

Left to right: Chocolate Pudding, Pumpkin Cake, Cherry Danish, Strawberry Shortcake and Mango Mousse.

Writing samples:

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

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was some bleeding on Leuchtturm in the flex nib.

Other properties: low to medium shading, no sheen, and no shimmer. Out of the set, Pumpkin Cake and Cherry Danish have the most shading.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was lots of feathering in every nib size as well as a lot of bleeding, so I would not recommend these inks for cheap paper.

Comparison Swabs:

Chocolate Pudding is a bit darker than Kobe Nada Brown. Pumpkin Cake is a bit warmer than Stipula Sepia. Cherry Danish is similar to J Herbin Rouge Grenat. Strawberry Shortcake reminds me of Sailor Jentle Irori. Mango Mousse is just a bit lighter than Robert Oster Peach. Click here to see the Monteverde Inks together.

I used a Lochby Lined Refill A5 notebook (Tomoe River 68gsm). All of the inks had a wetter than average flow.

Overall, I really enjoyed all of these inks. Monteverde Inks all have a lovely wet flow and are generally very well behaved. I think Pumpkin Cake is my favorite from these 5 right now-mostly just because it’s a great color for fall and has some pretty shading. I’m so glad I purchased the whole collection because I’ve been using them often.

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

Ink Review #873: Rohrer and Klingner SketchINK Carmen

Rohrer and Klingner SketchINK Carmen is designed for sketching and drawing, but also works well for standard writing. This ink has a large color range-from pale yellow-orange to bright red. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Carmen is a medium yellow-orange. At the palest it’s almost a yellow and at the darkest it reaches a bright red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink shows off some of the darker red tones.

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 seconds

Water resistance: High

Feathering: Low-there was some feathering on Rhodia

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was some bleeding on Rhodia.

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering in every nib size, and some bleeding in the flex and broad nibs.

Comparison Swabs:

Carmen is similar to Papier Plume Sazerac, maybe just a little bit more vibrant. Click here to see the Rohrer and Klingner inks together, and click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a medium Pelikan M600 Vibrant Orange on a Lochby A5 Lined Refill-Tomoe River 68gsm. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. It dries super fast, is very water resistant, has a wide range of shading colors and is pretty affordable too. There are some downsides to this ink though-it looks chalky and washed out on Rhodia, and feathers and bleeds a bit on Rhodia as well. This doesn’t bother me since I don’t usually use Rhodia personally, and it performs well on the other papers. Since the ink is pigmented instead of dye-based it is important to shake the ink before filling, and have good pen hygiene. I would absolutely use this ink again.

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 #872: Diamine Sunset

Shortly after I discovered fountain pens I found Cult Pens. There should have been ominous music in the background because when I realized how great their prices are on Diamine ink I quickly fell down a Diamine rabbit hole. Each 30ml ink bottle is currently about $2.52 (the exchange rate changes almost daily). So Diamine Sunset has been sitting in my drawer for a few years now, waiting for an empty pen. Since it’s orange ink week it’s time to give it a try. No, this post is not sponsored by Cult Pens, I just love to buy Diamine inks from them.

The color:

Sunset is a vibrant red-orange. It’s almost a vermillion orange.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some shading but no 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, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering in every nib size, and some bleeding in the flex and broad nibs.

Comparison Swabs:

Sunset is similar to Papier Plume House of the Rising Sun, but has just a little bit more red in it. It’s a little bit less saturated than Monteverde Motivation, but darker than Robert Oster Orange Zest. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a double broad Kaweco Sport Orange on a Lochby A5 Lined Refill-Tomoe River 68gsm. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ink. It’s well behaved and super affordable-a win for me.

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 #871: Lamy Copper Orange

We are still swimming in orange inks this week. One orange ink I’ve had in my drawer forever but never played with is Lamy Copper Orange. Copper Orange was a limited edition ink in 2015. I discovered fountain pens in late 2015, so I didn’t buy a bottle when it was available. Fortunately a friend from my local pen club has a bottle and offered me a sample. My main goal in reviewing past limited edition inks is to show currently available inks that are similar, so if you missed out you can find an alternative.

The color:

Copper Orange is a medium slightly unsaturated orange. I had a heck of a time trying to color match these images.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink almost turns brown where pooled.

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-there was just a tiny bit of feathering in the flex nib.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was some bleeding in the flex nib.

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering in every nib size, and some bleeding in the flex and broad nibs.

Comparison Swabs:

Copper Orange is just a little bit less saturated than Robert Oster Orange Rumble, and a shade or two lighter than Krishna Jungle Volcano. It’s a shade darker than Lamy Bronze and has a little bit more red in it. Click here to see the Lamy inks together, and click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a medium Lamy Al-star Bronze on a Lochby A5 Lined Refill-Tomoe River 68gsm. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, Robert Oster Orange Rumble is a good alternative. If you would like something one or two shades darker with some sheen (but similar color) give Krishna Jungle Volcano a try.

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

Ink Review #870: Jacques Herbin Orange Soleil

This week is orange ink week! Each month I try to devote a week’s worth of ink reviews to one specific color. October means pumpkins, and pumpkins mean orange so orange it is! Let’s kick off the week with Jacques Herbin Orange Soleil from the Essentials collection. As far as I know, Goulet Pens is the only retailer in the United States that carries the Jacques Herbin Essentials collection. I purchased a sample of this ink from a group buy.

The color:

Orange Soleil is a vibrant medium orange with a slight red undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper you can see the red undertone easier.

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, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering in every nib size, and some bleeding in the flex and broad nibs.

Comparison Swabs:

Orange Soleil is similar to Sailor Jentle Apricot. It’s a bit more vibrant than Monteverde Topaz, and has less red than Robert Oster Orange, Robert Oster Fire on Fire and Diamine Orange. Click here to see the J Herbin inks together, and click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a medium TWSBI Eco Transparent Orange on Tomoe River 68gsm. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a great basic orange, but as a basic orange it’s expensive. It’s well-behaved, and a pretty color but it’s a bit expensive for what 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.

Lochby Tool Roll

In the past I’ve only used pen cases, but this year I’ve been branching out with pen rolls and tool rolls. Lately I’ve been using this Lochby Tool Roll. The outside is a dark brown waxed canvas with a mustard yellow interior. It matches the Lochby Field Journal well, with the same colors and materials. Thanks to Lochby for sending this product over for review.

You can either fold it like a book or roll it up. When rolled it is very compact and easily fits in my purse, but this only works when you don’t have large stiff items in any of the pockets. When I carry post-it notes or pocket notebooks I have to fold it instead.

When flat it’s rather large, 7.75" x 16". There are flaps from the top and bottom that protect any tools.

The closure uses an aircraft-grade aluminum hook that hooks into any of the four spots on the outside of the roll.

Zip Pocket

On the left side of the roll is a YKK zippered pocket. I currently have Tombow adhesive and a roll of Washi tape in mine.

Across the roll are 9 elastic slots for holding tools. The first four are the smallest then two large ones, then three medium ones. The smallest can hold even the largest fountain pens. Mine currently hold: a Franklin-Christoph 45L in Italian ice-M, Pelikan M205 Star Ruby-F, Pilot Vanishing Point Crossed Lines-M, and an Edison Collier Persimmon Swirl-M.

The two large slots currently hold: a Pelikan M605 White Transparent-M, a Zebra Sarasa Clip, and a Pentel Energel 0.7. The three medium slots currently hold another three gel pens.

Height

The tool roll is not tall enough to hold the average pencil. Here you can see how it measures against a fresh blackwing.

There are three flat pockets in the back. Again, the roll isn’t quite tall enough to hold fresh pencils-I only carry shorter pencils in this case. The pockets can easily hold post-it notes, pocket notebooks or more pens/short pencils. The notes and notebooks do make it hard to roll since they are so stiff-when I carry those items I fold the roll book-style instead.

Overall, I find this tool roll really useful. It’s very sturdy and has held up well to a few weeks of heavy use. I love that it easily holds larger pens as well as washi tape and adhesive.

Disclaimer: This product was provided by Lochby for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This post was not sponsored in any way and this post does not contain affiliate links.

2019 Fall Trees Ink Palette

I’m still obsessed with fall colors this week. I’m enjoying browns, reds and oranges. This week we have been managing the kids’ karate lessons, rain storms and kid colds.

I fell in love with this picture last week and decided to use it as the base for this week’s ink palette. The trees near my home are all orange, yellow and red right now, despite all the rain we’ve been getting.

I decided to doodle little trees this week, I stink at doodles but that doesn’t stop me from doing them.

This week’s Col-o-dex swabs. Every time I swab Robert Oster Grey Seas I fall in love with it a little more.

I used: a Franklin-Christoph 45L in Italian ice-M, Pelikan M205 Star Ruby-F, Pilot Vanishing Point Crossed Lines-M, Pelikan M605 White Transparent-M, and an Edison Collier Persimmon Swirl-M.

What did you have inked up this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Ink Review #869: Diamine Jalur Gemilang

Yesterday I reviewed Diamine A Night in Jodhpur, so today we are looking at another similar ink, Diamine Jalur Gemilang. This ink was created exclusively for Pen Gallery in Malaysia, to celebrate the Malaysian flag. A sample of this ink was provided by a pen friend for this review.

The color:

Jalur Gemilang is a bright medium blue. It’s almost a smurf blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has plenty of 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: Low

Feathering: Low-there was some feathering in the flex nib.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was some bleeding in the flex nib.

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering in every nib size, and some bleeding in the flex and broad nibs.

Comparison Swabs:

Jalur Gemilang is just a tiny bit lighter than Diamine A Night in Jodhpur. It’s hard to see the difference between the swabs. Click here to see the Diamine inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a medium Lamy Safari Petrol on Tomoe River 68gsm. The ink had a slightly wet but sticky flow.

Overall, it’s just a tiny bit lighter than Diamine A Night in Jodhpur. It can be smeared a little bit on Tomoe River paper if you aren’t careful. This ink is very hard to clean out of pens completely. I cleaned the pens as usual then had to run them through the ultrasonic cleaner five times before I felt like the pens were actually clean and didn’t see any more blue. As inks go it’s a bit high maintenance for me-hard to clean out, can smear, very hard to get in the United States, but it is a pretty color.

Disclaimer: A sample of this ink was provided by a pen friend 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.