Ink Review #1215: Monteverde Brown Sugar

Monteverde Brown Sugar is an interesting medium brown. It’s currently available in 90ml and 30ml glass bottles. You can find this ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Brown Sugar is a medium brown with a slight red tone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks almost purple.

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: 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 just a little bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Brown Sugar is closest to Montblanc Toffee Brown, Diamine Music Bach and Bungubox Piano Mahogany. Click here to see the Monteverde inks together, and 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 had a wet flow.

Overall, it’s well behaved, but does look very different in drier nibs vs wetter nibs. It looks very dark in the Pelikan medium nib used above. It’s a lovely option if you are in need of a dark brown ink.

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

Ink Review #1214: Diamine Royal Blue

Diamine Royal Blue is another ink that has been sitting in my ink drawer for quite 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:

Royal Blue is a bright summery blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper you can see some pretty shading and a little bit of 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: 10 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny brown 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 as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Royal Blue is a little bit brighter than Diamine Washable Blue. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M805 Vibrant Blue with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely summery blue-well behaved, affordable and fast drying.

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 #1213: Monteverde Black Ash

Monteverde Black Ash is an ink I’ve had in my drawer for a while but never really tried, so let’s test it out . You can find this ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Black Ash is a medium black that leans purple.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more blue violet than black.

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: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes and just a little bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Black Ash is closest to Montblanc Ultra Black. Click here to see the Monteverde inks together, and click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Crossed Lines with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely ink. It’s not my favorite black because it leans so far toward purple, but it’s still worth a try.

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

Ink Review #1212: Diamine Raw Sienna

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

The color:

Raw Sienna is an unsaturated cool-tone brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks much cooler in tone than it does in writing.

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 some feathering in most nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Raw Sienna is closest to Colorverse Soul. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Studio Terracotta with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely cool-tone brown and affordable too!

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 #1211: Monteverde Documental Blue

I really wanted to try Monteverde Documental Blue aka Permanent Blue since I loved Monteverde Document Black so much-let’s take a look! You can find this ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Documental Blue is a medium blue, but slightly dusky.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has just a little bit of shading and 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: High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in most nib sizes but no bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Documental Blue is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 443 and Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-gao. Click here to see the Monteverde inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It’s water resistant, has a little bit of shading and sheen and is affordable!

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

Ink Review #1210: Robert Oster Deep Purple

Robert Oster Deep Purple is an ink I’ve had for a while, but never got around to reviewing so today’s the day! I purchased my sample of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Deep Purple is a dark purple with some shading.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks less saturated.

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: low shading, tiny brown 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:

Deep Purple is closest to Sailor 50 States Colorado and Sailor Ink Studio 750. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, it’s a lovely ink, well behaved and a nice color.

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.

Ink Review #1209: Sailor 50 States Colorado

A few days ago I reviewed the Sailor 50 States California, so let’s take a look at the other ink in the collection so far: Sailor 50 States Colorado. I purchased my bottle of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Colorado is a pretty dark purple.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has some pretty green 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: Medium

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

Show through: Medium

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

Other properties: medium shading, medium green 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.

Comparison Swabs:

Colorado is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 950 and Robert Oster Deep Purple. Click here to see the Sailor inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely ink but I’m still a bit shocked at the price-1$ per ml is a bit too steep. Sailor Ink Studio 950 (also expensive) and Robert Oster Deep Purple are good alternatives.

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.

Ink Review #1208: Robert Oster Charcoal

Robert Oster Charcoal is one of those inks that looks different than the name implies. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Charcoal is a dark purple-grey.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more grey.

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: low shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Charcoal is a little bit darker than Robert Oster Purple Rock. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Purple Cosmos with a zoom nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry, rather sticky flow.

Overall, I’m not in love with this ink. It’s an interesting purple, but the flow is a bit dry and thick.

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 #1207: Sailor 50 States California

Sailor recently announced a new collection of ink called 50 States, one ink for each state. So far they have only released two inks: California and Colorado, so let’s start with California today. I purchased my bottle of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

California is a dark teal.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has some pretty 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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, high 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.

Comparison Swabs:

California is closest to Diamine Smoke on the Water. Click here to see the Sailor inks together, and click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Galaxy with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. It’s well behaved, has a wet flow and is a pretty color. The only downside is the high price-$1/ml is quite a steep price for ink.

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.

Ink Review #1206: Monteverde Malachite

Monteverde Malachite was added to the Gemstone collection after it was released. I purchased my bottle of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Malachite is a dark green with a slight warm tone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks cooler in tone and has a little bit of 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: 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.

Comparison Swabs:

Malachite is similar to PenBBS Zi. Click here to see the Monteverde inks together, and click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M605 White Transparent with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely well-behaved ink, and a great addition to the Gemstone collection.

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.