Ink Review #1225: Sailor Jentle Rikyu-cha

Sailor Jentle Rikyu-cha was released in the 2016 Four Seasons collection. It used to be available in the round 50ml bottles, but recently Sailor changed it to the 20ml Shikiori bottles. Thanks to the reader that sent a sample in for review! You can find this ink for sale at most fountain pen retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Rikyu-cha is in-between a dark olive green and a dark brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more of a dark teal than green.

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, tiny red 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 and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Rikyu-cha is much browner than either Sailor Jentle Epinard or Tokiwa-matsu. Click here to see the Sailor inks together, and click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy 2000 Black Amber with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ink. It makes me think of late autumn, it has a lovely wet flow and is well behaved. I need to add a full bottle to my wish list!

Disclaimer: A sample of this ink was provided by a reader 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 of Colorverse Solar Wind & Magnetosphere

Goldspot and Colorverse came up with a new set of inks exclusive to Goldspot Pens: Solar Wind and Magnetosphere. These inks come in a boxed set with a 65ml bottle of Solar Wind and a 15ml bottle of Magnetosphere. Thanks to Goldspot Pens for providing a set for review!

Solar Wind:

Solar Wind is a bright turquoise blue.

Magnetosphere:

Magnetosphere is a dark blue violet with some sheen.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the Solar Wind has some pretty shading, Magnetosphere sheens to copper and green.

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-both inks feathered in multiple nib sizes on Leuchtturm and the larger nib sizes on Rhodia.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-both inks bled in multiple nib sizes on Leuchtturm and the larger nib sizes on Rhodia.

Other properties: medium shading for both inks, high sheen on Magnetosphere, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper the ink feathered and bled in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Solar Wind is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 441. Click here to see the Colorverse inks together.

Magnetosphere is closest to KWZ Stay Home Purple.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M600 Turquoise with an extra fine nib and a Franklin-Christoph 45 Pink and White (often called the bacon pen) with a broad nib on Tomoe River paper. Both inks had average flows.

Overall, Solar Wind can be a bit light in the smaller nib sizes so I would stick to medium and broad nibs. I love the sheen on Magnetosphere, the copper and green are interesting and pretty. Out of the two I prefer Magnetosphere, but both are worth a try.

Disclaimer: These inks were provided by Goldspot Pens 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 #1222: Noodler's Revolution Blue

Noodler’s Ink has teamed up with Goldspot Pens and created a new store exclusive ink: Noodler’s Revolution Blue. Thanks to Goldspot for sending a bottle over for review! This ink starts a vibrant medium blue when wet, and dries to a lighter more matte finish; it reminds me of how De Atramentis Sketch inks perform, which are pigmented. I don’t know for sure that it is pigmented, but it sure behaves like it is.

The color:

Revolution Blue is a pale unsaturated blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink dries to a darker shiny blue, but I wouldn’t call it 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: High

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

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there was a little bit of bleeding in the larger nib sizes on Rhodia and Leuchtturm.

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Revolution Blue is a little bit lighter and more matte than Sailor Jentle Sky High. Click here to see the Noodler’s inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Petrol with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a very wet flow.

Overall, I like how wet this ink is and it flows well but it does have a bit of a chemical smell to it, and it dries very matte. While I was testing this ink out, my notes said: wet, bright when wet, but dries to an unsaturated pale sadness, which sums up this ink pretty well. It’s worth a look if you need a wet, water-resistant blue ink, but other than that I would probably pass on it.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Goldspot 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 #1221: Robert Oster Flaming Blue

Robert Oster has recently released another blue ink (are you really surprised?) called Robert Oster Flaming Blue. I’m a sucker for Robert Oster inks so of course I had to try it out. Thanks to Goldspot for sending a bottle over for review!

The color:

Flaming Blue is a classy dark blue with some sheen.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty coppery 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 copper sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Flaming Blue is closest to Diamine Tudor Blue, and a little less vibrant than Colorverse Quasar. Click here to see the Robert Oster 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, I really enjoyed this ink. Robert Oster does an amazing job with his blue inks, and this one is no exception. I’m glad I have a full bottle of this one because it’s one I think I will use often.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Goldspot 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 #1220: KWZ Stay Home Purple

KWZ has created a St. Louis Pen Show exclusive ink for the last few years, but I didn’t think it would happen this year with all of the pen shows being cancelled. Instead of fully cancelling the St. Louis Pen Show, they have moved it online: The Pen Show that Wasn't, Virtual Maker Fair 2020. A few independent pen makers have made purple pens that match the show color. Each pen will come with a bottle of this year’s pen show ink: KWZ Meet Me in St. Louis 2020 “Stay Home Purple”. One of the show organizers was very kind and sent me a sample of the ink to try out! If there are any bottles of the ink left after all the pens are sold, then the bottles will be available for purchase (probably with a lottery system since there are so few bottles available).

The color:

Stay Home Purple is a vibrant dark violet.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks slightly 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: 10 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Medium-there was quite a bit of bleeding on Rhodia and Leuchtturm paper, more than I was expecting.

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Stay Home Purple is closest to Colorverse Magnetosphere. It’s a little bit cooler in tone than Diamine Monboddo’s Hat and Robert Oster Deep Purple, but warmer than Colorverse Hayabusa and Waterman Tender Purple. Click here to see the KWZ inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Pelikan M600 Violet with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly wet flow.

Overall, I love the color, but there is a fair amount of bleeding and feathering on most papers. I like it best on Tomoe River paper, where the color really shines.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by the show organizers 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 #1219: Diamine Saddle Brown

I love how affordable Diamine inks are, and they come in multiple bottle sizes which is great. I purchased a bottle of Diamine Rustic Brown from Cult Pens a while ago, but never played with it much until now.

The color:

Saddle Brown is a very unsaturated red-brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more 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: 30 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 some feathering in most nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Saddle Brown is a little bit more red than Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Franklin-Christoph 46 in Autumn Oak with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, the color isn’t my favorite and I wish it had a bit more shading. It’s nice, but not a must-have.

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 #1218: Diamine Rustic Brown

I’ve been slowly working my way through all the Diamine inks, so today it’s time to look at Diamine Rustic Brown. I purchased my bottle of ink from Cult Pens a few years ago.

The color:

Rustic Brown is a dark red brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more burgundy than 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: 30 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 some feathering in most nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Rustic Brown is more red than most of the brown inks I have, Robert Oster Chocolate is the closest. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Red with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s well behaved but I’m not in love with the color, it’s more red than anything else. I’ll probably end up giving my bottle away.

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 Magazine

I love getting mail from Yoseka Stationery! I’m pretty sure I squealed like a little girl when I opened the most recent package. Hobby Stationery Box recently released a special edition Fountain Pen Ink magazine and it’s everything inky and wonderful. A while ago I saw an Instagram post about this magazine coming out. I never found out where to buy a copy, but Yoseka has come to the rescue and started carrying them for everyone ink obsessed (like me).

This magazine is 144 pages of inky goodness that displays over 2,000 different inks and is a must have for anyone who is interested in collecting ink. It is written in Japanese so Google Translate is your friend here.

There’s an amazing ink chart in the front of the magazine and pages that cover each brand individually. I love seeing brands I’ve never tried like Online…adding some to my wish list now!

There’s some helpful charts that show the different possibilities using the Platinum Mixable inks.

As well as some amazing illustrations done by different fountain pen artists. I love seeing all of the different bottle art.

There’s even some helpful charts and illustrations on everything from how to fill your pen to how to use them properly.

Overall, I’m 100% in love with this magazine. My only wish is that it came in English, but that won’t stop me from using it often!

Disclaimer: This product was provided by Yoseka Stationery. All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page, and this review is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1217: Robert Oster Copper

Robert Oster Copper is one of Robert Oster’s inks that looks very different from how it sounds. I hear copper and I think something between red brown and orange, this is not that. I purchased my sample of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Copper is a dark but unsaturated burgundy red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more purple 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: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium 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 but no bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Copper feels like a darker version of Robert Oster Lipstick Red. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Supernova Red with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I’m not a fan of this ink. The color really doesn’t speak to me, and the flow is a bit drier than I prefer.

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 #1216: Diamine Ruby

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

The color:

Ruby is a medium unsaturated red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more matte and unsaturated.

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, no 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:

Ruby is closest to Robert Oster Blood Crimson. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Blossom Red with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely red. It’s an interesting color and well behaved, but it lacks any shading or sheen to give it more depth. Since I love shading I don’t think I would reach for this ink often, but it’s a good basic 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.