Ink Review #1298: Diamine Firestorm Red

The holidays are coming up, which means it’s time to find some fun shimmer inks. Let’s take a look at Diamine Firestorm Red from the 2016 Shimmertastic collection. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Firestorm is a bright red with silver shimmer.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has plenty 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.

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Firestorm Red is closest to De Atramentis Camelian Red Silver. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is a lovely, well-behaved ink. It’s perfect for the holidays and matches the Esterbrook Estie Maraschino pen pretty well 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 #1297: Monteverde Scotch Brown

I’m slowly making my way through all of Monteverde’s inks. Today it’s Monteverde Scotch Brown from the standard lineup. You can find this ink at most retailers including Pen Chalet (aff. link) and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Scotch Brown is a dark red-brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks much darker and 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: 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 all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Scotch Brown is darker than Monteverde Pumpkin Cake, and a little bit warmer than Montblanc Toffee Brown. Click here to see the Monteverde inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot VP Copper with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely brown ink. It’s a great budget alternative for Montblanc Toffee Brown.

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

Backpack Inks Set 2

Yesterday we looked at the first four Backpack Inks so today we are going to look at the second four. Thanks to Pen Realm for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Dublin Green, Athens Blue, London Navy and Reykjavik Black.

Dry Time:

All four inks dried in 50-80 seconds.

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

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

Other properties: low to medium shading, no sheen except Dublin Green and Athens Blue, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was lots of feathering in every nib size as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Dublin Green is brighter than Diamine Woodland Green, but a little more yellow than Robert Oster Emerald. Athens Blue is close to Blackstone Barrier Reef Blue. London Navy is similar to Bungubox 4B. Reykjavik Black is a little more blue than Sailor Ink Studio 024.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All four inks had a wet flow.

Overall, London Navy is my favorite of these four, but all of them do take quite a while to fully dry.

Disclaimer: These inks were provided by Pen Realm for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and is not sponsored in any way.

Backpack Inks Set 1

Backpack Inks is a new brand to me this year, I was so excited when they came in the mail. Today we are going to look at four of the eight Backpack Inks. Thanks to Pen Realm for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Rome Purple, Berlin Brown, Moscow Red and Amsterdam Orange.

Dry Time:

All four inks dried in 70-80 seconds. Out of all the inks I’ve reviewed I only know of three inks that take longer to dry than these four.

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

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen except Rome Purple, which has high sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was lots of feathering in every nib size as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Rome Purple is more blue than Sailor Colorado, but less blue than Sailor Shigure. Berlin Brown is a little more yellow than Papier Plume Pecan. Moscow Red is a little less saturated than Monteverde Love. Amsterdam Orange is in-between Robert Oster Terracotta and Monteverde Mandarin Orange.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All four inks had an average to wet flow.

Overall, Rome Purple is my favorite out of these four, but I’m really disappointed in how long they take to dry.

Disclaimer: These inks were provided by Pen Realm for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #1288: Papier Plume Bloody Pumpkin

Papier Plume Bloody Pumpkin is the latest limited edition Papier Plume ink. It was available from October 16-23, 2020 as a Halloween ink. Thanks to Papier Plume for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Bloody Pumpkin is a bright red-orange.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some interesting 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: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Bloody Pumpkin is a little darker than Robert Oster Terracotta, but lighter than Monteverde Mandarin Orange. Click here to see the Papier Plume inks together, and click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Crimson Sunrise with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, I love the shading this ink has, which is helped along by the drier than average flow. If you missed out on this ink, give Robert Oster Terracotta or Monteverde Mandarin Orange a try.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Papier Plume 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 #1287: Papier Plume Caramel

Papier Plume Caramel is from Papier Plume’s standard lineup, and one I’ve been wanting to review for quite a awhile. Thanks to Papier Plume for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Caramel is a medium caramel brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some gorgeous 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: 40 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 and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Caramel is a brighter, richer color than Graf von Faber-Castell Cognac Brown. Click here to see the Papier Plume inks together, and click here to see the brown 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 (but slightly thin/watery) flow.

Overall, I like this ink. It’s well behaved, a great fall golden brown and affordable too!

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Papier Plume 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 #1286: Papier Plume Pecan

I talk about Papier Plume limited edition inks often and how much I love them, but they do actually have a standard lineup, one of which is Papier Plume Pecan. Thanks to Papier Plume for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Pecan is a dark moody brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has more 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: 40 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 and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Pecan is lighter than KWZ Cappuccino. Click here to see the Papier Plume inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M200 Gold Marbled with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely, well-behaved ink. It’s a perfect color for fall, and is at a great price point too (30ml/$8)!

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Papier Plume 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 #1285: Papier Plume Iron Lace

I’ve been a big fan of the Papier Plume New Orleans collection for years now, I especially love Garden District Azalea and Sazerac. Recently they added a new ink to the collection called Iron Lace. Thanks to Papier Plume for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Iron Lace is a dark green-black. It’s not quite black, green or grey but somewhere in the middle.

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: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny bronze 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:

Iron Lace has more green in it than Sailor Jentle Black, but less green than Lamy Obsidian. Click here to see the Papier Plume inks together, and click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M805 Stresemann with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink; it’s such an interesting color while still being well behaved. It’s a great addition to the New Orleans collection.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Papier Plume 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 #1284: Diamine Enchanted Ocean

Someday I’ll get through all of the Diamine shimmer inks. Let’s take a look at Diamine Enchanted Ocean, from the 2016 Shimmertastic collection. I purchased my sample of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Enchanted Ocean is a dark blue with a strong green undertone, almost a teal.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks gorgeous with plenty of sheen and shimmer.

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, low red sheen, and silver shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Enchanted Ocean is closest to Birmingham Southshore Luster. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Lighthouse with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a gorgeous ink-some shading, sheen and lots of silver shimmer. It’s perfect for the winter season.

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.