Ink Review #1308: Diamine Sparkling Shadows

Diamine Sparkling Shadows is from the original 2015 Shimmertastic collection. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Sparkling Shadows is a dark grey with gold shimmer.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some gold shimmer but not a ton.

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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Sparkling Shadows is a little lighter than J Herbin 1670 Stormy Grey, and it has less shimmer than De Atramentis Velvet Black Gold. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Franklin-Christoph 45 Purpurarium with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s an interesting ink, but the shimmer/color combo isn’t my favorite. I prefer silver shimmer in my grey inks.

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 #1307: Robert Oster Elf's Cap

Robert Oster Elf’s Cap is from the new Holiday 2020 collection. I purchased my bottle of ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Elf’s Cap is a bright shamrock green.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks less saturated than it does on the previous swab.

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: Medium

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:

Elf’s Cap is a little darker than Diamine Apple Glory, and a little lighter than Diamine Ultra Green. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Evergreen with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, it’s well-behaved, but the flow is a bit dry. It works rather well in a wet broad nib, but I wouldn’t use this ink in an EF or F nib.

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 #1306: Robert Oster Santa's Hangover

Robert Oster Santa’s Hangover is from the new Holiday 2020 collection. I purchased my bottle of ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Santa’s Hangover is a slightly unsaturated medium red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks less saturated than it does on the previous swab.

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, no sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Santa’s Hangover is closest to Diamine Ruby. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the red 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, this is a perfect color for the winter season, but like the other inks in the Holiday 2020 collection it is a bit too dry for me.

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 #1305: Robert Oster Choc Pudding

Robert Oster Choc Pudding is from the new Holiday 2020 collection. I purchased my bottle of ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Choc Pudding is a cool-tone unsaturated brown, the color of hot chocolate powder.

Swabs:

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

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:

Choc Pudding is a little darker than Tono & Lims Am I Dreaming, but a little lighter than Tono & Lims Nara: Dear Sakura. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, I really enjoyed the color of this ink. It’s a perfect cool-tone brown for the winter season, but the flow is a little dry for me.

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 #1304: Robert Oster Silent Nite

Robert Oster Silent Nite is from the new Holiday 2020 collection. I purchased my bottle of ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Silent Nite is a dark blue-grey.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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:

Silent Nite is much bluer than any of the other greys. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, I love the color of this ink. It’s much bluer than the other grey inks I have, but it is a bit dry for me.

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 #1303: Robert Oster Blue Velvet Storm

Robert Oster Blue Velvet Storm is from the Shake ‘N’ Shimmy collection. I purchased my bottle of ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Blue Velvet Storm is a dark teal ink with blue shimmer. I’m pretty sure this ink is the shimmer version of Robert Oster Velvet Storm.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some fun 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, tiny red sheen, and blue shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Velvet Storm is much darker than J Herbin Emerald of Shiver. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Custom 74 Teal with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely ink. I love that the color is a bit unusual for most shimmer inks. If you have been wanting a shimmer version of Robert Oster Velvet Storm or Lamy Petrol, this ink is for you!

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 #1302: Diamine Shimmering Seas

Diamine Shimmering Seas is from the original 2015 Shimmertastic collection. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Shimmering Seas is a dark blue, almost a blue-black.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has plenty of gold 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Shimmering Seas is pretty close to De Atramentis Indian Blue Gold. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is a pretty shimmer ink. I wish it had silver shimmer instead of gold, simply because I prefer silver. The shimmer is not very consistent, a bit more inconsistent than other shimmer inks I’ve tried.

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 #1301: Robert Oster Blood Rose

Robert Oster Blood Rose is from the Shake ‘N’ Shimmy collection. I purchased my sample of ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Blood Rose is a medium red ink with rose gold shimmer.

Swabs:

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

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Blood Rose is lighter than Diamine Red Lustre, but darker than Diamine Firestorm Red. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Custom 74 Merlot with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It’s pretty well-behaved, a gorgeous color and fun rose gold sheen. It’s a perfect ink for Valentine’s day or Christmas holidays.

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 #1300: Diamine Night Sky

Diamine Night Sky is from the original 2015 Shimmertastic collection. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Night Sky is a light black 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: Medium

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:

Night Sky is closest to Diamine Sparkling Shadows, but it has silver shimmer to Sparkling Shadow’s gold. Click here to see the Diamine inks together, and click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Franklin-Christoph 45 Charcoal & Creme with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a great black shimmer ink, well-behaved and perfect for special occasion writing. It matches the FC Charcoal & Creme pen material so 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 #1299: Robert Oster Barossa Gilt

Robert Oster Barossa Gilt is from the Shake ‘N’ Shimmy collection. I purchased my bottle of ink at Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Barossa Gilt is a blue-violet with gold shimmer.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some shading and gold 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: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Barossa Gilt is closest to Birmingham Stage Velvet Luster, but it has gold shimmer instead of Velvet’s silver. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and 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 had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, this is a fun shimmer ink. I didn’t have any clogging problems, and it’s generally pretty well behaved. It’s a pretty color, but it is a bit on the dry side for me.

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