March 03, 2021

Robert Oster Arizona Inks

March 03, 2021/ Kelli McCown

Pen Chalet recently came out with a few Robert Oster exclusive inks based on the Arizona Desert. I have three so far: Sedona Red, Saguaro Green and Monsoon Sky. I purchased my bottles of ink from Pen Chalet.

Swabs:

Left to right: Sedona Red, Saguaro Green and Monsoon Sky.

The bottles:

All three inks come in 50ml plastic bottles.

Ink drops:

Monsoon Sky has some pretty pink sheen.

Dry Time:

All three inks dried in 30 seconds.

Water Resistance:

All had low water resistance.

Writing samples:

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

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, Monsoon Sky has low 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:

Sedona Red is a little darker than Monteverde Cherry Danish.

Saguaro Green is closest to Vinta Leyte.

Monsoon Sky is closest to Noodler’s Turquoise.

Longer Writing:

I used a Mabie Todd Swan on a Taroko Enigma notebook. All of the inks had an average flow.

Overall, out of the three Monsoon Sky is my favorite-I wasn’t sure about it at first swab but after playing with it I’m quite in love with it, but I enjoyed all three. I’m looking forward to trying the other ink from this collection called Antelope Canyon.

Disclaimer: I purchased these inks myself and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does contain affiliate links, but is not sponsored in any way.

March 02, 2021

Ink Review #1419: Monteverde Citrine

March 02, 2021/ Kelli McCown

Monteverde Citrine is a late addition to the Monteverde Gemstone collection. I purchased my bottle of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The bottle:

Citrine is available in both 30ml and 90ml glass bottles. I love the 30ml size, enough to play with but not so much that I’m stuck with the bottle for years.

The color:

Citrine is a dark orange-red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more brown than orange.

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 in most nib sizes but just a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Citrine is more red than Monteverde Joy but less saturated than Monteverde Copper Noir. Click here to see the Monteverde inks together, and click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Mango with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, the color is great for fall and it is generally well behaved, but I wish the flow was just a little bit wetter.

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

March 01, 2021

Ink Review #1418: Robert Oster Rose Gold Antiqua

March 01, 2021/ Kelli McCown

I saw a picture of Robert Oster Rose Gold Antiqua on Instagram recently and I knew I had to try it! I purchased my bottle of ink from Pen Chalet (aff. link).

The color:

Rose Gold Antiqua is a deep rose pink.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks less saturated with copper 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: medium shading, no sheen, and copper shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Rose Gold Antiqua is darker than Robert Oster Rose Gilt Tynte. It’s very similar to Robert Oster Australis Rose except that it has copper shimmer. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the pink inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Diplomat Aero Antique Rose with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I love this ink in a wet broad nib. It’s a lovely pink and well behaved too!

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

February 28, 2021

Ink Review #1417: Papier Plume Le Heron Bleu

February 28, 2021/ Kelli McCown

Papier Plume Le Heron Bleu is a recent limited edition ink from 2020. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens. A portion of the sale of each ink will be donated to the coalition to restore coastal Louisiana.

The color:

Le Heron Bleu is a medium blue with a slight green undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks much darker.

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 most nib sizes but just a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Le Heron Bleu is a little darker than Robert Oster Muddy Water and a little bit lighter than Robert Oster Frankly Blue. Click here to see the Papier Plume inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Blue with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely ink. It’s well behaved and I love that they are donating part of the proceeds to charity.

Disclaimer: 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.

February 27, 2021

Colorverse Apollo 11

February 27, 2021/ Kelli McCown

The Colorverse Apollo 11 set was a limited edition set to commemorate the first moon landing. This set can still be found at some retailers including Jet Pens. Thanks to the reader that sent these inks in for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: One Small Step, Columbia, Tranquility Base, Eagle and Apollo 11. The first four inks come in 15ml bottles while Apollo 11 comes in a 65ml bottle.

Ink drops:

Columbia is the only ink that shows a little bit of sheen.

Dry Time:

All five inks dried in 30-40 seconds.

Water Resistance:

All have low water resistance.

Writing samples:

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

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

Other properties: low-medium shading, Columbia has tiny 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:

One Small Step is closest to Montblanc 90 Year Gray.

Columbia is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 830.

Tranquility Base is lighter than Diamine Emerald.

Eagle is closest to Pure Pens Porthcurno Cove.

Apollo 11 is closest to J Herbin Bleu des Profondeurs.

Longer Writing:

I used a Mabie Todd Swan on a Taroko Enigma notebook. All of the inks had an average flow.

Overall, out of the five Apollo 11 is my favorite so I appreciate that it’s the largest bottle out of the set. They are all generally pretty well behaved and worth a try. Columbia is my least favorite simply because I don’t love reds that lean towards orange.

Disclaimer: These inks were 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 is not sponsored in any way.

February 25, 2021

Ink Review #1411: Caran d'Ache Ultra Violet

February 25, 2021/ Kelli McCown

Let’s take a look at another reader request this week: Caran D’Ache Ultra Violet from the Chromatics collection. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Pen Chalet (aff. link) and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Ultra Violet is an unsaturated violet.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks much darker, almost 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 but no bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Ultra Violet is closest to Kyo-no-oto 09 Sakuranezum. Click here to see the Caran D’Ache inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this ink is nice and well behaved, but there’s nothing about it that stands out, especially for the price.

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

February 24, 2021

Ink Review #1410: Noodler's American Eel Black

February 24, 2021/ Kelli McCown

Noodler’s American Eel Black is a lubricated bulletproof ink. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Pen Chalet (aff. link) and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Eel Black is a medium black with a brown undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a bit of shading. This page has been drying for 8 days and the ink is still wet.

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: High

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 but no bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Eel Black is darker than Noodler’s Black. Click here to see the Noodler’s inks together, and click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Anthracite with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow at the beginning but the longer I wrote the more dry it became. It doesn’t feel very lubricated to me.

Overall, I appreciate that this ink is water-resistant but I don’t love the flow. It’s supposed to be lubricated but it doesn’t feel that way in longer writing.

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

February 23, 2021

Ink Review #1409: J Herbin Lie de The

February 23, 2021/ Kelli McCown

J Herbin Lie de The is from J Herbin’s standard lineup. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Lie de The is a medium warm-tone brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks much cooler-toned.

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 and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Lie de The is warmer than most of these browns. Click here to see the J Herbin inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Franklin-Christoph 46 in Autumn Oak with a fine flex nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow which caused some skips, hard starts and twice the feed dried completely up and had to be primed.

Overall, I don’t love this ink simply based on the dry flow issues. The color is nice but it just doesn’t work 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.

February 22, 2021

Ink Review #1408: Robert Oster Grun Gilt

February 22, 2021/ Kelli McCown

Robert Oster Grun Gilt is from the Shake ‘N’ Shimmy collection. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Grun Gilt is a deep golden brown.

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: 40 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 and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Grun Gilt is a little bit deeper than Robert Oster Heart of Gold. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the yellow inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Kaweco Al-sport Gold with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, this ink is very close to Robert Oster Heart of Gold (which I actually like better than this one) so you probably don’t need both. It’s just a little dry but other than that it’s well behaved.

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

February 21, 2021

1400 Inks!

February 21, 2021/ Kelli McCown

We have surpassed 1400 inks! I’m ready for spring so right now I’m reaching for more pastel and dusky inks.

The rules: the inks have to have been in the first 1400 ink reviews. They have to be my current favorites in that color, meaning the ones I use them the most frequently. My favorites change often, so these are the ones I have used the most in the last month.