Ink Review #1470: Van Dieman's Hanging Lake

We are going to do one more reader request ink today before moving on to some new releases: Van Dieman’s Hanging Lake from Van Dieman’s Wilderness collection. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Hanging Lake is a medium blue-black ink.

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: High

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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:

Hanging Lake is brighter than Colorverse Mariner 4. Click here to see the Van Dieman’s inks together, and click here to see the blue black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Montegrappa Elmo with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I wanted to like this ink because I love blue black inks, but the performance wasn’t quite there for me. There was way too much feathering and a bit more bleeding than I like. This one is a pass for me.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by a reader for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does contain affiliate links but this post is not sponsored.

Ink Review #1469: Kobe 44 Sumaura Seaside Blue

Kobe 44 Sumaura Seaside Blue is from Kobe’s standard collection and is available in 50 ml bottles. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Sumaura is a deep teal.

Swabs:

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

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Sumaura is more green than J Herbin Vert de Gris but not quite as green as Taccia Hokusai-sabimidori. Click here to see the Kobe inks together, and click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I would give this ink 4 out of 5 stars. It’s well behaved, a lovely color and has a nice wet flow. I would absolutely use this ink often if I had a full bottle, but I don’t quite love it enough to need a full bottle since I already have so many inks.

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.

May Purples

It’s finally May! We spent this Saturday hiking the Wild Horses Monument near the Gorge in WA. My kids loved seeing all the horse statues and the view was amazing. I was so glad I had my phone so I could take a quick photo. I find myself reaching for Sailor Ink Studio 143 a lot this spring-it is such a nice color and has some fabulous shading too.

I’m a sucker for the moody greens in this one! I have become a bit wary of Troublemaker inks-a few have stained my pens but I still enjoy using them (with some caution), especially this Seaglass.

This one just makes me think of Pepto bismol, but I love the combo of pink, purple and teal!

I love Pilot Iroshizuku inks but since I’m always trying out new inks I don’t use my favorites as much as I would like. Ajisai is one of my long-time loves!

I hope everyone is having a great May! What’s your favorite ink today? Let me know in the comments below!

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

Ink Review #1468: Ferris Wheel Press Blue Cotton Candy

Ferris Wheel Press Blue Cotton Candy is from FWP’s Spring 2020 collection and is available in 38 and 85 ml bottles. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Blue Cotton Candy is a pale baby blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some interesting shading-from pale grey to bright blue.

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: medium shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Cotton Candy is a little darker than Lennon Tool Bar Shuise. Click here to see the Ferris Wheel Press inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco-T Mint with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow, you can see in the middle of the page where it got so dry I had to prime the feed a bit to keep it flowing and it quickly dried up again.

Overall, I like the color of this ink, but it’s way too dry and pale for me. It’s a little more tolerable when you add a drop of White Lightning (ink additive) to improve the flow, but it’s still too pale to be readable in most nib sizes.

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.

Ink Review #1467: Kobe 07 Kaikyou Blue

Kobe 07 Kaikyou Blue aka Strait Blue is from Kobe’s standard collection and is available in 50 ml bottles. Thanks to the reader that sent this ink in for review! You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Kaikyou Blue is a dark blue-black ink.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty coppery-red 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: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Kaikyou Blue is darker than Sailor Shimoyo. Click here to see the Kobe inks together, and click here to see the blue-black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Edison Collier Blue Steel with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. It has a nice dark color as well as some shading, sheen and a nice wet flow. I would love to get a full bottle of this ink in the future!

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.

Ink Review #1466: Kobe 03 Kyu-kyoryuchi Sepia

Kobe 03 Kyu-kyoryuchi Sepia aka The Old City Sepia is from Kobe’s standard collection and is available in 50 ml bottles. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Kyu-kyoryuchi Sepia is a deep chocolate brown.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some black sheen but only a little 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: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Sepia is more saturated than Tono & Lims Coffee: Emerald Mountain. Click here to see the Kobe inks together, and click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Bronze with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I liked this ink. It flows well and is a nice dark color, perfect for the fall and winter seasons, as well as being office appropriate.

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

Ink Review #1465: Cross Red

Aurora Red is from Cross’s standard collection and is available in 2 oz bottles. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Red is a classic bright teacher red.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks less saturated than it does on the Col-o-ring swab above.

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: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Cross Red is a little more orange than Sailor Jentle Irori. Click here to see the Cross inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is a nice classic red but there isn’t anything about it that wows me-no shading or sheen. It’s a good basic but not an ink I have a need for.

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

Ink Review #1464: Aurora Turquoise

Aurora Turquoise is from Aurora’s 100th Anniversary collection. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Turquoise is a bright turquoise blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little 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: Low

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Aurora Turquoise is closest to Diamine Havasu Turquoise. Click here to see the Aurora inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Pacific Blue with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a nice basic turquoise. There’s nothing about it that makes it stand out from all the other turquoise inks, so for $30 it is a bit pricey.

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

Ink Review #1463: Aurora Blue

Aurora Blue is from Aurora’s standard lineup in 45ml bottles as well as the recent 100th Anniversary collection in 55ml bottles. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Blue is a classic medium blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some nice 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: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Blue is closest to Lamy Blue and Thornton’s Blue. Click here to see the Aurora inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Edison Collier Blue Steel with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a nice classic blue ink-absolutely worth a try. I appreciate that it’s available in two different bottle sizes.

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

Ink Review #1462: Aurora Orange

Aurora Orange is from Aurora’s 100th Anniversary collection. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Orange is a medium tangerine orange.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some nice 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: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Aurora Orange is closest to Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin. Click here to see the Aurora inks together, and click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Franklin-Christoph 45 Pink and White with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, it’s generally pretty well behaved, but it is a bit drier than I prefer. It’s similar to Pelikan Edelstein Mandarin, which I prefer over this one so I don’t need both.

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