TRU RED Starter Journal

The TRU RED Starter Journal is a recent release from TRU RED. It’s designed as a business essential for notetakers. The notebook measures 8x10 inches.

Front Cover:

The front cover is a textured grey that boasts a pen loop on the spine, a card pocket (perfect for holding business cards) and an elastic strap for keeping the notebook closed.

Back Cover:

On the back cover is an elastic strap, perfect for holding your phone.

Inside Cover:

The front inside cover has a lovely list of note-taking ideas.

Inside Cover:

The opposite inside cover has a spot for basic contract information.

The Paper:

There are 192 lined white pages. The standard pages are a basic narrow rule.

Every 5 pages alternates between a to-do list page with a perforated tear-off and a mostly blank page to sketch out ideas.

Each page has a discreet number in the bottom corner. Page numbers are my favorite detail!

Writing Samples:

This paper handled fountain pens quite well, there was a bit of feathering in the largest nib sizes but only the zoom nib bled through. It handled extra fine and fine nib extremely well, medium nibs well and broad nibs okay.

The paper handled all pens, pencils and highlighters well with no issues.

Rollerball Pens:

In the same collection with the Starter Journal is this pack of rollerball pens. They come in 0.5 tips in black, blue and red. I love the ink window so you easily know how much ink is left.

These rollerballs work well, and feel nice and smooth on the Starter Journal. They aren’t the best rollerballs I’ve ever used, but they aren’t the worst either. They are a comfortable middle-of-the-road at a nice price.

Overall, I enjoyed both the journal and the rollerball pens. I like how well the paper handles fountain pens and the details such as page numbers and to-do lists are lovely. I’m giving away one Starter Journal and Rollerball 3-pack below so be sure to enter! (The giveaway is limited to those in the Contiguous United States.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Both products were provided by TRU RED for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This post does not contain affiliate links and is not sponsored in any way.

Colorverse Crab Nebula & Horsehead Nebula

Colorverse Crab Nebula & Horsehead Nebula are from the new Colorverse Season 7: Eye on the Universe. Crab Nebula comes in a 65ml bottle and Horsehead Nebula in a 15ml bottle. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet.

Swabs:

Left to right: Crab Nebula is a dark grass green and Horsehead Nebula is a medium mauve pink.

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper, Crab Nebula has lots of red sheen and Horsehead Nebula has shading and multi-colored shimmer (I promise it’s multi-colored, it’s just super hard to photograph).

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: high shading (Horsehead), high red sheen (crab) and multi-colored shimmer (Horsehead).

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

Comparison Swabs:

Crab Nebula is closest to Octopus Fluids Moosgrun.

Horsehead Nebula is closest to Krishna Black Rose.

Longer Writing:

Crab Nebula: I used a Franklin-Christoph 45 Spanish Moss with a broad nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

Horsehead Nebula: I used a Lamy Al-star Purple with a broad nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

Overall, out of the two Horsehead nebula is my favorite. It has some fabulous high shading and multi-colored shimmer. Crab Nebula is perfectly lovely as well, so I’m glad I bought full bottles of both. I’m looking forward to spending more time with both of them!

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

Colorverse Pillars of Creation & Mystic Mountain

Colorverse Pillars of Creation & Mystic Mountain are from the new Colorverse Season 7: Eye on the Universe. When I first saw swabs for Season 7 I immediately knew these two were probably going to be my favorite. Pillars of Creation comes in a 65ml bottle and Mystic Mountain in a 15ml bottle. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet.

Swabs:

Left to right: Pillars of Creation is a deep grape purple and Mystic Mountain is a light cornflower blue. As soon as I swabbed these myself Pillars of Creation immediately reminded me of Diamine Handel (which I love) so you will see them compared below.

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper, Pillars of Creation has some gorgeous green sheen, Mystic Mountain has lots of pink 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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading (both), medium green sheen (Pillars) and pink shimmer (Mystic).

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

Comparison Swabs:

Pillars of Creation is darker than Diamine Handel, and similar to Diamine Merlot.

Mystic Mountain is lighter than Tono & Lims Diamond Dust but darker than Vinta Pastel Blue Julio 1991.

Longer Writing:

Pillars of Creation: I used a Platinum 3776 Nice Lavande with a broad nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

Mystic Mountain: I used a TWSBI Eco-T Mint with a broad nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I absolutely love both of these inks. Pillars of Creation is my favorite though-the color is amazing, I love the shading and the green sheen and it performs well. Mystic Mountain can be a bit light in smaller nib sizes so I would stick to the larger nib sizes, but it’s the only blue ink I know of that a has pink shimmer as of right now. This ink set would be a perfect gift for anyone who likes unusual or interesting inks.

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

Colorverse Extreme Deep Field & NGC 1850

Colorverse Extreme Deep Field and NGC 1850 are from the new Colorverse Season 7: Eye on the Universe. Extreme Deep Field comes in a 65ml bottle and NGC 1850 in a 15ml bottle. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet.

Swabs:

Left to right: Extreme Deep Field is a deep blue with sheen and NGC 1850 is a dark teal with sheen and shimmer.

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper, Extreme Deep Field 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: 30-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no shading, monster red sheen (both) and multi-colored shimmer (NGC).

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

Comparison Swabs:

In longer writing, Deep Field is closest to Organics Studio Emerson.

NGC is darker than J Herbin Emerald of Chivor but less green than Robert Oster Blue Velvet Storm.

Longer Writing:

Extreme Deep Field: I used a Franklin-Christoph 46 Blue Diamondcast with a broad nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

NGC 1850: I used an Esterbrook Estie Oversize Peacock with a medium nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed both of these inks. Both can be smeared if you try, but I didn’t notice any smearing in casual use. These are worth a try if you are looking for fun and interesting inks!

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

Colorverse SM 1 & Costar

Colorverse recently released their new Season 7: Eye on the Universe. I immediately ordered most of them, so today let’s start with SM 1 & Costar. SM 1 comes in a 65ml bottle and Costar in a 15ml bottle. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet.

Swabs:

Left to right: SM 1 is a dark blue and Costar is a grey-brown.

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper, SM 1 has lots of 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: 30-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading (Costar), monster red sheen (SM 1) 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:

In longer writing, SM 1 is closest to Troublemaker Blueberry.

Costar is closest to Montblanc Tobacco Gray.

Longer Writing:

SM 1: I used a Lamy Al-star Pacific Blue with a medium nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

Costar: I used a Pelikan M205 Moonstone with a fine nib on a Taroko Odyssey Notebook (Cosmo Air Light paper). The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I really like both of these inks. I love SM 1’s sheen and dark color and Costar’s grey shading. I’m glad I have full bottles of both because I plan on using them often. Stay tuned for the next few days to see more Colorverse Season 7!

Disclaimer: I purchased these inks 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 #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.