Ink Review #1493: PenBBS 160 Mentha Aquatica

PenBBS 160 Mentha Aquatica is from Season 12 and comes in 60ml bottles. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Mentha Aquatica is a bright minty teal.

Swabs:

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

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Mentha Aquatica is closest to Kobe Aotani Cascade Green. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, I love the color of this ink, but I am a sucker for teal. I love how well it matches the Lamy Safari Turquoise. It is a little dry for me, but other than that it’s a great ink.

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

Ink Review #1492: PenBBS 181 Haitian Sea

PenBBS 181 Haitian Sea is from Season 13 and comes in 60ml bottles. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Haitian Sea is a pale Carolina blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty 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: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Haitian Sea is a little less purple than PenBBS Serenity and a little less saturated than Sailor Ink Studio 143. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, it’s very close to PenBBS Serenity that I reviewed yesterday, it’s just a little less purple though. It’s too light for me in the smaller nib sizes, but I do like it in a Pelikan broad nib.

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

Ink Review #1491: PenBBS 179 Serenity

PenBBS 179 Serenity is from Season 13 and comes in 60ml bottles. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens. The color reminds of spring so I knew I had to try it out!

The color:

Serenity is a pale cornflower blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty 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: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Serenity is a little more purple than PenBBS Haitian Sea and a little lighter than Sailor Ink Studio 243. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, it’s a nice spring blue, but it’s too light for me in the smaller nib sizes. I like it best in a wet broad nib.

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

Ink Review #1490: De Atramentis Pink Rose Gold

De Atramentis Pink Rose Gold is a new store exclusive at Izumi Pens. Thanks to Izumi Pens for sending this ink in for review!

The Bottle:

This ink is available in the standard 45ml De Atramentis glass bottle.

The color:

Pink Rose Gold is a bubblegum pink with rose gold shimmer.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a ton of rose 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: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Pink Rose Gold is closest to Diamine Pink Glitz. Click here to see the De Atramentis inks together, and click here to see the pink inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Sparkling Pink with a broad nib on a Taroko Odyssey notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a nice bright spring pink. I like the rose gold shimmer, which is a bit unusual. The only other ink I’ve tried with rose gold shimmer is Robert Oster Blood Rose and Schwartz Rose. This ink does have a lot of shimmer so I did have a few clogs with the smaller nib sizes but it did fine in a wet broad nib.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Izumi Pens 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 #1489: PenBBS 175 Stendhal

PenBBS 175 Stendhal is from Season 13 and comes in 60ml bottles. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens. This ink was based on Stendhal, aka Marie-Henri Beyle, a 19th-century French writer.

The color:

Stendhal is a deep wine 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: 30 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 a lot feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Stendhal is closest to Ferris Wheel Press Candy Marsala. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Studio Terracotta with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a lovely ink, great for the fall and winter seasons.

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

Ink Review #1488: PenBBS 153 Burning of the White House

PenBBS 153 Burning of the White House is from Season 12 and comes in 60ml bottles. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens. This ink was based on the burning of the White House on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812.

The color:

Burning of the White House is a medium black with gold shimmer.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker than it does in writing.

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 gold shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Burning of the White House is closest to De Atramentis Velvet Black Gold. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Purple Cosmos with a zoom nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this ink is pretty well behaved, but I’m not a big fan of the black and gold combo. It’s not an ink I ever really need, but it does perform well.

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

Ink Review #1487: PenBBS 128 Santorini

PenBBS 128 Santorini is from Season 11 and comes in 60ml bottles. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens. According to the Vanness website: “This ink is reminiscent of St. Gerasimos Christian Church, the famous blue domed church on the island of Santorini, Greece which is featured on the label.”

The color:

Santorini is a bright ocean blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks a bit brighter with some pretty 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: 10 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Medium

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Medium

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Santorini is close to Colorverse Supernova. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Crossed Lines with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, the color is nice and it dries quickly but there is way too much feathering and bleeding for me, especially when there are so many blue ink colors available. It’s just not the right blue ink for me.

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

Ink Review #1486: Colorverse 005 Milky Lavender

Colorverse 005 Milky Lavender is from the Project collection and comes in 65ml bottles. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Milky Lavender is a medium matte lavender.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker than it does in writing.

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 as well as some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Milky Lavender is closest to Troublemaker Foxglove, but it lacks Foxglove’s cool shading. It is pretty close to Pilot Iroshizuku Murasaki-shikibu as well. Click here to see the Colorverse inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Esterbrook Estie Lilac with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I could take or leave this ink. It’s a lovely purple color and great for spring but it’s a bit drier than I prefer. There just isn’t anything about it that grabs me. It’s close enough to Pilot Iroshizuku Murasaki-shikibu that I don’t need both and I prefer the wetter flow of Murasaki-shikibu.

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

Ink Review #1485: Van Dieman's Tasmania Vine Purple

Van Dieman’s Tasmania Vine Purple is from the Colours of Tasmania series and comes in 30ml bottles. You can find this ink for sale at Pen Chalet (aff. link) or Vanness Pens.

The color:

Vine Purple is a deep blue violet.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Medium

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering in all nib sizes but only a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Vine Purple is more blue than Sailor Shigure but not as blue as Noodler’s Kung Te-Cheng. Click here to see the Van Dieman’s inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, the color is nice but there is way too much feathering for me. I would stick to Tomoe River paper with this ink or Cosmo Air Light.

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

TRU RED Graphed Journal

The TRU RED Graphed Journal is a recent release from TRU RED. It’s designed as a business essential for everyday use. The notebook measures 5.5 by 8 inches. Thanks to TRU RED for providing these products for review! Last week I reviewed the TRU RED Starter Journal and Rollerball pens, congratulations to Batsheva who won the giveaway!

Front Cover:

The front cover is a flexible black cover with an elastic closure.

Inside Cover:

The front inside cover is a black and grey pattern with a small pocked that would easily fit business cards.

The Paper:

There are 256 ivory pages with a 5mm graph ruling.

The pages are not embellished in any way and are not paginated.

Writing Samples:

This paper did not handle fountain pens well-every nib feathered, bled or both. The paper is so absorbent that it made the nib and ink feel super dry and scratchy.

The paper handled some pens and pencils okay but the TRU RED rollerball pens bled through. Some ball-points and rollerball pens felt scratchy on this paper.

Rollerball Pens:

In the same collection with the Graphed Journal is this pack of Quick Dry Gel Pens in 0.7mm. The pens are green, teal, purple, red and orange.

These gel pens work okay but definitely aren’t the best gel pens I’ve ever used. They did okay in the graphed journal but skipped when used in my hobonichi.

Overall, I had hoped I would enjoy this notebook since I liked the TRU RED Starter Journal I reviewed last week but this paper is only good for ballpoints, gel pens and pencils. I didn’t enjoy the paper because it’s so absorbent and made all pens feel dry and scratchy.

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.