Birmingham Pens Everlasting Inks

Birmingham Pens has recently taken all of their ink production in-house and they kindly sent me some inks to try out! First we are going to look at four inks from the Everlasting series. Thanks to Birmingham Pens for sending these inks over for review! Quick warning about these inks though: because they are pigmented they require more frequent cleaning. These inks are not meant to sit in pens for months at a time so for those of you who stink at good pen hygiene, these are probably not the inks for you.

Swabs:

Left to right: Compost, Black Spruce, Triple Sec and Ice Age.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 10-20 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium-Compost and Black Spruce and high-Triple Sec and Ice Age.

Feathering: Medium

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no shading, no 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:

Compost is less saturated than these other black inks.

Black Spruce is closest to Lennon Tool Bar Firmament.`

Triple Sec is less saturated than these other oranges.

Ice Age is similar to Tono & Lims Yamanashi.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook, the first three had a wet flow and Ice Age had an average flow.

Overall, out of the four inks I think Black Spruce is my favorite and Triple Sec is my least favorite. I was hoping all four would be water resistant, but Compost and Black Spruce weren’t quite as resistant as I hoped. All four inks dried quickly, but like most inks that dry quickly there is quite a bit of feathering. None of these four are a must-have for me.

Disclaimer: These products were provided by Birmingham 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.

Van Dieman's Underwater Collection Part 4

So far we’ve covered most of the Van Dieman’s Underwater Collection. Today let’s look at the last four inks. I purchased my samples from Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Deep Sea Diver, Sea Urchin, Sunken Treasure and Royal Starfish.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 70-120 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None-Low

Other properties: medium shading (Royal Starfish and Sunken Treasure), high sheen (Sea Urchin and Royal Starfish) and gold shimmer (Deep Sea Diver and Sunken Treasure).

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

Comparison Swabs:

Deep Sea Diver is a little more brown than these other shimmer inks.

Sea Urchin is closest to Monteverde Midnight Black, but Sea Urchin can look more purple in some lighting.

Royal Starfish is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 950, but its sheen is closer to Lamy Azurite.

Sunken Treasure is more blue than the other purple shimmer inks I have.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook, all four inks had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, out of the four inks I think Royal Starfish and Sea Urchin are my favorite. Both have high sheen but I didn’t have smearing issues with either one. I love the color of Sea Urchin-in some lighting it’s black, in the sun it’s more purple. The downside to all four inks is the long dry times.

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

Ink Review #1555: 3 Oysters Doldam

3 Oysters Doldam is from the I.Color.U collection. I purchased my sample of ink from Pen Chalet.

The Color:

Doldam is a medium grey with shading.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink ranges from light grey to a medium 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: Low

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was quite a bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Doldam reminded me of Montblanc Oyster Grey at first, but when compared Oyster Grey is cooler-toned than Doldam. Click here to see the 3 Oysters inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Cement with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this ink is generally well behaved, and has some interesting shading. I still prefer Montblanc Oyster Grey over Doldam.

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

Ink Review #1554: Kobe 46 Nagisa Museum Gray

Kobe 46 Nagisa Museum Gray is from Kobe’s standard lineup. I’ve been meaning to review this one for quite a while, but never got around to it. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The Color:

Nagisa Museum Gray is a deep neutral grey.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has a little bit of black 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 black sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was quite a bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Nagisa Museum Gray is closest to Van Dieman’s Federation Peak. Click here to see the Kobe inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Custom 823 in Smoke with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, this is a good basic dark grey ink-not too much shading or sheen, and a work appropriate color.

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

Ink Review #1553: Van Dieman's Federation Peak

Van Dieman’s Federation Peak is from the Wilderness collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The Color:

Federation Peak is a medium neutral 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: 60 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was quite a bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Federation Peak is closest to Kobe 46 Nagisa Museum Gray. Click here to see the Van Dieman’s inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Cement with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this ink looks nice, especially in a TWSBI broad nib. It did have a little bit of feathering on Leuchtturm paper and had a rather long dry time, but other than that it performed well.

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

Ink Review #1552: Kobe 31 Coast Stone Grey

We’ve been looking at grey inks for the last few days, so let’s continue with Kobe 31 Coast Stone Grey from Kobe’s standard lineup. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The Color:

Coast Stone Grey is a deep neutral grey.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker and has a little bit of black 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: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was quite a bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Coast Sone Grey is closest to Tono & Lims Mind Your Gap. Click here to see the Kobe inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is a lovely neutral grey ink. It has a nice wet flow with some pretty shading.

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

July Greys

We’ve hit the middle of July! Since it’s been abnormally hot here in Washington, berry season has come short and early. I spent yesterday making our jam for the year-blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and strawberry. I love Monteverde Cherry Danish for a deep cherry red.

The local farmer’s market finally has some flowers showing up, I love seeing the rainbow of colors. Papier Plume Garden District Azalea is one of my favorite pinks.

I love grey inks! In the last few days we’ve reviewed a few and for the rest of July we’ll take a look at a few more. Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same is a grey I reach for again and again.

We homeschool our kids, so I spend the summer deciding on the next year’s curriculum and it makes me want all the graphite grey inks. I use Diamine Grey and Robert Oster Graphite often.

I hope everyone is having a great July! 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 #1551: Kaweco Smokey Grey

Kaweco Smokey Grey is from Kaweco’s standard lineup. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The Color:

Smokey Grey is a medium grey with some shading.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has more depth to it.

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 quite a bit of feathering but not much bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Smokey Grey is a little lighter than Aurora Grey. Click here to see the Kaweco inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Lighthouse with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely grey ink. it’s pretty well behaved and a nice neutral grey as well.

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

Ink Review #1550: Kobe 10 Mikage Gray

Kobe 10 Mikage Gray is from Kobe’s standard lineup. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The Color:

Mikage Gray is a medium grey-purple.

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: 20 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 quite a bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Mikage Gray is more purple than any of these other greys. Click here to see the Kobe inks together, and click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Cement Grey with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It is a very purple leaning grey, so it would be a great ink for Halloween.

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

Van Dieman's Underwater Collection Part 3

Van Dieman’s recently released a new Underwater Collection. We’ve covered the first eight inks from the collection so today let’s take a look at the next four. Two samples came from a kind reader and I purchased the other two samples from Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Bioluminescence, Twilight Zone, Blue Ringed Octopus and Ghost Ship.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 80-100 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, high-monster sheen and no shimmer. Bioluminescence, Twilight Zone and Blue Ringed Octopus have monster sheen and Ghost Ship has high sheen.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Bioluminescence is closest to Vinta Andrada.

Twilight Zone is similar to Colorverse SM1.

Ghost Ship is close to Diamine Purple Rain.

Blue Ringed Octopus is close to Blackstone Barrier Reef Blue.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook. Bio. and Blue Ringed have dry flows, and the other two have an average flow. All four feel sticky, for lack of a better word, but that’s rather common with super sheeny inks. All of them can be smeared, even after fully drying.

Overall, out of the four inks I think Twilight Zone and Ghost Ship are my favorite, but I’m not in love with any of them. For my personal use I stick to inks with high sheen or less because I hate it when my inks smear after drying. They don’t have a great consistent flow-there’s some skipping and railroading and they take a really long time to dry at 80-100 seconds. They look really pretty in writing, but they’re not the inks for me.

Disclaimer: Two samples were provided by a reader and I purchased two inks myself. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and this post is not sponsored.