Ink Review #1627: Kobe 23 Nagata Blue

We are continuing blue black ink week with Kobe 23 Nagata Blue. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Nagata is a deep blue black.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty copper 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: medium shading, medium copper sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Nagata Blue is less saturated than Robert Oster Thunderstorm. Click here to see the Kobe inks together, and click here to see the blue black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Petrol with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, this is a lovely ink! It's a nice dark color, but still has some character from the shading and sheen.

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

Ink Review #1626: Cross Blue Black

We are starting Blue Black ink week with Cross Blue Black! Blue Black 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:

Blue Black is a neutral blue black.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of bronze 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: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Black is a little bit lighter than Kobe Kaikyou Blue. Click here to see the Cross inks together, and click here to see the blue black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Petrol with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, I really enjoyed this ink! I actually love it so much I put a full bottle of it on my wishlist. It would be a great everyday, office appropriate ink!

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

Pennonia Inks Part 6

We have one more set of Pennonia inks to go over: Young Wine, Chestnut Brown, Sour Cherry, Devil Red and Cotton Candy. Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Chestnut Brown, Young Wine, Sour Cherry, Devil Red and Cotton Candy

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-50 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-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 a bit of feathering in every nib size as well as a little bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Chestnut Brown is lighter than Montblanc Toffee Brown.

Young Wine is similar to Montblanc Seasons Greetings.

Sour Cherry is a little lighter than Monteverde Napa Burgundy.

There are a lot of inks close to Devil Red including Monteverde Valentine Red.

Cotton Candy is a little darker than Birmingham Cranberry Nobel.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook, four of the inks had an average flow and Devil Red had a dry flow.

Overall, Young Wine is my favorite, I love the color and it’s well behaved. You can’t go wrong with any of these inks, but Devil Red is a little dry for me.

Disclaimer: These inks were provided by Shigure Inks 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 #1620: Robert Oster Cult Blue

Today’s ink is Robert Oster Cult Blue, a Cult Pens exclusive ink. Thanks to Cult Pens for sending this ink over for review!

The Color:

Cult Blue is a blue-black with a strong purple undertone.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper there is some bronze 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: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny bronze sheen, and no shimmer. There is some shading there, but it’s very subtle so I would call it low rather than medium.

On Walmart 20lb copy paper there was just a little bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Cult Blue is a little less saturated than Robert Oster Blue Black. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the blue black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Mini Rose Gold with a medium nib on a Taroko Odyssey notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It is similar to Robert Oster Blue Black, so unless your are an ink addict you probably don’t need both.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Cult 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.

Birmingham Pens Inks Part 4

We have four more Birmingham Pens inks to look at: Sterling Silver (Wishy-washy collection), Eroded Bronze (Crisp), Kingfisher (Wishy-washy) and Jade Inferno (Rich). Thanks to Birmingham Pens for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Sterling Silver, Eroded Bronze, Kingfisher, and Jade Inferno.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 20-40 seconds

Water-resistance: Low

Feathering: None except Jade Inferno, which has low feathering.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-mostly on Leuchtturm.

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

On Walmart 20 lb copy paper there was lots of feathering in every nib size as well as a bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Sterling Silver is closest to Robert Oster Australian Opal Grey.

Eroded Bronze is similar to Lamy Benitoite.

Kingfisher is closest to Ink Institute Jade Vine.

Jade Inferno is close to Robert Oster Tranquility.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, these are some great inks. I love Jade Inferno’s color. Sterling Silver is more red when wet and dries to a neutral grey. Sterling Silver and Kingfisher can both be too light for everyday use in the smaller nib sizes, but I love them in broad and flex nibs.

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.

Pennonia Inks Part 5

I’ve enjoyed a lot of the Pennonia inks I’ve tried lately-Poison Green being my current favorite, so let’s try out another five! Thanks to Shigure Inks for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Fox Friend, Copper, Wasp, Apple Green and Greenfinch.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 20-50 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was a bit of feathering in every nib size as well as a little bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Fox Friend is similar to Papier Plume House of the Rising Sun.

Copper is closest to Birmingham Salmon hors d’oeuvre.

Wasp is similar to Monteverde Mango Mousse.

Apple Green is somewhere in-between Tono & Lims Wakayama and Tono & Lims Miyagi.

Greenfinch is similar to Robert Oster Nederlands Eerste.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook. Apple Green and Copper were dry, the others were average. The pens I used are written in the previous photo.

Overall, Fox Friend and Wasp are my favorites out of the five (Poison Green is still my favorite Pennonia ink though). Both Fox Friend and Wasp would be great for the summer season. Copper and Apple Green are a little light for everyday use, but would be great for art.

Disclaimer: These inks were provided by Shigure Inks 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.

Birmingham Pens Crisp Inks Part 3

Today we are checking out five more inks from the Birmingham Pens Crisp series: Kentucky Bluegrass, Summersweet, Pennsylvania Slate, Glassmith and Monongahela. Thanks to Birmingham Pens for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Kentucky Bluegrass, Summersweet, Pennsylvania Slate, Glassmith and Monongahela

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 20-30 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: Low-None Kentucky Bluegrass and Summersweet both feather just a bit on Leuchtturm paper.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-there is a little bit of bleeding on Leuchtturm paper.

Other properties: medium shading, tiny pink sheen and no shimmer. Kentucky Bluegrass does not sheen, but the other 4 have some pink sheen in large swabs.

On Walmart 20 lb copy paper there was some of feathering in every nib size as well as a bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Kentucky Bluegrass is close to Colorverse Tranquility Base.

Pennsylvania Slate is similar to Ferris Wheel Press Bluegrass Velvet.

Summersweet is close to Sailor Ink Studio 864.

Glassmith is similar to Robert Oster Torquay.

Monongahela is close to Aurora Turquoise.

Longer Writing:

I love these inks together so much! They are a fabulous green to blue gradient.

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

Overall, I love all five of these inks. They are “Crisp” inks-designed to work on cheap papers-I don’t think they did that in my testing, but on good paper they behave well, are gorgeous colors and go so well together!

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.

Ferris Wheel Press Holly Charger Set

The Holly charger set contains 3 inks from the Winter 2020 collection in 5ml vials. Thanks to Phidon Pens for sending this set over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Wondrous Winterberry, Sparkling Champagne and Misguided Mistletoe.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-50 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None (Mistletoe had a tiny bit of bleeding)

Other properties: low-medium shading, Mistletoe has a little bit of red sheen and sgold shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Winterberry is closest to Diamine Red Lustre.

Champagne is lighter than Diamine Golden Sands.

Mistletoe is darker than Diamine Magical Forest but lighter than Robert Oster Peppermint Candy.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook, the Winterberry had an average flow and the other two had a dry flow.

Overall, this is a great set for the holidays. If I used this long-term I would add a drop of White Lighting (ink additive) to help the flow a bit.

Disclaimer: These inks were provided by Phidon 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.

Birmingham Pens Crisp Inks Part 2

We recently looked at five inks from the Birmingham Pens Crisp series, so today let’s take a look at five more from the series. Thanks to Birmingham Pens for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Hydrangea, Chrysanthemum, Teaberry Ice Cream, Sweetheart and Carrot Cake.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 20-30 seconds

Water Resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: high-medium shading, no sheen and no shimmer. Hydrangea and Chrysanthemum both have high shading while the other three have medium shading.

On Walmart 20 lb copy paper there was lots of feathering in every nib size as well as a bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Hydrangea is a little darker than Troublemaker Foxglove.

Chrysanthemum is a little darker than Sailor Shikiori Yozakura.

Teaberry Ice Cream is a bit brighter than Octopus Fluids Living Coral. Sweetheart is less saturated than Tono & Lims Osaka.

Carrot Cake is lighter than the rest of the orange inks I have.

Longer Writing:

I used a Mabie Todd Swan on a Taroko Odyssey notebook. Hydrangea had an average flow, and the other four inks had a dry flow.

Overall, I love both Hydrangea and Chrysanthemum. They are gorgeous colors and have some amazing shading. I’m not a huge fan of the other three inks. They are a bit neon while still being hard to read in the smaller nib sizes.

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.

Ink Review #1597: Robert Oster Devon Green

I’m always excited to try out new Robert Oster inks, so I was super excited to see Robert Oster Devon Green, a Cult Pens exclusive ink. Thanks to Cult Pens for sending this ink over for review!

The Color:

Devon Green is a medium avocado green.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper there is some pretty shading but no 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: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Walmart 20lb copy paper there was just a little bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Devon Green is a little darker than Colorverse Tranquility Base. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M605 Green White with a medium nib on a Taroko Odyssey notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow. I really like this pen/ink combo!

Overall, this is a great ink. It’s just a little dry, but it performs really well in a wet Pelikan nib.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Cult 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.