Ink Review #1642: Van Dieman's Midnight Sky

Today’s black ink is Midnight Sky, part of the Van Dieman’s Midnight series. This ink is available in 30ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Midnight Sky is a medium, neutral black with silver, gold, and purple shimmer.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink shows quite a bit of shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

Other properties: medium shading, low sheen, and silver, gold and purple shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper there was some bleeding and feathering.

Comparison Swabs:

Midnight Sky is closest to De Atramentis Velvet Black Bronze. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is an interesting ink. I love that it has multi-colored shimmer while still being a good neutral.

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

Ink Review #1641: Colorverse 001 Shiny Black

Today’s black ink is Colorverse 001 Shiny Black, part of the Colorverse Project series. This ink is available in 65ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Shiny Black is a medium black with silver shimmer.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink a lot of shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was some bleeding and feathering.

Comparison Swabs:

Shiny Black is closest to Diamine Night Sky. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Franklin-Christoph 45 in Charcoal & Creme on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a decent shimmer ink. I’m not crazy about it simply because I don’t love shimmer inks, but it behaves pretty well, is a good neutral color and I didn’t have any issues with clogging.

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

Ink Review #1640: Van Dieman's Devil Black

Today’s black ink is Van Dieman’s Devil Black. This ink is available in 30ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Devil Black is a dark neutral black.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink 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.

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Devil Black is pretty close to Van Dieman’s Abyss. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is an okay black, but for some reason I can’t quite quantify I just don’t love it. It behaves fine, it’s just not a must-have 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 #1639: Kobe 05 Tor Black

Today’s black ink is Kobe 05 Tor Black. This ink is available in 50ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader that sent this sample in for review!

The color:

Tor Black is a deep black with a slight purple undertone.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

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.

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was a lot of bleeding and feathering.

Comparison Swabs:

Tor Black is closest to Van Dieman’s Sea Urchin. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, I love this ink. It has a great wet flow, nice dark color and just a little bit of shading and sheen. It’s a fabulous overall black!

Disclaimer: This ink sample 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 #1638: Cross Black

We recently finished looking at Waterman inks, so now we are going to look at six black inks, starting with Cross Black. This ink is available in 62.5ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader that sent this sample in for review!

The color:

Cross Black is a good basic Black.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink 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.

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was a lot of bleeding and feathering.

Comparison Swabs:

Cross Black is closest to TWSBI Black. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M805 Stresemann with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a nice wet flow.

Overall, this ink is a really underrated ink! It has a great dark color, nice wet flow, and well behaved too! I have a full bottle on my wish list!

Disclaimer: This ink sample 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 #1637: Waterman Audacious Red

Waterman Audacious Red was previously known as simply “Red,” and is the last Waterman ink we need to take a look at. This ink is available in 50ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader that sent this sample in for review!

The color:

Audacious Red is a bright teacher red.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker where it pooled.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 50 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was a bit of feathering and bleeding, mostly in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

There are a lot of similar red inks, including Pennonia Devil Red and Monteverde Valentine Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Blossom Red with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow, but a tiny bit drier than the other Waterman inks.

Overall, this is a great red ink, would be great for teachers in smaller nib sizes. My favorite selling point for this ink is that I spilled a ton on my favorite pair of jeans while filling a pen, and it completely came out in the wash.

Disclaimer: This ink sample 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 #1636: Waterman Absolute Brown

Waterman Absolute Brown was previously known as Waterman Havana Brown. This ink is available in 50ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader that sent this sample in for review!

The color:

Absolute Brown is a medium hickory brown.

*For my swab cards I use the Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks darker where it pooled.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was a bit of feathering and bleeding, mostly in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Absolute Brown is closest to Diamine Music Bach. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is a lovely brown ink. It’s well behaved, a nice color and affordable too!

Disclaimer: This ink sample 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 #1635: Waterman Mysterious Blue

Waterman Mysterious Blue was previously known as Waterman Blue Black. This ink is available in 50ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Mysterious Blue is a medium blue with a slight green undertone.

*For my swab cards I use the Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink is absolutely gorgeous-great color, shading and sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was a bit of feathering and bleeding, mostly in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Mysterious Blue is closest to Birmingham Cerulean. Click here to see the blue 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, this ink is amazing! The color is gorgeous, it has some lovely shading and a bit of sheen. It flows really well and is affordable. I need to get a full bottle of this ink ASAP because it’s amazing, a must-have ink for fountain pen users!

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

Ink Review #1634: Waterman Serenity Blue

Waterman Serenity Blue was previously known as Waterman Florida Blue. This ink is available in 50ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Serenity Blue is a classic medium blue.

*For my swab cards I use the Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink shows gorgeous coppery sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was feathering in all nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Serenity Blue is close to Octopus Fluids Ultramarinblau. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot VP Wish with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I love this ink! It’s well behaved, a great classic blue, and even has some nice shading and a bit of sheen. At $11.30 per 50ml bottle it’s a fabulous ink for any fountain pen user!

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

Ink Review #1633: Waterman Harmonious Green

Waterman Harmonious Green is a classic ink. Before 2011 it was known as simply Green and then was changed to Harmonious Green. This ink is available in 50ml bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Harmonious Green is a medium green that leans a little toward blue.

*For my swab cards I use the Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Vanishing Point and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some pretty red sheen.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

• EF, F, M, and B Pilot Vanishing Points

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was feathering in all nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Harmonious Green is less blue than Diamine Cool Green. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is an awesome green ink. It does have a wetter flow than the other Waterman inks, but I love wet inks so that doesn’t bother me. It’s a great color, and affordable too!

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