Ostrich Inks Part 1

Ostrich is a new-to-me brand that comes in 18ml glass bottles. Today let’s look at Red Ruby, Green Emerald, Glen the Sea and Purple Amethyst. Thanks to Pen Savings for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Red Ruby, Green Emerald, Glen the Sea and Purple Amethyst.

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

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 Pilot Vanishing Point

• F, M, B Pilot Ishime

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry Time: 40-60 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Only Glen the Sea and Green Emerald had a little bit of bleeding.

Other properties: no shading, high to monster sheen (Glen the Sea had the highest 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:

Glen the Sea is a little darker than Colorverse Pillars of Creation. Purple Amethyst is a little lighter than Penlux Mo Plum.

Red Ruby is similar to Sailor Shikiori Yodaki.

Green Emerald is more blue than DIamine Evergreen, but less blue than KWZ Discovery Green.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook, all four inks had a dry, sticky flow common to super sheeny inks.

Overall, Purple Amethyst is my favorite out of the four. I don’t love the flow, but it’s very similar to other sheeny. inks. I didn’t have any issues with smearing. If you love high sheening inks, give these ones a try!

Disclaimer: These inks were provided by Pen Savings 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.

Diamine Cult Pens Exclusive Inks

Cult Pens have done quite a few store exclusive inks with Diamine. Their newest collab is: Louise, Matthew, Herbert and Michael. Thanks to Cult Pens for sending these inks over for review!

Swabs:

Left to right: Louise, Matthew, Herbert and Michael

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

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 Pilot Vanishing Point

• F, M, B Pilot Ishime

• Vintage Mabie Todd Swan (flex nib)

• Rhodia Goalbook

• Taroko Enigma notebooks (68gsm TR)

• Leuchtturm A5

• Pen & Gear Paper from Walmart

Dry Time: 20-30 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Only Michael had a little bit of bleeding.

Other properties: no-medium shading (Louise had the best shading), no to high sheen (Herbert had high pink sheen and Michael had medium copper 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:

Louise is closest to Colorverse Adobe.

Matthew is similar to Birmingham Smoked Iron.

Michael is close to Diamine Regency Blue. Herbert is darker than Michael.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook, three of the inks had a dry flow and Matthew had an average flow.

Overall, Louise is my favorite-I love how it looks in the Schon Design Ultem pen, and it flows pretty well in a broad nib.

Disclaimer: These inks were 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.

Ink Review #1643: Vinta Romblon

We are going to look at one more black ink before we move on to other colors, Vinta Black Onyx Romblon 1582 (part of the Vinta’s Series 3). This ink is available in 30ml glass bottles at most retailers, including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Romblon is a dark 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 lot 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: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

In writing Romblon is closest to Kobe Tor Black. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M605 White Transparent with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow, due to the high sheen.

Overall, this is not my favorite black ink. The flow is a bit dry and sticky feeling for me, and I’m not a big fan of the slight purple undertone in black inks.

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

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.