Ink Review #1694: Kobe 40 Sumiyoshi Brown

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Thanksgiving is coming up fast, so I’m reaching for all the brown inks this week! Let’s take a look at Kobe #40 Sumiyoshi Brown from Kobe’s standard lineup. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Sumiyoshi Brown is a dark espresso brown.

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

Swabs:

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

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper there was some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Sumiyoshi Brown isn’t super close to any of the other brown inks I have. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Waterman Ideal on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, it’s a good standard brown ink. I do wish the flow was a little bit wetter, but it’s well behaved and has a bit of shading too!

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

Ink Review #1693: Ferris Wheel Press Cream of Earl Grey

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Ferris Wheel Press Cream of Earl Grey is from the Spring 2020 collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Cream of Earl Grey is a pale pink-brown with shading.

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

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more purple than brown.

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:

Dry time: 20 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 little bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Earl Grey is less pink than FWP Madam Mulberry and way lighter than the other brown inks. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Gold with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, this ink is way too light and dry for me. It would be a great ink for art but not for everyday writing.

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

Ink Review #1692: PenBBS 218 Spicy Lobster

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PenBBS 218 Spicy Lobster is from season 14. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Spicy Lobster is a bright orange-red with gold shimmer.

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

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has lots of gold 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:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Spicy Lobster is closest to Diamine Firefly. Click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Transparent Orange with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow, there was some clogging.

Overall, this ink is an interesting color but I did have some issues with the shimmer clogging the nib. It worked best when I stuck to wet broad nibs and flex nibs.

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

Ink Review #1691: PenBBS 158 Cherry Blossom

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PenBBS 158 Cherry Blossom is from season 12. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Cherry Blossom is a light coral pink.

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

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some shading.

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:

Dry time: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Cherry Blossom is closest to Birmingham Sweetheart. Click here to see the pink inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Coral with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, the color is pretty but was too light for me in the smaller nib sizes. The flow is a bit dry for me as well, but worked fine when I stuck to wet broad nibs. I could take or leave this ink, just not a must-have for me.

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

Ink Review #1690: PenBBS 154 Zhu Ziqing

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PenBBS 154 Zhu Ziqing is from season 12. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Zhu Ziqing is a bright summery orange.

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

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some shading.

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:

Dry time: 60 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 lots of bleeding and feathering.

Comparison Swabs:

There are quite a few similar ink colors. Click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pelikan M600 Vibrant Orange with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely, well-behaved orange. It does take a long time to dry though. There are a lot of other orange inks this color, so you might already have something similar.

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

Ink Review #1689: PenBBS 114 Zhang Ailing

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PenBBS 114 Zhang Ailing is from season 10. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Zhang Ailing is a medium bright red.

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

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some shading.

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:

Dry time: 40 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 lots of bleeding and feathering.

Comparison Swabs:

Zhang Ailing is a bit brighter than Birmingham Rose Overture. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Supernova Red with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, this ink was rather dry for me, and the color is a bit too bright. It’s a nice ink, but not the ink for me.

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

Vinta Neon Set

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Left to right: Electric Pink, Android Teal and Magnetic Blue.

*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:

Dry Time: 30-50 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 a bit of feathering in every nib size as well as bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Electric Pink is lighter than Tono & Lims Gifu.

Android Teal is lighter than Pennonia Poison Green.

Magnetic Blue is close to Colorverse Horizon.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook. All 3 inks had an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed all three of these inks. They are well behaved, have some pretty shading and are all beautiful colors.

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

Ink Review #1685: PenBBS 236 Mandarin Duck Male

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PenBBS 236 Mandarin Duck Male is from season 15. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Mandarin Duck Male is a dark cobalt blue with pink shimmer.

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

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has some red sheen and pink 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:

Dry time: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

Other properties: low shading, low red sheen, and pink shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Mandarin Duck Male is closest to Diamine Starlit Sea. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Transparent Blue with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this ink is a lovely well-behaved blue ink. I didn’t have any issues with clogging.

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.

Vinta Vintage Set

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Left to right: Silab, Binibini and Peregrino.

*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:

Dry Time: 30-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Silab is close to Pelikan Ruby

Binibini is closest to Robert Oster Cherry Blossom.

Peregrino is a little lighter than Taccia Fakaki-hanada.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook. Two of the inks have an average flow, Binibini has a dry flow.

Overall, I like Peregrino the best out of the three. I love the pretty shading and Silab’s bright sheen.

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

Colorverse USA Part 2

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We recently looked at five inks from the Colorverse USA collection, so let’s take a look at five more: Cape May, Rocky Blue, Tar Heel, From Cali and Green Goddess.

Swabs:

Left to right: Green Goddess, Cape May, Rocky Blue, Tar Heel and From Cali.

*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:

Dry Time: 40-60 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Low-Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, Cape May has high sheen and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Green Goddess is close to Birmingham Summersweet

Cape May is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 943.

Rocky Blue is a little lighter than Caran d’Ache Idyllic Blue.

Tar Heel is close to Pennonia Danube.

From Cali is lighter than Monteverde Purple Mist.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Odyssey notebook. Green Gooddess and Cape May have an average flow, the others have a dry flow.

Overall, I enjoyed all of these inks, but three of them are very light and are most readable in broad nibs. Cape May has pretty sheen and Green Goddess is a gorgeous color.

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.