Ink Review #1925: Laban Athena Grey

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Laban Athena Grey is from Laban’s Greek Mythology collection. Thanks to Goldspot for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Athena is a deep grey, almost black.

*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 matte finish.

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: Low

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Athena is closest to Birmingham Riddle Green. Click here to see the grey inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a good basic dark grey, no shading or sheen so it would be a great ink for the office.

Disclaimer: This product was provided by Goldspot 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 #1924: Laban Ares Red

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Laban Ares Red is from Laban’s Greek Mythology collection. Thanks to Goldspot for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Ares Red is a bright cherry 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 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:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering but no bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Ares Red is closest to Diamine Red Robin. 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.

Overall, this ink is lovely-well behaved and a nice color.

Disclaimer: This product was provided by Goldspot 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 #1923: Scribo Nero Nero

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Scribo Nero Nero is from Scribo’s Standard collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Nero Nero is a medium black.

*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 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:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering.

Comparison Swabs:

Nero Nero is similar to Sailor 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 wet flow.

Overall, this ink is pretty well behaved, but it does have just a little bit of bleeding.

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

Ink Review #1922: Esterbrook Ebony

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Esterbrook Ebony is from the Esterbrook Standard collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Ebony is a deep black.

*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 bleeding and feathering.

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: 5 seconds

Water resistance: High

Feathering: High

Show through: High

Bleeding: High

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had lots of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Ebony is similar to Colorverse Selectron. Click here to see the 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 ink dries quickly and is water resistant, but it also comes with lots of issues: high feathering and bleeding, even on Tomoe River paper and the ink spreads so a medium nib feels more like a broad or double broad. I wouldn’t recommend this ink to anyone.

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

Ink Review Colorverse Electron & Selectron

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Colorverse 31 Electron comes in a boxed set with 32 Selectron and belongs to the Multiverse collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Electron is a medium red orange.

The color:

Selectron is a deep black.

*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 Electron 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: 30-40 seconds

Water resistance: Low-High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the inks had some feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Selectron is deeper than these other black inks. Click here to see the black inks together.

Electron is closest to Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki.

Longer writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. The both inks had a wet flow.

Overall, I enjoyed both of these. They’re well behaved and have a nice wet flow.

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

Ink Review #1919: Van Dieman's Black Truffle

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Van Dieman’s Black Truffle is from the Tassie/Seasons collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Black Truffle is a deep brown-black.

*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 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:

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Low

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Black Truffle isn’t super close to any of the other black inks I have since it has that brown undertone. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Visconti Homo Sapiens with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, I don’t love this ink-it has a dry flow and a little more feathering and bleeding than I like to see.

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

Ink Review #1918: Kobe 24 Nakayamate Black

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This week we are going to take a look at black inks, starting with Kobe 24 Nakayamate Black. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Nakayamate Black is a medium standard black.

*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 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:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had quite a bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Nakayamate Black isn’t super close to any of the other black inks I have. Click here to see the black inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Crossed Lines with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a wet flow.

Overall, this is a nice black ink. I enjoyed the wet flow and the little bit of sheen.

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

Ink Review #1917: Robert Oster Napa

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Robert Oster Napa is from the Cities of America collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Napa is a medium maroon 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 looks a bit more purple.

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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and a bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Napa is closest to Montblanc Antoine de Saint-exupery. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, this is a lovely red ink. It’s a nice color and I enjoyed using it.

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

Ink Review #1916: Robert Oster Oklahoma City

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Robert Oster Oklahoma City is from the Cities of America collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Oklahoma City is a medium mossy green.

*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 dries very matte and flat.

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 the ink had some feathering and a bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Oklahoma City isn’t super close to any of these other greens. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Custom 74 Forest with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a nice ink. It’s a nice dark color and is well-behaved.

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

Ink Review #1915: Robert Oster Miami

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Robert Oster Miami is from the Cities of America collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Miami is a medium blue with a slight green undertone.

*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 tiny bit of pink 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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and a bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Miami is a little darker than Papier Plume Carolina On My Mind. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Pilot Decimo Nagasawa with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It’s a nice color and performs well.

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