Ink Review #1990: Van Dieman's Bass Strait Cobalt Blue

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Van Dieman’s Bass Strait Cobalt is from the Colours of Tasmania Collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens. (This is the original formula, not the reformulation.)

The color:

Bass Strait Cobalt is a classic medium blue.

*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 is a bit darker.

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: 10 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Medium

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Bass Strait Cobalt is closest to Ferris Wheel Press Jelly Bean Blue. 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, there’s too much bleeding and feathering for me. I wish it was better behaved.

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

Ink Review #1989: Van Dieman's Cherry Blossom Dream

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Van Dieman’s Cherry Blossom Dream is from the Night Collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Cherry Blossom Dream is a pale baby 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 just a little bit of 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: 20 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 the ink had some feathering and no bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Cherry Blossom is a little bit lighter than Birmingham Cranberry Nobel. Click here to see the pink inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Esterbrook Estie Coral with a broad nib on an Odyssey notebook. The ink had a dry flow.

Overall, I’m not in love with it. It’s generally well behaved, but it’s too dry for me.

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

PenBBS Seasons 19 & 21

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Let’s take a look at five inks from PenBBS Seasons 19 & 21. I purchased my inks from Vanness Pens, but they are no longer carrying PenBBS inks, so I’m unsure where you can get some.

Swabs:

Left to right: POTUS, Blue Sky, Chengdu Red, Forgive Green and Still Waters.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-60 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: POTUS had medium shading. Blue Sky had medium shading and silver shimmer. Chengdu Red had low shading and low green sheen. Forgive Green had low shading and green shimmer. Still Waters had medium shading and gold shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

POTUS is similar to Monarca Arena Blanca

Blue Sky is more periwinkle than these other blue shimmer inks. Still Water is closest to Vinta Sodalite.

Chengdu Red is close to Diamine Tulip.

Forgive Green is less saturated than Diamine Neon Lime.

Chengdu Red had an average flow, all the rest had a dry flow.

Overall, I think Blue Sky is probably my favorite out of the five, but I’m not in love with any of them.

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

Diamine Inkvent 2022 Days 6-10

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It’s time to take a look at the Diamine Inkvent 2022 Calendar, days 6-10. You can find the Inkvent Calendar for sale at a few different places, including Goldspot Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Ghost, Alpine, Jingle Berry, Cardinal and Dusted Truffle.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 40-70 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: Ghost had medium shading. Alpine had low shading and silver shimmer. Jingle Berry had medium shading. Cardinal had low shading. Dusted Truffle had medium shading and silver shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Ghost is similar to Vinta Armada.

Alpine is lighter than Robert Oster Black ‘n Blue.

Jingle Berry is close to Ferris Wheel Press Double Raspberry.

Cardinal is a little lighter than Diamine Tulip.

Dusted Truffle isn’t close to any of the brown shimmer inks I have.

All the inks had an average flow.

Overall, I think Alpine and Dusted Truffle are my favorite out of the five since they are the most unique.

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

Ink Review #1978: Van Dieman's Bay of Fires

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Van Dieman’s Bay of Fires is from the Colours of Tasmania Collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens. (This is the original version, not the reformulation).

The color:

Bay of Fires is a bright red, almost an 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 just a little bit of 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: 10 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Medium

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Bay of Fires is similar to Esterbrook Scarlet. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used an Esterbrook Estie Maraschino with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I’m not a fan. The color is a bit too orange for me and there’s too much bleeding and feathering.

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

Ink Review #1977: Van Dieman's Firetail Finch

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Van Dieman’s Firetail Finch is from the Wilderness Collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens. (This is the original version of the ink, not the reformulation.)

The color:

Firetail Finch is a bright fire-engine 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 just a little bit of 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: Medium

Feathering: High

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Medium

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Firetail is brighter than Diamine Flowers Tulip. 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 slightly dry flow.

Overall, I don’t like this ink. The color is a bit too bright for me and there’s way too much feathering and bleeding.

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

Ink Review #1976: Kobe Myodani Cosmos Red

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Our next red ink this week is Kobe Myodani Cosmos Red. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Cosmos Red is a medium plum 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 more purple than red.

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: medium shading, medium green sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Cosmos Red is darker than Monteverde Napa Burgundy. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Rose Gold with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a really great ink. The color is pretty, it’s well-behaved and writes smoothly.

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

Ink Review #1975: Kobe Nankinmachi Fortune Red

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Let’s take a look at some red inks this week, starting with Kobe Nankinmachi Fortune Red. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Fortune Red is a bright vibrant 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 green 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: medium shading, medium green sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Fortune Red is close to Vinta Silab. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer writing:

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

Overall, I love this ink. It’s a great color, well behaved and writes smoothly.

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

Diamine Inkvent 2022 Days 1-5

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We are well into December now, which means it’s time to take a look at the first five inks from the Diamine Inkvent 2022 Calendar. You can find the Inkvent Calendar for sale at a few different places, including Goldspot Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Bliss, Yule Log, Solar Storm, Spruce, and Spiced Apple.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-60 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: Spruce had high feathering

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Spruce had medium bleeding.

Other properties: Bliss and Spruce have low shading, Spiced Apple had medium shading, Solar Storm had medium bronze sheen and Spiced Apple had medium green sheen. Yule Log had brown shimmer, Solar Storm and Spiced Apple had mixed metallic shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Bliss is similar to L’artisan Pastillier Turquoise.

Yule Log is lighter than Diamine Winter Spice.

Solar Storm is darker than Diamine Storm.

Spruce is darker than Diplomat Moss Green.

Spiced Apple is a little more orange than Diamine Dragon Blood.

All the inks had an average flow except Spruce which had a wet flow.

Overall, I think Yule Log and Solar Storm are my favorite out of the five. Spruce has too much bleeding and feathering for me.

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

December Christmas Ink Palettes

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Christmas is coming! Christmas is my favorite time of year, I can’t wait to do all of the holiday things. I make a lot of cookies this time of year, and Graf von Faber-Castell Cognac Brown is such a good cookie brown.

I love metallics for wrapping presents! Diamine Brandy Snap is a great golden brown.

My tree is full of metallic glass ornaments. Monarca Arena Blanca is the closest ink I have to a metallic white.

I love all five of these colors together! Diamine Ocher matches almost anything.

I love all five of these inks individually, you can’t go wrong with any of them. Let me know what inks you’re using for December in the comments below!

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored.