July 23, 2024

Color Traveler Grey Inks

July 23, 2024/ Kelli McCown

Today let’s take a look at three grey inks from Color Traveler: Yamato Gray, Oyster Silver and Sardines Griege. You can finds these inks for sale at a Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Yamato Gray, Oyster Silver and Sardines Griege.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-50 seconds

Water Resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All have medium shading.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was some feathering in every nib size and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Yamato Gray is closest to 3 Oysters Cool Gray.

Oyster Silver is closest to Pelikan Edelstein Moonstone, Sardines Greige is close to Octopus Fluids Pebble Stone.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All three had average flows.

Overall, these are good inks. Yamato Gray is my favorite out of the three but I like all three.

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

July 22, 2024

Ink Review #2582: Robert Oster Rust Orange

July 22, 2024/ Kelli McCown

Robert Oster Rust Orange is a Galen Leather exclusive. You can find this ink for sale at Galen Leather.

The color:

Rust Orange is a deep red-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: 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 bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Rust Orange is lighter than Robert Oster Orange Zest but darker than Robert Oster Fire on Fire. Click here to see the orange inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used an Edison Collier Persimmon Swirl with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I love the color. Robert Oster does a great job with his inks and this one is no exception.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: This product was provided by Galen Leather 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.

July 21, 2024

Wet vs Dry Inks

July 21, 2024/ Kelli McCown

One of the questions I get the most is what’s the difference between wet and dry inks so it’s finally time to tackle the issue.

Wet Inks:

Wet inks put down more ink on the page than average or dry inks. They often have lubricants added like Sailor or Monteverde’s ITF technology. So many people tout wet inks as having the most shading, but often wet inks put down too much ink on the page to show the difference between the light and dark part of the ink. Monteverde, Pilot, De Atramentis, and KWZ are wet brands overall in my experience.

If you have a dry nib and want it to feel more of an average flow you can use a wet ink to tame the dry nib a bit. Some wet inks will spread out on the page as you write and they are more likely to bleed through the page. If your ink is too wet, you can add some distilled water to dry it up a bit.

Let’s look at some wet examples:

Dry Inks:

Dry inks put down less ink on the page than average or wet inks. They have more water content than other inks, which makes the ink sink down into the page faster and therefore seem dryer as you write. In my experience there are a lot of brands that are dry overall: Callifolio, Ferris Wheel Press, Kyoto TAG, L’Artisan Pastillier, Papier Plume, Pelikan, Platinum Classic inks and Troublemaker.

Dry inks often have the most shading, especially chromoshaders/duo shaders. They don’t spread out on the page like some wet inks do. In general dry inks are better for left handers since they usually dry faster than wet inks. I have found that when I write a whole page with a dry ink that the further down the page I get the drier the ink gets. Occasionally a dry ink will become so dry by the middle of the page that I have to prime the feed a bit to keep it writing.

If I put a dry ink in a wet pen it can feel average (like Pelikan 4001 in a Pelikan nib), but then if I use a paper that sucks up ink more than average than the ink can feel extra dry. Here’s an example: a Pelikan M600 medium nib full of Kyo-no-oto Hisoku on Midori MD can feel awfully dry to me even though I’m using a wet pen. If your ink is too dry and you want it wetter, you can add a drop of an ink additive like White Lighting, which will lubricate it and make it flow better.

Let’s look at some dry examples:

Wet and dry inks can be such a subjective thing because they can feel different based on paper, pen and nib. My personal preference is to use wet or slightly wet inks because I prefer a smooth flow.

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

July 19, 2024

Ink Review #2581: Wearingeul Anna Karenina

July 19, 2024/ Kelli McCown

Wearingeul Anna Karenina is from the World Literature collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Anna Karenina is a burgundy red with red 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 shimmer but it’s hard to see in the photo.

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, no sheen, and red shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and some bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Anna Karenina is closest to Diamine All the Best. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M205 Star Ruby with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an dry flow.

Overall, I like the color but the flow is too dry for me. The only other red ink with red shimmer that I know of is Diamine Bah Humbug, so it’s not a very common combo.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

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

July 18, 2024

Ink Review #2580: Octopus Fluids Phoenix

July 18, 2024/ Kelli McCown

Octopus Fluids Phoenix is from the Octopus Fluids Sheening collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Phoenix is a bright red with gold sheen.

*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 sheen but it’s hard to see in the photo.

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: no shading, monster gold sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and a dot or two of bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Phoenix is closest to Aurora Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Coral with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this ink is an interesting ink. This is the first red monster sheener I’ve found, so it’s rather unique.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

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

July 17, 2024

Ink Review #2579: Octopus Fluids Pink Rhino

July 17, 2024/ Kelli McCown

Octopus Fluids Pink Rhino is from Write & Draw collection. You can find this ink for sale at Vanness Pens.

The color:

Pink Rhino is a medium bubblegum 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: High

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 a tiny bit of bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Pink Rhino isn’t super close to any of these other pink inks. Click here to see the pink inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Decimo Pink White with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly wet flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. I love the little bit of shading, high water resistance and slightly wet flow.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

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

July 16, 2024

Ink Review #2578: Ferris Wheel Press Frontenac Blue

July 16, 2024/ Kelli McCown

Ferris Wheel Press Frontenac Blue is from the Frosted Carnival collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Frontenac Blue is a pale blue-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 looks more blue with blue 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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Frontenac Blue is right in-between blue and teal, so it isn’t close to any of the blue or teal shimmer inks I have. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Leonardo Mother of Pearl with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a dry flow.

Overall, I love the color but it can be too light in the smaller nib sizes and it’s a bit too dry for my preference.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

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

July 16, 2024

Ink Review #2577: Kobe Dream of a Shooting Star

July 16, 2024/ Kelli McCown

Kobe Dream of a Shooting Star is a collaboration ink between Kyupo-do and Kobe INK Monogatari. I got my sample from Vanness Pens but they are currently out of stock so I’m not sure where you can get some.

The color:

Dream of a Shooting Star is a pale icy 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 looks much darker than it does on the Col-o-ring swab.

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, tiny red sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering in all nib sizes and a tiny bit of bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Dream of a Shooting Star is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 340. 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 has an average flow.

Overall, I like the color but it can be too light in the smaller nib sizes.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

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

July 14, 2024

July Favorites

July 14, 2024/ Kelli McCown

I can’t believe July is halfway over! There’s just a handful of weeks before the kids go back to school. I’ve spent most of the summer working, playing with my kids and swimming. I’ve had some requests to share my current favorites so here ya go!

Pens:

TWSBI Mini Rose Gold with a medium nib (version 1): I don’t love TWSBI pens in general, but I do own a lot of them because the nibs are pretty good and they are affordable. They are great for testing out inks but I don’t usually use them for my everyday writing. There’s something about the TWSBI Eco that doesn’t sit in my hand well-I do prefer the Eco-T over the standard Eco. This TWSBI Mini when posted, however, is the perfect fit for my hand. The nib is smooth and the perfect size-not too broad and not too fine.

Zebra Sarasa Grand in White (aff. link) with a Zebra Sarasa Dry 0.7 refill: This has become my daily writer that sits on my desk. I use it 10,000 times a day, and my kids frequently steal it off my desk. Sometimes I have to hunt them down to get it back. I’ve used up 2 of these refills in the last month-I use them that much.

Nagasawa Decimo Original Gradation Kaigon Stone Gray with Rhodium Trim: Wow that pen name is a mouthful. I love how pretty and neutral this pen is-I don’t have enough neutral pens. As much as I love the Pilot Vanishing Point, I’ve kinda fallen in love with the Decimo just a little bit more. I love how slim it is-it makes it more comfortable for me during long writing sessions.

Inks:

Sailor Jentle Black: This is going to be the first ink that I empty the entire bottle. I love this ink so much. I currently have it in three different pens just because I enjoy it that much. You can see in the photo above where I compared it to some of my other favorite black inks.

I’ve been color coding my notes a lot this month, so I have almost every color in the rainbow inked up. I do need to add a blue black ink in there. I love all of these inks.

Paper:

Levenger Circa Midway: I have been planner jumping for years. Years! I’ve tried everything from Hobonichi to Erin Condren. I tried a Levenger Circa notebook like 8 years ago and didn’t love it-I felt like the pages came out too easy and it was too hard to turn the book over on itself. Someone suggested that I try heavier paper with metal rings so I decided to take a leap and give it a try. I got the Midway size, which is 1/8 of an inch off of Happy Planner Classic size, and upgraded it to 1 1/2 inch aluminum rings.

It arrived the last day of June and I quickly printed off dividers and planner pages so I could use it for One Book July, which it turns out I stink at. I tried a lot of different styles-I tried 6 different planner daily pages until I found the one that really works for me. So far I’m using it as a combo planner/bullet journal and I’m really enjoying it. It’s just the right size. I’m using HP 32 lb paper in it, which isn’t my absolute favorite-it’s a little too glassy for my taste, but it holds up to fountain pens well and I’ve yet to find a better copy paper since they discontinued my favorites. I still need to do another Copy Paper Conundrum post part 2 (you can find the first one here), so in the comments let me know what your favorite copy paper is so I can test them out!

Taroko Breeze Notebook: I love these notebooks so freaking much! I’ve got three ones going right now and they all have been really great quality. I’ve abused this one so much and the binding has held up beautifully.

Currently:

This month I’ve been working on organizing my swabs (I use the Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress). My swabs have been a mess for months (it’s seriously bad as the photo above shows). I had them sorted by main color, so when I do a review I have to sort through 350 blue swabs to find the similar colors. I finally got around to breaking them up into smaller categories like light red, medium red, dark red, red-violet, cherry red, etc. Hopefully this makes the review process a little faster. I’ll do a blog post about the process soon, but you can find more photos of the process on my Instagram page.

Most Recent Purchase:

Lamy 2000:

I finally broke down and ordered another Lamy 2000 during the Endless Pen 4th of July sale. Years ago I purchased a Lamy 2000 Makrolon and a Lamy 2000 Black Amber together when I was still new to fountain pens. The Makrolon was an EF nib and I hated it as soon as I tried it, so I sold it. The Black Amber had a fine nib that I didn’t like either, but it ended up having some pitting near the nib so I couldn’t sell it, and I still have it. I wanted to try one with a medium nib but wasn’t sure I wanted to buy one just to try it, but I finally just pulled the plug and purchased one. It arrived just this week and so far I like the nib, but the nib is broader than the other Lamy medium nibs I have. It does have a bit of a sweet spot, but I can deal with that. I like the size of the pen and that it doesn’t have a screw cap.

Wish List:

I have a few things on my wish list-things I’m thinking about purchasing soon. Here’s a few things I’m looking at:

Esterbrook Model J Blackberry Ebonite Fountain: I’ve purchased a few Esterbook Esties, both the standard and oversize and so far I’ve had a good experience with the brand. I’ve fallen out of love with the Estie however, and ended up selling all but one of them (If anyone is looking to buy an Esterbrook Estie Maraschino with a broad nib let me know). I’m looking at trying the Model J to see if I like it better. I love the hammered band on the body. I’m trying to decide between the Violet and the Blackberry colors.

BENU Talisman Sandalwood:

I know this pen isn’t available yet, but I’m seriously debating ordering it once it becomes available. I have the BENU Talisman in Cat’s Eye and absolutely love it. It fits my hand well, has a smooth nib and is a cool color. Most of the BENU pens are way too flashy for me, but this one is a bit more subdued and perfect for the autumn season.

Clairefontaine Fontaine Aquapad Watercolor Paper: I love using watercolor paper for playing with ink and to my knowledge this is a new product for Clairfontaine. I want to try it out and make some ink charts with it.