Ink Review #2612: Robert Oster Admiral Blue

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Today’s ink is Robert Oster Admiral Blue-it’s a Galen Leather exclusive. Thanks to Galen Leather for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Admiral Blue is a bright 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 has some pretty 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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Admiral Blue is darker than Robert Oster Blue Sea in swabs. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Leonardo Momento Magico Emerald, with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. It’s pretty and well behaved, but that’s what I’ve come to expect with Robert Oster blue inks.

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.

Colorverse Korea Inks, Part 4

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Colorverse has a Korea Special Ink Collection, so today we are going to take a look at five of them. Thanks to Luxury Brands for sending these inks over for review! You can finds these inks for sale at a lot of retailers, including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Camellia, Maltijae, Horizon, Do-dong Forest, and Gyeongnyeolbi-yeoldo.

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 low-medium shading. Maltijae has low green sheen.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Camellia is similar to Franklin-Christoph Sweet Maroon.

Maltijae is similar to Monteverde Mandarin Orange.

Horizon is darker than Van Dieman’s Leatherwood Honey Amber.

Do-dong Forest isn’t super similar to any of these other green inks.

Gyeongnyeolbi-yeoldo is more green than these other teal and blue inks.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, Horizon and Gyeongnyeolbi-yeoldo are my favorites, but all are generally well behaved.

Disclaimer: These products were provided by Luxury Brands for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links, and is not sponsored in any way.

Ink Review #2606: Wearingeul A Doll's House

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Wearingeul A Doll’s House is from the World Literature collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

A Doll’s House is a deep blue black, it almost leans to purple 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: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

A Doll’s House isn’t super close to any of these other blue black inks, but it’s probably closest to Monteverde Blue Black. Click here to see the blue black inks together.

Longer Writing:

I can’t find the photo of the longer writing sample for the life of me. I know I did it but I can’t find the photo or the original page either. I would write out another one but I’m out of ink. Sorry! The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I’m firmly in the middle on this ink-it’s good but not amazing. It’s a good option if you are looking for a blue black that leans toward purple.

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.

Color Traveler Blues and Blue Blacks

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Today it’s time to look at three Color Traveler inks: Red Lighthouse Night Black, Seto Inland Sea Blue Black and Sardine Blue Gray. You can finds these inks for sale at Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Red Lighthouse Night Black, Seto Inland Sea Blue Black and Sardine Blue Gray.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All have low shading, Nightblack has medium red sheen. Sardine has silver shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Night Black is closest to 3 Oysters Hangangmul.

Blue Black is closest to Diamine Presidential Blue.

Sardine Blue Gray is a little more purple than these other blue inks.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, these are lovely. They’re well behaved and have average flows.

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

Graf von Faber-Castell Part 1

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Let’s take a look at four Graf von Faber-Castell inks: Midnight Blue, Cobalt Blue, Royal Blue and Gulf Blue. You can finds these inks for sale at Atlas Stationers.

Swabs:

Left to right: Midnight Blue, Cobalt Blue, Royal Blue and Gulf Blue

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All have low-medium shading.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Midnight Blue is lighter than Aurora Blue Black.

Cobalt Blue is darker than Akkerman 06 Binnenhof Blues.

Royal Blue is closest to Thornton’s Blue and Parker Blue.

Gulf Blue is similar to Montblanc Miles Davis.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All four had dry flows.

Overall, these are nice inks, but they are dry, so I’m not in love with them.

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

Ink Review #2598: KWZ Sapphire Blue

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KWZ recently started making shimmer inks. KWZ Sapphire Blue is the first one I’ve tried-it’s a Galen Leather exclusive. Thanks to Galen Leather for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Sapphire Blue is a medium blue with silver 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 shimmer is very subtle, way less in your face than other shimmer inks.

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: High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink performed really well, no feathering or bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Sapphire Blue is closest to J Herbin Kyanite du Nepal. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot VP Azure with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow and very consistent shimmer without having to agitate the pen often.

Overall, I love this ink. I love that the shimmer is so consistent and that it’s more subtle than other shimmer inks. It has some nice shading, is water resistant and performs well on copy paper. This ink is absolutely worth a try, and I can’t wait to try out the other KWZ shimmer inks!

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.

August School Ink Palettes

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It’s the first Sunday of August, so it’s time for some new ink palettes! This month I decided to focus on a school theme since my kids start school at the end of the month. I love Bungubox Kaoru! It’s not a very common color, and I love how unique it is.

I always think of colored pencils when I think of school. I love all five of these, especially Jacques Herbin Orange Soleil.

I love playing scrabble. Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki is my favorite out of these five, but I also really love Kosumosu.

Out of these five, I love Robert Oster Fire and Ice the most. I think it was my first Robert Oster ink, and I still love it.

What inks are you using in August? Let me know in the comments below!

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

Ink Review #2597: KWZ IG Mandarin

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Today’s ink is KWZ IG Mandarin from the Iron Gall collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but they no longer have any in stock. I tried to find some at other retailers and couldn’t find anyone who had some in stock, so I’m unsure of where you can buy some.

The color:

IG Mandarin starts out as a bright orange and quickly dries to a medium 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 looks darker than it did 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: 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:

IG Mandarin is warmer than Diplomat Pine Tree. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Akkerman Orange with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I love watching the color change from orange to brown. This is a great option for a modern iron gall ink.

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.

Ink Review #2596: KWZ Thief's Red

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KWZ Thief’s Red is from the KWZ Standard collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but you can find it at most retailers.

The color:

Thief’s 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 it 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 some bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Thief’s Red is similar to Monteverde Valentine Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Purple with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. It’s a nice color, well behaved and affordable.

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.

Ink Review #2595: KWZ Red 1

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KWZ Red 1 is from the KWZ Standard collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but they no longer have it in stock. I couldn’t actually find it in stock anywhere, so I’m unsure where you can find some.

The color:

Red 1 is an unsaturated medium 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 it 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: 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 some bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Red 1 is similar to Ferris Wheel Press Candy Marsala. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, this is a lovely ink. I really enjoyed using it. Hopefully I can find some in stock somewhere soon.

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.