Ink Review #2894: 3 Oysters Americano

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Today’s ink is 3 Oysters Caramel Americano from the Delicious collection. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Americano is a deep walnut 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 and more flat than it does on the Col-o-ring.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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 bleeding and feathering in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Americano is lighter than Franklin-Christoph Dark Chocolate. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M400 White Tortoise with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I would say this is an average brown ink. It has a little bit of shading, which is nice, but it’s not an ink that stands out from all of the other brown inks I’ve tried.

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 #2893: De Atramentis Coral Red

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Today’s ink is De Atramentis Coral Red from the standard collection This ink was also released under the names: Pope Julius II, Peter I of Russia, and Recorder. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Coral Red is a deep 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 has some green sheen, but it’s hard to see in photos.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Coral Red isn’t a perfect match for any of these reds, but it’s closest to Franklin-Christoph Sweet Maroon. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I like the color. I did have some issues with it burping with a fresh fill, but a sentence or two in it always stopped. I could take or leave this one.

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.

For Those Who Celebrate Hanukkah!

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I don’t celebrate Hanukkah myself, but I’ve had a lot of requests for more Hanukkah themed things when I post holiday content. So last week I posted a Christmas-themed ink palette and my favorite Christmas inks over on Patreon, so today we’re looking at Hanukkah ink palettes and tomorrow on Patreon I’ll share my favorite Hanukkah inks. Out of the five inks shown in this palette, Robert Oster Thunderstorm is my favorite by far.

I love all cookies (except oatmeal raisin, because they are gross). I love KWZ IG turquoise to match the color of the cookie icing.

Out of these five Colorverse Selectron is probably my favorite. I love how dark and consistent it is.

Kobe Taisanji Yellow is one of my favorite golden yellow inks. It flows well and is a wonderful holiday color.

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

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

Ink Review #2892: Colorverse Office Red

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Today’s ink is Colorverse Office Red. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Office Red is a bright school 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 less saturated and more flat than it does on the Col-o-ring above.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 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 bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Colorverse Red is similar to a lot of other red inks including Waterman Audacious Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Elite Royalty with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a good basic school red. This shade of red isn’t my favorite, so it’s not one I need a full bottle of, but it’s well-behaved and performs well.

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 #2891: Dominant Industry Fishermen at Sea

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We’ve been looking at Dominant Industry inks this week, our final one is Dominant Industry Fishermen at Sea from the Painters Series. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Fishermen at Sea is a deep moss 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 has 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, as well as on cheap copy paper.

*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 no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Mystic Forest is a little darker and a little less yellow than Kobe 49 Kitano Olive Green. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Franklin-Christoph Kelly Green with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a good basic green with a little bit of shading. I like the color and it’s well behaved.

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 #2890: Dominant Industry Les Falaises a Etretat

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We are continuing on with Dominant Industry inks this week-today’s ink is Dominant Industry Les Falaises a Etretat from the Pearl collection. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Les Falaises is in-between blue and green. Before y’all come for me-the color is totally light dependent. In warmer light it looks more green, in cooler light it looks more blue. It was warmer light when I was working on this review, and therefore it appears more 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 has lots of shimmer-I’m not quite sure what color the shimmer is. If I had to pick a color I would say it’s champagne and green.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Les Falaises is a little more green than Ferris Wheel Press Frontenac Blue. Click here to see the green inks together. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I love the color-it’s not a super common color, but it can be too light to be easily read in smaller nib sizes. I prefer it in a medium or broad nib for everyday writing, but it is really pretty in a flex nib.

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 #2889: Dominant Industry Lapis Lazuli

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This week we are focusing on Dominant Industry inks-today’s ink is Dominant Industry Lapis Lazuli from the Pearl collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Lapis Lazuli is a vibrant blue with lots of pink sheen and blue 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 sheen and shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, high pink sheen, and blue shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Lapis Lazuli is darker than Robert Oster Blue Moon, but lighter than Diamine Arctic Blast. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Laban Ocean Blue with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this ink is lovely. It’s a nice color, well behaved, and has enough sheen to be super pretty and interesting, but not so much that it has issues with smearing.

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 #2888: Dominant Industry Bog Sage

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Today’s ink is Dominant Industry Bog Sage from the Twilight Garden collection. This ink is scented, it’s supposed to smell like bog sage (I have no idea what bog sage actually smells like) but I didn’t notice much of a scent when filling or writing with a pen. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Bog Sage is a bright sky 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 shades to a darker, more muted blue.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 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 feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Bog Sage is similar to Diamine a Dip in the Pool. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M600 Turquoise White with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, this ink is pretty well behaved for a scented ink! Most scented inks feather and bleed all over, even on good paper, but this one doesn’t do any of that. It didn’t have a lot of scent to my nose-maybe they put less fragrance in it than other brands so it behaves better.

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.

December 2025 Ink Palettes

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Christmas is coming (and Hanukkah for those who celebrate)!!! Christmas is my favorite holiday, and December is my favorite time of year. We’ve gotten just enough snow-flurries and flakes but not much has stuck on the ground for long. For a bright Christmas red I tend to reach for Octopus Red Koala, especially because it’s water-resistant.

I’ve been sewing like mad, making presents for pretty much everyone I know. I’ll take any excuse I can to be creative. I’ve been sewing a lot of purses and bags, dresses and pajamas, shirts and slippers. I’m having so much fun making each gift special for each person. I’m loving Penlux Mo Plum for a wintery holiday purple ink.

I’m usually a grump about letting other people decorate my tree. We’ve always had an upstairs tree that my kids are allowed to go wild on and a downstairs tree that I decorate with the metallic glass ornaments I’ve been collecting for years. This year I decided my 15-year-old was old enough to decorate my tree and she did such a good job. She really enjoyed it, but she might not like it so much when I make her do it next year too. Octopus Fluids Document Red is another fabulous bright water-resistant Christmas red.

New Years comes shortly after Christmas, and between both holidays I use a lot of shimmer inks. I especially love Robert Oster Heart of Gold. It’s the perfect gold color with gold shimmer.

I love doing these ink palette posts. I hope you have a great month and a fabulous holiday season!

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

Ink Review #2887: Endless Candy Sea

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Today’s ink is Endless Candy Sea from the Alchemy collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Candy Sea is a vibrant blue with lots of pink 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.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no 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:

There are lots of similar blue sheening inks. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M600 Turquoise White with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I loved this ink’s writing experience in the Pelikan 600, but I had issues with the it smearing after it dried. Out of the sheeny blue inks, I prefer Diamine Maureen over this one.

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.