Ink Review #338: Ancient Song Mooring by Qinhuai

We are finishing out Ancient Song week with Ancient Song Mooring by Qinhuai. I purchased my bottle of ink from Straits Pen. They don't have any available online right now, but I think they will have some Ancient Song inks available at their table at the San Francisco Pen Show in August. 

The color:

Mooring by Qinhuai is a beautiful medium purple with silver shimmer.

Swabs:

In large swabs there is plenty of silver shimmer, but no sheen.

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 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Ink swabs for comparison, left to right (top to bottom for mobile RSS): J. Herbin 1798 Amethyste de L'Oural, Ancient Song Mooring by Qinhuai, and Diamine Frosted Orchid. Click here to see the Ancient Song inks together.

Diamine Purple Pazzazz, Montblanc Beatles, and Diamine Lilac Satin. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing: 

I used a broad Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl on Tomoe River paper. The ink had an average flow. I didn't have any clogging issues, but like any shimmer ink you need to rotate the pen to keep the shimmer in suspension. The shimmer was a little understated in writing.

Overall, I like the color, and it's pretty well behaved. I wish it was easier to find this brand in the United States.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links.