Ink Review #995: PenBBS 361 Zhan

We are continuing on with the PenBBS theme this week, but moving to Season 24 which are 15ml glass bottles. Let’s start off with PenBBS 361 Zhan, which I’ve also seen referred to as Cham. Thanks to Vanness Pens for sending a sample over for review.

The color:

Zhan is a light icy blue.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has a little bit of shading 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: low shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was some feathering in all nib sizes but just a tiny bit of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Zhan is similar to Lennon Tool Bar Hehuan Blue. Click here to see the PenBBS inks together, and click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Serenity Blue with a fine nib on a Yoseka A5 notebook. The ink had a dry flow. I really didn’t like this pen/ink combo. It felt very dry and had zero lubrication-just felt wrong, and it was way too light in this fine nib to comfortably read.

Overall, I’m not a fan. It’s just too light in color, dry in flow and does not feel comfortable in most of the nibs I tried. It needs to be darker and more lubricated.

Disclaimer: This ink was provided by Vanness Pens 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 in any way.