Ink Review #1208: Robert Oster Charcoal

Robert Oster Charcoal is one of those inks that looks different than the name implies. I purchased my sample of ink from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Charcoal is a dark purple-grey.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink looks more grey.

Writing samples:

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

Dry time: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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 most nib sizes and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Charcoal is a little bit darker than Robert Oster Purple Rock. Click here to see the Robert Oster inks together, and click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Purple Cosmos with a zoom nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had a slightly dry, rather sticky flow.

Overall, I’m not in love with this ink. It’s an interesting purple, but the flow is a bit dry and thick.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink myself, and all photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored in any way.