Ink Review: Akkerman Dutch Masters 1, 2, & 4

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Let’s take a look at three Akkerman Dutch Masters inks: 01 Ceruleum blauw van Vermeer, 02 Dou's Emerald Green and 04 Hals Oud Bruin. You can purchase these inks at a few retailers including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: 01 Ceruleum blauw van Vermeer, 02 Dou's Emerald Green and 04 Hals Oud Bruin.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 40-80 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All three had low shading. Dou’s Emerald had low red sheen.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was a little bit of feathering but no bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

01 Cerulean is a little lighter and brighter than 3 Oysters Blue.

Dou’s Emerald is closest to Kobe 01 Rokko Green.

Hals Oud is closest to Akkerman 22.

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. 01 and 02 had average flows, 04 had a slightly dry flow.

Overall, Dous Emerald is my favorite out of the three. I would call it more of an olive green than an emerald, so the name doesn’t quite fit, but it’s still a fabulous green. I don’t know that I would ever need a full bottle since the Dutch Master bottles are a whopping 120ml’s, but I love the sample that I have.

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

Ink Review: Akkerman 11-15

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Let’s take a look at five Akkerman standard inks: 11 Treves Turquois, 12 Mauritshuis Magenta, 13 Simplisties Violet, 14 Parkpop Purpur and 15 Voorhout Violet. You can purchase these inks at a few retailers including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right:11 Treves Turquois, 12 Mauritshuis Magenta, 13 Simplisties Violet, 14 Parkpop Purpur and 15 Voorhout Violet

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 40-70 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All five had low shading. Violet had medium gold sheen and the last two had low gold sheen.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was quite a bit of feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

11 Treves Turquois has a lot of other similar inks.

12 Mauritshuis Magenta isn’t quite as vibrant as L’artisan Fuchsia.

13 Simplisties Violet is a bit lighter than J Herbin Violet Boreal.

14 Parkpop Purpur is similar to J Herbin Violette Pensee.

15 Voorhout Violet is closest to Sailor Ink Studio 452.

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

Overall, I like all five of these inks. They are well behaved and nice colors. I probably wouldn’t get a full bottle of the turquoise because there are so many similar colors out there, but I really like the purples.

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

Ink Review: Akkerman 00-04

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Let’s take a look at five Akkerman standard inks: 00 Royal Akkermanblauw, 01 Passage Blauw, 02 Residentie Blauw, 03 Akkerman Blauw and 04 Nassaus Blauw. You can purchase these inks at a few retailers including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: 00 Royal Akkermanblauw, 01 Passage Blauw, 02 Residentie Blauw, 03 Akkerman Blauw and 04 Nassaus Blauw

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-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All five had low shading.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was quite a bit of feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

00 Royal Akkerman Blauw is closest to Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue. 04 Nassaus Blauw is lighter than Kaweco Royal Blue. 02 Residentie Blauw is closest to Lamy Blue.

03 Akkerman Blauw is closest to Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuyu-kusa.

01 Passage Blauw is lighter and brighter than Rohrer and Klingner Sketch Marlene.

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

Overall, I really enjoyed all five of these inks. They are good colors, flow well and even have some shading. I really love the fun shaped bottles as well.

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

Ink Review #2778: KWZ Meet Me In St. Louis 2025-314 Blues

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This weekend is the St. Louis Pen Show, so let’s take a look at the show ink! This year is KWZ Meet Me In St. Louis 2025, aka 314 Blues. You can pick this ink up at the show!

The color:

314 Blues 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 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, and on cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 15 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: Low-there was some feathering on Rhodia, but I think that’s an issue with the latest batch of Rhodia paper I got rather than the fault of the ink.

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-again with issues on Rhodia, I still think it’s the paper’s fault.

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

314 Blues is brighter and more saturated than Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I’ve enjoyed the Meet Me In St. Louis inks I’ve tried so far, and this one is lovely. You can pick up a bottle at the show!

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 the organizers of the St. Louis Pen Show 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.

Ink Review #2777: KWZ Azure 4

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Today’s ink is KWZ Azure 4 from the Standard collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Azure 4 is a bright turquoise 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 is much darker, with a little bit of black 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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Azure 4 is a little darker than Backpack Athens Blue. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Black Ice with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It’s a gorgeous bright blue with a little bit of sheen.

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 #2769: Taccia Sketch Earth Blue

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Today’s ink is Taccia Earth Blue from the Sketch collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Earth Blue is a bright sapphire 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 a little bit of red 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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Earth Blue is closest to Colorverse Stars & Stripes. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Montegrappa Elmo with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It’s a gorgeous bright blue with a little bit of sheen.

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 #2737: Ink Institute Affluent Dragon

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Today’s ink is Ink Institute Affluent Dragon from the Spring 2023 collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Affluent Dragon is a bright blue with 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 a little bit 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

Other properties: medium shading, tiny red sheen, and gold shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Affluent Dragon is closest to Diamine Arctic Blue. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Cyan with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely ink. It has some nice shading, even in a fine 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 #2732: Teranishi Guitar Melancholic Blue

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Today’s ink is Teranishi Melancholic Blue from the Guitar collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader who sent this ink in for review!

The color:

Melancholic Blue is a medium blue-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 some nice 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Melancholic Blue is darker than Robert Oster Blue Denim. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco Transparent Blue with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. It has a nice flow, some shading and a little sheen. It’s a lovely ink.

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 a reader 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.

Ink Review #2730: Teranishi Guitar Night Time Soda

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Today’s ink is Teranishi Night Time Soda from the Guitar collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader who sent this ink in for review!

The color:

Night Time Soda is a deep royal 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 nice 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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

Other properties: medium shading, low red sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Night Time Soda is less saturated than these other royal blues. Click here to see the blue 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, I enjoyed the color and I love the medium shading-it gives it some character without making it hard to read. Like all the other Teranishi inks I’ve tried so far I really like it.

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 a reader 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.

Ink Review #2725: Diamine Port of Call

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Today’s ink is Diamine Port of Call from the 160th Anniversary collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Port of Call is a medium ocean 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 nice shading.

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: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s some bleeding in the flex nib and swab on Rhodia, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper rather than the ink. I’ve had this happen with most inks on this most recent batch of paper.

Other properties: high shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Port of Call is closest to Robert Oster Frankly Blue. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Custom 74 in Teal with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, the shading in the longer writing samples is fantastic! I love the color, the flow and the shading. This one is a win for me!

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.