Ink Review #2877: Octopus Gryphon Brown

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Today’s ink is Octopus Gryphon Brown from the Sheening collection. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens. I need to start off with saying that this color was a bear to edit, and I’m still not happy with it. It’s too purple compared to how it looks in person. The color is the most accurate in the comparison swabs photo and the longer writing photo.

The color:

Gryphon Brown is a medium red-brown. Like I said above, the color is less purple in person.

*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.

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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Gryphon Brown is closest to Waterman Absolute Brown. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-Sport Rose Gold with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, the brown with green sheen combo is fun. High sheen can be problematic sometimes due to smearing, but I didn’t have any issues with this one 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 #2874: Octopus Barock Umbra Brown

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This week we are focusing on Octopus Fluids inks, starting with Barock Umbra Brown from the Barock Series. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Barock Umbra 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 is much darker than on the Col-o-ring swab.

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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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:

Barock Umbra is lighter than KWZ Hunter Green. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Montegrappa Copper Mule with a fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow. This combo was okay, but not great.

Overall, I could take or leave this ink. It’s okay but I don’t love it. I’m glad I tried it, but I don’t need a full bottle.

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 #2873: Ferris Wheel Press Curious Woods

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Today’s ink is Ferris Wheel Press Curious Woods is from the Three Little Pigs collection. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Curious Woods is a dark brown with green and pink 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 you can see the green shimmer better than the pink.

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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Curious Woods is darker than Diamine Nutmeg. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Cream with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I love the green and pink shimmer and the ashy tone, but I wish the flow was wetter.

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 #2868: IWI Grain Full

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Today’s ink is IWI Grain Full from the Colors of Nature collection. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens but they no longer have any in stock. I looked around but can’t find it for sale anywhere at the moment.

The color:

Grain Full is a medium honey ochre.

*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 really interesting 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 cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 5 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: Medium

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low-just a few spots.

Other properties: medium 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:

Grain Full is similar to Ferris Wheel Press Autumn in Auburn. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I love the color, shading and quick dry time, but there’s way too much feathering for me. I don’t need a full bottle of 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.

Ink Review #2866: 3 Oysters Caramel Macchiato

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

The color:

Caramel Macchiato is a light 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 a little golden than it does on the col-o-ring swab.

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: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium 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:

Caramel Macchiato is lighter than Robert Oster Caffe Crema. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I like this color. It performed really well in the Lamy Al-star. It’s well behaved and lovely.

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: Callifolio Orange Inks

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Today we are looking at five of the Callifolio standard inks: Inca Sol, Havane, Anahuac, Itzamna, and Heure Doree. You can purchase some Callifolio inks from Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Inca Sol, Havane, Anahuac, Itzamna, and Heure Doree.

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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All five had medium shading.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Havane is a little more orange than Van Dieman’s Kitten Paws, but not as orange as Octopus Brown Colibri. Inca Sol isn’t as orange as Colorverse Hahoe Mask.

Anahuac is less saturated than Robert Oster Whiskey. Itzamna isn’t quite as red as Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-yake.

Heure Dorée is warmer toned than Van Dieman’s Neptune’s Necklace.

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All five had dry flows.

Overall, these inks are okay, but not my favorite simply because they are too dry for me.

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

Ink Review #2846: Diamine 160th Anniversary Rosewood

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Today’s ink is Diamine Rosewood from the 160th Anniversary collection. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Rosewood is a deep 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 a little more purplish than it does on the col-o-ring swab.

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: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium 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:

Rosewood is closest to Faber-Castell Hazelnut Brown. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I loved this ink in the Kaweco Al-sport! It was a lovely combo. It’s a good color, flows well, and even has some shading.

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 #2842: Colorverse Country Roads West Virginia

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Our next ink this week is Colorverse Country Roads West Virginia from the US Special Series. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Country Roads is a medium 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 has some 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 cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: high 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:

Country Roads is lighter than Vinta Fortaleza. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Safari Mango with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Here’s a closer look at the shading.

Overall, this ink has some fabulous shading! I love the variation in color it has. I really like this ink for the fall season.

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 #2841: Colorverse 104 Sidereus Nuncius

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Our second ink this week is Colorverse 104 Sidereus Nuncius from The Grand Expedition Collection. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Sidereus Nuncius is a deep dark 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 has some low black sheen but no 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 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 black sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Sidereus Nuncius is much darker than Colorverse Liberty Bell. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Overall, this ink is okay, but not great. It dries in 40 seconds on Rhodia, but I had issues with it drying on Tomoe River paper. The ink drops still weren’t dry after four days. Since I mostly use Tomoe River paper, this is not a great ink 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.

Ink Review #2840: Colorverse Liberty Bell

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Our first ink this week is Colorverse Liberty Bell from the USA Special Series. My sample of ink came from Vanness Pens.

The color:

Liberty Bell is a deep 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 much darker where it pooled.

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: no 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:

Liberty Bell is probably closest to Robert Oster Sepia Nights. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I found this to be a pretty average brown. It has no shading, sheen or shimmer (in my testing at least), so it doesn’t have anything that really makes it stick out from the crowd, but it is well behaved and a nice color.

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.