Ink Review #2690: Robert Oster Sepia Nights

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Today’s ink is Robert Oster Sepia Nights from the standard collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but you can find it at a few different retailers.

The color:

Sepia Nights is a deep walnut brown that leans toward purple.

*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 depth to it.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink did pretty well, just a little bit of feathering and bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Sepia Nights is deeper than Robert Oster Smokescreen and Ferris Wheel Press Beaver Dam. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, this is a good deep walnut brown ink. Like most of Robert Oster’s ink it’s well behaved.

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 #2688: Diamine Salted Caramel

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It’s Day 24 of the Diamine Inkvent 2024 Calendar! You can still find the Inkvent Calendar for sale at Levenger, along with a few others. Thanks to Diamine for sending the Inkvent Calendar over for review!

The color:

Salted Caramel is a warm tone 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 gold shimmer and some shading.

Writing samples:

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

*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 gold shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Salted Caramel is closest to Ferris Wheel Press Workshop Wishes. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a TWSBI Eco-T Mango with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely ink. It’s well behaved, a nice color, and I didn’t have any issues with the shimmer clogging.

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 Diamine 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 #2686: Diamine Nutmeg

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It’s Day 22 of the Diamine Inkvent 2024 Calendar! Just a few days left until Christmas. You can still find the Inkvent Calendar for sale at Cult Pens, along with many others. Thanks to Diamine for sending the Inkvent Calendar over for review!

The color:

Nutmeg is a pale brown with gold 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 tons of gold shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Nutmeg is warmer than Wearingeul Othello. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M200 Gold Marbled with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely shimmer ink. I like the color and it’s well behaved.

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 Diamine 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 #2666: Diamine Wilted Rose

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Let’s take a look at Day 2 of the Diamine Inkvent 2024 Calendar! You can still find the Inkvent Calendar for sale at Vanness Pens, along with many others. Thanks to Diamine for sending the Inkvent Calendar over for review!

The color:

Wilted Rose is a hard color to describe. On Col-o-ring swabs it’s brownish pink, but on Tomoe River paper the ink is more reddish pink.

*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 just looks rather blah and sad.

Writing samples:

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

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 20 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 feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Wilted Rose is pinker than these other brown inks. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Purple, with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I’m not a fan. The flow is a little too dry and frankly I don’t like the color. It’s just not an ink for me.

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 Diamine 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.

Robert Oster Elements Inks

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Today’s inks are from the Robert Oster Elements collection. You can finds these inks for sale at a lot of retailers, including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Earth, Fire, Water and Wind.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 20-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: Earth and Water have medium shading, Fire has low shading, and Wind has high shading. Water has blue shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Earth is lighter than Birmingham Antique Sepia.

Fire is similar to a lot of other inks.

Water is closest to Nemosine Blue Snowball Nebula Twinkle.

Wind is close to Sailor Ink Studio 243.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All four had slightly dry flows.

Overall, these are lovely inks. I do wish the flow was a bit wetter, but they are lovely to use in wetter nibs.

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

Graf von Faber-Castell Inks, Part 2

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Let’s take a look at five Graf von Faber-Castell inks today. You can finds these inks for sale at a lot of retailers, including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Carbon Black, Stone Grey, Hazelnut Brown, India Red, and Burned Orange.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 15-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All have low shading.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Carbon Black is similar to Private Reserve Infinity Black.

Stone Grey is a little cooler-toned than Aurora Grey.

Hazelnut Brown is a little deeper than Sailor Spicy Chipotle.

India Red is closest to Organics Studio Mercury Red.

Burned Orange is a little darker in writing than Dominant Industry Earl Grey Tea.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I love the colors but the flow was a little dry for me-I just wish they were a little wetter.

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

Vinta Hello Rain Inks

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Today’s inks are from the Vinta Hello Rain collection. You can finds these inks for sale at a lot of retailers, including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Arnibal, Tuwing Umuulan, Badya, Holen and Amihan.

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

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All have low shading, Arnibal has low green sheen. Arnibal, Badya and Amihan have gold shimmer. Tuwing Umuulan has silver shimmer and Holen has blue shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Arnibal is darker than Diamine Yule Log and warmer than Robert Oster Terra Australis.

Tuwing Umuulan is lighter than Ferris Wheel Press Cabernet on the Lake.

Badya is closest to Birmingham Southshore Luster.

Holen is a little darker than Van Dieman’s Morning Frost but a little lighter than Kyo-no-oto Ginkaisuoku Silver.

Amihan is lighter than Robert Oster Faith, but darker than the rest.

Longer Writing:

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook. All four had average flows.

Overall, these are lovely shimmer inks. They are well behaved and nice colors. I would say these are average-lovely, but not must-have inks 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 #2618: Ferris Wheel Press Majestic Maple Syrup

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Today’s ink is Ferris Wheel Press Majestic Maple Syrup from the Woven Warmth collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but you can find it at a few different retailers.

The color:

Majestic Maple Syrup is a light maple 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 lots of champagne shimmer.

Writing samples:

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

*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 champagne shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink did pretty well, just a little bit of feathering and bleeding in the flex nib.

Comparison Swabs:

Majestic Maple Syrup is lighter than Ferris Wheel Press Workshop Wishes. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M200 Gold Marbled with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a dry flow.

Overall, I love the color but it can be too light in smaller and drier nibs. I wish it had a wetter flow but I still love the 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.

Ink Review #2617: Inkebara Old Iron

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Today’s ink is Inkebara Old Iron from the Standard collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but you can find it at a few different retailers.

The color:

Old Iron is a deep cool-tone 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 a bit of a red undertone.

Writing samples:

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

*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 feathering and bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Old Iron is closest to Anderillium Cuttlefish Brown. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M605 Black Stripe with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I’m firmly in the middle on this ink. It’s well-behaved, but not a must-have color 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 #2597: KWZ IG Mandarin

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Today’s ink is KWZ IG Mandarin from the Iron Gall collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but they no longer have any in stock. I tried to find some at other retailers and couldn’t find anyone who had some in stock, so I’m unsure of where you can buy some.

The color:

IG Mandarin starts out as a bright orange and quickly dries to 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 looks darker than it did 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.

*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 feathering and bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

IG Mandarin is warmer than Diplomat Pine Tree. 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 love watching the color change from orange to brown. This is a great option for a modern iron gall ink.

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.