Ink Review #2598: KWZ Sapphire Blue

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KWZ recently started making shimmer inks. KWZ Sapphire Blue is the first one I’ve tried-it’s a Galen Leather exclusive. Thanks to Galen Leather for sending this ink over for review!

The color:

Sapphire Blue is a medium blue with silver 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 shimmer is very subtle, way less in your face than other shimmer inks.

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: High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink performed really well, no feathering or bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Sapphire Blue is closest to J Herbin Kyanite du Nepal. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot VP Azure with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow and very consistent shimmer without having to agitate the pen often.

Overall, I love this ink. I love that the shimmer is so consistent and that it’s more subtle than other shimmer inks. It has some nice shading, is water resistant and performs well on copy paper. This ink is absolutely worth a try, and I can’t wait to try out the other KWZ shimmer inks!

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 Galen Leather 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 #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.

Ink Review #2596: KWZ Thief's Red

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KWZ Thief’s Red is from the KWZ Standard collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but you can find it at most retailers.

The color:

Thief’s Red is a bright cherry red.

*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 it 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.

*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 some bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Thief’s Red is similar to Monteverde Valentine Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I really like this ink. It’s a nice color, well behaved and affordable.

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 #2595: KWZ Red 1

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KWZ Red 1 is from the KWZ Standard collection. My sample came from Vanness Pens, but they no longer have it in stock. I couldn’t actually find it in stock anywhere, so I’m unsure where you can find some.

The color:

Red 1 is an unsaturated medium red.

*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 it 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.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 60 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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 some bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Red 1 is similar to Ferris Wheel Press Candy Marsala. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Ishime Maroon with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely ink. I really enjoyed using it. Hopefully I can find some in stock somewhere soon.

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 #2594: KWZ Flame Red

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KWZ Flame Red is from the KWZ Standard collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Flame Red is an unsaturated medium red.

*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 it 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.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 60 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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 some bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Flame Red is more vibrant than Inkebara Alice Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I really enjoyed this ink. It's a great color for the fall and winter.

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 #2593: KWZ Cherry

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KWZ Cherry is from the KWZ Standard collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Cherry is a medium merlot red.

*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 it 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.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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 some bleeding in the larger nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Cherry is a little more vibrant than Pennonia Sour Cherry. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used an Esterbrook Estie Maraschino with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I really like this ink. It’s a good color, well behaved and has a good flow. It’s an all over great 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.

Ink Review #2395: KWZ Smells Like Coffee

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Let’s take a look at KWZ Smells Like Coffee. This is a scented ink-it does smell like coffee. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Smells Like Coffee 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 looks darker than it does in writing.

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: 80 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

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:

Smells Like Coffee is a little lighter than Kaweco Caramel Brown. Click here to see the brown inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M800 Renaissance Brown with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this is the first scented ink I’ve tried that didn’t feather and bleed like crazy, so that’s a plus, but it is super stinky and gave me a headache when I used it for half an hour straight. It also has a long dry time.

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.

KWZ IG Blues

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Let’s take a look at five KWZ Iron Gall blue inks. You can find these inks for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: IG Blue #1, IG Blue #2, IG Blue #3, IG Blue #5, IG Blue #6

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 40-90 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All five had low shading.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was some feathering in every nib size and few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

IG Blue #1 is more grey than these other inks. IG Blue #2 is darker than IG Blue #1.

The ink gets progressively brighter the higher the number goes. #6 is brightest.

Longer Writing:

All of the inks had average flows.

Overall, I enjoyed all five of these inks. They do require a bit more care than the average ink because they are iron gall, but they are worth the extra work.

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

KWZ Blue Blacks

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Let’s take a look at two KWZ blue black inks: IG Blue Black and Blue Black. You can find these inks for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Blue Black and IG Blue Black.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 40-50 seconds

Water Resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: Both had low shading.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was some feathering in every nib size and few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Black is lighter than Bungubox 4B. IG Blue Black is darker than the rest of these inks.

Longer Writing:

I used Pilot Vanishing Points with a Taroko Enigma Notebook. Both had average flows.

Overall, I really like both of these inks. I prefer the color of the IG Blue Black over the regular Blue Black, but you can’t go wrong with either one.

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

Ink Review #2274: KWZ Maroon

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Let’s take a look at KWZ Maroon from the Standard collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Maroon is a deep merlot red.

*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.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

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

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had just a little bit of feathering and a few dots of bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Maroon is similar to Colorverse Dirty Red. Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Supernova Red with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, this is a lovely maroon red. I really enjoyed using it-it has a nice flow and 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.