Ink Review #2662: KWZ Firecracker

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KWZ Firecracker is from the “All That Glitters” collection. You can find this ink at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Firecracker is a bright medium red with lots of 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 just how much gold shimmer there is, but the shimmer is smaller than other brands, so it flows much better than the average shimmer ink.

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: no shading, no sheen, and gold shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Firecracker is closest to De Atramentis Camelian Red Bronze . Click here to see the red inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I really love this ink. I love the smaller shimmer that flows really well. I love that I don’t have to agitate the pen as much as when using other brands’ shimmer inks because the shimmer stays in suspension better. Robert Oster Red Gold has been my favorite red ink with gold shimmer, but Firecracker gives Red Gold a run for its money. I think this just might be my new favorite red/gold combo! This ink is absolutely worth a try!

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.

J Herbin Red and Purple Inks

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Let’s take a look at five J Herbin inks today. You can finds these inks for sale at a lot of retailers, including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Rouge Caroubier, Rouge Bourgogne, Poussiere de Lune, Larmes de Cassis, and Violette Pensee.

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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All five have low shading.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Rouge Caroubier is a little more pink than Robert Oster Santa’s Hangover.

Rouge Bourgogne is more pink than these other red inks.

Poussiere de Lune is closest to Diamine Harmony.

Larmes de Cassis is deeper than these other purple inks.

Violette Pensée is close to Thorton’s Purple.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I really like these inks. They are classics in the fountain pen community, and for good reason. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

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

Ink Review #2648: Kobe Lampwork Museum Maroon

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Today’s ink is Kobe Lampwork Museum Maroon. You can find this ink at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Lampwork Museum is a deep maroon, almost a 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 looks more purple than maroon.

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: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, a tiny bit of gold sheen in large swabs, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Lampwork Museum is closest to Colorverse Egg Cockle. 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, this is a lovely deep maroon ink. It would be perfect for the fall and winter seasons.

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.

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.

Ink Review #2634: Private Reserve Infinity Red

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Private Reserve Infinity Red is from the Infinity collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Private Reserve Infinity Red is a bright teacher 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 a little bit of 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: low 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:

Infinity Red is closest to Monteverde Valentine 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 could go either way with this ink. It’s fine but not great. It’s supposed to be able to flow even if you leave the cap off for a while, but I didn’t notice that it flowed any better than the average 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.

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 #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.