Ink Review #2815: Van Dieman's Odysseus

Van Dieman’s Odysseus is from the Greek Heroes collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Odysseus is a bright medium teal with multi-colored 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 some pink 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: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, low pink sheen, and chameleon shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Odysseus is a little more blue than J Herbin Emerald of Chivor. Click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, I like this ink. I’m not a huge fan of shimmer inks, but this one is interesting. It’s also teal, which is my favorite 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 #2814: Colorverse Vermont Long Trail

Let’s take a look at Colorverse Vermont Long Trail from the USA Special Series collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Long Trail is a deep teal.

*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 lots of pink 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: 100 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

Other properties: no shading, monster pink sheen, and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Long Trail is close to Organics Studio Walden. Click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Benu Talisman Cat’s Eye with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average but sticky flow. There were a lot of hard starts and skips.

Overall, I’m not a fan. It takes a whopping 100 seconds to dry, and it has a lot of hard starts and skips. There are better teal inks out there.

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 #2813: Colorverse Massive Storm

Colorverse Massive Storm is the larger bottle in the Colorverse 94 & 95 Massive Storm & Great Red Spot set. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Massive Storm is a petrol teal.

*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 just a little bit of shading, but not much.

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: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: Low

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:

Massive Storm is lighter than KWZ Foggy Green but darker than Diamine Teal. Click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Leonardo Momento Magico with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I could take or leave this one. It’s a lovely color but it does have some bleeding. I don’t love that it comes as a set, I wish it was available individually.

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: Colorverse Blue Dragon Collection

Today’s inks are from the Colorverse Blue Dragon Collection from the 2024 Special Series. They are: Blue Dragon Standard, Blue Dragon Glistening Gold, Blue Dragon Glistening Silver and Blue Dragon Glistening Blue. You can purchase these inks at a few retailers including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Blue Dragon Standard, Blue Dragon Glistening Gold, Blue Dragon Glistening Silver and Blue Dragon Glistening Blue.

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 seconds

Water Resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: No shading, monster pink sheen, as well as gold, silver and blue shimmers.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was a little bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Dragon Standard is similar to Octopus Fluids Nordsee.

For shimmers, Diamine Serendipity is the closest.

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook with a Brooks Charleston and a medium nib. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, I like the non-shimmer version the best. I love the color, but it’s a little too much sheen 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: Color Traveler Standard Cool-toned Inks

Let’s take a look at five Color Traveler standard inks: Bamboo Green, Olive Green, Shimanami Blue, Delta Light Blue and Pione Purple. You can purchase some Color Traveler inks from Shigure Inks.

Swabs:

Left to right: Bamboo Green, Olive Green, Shimanami Blue, Delta Light Blue and Pione Purple.

Writing samples:

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

Dry Time: 30-40 seconds

Water Resistance: Low-Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: All five had low shading, no sheen and no shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Bamboo Green is a little more blue than Colorverse Arabella but not as blue as Thornton’s Green.

Olive Green has more blue in it than Rohrer and Klingner Sketch Emma.

Shimanami Blue is close to KWZ Menthol Green.

Delta Light Blue is similar to Colorverse Clear Cyan.

Pione Purple is closest to PenBBS Lin Huiyin.

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

Overall, I enjoyed all five of these inks. I think Olive Green is my favorite out of the five, simply because I like the color.

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

Ink Review: Colorverse Blue Green Snake Collection

Today’s inks are from the Colorverse Blue Green Snake Collection from the 2025 Special Series. They are: Blue Green Snake Standard, Blue Green Snake Glistening Silver, Blue Green Snake Glistening Green and Blue Green Snake Glistening Purple Blue. You can purchase these inks at a few retailers including Vanness Pens.

Swabs:

Left to right: Blue Green Snake Standard, Blue Green Snake Glistening Silver, Blue Green Snake Glistening Green and Blue Green Snake Glistening Purple Blue.

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 seconds

Water Resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: Medium shading and low red sheen. The shimmers are self-explanatory: Blue Green Snake Glistening Silver has silver shimmer, Blue Green Snake Glistening Green has green shimmer and Blue Green Snake Glistening Purple Blue has purple and blue shimmer.

On Walmart Pen + Gear copy paper there was a little bit of feathering and bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Blue Green Snake Standard is closest to Robert Oster Monsoon Sky.

For shimmers, Diamine Garland is the closest.

I used a Taroko Enigma notebook with a Benu Talisman Cat’s Eye with a medium nib. The ink had an average flow.

Overall, these are lovely inks. I prefer the standard over the shimmers simply because that’s the way I prefer most of my ink-without shimmer, but all of them perform well and are a pretty color.

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

Ink Review #2728: Diamine Tariff Teal

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

The color:

Tariff Teal is a deep petrol teal.

*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 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, 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: low 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:

Tariff Teal is lighter than Anderillium Colossal Squid Dark. Click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer Writing:

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

Overall, this is a lovely ink. It flows well, has a little shading and sheen and is a pleasing dark 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 #2717: Teranishi Guitar Brilliant Mint

Teranishi Brilliant Mint is from the Guitar collection. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens. Thanks to the reader who sent this ink in for review!

The color:

Brilliant Mint isn’t really a mint- it’s a medium teal.

*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, and on cheap copy papers.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 10 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: There’s a little on Rhodia in the flex nib, but I think that’s due to a flaw in the paper-all the inks I’ve been testing lately have some bleeding in the flex nib.

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:

Brilliant Mint is closest to 3 Oysters Aqua Green. Click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Leondardo x Figboot with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I love this ink! It’s a fabulous color, is well behaved, and doesn’t break the bank. I’m not surprised I love it because I’ve loved all the Teranishi inks I’ve tried so far, but I absolutely love the color!

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 #2682: Diamine Vibe

It’s Day 18 of the Diamine Inkvent 2024 Calendar! 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:

Vibe is a deep teal with a ton of reddish-pink sheen.

*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 lots of the pretty sheen. This ink is advertised as extreme sheen.

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: Low

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

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

Comparison Swabs:

Vibe is a little less green than KWZ Sheen Machine 2, and a little more blue than Diamine Christine. Click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Benu Talisman Cat’s Eye with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, this ink has a ton of sheen. Other than a little bit of bleeding it’s well-behaved and a lovely color. I didn’t have issues with this ink smearing, which is great for a monster sheener.

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 #2661: Ferris Wheel Press Knitted Nettle

Ferris Wheel Press Knitted Nettle is from the Wild Swans collection. You can find this ink for sale at Ferris Wheel Press and Vanness Pens.

The color:

Knitted Nettle is a petrol teal-green with 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 the ink has some red sheen along with pink 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: Low

Other properties: low shading, low red sheen, and pink shimmer.

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

Comparison Swabs:

Knitted Nettle is closest to Diamine Best Wishes. Click here to see the teal inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Transparent Teal with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, The color of this ink is a bit unusual-I only have one ink that’s similar. It’s nice and readable, even in smaller nib sizes. I do wish the flow was a bit 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.