Ink Review #313: Vintage Waterman Tropic Green

We are almost finished with vintage ink week, so let's take a look at Waterman Tropic Green. This ink was popular in the 1940's. Thanks to John from Fountain Pen Love for sending over a sample for review.

The color:

Tropic Green is a bright medium green.

Swabs:

In ink drops you can see just a little bit 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.

Dry time: 20 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny sheen, and no shimmer. You can only see the sheen in large swabs on Tomoe River paper.

On Staples 24 lb copy paper there was feathering and bleeding in every nib size.

Comparison Swabs:

Ink swabs for comparison, left to right (top to bottom for mobile RSS): Sheaffer Skrip Emerald Green, Waterman's Tropic Green, and Monteverde Erinite. Skrip Emerald Green and Waterman Tropic Green look very similar, they are from the same time period.

Monteverde Hope, Diamine Woodland Green, and Robert Oster Emerald. 

Longer writing: 

I used a broad Pelikan M805 Ocean Swirl on Tomoe River paper. The ink had a slightly wet flow. The ink is a bit on the stinky side, slightly chemical.

Overall, this ink has held up pretty well over time, especially since it's over 60 years old. It looks a bit weaker in color than it did when it was new, but it has a good flow, and has not developed any mold or clumps. If you are looking for a modern alternative, give Diamine Woodland Green a try.

Disclaimer: A sample of this ink was provided by Fountain Pen Love for the purpose of this review. All photos and opinions are my own. There are no affiliate links on this page.