Ink Review: Lamy Vibrant Pink Special Edition Ink

July 11, 2018

Around this time every year I review Lamy's special edition inks that they release to complement their special edition Safari and AL-Star fountain pens. If you recall, last year Lamy released their "Petrol" fountain pen ink, which ended up gaining more attention for its scarcity than the actual color. This year they have another winner with Vibrant Pink, though it seems to fall a bit outside of the typical Lamy "safety zone," as I'll discuss more below.

Wait, Sheen AND "Glistening"?

Yep. In a Lamy ink. Until now, the craziest thing about Lamy ink was the bottle, with its incorporated roll of blotter paper. The inks themselves were fairly staid inks that didn't venture into outlandish colors or properties. So when I inked this one up and wrote with it, I was surprised to see a fair bit of gold (or sometimes greenish?) sheen, as well as a subtle glistening/glitter effect.

This photo came out better than I thought it would! You can see a lot of the sheen in the wetter areas of this swab, as well as some of the glistening effect. In normal writing both are fairly subtle.

Some sheeny and glistening inks suffer from slow dry times and smearing, but this one not so much. I've been using this ink to mark up documents at work, and it even works fairly well on cheap paper, so in that respect Vibrant Pink is similar to your standard Lamy ink. You may get a bit of precipitation on the nib (i.e., "gunk"), which is not uncommon with sheeny inks, but it didn't affect the ink flow or writing experience in any way.

Comparison swabs with the other two pinks in my collection: Callifolio Andrinople (top) and Kyoto TAG Imayou-Iro (bottom).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Lamy makes great inks, and IMHO they don't get enough attention. The limited edition Vibrant Pink is a bit of an outlier, with the gold sheen and shimmer, but I haven't had any issues in the two or three fills of this ink that I've used. Since I have so much ink right now, including several different pinks, I won't be stockpiling extra bottles, but if you're looking to add a pink to your rotation, this is a good one.

You can purchase Lamy Vibrant Pink Special Edition Ink from our site sponsor Pen Chalet. One nice thing about Lamy Ink is the price point - you get excellent ink for $12 per bottle, and that's before any applicable coupon codes or discounts.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink from Pen Chalet using affiliate credit. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, though this post does contain affiliate links.

Ink Review: Colorverse Schrodinger and Cat

May 16, 2018

Well, I'm back with another round of Colorverse inks for you. Up today is an ink, or rather, a set of inks, from Colorverse Season 3: Multiverse. For it's third "season," Colorverse released the inks in packs of two different colors, both featuring physics or space-themed names per the Company's usual practice. It's a cool idea, in that it gives you some variety within a single purchase, and also allows the company to play on some more complex themes. (I won't even try to explain the "Schrodinger/Cat" connection here. That's what Wikipedia is for.)

You can just see the shimmer in "Cat" at the edges of the swab.

There's not too much to say about these inks in addition to what I've already said about other Colorverse inks that I've reviewed. Both Schrodinger and Cat flow well, dry relatively quickly, and behave in the sense that they don't bleed or feather on decent paper, only becoming unusable for me on the cheapest recycled copy stock. Schrodinger is a mid-bright green, maybe slightly darker than Montblanc Irish Green, while Cat is a cobalt blue that "glistens" (i.e., shimmers). A note about Colorverse "shimmer inks": somewhat surprisingly, I like them! I find the glitter effect much more subtle than in the J. Herbin or Diamine offerings, and I had no issues with Colorverse Cat drying out in or clogging a pen. I've used it a fair bit, even at work.

I spent most of this review with Schrodinger loaded into my trusty Faber-Castell Loom, a pen I'm liking more and more as a daily writer.

One thing I like about Colorverse Cat (and most of the Colorverse glistening inks) is that it can pass as a "normal" ink for everyday writing. The "shimmer effect" is subtle and will likely only be noticeable in very wet nibs, unless you look pretty… — One thing I like about Colorverse Cat (and most of the Colorverse glistening inks) is that it can pass as a "normal" ink for everyday writing. The "shimmer effect" is subtle and will likely only be noticeable in very wet nibs, unless you look pretty hard.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While I like some better than others from an aesthetic perspective, I have not tried a "bad" Colorverse ink. For further reading, check out my earlier reviews of Colorverse Black Hole and Dark Energy, as well as my review of Colorverse Quasar.

Swabs of my current stash of Colorverse Inks.

Site sponsor Pen Chalet carries the full range of Colorverse inks, including Schrodinger/Cat. The inks cost $36 per two-pack of bottles - one 65ml bottle of Schrodinger and one 15ml bottle of Cat - for a total of 80ml of ink. While the cash outlay "per ink" isn't insignificant, given the volume you get in a box the price doesn't strike me as unreasonable (though of course opinions will vary on this).

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink from Pen Chalet using affiliate credit. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, though this post does contain affiliate links.

Ink Review: Papier Plume Chicago Special Editions

April 11, 2018

When I visited New Orleans a few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to leave with two bottles of still-secret special edition inks that Papier Plume was working on for the 2018 Chicago Pen Show. Now that the embargo has been lifted, I can give you a sneak peek at "Da Blue" - a Chicago Bears-themed ink that I'd characterize as a steel blue; and "Bootlegger's Sacrament," a dark red/burgundy wine color that's easily my favorite of the two. Don't get me wrong, both are excellent, but my love of dark burgundy inks wins the day here.

These photographs make the inks look slightly darker than in real life, but the colors are fairly accurately reproduced, at least on my monitor.

Papier Plume inks are starting to receive more attention lately. One thing I learned during my recent visit is that the shop makes all of its inks in-house, and over the year's they've accumulated quite an array of colors. Da Blue and Bootlegger's Sacrament are special "pen show" inks, and while there will likely be stock left over after the Chicago Pen Show, these won't be added to the regular lineup (even though they'd be great additions).

Some color comparisons: Bootlegger's Sacrament is pretty close to Franklin-Christoph Black Cherry, though the Papier Plume ink has more purple. When I first saw "Da Blue," Montblanc JFK Navy Blue came to mind, though the Papier Plume ink has a lot m… — Some color comparisons: Bootlegger's Sacrament is pretty close to Franklin-Christoph Black Cherry, though the Papier Plume ink has more purple. When I first saw "Da Blue," Montblanc JFK Navy Blue came to mind, though the Papier Plume ink has a lot more green and grey.

The lineup of Papier Plume inks that I have in my personal "ink library." I'm looking forward to visiting with them at this coming weekend's Atlanta Pen Show.

What I like most about Papier Plume inks is that they are straight-up, water-based, vintage-style fountain pen inks. There are no special properties or fancy gimmicks. The inks dry quickly, despite being moderately wet writers, and are usable on nearly all paper, even cheap copy stock. Where Papier Plume does get "fancy" is with their bottles - their show special editions and "New Orleans" series inks are all dipped in wax and embossed with a fleur-de-lis. A nice reminder that they're from New Orleans.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Chicago Pen Show has really taken off, and is moving up the ranks into one of the top pen events of the year. If you're in the area, or willing to travel, it represents your best chance to snag one of these two inks, though I expect some stock may be available on the Papier Plume website after the show. Anyway, even if you don't manage to obtain bottles of these specific inks, I highly recommend Papier Plume inks in general. While the bottles are on the smaller side, they're also extremely reasonably priced (starting at $8 for 30ml).

Disclaimer: Papier Plume provided me with the inks featured in this review free of charge, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this review.

Ink Review: Colorverse Black Hole and Dark Energy

April 4, 2018

I've got two more Colorverse inks for you this week! I'm loving this brand so far, and these two are among my favorites: Dark Energy, a deep burgundy, and Black Hole, which is what I would call an "off black." So far, nothing has changed from my initial impressions of Colorverse Quasar, which I reviewed a couple weeks ago. All of the Colorverse inks I have tried exhibit reasonable dry times, especially for inks with sheen, and while they aren't the absolute best inks I've ever used on cheap paper, they're more than serviceable. Performance-wise, I'd compare them to Pilot Iroshizuku, though the colors are more saturated.

Two swabs of Colorverse ink on Col-O-Ring paper.

These two inks are from the "Astrophysics" Series. Colorverse manufactures their inks in "Seasons," each of which has a different theme. Season 1, titled "Spaceward," has - you guessed it - a space/space exploration theme, with inks such as "Einstein Ring," "Hubble Zoom," and "Saturn V." The "Astrophysics" inks are from Season 2, which in addition to the two inks reviewed here include "Andromeda," "Gravity Wave," "Quasar" (which I've already reviewed), and "Supernova." Season 3, titled "Multiverse," takes a different approach by offering different inks in pairs, some of which obviously complement each other, but others are more subtle. The three seasons all emphasize unique properties: Season 1 inks tend to shade nicely; Season 2 inks have nice sheen; and the smaller bottles in the Season 3 sets "glisten" (i.e., shimmer ink). So far I have most of the Season 3 inks, which I'm still working through for review purposes.

The burgundy tone on the Dark Energy comes through much more than in a swab.

Since both of these inks are part of "Season 2," they have a lot of sheen. Dark Energy might turn into one of my favorite inks overall. I originally thought the color would contain too much brown for my taste, but that's not the case. While there are hints of brown, the end result is still a rich burgundy red with a dark sheen that I haven't seen before in any other ink.

Colorverse-Ink-Writing-Sample-Montblanc-Lamy

Black Hole is another winner. I love "off-black" colors, where black ink has a hint of something else like green, blue, or purple. I'm not sure how best to describe "Black Hole" - it has an a purple/red sheen to it when it dries, though I've also seen pictures where the sheen looks almost blue. A very cool ink, overall, and a perfect pairing for my Montblanc 146 Ultra Black.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Colorverse continues to impress, and I honestly don't remember the last time I had this much fun with a new line of ink. I can't wait to see what they have in store for Season 4.

You can purchase the full line of Colorverse ink from our sponsor Pen Chalet. Pricing starts at $36 per ink, though this snags you two bottles for a total of 60ml, which on a price-per-ml basis is comparable to Pilot Iroshizuku and Sailor Jentle (after the latest price increase). The two-bottle packaging creates a great opportunity to go in on these inks with friends, and trade the smaller bottles so that you have samples of all the colors.

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink from Pen Chalet using affiliate credit. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, though this post does contain affiliate links.

Perfect Pairing: Faber-Castell Loom Fountain Pen and Colorverse Quasar Ink

March 24, 2018

Sometimes you run across a pen and ink combination that works especially well, and you just have to review them together. Such is the case with the Faber-Castell Loom and one of the new inks I received last week, "Quasar" by South Korean company Colorverse.

The Faber-Castell Loom: Budget Workhorse?

First off, I've written about Faber-Castell pens before, and in my opinion, the German company sells some of the best steel-nibbed fountain pens on the market. I've never had a Faber-Castell pen with issues, and I've owned several. The nibs always write smoothly and have especially good ink flow. The Loom is no exception.

Since you can purchase the Loom for as little as $40, you might ask why it's taken me so long to review this pen. Well, in pictures, I was always a little put off by the cap. I thought it looked chunky and heavy, and suspected it would throw off the balance of the pen when posted. I was wrong. The cap on the gunmetal versions pictured here is a lightweight plastic, which posts fairly deeply on the aluminum body. I've been writing with the Loom nonstop for the past week and it's extremely comfortable to use for long periods of time.

The Shiny Gunmetal version, which I demoed in-store at Vanness. The pen sits nicely in the hand, and is a great length.

The only real critique I would have is with the grip. The section has raised ridges to give it some texture, but it's still pretty slick, even on the matte pen. It wasn't that big of a deal for me, but I know some readers are sensitive to this issue. I believe the "Piano" versions of the Loom add even more texture to the section in the grip area, which may help.

The Faber-Castell Loom that I actually took home with me was this matte version. I like both Gunmetal versions (matte and shiny), but this one spoke to me more.

Colorverse Quasar: A Sheeny Ink You Can Actually Use

That reddish-purple sheen is insane. And it dries relatively quickly. No smearing three days later like some other sheeny inks.

So what's been my favorite ink to use in the Loom? So far, I've had great luck with one of the new Colorverse inks that I received in the mail last week. Colorverse Quasar is a rich, dark blue that features a reddish sheen, reminiscent of other inks I've tried such as Akkerman Shocking Blue and Diamine Majestic Blue.

I love the fact that Colorverse includes two bottles with every purchase. You can use the smaller bottle for travel, or - even better - you can trade the smaller bottles among friends, making it easier to collect all the colors!

The Faber-Castell Loom ended up being a perfect pen for this ink because the medium nib was wet enough to show off some of the sheen, but not such a gusher that I ended up with bleedthrough or smearing issues. One thing I've loved about the Colorverse inks is the fact that for such saturated, sheeny inks, they seem to be relatively low maintenance, especially with respect to dry time.

No issues with bleedthrough, feathering, or smearing on Baron Fig Mastermind paper. Even on office paper, this ink performed decently.

Take that last comment with a grain of salt, because it's more of an initial impression than a final verdict. I plan to do a more thorough write-up of the Colorverse inks in the future after I test more of the line. I have additional colors on the way. That said, I'm impressed so far, and others whose opinions I trust have had equally positive experiences.

You also get some fun extras in the box, including stickers, a pen rest, and a bookmark. (They also throw in a Colorverse cocktail napkin, which I've heard some people describe as "blotter paper." It's not. It's a cocktail napkin.)

A note on Colorverse pricing: At first glance, the Colorverse inks might appear expensive at $36 apiece, but once you break that down a bit it's not that bad. For each color, you get not one, but TWO bottles (65ml and 15ml) for a total of 80ml of ink. That comes out to roughly $0.45 per ml, which on a per-ml basis is similar to the new Sailor Jentle inks ($0.44) and Iroshizuku ($0.40). All calculations were done using Pen Chalet's best pricing.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Faber-Castell Loom took me by surprise. This pen represents excellent value and has one of the best nibs that I've used in the $40-55 price range. Vanness currently has a large stock of these pens in various colors, but unfortunately the "Gunmetal Matte" version is sold out. During my visit to Vanness Pens back in December, I was torn between the matte pen and the "Gunmetal Shiny" version (which I photographed in the store), as well as the "Piano White", both of which Vanness still has in stock.

While I expected to like the Colorverse inks, simply because the "space/astrophysics" concept behind the brand was so well thought-out and intriguing, I didn't expect these inks to work as well as they do for everyday use. As I mentioned, I've ordered more, and look forward to testing the other colors. You can purchase all three "seasons" of Colorverse inks from Pen Chalet, who (along with Vanness) carries the entire line.

Disclaimer: Vanness Pens provided the Faber-Castell Loom for review purposes, free of charge. Pen Chalet supplied me with the Colorverse Ink. This post contains affiliate links.