While we're on the subject of inks that have slipped under my radar, I need to mention Graf von Faber-Castell. The Pen Company recently sent a couple bottles of the GvFC ink over for testing, and I ended up running multiple fills through my pens without changing inks - something I've not done in a long time. Why these inks don't receive more attention is beyond me. They behave comparably to Pilot Iroshizuku and I like the colors better than the Pelikan Edelstein line.
The GvFC Cobalt Blue was tested in my Platinum 3776 Shungyo, with the GvFC Electric Pink tested in my Faber-Castell e-Motion Pure Black edition. Both pens have medium nibs.
Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue
Cobalt Blue serves as the "richer" blue ink in the Graf von Faber-Castell range. (There's another "Royal Blue" that looks lighter and a touch more muted, but I've not used it so I can't provide an exact comparison.) I enjoyed using the Cobalt Blue ink at work - it maintains most of its vibrancy as it dries, without looking washed-out like a lot of other blue inks. Absolutely no feathering or bleed-through on decent paper, with the sole exception being on cheap office copy stock that can barely handle a gel pen.
Graf von Faber-Castell Electric Pink
If you're one of those people who will use pink ink (and I'm proud to count myself among them), try the GvFC Electric Pink. I found it a touch more vibrant/saturated than Callifolio Adrinople, and this ink behaved surprisingly well on all papers. I sometimes have trouble with brighter colors such as pinks, oranges, and reds feathering and bleeding, but not this one. The Electric Pink actually handled the cheap copy paper better than the Cobalt Blue.
Note: I experienced no trouble cleaning either of these inks out of pens, and consider both of them "safe", under the general rule of thumb that most inks manufactured by pen companies can be safely used in all pens made by that company. Since GvFC makes some very expensive pens, I would further assume that you probably wouldn't run into trouble using GvFC inks in pens from other manufacturers, but I'd still express some caution before putting a bright pink or orange ink in a pen that could stain, such as one made from celluloid.
I do have to conclude by saying that I love the Graf von Faber-Castell ink bottle. It's reminiscent of Iroshizuku, plus a chrome cap.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
I will certainly be acquiring more of these Graf von Faber-Castell inks in the future (and possibly the very near future). The Cobalt Blue is a solid everyday ink, and the Electric Pink might even become one of my preferred inks for annotation. Graf von Faber-Castell recently expanded their range of colors, introducing not only the Electric Pink pictured here, but "Burned Orange", Turquoise, and Stone Grey. The Burned Orange has made its way onto my list, as well as some of the older GvFC colors such as Moss Green and Garnet Red. At around $28 per bottle for a whopping 75ml (compared to 50ml for most inks), these inks offer pretty good value.
Many thanks to The Pen Company for sending these two bottles over for review! The Pen Company is a UK-based retailer that stocks the entire line of Graf von Faber-Castell ink, as well as many other brands such as Caran d'Ache, Diplomat, Lamy, Sailor, and Pelikan. Check out their website for more details.
Disclaimer: The Pen Company provided these two inks to me free of charge for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.