I’ve enjoyed getting back to full-time reviewing, as I step back from expanding the shop and refocus the site. If you’ve missed it, I’m in the process of thinning out my accumulation of pens, inks, and paper; selling off a huge chunk of what I don’t use, and - relevant here - rediscovering things I forgot I had, such as six or seven bottles of Scribo Ink at the back of a cabinet. (Ridiculous, right?)
Scribo sells their ink in a hefty 90ml glass inkwell, which not only gives you plenty of ink for your money but also makes for an attractive desk accessory, if that’s your thing.
I’ve previously tested a few different colors from Scribo’s ink lineup, and found them all to have good flow with zero bleed and feathering. For those unfamiliar with Scribo (or “ScriBo,” as I’ve seen it written), the moniker is short for “Scrittura Bolognese”, a reference to both the company’s location and the fact that it was started by former employees of OMAS who wanted to keep that former brand’s legacy alive. Scribo places a strong emphasis on nibs and ink: the nibs tend to be “soft”, with “extra flexible” options available, and the inks are formulated to accommodate the company’s nib style with a special emphasis on inkflow. I’ve also taken an in-depth look at the ink bottle, which is impressive in its own right.
This particular ink dries fast, in addition to behaving well. This writing sample was dry to the touch within 15-20 seconds.
The ink I’m looking at today is “Verde Prato,” a very bright grass/spring green that’s a difficult color to get right. I enjoy using bright greens such as this one for highlighting and annotation, but with some brands, the dyes used in this shade of green tend to make for a drier writing experience and/or precipitate out to form nib crud. Verde Prato, however, is a different story. Scribo has done a very nice job of making a bright - almost neon - green ink that’s still highly usable and likely to stick in my collection since I don’t currently have something similar.
While I store my Scribo inks in the sturdy cardboard packaging, the caps on the ink bottles helpfully have a color reference in case you keep your inks in a drawer and have to view/organize them from above.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
As I noted above, I’ve tended to stay away from these light green inks despite generally liking the color. Unlike some brighter colors such as orange, I’ve found light greens to have a tendency towards extremely dry flow. Scribo Verde Prato flows much better than most, and going forward this one will definitely remain in the collection as my “nuclear green” option. The ink’s legibility makes it an excellent option for both highlighting and annotation.
You can purchase Verde Prato and other Scribo pens and inks from our friends at Vanness Pens. At $35, the ink isn’t inexpensive, but you do get the impressive glass inkwell bottle containing a full 90ml of ink (which is approaching Akkerman territory!).
Disclaimer: I purchased the ink featured in this review for my own use, though I purchased it so long ago I can’t recall whether I may have received a discount or not. This post does not contain affiliate links or paid advertising. To support The Gentleman Stationer, please consider shopping at the T.G.S. Curated Shop (large inventory reduction sale ongoing!) or visiting our Patreon Program.