Wow, do I have a large backlog of products to review! Before I left on vacation earlier this month, I had somehow ended up with 30 inked fountain pens, most of which I had intended to review (either the pen itself or the ink), but at the end of the day I figured it was best to do a reset and choose 10 or so combinations on which to focus. Today, I’m going to look at two of the inks I selected, both of which come from Anderillium: Viceroy Butterfly Orange and Atlas Moth Brown, from the recently released Lepidopteran Series.
Yes, I know it says “Monarch” - whenever I think of an orange butterfly I think of Monarchs, and apparently the two are easily confused!
As many readers already know, Anderillium is one of the brands that we stock in our own shop (full disclosure!), and we love their inks not just because they represent good value and good quality, but because we also enjoy the company’s carefully thought-out themes - typically based around nature - and their offbeat takes on classic ink colors. The initial two series of Anderillium Inks included the Cephalopod Series (squids and octopuses) and the Avian Series (Birds), so the recently released Lepidopteran Series (moths and butterflies) continues the nature trend.
There is no red ink in the Lepidopteran Series: Viceroy Butterfly Orange is a dark reddish-orange that serves that role. You can check out a picture of the full range of colors - some of which are quite unusual - at the bottom of this post.
Viceroy Butterfly Orange - which I keep trying to call “Monarch Butterfly Orange” - is a beautiful dark orange that leans heavily red. Unlike many orange inks, I’ve had no issues with nib crud forming, which is a huge bonus for an ink in this color family since orange and yellow dyes can be finicky in that regard. I chose this ink as the perfect pairing for my TWSBI Diamond 580 Sunset Yellow fountain pen. I typically enjoy pairing orange pens with a red ink (and vice-versa), and this particular ink is red enough that it accentuates the lighter orange/gold of TWSBI’s latest Diamond 580 release. This particular pen also sports a broad nib, which gave me the opportunity to test how the Anderillium ink behaved in a pen that lays down a thicker, wetter line. The end result? Viceroy Butterfly Orange is a great ink that dries relatively quickly and resists smearing. Once you consider this alongside the lack of precipitation/nib crud, you have a fabulous orange workhorse.
Atlas Moth Brown is a VERY dark brown. While you can make out the slight brown hue when it dries (particularly in a broader nib or a wet writing sample), in a finer nib this ink appears black. Also be sure to check out the writing sample below, which definitely shows green undertones, and the reverse shot of the page, which shows purple?
Atlas Moth Brown is the “Black” ink from the Lepidopteran Series. While technically a very dark reddish-hued brown, I can really only discern these undertones when this ink is wet. (Those looking for a more traditional brown should check out “Toltype Moth Warm”, which itself isn’t necessarily traditional, but will get you more shading and visible brown tones.) Like the Viceroy Butterfly Orange, Atlas Moth Brown is well-behaved. Though it dries perhaps a touch slower than the Viceroy, I experienced no bleedthrough or feathering in everyday writing except on the cheapest of copy paper. The almost-black hue when dry lends itself quite well to office use, and this ink will see a repeat run through the rotation when I have to return to the office in two weeks. :(
In my Midori MD Cotton ink journal (which I’ve been using for my ink reviews), this ink looks almost green-black. AND then…
On the reverse of the page, the bleedthrough from the swabs appear purple? (This bleedthrough is not reflective of everyday writing. I literally poured ink onto the page with a pipette to see what kind of sheen I could get when the very wet samples dried.) This is a truly interesting one.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
I’ve been extremely pleased with the performance of both inks, having written with them consistently over the past three weeks. The Viceroy Butterfly Orange in particular stands out - strike up another win for Anderillium in the yellow/orange category that includes their excellent Flapjack Octopus Orange (from the Cephalopod Series) and American Goldfinch Yellow (from the Avian Series). Orange inks, and particularly lighter oranges and golds/yellows, can be tricky to get right, as ink makers have to balance legibility with the tendency of orange dyes to precipitate and form nib crud. All three Anderillium inks strike a good balance. The Atlas Moth Brown is what I’d probably characterize as an “interesting black ink alternative,” because it dries so dark. I rarely write with pure blacks, opting for darker versions of other colors that can look black when dry, especially in a finer nib, making them good work alternatives yet at the same time less “boring”.
You can purchase Anderillium Inks, including the two featured here, directly from us in the T.G.S. Curated Shop. As I mentioned above, both of these inks are from Anderillium’s recently released “Lepidopteran Series,” where all the inks are themed around moths and butterflies. Other series from Anderillium include the Cephalopod Series (based on squids and octopuses) and the Avian Series (based on birds). Inks are sold in individual 1.5oz widemouth bottles ($14.50) or in sets of 8 mini-bottles ($50), which allow you to sample the entire line.
I likely won’t re-review these two pens, given that they are simply new colors of two pens that I’ve already reviewed multiple times: the TWSBI Diamond 580 and the Sailor Pro Gear. But I will say that I absolutely adore both of these editions. As I mentioned above, the TWSBI is the recent “Sunset Yellow” release, and the Pro Gear is this year’s “Moonlight over the Ocean”.
The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all brands sold, including Anderillium Inks.