Having the house to myself this past week means--what else--that I got around to inking up a dozen or so pens and writing up some ink reviews, including this review of Diamine Oxblood. I picked up the Oxblood at this year's Atlanta Pen Show from Vanness Pen Shop (where I bought all of my pen show ink purchases.)

Oxblood might be the best red ink I have used in a while. It's got incredible depth of color: a rich dark red with ever so slight brown undertones. If you're looking for a "blood red" ink, this might be your best bet. The ink dries quickly, doesn't bleed, and doesn't feather. Most important of all, it's a red ink that doesn't crust and gunk up the nib. (I'm talking to you, Visconti Bordeaux). My understanding is that this has something to do with the red and orange dyes used in certain inks. It doesn't bother many people, but it drives me nuts. Anyway, this one's going into the rotation. Especially when it looks great in a stub nib!