While it’s uncommon for me to run across “undiscovered” lines of ink, occasionally it happens. Such was the case with Van Dieman’s Ink, an Australian brand based in Launceston, Tasmania. Per the company’s website, they have 54 inks in their collection, 12 of which are shimmering, organized into five themed series: “The Original Colours of Tasmania,” “Hollywood,” “Midnight,” “Wilderness,” and “Tassie Seasons.” According to Yagan (Macchiato Man), who previously reviewed the brand, “Van Dieman’s Ink” is a reference to “Van Dieman’s Land,” the former name for Tasmania given for Anthony Van Dieman, a Dutch colonial governor and a backer of early expeditions to Tasmania. While Van Dieman’s Ink has been available to Australian fountain pen users for a while, U.S. retailers only recently have begun stocking these inks.
The box art on the “Wilderness” and “Midnight” series somewhat reminds me of Noodler’s Ink.
I ordered four bottles: Three inks from the “Wilderness” series and one ink from the Midnight Series. Of these four, I’ve spent the most time with the Wilderness Inks. “Black Tongue Spider Orchid” is a dusty purple, “Firetail Finch” is what I would characterize as a “pure red,” and “Eucalyptus Regnans” - my personal favorite - is a mid-to-dark green. The Midnight ink (“Eclipse”) is an off-black/dark gray.
Many thanks to Ana at the Well-Appointed Desk for supplying the Col-o-ring “Dipper” that I used for the ink swatches!
Van Dieman’s Ink seems to behave well on most papers. I experienced some slight feathering and bleedthrough after my first fill of the Black Tongue Spider Orchid, but I’m fairly sure that was due to the feed being oversaturated after filling and the pen (a TWSBI Eco) writing very wet for a while. The issue went away after a few lines. Firetail Finch and Eucalyptus Regnans both perform well, and while I’ve not had the chance to use Eclipse extensively, it appears to have similar properties.
The writing sample pictured here was done on a Baron Fig Mastermind Desk Pad, one of my favorite tools for everyday work.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Given my experience (albeit limited) with these four inks, I plan to keep an eye on Van Dieman’s and try more of the colors. Personally, I always appreciate brands that not only make a good product, but embrace their origins and offer the opportunity to learn something new about another part of the world. For example, I knew little about the history of Tasmania, much less Tasmanian flora and fauna. Check out all 54 colors of Van Dieman’s Ink and you stand to learn a lot!
Van Dieman’s Ink is sold in 30ml bottles, and you can currently purchase at site sponsor Pen Chalet for $12.95 per bottle. All four series feature the same pricing.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. The inks featured in this review were acquired from Pen Chalet using store credit generated through Pen Chalet’s affiliate program, which is one way I support this site. Many thanks to Pen Chalet for making this review possible.