Diamine Evergreen

[smiorgan]

This is my first review here, but it's also on my blog. Have omitted some photos.

 

Subjective: why I like Diamine Evergreen

• it appeals to me from a wet and a dry pen, fat and thin lines
• nice and calm like a mid-grey, but much better contrast and more interesting with the green
• warmer and perhaps not as in-your-face as some other green-blacks (e.g. Diamine Sherwood) 
• the benchmark I would use for lubrication, flow, and ease of cleaning
• great VFM, UK manufacturer

 

(Relatively) Objective: my Review

 

Pens

• Pelikan M200 Fine
• Lamy Safari Charcoal with OM nib (dry writer)
• Lamy Safari White with OB nib (wetter writer)

These are my "workhorse" pens, each with their own issues. The Pelikan and the broad Lamy can be hard starting with some inks and papers, and the Lamy Broad can also really drag on paper without lubrication. The Lamy Medium is much drier than the others, and really shows up some inks.

 

Paper

• Clairfontaine 90 gsm exercise book
• Generic printer paper
• Filofax Flex cream paper

This ink changes colour over 24 hours from a sort of blue/green-black to a proper evergreen -- the scans are of the final colour after 24 hours (top) and just-dried (bottom).

 

Clairefontaine paper -- top is after 24 hours, bottom is just dried

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEVreyGU2WU/UiGjeYzKJ3I/AAAAAAAABJc/VjDwrlhsY0k/s400/evergreen-clairfontaine.jpg

 

 

Copier paper -- top after 24hr, bottom just dried 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eHurR1xuxfk/UiGjkCrC3TI/AAAAAAAABJk/yZcfp7MkxK8/s400/evergreen-copier.jpg

 

Filofax Flex -- Just Written 

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pVwjr0D-TpU/UiGkAq7YECI/AAAAAAAABJ8/GWJAkNpa4ek/s200/evergreen-flex-justwritten.jpg

 

Filofax Flex -- 24 hours 

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ozXjmvs8O6E/UiGmANpWPuI/AAAAAAAABKU/z4kmZsY-AGI/s200/evergreen-flex-24hr.jpg

 

The Clairfontaine paper can drag a bit, and the glossy surface can punish hard starters. I had neither problem with Evergreen. Printer paper feathers more but still no bleeding. Filofax flex cream paper is for a bit of fun to show how cream paper can really affect the ink. The ink looks like teal, verdigris or blue-black on this paper. Suspect it would do the same with other cream papers. All in all pretty good. I think the ink looks best on white paper, and for cream I'd choose a proper grey like Diamine Grey.

 

Bleeding, Feathering

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BoIj0_-58Bg/UiGkA-QV1SI/AAAAAAAABKA/PwE3FiqRPPc/s400/evergreen-copier-showthrough.jpg

 

Doesn't really bleed through any papers I tried, though threatens to with the fat Safari nib on printer paper. Feathers a bit with the Safari nibs on cheaper paper, but the Pelikan is very well behaved. Shows through a bit on thinner paper, but doesn't affect legibility. I've also used the Charcoal Lamy with Field Notes which tend to be hit and miss with fountain pens. With this ink everything is legible, no bleeding, feathering or show through. The line from the Pelikan is a little tidier, so I think that's an effect of the nib, not the ink.

 

Lubrication and Flow

Great. A real pleasure to write with. The fat Lamy OB glides over papers. Pretty much a benchmark fountain pen experience, even with the dry Lamy.

 

Water resistance

Good luck with that. If this ink left the tiniest residue I'd be happy, but any kind of soaking will make writing illegible.

 

Cleaning

Great, cleans up quickly, doesn't hang around (er, see above).

 

Summary

This ink ticks a lot of boxes for me, both colour-wise and with performance. Works in several different pens, on several different papers, and colour is to my liking in all cases.

This is pretty much the benchmark I would use to compare other inks. Not all inks I have (Diamine and other manufacturers) are as lubricating, or easy to clean, or look good both wet and dry.

However, there is no water resistance. That's a lower priority for me than the actual writing experience and my ability to read notes I made a few days ago (anything important gets transcribed).

 

[Eclectica]

Hi Smiorgan,

 

Nice review thanks.

 

Looking at the close up on a work monitor, and reading your description, it would appear that the colour morphs blue - green over time. The extent more pronounced with some pens than others.

 

I am guessing that this monitor is not adjusted particularly well, but would be interested to know if the initial blueness appears more blue than green, or does it appear initially green and become greener?

 

(I know the brain works in many different ways to discern colour depending on surroundings, contrast, light quality, etc., so it makes for an interesting time discerning colour especially when on a boundary condition).

 

Cheers,

E.

[smiorgan]

Hi Smiorgan,

 

Nice review thanks.

 

Looking at the close up on a work monitor, and reading your description, it would appear that the colour morphs blue - green over time. The extent more pronounced with some pens than others.

 

I am guessing that this monitor is not adjusted particularly well, but would be interested to know if the initial blueness appears more blue than green, or does it appear initially green and become greener?

 

(I know the brain works in many different ways to discern colour depending on surroundings, contrast, light quality, etc., so it makes for an interesting time discerning colour especially when on a boundary condition).

 

Cheers,

E.

 

The blue is barely detectable on white paper, even when freshly laid down -- so on white, I'd say very dark green, lightening as it ages. This one is a definite grey-green but as it gets older the yellow comes through a touch.

 

However for the cream paper it's a different story -- laid down the colour is definitely blue, much like Sheaffer Skrip Blue-Black. I don't know if that's a peculiarity of Filofax Flex paper (which is strange stuff -- don't recommend generally -- I just bought a flex A5 holder from TK Maxx, and I use it for Clairefontaine exercise books). I guess the yellow in the ink is interacting with the cream paper somehow.

 

I'll see what it looks like on Basildon Bond and some others, when I have time.

[Eclectica]

Interesting - many thanks.

 

Re - cream paper, yes I have noticed how cream paper seems to alter the colour of the ink, but could not say if it a result of visual processing, or reaction of some kind.

 

Cheers,

E.

[The Good Captain]

I really like this ink - one of my favourite Diamine 'greens'. Easier to wash out of pens than its similar companion, Diamine Racing Green but of course that one is a little harder to obtain. A great ink and a good review.

[benjitzu]

In my top three favorite three green inks (PR Avocado is top, Montblanc Irish Green next). It's inked consistently in one pen or another.