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Levenger Cardinal Red Review


Titania

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I originally posted this review on my blog. Please visit for more reviews like this one. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J1QERw11URM/U7TBjQIKxdI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/X6jBSI7FES4/s1600/DSC_0466.JPG

Introduction

This is the fourth review in my series on Levenger inks. Thus far I've noticed that their properties are very consistent: most dry quickly and perform well on low-quality, absorbent paper. Cardinal Red mostly continues the trend with the exception of its longer dry time.
I decided to try this ink because I needed a bright red for editing documents by hand. The ink is perfect for that purpose, so a bottle may find its way into my ink drawer. If you're interested in this ink, it's often on sale for $10 with free shipping from Amazon, making it an excellent value for your money.
I was in no way compensated for this review, and this review contains my honest opinions about the ink.
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Levenger
Color: Red
MSRP: $12
Actual Price: $12
Price I paid: I bought this as part of the Levenger Ink Sampler for $12 while it was on sale. I would highly recommend this ink sampler as it is the only way to try Levenger's inks without buying full bottles.
Amount of Ink: 50 ml
Cost per ml: 24¢/ml at $12
Bottle: Glass; It includes a reservoir
Where to Buy: All of Levenger's inks are exclusive to their website.*
* All prices are the prices at the time of this review's writing on July 1, 2014
Properties:
Sheen: None
Shading: Hardly noticeable
Water Resistance: Somewhat water resistant
Feathering: Minimal on copier paper
Bleed through: Moderate
Show through/ Ghosting: High
Drying Time: Fast
Wetness: Average
Lubrication: Well lubricated
Staining: I haven't noticed any staining.
Cleaning: The ink cleans out of a pen easily
Nib Creep: Minimal- Nib creep doesn't bother me because it has no effect on the writing experience.
Okay on Copier Paper?: If you're using the ink only for editing or grading papers, it performs very well. For more intensive writing, the show through may be bothersome.
Writing Sample:
Pen: Visconti Rembrandt Fine
Paper 1: Levenger Circa Paper
Paper 2: Copier Paper
Paper 3: Black n' Red Notebook
Paper 4: Flashcard for the Extended Soak Test (2 hours)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5qqkp6xPpnA/U7eYuVKLogI/AAAAAAAAAiE/qoHRXpbSVyU/s1600/DSC_0509.JPG
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IEyEnkxYUNA/U7TBbku4zwI/AAAAAAAAAhE/RZskYL-Rc9w/s1600/SCAN0048.JPG
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x6RxEoNRN0s/U7eYyWlOzaI/AAAAAAAAAiU/XpNRpIxmIJA/s1600/DSC_0497.JPG
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OH-ny79k3_A/U7TBlyh9-1I/AAAAAAAAAhk/ecCv5iZ9tlM/s1600/SCAN0050.JPG http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MVOuWDP21zg/U7eY4vygZFI/AAAAAAAAAic/SLETRDqi_wk/s1600/DSC_0524.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QI2Wav6KhuM/U7TBpzhlADI/AAAAAAAAAhw/s4YosBkRApI/s1600/SCAN0052.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh8QYtH7kAg/U7TBW_FlboI/AAAAAAAAAg0/pgZ69Ek7Agk/s1600/SCAN0046.JPG
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RXsJTvZ5rbw/U7TAdQ3sj2I/AAAAAAAAAgE/Wwgic6PBfdM/s1600/SCAN0053.JPG

 

 

 

Levenger Cardinal Red is a fantastic red ink, but it isn't very water resistant. If this ink were water resistant, it would be perfect for my uses. When editing a document or grading something, a small spill would destroy everything written with this ink.

This ink also takes more time to dry than Levenger's other inks. As a dextral writer myself, this doesn't trouble me at all. If you're left-handed and move your hand over freshly written words, the ink will smear and may cause issues.
The redeeming quality of this ink is its color. Cardinal Red is a true red, and when diluted slightly with water, it becomes a nice pink. I may have to buy a bottle of it just for its color.

Pros
  • A great red color which could be used for editing or grading
  • Minimal feathering on average and nice paper
  • Dries quickly
  • Lightfast according to Levenger's website (I haven't tested this yet.)

Cons
  • Moderate bleed through and show through
  • Extreme feathering on highly absorbent papers (e.g. the flashcard)
  • Not very water resistant

Possible Uses
  • Editing, correcting, and grading papers
  • Christmas cards and letters around that time
  • Sending love letters (Cardinal Red is much better for this while diluted slightly.)

I originally posted this review on my blog. Please visit for more reviews like this one.
Edited by Titania

Visit my blog at www.penenthusiast.com.

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Nice warm red.... Thanks...

 

silly question what are the differences between...

 

sheen and shading

 

bleedthrough and showthrough

 

Peter

Das leben ist wie ein Perpetuum Mobile mit ein Mangel..... Immer im Bewegung jedoch nicht unendlich. (life is like a troubled Perpetuum Mobile ever moving but not for ever)

Tricked throughout the centuries...

For centuries people had been tricked by kings & "religion-alism"

In the 20th century people got tricked by communism

Today people get tricked by (neo)capitalism :)

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Welcome to FPN! Great contribution.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nice warm red.... Thanks...

 

silly question what are the differences between...

 

sheen and shading

 

bleedthrough and showthrough

 

Peter

 

 

Peter,

 

Sheen is that strange color you can see only on certain papers. For example, Bung Box Tears of a Clown is a dark ruby red. It looks like Diamine Red Dragon on a lot of papers, but on Tomoe River paper you can see the sheen.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inked_Today/slides/20140616_142637.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nice warm red.... Thanks...

 

silly question what are the differences between...

 

sheen and shading

 

bleedthrough and showthrough

 

Peter

 

 

Shading is where the ink is darker depending on the stroke.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/slides/2013-Ink_748b.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This was bleed through... show through would be if you could see the letters but it didn't look like dots of ink would appear on the next page.

 

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/2014-Inklings/slides/2014-Ink_745b.jpg

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Titania, I love this ink and I'm so glad you shared.

Fountain pens are my preferred COLOR DELIVERY SYSTEM (in part because crayons melt in Las Vegas).

Create a Ghostly Avatar and I'll send you a letter. Check out some Ink comparisons: The Great PPS Comparison 

Don't know where to start?  Look at the Inky Topics O'day.  Then, see inks sorted by color: Blue Purple Brown Red Green Dark Green Orange Black Pinks Yellows Blue-Blacks Grey/Gray UVInks Turquoise/Teal MURKY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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