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Pelikan Edelstein Topaz


Sandy1

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Hi

 

Good review. Thanks

 

I like very much this blue-turquoise ink without greenish hues, like some turquoises.

 

Better using medium nibs.

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Hi

 

Good review. Thanks

 

I like very much this blue-turquoise ink without greenish hues, like some turquoises.

 

Better using medium nibs.

 

 

Hi,

 

You're welcome.

 

I too lean away from the narrow nibs - I like to show-off this ink, so prefer a wider line, which in turn can generate shading to a greater extent than narrow nibs. :)

 

Bye,

S1

The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

 

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  • 3 years later...

It is sad that Sandy1's brilliant work was not archived, so much was lost to photobucket.

When looking for an ink or looking to see which ink I have, I always read Sandy's thread first in Reviews.

 

I'd won a near mint Pelikan Toledo Hunter B..'93 only; and remembered Topas as one of my most favorite shading inks.

 

On Clairefontaine Triomphe, it shaded less than expected.

 

On Oxford Optic 90g a paper exactly = to Clairefontaine Velout 90g, it shaded only a bit more than on the Triomphe, but was not the shading monster I remembered.

 

Perhaps that B nib is a very wet one.

Eventually, I'll try it in a another regular flex  Pelikan but in M from the '90-97 era. When I do I'll post it.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

It is sad that Sandy1's brilliant work was not archived, so much was lost to photobucket.

When looking for an ink or looking to see which ink I have, I always read Sandy's thread first in Reviews.

My feelings exactly. This is a great loss.

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I concur, Carlos. So many fine things are lost to image holder companies going out of business... not just in reviews, but all across FPN.

:( 

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  • 2 years later...

Herebelow, I have restored the images to Sandy1’s OP reviewing this ink.

 

You may notice that the images of the scans of her text samples look different to the other images - that is because she re-calibrated her scanner and re-scanned those text samples, but not the other images.

 

As her later scans are more-representative of the ink’s colour, I have used those where available.
Please click on the ‘Expand’ link in order to see her review as it ought to look:

 

On 11/14/2010 at 7:32 AM, Sandy1 said:

Please take a moment to adjust your monitor to accurately depict the Gray Scale linked below.

As the patches are neutral gray, their colour on your monitor should also be neutral gray.

 

Mac

 

Wintel PC

 

Gray Scale:
 
large.IMG_3440.webp.f9d3a2024e7daa0c26fdbf2c5fa2045b.webp
 

=|-|=

 

Figure 1.

Swabs & Swatch

Paper: HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.

 

large.IMG_3508.webp.a84e1f9e8547a006706ca50878bbe20f.webp


Figure 2.

NIB-ism ✑

Paper: HPJ1124.

 

large.IMG_3509.webp.75335938a05f05f134ff9740ad6dacb1.webp
 

Depicts nibs' line-width and pens' relative wetness.

 

A-F: Sumiko, Eversharp, 330, M200, Phileas & Estie.

 

WRITTEN SAMPLES - Moby Dick

 

Row Height is 8mm.

 

Figure 3.

Paper: HPJ1124.

 

large.IMG_3504.webp.f14d4ac2ae31c0a5fb6f630a4b877d32.webp

 

Figure 4.

Paper: Rhodia.

 

large.IMG_3505.webp.9ebd0c302df64306c08b773248cf7dcc.webp


Figure 5.

Paper: G Lalo, Verge de France, white.

 

large.IMG_3506.webp.a1aa247151cb9884ba46ef607aa2f18e.webp


Figure 6.

Paper: Royal, 25% rag.

 

large.IMG_3507.webp.30f7461c501bef3107f84ecfe22f4199.webp

 

Figure 7.

Grocery List

Paper: Pulp. One-a-Day calendar page.

 

large.IMG_3510.webp.ab524809d1bf0a81477c2d0df7370303.webp
 

 

OTHER SAMPLES

 

Figure 8.

  • 'HAPPY!' on Glossy Card.
  • Smear/Dry Time on Glossy Paper.
  • Smear/Dry Time on HPJ1124.
  • Wet Tests on HPJ1124.

 

 

large.IMG_3511.webp.6cd9c92e11d605610fb8b3525c640ada.webp
 

 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

 

Type:

  • Dye-based fountain pen ink.

Daily writer?

  • Very possible.

A go-to ink?

  • Yes.

USE

 

Business:

  • Balances astride the Blue - Turquoise gap with aplomb.
  • PET has just enough gravitas for the Conference Room and most peer-to-peer external correspondence, yet sufficiently convivial for internal correspondence.
  • It does not project power or authority; rather PET projects energy, clarity and openness. Consequently, Topaz is excellent for peer-to-peer and upward correspondence. (This is Ms Bl-Bk speaking.)
  • PET does not have sufficient zip to be used for mark-up, editing, etc.
  • Of little use for error correction or grading of assignments.

Illustrations / Graphics:

  • A poor choice as a gradient between Dark and Light Blue.
  • A good choice for a transitional colour between Blue and aqua / dark cyan.
  • In wet narrow nibs it has good saturation, so should be suitable for narrow lines on hard paper, crosshatching, etc.
  • The reasonably low smear/dry time allows prompt reworking.

Students:

  • Certainly.
  • PET performed well above average on the highly absorbent Royal and Pulp, so may do well on low-cost papers: no feathering or woolly lines.
  • Quite robust; what is written should shrug off domestic mishaps.
  • A very good choice for hand-written assignments.

Personal:

  • Quite a nice pick.
  • This is an easy-reading ink, fleet of foot, which may appeal to those who write tomes, and would like them to be read in their entirety.
  • PET is clear and without artifice, yet there are subtle nuances.
  • For pro forma business writing, PET will certainly do the necessary, but it may be too nice for such use.
  • I have tried a range of various nib sizes and shapes with PET. So far, I prefer mono-line nibs, (I am soooo boring), yet the shaped nibs do nicely. I could easily see using a nib wider than 1.0mm to splash about oodles of PET.

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

 

Flow Rate:

  • Just on the dry side of average.

Nib Dry-out:

  • Not apparent.

Start-up:

  • Immediate.

Lubrication:

  • Quite good.
  • The narrow nibs ran well on the hard textured G Lalo.
  • The pens never became slippery, and the wider nibs remained surefooted.

Nib Creeping:

  • None.

Staining:

  • None after 3 days.

Clogging:

  • Not seen.
  • Seems unlikely.

Bleed Through:

  • No.

Show Through:

  • No.
  • Both sides of the page may be used.

Feathering / Woolly Line:

  • No.

Smear/Dry Time:

  • Glossy: 2 - 5 seconds
  • HPJ1124: 10 - 12 seconds.

Water Resistance: ☂

  • 4:
    • All legible, can be easily read and/or have light staining from re-deposit of soluble ink.
    • Use as-is for work papers & internal use.
    • Adjustments to a scanner may drop-out the stain.

     

Smell:

  • Faint; rounded esters.
  • Reminiscent of fresh raspberries. (?)

Hand oil sensitivity:

  • Not noticed.

Archival:

  • Specifically denied by Pelikan.

Clean Up:

  • About average speed; very thorough with plain water.

Mixing:

  • No stated prohibitions.
  • Mixing is likely to disrupt the balance of PET.
  • Should mixing be attempted, if one hears that little 'thlllk' from behind, it may be the fire selector going from full auto to mayhem.

Note: No problems with show- bleed-through, feathering or woolly lines were seen on Staples' eco-friendly white 20 lb bond, Item 813903.

 

THE LOOK

 

Presence:

  • Alert.
  • Attentive.
  • Latent high torque.
  • Reminiscent of going from swimming laps to swimming in open water.

Saturation:

  • Modest.

Shading:

  • Can be generated on smooth papers using a range of nibs - not only the wider & shaped nibs.
  • When shading appears, it is exquisite. ♡

Variance depending on pen+nib combos used:

  • No more than expected, given the range of writers.

High Resolution Scans:

  • From the Estie on HPJ1124. My link
  • From the M200 on Rhodia. My link
  • From the Phileas on G Lalo. My link
  • From the Eversharp on Royal. My link

FIDELITY

 

Is the name appropriate?

  • Fiction.

Are swatches accurate?

  • The only swatch is on the box, which is reasonable.

SIMILAR COLOURS

 

Figure 9.

large.IMG_3512.jpeg.69c3f4f4806749c6fdb787b4ad4a010c.jpeg

We have five 3-stage swabs; from top to bottom:

  1. Private Reserve Tropical Blue
  2. Pelikan Edelstein Topaz
  3. Private Reserve American Blue
  4. Pelikan Edelstein Topaz
  5. Diamine Kensington Blue.

Note: There is also a passing similarity to Waterman South Sea_ Blue, (hence Diamine Havasue Turquoise), but when ink-on-paper samples are viewed in person, the lack of similarity becomes obvious.

  • Waterman, South Sea_ Blue My link
  • Diamine, Havasu Turquoise My link
  • Comparison : Waterman, South Sea_ Blue :: Diamine, Havasu Turquoise My link

PAPERS

 

Lovely papers:

  • Crisp white paper.
  • Can handle papers with optical brighteners.

Trip-wire Papers:

  • ☠ Avoid combos of dry writers + hard papers. e.g. Figure 5 - Estie onto G Lalo.
  • Can't think of any within reason.

Tinted Papers:

  • Could work well on any sensible tint, especially from a wet-ish writer.

PrePrinted Paper:

  • As much as I'd like to use-up the Lamy Green, PET will do just fine on pre-printed paper.
  • On forms it will separate just enough from the [black] text.
  • For typical grids, etc., PET may not be the best pick - perhaps due to the typical colour of ruling / grid lines. (?) Consequently, one may well use WhiteLines with confidence.

Is high-end paper 'worth it'?

  • If one prefers shading, then smooth surface harder papers, such as Rhodia & Clairefontaine Triomphe, will not disappoint.
  • Otherwise, more a matter of preference over performance - the penny-a-page HPJ1124 was very suitable.

OTHER THAN INK

 

Presentation:

  • 50ml bottle in a box.
  • No HazMat warnings.

Container:

  • A clear heavy glass bottle.
  • 75x40xcapped height of 65mm
  • The centred round opening is an accommodating 22mm∅.
  • The single tank is shallow; the bottle has no filling aids, no sediment collector, no etc. 3xTsk. (Gad Zooks man! Not even as functional as the 4001-series desk-top bottles!! Pelikan forgot to bring their 'A' game when doing this bottle. Eine Gruppe Dummköpfe, das nicht Füllfederhalter benutzen!)
  • There is no label, rather a dog's dinner of four typefaces in two colours printed directly on the bottle.
  • While bottle labelling is an unsightly debacle, the ink level can be readily determined, so over-immersion / dunking of one's pen may be avoided. Hoorah! Snorkies rejoice! (Their owners too.)
  • The hard plastic screw cap has more than adequate grippy bits; and at 15mm is a good height for ease of use.
  • The cap seal appears to be a sort of plastic foam.
  • The cap is not child-proof.

Box:

  • Constructed of coated hefty card-stock.
  • 80x45x75mm
  • Includes a fairly accurate swatch.

Eco-Green:

  • Except for the wasteful foam padding, the bottle, cap & box are recyclable / benign.

Availability:

  • High street stationers, back street pen shops, online retailers.
  • Note: While the Pelikan 4001 series inks can often be found in art / craft shops, I have yet to see Edelstein inks in such shops.

ETC.

 

Majik:

  • I think that PET has the potential to be conjured.

Personal Pen & Paper Pick:

  • Only one?? The M200 on the Rhodia.

Yickity Yackity:

  • Classy but not yet a classic.
  • Pelikan knows a thing or three about ink, which is apparent in the writing experience and on the page.
  • Those who choose ink by colour alone may be disappointed that PET is not a 'new' colour, but the rock solid performance profile, very satisfying writing experience and reasonable malleability elevate Edelstein Topaz well above pretenders.
  • Ah kushbaby, perhaps not up your alley, but give it a fair go. (At least a large sample, yes?)

{=*=}{=v=}{=*=}~{=*=}{=-|+|-=}{=*=}~{=*=}{=v=}{=*=}

 

MATERIEL USED

 

To be relevant to most members, I make an effort to use papers, pens & nibs that are readily available. For pens, I use those for which I paid $100 or less, new or used; and are factory stock - not customised.

 

Pens:

  • Sailor Sumiko + TIGP F nib.
  • Eversharp Skyline + 14K F nib.
  • Sheaffer 330 + steel M nib.
  • Pelikan M200 + g-p M200-series M nib.
  • Waterman Phileas + steel B nib.
  • Esterbrook J + steel 9284 firm signature stub nib.

 

  • For lines & labels:
    • Pilot 78G+F nib with Noodler's Lexington Grey.

     

On these papers:

  • HPJ1124 24 lb. Laser Copy.
  • Rhodia.
  • G Lalo, Verge de France, white.
  • Royal, 25% cotton rag.
  • Pulp.
  • Glossy paper.
  • Glossy card.

_________________

 

IMAGES

  • Scans were made on an Epson V600 scanner; factory defaults were accepted.
  • Scanning resolution was either 96 dpi or 300 dpi; at 24 bit colour.
  • As required, scans were cropped and straightened using iPhoto; no other changes were made.

_________________

 

DENSITOMETER READINGS (FWTW)

  • Red 85
  • Grn 149
  • Blu 224
  • Lum 151

===============

 

-30-


 

 

 

 

The images scanned with her original settings do still convey a good sense of the amount of shading that one can generate with this ink.

 

This enthusiastic review was the one that prompted me to buy a bottle of this ink. For that - and for the thoroughness and humour that Sandy1 displayed in her other reviews and posts - I am deeply indebted to her.

 

Edit to add:

The colour of this ink shown on Sandy1’s decade-plus-old scans do not exactly match my experience of the colour of Topaz.

At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic here, in March 2020, I splurged a huge amount of money to buy a Pelikan M805 (a pen that I had desired for years, but whose price I could never justify to myself until ‘the plague’ loomed).


Slightly later in the pandemic I took the following photo (in daylight) of a carefully-chosen film quote that I had written out in Edelstein Topaz from my M805:

 

large.060AFF33-D22B-4593-A2EA-A15D3351A5A9.jpeg.c0fa112a660c14b7fc2b2723f7a314b1.jpeg
 

The colour in my photo is more-representative of the ink’s colour than are Sandy1’s older scans.

Foul in clear conditions, but handsome in the fog.

mini-postcard-exc.png

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@Mercian Thank you so much for your work, which is a welcome tribute to Sandy1’s many contributions to FPN. 👍

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Thank you, @Mercian!  

"To read without also writing is to sleep." - St. Jerome

 

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Now I have to get Topaz out, in I didn't remember it being so vivid...:huh:

It was an ink I liked a lot, so I stopped using it...to save it.:headsmack:

 

What nib width and or flex should I ink it in?

.......................................

A while back i did 5-6 grays...and totally forgot I had Moonstone....B for it?M...P-75 a superbly balanced posted pen...The ink is gray enough to read and there is some shading...not as much as the super dry Lamy Agate.

.............

Both plastic gasket 1.0 pens, Mercedes made in Heidelberg...no affiliation with the car, and my Pelikan Ibis....just died.....

 

 

Dither...dither squared, bid on the inkwells in the coming live auction...or repair pens....that is the question Horatio.

 

 

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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21 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

What nib width and or flex should I ink it in?


In my experience, Topaz can ‘do’ more in nibs that are not narrow or ‘dry’. Wetter is better.

 

I initially used it in my 2012 M205 with its two-chick steel ‘F’ nib. It is enjoyable from that nib, but it is much more fun from the single-chick 18k ‘F’ nib on my 2020 M805, which is wider and wetter than the nib on the M205.

 

I am looking forward to trying it in my 1990-92 ‘W.-Germany’ M800, with its two-chick ‘M’ nib with a ‘PF’ stamp.
And in my 1954 Pel 400. That is ‘only’ an ‘F’, but it is a springy nib and its feed is very wet.

 

I don’t know whether Topaz will be more-exuberant and more-capable of ‘Majik’ when dispensed from a flexy nib attached to a feed that can keep-up with it, but rather I suspect that it might well be.

 

And of course I recommend ‘proper’ paper if you wish to see shading and (potential) sheen.
If you have any 90gsm Oxford ‘Optik’ paper, I think that its bright white, smooth, hard-coated surface could provide a very good ‘dance-floor’ upon which your pen and Topaz can ‘trip the light fantastic’ together.

Foul in clear conditions, but handsome in the fog.

mini-postcard-exc.png

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16 minutes ago, Bo Bo Olson said:

totally forgot I had Moonstone....B for it

Yes, I have it in an m205 broad steel nib. Lovely shading on the right papers. I can tell you tomorrow what papers I've seen the most shading on, right now is bedtime for this overnight dock manager. 

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On 6/23/2021 at 12:48 AM, Bo Bo Olson said:

I’d won a near mint Pelikan Toledo Hunter B..'93 only; and remembered Topas as one of my most favorite shading inks.

 

On Clairefontaine Triomphe, it shaded less than expected.

 

On Oxford Optic 90g a paper exactly = to Clairefontaine Velout 90g, it shaded only a bit more than on the Triomphe, but was not the shading monster I remembered.

 

Perhaps that B nib is a very wet one.

Eventually, I'll try it in a another regular flex  Pelikan but in M from the '90-97 era. When I do I'll post it.


Then again @Bo Bo Olson, perhaps your own experience and previous decision ⬆️ might be the best guidance - an ‘M’-nibbed Souverän from 1990-97.

Foul in clear conditions, but handsome in the fog.

mini-postcard-exc.png

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I ended up cleaning out a Ruby Star 200 M,  a steel springy regular flex nib, tear drop tipping very similar to the '82-97 400 gold nibs.

 

It's a real pain with two full dirty pen cups, and nothing but F and EF nibs left in the Pelikan pen box.

Got to wait till tomorrow for the paper yowl to wick what ever ink remnants are left in the feed.

............

Got some 14 (2 pen cups) out and inked......

I can't believe it, just 6 months ago, I was down to seven pens inked...so I can use more ink, and no pens needing cleaning.:yikes::yikes:

Dirty pens......I can't count that high.:unsure:

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Topaz looks nice in the nice springy regular flex B nib. Some shading on Clairefontaine triumph, and a bit more on Oxford Optic 90g. (= Clairefontaine Velot 90g exactly...great papers for spiral notebooks.)

A nice bright shading blue...and I've not used a blue ink in a while.

Thanks for turning back the clock for me and my hidden bottle of Topaz.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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