Levenger Inks - Do All Color Behave Similar?

[suharsh]

I have Levenger Amethys (almost run out of the 2nd bottle) and recently bought the Regal (though the color doesn't look like what they have on the web site). Both these inks are 'wet' (if you will) - meaning flow very well and reasonably smooth. I use them in some difficult pens and they make them work well.

 

I have some J Herbin inks too but I have noticed each color behaves very different - some flow well but some feel dry. Unfortunately Andersen or Goulet pens don't have samples of Levenger for me to buy and try before buying ... hence hoping someone here has tried most of their inks including the Amethyst and Regal.

 

So the question is - do all their inks have similar flow characteristics ... or equally 'wet'?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Ted F]

I have about 12 different colors of Levenger inks. I used them almost exclusively until I found Vanness's Wall of Ink. Levenger has a nice selection of colors and I've never noticed a difference between any of the colors as far as writing goes. I do use Amethyst and Regal and like them.

Edited April 26, 2017 by RoyalBear

[Moonshae]

The ones I've had write similarly, but I've found that some colors tend to dry quicker than others in an uncapped pen. Cardinal Red was one of them, but I can't remember the other that I noticed the "problem".

[Erik Dalton]

I agree with much of what RoyalBear has said, they all run wet to medium, highly saturated, medium dry time. None are dry. Feathering can be an issue with a wet writing pen and a few colors on lower quality papers.

I used Amethyst for years it's an easy to get along with ink. Empyrean an I have a love hate relationship. I love the blue black type color, but it will feather on all but the best quality paper. Same but to a lesser extent for Cobalt Blue and Skies of blue. Fine nibs, good paper and they are great. True teal is a favorite of mine, it and Regal are similarly very stable, well behaved inks that look great as well. Raven black is advertised as having archival qualities and is a nice black, that is actually black. This along with Aurora Black, are my go to black inks. Cardinal red and Fireball are a nice red and orange red with good flow and no negative issues. They had a bright "spring" green years back that was really nice.

I've been using Levenger inks for almost 30 years. There are only slight differences between the inks. I tend to think it's more of a batch thing. Nothing like what you have found with J Herbin.

Hope this helps.

[suharsh]

I have about 12 different colors of Levenger inks. I used them almost exclusively until I found Vanness's Wall of Ink. Levenger has a nice selection of colors and I've never noticed a difference between any of the colors as far as writing goes. I do use Amethyst and Regal and like them.

 

Thanks. By Vanness's Wall of ink you are meaning the store .. but referring to different brand of inks?

[suharsh]

The ones I've had write similarly, but I've found that some colors tend to dry quicker than others in an uncapped pen. Cardinal Red was one of them, but I can't remember the other that I noticed the "problem".

Thanks.

 

I agree with much of what RoyalBear has said, they all run wet to medium, highly saturated, medium dry time. None are dry. Feathering can be an issue with a wet writing pen and a few colors on lower quality papers.

I used Amethyst for years it's an easy to get along with ink. Empyrean an I have a love hate relationship. I love the blue black type color, but it will feather on all but the best quality paper. Same but to a lesser extent for Cobalt Blue and Skies of blue. Fine nibs, good paper and they are great. True teal is a favorite of mine, it and Regal are similarly very stable, well behaved inks that look great as well. Raven black is advertised as having archival qualities and is a nice black, that is actually black. This along with Aurora Black, are my go to black inks. Cardinal red and Fireball are a nice red and orange red with good flow and no negative issues. They had a bright "spring" green years back that was really nice.

I've been using Levenger inks for almost 30 years. There are only slight differences between the inks. I tend to think it's more of a batch thing. Nothing like what you have found with J Herbin.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the details. I feel comfortable to buy other colors. Amazon sells for $12 and free shipping (Prime), so will be a better idea to get it from there. I will first check the Chicago Pen Show ... in case anyone has it there ... if not Amazon - will possibly get the Cardinal Red and/ or Teal and / or Shiraz. Last year they were running a special on the Levenger website for a six-bottle pack ... if it comes back this year I will buy the 6 pack.

[Ted F]

 

Thanks. By Vanness's Wall of ink you are meaning the store .. but referring to different brand of inks?

I mean the store itself. When you walk in it's a beautiful sight: counter after counter full of pens and two walls full of ink of all kinds.

[chromantic]

I have Claret - great color and nice sheen but definitely wet; eventually tried it in a hooded-nib Jinhao 611 where it worked well.

 

Unfortunately, it's also is one of my triumvirate of Worst. Bleeders. Ever. That's made me reluctant to try their other colors.

[ErrantSmudge]

I have Claret - great color and nice sheen but definitely wet; eventually tried it in a hooded-nib Jinhao 611 where it worked well.

 

Unfortunately, it's also is one of my triumvirate of Worst. Bleeders. Ever. That's made me reluctant to try their other colors.

 

This was my experience with Levenger inks as well.

 

Several years ago I got a bundle pack with Cardinal Red, Gemstone Green, Raven Black, Cobalt Blue, Amethyst, and Cocoa. Cardinal Red, Gemstone Green, and Cocoa all had problems with feathering and bleeding. I wish I could say more about these inks, but they got dumped a long time ago. Cobalt Blue was vivid but a smudger, even weeks after initial writing.

 

Instead of dumping my remaining inks, I gave them away as PIFs to happy owners. Perhaps Levenger has reformulated their inks since then, or I was the victim of some bad batches, but I'm not motivated to try them again. For me, Monteverde Sapphire Blue is a good replacement for Cobalt, and Rohrer & Klingner Cassia is a good match for Amethyst. FPN's exclusive Voltaire Candide Vermillion is a good alternative to Cardinal Red. And Raven Black has been replaced in my ink stash with Noodler's Heart of Darkness.

Edited April 27, 2017 by ErrantSmudge

[Ted F]

I know it's blasphemy in an ink forum, and I've said this many times to my pen-collecting friends, I've never had any ink not work in any pen I've put it into. I have a small stash of about 50 colors of different brands and I indiscriminately use them in any pen. I just worry about what color I would like to use on any particular day. So I guess I'm not picky. As long as I can read what I write I'm happy.

[suharsh]

I know what you guys are saying ... over time I have (and actually document it in a spreadsheet) which ink fares well with which pen. I know the quest for the best pen, the best ink, the best color and the best combo will never end

 

Just the other day I put J Herbin in a Sheaffer VFM (I Know it is a cheaper pen) and though I have several VFMs and used with other inks ... this combo was the worst!

 

What I need to start doing is fill only one quarter of cartridge when I am trying a combo for the 1st time. I end up throwing away the filled ink, especially if I had not flushed the pen thoroughly.

 

Thanks for all the opinions.

[Joe in Seattle]

Cobalt is well behaved in my experience

[Arkanabar]

I was gifted with bottles of Cobalt and Raven some fifteen years ago. IIRC, Cobalt was smudgy, and Raven was feathery.

[Erik Dalton]

Thanks.

 

 

 

Thanks for the details. I feel comfortable to buy other colors. Amazon sells for $12 and free shipping (Prime), so will be a better idea to get it from there. I will first check the Chicago Pen Show ... in case anyone has it there ... if not Amazon - will possibly get the Cardinal Red and/ or Teal and / or Shiraz. Last year they were running a special on the Levenger website for a six-bottle pack ... if it comes back this year I will buy the 6 pack.

Levenger's pices are way too high. I make it a practice to wait for sales, and cruise ebay. Amazon prime is the best deal going.