Colorverse - Dark Energy Ink Review

[TSherbs]

That's even more confusing--before any ink dries it can be a smeary mess

okiedokie

[Honeybadgers]

That's even more confusing--before any ink dries it can be a smeary mess

 

Some of the more sheen-heavy blues and greens in particular can still smudge even once "dry" for hours and even days. Super saturated inks tend to do this too (noodlers golden brown and kiowa pecan and apache sunset) . Akkerman #5 is quite prone to smudging even a couple hours after writing. I found dark energy to be particularly bad.

 

So you're KIND of right, in that the ink isn't completely "dry" yet being that it can still smudge, but if an ink takes longer than a minute to dry (if laid down with a normal nib and not a superflex or dip nib) then that ink is bad.

 

I've got nearly 200 bottles o' ink. I've got a little experience with the stuff.

Edited May 10, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[Intensity]

 

Some of the more sheen-heavy blues and greens in particular can still smudge even once "dry" for hours and even days. Super saturated inks tend to do this too (noodlers golden brown and kiowa pecan and apache sunset) . Akkerman #5 is quite prone to smudging even a couple hours after writing. I found dark energy to be particularly bad.

 

So you're KIND of right, in that the ink isn't completely "dry" yet being that it can still smudge, but if an ink takes longer than a minute to dry (if laid down with a normal nib and not a superflex or dip nib) then that ink is bad.

 

I've got nearly 200 bottles o' ink. I've got a little experience with the stuff.

 

I've had the smudgiest of them all--Organics Studio--that never seems to dry. But in my experience Dark Energy is not like that. It fully dries and does not smudge on every paper I've used it on, including Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and Tomoe River 52gcm. And it doesn't take too long to dry either--about the same as my sheening Sailor inks. (I've gone through 100+ inks myself, either in samples or in full bottles).

[TSherbs]

cool, different experiences with the same ink

 

nothing new here

 

happens all the time on these threads

 

anything that takes over 30 secs to dry (and not smudge) is "too long" for me, but we all have different standards

[Honeybadgers]

 

I've had the smudgiest of them all--Organics Studio--that never seems to dry. But in my experience Dark Energy is not like that. It fully dries and does not smudge on every paper I've used it on, including Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and Tomoe River 52gcm. And it doesn't take too long to dry either--about the same as my sheening Sailor inks. (I've gone through 100+ inks myself, either in samples or in full bottles).

 

 

Like I said, maybe I just got a bad bottle. Maybe you like a drier nib than I do (I like even my needlepoints to be extremely wet) But maybe you got a lucky bottle (OS can be smudgey, henry david thoreau is particularly bad, but there are waaaaaaaaaaaaay worse out there) and every colorverse ink I've tried has been very poor quality when compared to similar colors. 3 oysters mustard annihilates String as a nearly identical color that dries in seconds, not minutes. Dark energy just has nothing going on that oku yama doesn't (if you want sheen, oku yama, if you don't, oxblood). Quasar is like a million other blurples that don't smudge. Gravity wave is just an objectively worse yama dori.

 

It's fine if you like it. My disdain for the ink is not a personal attack on your or anyone else. I do not understand why people develop such strong brand identities.

Edited May 10, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[Intensity]

Not taken as a personal attack, I'm just trying to get the information straight on the specific ink reviewed in this thread (not brand as a whole--saying something about the brand as a whole in a review for individual ink would be like saying that all Noodler's inks are like BSB or [name your favorite or least favorite Noodler's ink].) In regards to my experience with Dark Energy -- I first ordered it in a sample vial to try and then liked it so much, I got a full bottle set from a different place; no issues with either. It's possible your sample or bottle are from a problematic batch. As for comparing it with other inks, every ink is different. Oku Yama is a bit different in color and properties, so not a direct substitute. It's totally fine if you like it more.

[MissCellany]

This was a really lovely review, thank you for sharing! I'm gonna have to add this to my "list"...

 

I enjoy their packaging. The styrofoam-lined boxes ensures the ink won't suffer a foul fate at the hands of a postal worker, and I give the small bottles away to friends that I've started on the hobby

[NeverTapOut]

Intensity,

What other colors have you purchased?

Is Colorverse made by Sailor as well?

Regards,

David

[Intensity]

Intensity,

What other colors have you purchased?

Is Colorverse made by Sailor as well?

Regards,

David

 

Colorverse is a South Korean brand, and their inks are not made by Sailor. I've actually planned on getting other colors but never have for one reason or another. Added them to cart many times.

[A Smug Dill]

So if a person wants to buy a bottle of Gluon..you can only get it in 15ml bottles AND you have to purchase the set of Photon(65ml) and Gluon (15ml) _...

I would just prefer a cheaper single 65mL bottle of each, since I only have 15mL of Brane and would love a full bottle, but have no way to obtain one.

It looks like Colorverse heard your grievances and did something about. Now Gluon and Brane can be bought separately on their own, in 30ml bottles, from LCdC and Pen Chalet (and other retailers, I'm sure; those are the two that mentioned it in their recent marketing newsletters).