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Troublemaker Inks...


LeakyInk

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So after reading a few Troublemaker ink reviews and seeing colour samples online, I visited their website to purchase at least some samples. At first the site was down for orders as they were catching up on orders. A few weeks ago purchasing was open and after seeing the pricing I decided to pick up a couple of bottles, Abalone and Petrichor and a sample pack. I figured with their small operation and just having caught up with their last orders, I would see my order a couple of months or so. About 2 weeks later I received tracking info and a couple of weeks after that I received my inks. I just got done loading the Vanishing Point with some Abalone.

I'm unfamiliar with sizes of ink bottles, using ml and all. But the Troublemaker site and the bottles I received say 60ml but look small to me. Anyone who has their inks, is this the size of a 60ml bottle? For the price I paid I'm not worried just curious so I have reference for other inks I may purchase.

 

 

 

48906460477_4501655fae_c.jpg20191015_200802 by anxious tj, on Flickr

Edited by LeakyInk
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Yes, that's the normal size. The bottles are thin plastic, so they don't add much to the overall volume and shipping weight. Compared to something like Iroshizuku 50ml bottles that have a lot of extra glass for decorative purposes.

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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You must have purchased this for a very brief time that their website was up and running. I continue to try but they still seem to be "filling other orders". It appears that they are selling to retailers as well.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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I continue to try but they still seem to be "filling other orders". It appears that they are selling to retailers as well.

same here, i seen people ordering from them at start of september and already recieving orders but wondered how they do it if they closed since august =/ i'm checking their site almost everyday for around a month already and never seen them open orders again

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I had managed to sneak an order in one of their windows in September, so Ive got some Abalone and Copper Patina. If any of youd like a sample PM me and Ill send some. The Abalone shades quite a bit on papers Ive tried with wider nibs, and shows off its multi-hue character on Rhodia.

Edited by Herrjaeger
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Yes, that's the normal size. The bottles are thin plastic, so they don't add much to the overall volume and shipping weight. Compared to something like Iroshizuku 50ml bottles that have a lot of extra glass for decorative purposes.

 

Thank you for the information.

I must have gotten lucky, I went on their site maybe 2 or 3 times a week and the one day it was open for purchase. I jumped on it as fast as I could.

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If you've ever handled Diamine's 30ml plastic bottles, these are similar. The Diamine 30ml bottles are half the volume and are tiny!

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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Does anyone have a clue as to when we might be able to order from these good folks again? I just found out about them and I am quite impressed.

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Does anyone have a clue as to when we might be able to order from these good folks again? I just found out about them and I am quite impressed.

 

No clue, I got in by visiting the site a couple times a week. I got on one day went to the site and it was open for purchasing.

 

 

A note on the Abalone colour, I had filed my VP Decimo F nib with the ink and I have not used the full fill yet. But I have not noticed the sheen shown in pictures and reviews I have seen. Not sure if it's the f nib on printer paper or something else. I did notice the sheen in the napkin I used to help start the ink when I first filled the pen. The colour itself is not a bad blue but I would like to see the sheen, it's why I chose it.

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Does anyone have a clue as to when we might be able to order from these good folks again? I just found out about them and I am quite impressed.

I did the same as LeakyInk, checking intermittently then hit on a day when they were taking orders.

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A note on the Abalone colour, I had filed my VP Decimo F nib with the ink and I have not used the full fill yet. But I have not noticed the sheen shown in pictures and reviews I have seen. Not sure if it's the f nib on printer paper or something else. I did notice the sheen in the napkin I used to help start the ink when I first filled the pen. The colour itself is not a bad blue but I would like to see the sheen, it's why I chose it.

do not wanna offend you in any way but dunno how you was looking, I'm only planning to buy this ink but from all the samples i found on internet (reddit/instagram best place for it imo) there was no sheen on any of them, if there even was small amount it's probably from very high concentration of ink on paper, sheen is pretty evident because it's glister in metallic under good light, but Abalone in just multi colored shading ink which causes it to gradient from muted prussian blue to purple and to light blue with a little hint of bluish green on some swabs/samples, it also has some really good chromatography which you can check out in Nick Stewart reviews
you probably mixed up it's purple shading for sheen, but it's just good shading ink, same goes for Milky Ocean, it's mostly shading with no real sheen as far as i can see
About the printer paper and F nib you was talking - yea, probably not the best way to see what this ink is capable of, some rhodia or tomoe river paper with more broader nib should do the trick, though i'm also planning to use it mostly in japanese F and M nibs, and occasionally in stubs.
Edited by Lomarion
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Anyone know what retailers they're selling to? I'd like to buy from them direct but as others have mentioned they've been difficult at best to find windows where they're taking orders. A lot of their colors just look great, and the price seems very competitive as well.

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Anyone know what retailers they're selling to? I'd like to buy from them direct but as others have mentioned they've been difficult at best to find windows where they're taking orders. A lot of their colors just look great, and the price seems very competitive as well.

 

The only place I have seen Troublemaker Inks advertised, other than their website, is Shigure Inks. https://shigureinks.com/collections/troublemaker-inks/

 

But they appear to be sold out.

 

I've looked other places and haven't seen them anywhere.

 

They might be a "here today, gone tomorrow" kind of outfit.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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I would rather expect that they are overwhelmed by the unexpected demand. They started as a bunch of friends having fun and now have become a world-smash-hit all of a sudden. No wonder they have trouble keeping up. And they should. Overdimensioning for an upsurge in demand may mean certain death if the demand is not sustained later.

If you are to be ephemeral, leave a good scent.

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I would rather expect that they are overwhelmed by the unexpected demand. They started as a bunch of friends having fun and now have become a world-smash-hit all of a sudden.

 

This is my understanding as well. Troublemaker Inks has been very busy just trying to catch up to all the orders they've had, even after pausing new orders.

 

 

The only place I have seen Troublemaker Inks advertised, other than their website, is Shigure Inks. But they appear to be sold out.

 

Yep, we sold out rather quickly! We're working with Troublemaker Inks to get new stock, though it might take a while.

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Thank you shigureinks for letting us know!

 

Herrjaeger sent me a sample of Abalone and I love it! I am working on an ink review for it which I hope to finish up soon. But briefly, it is well behaved in the pens I have used it in, while not lubricated, it is reasonably wet and writes very smoothly and dries fairly quickly. It isn't very saturated, but the color changes and shading are wonderful. It doesn't sheen at all that I have found even on Tomoe River. I really love the subtle color variations from what seems to be a pale grey, light teal, light blue with pink overtones all at one time. When it becomes available, I will definitely purchase a bottle or two.

Edited by 5Cavaliers

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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PSA: if you're making art with multi-color Troublemaker inks, be sure to keep it in closed journals or with some UV protection spray or museum glass. Some components fade rather quickly when stored in conditions exposed to light.

 

(From this thread: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/347819-new-batch-of-ink-fading-comparisons-ongoing/ )

 

tdlHucK.jpg

Edited by Intensity

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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Which is sort of catch-22 situation, isn't it?. I mean by this: if you like colour-changing inks, and they change colour.... I know, it is not the same to have a "permanent" sheen (an ink that changes colour depending on the angle of light) than to have an ink whose colour changes with time. Yet... to me, as long as they don't become unreadable, that adds to their 'organic', lively nature and charm.

 

BTW, I would expect many inks, specially sheening ones, to be sensible to light, and the more "brilliant" they are, the more sensible due to photochemistr: if they can take more avidly a wider spectrum of light waves and energies, their molecules would be more likely to reach an excited state and be more reactive.

 

It is also kinda like permanent IG inks: one expects them to change with time, ending in that aged sienna rust color that so many now consider the hallmark of classic writings. In summary, it is a matter of taste and, as usual, YMMV.

If you are to be ephemeral, leave a good scent.

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  • 2 weeks later...

To clarify, color-changing is not the same thing as polychromatic. I should have used better terminology. These consist of multiple dye colors that give a polychromatic look as the individual dyes behave differently on paper surface and separate as on chromatigraphy paper. It's some of those constituent dyes that can fade quickly when exposed to light, while others have greater longevity. For what it's worth, the remaining green dye in Kelp Tea has not faded further so far, and I actually really like the resulting look. I mostly brought it up in case someone uses those inks for art and pins the artwork on a wall in their office or home without any UV protection cover.

 

Color-shifting inks over time would be more like iron gall.

 

. . .

Received my most recent order of Hanging Rice (moderate flow, 2 out of 4 on the flow scale) and polychromatic Milky Ocean. Absolutely love both of these! I don't know if Troublemaker has decided to add more lubrication to the inks, but Milky Ocean doesn't feel as dry as Petrichor and Kelp Tea did from my previous order, and Hanging Rice flows smoothly and relatively lubricated. Milky Ocean is my favorite of their multi-hue inks so far. It goes down a medium blue, slightly watery, and dries down to gradients ranging from pale blue to lavender to even hints of purple. Hanging Rice is a saturated olive color, a deeper version of prepared green olives; on the yellow side of olive ink spectrum.

 

The presentation of these inks in individually wrapped paper pouches tied with natural fiber rope, along with individually-addressed handwritten notes is very sweet.

Edited by Intensity

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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