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Polar Brown is one of my favorite inks. Ironically, I’m not a fan of the color. It’s somehow bland. It can be a frustrating and finnicky ink, depending the pen used. But in this day age, where the veil on life’s non-permanence and uncertainty has been torn to bits, an ink, as permanent as the paper it bonds with is a source of comfort. When I first got into inks, being too lazy, I ordered a bunch of mystery samples. There were two Polar Browns. When I inked my pen, I told myself, what have I done to deserve such an ink in double amounts. But it grew on me, to the point that I bought a bottle, and I always have a couple of pens inked up, just in case, I have to jot down some important information, words of wisdom, sign a check or write a shopping list. Not a pleasant feeling when your painstakingly craft list melts after an impromptu drizzle or stray snowflake…… It dries in less than 10 seconds with a wet medium nib, and 3 with a fine on Rhodia dotpad. On copy paper it’s instantaneous. However, it takes forever to dry on Tomoe River with a wet nib, but it shades. With a fine nib, 45 seconds, until smudge free… It is also one of the easiest inks to clean out of a fountain pen. I’ve tried it even in a vintage Waterman and cleaning was a breeze. Personally, this is one of those rare inks that I would not use with a stub/ oblique nib/ fude. With a wet/ wide combo it would ghost and bleed through unabashedly. Though sometimes I prefer that dark rich brown, haunting the paper, than the mild muted brown it usually is. I’m not sure if it would be happy in a dry pen. I have had it in a Jinhao 992 for a year with no problem. In a Jinhao 450 with a fude nib, it had flow issues but when I changed the nib to a medium it was much better. When it flows, it’s a joy to write with. And unsurprisingly Polar Brown, loves Noodler’s nib creeper. On Rhodia dot pad Rhodia Back On Tomoe River Swab comparaison On Amazon Copy paper - Front Back On Hilroy - King of the fountain pen unfriendly notebooks Back Yesterday it was raining. So, I decided to do a permanence test.... Note the Black Swan in English Roses was actually Sailor Yodaki... Before After 2 hours under rain/sleet/snow After 18 hours under constant rain Finally I subjected the visible texts to swabs of alcohol on the left side and bleach to ride side....