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Strawberry Ink


lapis

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This is my very first ink review so please go easy on me.

 

Erdbeeren-2.jpg

 

Introduction
The ink described here belongs to the brand De Atramentis and is named "Erdbeertinte", which means "Strawberry Ink". If I may say so, it's a good 'ol German product, made by the company Tintenmanufaktur JANSEN. It is a scented ink, and, although I do have a good sense of smell (and have way more perfumes and aftershaves etc than I do inks), I'm not all that interested here in the scent but more in their colour, flow properties and so forth.
Still, the first thing I did when I got the bottle, was open it and let everybody here take a whiff (with their eyes closed). My son guessed right off the bat that it could be strawberries, although not freshly cut open but more of the frozen type or those stored conserved in a glass. My daughter opted for raspberries and I myself, well, I even considered cranberries, So, we weren't all that far off the track.

Pens and papers
All of the scans seen here are those of my writings on 28-pound HP-paper. Nothing special, but better than any el cheapos (for ordinary copying with any of our ink or laser printers) which is what I almost always use otherwise. For that 28-pound HP-paper, little feathering and little bleeding was observed. Ordinary copying paper was hardly any worse, Clairefontaine's showed a bit more feathering and some more bleeding. Moleskine also showed some feathering but much more bleeding. I see no difference in the writing appearance on any one paper coming from different pens.
I think that the colours of these scans on the screen represent quite roughly those which I see in the original writings and photos. At most, the screen reds have a very slight touch of blue. Here are writings with Strawberry Ink using three different Erdbeeren-8.jpg

 

Flow and wetness
IMO the ink in question has a truly great flow. In all pens tested, the flow was witnessed immediately. It seems to flow particularly fast, and thus provides maybe even more than enough of a good lubrication of the nib and everything else involved. It allows my pens to "skate on the paper" as Ann would say. Moreover, it never dried out; well, even after leaving all pens open and lying down for 30 min, they still wrote immediately. Absolutely no start-up problems with any pens filled with this ink, even after a few weeks of not being used (capped, BTW). Can't say that for some other inks. (However, I myself am of the firm opinion that it is not only the ink but also the pen which is responsible here.) I see no creeping on the nibs.
At the same time -- or is it on the other hand? -- such a flow indicates that the ink remains a very wet ink. That is to say, such a wetness, fluidity, lubrication etc, results in an ink which does not dry especially fast. You need a good 30 sec before it's really dry (sorry, lefties). And now a few smear tests:

Erdbeeren-11.jpg

But then when it is "dry", it does remain pretty dry. After letting this ink dry for 1 min and then wiping a wet cloth over it, I'd say that it is at least Erdbeeren-10.jpg

 

Saturation and intensity
I consider this ink to have at least medium saturation and intensity. It is in any case more saturated and more intense than Pelikan's Brilliant red. It is at least as intense and saturated as Skrip's (Slovenian) red, although the Strawberry Ink is more brilliant. Up to now, Skrip Red has remained my standard red (thanks, Richard). Strawberry Red may now have taken over. The other reds shown below are hard to compare in this respect. Now I have not done this with any other red ink, but a drop or two on your finger really looks like fresh, wet blood! If you ever spill any of this ink on your fingers, they will of course go red. But after a few minutes of washing you can clean yourself up. Some inks require days until their staining of your skin fades away. Does this ink shade on paper? After 5-10 min of drying I see no noticeable changes at all. Thus, I would say "No real shading". After a few days, however, there seems to be a very slight lightening of the red.

Comparable inks
I know that there are many reds, but I have chosen only a few here, from those "quite equivalent" up to a couple of those maybe even "out of bounds".Erdbeeren-9.jpg

 

Availability
I read a while ago here that somone was looking for this brand of ink (presumably in the States). I bought this ink and many others from Rolf Thiel of Missing Pens here in Germany. He exports everywhere, so if in doubt, why not get into contact with him? AFAIK these inks are all sold in bottles only. I find the price justified: 35 ml = 8.95 Euros. (By comparison, 80 ml Diamine = 9.90, 30 ml Herbin = 6.95, and 50 ml R&K = 5.95.)

All in all
I would like to describe this ink in one word as "very user-friendly". The bottle itself (35 ml) is nothing really special, but there are many bottles out there which I consider "worse". That is, this glass container (for which no box is supplied) is both good-looking and at the same time practical. This bottle -- which is round (as seen from the top) -- is almost as good-looking as Herbin's and CDA's bottles (which of course are not round). In general, some bottles are well-liked, some are not so well-liked, but that is another story. It's the ink and not the bottle that you should try out. If you can cope with the rather long drying time, you'll still be quite happy. I would like to recommend this ink very highly!

Erdbeeren-7.JPG

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Thanks for the review Mike. Glad to see a De Atramentis ink reviewed. We don't see them to often here which is a shame. I have some and they are pretty good and well behaved. Wish they were a bit easier to obtain. This colour is not for me, but i like the bottle and a strawberry scented ink seems very appealing to me.

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Hello,

I went to the site via the link, his information is in German, I don't read or speak German. Do you know if I fill out the form in English as best can be understood, I can still order from them? In any case, thanks for the review. I love it, the review and the ink! I am waiting on the J. Herbin in Rouge Caroubier (22). I am having a passionate love affair with red ink. So far Diamines are my favorites. Montblanc is more burgandy than red. I can't wait to test the J. Herbin. I am really loving this strawberry! Try Diamine Poppy Red, Diamine Ruby. Monaco red is kind of similar to the darkest as you stated. Also, I purchased a levenger firebal. I love the reds which are more blue than orange. Don't forget, you can also create from decanting a red, which I have done when a red has not been to my liking or not blue red. Thank you so much for the review and as it has been said before, this will definitely be on my list to acquire. :clap1:

Edited by Aissa2

Pelikan M800 red/black XF, Lamy Raspberry All-Star XF,Pilot VP red/rhodium,Bexley Americana Strawberry swirl,Lamy Limited Ed. Pink 2009

Lamy L.E. 2008,Pelikan M400 black FP,Lamy Vista demon., Lamy L.E.2005, Charcoal Lamy 1.5 nib, Pelikan M600 green/black med. nib

 

Ink: Diamine Red, Red, Red....

 

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Beautiful ink. Too bad it takes so long to dry. Thanks for the review.

Regards,

 

Ray

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Very nice review of an excellent ink, lapis. The scented line is only a plus to the quality of the ink. Thank you.

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Is it just me, or doesn't it seem a bit odd having an extensive site devoted to selling inks - dozens of them, all fancifully named - and no sign of a colour chart? e.g. twelve inks made of wine in a presentation set with not a hint of what colour they might be. I'm sure I'd be on the right track with 'wine colour', but for 138 euros, I'd like something more definite :happyberet:

 

John

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John, I don't know if this'll answer your question, but I see at least 4 ways to explain things.

 

1. Special names is just part of today's marketing, which I myself don't mind at all. How many dozens (or hundreds?) of dark blues are there out there? Naming a blue "dark blue" is not only boring and uninformative, but also characterless. "Midnight Blue", "Éclat de saphir", "Electric DC Blue" are much more individual and personal reminiscences. Or at least a nice try in that direction.

2. A colour chart is IMO absolutely mandatory. I never did understand why some companies don't do this. Also, swabs are not much help, neither ar "tiles" or "windows" of the colour in question. The best thing I can think of is a big chart with many different inks of many different companies, altogether, so that you could compare e.g. 2-3-4 bright reds all together. Or a "comparison-choice-table" like the thing that Nokia offers. For different inks of different companies, only a "non-company" like FPN can achieve this.

3. So much as I really do love red wines (to drink), I think that any use of the term "wine" or even "bordeaux" or "burgundy" is a complete shortcoming. E.g. IMO MB's bordeaux looks more like a burgundy. Even different bordeaux wines can have quite different colours. How about a "white wine" ink? I think that "strawberry red" is a good choice. Everybody knows at least what to expect here. Just like raspberries or chocolate.

4. As to smells, that's a gag too, a small "plus" (as mentioned above by Ondina) leading to a temptation of us trying out the stuff just because of the scent. BTW I have spent all my like doing research in chemistry and there are especially some fruits whose scents are easy to synthesize. Strawberries is one of them. Green apples too, but I doubt if a "Granny Smith Green" ink would be any real hit.

 

I think that I shouldn't tell you all this stuff, but instead maybe we should tell the companies themselves!

Or, maybe some of us should take the time to create and post a comparison table. Anybody out there with 50 reds?

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Is it just me, or doesn't it seem a bit odd having an extensive site devoted to selling inks - dozens of them, all fancifully named - and no sign of a colour chart? e.g. twelve inks made of wine in a presentation set with not a hint of what colour they might be. I'm sure I'd be on the right track with 'wine colour', but for 138 euros, I'd like something more definite :happyberet:

 

John

 

An (incomplete) colourchart is on the site:

http://www.de-atramentis.com/oxid.php/sid/...45bcc1.07816773

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Well Mike, I've got 30 reds, and I make a little card for each of them with a sample of the ink painted with a brush and a bit of scribble. Thanks to your excellent review, I could add Strawberry ink with confidence, but what if I am considering some Magic Witch ink? Apart from it smelling of witches and being Witch Red, I will not know what I am getting - much like Dream Car ink with its smell of noble luxurious automobiles which is the intriguing and probably unique 'Labrador Blue'.

 

All sounds like fun, but I do think Dr Jansen would get more people to buy the inks if they had an idea of what they were getting! Maybe a nice afternoon with a big piece of paper and a box of cotton buds?:ltcapd:

 

John

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John, you hit the ink right on the head. I thought that witchs wore black. And as regards the 12 winos, I had the same thought last night. The best thing the company could do is exactly that which many (most?) wineyards do (e.g. in Germany). They invite you out for a few sips of this that and the other, free, of course, often along with a plate of bread, cheeze and sausage...

... in the hope that you'll take a few crates back home with you. At least you'd know in advance what you're getting.

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Most excellent and comprehensive review, Mike. Thanks for taking the time to do it. Shame about the drying time (not that I need any more inks).

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8, NKJV)
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  • 2 months later...

This is just a test to see if I can attach anything these days.

 

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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As you see, you see nothing.

Admins!

We need your help!!

A - "Click To Attach Files does not work.

B - "Try switching to our basic uploader " des not work.

C - After trying to add an attachment, no "Preview Post" is avaiable.

D - "Insert image" does not work.

 

Please advise

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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Art Brown just started carrying De Atramentis inks. They have a limited selection right now but should be a very good source soon enough.

 

They have a book in the store with actual samples of almost every ink they carry.

 

Stylus Fine Pens in Alberta also sells De Atramentis inks and presently list 24 colors available.

 

(Edited to add link and Stylus Fine Pens)

Edited by Wile E Coyote

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

-Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

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  • 6 years later...

Great review! And probably the only review of this ink I can find so far..... too bad the pics aren't showing.

Would be really grateful if OP can try to upload the pics again!

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As suggested, here's a line or two with single, double and triple swabs. Then the rest is with a Herbin glass dip pen, all on Rhodia paper.

Erdbeeren-12.jpg

 

A very fast blink at these lines on paper right in front of my own eyes tells me that both inks are amazingly similar. Optically seen, the Wild Strawberry may be a half a pinch oranger but then again it depends on exactly which lines I'm focussing on. And/or, the DeA may offer a half a hint of blue. That too may depend on what lines we're talking about. Or?

Both have about the same degree of saturation.

... But – Number 1 – Diamine's is definitely wetter and more lubricated...

... and – Number 2 – at the same time the Diamine dries faster. But that of course depends on the pens and papers used. In an attempt to keep things up to date, I re-wrote with both inks using that dip pen on that Rhodia paper. Drying time results today: DeA: (again) about 30 s, Diamine only 20-25 s.

 

Prices as always, depend on where you buy what, and list prices usually aren't the lowest prices, and then there's shipping. Here, in Germany, list prices including our 19% sales taxes are:

-- De Atramentis Strawberry (scented ink, ink number 2205) = 12.80 Euro for 35 ml = 0.37 Euro per ml.

-- Diamine Wild Strawberry (not scented) = 9.21 Euro for 80 ml = 0.12 Euro per ml.

If you really like that type of colour, get both. If you love scented inks, get the DeA Strawberry (Erdbeer Tinte). If you just want to stick to one plain bright red, then stick to Diamine's Poppy Red or Sheaffer Skrip Red.

 

Mike

Life is too short to drink bad wine (Goethe)

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