Ebony Brown - Private Reserve

[visvamitra]

Private Reserve Ink was founded by Terry W. Johnson and Susan Schube in the workroom of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery in Zionsville, IN, as an addition to the fountain pen department. Terry's vision was simple... "Why not have fountain pen ink in a rainbow of colors to expand the bounds of writing beyond standard black, blue, red and green."

That's what's written on their internet site. My experience with their inks is ambigous: I like most colors, but the inks I've tried weren't best behaved (Orange Crush, Shoreline Gold caused nib crud; Hor Bubble Gum is PINK and it stains everything).

Ebony Brown is heavily lubricated inks - it's saturated, lubricated. The ink performs differently on different types paper but the line is rather smooth and it doesn't tend to feather. Waterproofness is decent.

Ink Splash

http://imageshack.com/a/img903/9577/aJePVl.jpg

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

http://imageshack.com/a/img901/6222/N8i7ol.jpg

Software ID

http://imageshack.com/a/img631/462/etZq6W.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img910/2785/UzmWvq.jpg

Oxford, Kaweco Sport Classic, B

CIAK, Kaweco Sport Classic, B

http://imageshack.com/a/img912/262/VkcuRK.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img910/1194/ZQm9ya.jpg

Tomoe River, Kaweco Sport Classic, B

http://imageshack.com/a/img905/2033/9xRvGc.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img903/8488/dOdxia.jpg

Cheap notebook, Kaweco Sport Classic, B

http://imageshack.com/a/img631/7466/TlObe7.jpg

http://imageshack.com/a/img910/9107/qHY08H.jpg

[OCArt]

Very nice! I am a fan of Ebony Purple and I'll have to look into this one.

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the review. Like OCArt, I'm also a fan of Ebony Purple, but hadn't considered any of the others in the Ebony series.

This one actually reminds me a bit, color-wise, of some vintage Skrip Brown that someone gave me last winter. Good to know that if I use up the bottle there will be a modern equivalent color (although possibly *not* for in one of the Snorkels...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Ghost Plane]

Oh my. I hadn't tried this yet. I think my Black Magic Blue needs a friend. BMB is VERY well behaved. I have it loaded next to some Sailor Kobes and they're interchangeable for luscious, wet, gorgeous reliability.

[PS104]

although possibly *not* for in one of the Snorkels

Why not?

[inkstainedruth]

Why not?

Because the PR inks tend to be more saturated. The Snorkels have sufficiently convoluted fill systems that I tend to be more circumspect about what inks go in them. I already paid to get them restored and working -- I do *not* want to have to do that again. The Statesman, in particular, with its EF nib, is really picky about what inks work well in it without clogging (so far, Skrip Purple is pretty much the only ink that it really "took" to).

OTOH, I've put PR Ebony Purple in a Parker 51 without a backwards glance....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

edited for typos

Edited October 8, 2015 by inkstainedruth

[rudyhou]

this is actually a very nice formal brown. kinda reminds me a cross between Diamine chocolate brown and Pilot Iro yama-guri.

[PS104]

Ruth

Thanks for the heads-up on potential problems wrt this ink and Snorkels