Blue Coral Snake - Bookbinders Snake Ink

[visvamitra]

Bookbinders is an Australian online store that creators claim to be "on a relentless quest in search of products that will fire the imagination of the 21st century writer". There mauy be something to their words - the company presents their products in attractive and inspiring way. Some time ago Bookbinders started yo offer Snake Ink to their customers. The ink is sold in 30 ml bottles inspired in design "by the wily snake oil salesmen of the early 1900’s, and in colour by the beautiful and dangerous snakes of the world".

Snake Ink is available in 5 different colours. The samples of all of them were send to me by webgeckos - thank you Penny!

1. Blue Coral (blue)
   
2. Eastern Brown (brown)
   
3. Emerald Boa (green)
   
4. Everglades Ratsnake (orange)
   
5. Red-belly Black (black)
   

Blue Coral Snake looks nice.

Everglades Ratsnake ink could be quite nice if only it would write at all. Sadly the content of my sample turned into some kind of oily slime and it didn't flow in any pen. Basically no pen filled with this ink would write. Null. Zero. The ink stays in cartridge or converter.

I've made writing samples by dipping the pen in the ink. I'm not sure what happened to the sample or is it the ink "normal" behaviour but after this experience I would never put this ink into a pen.

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

Software ID

Tomoe River, Kaweco Classic Sport, B

Leuchtturm1917, Kaweco Classic Sport, B

[Uncial]

What a shame, it looks really nice. Maybe your sample was contaminated by something. I like the way the tissue blob is like the actual snake.

[saskia_madding]

The particles definitely look like SITB to me. I saw a writing sample of this last Friday (Cyber6's journal), and it seemed to work fine for her. Your sample was a dud, I think, rather than representative of the ink in general. I think?

[thudthwacker]

Wow -- the color, shading, and sheen are very pertinent to my interests. But oy -- shipping from Australia to New Jersey is going to be eye-bugging. I think I'll wait for a few more folks to chime in regarding whether or not Vis' unfortunate experience is common (or, as I'm hoping, singular).

 

(Looks at writing samples again.) Wow, I don't know if I do or don't hope the ink gets a clean bill of health. Shipping is going to be very, very dear if I decide I gotta have it.

[effrafax]

... But oy -- shipping from Australia to New Jersey is going to be eye-bugging. ...

 

I think you'll find that it's quite reasonable compared to shipping from the States to here!

[Pensei]

Pretty snake, nice color ink. Let's hope the problem will not pop up again.

[RedScarves]

Thant's one striking blue! I would love to have it...

except, I'm worried about it wouldn't flow

(I already have one bottle of ink -not the snake ink- that does not flow well in any of the pens I'd tried it in )

[visvamitra]

Bookbinders sent me a bottle of this ink. I'll re-review it after at least a month of using it. Then we'll see how it behaves

[migo984]

No problems with any of my Snake inks; I've been using them for about 2 months.

[mmg122]

Another excellent review, Vis...of an ink I've not heard of before. Ended up buying the whole set today. They look pretty nice.

[migo984]

These inks are pleasant, but definitely not exceptional. If I wasn't in Australia I doubt I'd buy them.

[webgeckos]

Sorry about the orange, Vis. It is great out of the bottle, but maybe it reacted to the transfer pipette. I was afraid to send vials for fear they would leak.

[visvamitra]

I've just revisited BLue Coral Snake.