Turquoise - Graf Von Faber-Castell

[visvamitra]

Graf von Faber-Castell was founded in 1761 and developed into the major manufacturer of wood-cased pencils. With time they started to offer much broader range of products. Few years ago company's introduced six inks. Last year they've added three new colors to the line. This year they've done the same. Three new GvFC colors hit the shelfs.

1. Burned Orange
2. Carbon Black
3. Cobalt Blue
4. Deep Sea Green
5. Electric Pink
6. Garnet Red
7. Hazelnut Brown
8. Midnight Blue
9. Moss Green
10. Royal Blue
11. Stone Grey
12. Turquoise
13. Violet Blue

Turquoise is one of three new additions to the line. As many of you know I'm not a turquoise fan. There are turquoises that are tolerable but GvFC ink is more on a dreadful side. It has it all that makes me clench the teeth. Aargh.

Apart from being ugly, there's nothing wrong with it. The flow is average, maybe closer to Pelikan 4001 than J. Herbin but I would be surprised to hear it felt to dry. There's practically no feathering and bleedthrough. The ink lacks saturation a bit.

Drops of ink on kitchen towel

Software ID

Color range

Rhodia, FC Ambition, B

Discovery 70 mgsm copy paper, Waterman Hemisphere, F

Rhodia, Graf von Faber-Castell Guilloche, F

Moleskine, Faber-Castell Ambition, B

Water resistance

Mini-comparison

Rhodia, GvFC Guilloche, F

[lgsoltek]

Blu Mare and V. Turquoise are gorgeous...

[visvamitra]

They're not intolerable, new GvFC though...No comments.

[lapis]

Nice review as usual and I'll go along with you in that it is an ugly colour. To each his own turquoise and all that, but this is by no means a turquoise (which isn't all that easy to whip out). It's more of a spit-out menthol green.

 

IYAM

[DrDebG]

Great review, Vis! While I am a lover of turquoise and blue-greens, I must agree with your assessment. I would not say "ugly", I would say "anemic". It has no vibrancy that a turquoise should have. Yuck!

[praxim]

A very green end of Turquoise. I have this ink coming so will have a chance to compare it with other less blue options. Visconti is to me very much to the blue end. Turquoises fall in a colour band I like.

[bobje]

I am coming to the conclusion that most turquoise inks look about the same. Maybe the go-to dyes for turquoise are so consistent that all companies use them, and that's why they look the same. If there are turquoise fans out there, please tell us which turquoise ink is the gold medalist.

[KKay]

I think it is a nice color, and I like turquoise on both the green side and blue side. But the saturation level is too shallow, and it indeed looks anemic to me.

[KaB]

thx for the review; too light for me.

[Sakura FP Gallery]

Thank you for the review. I was wondering what made GVFC decide to go for this kind of blue. Being a brand with a very strong character choosing for a pale water blue.

[praxim]

I am coming to the conclusion that most turquoise inks look about the same. Maybe the go-to dyes for turquoise are so consistent that all companies use them, and that's why they look the same. If there are turquoise fans out there, please tell us which turquoise ink is the gold medalist.

 

Given the different shades I think everyone is running their own race.

 

I see Lamy and Waterman (Inspired Blue) turquoises highly recommended here and commend both myself. I like also Robert Oster's and Visconti's. I am fearing the GvFC will run behind the other four. I do not know because it still has not shipped. The seller is waiting for another item to arrive.

 

edit:editorial

Edited August 1, 2017 by praxim

[visvamitra]

Well, given the price, ink looks and behavior I would say cheap Pelikan 4001 Turquoise is much better ink in every possible way.

[praxim]

Than all of the abovementioned? Not for me.

[namrehsnoom]

One more ink to never look at again. Thanks Vis... negative reviews that I agree with are greatly appreciated by my wallet.

[amberleadavis]

Well, given the price, ink looks and behavior I would say cheap Pelikan 4001 Turquoise is much better ink in every possible way.

 

Well, yes.

 

But for the price here Sheaffer turquoise is the hit.

[Honeybadgers]

That's... bad.

 

Waterman obsession blue (turquoise) even lamy turquoise.

 

It's definitely closer to true turquoise, but in that case... Sailor Yama-dori is more saturated, visible, and sheens HARD.

 

[ca49reber]

I have 2 of their new inks on my wish list but this one isn't one of them.

[langere]

Yes, this turquoise is too light for me. But it looks like a true turquoise - a bit like the Caribbean sea at a white sand beach.

 

Erick

[praxim]

I have been able to try this ink now. In a medium nib Aurora Optima (Italian Flag 18k) it emerged just a little more saturated than I had expected from Vis' samples, but very close. Other turquoises I use tend to have a little more blue although I agree with Honeybadgers that this may be a little more true to the nominal colour. It is quite flat in appearance. However, preferring another turquoise (or any other colour) is not the end of the story. This one will never see an F nib with me but is otherwise quite pleasant on the page when returning to it later, even if running behind others in my preferences. It certainly does not excite on first writing and is not a "must buy again" ink; nor is it one I regret or consider fairly useless (much as I enjoy some of his inks and plan to buy a few more, Mr Oster has a bit for which to answer also).