De Atramentis (Document Ink) Fog Grey

[lgsoltek]

Our local pen meets often involve sample exchanges. I have accumulated quite a lot of samples I've yet to try. Here is De Atramentis Document Ink Fog Grey I was kindly given a sample of.

 

It's called Fog Grey but I consider it more as a light blue black. As the name implies, this ink is totally waterproof. Water will not make it budge. The ink doesn't look translucent like dye-based inks do, but somewhat cloudy, which makes me think this is a pigment-based ink.

 

As De Atramentis inks usually do, this ink writes very wet and smooth. The problem is it's TOO wet. The ink seeps into right away and is absorbed by the paper, causing a LOT of feathering and bleedthrough. A medium nib writes like a broad or double broad. While I think the colour is okay, there's nothing that displeases more in an ink than feathering (well except maybe inks that never dry).

 

Splash

Sample

(Rhodia)

(Tomoe River. Yes I spelled the name wrong...)

Bleedthrough

Comparison

[lapis]

Thanks for the review. I love this ink and use it all the time. Yes it's wet but that's good too. These goodies can't ever be wet enough. Reminds me flow-wise of the long-gone Amazon. Also, as re colour , it reminds me a bit -- okay, okay, at least in that direction -- of Fuyu Syogun. Just more readable..........

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the review. It's an interesting looking color; I haven't tried this one, but I haven't been that impressed with the other D'A inks I've tried. Archive Black is very dry, and the other ones have bad issues with spread on bad paper.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[grainweevil]

 

That close-up alone might well have sold this to me, but, like you, the feathering would irritate me no end, so no dice. Thank you for the review!

[Patrick L]

I don't see anything grey in it.

[MsRedpen]

Lgsoltek, you have described all so accurate, exactly the same experience over here.

I like the colour so much that one pen is constantly filled with Fog Grey, though with F nib to minimize feathering.

Great for envelopes and any kind of postcards.

Thank you for the review, seems it is the first one of this ink!

Btw - love your photos

[lgsoltek]

Lgsoltek, you have described all so accurate, exactly the same experience over here.

I like the colour so much that one pen is constantly filled with Fog Grey, though with F nib to minimize feathering.

Great for envelopes and any kind of postcards.

Thank you for the review, seems it is the first one of this ink!

Btw - love your photos

 

Thank you for your kind words!

[Tas]

I thought I'd replied Hmm.

I adore the colour but for once your review has resulted in an ink being removed from "the list" - fetheringis a deal breaker here

Thanks for sharing your findings.

[Tas]

 

That close-up alone might well have sold this to me, but, like you, the feathering would irritate me no end, so no dice. Thank you for the review!

[lgsoltek]

I thought I'd replied Hmm.

 

I adore the colour but for once your review has resulted in an ink being removed from "the list" - fetheringis a deal breaker here

 

Thanks for sharing your findings.

 

I knew you'd love this colour. Hold on, I'll pass the rest of the sample (and some others that you'll like ) on to you soon.

[Tas]

 

I knew you'd love this colour. Hold on, I'll pass the rest of the sample (and some others that you'll like ) on to you soon.

 

http://www.taskyprianou.com/me_trophy.jpg

[Newjelan]

Thanks for the review, I love the colour and it will be in my next order.

[Honeybadgers]

I love this color but kind of hate the ink. It's a deeply satisfying color on the page, but it's SO wet and spreads/feathers so much, it's almost unusable on anything but high quality paper. And dry times suck. I find it to feather and bleed with a pilot extra fine. And despite it being so wet, I find it prone to hard starting. So it's just not a good everyday color.

 

I bought it to use in an everyday sort of way due to being quite waterfast, but after seeing how it behaves on good paper in a flex nib, maybe I'll play with it in some dip nib work.

 

Also, not pictured, it almost has a metallic silvery sheen, reminiscent of morning fog. It really does remind me of a gray, foggy winter Seattle morning.

 

I can confirm it is a pigment based ink. Everything in the document line is.

Edited November 9, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[rudyhou]

this looks like such a cool color. and dark enough for a daily use. the matte look certainly makes it friendly to the eye.

[truthpil]

Thanks for the review!

This DA Document line is so hit or miss that it drives me crazy. My first was Red which feathers a little but can easily be tamed by a dry pen (it thrives in my Sheaffer No-nonsense fine italic). Turquoise was a total disaster and bleed through multiple pages and could turn an EF line into an M! Just when I was about to give up on them altogether I tried a sample of Fuchsia. It's wonderful! No bleed and almost no feathering and even some shading can be had with the right paper. I was hoping Fog Grey would perform as well because these are the only inks I've found that don't move a bit when run over with a highlighter just a few seconds later. So sad to hear that this is yet another bleeding featherer in the line.

[putteringpenman]

Thanks for the review! I like the color a lot. I think it's more of a blue-grey than grey.

[PaperDarts]

Great review, thank you. I second what MsRedPen said, this ink works just fine in an F nib.

[Tas]

I've just popped some of this into my Pilot Vanishing Point.

I've scriblled on quite a few bits of paper, Rhodia, Tomoe and anything I have laying around. No feathering ! AND what beautifully soft colour - zero shading on anything though. Oh well.

* UPDATE, inkjet paper feathers if writing v e r y slooowly. Normal speed (for me) is fine and dandy.

Lgsoltek, this not only goes back on the list, it's gone up in the rankings . . . THANK YOU

[lgsoltek]

I've just popped some of this into my Pilot Vanishing Point.

 

I've scriblled on quite a few bits of paper, Rhodia, Tomoe and anything I have laying around. No feathering ! AND what beautifully soft colour - zero shading on anything though. Oh well.

 

* UPDATE, inkjet paper feathers if writing v e r y slooowly. Normal speed (for me) is fine and dandy.

 

Lgsoltek, this not only goes back on the list, it's gone up in the rankings . . . THANK YOU

 

I guess a dry pen is a better match for this ink. I'm happy you found one that works!

[dhanks]

It looks a lot like Pelikan Blue-Black, which I really like and cannot easily get anymore.

 

Rumpole