Noodler's Esenin

[yazeh]

I’ve been enjoying this eye searing ink for quite a well. In general, most of the Russian Series ink are some of the best “bulletproof” inks I’ve tried, and Esenin is in that category. 


Sergei Esenin or Yesenin was a Russian Poet. 

In his young life he married four times. His 2nd wife Zinaida Reich, a famed Russian actress, was killed in 1939 by Soviet Secret service. His 3rd wife was famed American dancer Isadora Duncan. And his fourth wife a granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy.


It is said that his last poem, was written with his blood, as he couldn’t find ink in the hotel room, he was staying. Hence this reddish eye searing colour.
The next day, he was found dead in his hotel room, having committed suicide at age 30. Some say, he was killed by the soviet secret police and his suicide was staged. 

Poem (from wikipedia's translation) on Tomeo River 68gr. The pen is Kawrite Ultraflex. The smudge on the word "die" is intentional. 

 

The best way to describe his poetry is a quote from Wikipedia: 
The Empress told me my poems were beautiful, but sad. I replied, the same could be said about Russia as a whole," 

The ink with a fine nib has an orange red hue, but with the flex it shares more character. Ink is bulletproof and fluorescent. When I first inked, it, I was sketching foxes.....

This is with the fine nib of a Kaweco Perkeo

 

Here is another written text: from the Song of Songs.... this time on thin Tomoe River, pen Kanwrite Ultra flex... 

Savour the richness of the red...

 

and the delicate chroma:

In all this is a delightful red ink, for those who are for looking for an unabashed eye searing red 

Note the Russian series are more expensive than the other bulletproof inks. 

• Pens used: Kaweco Perkeo Fine/ Kanwrite Flex
• Shading: Quite a bit
• Ghosting: Not really.
• Bleed through: Depends on paper nib/ combination.  
• Flow Rate: Wet
• Lubrication: Great
• Nib Dry-out: No
• Start-up: No
• Saturation: Eye searing…
• Shading Potential: With flex and depending on paper
• Sheen: None
• Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed…
• Nib Creep / “Crud”: Yes.
• Staining (pen): Easy to clean…
• Clogging: Nope
• Water resistance: Excellant
• Availability: 90 ml bottles

 

 

[LizEF]

Nice review, @yazeh!  Interesting backstory and interesting ink.  Thanks for the review.

[yazeh]

Just now, LizEF said:

Nice review, @yazeh!  Interesting backstory and interesting ink.  Thanks for the review.

Welcome 

[lapis]

Thanks for this good review as always. Funny -- again, not at all hilarious -- but although I'm by no means hot about red inks (especially eye-searing or eye-piercing reds, as you say) I'm determined to get this ink for the simple reason that his life and what happened of it makes me think it (at least the ink) has to be accommodated/experienced in his favour.

[yazeh]

3 minutes ago, lapis said:

Thanks for this good review as always. Funny -- again, not at all hilarious -- but although I'm by no means hot about red inks (especially eye-searing or eye-piercing reds, as you say) I'm determined to get this ink for the simple reason that his life and what happened of it makes me think it (at least the ink) has to be accommodated/experienced in his favour.

Thanks Lapis. Very tragic figure. Most of the Russian series authors  had tragic lives. (Not all of them of course) thanks to the inability of Bolsheviks to honour dissent..... 

[yazeh]

I just wanted to post an update about Esenin's waterproofness. 

Ten hours after writing my sample on a Clairefontaine pocket notebooks, I held it underarm  running water. Quite a bit of ink washed away. The more absorbent the paper is the less there is chance of ink being removed obviously. 

 

Before

After

Back

 

 

 

Here is also an attempted sketch, I did on FRINGE paper. It's more absorbent. But the colour takes more orange hue...

 

The other two inks are Polar Green and Baystate Blue....

[lapis]

I really like your sketches. Keep 'em comin' !

[LizEF]

[yazeh]

I realized that I hadn't added a comparison. So here goes. This ink is slightly more eye searing than Fox Red and cheaper. Though Fox Red is one of the best bulletproof inks I've ever tried. If it cleans as well as Esenin, then we've got another winner!

[LizEF]

Wow.  Those first three are almost triplets.

[yazeh]

12 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Wow.  Those first three are almost triplets.

Yep they are. Personally I think that the Artist is just a gimmicky version of Document

[LizEF]

32 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Personally I think that the Artist is just a gimmicky version of Document

Well, De Atramentis are known to release the same ink under multiple names, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

[yazeh]

40 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Well, De Atramentis are known to release the same ink under multiple names, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

 

[Odd Save the Keen]

On 12/12/2021 at 8:43 AM, yazeh said:

This is really cool.

[yazeh]

 

1 hour ago, Aethertigris said:

This is really cool.

Thanks 🙏