EFNIR: Rohrer & Klingner sketchINK Marlene

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Rohrer & Klingner sketchINK Marlene

This is review #232 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: This ink was gifted to me by a generous FPNer.  It's a lighter blue, but not pale - quite bright, actually.  And yet, it does have the chalky appearance of many pigmented inks in larger applications (e.g. my swatch).  It doesn't really seem to lean green or purple.  It's a pigmented ink, reported to be waterproof and lightfast.  In testing, dry time was almost instant.  During the review, it was over 30 seconds. I gave up and added a new Dry Time option: "varies".

Cleaning was surprisingly quick and easy.  Like any permanent ink, it will take a little more effort, but this one needed only water and only slightly stained the mouth of the cartridge and the plastic pipette used to fill it.  The harder plastic of the section was not stained and it came easily off the section and feed.

Zoomed in photo (Close, but shows more shading than my eyes see, and isn't quite as bright.)

Screenshot (Text might be a little too dark, but still pretty close.)

Scan of Completed Review (Close, but might need a little green...)

Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper) (AP: Too neon. Should be a little chalkier.  CP: Too pale and bright.)

Line width (One of the lines used for dry time. Magnification is 100x. The grid is 100x100µm. The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each. The line width for this ink is roughly 312µm. With 232 inks measured, the average line width is 296µm.)

Microscope image (100x. Three images merged to show some interesting patterns.  None of the colors is right. :))

Water Test Results (Color is a bit too neon here.)

Previous Review: Rohrer & Klingner Sepia.

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

Want to influence the inky sequence? Take the "next ink" poll.

View a list of my inks, complete with review results in a google sheet.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh? Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[txomsy]

Thanks for the wonderful (as usual) and useful review. That looks like a most interesting ink and will go into my wish list.

[PithyProlix]

Like the review, don't like the color. Thanks - this is one that I was curious about.

[yazeh]

Great review as usual @LizEF 

This is a difficult one to capture. Like most pigment inks the more it stays in a pen, the more tricky to clean, but not impossible

I have her sister, Klara, ( a somewhat Neon Green) in a Pilot Varsity for the past year or so, the pen stops writing if it's held in an upright position. A few second under the tap keeps it running. 

I had the chuckle about Ester river  I'm sure you need to keep an Excel file with all these names

Looking forward to next week !

[PithyProlix]

12 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I had the chuckle about Ester river

 

I did too. And then 'Esterary' popped into my mind. 

[yazeh]

2 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

I did too. And then 'Esterary' popped into my mind. 

While I was trying not to think too much of "Cacao" city

 

[LizEF]

57 minutes ago, txomsy said:

Thanks for the wonderful (as usual) and useful review. That looks like a most interesting ink and will go into my wish list.

You're very welcome!   And thank you!  If you decide to buy it, I hope you enjoy it.

[LizEF]

31 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

Like the review, don't like the color. Thanks - this is one that I was curious about.

  Thanks!  And you're very welcome.  (I don't particularly care for the color either, but it's good for those who do.)

[LizEF]

29 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Great review as usual @LizEF 

Thanks!

 

29 minutes ago, yazeh said:

This is a difficult one to capture.

Amen to that!  Definitely camera shy.

 

30 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Like most pigment inks the more it stays in a pen, the more tricky to clean, but not impossible

This one was downright easy compared to some.

 

30 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I have her sister, Klara, ( a somewhat Neon Green) in a Pilot Varsity for the past year or so, the pen stops writing if it's held in an upright position. A few second under the tap keeps it running. 

Interesting.  That's a good test - I think those have that "wick" style feed.  Nice to know it will work in them.

 

31 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I had the chuckle about Ester river  I'm sure you need to keep an Excel file with all these names

  Just a Scrivener document - one for names I've used, one for potential names.  This one was impossible to resist...

 

32 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Looking forward to next week !

[LizEF]

18 minutes ago, PithyProlix said:

 

I did too. And then 'Esterary' popped into my mind. 

 

15 minutes ago, yazeh said:

While I was trying not to think too much of "Cacao" city

  (Hadn't thought of that one yet.)

[Sailor Kenshin]

The micro looks to me like an ad for a swimming pool service.  I like it!

 

And I like the color.  Almost seems Baystate Blue brightness level.  Just not a pigment ink user.

 

Will the Dream Team somehow cross that river?  Will the nasty boatmen get in their way?  Tune in next week!

 

Thanks as always to @LizEF for these wonderful reviews and story.

[LizEF]

15 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

The micro looks to me like an ad for a swimming pool service.  I like it!

 

16 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

And I like the color.  Almost seems Baystate Blue brightness level.  Just not a pigment ink user.

Yeah, that's Marlene hamming for the camera - she's not so bright as the photos seem (bright yes, but not eye-searing bright).

 

16 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Will the Dream Team somehow cross that river?  Will the nasty boatmen get in their way?  Tune in next week!

 

16 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks as always to @LizEF for these wonderful reviews and story.

  You're very welcome!

[Anne-Sophie]

The micro pictures are beautiful!

 

Works of art! Thank You for sharing them!

 

I really love your thorough reviews, this one could be an art exhibit because of the background sound added, especially the sound of your nib.

 

 

[LizEF]

10 minutes ago, Anne-Sophie said:

The micro pictures are beautiful!

 

Works of art! Thank You for sharing them!

Thank you.   And you're very welcome!

 

10 minutes ago, Anne-Sophie said:

I really love your thorough reviews, this one could be an art exhibit because of the background sound added, especially the sound of your nib.

Thanks!  I love that the tippety tapping is so popular.

[Penguincollector]

Ooh, I love the color- and the story as always! 

[LizEF]

22 minutes ago, Penguincollector said:

Ooh, I love the color- and the story as always! 

Thanks, @Penguincollector!

[InesF]

Thank you @LizEF for the story part, for the ink review and for the microscopy images. 

I do use multiple of the sketchINKs since years, but never tried (and never missed) Marlene. Frieda is all I can ask for a blue drawing ink which adds some character to a line-and-wash picture. None of the INKs ever made problems when they stood longer in a pen (e.g. Lilly in a Lamy Vista for 5 month).

All that happened without me knowing about the 1970`s inspired organic pattern in microscopy - can I say: lava lamp? Note to self: I have to rethink my drawing attitude. 

 

@LizEF, you set the level of storytelling to a new high peak - I'm looking forward to all the exotic landscapes our heroic group will pass through! 😎

[LizEF]

3 hours ago, InesF said:

Thank you @LizEF for the story part, for the ink review and for the microscopy images. 

You're most welcome!

 

3 hours ago, InesF said:

I do use multiple of the sketchINKs since years, but never tried (and never missed) Marlene. Frieda is all I can ask for a blue drawing ink which adds some character to a line-and-wash picture. None of the INKs ever made problems when they stood longer in a pen (e.g. Lilly in a Lamy Vista for 5 month).

I do prefer the color of Frieda by far.  Marlene's shade makes me yawn.    Thank you for sharing your extended experience with these inks!

 

3 hours ago, InesF said:

All that happened without me knowing about the 1970`s inspired organic pattern in microscopy - can I say: lava lamp? Note to self: I have to rethink my drawing attitude. 

  Yes, lava lamp is the perfect comparison!

 

3 hours ago, InesF said:

@LizEF, you set the level of storytelling to a new high peak - I'm looking forward to all the exotic landscapes our heroic group will pass through! 😎