Some Ink Tests

[USG]

2 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

 

Featherland with some inks, ugh.


I "accidentally" bought some Color Traveler Miyajima Scarlet. What a mistake. It is described in this review as having a dry/slightly dry flow, and yes indeed it has a dry flow but that's not really problematic, the AWFUL inexistent lubrication is. That ink is a pain to use with my favoured F/EF nibs. It does shade thanks to its low saturation (also it's like whatever dye is not really well dissolved in there? Not sure how to describe). It reminds me of this other terrible red ink that I had made the mistake of buying (but I had been smarter for this one and had only bought a sample). If these two inks were identical, I wouldn't be surprised.

 

On the positive side, you'll get skinny lines: That is a "wet" Platinum 3776F, and the lines are more like what I get with a UEF 3776 and a more cooperative ink.

 

 

It does clean super easily (ok, it only stayed in the pen for like 2 days before I gave up). It also doesn't darken like some other reds (Diamine, Sailor, Platinum, etc) so maybe the dye used is different. Don't expect any sheen either, you get shading instead. It's also perfectly behaved on bad paper  

 

Out of frustration I ordered some of the opposite-behaving ink: Noodler's BSB. With all these discussion on thin paper, it's time to bring a seriously inky contender to the party. Somehow some Noodler's La couleur royale also ended up in my basket, I wanted to see if it could be a good replacement for Colorverse Fountain Pen Day 2024.

 

Interesting red.  Too bad it didn't work out. ☹️

 

BSB... can't wait to hear your adventures with that one!!!!!

 

Noodler's La couleur royale looks like another DBPS ink.  Not a bad color but those bottles are so big, I'd never use it up.

 

Why are you looking for a replacement for Colorverse Fountain Pen Day 2024 ink?

 

17 minutes ago, Mechanical said:

One thing I like with the View Corona paper is that it feels nice under the nib, giving a combination of smoothness with a sense of feedback. This permits pretty good detail.  Here's some Platinum Blue Black in in a Lamy Safari <F> and some Platinum Carbon Black in a Pilot Kakuno <EF>.

 

 

For perspective, here's the whole page (A5):

 

 

Also, I'm beginning to realize that many of the inks I choose don't feather readily.  Trying with Diamine Asa Blue, for me a wet ink, I can still get somewhat fine detail. 

 

 

Where did you get View Corona with holes?  I'm not sure we're using the same paper.  My JetPens View Corona doesn't look like that.

 

It seems like you're looking for an ink that feathers.  I can't tell you which inks will feather except for the inks in my usual suspects.  Asa-Gao in a wet F Namiki Shogun, Ajisai in a M Leonardo Furore and Edelstein Sapphire in a F Leonardo Momento Zero.  These pens have had the same inks in them for years.  I don't change the colors and I don't flush the pens.  In the real world of pen use, all this OCD flushing and cleaning behavior doesn't exist. They just kept refilling and refilling like I do.  I'm a little hazy on this but my recollection is that I discovered back in grade school, (when I used to change colors all the time), that a fresh fill with even the same ink would be a lighter color than that same ink would be in a few days.  This was especially true if you had more than one pen in which the ink could settle in.  I liked the darker color better and learned to refill the cartridges, (which is what I was using back then), instead of flushing out the feed by filling through the nib with a converter. 

 

Anyway, it's this darker color, of those specific inks, in those specific pens, that feathers on inferior paper.  (YMMV)

 

There have been other pen/ink combos that also have feathered but apparently I don't use those pens with the same frequency to remember which ones they are.  One might think that as the ink matures into a darker version of itself, it would tend to be thicker and less prone to feathering but that does not seem to be the case with my usual suspects or with all inks as you can see in my samples.

 

Btw, what's that little drawing you made?

 

15 minutes ago, Mechanical said:

@Lithium466 I know what you mean.  When there isn't enough lubrication, the fun goes out of writing.  But darn, that's an awfully nice looking red ink.

 

It is nice looking red ink 😀👍

 

[Grayfeather]

Monteverde Passion.  

 

Terrible photo. Apologies 

 

 

[Mechanical]

3 hours ago, USG said:

Where did you get View Corona with holes?  I'm not sure we're using the same paper.  My JetPens View Corona doesn't look like that.

 

Haha, I used my Carl A5 paper punch.

 

3 hours ago, USG said:

It seems like you're looking for an ink that feathers.  I can't tell you which inks will feather except for the inks in my usual suspects. 

 

I guess I'm okay that my inks aren't feathering :-) 

 

I keep expecting that one of these papers will emerge as a clear victor for my use.  All I can say at this point is if you want a paper that really holds a crease for origami... then go with the KT50. 

3 hours ago, USG said:

Btw, what's that little drawing you made?

 

The drawings are just nonsense, but they came out pretty nice.  You really have a lot of  control of details with View Corona.  I often draw small figures when I take notes and being able to squeeze them into the margins is a plus.

[Penguincollector]

Here’s some pictures from my Mitsubishi Bank Paper test:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot to shake the pen before writing.

[Lithium466]

10 hours ago, Mechanical said:

@Lithium466 I know what you mean.  When there isn't enough lubrication, the fun goes out of writing.  But darn, that's an awfully nice looking red ink.

 

No...don't get fooled, that's on Iroful, which is the only way to insufflate a little life in that ink. Also the picture, probably. That's one of the lousiest reds I tried, and I tried many. Which is too bad because it doesn't have that tendency to darken or outline darker that many reds have, so perhaps by letting it concentrate a bit it would give good results?
And then of course, do you want your red to shade? As a shading non appreciator, I have to admit it does look nice with that ink, because the colour range remains in what I'm expecting from an ink named "Scarlet". But..if it were a pigment ink, or some mix dye/pigment, I wouldn't be surprised, there is something weird in the way the lighter portions behave. Perhaps some Arabic gum or glycerine would save it.

 

8 hours ago, USG said:

 

Interesting red.  Too bad it didn't work out. ☹️

 

BSB... can't wait to hear your adventures with that one!!!!!

 

Noodler's La couleur royale looks like another DBPS ink.  Not a bad color but those bottles are so big, I'd never use it up.

 

Why are you looking for a replacement for Colorverse Fountain Pen Day 2024 ink?

 

 

 

It is nice looking red ink 😀👍

 

 

Another DBPS! I know 😇 I have too many, and depending on days none of them are right.

My last BSB encounter didn't leave me impressed, with some mild feathering on Oxford Optik, super wide lines, and of course staining that I had to tackle with bleach. I was wondering what a good pen would be for such ink, probably a very dry pen? Maybe a Sailor 1911S EF. Or to remain on the safe side, a cheap Chinese pen that I would need to buy for the occasion, of course! I think I have an unloved Jinhao 82 in a similar blue.

 

There's also Noodler's La reine mauve, that I almost bought. Expensive small bottle, resistant to all kind of stuff, but some reviews describe it as "chalky".

 

About the Colorverse, I thought it was a Vanness exclusive, but I see a shop in Toronto has it. Mmm, to consider. Very expensive though.

 

3 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

Here’s some pictures from my Mitsubishi Bank Paper test:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot to shake the pen before writing.

🤩

[USG]

45 minutes ago, Lithium466 said:

 

No...don't get fooled, that's on Iroful, which is the only way to insufflate a little life in that ink. Also the picture, probably. That's one of the lousiest reds I tried, and I tried many. Which is too bad because it doesn't have that tendency to darken or outline darker that many reds have, so perhaps by letting it concentrate a bit it would give good results?
And then of course, do you want your red to shade? As a shading non appreciator, I have to admit it does look nice with that ink, because the colour range remains in what I'm expecting from an ink named "Scarlet". But..if it were a pigment ink, or some mix dye/pigment, I wouldn't be surprised, there is something weird in the way the lighter portions behave. Perhaps some Arabic gum or glycerine would save it.

 

 

Another DBPS! I know 😇 I have too many, and depending on days none of them are right.

My last BSB encounter didn't leave me impressed, with some mild feathering on Oxford Optik, super wide lines, and of course staining that I had to tackle with bleach. I was wondering what a good pen would be for such ink, probably a very dry pen? Maybe a Sailor 1911S EF. Or to remain on the safe side, a cheap Chinese pen that I would need to buy for the occasion, of course! I think I have an unloved Jinhao 82 in a similar blue.

 

There's also Noodler's La reine mauve, that I almost bought. Expensive small bottle, resistant to all kind of stuff, but some reviews describe it as "chalky".

 

About the Colorverse, I thought it was a Vanness exclusive, but I see a shop in Toronto has it. Mmm, to consider. Very expensive though.

 

🤩

 

Insufflate, Appreciator - tossin' out some high-falutin words, are you? 🤪

 

1 hour ago, Lithium466 said:

Another DBPS! I know 😇 I have too many, and depending on days none of them are right.

 

I like DBPS inks and I'm always up for another one, but I have the same problem.  On some days none of them looks right.  Why is that ❓ 

 

Noodler's La reine mauve <--Resisting, resisting, resisting  🙈

 

As long as you're considering BSB, which I'd put in a Jinhao X159, I saw this... and there's also Kung te-Cheng which you might like even better, grasshopper.

[USG]

5 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

Here’s some pictures from my Mitsubishi Bank Paper test:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I forgot to shake the pen before writing.

 

Some Variations on your Theme:

 

To Sheen or not to Sheen

 

 

Lady Emerald from a <F> nib

 

I don't know why your Bilberry didn't sheen?

 

 

 

A Tale of Two Konagis

 

 

Lost its vibrant blue....

[USG]

10 hours ago, Gaius Maximus said:

Monteverde Passion.  

 

Terrible photo. Apologies 

 

 

 

You got more variation from that nib than I did...😀👍

Too bad I didn't think to load a Monteverde ink....  I have Horizon Blue. 

[Grayfeather]

1 hour ago, USG said:

 

You got more variation from that nib than I did...😀👍

Too bad I didn't think to load a Monteverde ink....  I have Horizon Blue. 

 

 

Give it a go. What's one more ink test? Lol.

[Mechanical]

5 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

perhaps by letting it concentrate a bit it would give good results?

5 hours ago, Lithium466 said:

.if it were a pigment ink, or some mix dye/pigment, I wouldn't be surprised, there is something weird in the way the lighter portions behave. Perhaps some Arabic gum or glycerine would save it.

 

Spoken like a true ink nerd!

 

 

[Mechanical]

@USG and @Penguincollector, this bank paper performs very nicely.

[Penguincollector]

4 hours ago, USG said:

I don't know why your Bilberry didn't sheen?

  The closeup shows the sheen a bit more:

 

[Penguincollector]

5 minutes ago, Mechanical said:

@USG and @Penguincollector, this bank paper performs very nicely.

  I am looking forward to seeing your results! 

[Penguincollector]

4 hours ago, USG said:

You got more variation from that nib than I did...😀👍

  It definitely softens up with use; mine feels more flexible now, and I haven’t had it long. 

[USG]

2 minutes ago, Penguincollector said:

  The closeup shows the sheen a bit more:

 

Ah, yes, I see it now 😀👍.  Nice!  Do you find that the Bank paper has a texture?

[Penguincollector]

6 minutes ago, USG said:

Ah, yes, I see it now 😀👍.  Nice!  Do you find that the Bank paper has a texture?

  I can’t recall, to be honest. This lost hour of sleep is killing me.

[USG]

I noticed that lavender-grey Sailor Manyo Fuji ink looked greenish on this 9/24 Bank Paper page

 

 

 

 

So I tested it again....

 

 

And then on Tomoe River-S

[Penguincollector]

@USG, from what I understand, many of the Manyo line inks are chroma shaders, which are super paper dependent in terms of what color shows up. 

[USG]

1 hour ago, Penguincollector said:

@USG, from what I understand, many of the Manyo line inks are chroma shaders, which are super paper dependent in terms of what color shows up. 

 

That's true.  Still, it's not a pleasant color.

 

And there's all kinds of problems with this Bank Paper.

 

I wrote this and took a pic

 

A while later I noticed it had turned into this...

[USG]

Here's another example.  Besides smearing, the ink got darker and woollier.

 

I wrote this:

 

A while later it turned into this:

 

And just when I think I have things figured out, I used up all the ink in the feed and I got this: