Octopus Write and Draw - Fox Grey

[yazeh]

There’s something about Octopus Write and Draw series. They have been a breath of fresh air, in the permanent ink world. Fox Grey isn't any different. It even makes the scratchy Kakuno Ef a pleasure to write with. The colour is pleasing, a warmish blue grey. 

 

Octopus has a host of warnings and does not recommend you using it in your favorite  fountain pen. And recommends a well-sealed pen, which is a no brainer. In my experience it's best to use theses inks in pens that can be fully dismantled. 

 

They also suggest that the shelf life of their ink is two years, which is a bit surprising. 

The ink is  ISO 12757-2 and DIN ISO 14145-2 

 

Here is the list of complete line up:

https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1

 

And warnings:

https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/

 

Let's start with the chroma: You can see clearly see the purplish grey.

Writing samples:

As you can see the wetter/wider the nib, the more ghosting /bleeding there'll be.

Photo: which shows the bluish tinge.

Comparison:

Water test: [after 24 hrs, nothing budged]

 

And finally a tiny artwork inspired by the ink:

 

 

· Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B), Kanwrite with Ahab nib

· What I liked: Beautiful colour, very well behaved. 

· What I did not like: Nothing.

· What some might not like: Doesn’t function as well with wider nibs on copy paper. 

· Shading: Quite nice.

· Ghosting: On copy paper

· Bleed through: Same as above, only with Broad /flex nibs.

· Flow Rate: Wet

· Lubrication: Excellent.

· Nib Dry-out: Quite good.

· Start-up: No.

· Saturation: Dark saturated grey

· Shading Potential: Look for yourself.

· Sheen: No

· Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: No.

· Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice.

· Staining (pen): No.

· Clogging: No.

· Cleaning: Only with water 

· Water resistance: Excellent. 

· Availability: 50 ml bottles

 

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier  

 

 

 

 

[lapis]

Great! I love greys, and exactly this type all the more!! I.e. -- at least in the general direction of -- Ol' Man Winter!!!

[yazeh]

1 minute ago, lapis said:

Great! I love greys, and exactly this type all the more!!

Glad you enjoyed it!

1 minute ago, lapis said:

I.e. -- at least in the general direction of -- Ol' Man Winter!!!

Indeed it is. But there's a warm quality to it

 

[lapis]

Okay, here's my warm snow storm...

 

[lapis]

In contrast to the cool one...

 

[LizEF]

Oh my.  The color in that photo is enough to make me swoon!   Onto the list it has gone. The swatch at Vanness is even more blue, though I know better than to rely on swatch colors...

 

Thank you, @yazeh, for more of this ink line, and your wonderful drawings.  Poor kitty!  Mr. Mouse has found a new friend...

[yazeh]

@lapislove it. Though coming from the land of eternal snow, the word snow and warm don't go hand in glove

 

 

[yazeh]

11 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Oh my.  The color in that photo is enough to make me swoon!   Onto the list it has gone. The swatch at Vanness is even more blue, though I know better than to rely on swatch colors...

It's blue when you rinse the pen. That's the first dye you see  Glad there's an ink, which can make you still tremble

 

11 minutes ago, LizEF said:

 

Thank you, @yazeh, for more of this ink line, and your wonderful drawings.  Poor kitty!  Mr. Mouse has found a new friend...

🙏Mr. Mouse for his small size, is quite gregarious, to put it politely  😛

 

 

[LizEF]

14 minutes ago, yazeh said:

🙏Mr. Mouse for his small size, is quite gregarious, to put it politely  😛

[Sailor Kenshin]

1. Cool chroma!

 

2. Cool comparison inks.

 

3. Cool artwork. 

 

4. Yay, gray!

 

5. A new friend (maybe!) for Kitteh and Mousie.

 

I have very little experience with pigmented inks, though the Pilot Parallel inks might be pigmented.  But you are tempting me.

 

Once again, @yazeh, thanks for another entertaining ink-sploration.  Keep ,em coming.

[yazeh]

40 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

1. Cool chroma!

 

40 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

2. Cool comparison inks.

🙏

40 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

3. Cool artwork.   

40 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

4. Yay, gray!

Thanks !

 

40 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

5. A new friend (maybe!) for Kitteh and Mousie.

Those two are inseparable

 

40 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

I have very little experience with pigmented inks, though the Pilot Parallel inks might be pigmented.  But you are tempting me.

Glad! I hope you'll give it a try

 

40 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

Once again, @yazeh, thanks for another entertaining ink-sploration.  Keep ,em coming.

With your encouragement I will

 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

the Pilot Parallel inks might be pigmented

I don't think so.  None of the ones I've tested have behaved like pigmented inks.