EFNIR: Rohrer & Klingner Ebony

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Rohrer & Klingner Ebony

This is review #286 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: This was a limited edition ink from 2023. I don't know if you can still get it, but you can see pictures at Vanness.  The bottle includes the words "iron gall nut ink".

The ink is dark grey with a purple undertone, but you really don't see that in this fine a nib, where it looks varying shades of grey, depending on how wet it's flowing. Without anything darker nearby, it sometimes looks black from this nib.  I haven't noticed rapid oxidizing of the ink as it dries or ages.  Cleaning was quick and easy with plain water.

All the images look close to what my eyes see, though they lack any hint of the purple undertone.

Zoomed in photo

Screenshot

Scan of Completed Review

Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper)

Line width (The "I" in "Ink:". 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 326µm. With 286 inks measured, the average line width is 297µm.)

Microscope image (400x. Right is with microscope software, left with a smart phone camera. Neither shows the detail or colors my eyes see.)

Microscope image (400x.  Another similar "structure".)

Microscope image (100x. At the bottom of the slide, the ink was constructing a telecommunications array...)

Water Test Results

Previous Review: Noodler's Chekhov.

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!

[I-am-not-really-here]

This ink has more interesting behavior on the microscope slide, love the flowers, than on paper. A communications array, hm,  is the  ink sentient? Not enough here to sway me from ST Dupont.  Thanks for the review.

[LizEF]

8 minutes ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

This ink has more interesting behavior on the microscope slide, love the flowers, than on paper.

Right?

 

8 minutes ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

A communications array, hm,  is the  ink sentient?

You never know what you're going to find in ink!

 

8 minutes ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

Not enough here to sway me from ST Dupont.

That's a good think, since this ink is probably next to impossible to find.

 

9 minutes ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

Thanks for the review.

You're most welcome!

[yazeh]

Wow! This a  fun looking ink at the microscopic level  

In general I'm not a fan of limited edition anything. The more limited the less I care about it  

I love how the quote and  how it echoes the storyline 👏

I wonder how the chroma of this ink would look like, it seems very layered. But for all this hoopla, it basically looks like a grey/charcoal ink. 

Am I correct to assume that by magical ward, you mean magical protection? 

 Thanks for making this Tuesday especially intriguing 🙏🙏🙏

 

[LizEF]

38 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Wow! This a  fun looking ink at the microscopic level  

 

38 minutes ago, yazeh said:

In general I'm not a fan of limited edition anything. The more limited the less I care about it  

Same here, mostly - but I did fall hard for the Visconti Homo Sapiens London Fog - no regrets - love that pen!

 

39 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I love how the quote and  how it echoes the storyline 👏

I lucked out again.

 

40 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I wonder how the chroma of this ink would look like, it seems very layered. But for all this hoopla, it basically looks like a grey/charcoal ink. 

I could try it.  I have a lot left.  Given how little it moved in the water test, it may not be that interesting...

 

41 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Am I correct to assume that by magical ward, you mean magical protection? 

Yes.  Archaic meaning, sort of.  But conveniently enough, there's also a meaning related to locks: "any of the internal ridges or bars in a lock that prevent the turning of any key which does not have grooves of corresponding form or size." and "the corresponding grooves in the bit of a key."

 

44 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks for making this Tuesday especially intriguing 🙏🙏🙏

You're most welcome!

[Sailor Kenshin]

Whoa!  Such lovely flowers and butterflies!  Can this really be from an understated ink like R&K Ebony?

 

I don't have any of your comparison inks, but dark muted grays are all right with me.

 

And as for the story, uh-oh...descending to—-a fully stocked wine cellar?  Or something more dangerous?  Judging by the ghostly moans and wails it's likely the latter.

 

 In either case, can't wait for the next installment.  Thanks so much, @LizEF, for the Tuesday Treat of review and story.

[yazeh]

31 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Same here, mostly - but I did fall hard for the Visconti Homo Sapiens London Fog - no regrets - love that pen!

If it's love then who am I to judge  

31 minutes ago, LizEF said:

I could try it.  I have a lot left.  Given how little it moved in the water test, it may not be that interesting...

You never know.   Smoke is curious wondering if you soak him, will he look like the microscopic slides 🙀  

31 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Yes.  Archaic meaning, sort of.  But conveniently enough, there's also a meaning related to locks: "any of the internal ridges or bars in a lock that prevent the turning of any key which does not have grooves of corresponding form or size." and "the corresponding grooves in the bit of a key."

Thanks! Quite creative way of using this word. I've noticed there seems to be a lot of inky powers in the cellars. First with the Skel IX, Earl of Grey and Marsell, and now here. Maybe there is an underground magical city/ continent somewhere

 

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Whoa!  Such lovely flowers and butterflies!  Can this really be from an understated ink like R&K Ebony?

Yep.  (And now that I remember the microscope slide, I'm rethinking what I said to @yazeh about a chroma - it might be interesting after all - there seemed to be lots of color in that slide.)

 

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

And as for the story, uh-oh...descending to—-a fully stocked wine cellar?  Or something more dangerous?  Judging by the ghostly moans and wails it's likely the latter.

Given that it's a "bare cellar", I think you're right!

 

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

In either case, can't wait for the next installment.

 

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks so much, @LizEF, for the Tuesday Treat of review and story.

You're very welcome!

[LizEF]

47 minutes ago, yazeh said:

If it's love then who am I to judge  

 

48 minutes ago, yazeh said:

You never know.   Smoke is curious wondering if you soak him, will he look like the microscopic slides 🙀  

  Smoke likes to play in the tub with a little water in it, but he always shakes the water off his paws the minute they touch water.  The flying droplets send Klaw racing from the room - he may be fascinated with drains, but he hates getting wet.  Crazy creatures!

 

49 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Thanks! Quite creative way of using this word. I've noticed there seems to be a lot of inky powers in the cellars. First with the Skel IX, Earl of Grey and Marsell, and now here. Maybe there is an underground magical city/ continent somewhere

You're welcome.  I've seen the word used that way in other fantasy stories, so that's probably where I picked it up.  Yes, lots of dangerous stuff underground.  Love the idea of the magical underground city or continent - Atlantis, anyone?  The back of my brain has gone to work on it and we'll see what it spits onto the shore of my consciousness...

[LizEF]

Chroma done. Waiting for it to dry. My eyes see purple and a sort of orange sherbet color with a spot of dark greyish brown (that I suspect would turn into that orange if I left it in the water longer, but I'm not positive). Will try a scan once it dries.  If that doesn't come out well, I'll try a photo when I go do my review for today.

 

PS: The cats are still fighting in the sink...

[LizEF]

OK, here's the chroma, but the color is off - the top should be brighter and more like Creamsicle orange, more yellow, less red.  The purple should lean bluer, especially in the paler areas.

[yazeh]

51 minutes ago, LizEF said:

PS: The cats are still fighting in the sink...

You can always fill it up with water  

23 minutes ago, LizEF said:

OK, here's the chroma, but the color is off - the top should be brighter and more like Creamsicle orange, more yellow, less red.  The purple should lean bluer, especially in the paler areas.

 

The colour is lovely. Almost silverly purple, brown, orange.  Thanks for doing that 🙏

[LizEF]

2 minutes ago, yazeh said:

You can always fill it up with water  

 

3 minutes ago, yazeh said:

The colour is lovely. Almost silverly purple, brown, orange.  Thanks for doing that 🙏

You're welcome!

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

  Smoke likes to play in the tub with a little water in it, but he always shakes the water off his paws the minute they touch water.  The flying droplets send Klaw racing from the room - he may be fascinated with drains, but he hates getting wet.  Crazy creatures!

Too many images of cats, bath brushes, soap suds and whatnots 

1 hour ago, LizEF said:

 

You're welcome.  I've seen the word used that way in other fantasy stories, so that's probably where I picked it up.  Yes, lots of dangerous stuff underground.  Love the idea of the magical underground city or continent - Atlantis, anyone?  The back of my brain has gone to work on it and we'll see what it spits onto the shore of my consciousness...

Thanks. Glad if I could help with an underground magical city. Looking forward to your consciousness  

[LizEF]

44 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Too many images of cats, bath brushes, soap suds and whatnots 

Thanks. Glad if I could help with an underground magical city. Looking forward to your consciousness  

[LizEF]

Here's a photo of the chroma.  The colors are much closer to what my eyes see, but the paler parts are washed out and I couldn't get them back:

[yazeh]

@LizEF thanks for going through all the trouble and posting it. thumb This is really lovely. Pity it doesn't reflect on the ink itself

[LizEF]

6 minutes ago, yazeh said:

@LizEF thanks for going through all the trouble and posting it. thumb This is really lovely. Pity it doesn't reflect on the ink itself

You're welcome!  (Wasn't too hard since I was recording another review anyway.)  It is quite nice.  I wonder if the colors might show up better from a dryish stub, so the ink is spread out more and thinner (so not as dark).  I have too many pens inked right now, but maybe I'll try it in my Al-Star stub after a couple of them run dry.

[yazeh]

6 minutes ago, LizEF said:

You're welcome!  (Wasn't too hard since I was recording another review anyway.)  It is quite nice.  I wonder if the colors might show up better from a dryish stub, so the ink is spread out more and thinner (so not as dark).  I have too many pens inked right now, but maybe I'll try it in my Al-Star stub after a couple of them run dry.

Looking forward to it  

[InesF]

... and down we go into the Dungeon! 😱

Thank you, @LizEF, for the story and for reviewing this R&K ink! 👍

I never did a chromatography and didn't notice the purple parts of this ink. It always appeared brown-black to me when written with F and M nibs. And it was this character that made it interesting for me, a pure grey or, God beware, a black would not had done it.

 

However, the microscopy is still the most appealing part of the ink! I love the "flowers", the crystals under the butterfly and the crystals along the micro scratches on the glass slide. ("ET must calling home!")   This is another association with the B-movie "Pulse"  - when it made it's own connections on the conductor board ... 😳

 

Looking forward to how many traps our party has to disarm and how many doors they have to unlock. I bought popcorn, unfolded my camping chair, brought some bottles of water and now waiting, first row, for how the story will go on.