Tintenlabor – Schokolade

[yazeh]

Tintenlabor – Schokolade (Chocolate)

 

Ink Review # 205

 

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🧾 Description

 

Tintenlabor is a Swiss ink company specializing in Iron Gall inks. What differentiates this ink from other brands is that you would know the iron content. 

 

The samples were sent to me by the Ink-Meister, David. 

 

The inks have been streamlined and now comprises a few new colours. 

Chocolate has a 4 g/L per liter iron content.  The highest iron content is 6 g/L (goldrausch) and lowest is 1 g/L (alpstein). 

 

Ink writes like a reddish hot chocolate and oxidizes to dark brown or black.  You can see the oxidation process here with a Jinhao fude nib. (Quote is by Oscar Wilde). 

 

 

Ink is wet and was excellent with most nibs. I won’t recommend ebonite feed, flex nib combo for writing, especially on cheap papers. Too much ink on bad paper spells disaster. However, the same combo is fantastic on watercolor/ mixed media papers for drawing. 

 

Cleaning: I used three pens for this month-long experiment: a Kaweco Sport, an Ahab (both eyedroppered), and a Pilot Kakuno. I cleaned with a touch of pure ascorbic powder dissolved in water, using the pen jacuzzi. The Ahab’s barrel was full of iron oxide. Surprisingly, when I rinsed the Kaweco barrel under tap water, it came out clean. After half a day of soaking, the feed was spotless too. Since I was about to fill the barrel with another IG ink, I didn’t bother repeating the ascorbic acid / pen jacuzzi routine for the Kaweco. 

I assume the resin barrel of the Ahab reacted with the ink, while the Kaweco’s plastic barrel did not.   

 

It seems Ahab’s vegetal resin barrel is more reactive and prone to iron oxide deposits, while the ABS plastic of the Kaweco s chemically more resistant, rinsing clean with little effort.

 

Never use ammonia-based cleaning solutions to clean iron gall inks.

 

After using this ink for a month, I can say this ink has become one of my favorite, especially for artwork, when one can play with different dynamics by diluting the ink. 

 

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 🧪 Chroma

Just wow! 

 

 

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 ✍️ Writing Samples (scan)

Rhodia  / Iroful

 

 

 

Midori  /Tomoe River 68gsm

 

 

 

Hammermill 20lb  

 

 

 

 📸 Photo

Rhodia/ Iroful

 

 

 

Midori / Tomoe River 68 gsm

 

 

 

Hammermill 20lb

 

 

 

 

Oxidation and closeup: 

 

 

 

 

 🔍 Comparison

 

 

 

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 💧 Water Test

 

 

 

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 🎨 Artwork

Tower of Silence

Inktober yearlong challenge 2025: Tomb, Other inks used: Tintenlabor Alpstein, Mood Tape Grand African – Paper is Talens Mixed Media for all drawings. 

 

 

 

I ate your mouse!

My cat brought a live mouse indoors to play with. Rest assured, I caught the mouse and saved it. So, I had to draw my cat, Wednesday Addams style.

 

 

Inktober challenge 2025: Day 2: Weave

Once upon a time a princess’ kitty is banished for refusing to eat a mouse. The princess orders a carpet be woven from her luxurious hair, as she mourns. Thus, punishing her cruel father, the King, who wishes to marry her off. When the carpet is finished, she cuts her hair and flees the confines of the palace to join her kitty in exile. 

 

 

J Herbin Corail des Tropiques / J Herbin Gris Nuage, De Atramentis Document Cyan/ Turquoise mix, Van Dieman's Here Kitty Kitty.

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- Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF,  Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.9) , Ahab with FPR Super-flex.

- What I Liked:  Colour, writing, drawing, ink washes, water resistance. Drawing with a flex nib. 

- What I Did Not Like: Writing with a flex nib. 

- Writing Experience: Lovely with most nibs, not so with flex, because of wetness, long dry times (too much ink).

- Pros: Lovely colour, wet, well lubricated, maintains brown after a month. 

- Cons: Not suited for vegetal resin Ahab barrels. 

There might be tariffs for some. 

 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

 

- Shading: Lovely.

- Ghosting: Faint. See below. 

- Bleed Through: Yes, with very wet pens.

- Flow Rate: Wet

- Lubrication: below average to good, depending on nib size and pen, 

- Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

- Start-up: Very Good.

- Saturation: Gorgeous. 

- Sheen: No. 

- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Only with a very wet flex pen.  

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen): Yes, on Ahab’s barrel, none on Kaweco’s. 

- Clogging: No.

- Cleaning: Moderately easy with Kaweco, needed ascorbic acid for Ahab barrel. 

- Water Resistance: Very good. 

 

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 🛒 Availability

 

- Available in 30/50 ml bottles, directly from Tintenlabor. 

https://tintenlabor.mycommerce.shop/products/schokolade

 

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 💬 Closing

 

I have been wowed by the evolution of Tintenlabor inks. The new series have surprised me by their quality, performance and behaviour.  

 

No fountain pens were hurt in preparing this review.    

 

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

 

 

 

[Sailor Kenshin]

That is some chroma-dragon!  And the video is very cool, not to mention the artwork.   I have an Ahab, and it's a good size, but I can't stand that old sweatsocks smell.
 

Thanks, Yazeh (tag not working, boo),   really enjoy reading these reviews, even though I am not a fan of iron gall inks.

 

🙀 👏🏻 💝

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

That is some chroma-dragon!  And the video is very cool, not to mention the artwork.  

I thought you'd like the Chroma. Thanks!

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

 

I have an Ahab, and it's a good size, but I can't stand that old sweatsocks smell.

Mine doesn't smell that much. The Ahab barrel tends to react with IG inks, there's a lot of "oxidized iron". The Kaweco barrel, however needed a fine rinsing under two water, and all was good.

 

1 hour ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks, Yazeh (tag not working, boo),   really enjoy reading these reviews, even though I am not a fan of iron gall inks.

 

🙀 👏🏻 💝

A pleasure. Glad these reviews are fun.

 

[inkstainedruth]

Hmmm.  This one definitely had piqued my interest.  And I loved the artwork and the story about the princess.

So thanks as usual for the review.  And, well, maybe not....  (One of our vehicles is on the fritz -- I started getting weird blinking dashboard lights yesterday afternoon every time I put my foot on the brake: the brake light, the ABS light, the one for icy conditions, and one other one, and dropped it off at the mechanic's on the way home; was going to have my husband drive down there this morning and would sit and wait for them to check it out, but the guy who runs it told us this morning that he doesn't know when he'll get to it because he's currently swamped...). 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

Hmmm.  This one definitely had piqued my interest.  And I loved the artwork and the story about the princess.

Thank you. The new series is definitely a  massive improvement compared to the earlier versions. Day and night in use, cleaning and nuance.

 

 

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

So thanks as usual for the review.  And, well, maybe not....  

I'm sorry for your wallet.

 

1 hour ago, inkstainedruth said:

(One of our vehicles is on the fritz -- I started getting weird blinking dashboard lights yesterday afternoon every time I put my foot on the brake: the brake light, the ABS light, the one for icy conditions, and one other one, and dropped it off at the mechanic's on the way home; was going to have my husband drive down there this morning and would sit and wait for them to check it out, but the guy who runs it told us this morning that he doesn't know when he'll get to it because he's currently swamped...). 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I'm so sorry to hear that. But if it's any consolation, I have to some not so fun, renovation, etc. etc. But when I think of it, I'm glad that I have my health and I can do these fun reviews. 🙏🙏🙏

[inkstainedruth]

Oh, yeah, we're having that too.  Some guy came over the other day who is supposed to store stuff like furniture in the living room and front hallway, while we have the wall and ceiling in the front corner and the hallway repaired after various leaks we've had over the years.  At least most of THAT is being covered by our homeowners insurance.  The issues with the minivan?  Possibly not so much.   And we're still recovering from the cost of having the driveway replaced last spring, and when they came to start the work, were told that, no, what the guy who made the estimate said about just running some of the concrete up the side was WRONG, and that they were going to have to build a retaining wall (which DOUBLED the price of the driveway).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

Love the video, @yazeh!  Beautiful demonstration of real-time oxidation. 

 

Good details on the different pen-body materials!  Makes sense that the softer, probably more porous, vegetal resin would react more.

 

Whoa!  What a chroma!  Brown inks have so much potential hidden inside them.

 

Fun quotes!  Nice shading.  Good color, though not my favorite shade of brown.

 

Ah, swatch cards.  (Love that Lie de The one.)  Oh!  And is that Toblerone!?  One of the best chocolates ever!   Ha!  And fun western water test.

 

Good drawings and stories!  

 

Thank you so much for this review!

[USG]

Massive !!!  😀👍 

Thanks !!

[Baggins]

6 hours ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

Thanks, Yazeh (tag not working, boo),   really enjoy reading these reviews, even though I am not a fan of iron gall inks.

Same. From my screen I can’t see the charm on ink that invariably end up black or blackish. On the other hand, time tested ink technology 😊.

I’m sure that the details that we can’t actually see make the difference.

Ahhh the art. Very good 👍.

I am curious about an ink that is acidic? does to the paper, eventually?

[yazeh]

4 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Oh, yeah, we're having that too.  Some guy came over the other day who is supposed to store stuff like furniture in the living room and front hallway, while we have the wall and ceiling in the front corner and the hallway repaired after various leaks we've had over the years.  At least most of THAT is being covered by our homeowners insurance.  The issues with the minivan?  Possibly not so much.   And we're still recovering from the cost of having the driveway replaced last spring, and when they came to start the work, were told that, no, what the guy who made the estimate said about just running some of the concrete up the side was WRONG, and that they were going to have to build a retaining wall (which DOUBLED the price of the driveway).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

It never ends.  

[yazeh]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Love the video, @yazeh!  Beautiful demonstration of real-time oxidation. 

Thanks!

 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Good details on the different pen-body materials!  Makes sense that the softer, probably more porous, vegetal resin would react more.

Yep. A few swishes and the Kaweco was clean.  

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Whoa!  What a chroma!  Brown inks have so much potential hidden inside them.

Rarely, brown inks disappoint in the chroma department.  

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Fun quotes!  Nice shading.  Good color, though not my favorite shade of brown.

Thanks! I don't like the wet colour, but the oxidation is lovely. And for drawing it's so fun. One can get so many nuances of pale light brown/grey, up to dark brown.  

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Ah, swatch cards.  (Love that Lie de The one.) 

 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Oh!  And is that Toblerone!? 

Yes.  

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

One of the best chocolates ever!  

 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Ha!  And fun western water test.

Well, it was inspired by an old Swiss chocolate poster. But as I don't do drafts, I mangled it up. It didn't help I was using a glass pen and that the cat scratched my homework. 

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

Good drawings and stories!  

Thanks!

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

 

Thank you so much for this review!

A pleasure. Glad it was useful.

 

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, USG said:

Massive !!!  😀👍 

Thanks !!

Thanks so much!  🙏🙏🙏

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, Baggins said:

Same. From my screen I can’t see the charm on ink that invariably end up black or blackish. On the other hand, time tested ink technology 😊.

 I get that. As I practice art with fountain pen, it opens up different avenues. Ink colour is brown/black.  

1 hour ago, Baggins said:

I’m sure that the details that we can’t actually see make the difference.

Yes, that's very difficult to capture. As depending paper, nib and light source, the colour would change.  

1 hour ago, Baggins said:

Ahhh the art. Very good 👍.

Obrigado. 🙏

1 hour ago, Baggins said:

I am curious about an ink that is acidic? does to the paper, eventually?

@InesF can answer you more precisely.  If one uses good paper, and it is kept in a low to medium humidity environment, nothing in our life time. Maybe a bit of yellowing. 

However, if the notebook is in a high humidity environment  (above 70%) or survives a flood, it's done.  

If one uses a cheap paper, the deterioration is massive. 

https://irongallink.org/ink-corrosion-slow-changes-over-time.html

Note the effect of high humidity in 14 days. [ink is dippen IG]

 

[InesF]

I ate your chocolate!   

Thank you, @yazeh, for sharing your impressive drawings with us and for this ink review!  Always feels like an adventure in the museum.  

Wednesday has great character and Tower of Silence is a masterpiece in atmosphere!

 

The chroma promises a lot. I guess ink art with washes (Nick Stewart style) must be great. Fresh lines look amazing, but after oxidation I do not like them so much any more.

Oh, I see, my ink drawer is full - no need to worry about new inks .... 🤗  

 

Looking forward to more ink-art-reviews!  

 

 

7 hours ago, yazeh said:

22 hours ago, Baggins said:

I am curious about an ink that is acidic? does to the paper, eventually?

@InesF can answer you more precisely.  If one uses good paper, and it is kept in a low to medium humidity environment, nothing in our life time. Maybe a bit of yellowing. 

The iron in IG inks is usually added as Iron(II)sulfate. Sulfate anions remain after the oxidation. Paired with the surplus of protons (H⁺) they form H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) over time. This acid is not volatile, it doesn't evaporate (in contrast to acetic acid or hydrochloric acid, etc.). It is there on the paper, independent if the air humidity is dry or damp in the "normal" range. Sulfuric acid is hygroscopic, it will absorb humidity from the air - if the air is brutally arid (below 20% rH) it will take long time, if it is wet, it will go fast. Paper cellulose will be hydrolyzed by any strong acid, fast with heat, slowly at cool temperature. This is how IG inks can "eat" paper. You can imagine that storing your IG ink written documents cool and super-dry may increase lifetime into centuries.

tl.tr: don't worry too much, all IG writings will outlast you.  

 

7 hours ago, yazeh said:

However, if the notebook is in a high humidity environment  (above 70%) or survives a flood, it's done.  

Yes to high humidity, but only a maybe for the flood. Because dipping the IG writing in water (a year after writing, or so) will not wash out the colour but will wash out a big part of the sulfuric acid! 🤷‍♀️👩‍🔬

[yazeh]

1 hour ago, InesF said:

I ate your chocolate!   

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Thank you, @yazeh, for sharing your impressive drawings with us and for this ink review!  

A pleasure. 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Always feels like an adventure in the museum.  

Wednesday has great character and Tower of Silence is a masterpiece in atmosphere!

Thank you.

1 hour ago, InesF said:

The chroma promises a lot. I guess ink art with washes (Nick Stewart style) must be great. Fresh lines look amazing, but after oxidation I do not like them so much any more.

Yes, it's excellent for artwork

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Oh, I see, my ink drawer is full - no need to worry about new inks .... 🤗  

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Looking forward to more ink-art-reviews!  

Next week.

 

1 hour ago, InesF said:

The iron in IG inks is usually added as Iron(II)sulfate. Sulfate anions remain after the oxidation. Paired with the surplus of protons (H⁺) they form H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) over time. This acid is not volatile, it doesn't evaporate (in contrast to acetic acid or hydrochloric acid, etc.). It is there on the paper, independent if the air humidity is dry or damp in the "normal" range. Sulfuric acid is hygroscopic, it will absorb humidity from the air - if the air is brutally arid (below 20% rH) it will take long time, if it is wet, it will go fast. Paper cellulose will be hydrolyzed by any strong acid, fast with heat, slowly at cool temperature. This is how IG inks can "eat" paper. You can imagine that storing your IG ink written documents cool and super-dry may increase lifetime into centuries.

tl.tr: don't worry too much, all IG writings will outlast you.  

Thank you for your wisdom. 🙏

1 hour ago, InesF said:

Yes to high humidity, but only a maybe for the flood. Because dipping the IG writing in water (a year after writing, or so) will not wash out the colour but will wash out a big part of the sulfuric acid! 🤷‍♀️👩‍🔬

Good to know. In my research on the Dutch website for IG inks, it stated that damage IG documents was either caused by high humidity, too much manipulation, and of course the bad papers of 19 the century. Of course ink recipe, and ingredients played a role and finally pooling of the ink, that is, excess ink when the scribe applied a lot, could eat through the paper if one of the three above mentioned "conditions" was applicable.

 

[lamarax]

Pray tell dear @yazeh, where can one find these inks? Schokolade seems right up my alley (as schokolade generally does, right down my stomach) 😃

[yazeh]

6 hours ago, lamarax said:

Pray tell dear @yazeh, where can one find these inks? Schokolade seems right up my alley (as schokolade generally does, right down my stomach) 😃

Glad it made you "hungry".

You can get them directly from the website: 

The Tintenlabor website is in German. You can activate the translation function in your browser (usually near the top of the screen) to read it in Greek or English.”  

https://tintenlabor.mycommerce.shop/products/schokolade

[inkstainedruth]

@yazeh Thanks!  It took a little doing to find the translation function (my laptop has really been acting up recently ) but now have the page pulled up in English in a separate tab.

Of course, since we are likely about to spend a four-figure amount on the plumbing in our house (in addition to any deductibles on the insurance to fix the ceiling in the living room and front hallway and the wall between them after a major leak); PLUS a whopping amount of money on a hotel room going to my husband's nephew's wedding in a couple of weeks, plus OPS is a couple of weeks after THAT.  And the weird issue with the minivan is NOT fixed after all -- I dropped him off at the mechanic's so he could get the van while I went to the library in a nearby town (our library is very small and didn't have the book I wanted) and while I was driving home (in heavy *inbound* traffic at that) he called to say that the van is still acting up.  I had to pull off the road onto a pull-off area to call him back (PA has a law now prohibiting talking/texting while driving and the Prius does NOT have Bluetooth).  Then had to fight my way back ONTO the road when there was a traffic jam up ahead so I COULD actually pull into a lane....  

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[yazeh]

@inkstainedruth glad it was helpful. Good luck with all the rest. 🙏

 

[lamarax]

17 hours ago, yazeh said:

Glad it made you "hungry".

You can get them directly from the website: 

The Tintenlabor website is in German. You can activate the translation function in your browser (usually near the top of the screen) to read it in Greek or English.”  

https://tintenlabor.mycommerce.shop/products/schokolade

 

Thank you @yazeh! I should have paid closer attention to your initial post 🫢

 

Their e-shop is rather rudimentary though; for example, I can't make if their stated prices include Swiss VAT, EU VAT - via browser cookies, or nothing at all (although in their small print they do mention that duties are on the customer*). Also, no word about shipping carrier/charges that I can see beforehand.

 

 

^*Switzerland is part of the EFTA, but not of the EU proper.