Diamine Woodland Green Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Spring is upon us, and that means there's probably a lot of new greenery popping up around you. It's felt like a long winter, so it's great to see some color coming back into the world. I've always had a special place in my heart for green inks of all kinds. I happened to pick up a sample of Diamine Woodland Green over a year ago, but totally forgot that I had it. When I was cleaning up my ink sample collection, I picked it up and decided to give it a try in one pen. Well, 2 more pens later, I've decided it's a new favorite green ink for me.

Woodland Green is a medium to dark green ink depending on the pen it's in. It makes me think of deep, dark forests of Oregon or Bavaria that have thick, mossy greenery from floor to ceiling. And, like a forest, the green changes brightness depending on where you are. To me, it's a beautiful blend of greens that makes it a pleasure to see on paper. It's a dark enough shade to be professional, but still has gobs of character and interest when you look closely.

Like all Diamine inks that I've ever tried, this one behaves like a champ. No bleeding, no feathering, and plenty of gorgeous shading in the right pen. I enjoy using this ink in something like a medium or italic nib. Extra fine and fine nibs seem to limit the color from really showing off the incredible shading characteristics. In a large-nibbed pen, the shading is very satisfactory, but mediums do just fine.

Dry time is a little long on this one -- somewhere around the 25 second mark. While this is to be expected for green inks, it's still a bit on the long side. Not a great ink for lefties or notebooks that you'll close immediately after writing, that's for sure.

Even with this long dry time shortcoming, it's a delightful ink to use. It's refreshing on the page, and invites you to keep writing or doodling.

Like most colors, there are just too many green inks out there to choose from. It's impossible to try them all. For a medium to dark green with great shading, I couldn't be happier with Woodland Green. I'd be hard-pressed to find something that would replace this one in my rotation.

JetPens sells the ink in a large 80 ml bottle, or cartridge packs of 18. Both options are very well-priced, which is a great deal for such a beautiful ink. Definitely give it a try the next time you're in the mood for a gorgeous green.

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Diamine, Ink Reviews.

Japanese Office Supply Roundup

The amount of Japanese office supplies I have on my desk at any one time is astounding. In a good way, mind you. Here are the items I had within arms reach just yesterday as I was deciding what to write about today.

Highly Recommended

Kokuyo AiroFit Non-Stick Scissors - The best scissors I have ever used, hands down. Granted, my scissor experience is on the light end, but these cut better than anything I’ve bought at an American office supply store. The older model I have has a slightly different blade shape, but the AiroFit handle is the same. They are so sharp you need to pay close attention when using them.

Life Vermilion Notebook A6 Graph - The Life brand gets paper right, and this A6 graph notebook is no exception. Life’s larger notebooks can be on the pricey side, but the small models are downright cheap compared to their competitors. The paper handles any ink or graphite you can throw at it, and the threaded binding and red grid are right up my alley.

Recommended

Raymay Easy to See Grid Ruler - I don’t use rulers every day but I always have one handy when needed. Most small plastic rulers feel cheap and flimsy, but this Raymay model is thick and strong with a nice sharp edge.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Gel Pen with Grip 0.3 mm Black - I use a lot of Pilot Hi-Tec-C pens, but the 0.3 mm black model with rubber grip is THE Pilot Hi-Tec-C for me. The only thing keeping it from the list above is that it is a finicky pen. On occasions, it will not write consistently without being primed, but once it gets going there is no better fine tip gel pen on the market.

Avoid

Sonic Ratchetta One Pencil Sharpener - Great ideas and a good design doesn’t always make for a great product. The idea of a ratcheting pencil sharpener is great, and this Sonic model looks cool, but the end result on the pencil is not good. It is uneven, messy, and the ratchet doesn’t give you any indication on when to stop. Skip this one.

Correct Joho Index Cards - Another good idea. Another bad execution. These cards are barely thicker than a standard sheet of paper and have a glossy coating as if you were writing on a magazine page. The grid is only printed on one side as well. Bad all the way around.

Uni Mitsubishi 9850 Pencil - Unlike the two products above it, the 9850 isn’t bad, there are just better options. The Tombow 2558 for starters. The 9850 doesn’t have the point retention or aesthetic that keeps me coming back for more.

The Rest

While you can no longer get the exact Owl Magnetic Bookmarks, MT Washi Tape, and Pencil Caps I have in the picture above, you can get pretty close. I keep washi tape handy to mark cables and cords, not necessarily to add to a journal or notebook. And pencil caps have become a mandatory accessory for me. I don’t have much need for the bookmarks though.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Japan, Office Supplies.