(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)
King Louis XIV of France was nothing if not a man of extravagance. He commissioned numerous portraits of himself, and had the Hall of Mirrors built at Versailles to commemorate his military victories.
Photo by Susan Pigott
So, it seems fitting that DeAtramentis chose to name this flamboyant pink color after Louis XIV.
Louis XIV of France (also called “antique pink”), is a lovely shade of pink. It’s not a subtle pink (just as Louis XIV was not a subtle king); rather, it is bright and cheery, much like pink roses.
I tested the ink using my Platinum Century 3776 with a fine nib. Platinum nibs are much finer than Western ones, so essentially the lines are like an extra fine. With such a fine line, you wouldn’t expect to find shading, and I didn’t. But the ink flowed well and had reasonable dry times. You can really see the rich color in the swab. The ink is not waterproof.
Chromatography demonstrates that this ink has little more than pink and dark pink in its composition.
I compared DeAtramentis Louis XIV pink with a few other pink inks I had on hand (I am clearly not a pink person, because I struggled to find four!). Each shade is rather unique, especially J. Herbin’s Rouille d’Ancre, which reminds me of well-worn ballet shoes.
Using my ruling pen, I wrote some nice big letters (with fabulous curlicues befitting King Louis). You can definitely see some shading using this large nib, though the ink doesn’t have any sheen.
King Louis of France ink is a good choice for anyone who wants a shade that is unabashedly pink. This would make a terrific Valentine’s Day ink. You can get a 35ml bottle from Vanness Pens for $14.00.
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