Posts filed under Ink Reviews

Sailor Manyo Kuzu Ink Review

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

While Sailor recently refreshed their main ink lineup, that doesn't mean they haven't been busy experimenting with other ink colors at the same time. The Sailor Manyo ink series is a collection of eight dye-based inks that represent popular flowers that are frequently mentioned in the Japanese Man'yōshū — an ancient collection of poems.

Kuzu is a subtle dusty purple ink that has some hidden depths that only surface in the right conditions. It's a beautiful color that doesn't immediately offer up all of its secrets, and that's the main reason I've enjoyed using it.

To be honest, I wasn't very impressed with this ink when I first started using it. At first glance, it's just a really bland dark purple that doesn't exhibit any exciting properties. But if you use the right nib and expose the ink to the right light, other colors start to pop up.

Underneath the dusty plum exterior, there are shades of brown, red, and green. And, in the right light, there's even a slight golden sheen! These hidden qualities are really what make this ink interesting. It's just unfortunately that you have to use an incredibly wide and wet nib in order to see them. In most nibs, this ink just looks like a dull brown-purple with a slight tendency to feather.

There's a slight amount of shading, but (again) this only comes out with a fairly wide nib. It changes between black-purple to a medium dark-brown, which is a subtle but elegant change.

Dry time with Kuzu is extremely fast! Most of the time, this ink is dry by 15 seconds, if not quicker. Definitely something to consider if you value quick dry times.

Being a dye-based ink, there isn't any water-resistance to speak of. This definitely isn't an archival-quality ink, so look elsewhere for that.

At 50ml, this is a standard-sized ink bottle that will last for quite a while. And at just under $20, it's also a great deal and very competitive.

I wanted to love this ink, but I'm just not enjoying using it in my day-to-day writing. The dark and dull color isn't interesting, and I'm disappointed that the hidden properties of this ink only come out with ultra-wide nibs and swatching. That isn't how most people use fountain pen inks, so just understand that you won't really see the shading, sheen, and hidden greens, browns, and reds unless you're using a brush.

If you're looking for a dark, understated purple-black ink, Sailor Manyo Kuzu is a fantastic choice!

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

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Posted on May 20, 2020 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Sailor, Ink Reviews.

Robert Oster Cosmic Swirl Ink Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

There's yet another lovely shade from our Australian rainbow of inks! Robert Oster Cosmic Swirl is a charming shade of purple that is somehow different from the alarming number of purples I already have in my swab collection.

This is a lovely cool violet with blue undertones that come out in the chromatography. It's not a complex color, but it's a really nice tone that feels very fresh and nicely seasonal as we move from spring into summer.

This ink shows some pretty shading, from a very soft purple, to a more saturated tone, then showing its blue features where it pools, giving it a 3-color shade that is super difficult to photograph. There is a touch of bronze sheen, but only where I literally dumped ink on the page. I did not see any come out in writing.

It doesn't feel dry when writing, but it isn't a wet ink, either. It's a nice happy medium. It does have a fast dry time, though, between 15 and 20 seconds.

In the water drop test, it does show a slight resistance to water. It's not impervious at all, but I can still see my lines even where the water sat for a bit before I wiped it away.

While I'd consider this a fairly pale color, it's saturated enough that I don't have any trouble reading text in it, even in dim light. That hits a nice sweet spot for me, as I enjoy the soft colored inks, but I'm often writing at night, or trying to type my manuscripts in low light.

I think this is a great staple purple for people who are looking for a shade that isn't too pink. While it definitely has some blue tones, it isn't too blue, either. As far as comparisons go, I think it is closest to Iroshizuku Murasaki Shikibu, but doesn't layer as dark. This color stays fairly soft even where it's concentrated, which is unique in my purple universe.

I think Robert Oster offers some of the best purples out there (and probably also the most purples out there). This is another great one that I think will excite a lot of people looking for the perfect purple.

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

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Posted on May 7, 2020 by Sarah Read and filed under Robert Oster, Ink Reviews.

Standard Bindery Road Trip Ink Review

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

Like a lot of you, it's been weeks since I've really been outside to enjoy nature and take in the scenery of spring. If it's not raining, I've either been working or just too bummed out by the news to bother going for long strolls to enjoy the weather. In times like these, it's great to keep a stash of happy things nearby to inspire some hope and remembrance of the good things. These things are typically small, but small things matter!

In this case, the little push of positivity I needed came in the form of Standard Bindery's Road Trip ink. I've always enjoyed using green inks — mostly for their ability to embody feelings of spring-time and renewal. Road Trip does exactly that, and I'm really grateful for it. It's like a taste of spring on paper.

I haven't used any Standard Bindery inks before, so I was really eager to try it out and put to the test. From Australia, Standard Bindery is a fairly small production that only offers six inks at the moment. If the other five inks are anything like this one, then these folks really know what they're doing.

Road Trip is an electric green that reminds me of fresh grass stains. It's not quite lime, and it's also light enough to carry a lot of joy. Darker greens have their place, but they're a lot more subdued and reserved on the page. And, minty colors are nice, but they're also a bit cooler with their blue hues. This green has plenty of yellow mixed in with it, and I think that's what allows the sunshine to come through and make it look like this ink is glowing a bit. In my book, the color is awesome.

Another feature that I love about this ink is the shading. There are some beautiful shades in this ink that range from medium green to a sparkly light green that looks like fresh cilantro. The range of greens is so refreshing, and I'm delighted whenever I see the variation of colors on my different papers.

I don't normally hold the "dry time" of an ink in high regard (I have right-handed privilege, and I'm so sorry...), but I definitely take notice when an ink exhibits quicker than ordinary dry times. Road Trip caught my attention because it seemed to dry almost instantly. After getting the stopwatch ready, I discovered that most strokes were dry to the touch in around ten seconds. Darker spots with more ink were dry in 15 or 20 at the most. In terms of fountain pen inks, and certainly paired with a 1.1mm stub nib, this is incredibly fast!

Feathering and bleeding is non-existent on my Rhodia, Leuchtturm, and Clairefontaine paper, and it's not bad on normal paper either. Overall, it's a great performer in all respects! From what I can tell, the ink is also well-balanced when it comes to flow and lubrication. It feels smooth in the pens I've tried it with, and the flow is great. I haven't had any problems with hard starts, skipping, or dryness.

Obviously, this ink basically disappears if it gets too wet, but that's not surprising for such a light green. It's dye-based, so it won't wash away entirely, but you won't be able to read the smudges if it's exposed to much water (like a water glass spill).

Road Trip is available from Vanness Pens for a little over twenty bucks (when it's in stock). These are really popular inks, so it can be hard to find! Even though this is a tad expensive, keep in mind that you get 60ml in the bottle, which is a little more than other comparable inks in terms of price. Of course, you can also opt for a small sample before going all in on a bottle.

If you need a pick-me-up for the quarantine blues, give the Road Trip green a try. It's sure to lift your spirits!

(This ink was purchased from Vanness Pens at a discount.)

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