Posts filed under Ink Reviews

Robert Oster Sushi Ink: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Robert Oster Sushi is a pink shade that definitely evokes the color of salmon or raw tuna you might find in sushi. The ink offers good shading in flex and wide nibs, but has no sheen, as you can see on the Col-o-dex card.

In my ink tests, I found the color to be a bit too light for use in extra fine and fine nibs, but in wider nibs it is readable and exhibits good shading. The ink dries very quickly which means you won’t have difficulty with smearing. The ink is not waterproof.

Chromatography shows little variation--just light and darker pink tones.

The beauty of this ink really comes through in wide nibs. I used my Handwritmic Ruling Pen on Midori Cotton paper and love the shading and pooling exhibited.

Unless you’re using a dip pen, flex nib, or broader nibs, you may find this ink too light for every-day writing. Still, it’s such a unique color, I think it’s worth having in your collection, especially for ink washes, italic, flex, and large lettering, and for drawing/art. (In the photos below, Vanness White Lightning Ink Additive was added to the ink before writing.)

When I started inking my mandala (below) with Robert Oster Sushi, the ink was so dry that I feared I was going to scratch through the paper. I wound up adding Vanness White Lightning for better flow in my TWSBI 580 with an EF nib and was able to complete the mandala without any more dryness problems. I was pleased with the results.

I am quite taken with this beautiful shade of pink. It reminds me of well-worn ballet shoes or a ripe grapefruit cut in half. You can purchase Robert Oster Sushi from Vanness Pens for $17.00 for a 50 ml bottle.

(The Pen Addict purchased this ink at a discount from Vanness Pens.)

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Posted on June 19, 2020 by Susan Pigott and filed under Robert Oster, Ink Reviews.

iPaper Nantou Tree Frog 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!)

I keep telling myself to stop falling for pale inks, because my aging eyes struggle to see them written on the page. I'm not listening, though, because look at this green! iPaper Nantou Tree Frog Ink is the brightest, prettiest, baby leaf green in my ink family. Can I read what I wrote with it? No. Do I have two pens inked with it anyway? Yes. Sometimes this hobby is more about passion than practicality.

Okay, first stop is that wee frog's face. That expression is just daring us to be bold. The Nantou Tree Frog ink is part of the “Natural Wonders of Taiwan” series, and it's plain to see why this wee charmer was honored with his own color in the lineup, which currently has six total inks. I want them all. The ink comes in a slightly pyramid-shaped 30ml glass bottle (pro tip: open the box from the bottom).

This is a very wet ink with excellent flow, which helps show off the shading properties. It's difficult to see the shading in photos, because the ink is so pale. But there is nice shading, which takes it from new grass to highlighter green. In fact, this ink in a wide stub would make an excellent highlighter. It isn't ideal for everyday writing, but it is gorgeous and fun to play with. It isn't similar to any inks I own, despite my love of green ink.

All trace of this ink is fully annihilated by the lightest touch of water. Don't even sneeze on your notebook. Even when I quickly dabbed away a drop of water, it had washed away the line, and where it sat for a few seconds, there is no color left.

This is one of the longer dry times I've seen in a while. It takes a full 30 seconds to stop smearing, and the 5-second test almost completely wiped away the ink.

iPaper Nantou Tree Frog Ink Chromatography

Color-wise, this ink split into the expected yellow with a trace of blue. Even though it's a pale color, it has good depth to it.

This line of inks retails for about $22, which is a little on the pricey side for 30ml. It's in line with other high-end limited-edition inks, but it does mean I can't have them all. It's the first iPaper ink that I've used, though, and I'm impressed. It definitely won't be the last, even if the rest don't have cute frogs on them.

(The Pen Addict purchased this ink from Shigure Inks at full retail price.)

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Posted on June 18, 2020 by Sarah Read and filed under iPaper, Ink Reviews.

Sailor Ink Studio 735: A Review

Sailor Ink Studio is a collection of one hundred inks (out of 20,000 created!) that were blended by inkmeisters at Ink Studio events. Each number represents a unique blending code (source: Sakura Fountain Pen Gallery). Sailor 735 is the second ink from the Ink Studio collection that I’ve gotten to try (the first was Sailor 123, review here). I discovered that the higher the number of an Ink Studio ink, the more shading and sheen it offers, and 735 definitely rocks the sheen.

As always, my ink testing begins with Rhodia Dot Pad paper. Although I like this paper for ink testing because it’s a true white and it’s fountain pen friendly, it tends not to show sheen very well. You can see a little bit of sheen in my first swipe, but otherwise it’s not apparent. Sailor 735 is a beautiful deep purple ink with lots of pink undertones. The ink is quite wet and takes over 30 seconds to dry. If you lay it on really thick, you’ll want to give it even more time. It’s not waterproof.

The sheen in this ink comes through nicely on my Col-o-dex card. It’s a gorgeous shiny green. There’s just something wonderful about the combination of purple and green. In fact, I have an entire section of my Animal Crossing island (Villanelle) planted with purple and green mums . . . but, like Isabelle, I digress. Sorry! Both the swirls and the ink splats show off the green sheen as do the swab and writing.

Chromatography demonstrates that Sailor 735 is a complex ink, with blue, lavender, magenta, pink, and purple hues.

Even more glorious sheen is exhibited when you use a ruling pen for big, fat, juicy lines. It’s almost as though the letters are gilded with green-gold leaf!

I used my Franklin-Christoph EF steel flex nib on Midori MD paper and was pleased at how beautifully the ink flowed. Even with such a fine nib sheen is evident.

I am absolutely smitten with Sailor 735. It is a wonderful purple ink, but what makes it extra special is that green sheen. Fortunately, Sailor Ink Studio inks are now much more readily available than they were when I wrote my first review last July. You can purchase a 20ml bottle of Sailor 735 from Dromgooles for $18.00.

(The Pen Addict purchased this ink from Dromgooles at a discount.)

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