(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!)
Here is the final installment of my trove of Van Dieman's ink samples. I saved these three for last, because they looked like my kind of colors and they had cool names, which is very important to me in ink. While an ink color name might have nothing to do with its performance, it gets me every time.
First up is Eclipse. Looking at the sample, one might ask, "Is it grey? Brown? Purple?" And really, the answer is yes. I love mysterious colors that can't quite be pinned down, and this one has some great complexity to it. It's like a warm, smokey color that doesn't come across well in pictures. The chromatography shows a bit of its character, especially in that gold hue that gives it its warmth. This ink behaved very well, though it had a longer dry time. It doesn't show much shading, but it does have a little bit of water resistance. By far its best characteristic is its way of looking like completely different colors in different lighting.
Next is Hanging Lake, a gorgeous, slightly ominous navy. This is a very saturated color, rich and deep, with some great complexity. Grey, rose, and cobalt blue show up in the chromatography. It also has a long dry time, but it does show some shading on longer pen strokes. It was quite water resistant in the drip test, with all lines still visible, regardless of whether the water was dabbed or wiped away. This is a very professional looking blue. With its ability to withstand spills, it would be great for office or school use.
Last but not least is Hastings Caves Shimmer. Like the shimmers I tested in part one, the particles in this ink require regular, vigorous agitation to remain suspended. They settle quickly and need some encouragement to disperse themselves back into the liquid. But once that is achieved, it's a really gorgeous color. The ink itself is a gold tone, with brass-colored shimmer that gives it an antique gold look. Chromatography shows a surprising progression, from pale pink to saffron yellow, to a touch of almost teal that I can't really explain. The shimmer is very pronounced in the lines, so long as you make sure to agitate the ink before writing. Like the other shimmers, I'd recommend using this in a pen that can be easily and thoroughly cleaned, because those particles settle like river sediment and I'd be a little worried about what they might do to a feed. This color did not have any water resistance, and had a long dry time.
My biggest takeaway from this line of inks is that the creators are dedicated to complex color recipes. Chromatography isn't usually this exciting, but every sample was like a fireworks display, with surprising colors creeping out of each of them. While I think some of the samples are better suited to fountain pens than others, there are some fantastic, unique colors in this lineup. With all the ink colors out there in the world, I'm always amazed when a new one arises, with no look-alikes. This is a great line for experimenting with some fun, new tones.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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