Two Robert Oster Signature Inks: Claret and Verde de Rio

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

I am a big fan of Robert Oster Signature inks, as anyone can tell from reading my previous reviews (Torquay, Tranquility, and Astorquiza Rot). Today, I’m reviewing two more Oster inks: Claret and Verde de Rio.

Claret

Claret is an ink color I thought I would really like. It’s obviously named for the wine, and in swabs it is a beautiful burgundy color.

However, writing with a medium nib, it is really more of a dusty mauve. I like the color, but it is not my favorite Robert Oster ink. It has some shading, beautiful gold sheen, but it is very dry, as you can see in the ink test.

The chromatography reveals some gorgeous colors—pink and blue.

But this ink is so dry, I don’t like writing with it. It seems to drag on the page, whether you’re writing on Maruman paper or Tomoe River paper.

But with a broad nib, the ink looks much more interesting.

Although dry inks can be excellent for pens with overly juicy nibs, I much prefer wet inks. Previously, I reviewed KWZ Brown-Pink, and I like that color more than Claret because the KWZ ink is much wetter.

Verde de Rio

Verde de Rio is a beautiful grass-green color. This ink is similar to Robert Oster Jade, but it is a slightly greener-green whereas Jade is more of a yellow-green.

In my ink testing, Verde de Rio is a medium-wet ink, with good shading in broad nibs and a little dark green sheen in ink spatters.

Chromatography reveals that the ink has a limited spectrum of color. In fact it almost completely washes out.

Verde de Rio is absolutely gorgeous in broad nibs.

I also used it with a brush pen and it’s very nice.

However, with my Franklin-Christoph medium SIG nib, the color is a bit too light for my taste.

You can buy Robert Oster Signature Ink at Vanness Pens, $16.00 for 50ml and $2.00 for a 2ml ink sample.

(I purchased these Robert Oster inks with my own funds.)

Robert Oster Signature Ink Astorquiza Rot: 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.)

Astorquiza Rot is named after Claudia Astorquiza who introduced Robert Oster inks internationally. “Rot” is German for red (I feel really dumb that I didn’t know that). The ink is a deep red that looks almost exactly like blood droplets.

In my Conid Minimalistica fountain pen with a flexible titanium nib, the ink comes out dark and nicely shaded.

Ink testing shows that the ink has a good amount of pink in it, especially when lightly swabbed once with a Q-Tip. But when you put down more ink with a swab, the color becomes a deep, glossy red. It’s a very wet ink and it is not waterproof.

The chromatography test shows that the ink is mostly reddish-pink with a hint of blue.

The ink writes beautifully and exhibits excellent shading. I did not detect any sheen on the Maruman paper I used for my ink tests, nor did I see any with my Tomoe paper. But in my ink splats, I found that the ink has a black, glossy sheen. It’s really pretty cool!

Now that the holidays are drawing near, you might want a rich red ink for letters and cards. Astorquiza Rot is a terrific choice. You can find this and other Robert Oster inks at Vanness Pens, $16.00 for 50ml.

(This ink was purchased with my own funds from Vanness Pens.)

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Robert Oster Signature Ink - Tranquility: 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.)

A few weeks ago, I reviewed my first Robert Oster Ink: Torquay. This week I'm reviewing another blue-green ink called Tranquility. Tranquility is a darker turquoise color than Torquay, and, personally, I like it quite a bit more.

Tranquility is a beautiful, deep sea, blue-green ink. It flows smoothly from my Omas Ogiva fountain pen with a fine, extra-flexible nib.

The ink is wet, especially on my Maruman paper, which is very smooth and nonabsorbent. In the dry times test, the ink remained wet even after 30 seconds. My Omas nib lays down a very wet line, so dry times will vary depending on the paper you use and the wetness of your nib. The ink is not waterproof.

Tranquility provides wonderful shading and fantastic magenta and gold sheen.

The ink appears to contain more blue than green in my chromatography test.

I've been using this ink in my Omas Ogiva for a couple of weeks. I absolutely love the color. Although it reminds me of Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku and Tsuki-Yo, neither of those inks are a close match for Tranquility. All three inks are beautiful, but Tranquility is my favorite–a surprise for me since I almost always prefer Iroshizuku inks over any other brand.

Robert Oster inks have quickly risen to the top of my ink wish list. I'm currently using Jade in my loaner Aurora 88 Satin Black, and it is one of the most beautiful green inks I've ever used (look for a review on that one soon). I highly recommend these inks. They come in a huge variety of colors at a reasonable price. You can purchase them at Vanness Pens, $16.00 for 50ml and $2.00 for 4 ml.

(I purchased these Robert Oster Inks with my own funds from Vanness Pens.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!