Van Dieman's Styx Valley Forest Green Ink Review

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

As summer is in full swing, I like to match some of the colors that I see outside. I also do the same thing during the winter, except my ink colors are the colors from outside that I miss seeing. At least I can enjoy this ink from the indoors where it's cool and not muggy. The latest ink I've been sporting indoors is the Styx Valley Forest Green from Van Dieman's.

Named after the Styx River Valley in Tasmania, this forest green does a great job of representing the source material.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Image Source: Australian Traveller

I've always had a soft spot for medium and dark green inks, but they just don't get the love they deserve because I'm such a sucker for more vibrant colors. A well-done dark ink can be just as satisfying to use for me — I just have to remember to use them even when my impulse always goes for the bright colors. I'd like to keep Styx Valley Forest Green in my rotation for quite a while because I'm just in love with the dark green hue and the moderate amount of shading that it lets through.

The amount of shading here isn't awe-inspiring, but it does provide some subtle shifts between a few dark and medium greens that makes me think of tall trees bending in a breeze. There's depth to the colors of a forest if you're looking at it as a whole instead of a single tree or branch. This ink, for me anyway, reminds me to slow down and take a breath. Life is short, but that's no excuse to rush through it. Appreciate the unique colors and senses.

Everything else about this ink is fairly standard. The flow is fantastic. I've never had a hard start or any skipping when using this ink, and that's not as easy to accomplish as you might think. It flows onto the page smoothly and leaves behind crisp lines. I haven't noticed any bleeding or feathering, regardless of what type of paper I'm using.

One thing that is worth calling out as a negative is the dry time. I'm not sure I've ever used a green ink that's been fast-drying, and this one is no exception. With this large 1.5mm stub nib, the drying times can be a little longer, but not by much in my experience. The ink is normally dry by the 30-second mark, but every now and then a large blob will take longer to dry. Just keep that in mind if your grip follows the ink or if you intend to jot down quick notes and close your notebook immediately after. This isn't a good ink for that because you'll end up with lots of smudges and little spots on the opposite page.

Cleaning out this ink is just what I'd expect — easy. There's not much more to say about that. The ink washes out easily without any fuss.

Van Dieman's Styx Valley Forest Green goes for about $13 for a 30ml bottle, which is a great price for the quality of ink you're getting. If you're not sure you want to commit to the whole bottle, you can always go for a 4ml sample for a few bucks. If you like green inks (or just need some cheer in your life!), try out Styx Valley in your next purchase.

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

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Van Dieman's Midnight Series Bonfire Night Ink Review

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

After a long stretch of not trying any shimmer inks, I've now settled into a pretty extensive phase of almost exclusive shimmer ink usage. 80% of the ~ 6 pens that I have inked right now have some sort of shimmer ink in them. I don't think this will last forever, but it is certainly a fun detour from the normal inks I have in pens most of the time.

The latest shimmer ink on my desk is also from Van Dieman's Midnight Series. This series is made up of eight inks that are inspired from the "dark and sombre hues that come out when the sun has gone away." Bonfire Night is not one that I'd describe as a dark and sombre ink, though. This vibrant red ink is exactly what you expect when you're congregated around a large bonfire in the pitch-black night. It's bright and captivating as the sparks dance and the flames lick at the low sky. This ink does a great job of capturing the dancing flames due to the subtle silver shimmer that hangs out on top of the punchy red/orange ink.

Like other Van Dieman's inks I've tried recently, this is one is well-behaved. It's a well-lubricated ink that dries within 20 seconds most of the time. I noticed that it did manage to bleed through a bit on Rhodia paper when I did an ink swab, but that's an edge case that most people aren't doing often. For normal writing with fountain pens, there's no bleed or feathering. The color stays vibrant and the shimmer does a great job at dispersing evenly as you write. With normal writing, the shimmer effect is much more subtle. If you look closely, you can see it very clearly in a line, but it's the random few bits that catch the light just right that draw your attention in. It's sparkly and delightful — brings a smile to my face every time.

In places where the ink pools, the shimmer stays on top of the ink to create a magical pearlescent sheen once everything has dried. It's really difficult to catch with a photo because of how reflective it is. The shimmer is really good its job: reflecting light.

This is certainly a red ink, but it does have shades or orange in it. Plus, the silver shimmer on top of the ink adds to the orange hues. The small amount of shading that does show through is a great comparison to the red and orange colors seen in a flame.

Washing out this ink is incredibly easy. I was worried about it being difficult due to how shimmery it is when writing, but it was no trouble at all when it was time to clean up. The ink washed out easily and I was done flushing it in less than a minute. As far as inks go, it behaves with the best!

It's not in stock currently, but when it's back in stock you can pick some up for the very reasonable price of $14.95 for 30ml. Of course, you can always pick up a small 4ml sample if you just want to try it out first.

Van Dieman's Bonfire Night is a bright and shimmery ink that really caught my fancy. It doesn't look like much in the bottle — I was worried it would be too thin and unsaturated. But after inking it up and using it for a while, I'm completely sold. It's such a vibrant and pleasing ink due to the warm red and orange tones paired with the silver shimmer that lays on top. Whether or not this shimmer ink phase sticks, this ink will stay in my collection just the amount of enjoyment I get from it.

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

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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, for which I am very grateful.

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Van Dieman's Midnight Series: Howl At The Moon Ink Review

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

It's been quite a while since I've tried any shimmering inks, so the decision to try Van Dieman's Howl at the Moon is seriously overdue. All of the shimmering inks I've tried previously were of a darker variety, which creates a fairly obvious contrast between the ink color and the bright shimmery bits. Howl at the Moon is different because it's a pale yellow ink paired with a silver shimmer that sits on top. It's a subtle effect, but I've really been enjoying it.

I really enjoy the imagery that the marketing copy calls up to describe this ink:

Howl At The Moon is a silver shimmered dark yellow ink, inspired by the iconic image of a full yellow moon illuminating the night sky, silhouetting a lone alpha wolf, and uplifting the moods of everyone beneath.

I don't know if I'd agree with the dark yellow description, but I love the image of the moon and the wolf complementing each other in an idyllic midnight scene.

To my eye, Howl at the Moon is a pale, dusty yellow that inches toward a darker hue only when the ink pools up in certain strokes. It's certainly difficult to read on white paper, and I wouldn't mind if it was just a bit darker to improve the legibility. That said, I think it's a really pretty color. It's not one that I would write with routinely, but it's certainly an enjoyable change of pace and one that always makes me smile when I see it.

There's also a fair bit of shading that occurs if you're using a nib that's large and wet enough. In this somewhat dry 1.5mm stub nib from Monteverde, I get plenty of color variation between the thick, slow strokes compared to the quick, light strokes of different letters. The shading doesn't present as prominently when swabbing, so that shows it only has a limited capacity for color variation. The small amount of variation it does exhibit, however, is quite nice.

A lovely ink is made better by the hidden mysteries is possesses. In this case, the silvery shimmer that surfaces under certain light. It's a tricky thing to catch — sometimes it only looks like a place where the ink ran thin, leaving only a hint of color behind. Change your angle of perspective just a bit, and the dusty yellow rushes back in. The silver shimmer creates such a dazzling effect in areas where the ink has pooled, and it creates a glittering starlight effect in normal handwriting. It reminds me of Moon runes in The Hobbit:

“Moon-letters are rune-letters, but you cannot see them,” said Elrond, “not when you look straight at them. They can only be seen when the moon shines behind them..." — The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

While the ink is completely legible regardless of whether moonlight is present, this subtle glimmer is such a delight in our mundane real world.

Aside from the color and shimmer, this ink is fairly standard in terms of how it behaves in the pen. It's easy to clean out, but I clumsily forgot that shimmer inks require a good shaking before inking up your pen! My initial impressions were along the lines of, "what shimmer??" But that's easy to fix by remembering to prepare the ink before drawing it into the pen. Without some gentle shaking, all the shimmery silver bits stay at the bottom of the container!

At $14.95 for a 30ml bottle, Van Dieman's Howl at the Moon is an excellent value. And, if you're not sure (or just don't want much), you can always opt for a small sample for a few bucks. It's not in stock at Vanness now, but definitely keep your eyes peeled for a restock if this is your sort of thing. I've really enjoyed my time with this ink and look forward to using it for special occasions!

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

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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, for which I am very grateful.

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