Ink Links

-- NPR talks to Daly’s Pen Shop (The Well-Appointed Desk)

-- Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite (East...West...Everywhere)

-- Review: Gate City Pen - READYFILL Claire de Lune Fountain Pen - Broad (Gourmet Pens)

-- rOtring 600 Silver Fountain Pen - M Nib (The Clicky Post)

-- Jet Pens Blog Sponsorship Lot 2: Platinum Fountain Pens and Carbon Ink Spotlight (Lung Sketching Scrolls)

-- P.W. Akkerman Shocking Blue – Ink Review (Ed Jelley)

-- Word. Bandana Books. (Pencil Revolution)

-- Zebra Sarasa Push Clip 1.0 mm Blue Black (economy pens)

-- Blue ink comparisons / Mavi Murekkep Karsilastirmasi (Write to Me Often)

-- Pelikan M1005 or: Time for Orange - yet again! (these beautiful pens)

-- New BIC 4 Ways (My Supply Room)

-- Three Horse Pencils (Bleistift)

-- Kaküno (Crónicas Estilográficas)

-- Security Stamp by Max Korokoro Keshikoro (OfficeSupplyGeek)

-- Hide Your Work (The Pen and The Paper)

-- Noodler’s Purple Wampum (Informal Scribble)

-- Rotring Freeway Fountain Pen (Pens! Paper! Pencils!)

-- Stabilo Boss Original Highlighter (A Penchant for Paper)

-- Montblanc Permanent Blue Ink Review (THE UNROYAL WARRANT)

TWSBI Inkwell Review

When I first became interested in fountain pens and the variety of inks that are available, I made a large bet on Noodler's Heart of Darkness. This was at a point in my fountain pen journey before I knew about ink samples. So, I purchased a 4.5 oz bottle of Heart of Darkness from Amazon that I soon discovered was impossible to use with a fountain pen converter because the bottle opening was too narrow. It was meant to be used with an eyedropper only. I was disappointed, to say the least.

I got by with a syringe for a while. I filled my converter pens with the syringe after dunking it in the large bottle.

Then I discovered TWSBI. I love the two TWSBI pens I own, and their inkwell caught my eye at first because it was, well, eye-catching. But I soon realized that this would be my solution to the awkward Heart of Darkness problem I got myself into.

So what makes this inkwell special? It makes filling TWSBI pens extremely easy, and also works with all other fountain pens.

Before we dive in, it's important to note that only the TWSBI Diamond and Mini lines work with the proprietary TWSBI port on this inkwell.

How it works with TWSBI fountain pens

Using the inkwell with TWSBI fountain pens is a piece of cake. Simply give the inkwell a light shake and unscrew the top lid to expose the TWSBI refilling port. To fill a TWSBI, just unscrew the nib section and plug the barrel section into the port on the inkwell. Fill the pen as usual, remove the barrel section from the inkwell, and replace the nib section. That's it! No mess, no fuss.

There's a small metal tube that goes into the bottle that allows the pen to draw up the ink. If you don't think very hard about it, it seems like magic as you fill the pen.

How it works with all other fountain pens

For all other fountain pens, the inkwell works like most every other bottled ink out there. Unscrew the second lid section to expose the traditional ink filling cone. The cone is rather large, so I imagine it will accommodate most fountain pens no matter their size. Filling is the same as other ink bottles -- dunk the nib into the ink, and fill the pen. The downside to this method is the clean-up after filling the pen. Let's be honest, the clean-up isn't difficult, but the TWSBI filling method is so cool!

I really appreciate the quality of the TWSBI inkwell. The 50 mL reservoir is made of glass, and the lids are made of aluminum in your choice of color. This inkwell solved my Heart of Darkness problem, and I've even considered getting another (or more) just because I like how it looks so much. If you have a troublesome ink bottle, then this just might be the inkwell for you.

The TWSBI inkwell is available on Amazon in an assortment of colors.

Diamine Salamander Ink Review

Diamine Salamander is one of the latest inks to be introduced by the venerable British manufacturer. While you wouldn't be incorrect that the name harkens to the amphibian found in various regions around the globe, there is actually a little more behind the name. The Good Captain, a member of the Fountain Pen Network, was actually involved in the naming:

Working in collaboration with Phil Davies at Diamine I was asked to come up with a name for a sample of the ink he'd sent me to have a look at, labelled 'No 93'. I was intrigued and Salamander was born. It reminded me of the colours of Royal Flying corps bi-planes during WWI so I had a look for some more information.

It is cool to be able to read behind the scenes notes like these. Check out the link for more details.

Salamander surprised me once I inked up my TWSBI Mini 1.5 mm stub to test with. I was expecting kind of a dark olive black ink, and while those colors come through, the depth of the color was intriguing. There is a lot of brown, a wide range of green, and a nice sheen that shows on the Rhodia paper I tested on. I tried to get a close-up of the sheen and only partially succeeded. It is not always immediately apparent, but after drying it does show up in certain light. Very cool.

The real gauge for me is if the ink will crack my every day rotation. Right now, Diamine Salamander is a no, but it is a close second tier color, around the Noodlers 54th Mass level. It will see intermediate action for sure. Well worth checking out if you are a fan of greens and browns.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)