Robert Oster Signature Ink Fire and Ice: 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.)

I’ve reviewed several Robert Oster inks (Torquay, Tranquility, Astorquiza Rot, and Claret and Verde de Rio), but I’ve been looking forward to this review for a while. The first time I saw a swatch of Fire and Ice, I knew I must have it. Usually I order a sample first, but, nope. I ordered an entire bottle. This ink has two characteristics I love: it’s blue and it has amazing red sheen, thus the name “Fire and Ice.”

I loaded it up in my Visconti London Fog with a fine palladium nib. This nib has a little bit of flex to it, so I figured I would see some shading and sheen. I was correct. When I did my usual ink tests on Maruman paper, I noticed sheen in the writing and wherever the ink pooled. The ink is wet, as you can see from the dry times test. It is also not waterproof. It’s a gorgeous turquoise-ish blue with distinct red sheen.

The sheen shows up best in the ink splats, of course. Just look at that delicious color!

My Pilot Parallel 2.4mm really shows off the shading and sheen.

The chromatography test revealed pink, green and blue in the ink.

Fire and Ice is a spectacular color. You can see the fire (red) even with a fine nib.

I prefer this ink to J. Herbin’s Emerald of Chivor (review here), which is also a blue-teal with red sheen, plus sparkles. They are both beautiful inks, but, honestly, I don’t like sparkly ink anymore. It’s too high maintenance, and I don’t like having to constantly shake the pen to get the gold sparkles to appear.

Robert Oster Fire and Ice top; J. Herbin Emerald of Chivor bottom.

You can buy Fire and Ice at Vanness Pens for $16.00 for 50ml.

(I purchased Robert Oster Fire and Ice ink with my own funds.)

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 239 - Previously Inksploded

Newton Pens Eastman Model in Primary Manipulation Resin

Myke and I run through all of the topics this week, including fountain pen ink in Antarctica, fantasy Pilot Vanishing Points, and the closing down of retailer Paradise Pens.

Also, Primary Manipulation.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Blue Apron: A better way to cook. Get three free meals with free shipping.

Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code INK at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Pilot Juice Up Metallic And Pastel Gel Ink Pen 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.)

Pilot Juice pens were already a stationery favorite, and now Pilot has upgraded them to the Pilot Juice Up—with smoother flowing ink and a synergy tip that is a hybrid conical/needlepoint for strength and precision. The inks are water-based pigment inks with waterproof and fade-resistant properties. The Pastel and Metallic sets write on light or dark paper, as well as photos, making them perfect for scrapbooks, planners, notes, or other crafty projects.

The pastel set includes blue, green, orange, pink, violet, and white. The metallics are gold, silver, blue, green, pink, and violet. The 0. 4mm tips are smooth and precise and just the right size for writing in the ridiculously tiny grid of my planner.

The tip of the pen is metal; the grip is rubber-coated, but not squishy. It prevents slipping but provides no cushion. The grip matches the color of the ink, as does the band at the top of the click/clip unit, so you can tell what color of pen you're grabbing quite easily. This top band disappears when the pen is clicked down and the tip is extended, so you can tell at a glance if the tip is out or not. I don't care much for having the clip attached to the click. The clip is already a bit flimsy, and I worry that making it a moving part endangers it further. It's a soft plastic that doesn't feel like it will survive too much tossing into bags or being clipped to a notebook cover that is too wide. Why is the clip the Achilles heel of so many gel pens? I don't think I'm particularly mean to them, but so many seem to snap off after a while.

I have had some hard starts with all the pens, but a moment of scribble gets them going, and the flow after that is very decent. I might even have to attribute the hard starts to the extreme cold we're having this week. A number of my pens have been having issues getting going--I've been having trouble with that, myself! The tiny tips make them feel dry, but there's a good bit of ink being put down on the page.

With the exception of the white, obviously, they do a good job writing on both light and dark paper. Smooth papers definitely work better than those with more surface texture. The metallics look glittery in low light, and then ramp up to full sun-on-mirror bright in direct light.

The sets have a nice variety of well-coordinated colors, so they're great for using together for habit trackers, schedule coding, or notes. I'm particularly fond of the pastel orange. It's just like a creamsicle.

These haven't quite dethroned my Pilot Hi-Tec-C Maica gel pens, and I'm beginning to think nothing ever will, but I have been reaching for these every day and I'm definitely getting more colors.

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

---

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!