Image via Fontoplumo
What, did you think I forgot this week’s giveaway? Just running a bit behind, but hopefully this pen makes up for the delay.
I recently ordered a few pens from Fontoplumo, and made sure to add something just for you fine readers of this blog. The Kaweco Sport Sunset is a Fontoplumo exclusive, and I have one of these beauties to give away. Read below and get to entering!
(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)
Krishna Ink is made in Palakkad, Kerala, India, and is the brainchild of a doctor and pen enthusiast named Sreekumar. He researched ink-making because he wanted to produce high quality fountain pen ink in India. You can read about his process here. Krishna inks are made to be safe (neutral) for all fountain pens and are water soluble (except for the Kot-massi series which are iron gall inks). Krishna inks are available to people outside of India through retailers like Vanness Pens.
Krishna inks come packaged in a plain cardboard box. The bottles hold 20ml of ink and are made of glass.
I saw photos of Krishna Jungle Volcano on Instagram and knew I had to get a bottle. I am thrilled with this ink. It’s a georgous orange ink that I find hard to categorize. Is it a terra cotta or a peach or a sunset? I don’t know because it looks different depending on the paper. Jungle Volcano also has a crazy lime green sheen—it’s unlike any orange ink I’ve tried.
I used a Maruman Septcouleur notebook for my initial ink testing because it contains smooth, pure white paper that shows off the ink’s true color(s). Jungle Volcano is a saturated orange with a definite pink tint on this paper.
I did not observe much shading with my Franklin-Christoph medium italic nib, but the ink flowed well and was not too wet, drying completely after 30 seconds. The ink is definitely not waterproof, and it’s not meant to be. You can see the pink tint clearly in the water test.
Although the green sheen did not show up much on the Maruman paper, it absolutely exploded on my MD Cotton Paper. Just look at those colors! Now you know why this ink is called Jungle Volcano.
You can really see the green sheen on the Col-o-dex card (review coming soon), both in the swirls and the splats.
The chromatography test I did demonstrates the complex colors in Jungle Volcano ink. The base color is a neon pink, with orange and green components.
I am crazy about Krishna Jungle Volcano ink. I love how it’s a gorgeous, deep orange when you use a fine nib. But when you use a wide nib it erupts with green sheen. This stuff is amazing! It reminds me of Hawaii! It makes me want to eat bananas and sing Jungle Book songs! Seriously, though, I’ve had so much fun playing with this ink.
You can purchase a 20 ml bottle of Krishna Jungle Volcano from Vanness Pens for $8.00. Be forewarned, the bottle is tiny, so you won’t be able to fill pens with super large nibs from it. You’ll need to use a syringe or, if you’re using a converter, just fill the converter itself rather than filling through the nib.
(This ink was purchased from Vanness Pens using a reviewer’s discount.)
(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.)
If you're going to a writer's conference, you're probably planning on writing. Or maybe not--maybe you're taking a break from writing to socialize. But you might write... What if ideas start filling your head? Best to be prepared either way. Use this list to pack for your next writer's conference! Note: to use this list for a pen show, double the numbers.
1 large satchel. No, larger. Worried it might be too unwieldly? Perfect. Make sure it has a ridiculous number of pockets, then add a bag-in-bag for yet more pockets. Partition everything for ease of locating tools in its depths.
In the satchel, pack the following.
Paper:
X number of pocket notebooks where X = Z + 5 and Z = the number of friends you're trying to win over to the analog life.
3 large notebooks, ideally each in a separate case. One for the project you're currently working on, one for the project you wish you were working on, and one for the project you're supposed be working on. Add additional notebooks in the last category as necessary.
3 (or more) notebooks for planning and organizing the above projects.
1 planner for organizing everything else.
1 small notebook for writing down all the brilliant, intrusive ideas that don't fit into the above categories.
1 small notebook for taking conference-related notes on panels, speeches, workshops, etc.
Pens:
3 pens for everyday writing. One with high ink capacity for text, one in a contrasting color for notes within the text, and one with a fine point and bright ink for proof marks.
X number of additional pens where X = Y + 3 and Y = however many fit in your case(s).
2 (or more) pen cases, one for bulk storage and one more portable for just the essentials. Fill to capacity.
A handful of Stranger Danger crappy pens to hand to people who ask you for a pen, which will happen approximately every 30 minutes. More can be obtained from around the hotel, or from bystanders who no doubt have dozens of dubious pens marinating in granola dust at the bottom of their bags. These pens can also be used for bar and coffee receipts.
Spare ink refills--cartridges and sample vials--in case you manage to write enough to run out.
Other essentials:
As few electronic devices as possible and their chargers.
Headphones
At least one pencil.
A fidget, if that helps keep you in your chair writing.
Water
Something to read that isn't your own writing for when you get sick of your own writing.
Directions to the nearest stationery store. For emergencies. Or for the fun of it.
If your satchel does not fit these essentials, obtain a different satchel. Optional: a small pack animal, such as an alpaca, for portage. Enjoy your conference knowing you are prepared for any writing scenario.
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