Colorverse Rainy Day Ink: 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.)

Colorverse “Joy in the Ordinary” is a series of inks dedicated to finding happiness in the simple things of life, such as taking a coffee break, sitting in the shade, sleep (ah, sleep), and a rainy day. In Abilene, rainy days are so rare that just the thought of one makes me long for petrichor and the growl of thunder. Alas, I’ll just have to enjoy the ink called Rainy Day instead.

Rainy Day is a misty blue ink that evokes the dark smudges of rain clouds on the horizon. I absolutely love the shade because it’s not like most blue inks--verging toward green or purple. Instead, it’s a greyish-blue, the color of well-washed denim and just as soft. Although it offers some shading (especially in wider nibs), it does not have any sheen.

The ink is pretty consistent in color across various kinds of paper, including Rhodia white. It looks good in fine, medium, broad, and stub nibs, but the wider the nib, the more you’ll see the shading. This ink would easily become a favorite for me if it weren’t so dry. Unfortunately, even in a stub nib it feels like you’re writing with graphite. It is not a waterproof ink.

Chromatography reveals several colors in Rainy Day: yellow, peach, pink, lavender, and light blue.

As I said, the shading properties of Rainy Day really come out in wider nibs. I used my ruling pen on Midori Cotton paper and achieved some terrific contrast and pooling.

You can purchase Colorverse Rainy Day in a 30ml bottle for $13.75 from JetPens. I like this color so much, I’m going to try Vanness Pens’ White Lighting to see if I can get it wet enough to use every day.

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

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The Pen Addict Podcast, Episode 408: You Gotta Let Me Live My Life

Hoo boy - this is a hot one! I give my initial thoughts on the Platinum Curidas now that I have it in hand, followed by a transition into the damage I did to a favorite pen of mine. I also went on a stationery shopping spree and shared my haul. Then I let Myke talk, which may have been a mistake.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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

Kanilea Pen Co: Check out the new release: Kona Cherry — and ‘Choose Your Aloha’ today!

Kaweco Student Fountain Pen 50s Rock Blue 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. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Love the look of vintage pens, but worry about the care and feeding of a working antique? Fortunately, there are a number of pen manufacturers making new, low-maintenance pens with a throwback fashion sense, and I am totally here for it. This Kaweco Student 50s Rock has that fabulous vintage aesthetic without any fuss.

It has a resin cap and body with gold-tone chrome trim, finial, and grip section. The body is a cream color that looks like aged white--like this pen has been treasured for decades (as it likely will be), and the cap is a pretty denim blue. The gold trim looks warm and elegant. The clip has a nice, functional shape with the work "Kaweco" and some scrollwork stamped into the metal. It is a firm clip, but with enough spring that it is easy to use while still protecting your pen. The top finial is the classic Kaweco tri-circle. The band is stamped with "Kaweco" and "Germany" with dots separating them.

The metal grip section is what surprised me most about the pen. It's solid, and lends quite a bit of weight to it. It feels front-heavy when you lift the pen, but it settles into balance nicely when written with. The grip section has a smooth hourglass shape that flares at the end to help prevent slipping. It does get a bit slick, but the shape stayed comfortable, even during long writing sessions.

The pen takes cartridges or Kaweco converters, and comes with one cartridge and one placeholder. Two cartridges can fit in the longer body, so it's easy to carry a spare. Unposted, I find this pen to be the perfect length. It does post, but not very deeply, and the weight of the cap, plus its added length, make the pen a bit awkward when posted, I feel. I do have very small hands, though.

The nib is a small, gold-plated steel nib. It has some scrollwork, the Kaweco logo, and the words "Germany, since 1883" stamped on it, along with the nib size. This one is a medium. Like my previous Kaweco nibs, I found this one to be a smooth, wet writer that is easily comparable to a Japanese Broad nib. It writes like butter on hot glass, except when it doesn't. I think this nib might actually be too smooth, and suffering from some baby's bottom, because it occasionally has hard starts. Once it gets going, it doesn't skip, but the first few strokes of the pen after it is lifted are hit or miss. I think this can be solved with some simple home-tuning, and it's definitely worth the few minutes that would take, as it is otherwise a nicely performing, beautiful pen.

Priced at $60, this pen might be a bit pricey for a student to buy, but it would make a lovely gift for one. It's a great build for a school or work pen, and the ability to carry a second cartridge is great for class or meeting notes. It will clip safely and securely to a pocket and look fantastic there.

I love my wee pocket Kawecos--the jellybeans of fountain pens. This pen is definitely several tiers up from those. It's in the same price range as the higher-tier TWSBIs and the mid-range Sailors and Pilots, and I think it definitely earns its place among those favorites.

(JetPens 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!