Misfill, 21 in 2020 Edition

Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:

— 21 Things That Kept Me Going In 2020 (Kottke)

— News: Pelikan’s US Price Increases For 2021 And The Trends That Might Surprise You (The Pelikan's Perch)

— Ink Review #417: Robert Oster Blue Black (Fountain Pen Pharmacist)

— First Impressions: Scribo Feel Fountain Pen (The Gentleman Stationer)

— Bandcamp Expands Vinyl Pressing Service (The Quietus)

— Working Tools. Boiling the frog (Stuart Lennon)

— 9 of the Best Graphic Memoirs and True Stories by Women (Book Riot)

— PENCIL REVOLUTION Vol. II is out. (PENCIL REVOLUTION!)

— Ink Review #1357: Cross Violet (Mountain of Ink)

— Esther Pearl Watson Channels Strange Pandemic Life in 100 Paintings (Hyperallergic)

— Three mini-reviews in one: Fine Writing Fenestro Kuroshio, Montegrappa Monte Grappa, Cross Sauvage (UK fountain pens)

— Consult the Doctor Episode 5 (SBREBrown)

— Finding time for creativity will give you respite from worries | Life and style (The Guardian)

— Marcus Brutus pairs fluorescent colours with historical moments (It’s Nice That)

— How Leeds Led the Goth Scene (PopMatters)

— My Daily Desk Set (January 2021) (The Well-Appointed Desk)

— Ink Review #413: Monteverde ITF Blue Black (Fountain Pen Pharmacist)

Want to catch the rest, plus extra articles, reviews, commentary, discounts, and more? Try out a Pen Addict Membership for only $5 per month!

Bullet Journal Notebook Edition 2 Giveaway Winner

I’m not sure when the Bullet Journal Edition 2 will be back in stock, so I’m glad I picked up and extra one to give away on the blog. And the winner is:

Congrats Ted! Or should I say, Take N. I’ve sent you an email to collect your shipping address.

Hippo Noto & Kiwi Inks V. 1: 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 received an email several months ago from Hippo Noto (makers of the Hippo Noto Notebooks) about a collaboration with Kiwi Inks. The photos showed a sheeny, shimmery, purple-pink-green-blue ink that immediately ushered an audible "Wow!" from my lips. I ordered a bottle, but I didn't open it until this week.

What a wondrous unicorn ink this is! It isn't something you'd want to use in a sober office environment. Nope. This is an ink that says, "Hey y'all! Wahooooo! Let's party and eat cotton candy and ride carousels and chew grape bubble gum and dance in glitter!"

Of course, the wahoo factor depends on the paper you use. On my Col-o-dex card, the ink's properties are subdued. A deep purple predominates with lovely lime green sheen breaking through in the writing and splats. I must have forgotten to shake up the bottle thoroughly before I did my card, because only a little shimmer is showing.

On Rhodia white dot-grid paper, the ink is even more tame. Virtually no sheen is displayed (except in the swipes) and all you see is the purple. I did remember to shake before swabbing, so you can see the blue shimmer in the swab.

Chromatography shows the various base colors in the ink: lavender, pink, and magenta.

Midori MD Cotton paper and a fat ruling pen bring out the gorgeous green sheen in the ink. Clearly, you'll get the best results with broad nibs and paper that isn't too absorbent.

I wrote a longer writing sample in my MD Journal with a TWSBI stub nib. The ink flowed well and sheen shows up, especially in sunlight.

But the best paper to use in conjunction with Hippo Noto & Kiwi Inks V. 1 is Tomoe River Paper. On Tomoe, not only do you get the beautiful green sheen, but all the spectacular colors burst like fireworks in the splats and dribbles. This is definitely an ink you'll want to play with.

You can purchase Hippo Noto & Kiwi Inks V. 1 from the Hippo Noto website ($25.00 for 30ml). The third wave of this ink will ship at the end of January/early February. If you prefer even more wow you can opt for V. 2 which features rainbow shimmer!

(I purchased this ink with my own funds.)