Let's go ahead and address this right up front. I'm calling PenBBS 404 “Ink Not Found.” As a life long-computer nerd, this is the way. This is the only way. I was even the proud owner of a 404 area code in Atlanta, which is what the real O.G.’s had prior to the proliferation of 770 and 678 prefixes. But Ink Not Found? That's just too good to pass up.
The real sub-name of this ink is Nightfall, which is pretty darn good I must admit. It's a shade of purple reminiscent of dusk, and a color range I'm generally fond of. This one is no exception, and has jumped up quickly into my frequently used inks.
I first snuck it in to my Benu Pen Euphoria review a few months ago. The pen was certainly the star of the review, but that was my first go with 404, and I was smitten.
Nightfall is a light-colored ink, without a deep color saturation you see with many inks. Normally, I prefer that color depth, but something about this ink has grabbed me. It is dark enough to use in wide or narrow nibs, and fun enough to wonder what color it really is.
If you told me this was a grey ink, you wouldn’t get much argument from me. In fact, the most comparable ink it reminds me of is Sailor Chu-shu, which is mostly a grey ink, but leans purple. I’d say 404 is a purple that leans grey.
With this lighter color I do still see some shading. It’s subtle, but when the ink dries I see a mix of light and lighter lines. It looks best with a lot of text on the page. Speaking of drying, it dries ultra fast. There was barely any smear on my five second test on Clairefontaine Triomphe paper. The thinness of the ink helps with that. It’s not a dry ink, but isn’t very lubricated either.
I added PenBBS 404 to a Vanness Pens order on a whim. At $8 for a 15 ml bottle it is a good enough price to take a chance on (I’m not much of an ink sampler,) and you won’t be stuck with a big bottle you won’t use. This is also my first PenBBS ink and review, and I’ll certainly be looking for more to try out soon.
(I purchased this ink at a discount from Vanness Pens.)
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