Monteverde Mulberry Noir and L'Artisan Pastellier Vert Moyen: Two Inks Reviewed

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Today I'm reviewing two inks from two different companies. There's no special reason for combining these particular inks, other than that I love purple and green together. Plus, these inks have been languishing in my queue for awhile.

Monteverde Mulberry Noir

Mulberry Noir is a pinkish purple with good shading and green sheen. I had a difficult time capturing the true color of this ink in my photos and had to enhance the pink tones.

On Rhodia paper, the ink looks fairly flat and not much sheen or shading comes through. The ink did not dry quickly, but this is probably because I was using a large stub nib and had just inked my pen. Later, when I wrote my longer writing sample, the ink was much drier. The ink is not waterproof, but you can see in the water test how the pink tones predominate.

On the Col-o-dex card, the ink displays some shading and lots of green sheen.

Chromatography confirms that Mulberry is primarily composed of pink with a bit of lavender and some turquoise.

Using a ruling pen brings out all the lovely characteristics of Mulberry Noir--shading and a burst of rainbow sheen.

Although the ink flowed well on Rhodia paper, when I did a longer writing sample on MD Paper, it ran much drier. My sense is that the ink is rather dry and might benefit from Vanness White Lightning Ink Additive.

Mulberry Noir is a beautiful purple ink with fantastic sheen and excellent shading (depending on the paper and nib you use).

L'Artisan Pastellier Vert Moyen (Irish Green)

Vert Moyen is a bright spring green.

On Rhodia paper, the ink displays good shading with wider nibs. It dries fairly quickly and is not waterproof.

The Col-o-dex card shows off the shading capabilities of the ink more clearly. There's no sheen to this ink--the splats dried almost black.

Chromatography indicates that Vert Moyen is comprised of light peach, lime green, and turquoise.

A ruling pen allows the ink to pool and shows off its shading characteristics. Vert Moyen is gorgeous with wider nibs.

I used my Sailor Pro Gear Aprés Ski with a fine nib to do my longer writing sample. This wasn't the best choice for Vert Moyen since Sailor fine nibs are really extra fines. Thus, the writing is light and no shading is evident.

Vert Moyen is a beautiful color that reminds me of fresh clover.

You can purchase Monteverde Mulberry Noir from Vanness Pens, 30ml for $18. L'Artisan Pastellier Vert Moyen is also available from Vanness, 30ml for $7.

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

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Fabriano EcoQua Pocket Notebook (Pack of 4): 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.)

Fabriano is an Italian company that has been making paper since 1264. Yes, you read that correctly: 1264! Greats like Michelangelo, Beethoven, and Francis Bacon used Fabriano paper--but, no worries. You needn't paint the Sistine Chapel or write a symphony or become a philosopher in order to enjoy this paper. It'll work for bullet journaling and shopping lists.

EcoQua Pocket Notebook covers are made with 290gsm Sirio Tela ecological paper. This paper is thick like card stock, but has a textured surface that resists scratching. The corners of the notebook are rounded off, giving them a clean, sophisticated look. Each notebook is staple bound with two staples and measures 3 by 5.5 inches.

The paper inside is Bioprima Book paper in ivory. This paper is 85gsm (i.e. much thicker than Tomoe River Paper, for example). In addition, it is eco-friendly. The pulp comes from forests that are managed in accordance with specifications established by the Forest Stewardship Council. The paper is also chlorine free.

My set of notebooks are dot grid patterned (4mm), but blank versions are available. The notebook has 32 pages, and the last 16 are perforated. Be aware that the perforation is 10mm from the inside margin, so if you aren't careful some of your writing might remain in the notebook.

I tested the paper with eight fountain pens and inks. The paper handled all of them quite well. I observed no bleeding even with the wettest nibs. There was no bleed through onto the back of the page either, although there was show through. Writing on this paper is enjoyable. It is smooth but offers just enough feedback that your nibs feel steady.

Next, I tested the paper with other writing instruments (pens and pencils), and, again, the paper worked well. Colors are bright and readable. I noticed that the Palomino Blackwing lead smudged when I ran my finger over it. Both Sharpies bled through to the other side, but no other bleed through occurred.

I swabbed eight inks on the paper. All the colors are brilliant, none bled through, and some exhibited a tiny bit of sheen. Had this been a sunny day, sheen may have been much more visible. I apologize for not knowing the name of the first ink. I'm pretty sure I reviewed it long ago for Pen Addict, but neither the box nor the bottle give the name in English.

I copied a Mary Oliver poem into the notebook using my Platinum fountain pen with a soft nib and Iroshizuku Yama Budo. The ink went down smoothly and dried quickly. I wasn't worried about smudging nor did I feel like the nib was skating over the surface.

I have no complaints whatsoever with the Fabriano EcoQua notebooks. They are well made and the paper is exquisite. You can purchase four-packs from JetPens for $11.00 in cool colors (Black, Grey, Plum, and Turquoise) or warm colors (Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green).

(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!

The Sendak Mini Artist Roll by Peg & Awl: 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.)

The Sendak Mini Artist Roll is a pen/pencil/paintbrush/tool holder. It's the little brother of the Sendak Artist Roll, measuring 14.4 in. by 8 in. (365mm by 202mm) when fully open and 4.3 in. by 8 in. (110mm by 200mm) when folded.

The roll is hand made with waxed duck canvas.

It features a vegetable-tanned leather strap engraved with "The Sendak Mini Peg & Awl." The strap is attached with brass rivets and closed with an antique steel buckle.

Inside there's a small zippered pocket on the left.

In the middle are two large pockets and eight slots for various artist implements.

A flap provides protection for the instruments inside the roll.

Outside, the back part of the roll has two full length, large pockets.

Everything about this artist roll is well made. The canvas feels rugged and virtually indestructible. The leather strap is thick and sturdy. The zipper is made of brass.

The four large pockets can accommodate scissors, knives, skinny sketchbooks, a cell phone, and a host of other objects. The inside pockets are 3.3 in. (85mm) wide and 8 in. (202mm) tall. The outside pockets are 3.7 in. (95mm) wide and 8 in. (202mm) tall (you could fit longer objects in the outer pockets since there's no flap in the way).

The eight slots are not quite an inch wide. Regular pens and pencils and paintbrushes with slender handles fit easily into the slots.

Even though the Peg & Awl website says that the slots will accommodate fountain pens, that is true only for medium and small sizes. I tried a variety of fountain pens with the roll. Larger pens, such as the MB 149, the Opus 88, and even a Franklin Christoph Intrinsic will not fit.

The rugged design of the Mini Sendak means it's not meant for fancy fountain pens. Rather, this is a roll for EDC pens and artist's instruments. It's for stuffing in your backpack so you can whip out your sketchbook or journal in the middle of a meadow or at the top of a mountain. I would not take Walter (my MB 149) on hikes, thank you very much, but I would take mechanical pencils, my Spoke Pen, any of my Karas Kustoms pens or a Lamy Safari all nicely bound up in this roll.

The Mini Sendak Artist Roll is available in the following colors (mine is moss): Truffle, Almond, Coal, Moss, Slate, Spice, and All Black. It costs $120. You can add a tool protector for $8 or a monogram for $15.

Is this pricy for a pen roll? Yes. However, the products from Peg & Awl are not manufactured in bulk. They are hand made using antique materials, such as old, military-issue gun slings. The craftsmanship is exquisite, so if you appreciate handmade goods, you'll love the Sendak Mini Artist Roll.

(My sweet husband purchased the Sendak Mini Artist Roll for me for Christmas.)

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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!