(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
It's really difficult for me to believe, but winter is just a few days away (the official date anyway). I live in an area that rarely experiences the spring and fall seasons, so I'm more than happy to enjoy some of those seasons through ink colors and baked treats. In this case, I'm using Van Dieman's Tassie Season Sweet Fig — a luscious dark red ink that you could easily mistake for a blank ink in certain light. It makes me think of autumn weather and changing leaves, and I really appreciate it for that.
I generally need to be in the right mood to enjoy a dark ink, but Sweet Fig is just light enough in the thinner areas to really tickle my fancy. On first writing with this ink, I was a little disappointed with how dark the ink was. After using it a little more, I noticed all the little nuances that this ink has to offer. It's dark, but it also has depth.
The dark red tone is the most prominent, but I love the small hints of purple that come through from behind. This mixture of deep red and dark purple are just fabulous, and they complement each other perfectly. The shading of this ink from deep red and purple is really fantastic.
Along with the interesting shades and layers of colors, there's also an interesting sheen effect that you can notice in certain light. I've never used an ink with a black sheen before, but I'm somewhat blown away by how it behaves now that I've seen it with my own eyes. In the right light, this ink looks black — but it changes back and forth from black to deep red/purple like someone switching a light on and off. It's so cool.
The dry time for this ink is fairly average at around 10 to 15 seconds. I was using a large nib for the sample here, and I'd say the dry time is closer to 10 on smaller nibs. Not an incredibly fast-drying ink, but pretty good nonetheless.
Like all Van Dieman's inks I've tried before, this one behaves elegantly. It's well lubricated, starts easily, doesn't bleed or feather, and cleans out quickly. The more of these inks I try, the more they teeter into my favorite brand of inks.
A 30ml bottle of Sweet Fig is available from Vanness for $12.95, which is an excellent deal. If you'd rather try a small sample instead, you have that option. But if you like dark inks that have a few secrets to share, this ink is well-worth the small investment. While you're at it, browse the other inks that Van Dieman's offer and see what else tickles your fancy.
(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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