Colorverse Brunch Date - An Ink Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

As I mentioned in the 2023 Atlanta Pen Show Recap, I had the pleasure of meeting Akhila Sheth who is the driving force behind Smruti Pens. Brad and I also got to meet her “assistant” (and husband) Nirmal and their two kids at the show, and they provided this Colorverse Brunch Date ink for us to review.

Colorverse Brunch Date is No. 80 in the Colorverse lineup and is part of their Season 6 - Earth Edition. It is part of the Joy in the Ordinary series along with No. 76 Under the Shade, No. 77 Walk the Dog, No. 78 Rainy Day, No. 79 Coffee Break, and No. 81 Delicious Sleep. I had heard that this could be a good match for some rose-gold trim pens so I was eager to test and review it.

*A-ha! Now we know how the bread got stolen!!*

Since my TWSBI Go pens were already inked up, I picked the TWSBI Swipe with a Medium nib and used that for the writing samples in the notebook. For the other writing samples, I used the Kakimori steel dip nib on the Col-O-Ring cards, as well as the 52 gsm, 68 gsm Tomoe River and Cosmo Air Light 75 gsm papers.

*Writing sample and swatch on 68 gsm Tomoe River Paper.*

*Writing sample and dry times on 68 gsm Tomoe River Paper.*

*Chromatography showed a pink with hints of orange on the upper portion, which I didn’t expect.*

Brunch Date had an average flow, though it felt wetter than I expected based on what a lovely shader it is. Shading inks are usually drier than their more saturated counterparts, so I was a little surprised that it took ~30 seconds to dry on 68gsm TR, which is neither too fast nor too slow given the wet TWSBI Medium nib. It would definitely dry faster like Rhodia, copy paper, Cosmo Air Light or with drier or finer nibs.

Inks similar to Brunch Date: Robert Oster Melbourne, Kobe #54 Goshikiyama Ocher, J Herbin Rouille D’Ancre, Sailor Ink Studio 273, Papier Plume Maroon, Ferris Wheel Press Lady Rose, PenBBS #178 Rose Quartz.

This category of inks is so hard to describe and match! It’s sort of pinkish, brownish and in some cases, almost orangish. It really depends on what other pens or inks are next to it and then you can see how it differs. It is definitely not as orange as the Robert Oster Melbourne, nor as pink as the FWP Lady Rose or PenBBS Rose Quartz, nor is it as brown as Sailor Ink Studio 273 or Papier Plume Maroon (which is much lighter than I expected a Maroon to be). The two that are the most similar to it are Kobe #54 Goshikiyama Ocher and J Herbin Rouille D’Ancre - both of which are my favorite inks to match with rose gold trimmed pens.

*Just for funsies, here are some Kawecos (AL Sport Ruby, AL Sport Rose Gold, and Sport Macchiato) that could work with Colorverse Brunch Date.*

Colorverse Brunch Date, along with the other Colorverse Joy in the Ordinary series inks, can be purchased for $14 for 30 ml at Smruti Pens. You can also purchase 3ml or 5ml samples from them for $3 and $5 respectively. I am glad I have now added another option for matching with my rose gold pens!

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

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Posted on May 19, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Colorverse, Ink Reviews.

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 564 - The Distribution Game

*Benu Pen, one of the several brands Luxury Brands represents.*

I was joined this week by Bryce Gillett from Luxury Brands of America to discuss the role of distributors in the stationery space. It was a fun discussion of the inner workings of the business - I hope you all enjoy!

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

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Posted on May 18, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Podcast.

Esterbrook 2GO Pen Cup 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!)

I'm all over the place this month—in a different city every weekend, and all over the map in between, so my "desk" needs to be on the move with me. Transporting a pleasant variety of pens is an essential part of that portable office, which makes for the perfect opportunity to try out clever new pen case designs.

The new drawstring 2GO Pen Cup from Esterbrook has been my carry for the past week, and it has been wonderful in some ways, and falls a bit short in others.

First of all, to get the obvious out of the way, it's super cute. I love the cotton canvas fabric, the classic stenciling, and the color, which happens to perfectly match my planner cover and purse. It's sturdy and well-made, and feels like it will last a long time, even with regular use. In fact, the fabric feels like it will only get better with use, like a comfy pair of jeans. The leather drawstring gives it a rustic vibe, and the suede interior is very soft. The ribbed knit cuff at the top of the case brings a cosy feel to the leather and canvas.

The case is designed so that you can use it as one big open space, or use the included divider to keep pens separate inside. It's a bit fiddly getting the insert aligned correctly—it keeps wanting to fold on itself—but once the pens are in place, they help it keep its shape. The flexibility of it does allow it to cushion pens of various sizes, so I can put narrow pencils next to beefy fountain pens and the insert will adjust itself accordingly. It also lends the case some structure, so it can stand up like a pen cup, and the top fabric folds down so that the pens are easily visible and accessible.

As far as its shortcomings, the first is exactly that—it's a bit short, so it can't fit taller pencils, and even some pens may not be the best fit. Standard ballpoint or gel pen length works best. I also wasn't able to cinch the top cord shut all the way, due to the thickness of the fabric. So there's always an open gap at the top, wide enough for a pen to slip through if I were to tip it upside down. For me, that means it's not the right case for any of my more delicate pens. But most of my favorite pens are delicate ones, which means I either need to bring them in a second, separate case, or I need to just use a different case altogether, which is ultimately what I did.

Another issue is that this case retails for $59.95, which surprised me a bit. That seems quite high. Yes, the materials are very nice and the construction and design are well done, but oof. That's a very high-end price, and as much as I like it, I'm not sure I'd pay that much for it. I've paid that much for cases before, but there was usually a clear reason why it cost so much--like small-batch handmade pieces in exclusive materials.

While this case didn't work for my daily carry, it still makes a good case for keeping on the desk at home. And it would be a great choice for when I'm bringing a handful of gel pens or fineliners to a friend's house so we can decorate planners together. While it has a few negatives, overall I do think it's a nice case, and I'll enjoy using it.

(Brad purchased this case from Dromgoole’s at the 2023 Atlanta Pen Show.)

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