(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)
Kala Ink is a new brand that I’d never heard of until Brad sent me a bottle to review. The ink is made in Taiwan, and the “Tribute to Neon” series is quite unique. The colors in the series are bright, opaque, waterproof, and look wet even after they dry.
Groovy Neon Violet is a neon purple color that leans toward the pink/purple side of the color spectrum. On the Col-o-dex card, the ink comes out rather flat in the swab. But in writing, swirls, and splats, you can see how the ink maintains a wet appearance even after drying. (This card was created over three weeks ago!)
The ink exhibits good shading/pooling on Rhodia Dot Grid paper with the Noodler’s Triple Tail Flex Nib (reviewed here). The ink is completely waterproof.
In finer nibs, the ink looks lighter and the shading/pooling is not as evident.
Kala Neon Violet is the first waterproof ink I’ve ever tested. This stuff really is impervious to water, making my chromatography test rather useless. Alas.
In super wide nibs, like my Handwritmic Ruling Pen, the ink exhibits excellent shading and pooling. I apparently did not wait long enough for the ink to dry, and stacked other papers on top of this one. That accounts for the blotchiness you see where the ink pooled.
When I first opened the bottle, I wasn’t sure if Kala Neon Violet was actually for fountain pens. I had never seen such an opaque, thick ink. It isn’t quite the consistency of acrylic paint, but that’s what came to mind when I looked at it. I inked up my Noodler’s Triple Tail thinking that, if the ink didn’t come out of the pen, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I actually left the ink in the pen for several weeks before cleaning it (not recommended). Most of it rinsed out pretty easily, though a bit remained in the threads and piston. I wouldn’t use this ink in any of my really expensive pens, and best practice would be to clean out your pen immediately after use to avoid stains.
Kala Neon Groovy is the most unusual ink I’ve used. I love how opaque it is and the wet finish it leaves. It’s really quite fun to write with (wet, smooth, and good flow) and excellent for art.
You can purchase Kala Tribute to Neon “Groovy Neon Violet” Ink from Shigure Inks for $12.00 (30 ml). Neon Violet is currently out of stock, but you can sign up for an email to be notified when it’s available again.
(The Pen Addict purchased this ink from Shigure Inks at full retail price.)
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