Posts filed under Robert Oster

Robert Oster Jade Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Spring is finally making its way to the northern hemisphere, and I've found myself compulsively choosing green whenever it's available. There's something about the cheery green shade that really appeals to me at the moment, and I've decided to lean into it. This applies to all things in my sphere, not just stationery. For my 2025, whenever I buy something new (and assuming the option is there), I'm choosing green. That being said, fountain pen inks are a great place to dive in, because there are so many beautiful green inks out there.

This week, I'm looking at Robert Oster Jade — a lovely medium green with moderate shading and great performance. In terms of the namesake, I think it does a good job of matching the gemstone, though it makes me think of green leaves or blades of grass more often. To me, it seems like a great middle-of-the-range green hue, and the shading elevates from a basic green to something more.

The range of color that the ink exhibits isn't huge, but there's just enough differentiation that is easy to see when used with any nib. The range of greens in this ink is what makes it so life-like and dynamic on the page. Just like leaves, blades of grass, and mineral formations, there's a wide variation of color on the surface that can shift and change with the available light. The shading is what makes this ink so enjoyable to use. Jade is a simple ink that works exceptionally well.

Writing with the ink is on par with any other Robert Oster ink I've used. There's no bleeding or feathering, and the ink starts quickly and without any drama. The flow is good and it provides plenty of lubrication to the nib so that nibs feel smooth when they move across the page.

One thing that the ink doesn't do well is dry quickly. In most cases, the ink takes roughly 25-40 seconds to become fully smudge-proof. It's mostly dry after 20-30 seconds except for the areas where ink naturally pools where the nib changes direction and deposits a little extra ink. This isn't a terrible time for drying, but it won't suit anyone who needs a fast-drying ink.

When it comes to price, Jade is right in line with the rest of the standard Robert Oster lineup. A 50 ml bottle is $19, while a small 4 ml sample vial will set you back $3.75. For me, the bottle is a no-brainer because I know I'll use this ink a lot.

Within a few minutes of testing it out, I already knew that it was in my top tier of ink colors, and the great performance seals the deal. The world is a scary, dark place, and it helps to choose brightness where we can. For me, this ink helps transport me to a happier place when I need a little pick-me-up!

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on May 7, 2025 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Robert Oster, Ink Reviews.

Robert Oster Dragon's Night Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Just in time for the shorter days and longer nights, it's a lusciously dark violet-blue ink from Robert Oster that also has a faint hint of copper sheen. Dragon's Night is a gorgeous dark ink that has just enough character to keep it interesting for long writing sessions.

It's not uncommon for Robert Oster inks to have a little flare on top of the base color, and this one is no different. There's a medium amount of shading — just enough to be noticeable under normal writing conditions. But there's also a hidden copper/red sheen that comes out in rare lighting conditions. This isn't a crazy sheening effect that's hard to ignore like some inks. It's subtle, and even when it does occur it isn't widespread. It's small and reminds me of glistening stars or floating embers rising from a small fire.

I had a hard time finding other ink swatches to compare this with because it's a unique combination (in my ink collection at least) of dark purple/violet, dark blue, and blue-black shades. When writing, it usually looks like a violet-black with lots of blue undertones. I've realized that my ink collection has lots of purples, but not many violets, which also means I prefer the warmer purple shades to the bluer violet. Either way, this is an ink color that I'm more than happy to use.

While it's not a particular fast-drying ink, I've found that it's dry to the touch at around 20 seconds in a medium nib. Could be faster, but could also be much slower.

Writing with this ink is an absolute pleasure. It has a good amount of lubrication for the nib and starts easily in whatever pen I throw it in. Despite being so dark, it also doesn't show through to the opposite side of the page much.

I'm a little disappointed that the copper sheen doesn't present itself more readily. It's really shy and I had a lot of trouble creating the optimal conditions to make it come out. In normal writing, it's rare that you'll see the sheen, but it will make you smile when it does appear.

Given the light sheen, it's a good thing the base color and medium shading behavior is so nice with this ink. Definitely purchase this ink due to the color and not with any expectation of sheening!

I've always been really happy with the many Robert Oster inks I've used, and Dragon's Night is no exception, as long as you have the right expectations. This is a violet-black that will be in heavy rotation over the next few months!

Dragon's Night is available in a 50ml bottle for $18, or you can pick up a 4ml sample vial to try out first. It's a good bang for the buck in terms of value, and I'd happily recommend it to anyone that likes the dark, moody violet shade.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Posted on September 18, 2024 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Robert Oster, Ink Reviews.

Robert Oster Skyward Fountain Pen Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Summer is just around the corner, and that means many people will be setting off on summer vacations to idyllic locations that may feature views of beautiful bodies of water. That sort of vacation or trip isn't in the cards for me this year, but I can capture a small part of that sparkly water feel with Skyward ink from Robert Oster, an exclusive color from Vanness.

Given the name, I assume this ink color draws inspiration from the sky, but I just see crystal clear water when I look at it. Either way, it's a gorgeous aqua/sky blue with just a small hint of green. I'm a big fan of blue inks — turquoise in particular — and this shade of blue takes me to my happy place.

The ink flows really well (almost like water), and has no issues with skipping or hard starts. Like every other Oster ink I've personally used, it performs really well. There isn't any bleeding or feathering, and the ink stays where it's supposed to be while making clean lines with crisp edges.

There's also a bit of shading that adds to that feeling that this is actually a clear tropical body of water close to the beach. There's just enough variation of light blues and a little green to mimic shallow, clear water.

One thing that surprised me about this ink was the dry time. I wasn't expecting to be such a quick drying ink, but it most certainly is. Maybe that's due to the light color? At any rate, this ink is dry to the touch in about 15 to 20 seconds with this large, wet 1.1mm stub nib, and it's a second or two faster with a smaller nib. It dries fast enough that it might even be a good option for left-handed writers.

There's no mistaking this ink color when it's on the page. It is completely light blue and won't be able to pass as a medium blue ink. What that means is that you might not be able to use this ink in certain settings where dark colors are expected (business, legal, etc.). That being said, it's exceedingly great at adding joy to any piece of paper it touches, so use it as much as you want and push the boundaries of what's acceptable.

This comes as no surprise to me, but I absolutely love this ink. I knew as much when I saw the swatch online, and Robert Oster has delivered again. It's fantastic knowing that you can buy any of these inks based on color, shading, and other interesting characteristics while being confident that everything else will work great.

Vanness Pens sell Skyward exclusively, and you can pick it up in a 50ml bottle for $18, or you can opt for a 4ml sample for just under $4. In my opinion, you should go for the bottle if you like the color. This light blue has just enough green and subtle shading to make it feel like you're on the beach, so you'll likely use more of it that you think at first. If you like the color, you won't be sorry you picked up a bottle!

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