Red Wednesday

But the ink: I love this ink. It’s so red. It’s a very cheery and happy red, and I love red. It reminds me of my first car.

I’m not sure I realized this before now, but since I’ve been married no red cars have made their way into the Fountain Pen Follies garage. We mostly get black, silver or white cars. That is the husband factor, obviously.

Though we do have one exotic-sounding car color. It is “Urban Titanium Metallic.” You and I would probably call it “brown,” or possibly “sparkly brown” if we were in a happy mood. But “brown” doesn’t move the metal off the lot. It’s Urban Titanium Metallic, thank you very much.

Anyway, I was talking about ink. Because I’m using this great red ink. And possibly I should keep its identity under wraps. But I won’t. It is KWZ Thief’s Red. Pretty.

And what a name it has. Even a powerhouse like Urban Titanium Metallic has to bow down to the majesty that is Thief’s Red.

Because Thief’s Red has a glamorous vibe. Any Thief’s Red thief would be dashing, and wear dinner jackets, and drive an understated sports car. And even though he only targeted bad people, the thief would give up his Robin Hood-like existence when he fell for me. Except, first, one last exciting caper.

Well, as is obvious, I’m very much enjoying KWZ Thief’s Red. But I’ve been following my customary reviewing process. I suppose that you and I could call that “writing with the ink.” But that doesn’t sing. That doesn’t burnish my reputation as a serious and respected ink blogger. Which might develop any day now, if I stop writing posts like this.

But in the meantime, imagine me over the last week, happily using Thief’s Red, and evaluating it in a serious reviewer sort of way. When I happen to look at some of my red swabs. Double take. I see another swab that looks fairly close to my exotic and glamorous Thief’s Red.

This contender, or pretender, is not an exotic or expensive ink. This is the type of ink that gets named “brown” in an “Urban Titanium Metallic” world. It’s an ink I use for mixing. I had never actually put it in a pen and wrote with it.

Well, I have now. And it’s of course not identical to KWZ Thief’s Red.  Thief’s Red has more wow. And Thief’s Red also has some objective, verifiable characteristics that the other doesn’t quite match. I still like Thief’s Red better. I mean, it has “wow.”

But I do feel chagrin.

After all, I am the person who thinks we should not necessarily chase fancy inks when there are so many excellent and easily available inks. While here is an ink that I’ve actually owned for years, and never put in a pen. Because it’s not exciting. It’s not new. It doesn’t have a great name. Or a great bottle. And yet, it actually is very close in color to an ink that has been wowing me.

It’s possible that I didn’t know a diamond when I held one in my hands.