Category: Ink

Fountain Pen Favorites for August 2016

LauraLeave a comment

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Think of a middling movie franchise. The first movie does well, so they come up with a sequel, which isn’t exactly good, but sells enough tickets, so they can’t resist slapping together a third. Which is just chum. And that was my August — the Jurassic Park III of months.

But hey, Laura Dern and Sam Neill were in Jurassic Park III. Nothing is irredeemable. So let’s focus on the bright side of August.

1. Weather. It did not rain every minute of every day. Okay, nearly. But there were a few minutes where you could see the sun still existed. Bonus points: no need to worry about a beach body. And I found some very water-resistant inks.

2. Pen Shows. Many people I know had fun at pen shows in August. Not me, but I lived vicariously. And I was lucky because a very sweet friend brought me back a present from DC. I hope you either went to a pen show in August, or got something nice.

3. Inks. I loved my August inks. There wasn’t a “meh” ink in the bunch for me. The new-to-me inks were simply wonderful: KWZ Thief’s Red, KWZ Rotten Green, Graf von Faber-Castell Cobalt Blue, Kaweco Sunrise Orange, Kaweco Smokey Grey, and J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre. I could be happy with just those. That was a real light in August.

 

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Photo by Dafne Cholet, Flickr, used under Creative Commons license.

Why I Like an Ink That Is Easy to Clean

Laura5 Comments

fountain pens needing to be cleaned

I had this on my counter the other day: nine pens, all needing to be cleaned out.

You know how there are people who love cleaning things? Who find it meditative or restful or enjoyable?

Yeah, I’m not one of those people. So I love inks that are easy to clean.

Most of these were, actually. Montblanc William Shakespeare was the only exception. Not a total surprise. And I survived. “Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.”

 

Ink Review: Kaweco Smokey Grey

Laura3 Comments

Kaweco Smokey Grey writing sample

Kaweco Smokey Grey. This is an attractive light gray ink that is surprisingly legible and features a surprising amount of water resistance. It is a Kaweco ink, so it’s not surprising that Smokey Grey also is easy to clean from a pen and has excellent lubrication and flow.

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Our J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre Winner

Laura2 Comments

J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre ink bottle

September 10, 2016 update:  Nicola did not claim the ink, so Caroube de Chypre is on its way to the second-place finisher Raffaello Palandri.

We have a winner for the giveaway for J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre, thanks to the Random.org, and that is Nicola. Congratulations to Nicola, and thanks to everyone who entered. This ink comes from Pen Chalet. We’re giving away a Platinum pen next, so watch the blog for that, too, in the coming days.

Nicola, please use the Contact menu at the top of the page to send me your full name and mailing address.

Problem Solving, With the Very Large Array

Laura6 Comments

pen cups

There are good problems to have, of course, and having too many fountain pens inked is probably one of them. I’ve been looking at a lot of new-to-me inks, so I can’t complain if that requires a lot of pens. And in there is one awesome Platinum pen I’m going to be giving away. But I still had the small issue of where to put all those pens.

Last time I confronted this, I went for a temporary solution: I ejected a rollerball from the pen cup, and moved the fountain pens around like puzzle pieces until they all fit. Not ideal, but a workable quick fix. “You go, girl.”

However, one new ink led to another, and another led to a third, and so on. Before you could say “J. Herbin,” I was over-penned once again. This time, there were no more squeezes possible, and nothing to do but add another pen cup to the lineup. And not a pretty one, either. “Le sigh.”

But it’s all in how you look at things, right?  So I shall look at my pen cuppage not as excess, but as a small tribute to the Very Large Array, which uses 27 movable radio telescopes to explore the universe.

And I mean, even the number 27 is inspiring.  When I think how many pens would fit into 27 pen cups….

“You go, girl!”

Ink Review: J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre

Laura2 Comments

J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre writing samples

J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre. This is a lovely red-brown ink containing gold particles from J. Herbin. It’s a quieter gold-infused ink, in which the gold serves to deepen the rich color, giving an effect like a dark copper, or from some pens, a warm cocoa.

Caroube de Chypre won’t be the choice for those wanting a dramatic ink, but I loved the ink color and versatility. And because Caroube de Chypre is a relatively low-maintenance ink, I would trust it in any pen for an extended time period.

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I’ve Been a Miner for a Heart of Gold: J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre

Laura4 Comments

J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre writing sample

I’ve been searching long and hard for how to bring out the most gold in J. Herbin 1670 Caroube de Chypre, and I think I’ve found it. But there’s going to be a “but” in there.

Caroube de Chypre is on the quieter side for inks with gold ink particles.  It is a gorgeous dark copper ink, but it doesn’t pop like J. Herbin’s previous 1670 ink, Emerald of Chivor.

That’s actually fine with me. I love the color and how it looks on the page. But what if you want more gold? Can you get it?

Yes! And, no.

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