One Minute Ink Review: Waterman Serenity Blue

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Waterman Serenity Blue (formerly known as Florida Blue):  A standard blue ink of medium saturation, Waterman Serenity Blue will not wow, like more showy blues, but it is a workhorse that has stood the test of time.  Washable, not water-resistant.

An everyday ink?  Yes.

(Here begins an occasional exercise, the brief review.  I got the idea from a friend who thinks that most reviews could be four sentences or less.  While I naturally gravitate to Dickensian length,  I thought it would be fun to try.)

Power Failure

Summer brings warm weather and good cheer, but where I live, also fierce storms.  Due to a lightning strike last week, our power went out, and stayed out most of the day Sunday.  The good news is that it’s now back.  Hello, internet.  Welcome back, air conditioning.  But the bad news is that some of our appliances were fried.  So things are a little busy here just now.  We especially miss the refrigerator and freezer.

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Pen Review: Aurora Optima

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The Aurora Optima is one of my very favorite pens, which probably is obvious from the photo above.  I don’t really consider my Optimas a collection, because for me it’s really a workhorse pen, so it made sense to get a few of them.  Of course I exceeded “a few” some time ago.  But since I probably use at least one Optima daily, I’d like to review the pen and consider what makes it stand out for me.

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Pen of the Day: Omas Extra Lucens

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Omas Extra Lucens Limited Edition with extra-fine 18k nib. This gorgeous pen is black, gold and transparent celluloid.  Writing with an Omas is special, and a bit different.  The pen rests lightly in the hand, and the nib asks for only the most delicate touch, so you find yourself skimming over the paper as effortlessly as possible.

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The ink is Stipula Calamo Ebony Black, which is a lighter, slightly gray black ink with a hint of shading.  When I write with it, I think of the shades of Sumi-e, Japanese black ink painting.

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Ink Review: Montblanc Meisterstück Blue Hour Twilight Blue

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Okay, confusing name.  And so long.  I actually owned this ink for more than two months before I figured out I had been using the wrong shorthand name for it.  I had been calling it Montblanc Blue Hour.  Which I think would have been an excellent name, by the way.  And the box does say “Meisterstück Blue Hour.”  But that seems intended to identify the ink as part of a Blue Hour limited edition collection.  Because underneath that, Montblanc adds “Twilight Blue.”  And the Montblanc USA website calls it “Montblanc Meisterstück Blue Hour, Twilight Blue.  So.  Okay.  I will call it by its correct name now.

Blue Hour Twilight Blue costs $16 in the US and comes in Montblanc’s standard 30 ml square bottle for limited edition inks other than Writers Edition inks.  I actually bought mine in May from the Netherlands, so I have been using it for a few months now.

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Mystery Ink No. 10 Report – Pelikan Edelstein Topaz and Diamine Blue Velvet

These Mystery Inks have long since been revealed to the actual participants. So I’m going to make it easier on blog readers by now saying that “Carli” is Pelikan Edelstein Topaz, and “Lloyd” is Diamine Blue Velvet.

I’ve been doing something on FPGeeks Forum called Mystery Ink, where people volunteer to try an ink they know nothing about and then report back on it.  The idea is to elicit a pure reaction to an ink, uninfluenced by any expectations created by brand, price, photos or the ink’s online reputation.  It’s been a blast and very educational for me.

The tenth installment of Mystery Ink, known as MI-10, is running on FPG now.  You can find the thread here.  To celebrate Mystery Ink reaching double digits, MI-10 for the first time comprises two inks, one labeled “Carli” and the other “Lloyd,” in honor of Carli Lloyd, who wears Number 10 for the US Women’s National Soccer Team.

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Aurora Optima

A friend asked me if I knew anything about Aurora fountain pens.  Only that I love them.

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I will have to write up and post something about the Optima, since it’s one of my favorite fountain pens and I’ve been lucky enough to put together this small collection.  I have at least one of these filled and in use daily.  Today it’s the blue with chrome trim.

Pen of the Day: Pelikan M400 White Tortoise

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Pelikan M400 White Tortoise with medium nib.  My newest pen.  I adore it.  I was a little worried it would turn out to be too flashy for my tastes, but the small size of the pen means it never overwhelms.  The color of the binde is lighter than most tortoise Pelikans; I’d call it honey or flaxen.

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Right now it’s inked with Diamine Salamander, which I had never used before.  Salamander is yet another nice Diamine ink, this one a dark olive green, almost the color of camouflage.  It shades beautifully and flows well.  I think I’ll go back to it in the fall or winter, and try it with an extra-fine or fine nib.

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The beginning

I look forward to finding out where this new blog takes me.  It’s a place for some of my writing and photography concerning fountain pens, inks and other related items.  I’ll put up some work I’ve done in the past and add some new things.