I have been playing with my sample of the new Emerald of Chivor. I had already pored over a great review, and I had even seen a writing sample in person, so I knew it looked spectacular. But writing with it has confirmed that this is really an awesome ink. As you can see in the photo above, the sheen and shimmer come through even with fine and extra-fine nibs.
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J. Herbin Perle Noire. A standard black ink that has all the good qualities of Aurora Black plus more lubrication. Perle Noire seems to flow well in even the most dry pen, and is my favorite all-around black ink.
An everyday ink? Yes.
Aurora Black. A standard black ink that has unadvertised water resistance, flows a little wet and is a dark black color. This is an excellent ink, and for good reason has become a lot of people’s favorite black ink.
An everyday ink? Yes.
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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Fountain Pen Follies 