Dromgoole’s released a new collection of inks for the Portland PNW Pen Show. The set was a collaboration with Monteverde x Dromgoole’s Trailhead Coffee and Cathedral Grove (30ml ink set + 30ml Pen Flush for $23.04 – 0.25 per ml) and were inspired by the Pacific Northwest.
Trailhead Coffee:
Trailhead Coffee is a rich, earthy brown inspired by freshly brewed coffee with the addition of a gold shimmer. Not sure glitter makes me think of coffee but I love a good brown ink and I don’t have any that have shimmer in them.
When I first sampled Trailhead Coffee, I wondered if Monteverde took an existing brown ink from their collection and added shimmer. I compared it to Brown Sugar but it was much warmer and much lighter. It’s possible that they referenced a different brown from their collection like the new Paws German Shepard Brown (scented ink). The golden sheen warms the color but I think the shimmer also makes the ink more dense overall and decreases shading.
When compared with other inks, Trailhead Coffee is a dark, neutral brown. Ignoring the shimmer, the closest brown I could find was Kuretake Art Nouveau Mahogany Brown and Robert Oster Motor Oil. Motor Oil has a sheen that mimics the shimmer if you prefer sheen over shimmer. I inlcuded more common browns to show how much darker Trailhead Coffee is and how cooler than browns like Waterman Absolute/Havana Brown which is very warm.
Cathedral Grove:
Cathedral Grove is a deep teal with gold shimmer that reminds me of one of my favorite Monteverde inks, California Teal but with the added bonus of shimmer. Cathedral Grove feels like the glorious evergreens and deep seas of the Pacific coast.
The shimmer tones down the bluish and pink-red sheen of California Teal but I feel very confident that Cathedral Grove is California Teal with shimmer. I am not complaining. I think it looks pretty cool but I would also have loved a blue or green shimmer rather than gold although I suppose the gold shimmer looks more like sunlight through the trees.
The gold shimmer makes Cathedral Grove look more greenish than teal so the closest comparisons I could find were Colorverse Shrodinger and Kaweco Palm Green if you like the color but not the shimmer.
Pen Flush:
The bonus addition of the Pen Flush is great for anyone nervous about using shimmer inks to have quick access to some pen flush though its not always necessary. Most of the time pens can be cleaned with clean water and a drop of clear dish liquid but having a little pen flush handy is always nice.
I didn’t get a chance to test the Pen Flush as my pens were either clean or recently filled but maybe in the future I’ll compare it to my homemade Pen Flush.
Final Thoughts:
I don’t have a ton of shimmer inks and I love greens and browns so this set was a great way to try som out at a reasonable price. I haven’t filled any pens yet to test the usability in long term usage but the shimmer seems fineso I’ll get a pen filled soon.
I find Monteverde inks to be good performers and reasonably priced so I feel good recommending this set, if you’re looking to try some.
The Trailhead Coffee and Cathedral Grove are also available in 90ml bottles ($15.36 per bottle).
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Dromgoole’s for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.