Results from the favorite brands of Ink poll organized by Inkophile.
- Noodler’s
- Diamine
- J. Herbin
- Iroshizuku
- Private Reserve
- Waterman
- Sailor
- Pilot/Namiki
- Aurora
- Sheaffer
(via Inkophile)
Incredibly thorough test of notebook papers and pens. The level of detail in this review puts my minor tests to shame.
(via Pens and Paper)
While I’m on the subject of fountain pen inks, I thought I’d seek out some reviews about the old stand-by, black ink.
Here are a few reviews and comparisons I found:
- Parka Blogs tests out just how waterproof Noodler’s Bulletproof Black really is
- Pentrace has a nice overview of several brands of black inks. Though an older post, these inks are still readily available.
- BiffyBeans compares four different black inks
- Rhodia Drive answers questions about the J. Herbin Perle Noir black ink.
(via Rhodia Drive, photo from Goulet Pens)
I decided to try out the Kuretake Dry Erase Liquid Post Chalk Marker Pen at work to cut down on the dust and mess of traditional chalk in my already dusty cubicle at work. I have a lovely chalkboard message board handpainted by Mary Kate McDevitt which was the perfect testing ground.
(via me on Flickr)
The pen goes on wet but clear and gets whiter as it dries.
It took a bit of elbow grease to rub the “chalk” off after it was dry but no worse than regular chalk and a bit more permanent. I found this helpful for the leftie hook since it made it a bit harder to smear. This pen would be great on coffee shop boards for the “coffee of the day” on a sandwich board as a light brush up against it would not smear it. Using water will wipe the board completely clean.
($2.15 per pen, available in white and several other colors from JetPens, of course.)
As I’ve been getting more interested in fountain pens this year, I have also discovered fountain pen inks. While some would not be surprised by this revelation, I’ve been blown away by the huge variety of colors available in fountain pen inks from companies like J. Herbin, Noodlers and so many more. But how does one choose which colors or brands to buy as one bottle of ink can sell for $10 to $25 per bottle? That’s where the Goulet Pen Company’s Ink Drop comes in handy. For a fee of $10 per month members receive five small sample vials of inks along with access to special promotions and a special club page on their site. The vials provide enough ink for several fillings of your fountain pen and gives you a chance to try out a brand or color before committing to a whole bottle.
Ink Drop club seem like too great a commitment? Goulet also offers individual samples of most of their stocked brands and colors in prices ranging from $1.25 to $2 each. There are also Ink Sample Packages that are organized by theme, color, property or brand and ink samples from previous Ink Drop subscriptions. Prices for sample packages range from about $7 up to about $18 depending on the number of individual vials.
I wonder what colors would be in a Well-Appointed Desk sampler package?
(via Goulet Pens)
Review: Zig Letter Pen Cocoiro
When I initially purchased the Zig Letter Pen, I only bought the holder. I didn’t realize the cartridge was sold separately. So, after a frustrating wait with an empty pen case, I received cartridges to fill it. Oddly enough, the end of the pen projects out of the pen case in kind of a jarring way. While I like the texture of the matte-finish pen, the wonky protruding pen cartridge really disappointed me. But since I finally had cartridges, I figured I would go ahead and put it to use. Maybe it writes better than it looks?
The cartridge has a fairly fine-point, fiber brush tip. As opposed to other brush pens I prefer, the fiber tipped tend to lose their pointy-ness over time, particularly on toothy paper stock.
I tested it on some fairly smooth paper (Ecosystem blank) and what pleased me most was the richness of the black, very solid which is great for sketching and drawing. Brand new, the pen held a fairly fine point but I don’t know how well it will wear over time, the tip already looks a bit frayed.
I bought several different colors but I always seem to end up going back to black since I use brush pens mostly for work which means the art is scanned and manipulated digitally and black scans the cleanest.
In the end, for blackest black, fine point reusable brush pens, this isn’t bad. I do find the exposed end a little strange-looking though I see that it does allow you to see if there is still ink in the cartridge. Though I’m a sucker for anyone who will sell me something in acid-y lime green, this does not rank high in my pen hierarchy.
Nerfect Rocks with Field Notes
Our buddy over at Nerfect puts a Field Notes book to the test with his super-doodles. Space alien, superhero, vampire, dog mayhem all on one page. Makes you wonder what’s on the next page…
(via Mr. Walters on Pinterest)