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Category: Ink

Ink Battle: Diamine and ColorverseInk Battle
April 5, 2024
Rachel
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Ink Battle: Diamine and Colorverse

Posted in Ink

I’ve expanded ink battles to include inks that I’m considering buying, and this is what you’ll find this time.

You can assume I have no problems with any ink that appears in an ink battle. The point of the battle is to choose a winner of the two colors. I use a pair of similar inks in pens with the same nib, then test them out to see which I like better. Generally, I’m trying to decide which ink to keep, but sometimes I’m trying to decide which to buy, or if I should buy one ink when I already have a similar one.

I may find out that, when used with the same nib, they’re sufficiently different to own them both. Depending on how these battles turn out, I may tag some of the posts as ink dupes as well. You can find all of the ink battles posts on the tag page.

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Ink Battle: Colorverse and ColorverseInk Battle
February 16, 2024
Rachel
4 Comments

Ink Battle: Colorverse and Colorverse

Posted in Ink

This ink battle is between Colorverse Monkeyhead Nebula and Colorverse Mystic Mountain. In the first battle, both inks are in pens with a medium Jowo nib. In the second, they are in a TWSBI 580 with a fine nib. Both battles are fought on white Rhodia Goalbook paper.

For this particular Ink Battle, I’m comparing two ink samples, trying to decide which to purchase. Monkeyhead Nebula and Mystic Mountain are both desaturated blues with rose gold shimmer.

Unfortunately, because I’m working from samples for both inks, the shimmer distribution is lacking. It’s nearly impossible to see the shimmer in the first battle, and difficult in the second. But, looking for silver linings, it means I can truly compare the ink colors.

You can find all of the ink battles posts on the tag page.

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Ink Battle: Sailor and SailorInk Battle
January 19, 2024
Rachel
One Comment

Ink Battle: Sailor and Sailor

Posted in Ink

No matter how much I try to sample or test an ink before buying it, sometimes that isn’t possible. Because of this, I have some inks that are incredibly similar in color. That’s where “ink battles” come in.

You can assume I have no problems with any ink that appears in an ink battle. I may decide, when using the inks side-by-side, that one performs better, but the point of the battle is to choose a favorite color. I use a pair of similar inks in pens with the same nib, then test them out to see which I like better.

Or, I may find out that, when used with the same nib, they’re sufficiently different to keep them both. Depending on how these “battles” turn out, I may tag some of the posts as ink dupes as well. You can find all of the ink battles posts on the tag page.

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I’m Sorry Shimmer InksI'm sorry shimmer inks
January 12, 2024
Rachel
8 Comments

I’m Sorry Shimmer Inks

Posted in Ink

“I don’t use shimmer ink… they really just don’t do anything for me.” Sound familiar? You’ve likely read that on my blog. Possibly more than once.

Over the years that I’ve been part of the fountain pen world, I’ve actively avoided shimmer ink. On the rare occasions where I actually bought a shimmer ink, I let the shimmer settle, using just the color, without the particulate.

My main reason for avoiding shimmer is the extra maintenance. I didn’t want to deal with clogging or the extra effort required to get the shimmer particles out of the feed and converter.

That all changed in February last year.

Keep ReadingI’m Sorry Shimmer Inks
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Wrap-Up25 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 27, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Wrap-Up

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Phew, that’s a wrap on another 25 Days of Dupes! I’ll have to come up with something special to do for next year since it will be the 5th anniversary. If you have any ideas, let me know.

Doubtless, these Inkvent inks will get released as full bottles next year as all the others have. Hopefully this series helped you decide which — if any — to get.

Differences and Lessons Learned

This year’s 25 Days of Dupes was significantly more work since I swatched the inks on an additional paper type and created YouTube shorts.

Let’s start with that first item. I chose bad paper for the swatches. The Kokuyo paper couldn’t quite handle the heavy ink application and feathered/bledthrough with multiple inks. On top of that, the grid on the Kokuyo paper and the dots on the Franklin-Christoph and Iroful paper were obstacles to editing the swatch photos to be true-to-life.

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Wrap-Up
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 425 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 26, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 4

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Hello, welcome to the last week of 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 19-25. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.
  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • You can view all of the shorts I’ve created for shimmer inks on my Diamine Inkvent 2023 YouTube playlist.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 4
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 325 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 19, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 3

Posted in Ink

Hello, welcome back to 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 12-18. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.
  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • You can view all of the shorts I’ve created for shimmer inks on my Diamine Inkvent 2023 YouTube playlist.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 3
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 225 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 12, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 2

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Hello, welcome back to 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 5-11. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some reminders:

  • I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.
  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • You can view all of the shorts I’ve created for shimmer inks on my Diamine Inkvent 2023 YouTube playlist.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 2
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 125 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
December 5, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 1

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Hello, welcome to the first post of 25 Days of Dupes 2023. Below you’ll find the inks for days 1-4. If you have a suggestion for a possible dupe for any of these inks, let me know in the comments, and I’ll add it to the wrap up post.

Some info:

  • You can click the images to view them larger.
  • I swatched each ink with a small (#2) paintbrush and wrote with a Zebra G dip nib.
  • Behind-the-scenes: I included more than just my final swatches for each ink. Preliminary swatches are on Iroful A5 dot grid paper. I’ve found that inks can look VERY different on this paper. I swatched the top matches on Franklin-Christoph sugar cane paper (from a leftover Firma-Flex notebook) and Kokuyo 5mm grid Sarasara loose-leaf paper.
  • While I try to edit the images so they look as close to real life as possible, I can’t guarantee that the color you see on your screen will be true to life. However, with all the dupes on the same page, you’ll see how the colors look in relation to each other, which is the main point of these posts.
  • I can’t fairly call any ink a perfect color match, as I’m not comparing them scientifically, I’m just using my eyes. Therefore, I won’t be going any further than calling an ink a “near-perfect color match.”
  • Reminder: I’m not attempting to dupe the special properties of the inks — sheen, shimmer, scent — only the base color.

Enjoy, and happy inking!

Keep Reading25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Week 1
25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Intro25 Days of Dupes 2023. The Inkvent Calendar
November 30, 2023
Rachel
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25 Days of Dupes 2023 – Intro

Posted in Ink

Thanks to David of the DC Pen Crew, I will once again be duping the Diamine Inkvent calendar. Like last year, I’m posting once a week with all of the inks from that week.

Also like last year, I’m basing my posting day on Christmas. Since Christmas is on Monday, I’ll be posting on Tuesdays. My first dupe post will be on the 5th, with the inks from December 1-4. My final dupe post will be on the 26th, with inks from December 19-25. And I’ll have a wrap-up/reference post on the 27th linking to the 4 dupe posts and listing the best dupe for each ink.

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Ink Battle: Kyo Iro and ColorverseInk Battle
November 17, 2023
Rachel
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Ink Battle: Kyo Iro and Colorverse

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No matter how much I try to sample or test an ink before buying it, sometimes that isn’t possible. Because of this, I have some inks that are incredibly similar in color. That’s where “ink battles” come in.

You can assume I have no problems with any ink that appears in an ink battle. I may decide, when using the inks side-by-side, that one performs better, but the point of the battle is to choose a favorite color. I use a pair of similar inks in pens with the same nib, then test them out to see which I like better.

Or, I may find out that, when used with the same nib, they’re sufficiently different to keep them both. Depending on how these “battles” turn out, I may tag some of the posts as ink dupes as well. You can find all of the ink battles posts on the tag page.

Keep ReadingInk Battle: Kyo Iro and Colorverse
Ink Faves by ColorInk faves by color
November 8, 2023
Rachel
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Ink Faves by Color

Posted in Ink

After taking the ink rainbow challenge, I started thinking about what my favorite ink(s) in each color are. I had to expand the color categories, and, even then, I have a couple of honorable mentions. Quick note: I worked through this post without reviewing my ink rainbow post, only comparing the two when I was done. There’s a bit of overlap.

In case you didn’t read the ink rainbow post and are wondering why I’m doing two such similar posts, the main difference is the selection criteria. For the ink rainbow post, I listed the first ink that came to mind. For this post, I’m sharing my favorite inks.

I’ve done my best to photoshop the individual ink swatches to look true-to-life, but that’s easier said than done, especially with any color that has red in it.

Now, enough chatting, on to the inks.

Keep ReadingInk Faves by Color
Ink Battle: J. Herbin and DiamineInk Battle
October 27, 2023
Rachel
3 Comments

Ink Battle: J. Herbin and Diamine

Posted in Ink

No matter how much I try to sample or test an ink before buying it, sometimes that isn’t possible. Because of this, I have some inks that are incredibly similar in color. That’s where “ink battles” come in.

You can assume I have no problems with any ink that appears in an ink battle. I may decide, when using the inks side-by-side, that one performs better, but the point of the battle is to choose a favorite color. I use a pair of similar inks in pens with the same nib, then test them out to see which I like better.

Or, I may find out that, when used with the same nib, they’re sufficiently different to keep them both. Depending on how these “battles” turn out, I may tag some of the posts as ink dupes as well. You can find all of the ink battles posts on the tag page.

Keep ReadingInk Battle: J. Herbin and Diamine
Stationery Marvels TagStationery Marvels Tag
October 24, 2023
Rachel
2 Comments

Stationery Marvels Tag

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Ink

This post is inspired by Theresa is Dead‘s video The Makeup Marvels Tag. In that video, they credit Seeking Alexandria with coming up with the idea.

1. A product that is actually useful/offers a significant improvement.

If you have vacuum fillers or piston fillers that you can’t — or don’t want to — remove the nib, then the Ink Miser Ink-Shot Inkwell is really useful for using up the last bit of ink from a bottle or filling from a sample.

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Ink Battle: Laban and DeAtramentisInk Battle
September 12, 2023
Rachel
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Ink Battle: Laban and DeAtramentis

Posted in Ink

No matter how much I try to sample or test an ink before buying it, sometimes that isn’t possible. Because of this, I have some inks that are incredibly similar in color. That’s where “ink battles” come in.

The point of the battle is to choose a favorite color. I use a pair of similar inks in pens with the same nib, then test them out to see which I like better.

Side Note: This Ink Battle is slightly different than usual. Jim and I picked these up at the DC Show separately, and I need to know if it’s worth keeping both. I love Laban inks, but the DeAtramentis Document series is new to me.

Or, I may find out that, when used with the same nib, they’re sufficiently different to keep them both. Depending on how these “battles” turn out, I may tag some of the posts as ink dupes as well. You can find all of the ink battles posts on the tag page.

Keep ReadingInk Battle: Laban and DeAtramentis
Fountain Pen Tag 5000Fountain Pen Tag 5000
September 8, 2023
Rachel
One Comment

Fountain Pen Tag 5000

Posted in Fountain Pens, and Ink

This post is inspired by Angelica Nyqvist‘s video Too Big, Too Repetitive, Ugly Packaging? | Eyeshadow Palette TAG 5000. In that video, they credit Chic Geek with coming up with the idea.

1. Pen that has special memories associated with it

For so long, my main choice for this type of question was my Prisma 88. But now, I have my Analog Notes Precious Petals that remind me of the first bouquet Jim gave me when we were dating.

Analog Notes Precious Petals
Keep ReadingFountain Pen Tag 5000
Fountain Pen Tag, Ink EditionFountain Pen Tag, Ink Edition
August 23, 2023
Rachel
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Fountain Pen Tag, Ink Edition

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I came across a fun old post from nikkipans on the makeup side of Instagram, with a tag credited to user jesspanner who either quit Instagram or changed their name. It wasn’t hard to adjust it to work for the fountain pen world.

Because I’ve done “fountain pen tags” for both pens and nibs, it only made sense to make this one about ink! Even more fun, Jim agreed to join the fun and provide his answers as well!

I’ve included swatches for inks we still have; unfortunately, that’s only about 60% of them. I’ve done my best to photoshop the individual ink swatches to look true-to-life, but that’s easier said than done, especially with any color that has red in it.

Keep ReadingFountain Pen Tag, Ink Edition