Moleskine Meets Fountain Pen Ink

And the winner is…

Moleskine Meets Fountain Pen Ink

Favorite Montblanc Inks

These are a few of my favorite inks, Montblanc at least. The samples are from bottles and not the cartridges. All three turn out darker from a pen but you can still get a sense of the colors from the image below. The properties are similar though not identical and vary from pen to pen. But all are excellent quality and it least one is in my rotation at all times. That’s a pretty good recommendation I’d say.

Montblanc Fountain Pen Inks

De Atramentis Sepiabraun in a Namiki Falcon

Here’s another look at De Atramentis Sepiabraun from a pen that shows its best qualities,  the Namiki Falcon SF (soft fine). It has enough softness to qualify as a stiff semi-flex nib that is both easy on the hand and very light weight. Put those characteristics together and you get a pen that has good versatility and suits most any application.

In an Apica 6A10 journal Sepiabraun feathered very lightly but also bled-through showing small dots of ink though it behaved very well on Rhodia as you can see in the sample. Lighting conditions at my desk are mediocre at the moment making the color look a lot like Waterman Havana. Last night it looked like a less saturated version of Noodler’s Walnut.

Regardless, it is a medium dark brown with a hint of red. Sound intriguing? The only store that carries it in the U.S. so far is Art Brown. At $13 for 35 ml it’s a little more expensive than many inks but not exorbitant. Only you can decide if it’s worth it.

Namiki Falcon + De Atramentis Sepiabraun

De Atramentis Ink – A Brief Look

De Atramentis has an enormous range of colors so there’s a rainbow from which to choose. If color determines your fondness for an ink, this manufacturer has got your number. If other properties count as much, then caveat emptor. Certainly some will meet your standards. However, others may only work in a limited number of pens or on a limited selection of papers. This is one brand of ink that may take some trial and error to find a satisfying combination.

Lest you think I am unhappy with the whole line, perish the thought. While it won’t replace my favorite brands, I did find good things about Aubergine, Sepiabraun, and Cement Grey. No coverage issue though Sepiabraun and Cement Grey are incredibly wet. There was a small amount of feathering with the latter on Apica though not on Staples bagasse or Rhodia. I no longer have a sample of Aubergine but the color was a favorite in the past. No issues with performance either.

De Atramentis Ink Samples

Sepiabraun is similar to Noodler’s Walnut but less saturated while Cement Grey looks like wet cement or maybe a piece of charcoal depending on line thickness. Olive Green is close in color to J. Herbin Vert Olive with some blue added. Aubergine bears a resemblance to Parker Penman Ruby. It isn’t a substitute but it is similar.

Now for Olive Green. It is a pretty color but did not make the grade for performance. Two pens and three brands of paper plus various scraps on my desk were tested. Poor coverage with both a Lamy Vista 1.1 italic and a Sailor 1911 fine nib revealed an issue with skipping/poor coverage on Rhodia and Apica. The lack of cleanly filled in lines was less evident on Staples bagasse and more closely resembled skipping than poor coverage. On bagasse the dried ink showed some shading but not with any consistency. The pale color would be well suited to wide nibs but the performance with my pens was not satisfactory. Perhaps in a wet broad nib issues would be non-existent but there is nothing suitable in my collection to give Olive Green a proper test.

I am loathe to include YMMV in a review but it’s true. Please post in the comments if you have used De Atramentis ink. I hope you can add good experiences to balance my so-so one.

De Atramentis Caveat

Now that Art Brown carries De Atramentis ink, many fountain pen folk will get a first look at this German import. While De Atramentis Aubergine has been high on my list of favorite inks for years, the three I’ve recently acquired remain to prove themselves. Reviews are in the works but in preliminary tests, nothing seems amiss in performance.

There is one caveat that needs mentioning now though. The label colors do not fairly represent the ink colors. The result is that I wasted money on colors that do not meet my expectations nor do they fill the holes in my collection for which they were intended. This isn’t just a matter of how the colors appear on a monitor but rather the ink on white paper held against the labels. Since the labels are the only swatches available online for most of the product line, there is no way to predict the color with a fair level of accuracy. With two of the four bottles I own, the difference between the ink and the label is dramatic. The other two are merely inaccurate.

So caveat emptor when it comes to De Atramentis color representations. However, if you like the excitement of things unpredictable, hopefully, you will be happier with your surprise package than I was with mine.

Waterman Carene Stub Gets a Forever Home

For weeks I have been in fountain pen nirvana with my latest acquisition, a previously owned Waterman Deluxe Carene Stub*. I am ruined.

What does that mean to a pen collector? Nearly every pen in my drawers, pen wraps, pen cases and milling about forlornly on my desk is a fine or extra-fine. Oh, yeah, I am in deep “dirt” now. Few have received more than a passing glance since the Carene arrived and they are already way past being jealous. Not only are they bereft, they are suffering from dried ink syndrome. For the uninitiated that means ink has dried in nibs and feeds requiring lots of extra effort to get the sulky little things clean. It is my punishment for ignoring them you see. Each will make me pay for my dalliance but I tell you it has been worth it.

The first surprise about the Carene was that this medium weight pen is as comfortable to use as any feather weight model. Good balance is what makes the difference. It’s a very sturdy, well-finished pen that tolerates casual use. Not careless but casual. It will go along for the ride, tossed in my purse without benefit of a case or wrap, showing not a hint of pique at such rough treatment. But that isn’t even the best part.

Waterman Carene Stub Nib

The stub nib is amazingly good fun to use and brings out the italic side of my handwriting. I received a lovely reply to my first letter penned with the Carene. My friend wrote, “your handwriting has changed a bit. It sort of looks like Leigh’s.” That’s quite a compliment as Leigh was the previous owner and one of my favorite handwriting artists. My writing might resemble Leigh’s writing if she wrote with her opposite hand on a bad day and in a cast to boot but I loved the compliment anyway.

One caveat about the Carene. The unique nib will leak on your finger if you touch the upper tips of the nib where they meet the section. The upshot is that you can’t hold the pen low and close to the nib, well, unless you want inky fingers. I haven’t found the hold to be uncomfortable but have forgotten a few times and earned a nice ink splotch on my index finger along with a few chuckles from observers. I like to make people laugh so it’s fine with me but it might not be appropriate in a business meeting.

Anyway, I wanted to share my excitement over a terrific pen and nib. It isn’t right for everyone but it sure is right for me. In fact I would take a second one should the opportunity come my way.

Oh, if you are wondering about the lack of  photos, click the small image above. No way could I have done a better job of showing off this stub than Leigh has done.

*Stubs and italics both have a straight edge that produces a thick vertical line and a thin horizontal line. If you don’t write really small, the stock stub is a great way to put a little pizazz in your letters without having to practice a great deal. If you have small letters, then you might need a custom ground nib to get one sized correctly for your handwriting. Want to create a great signature? A stub nib might be just the thing.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Greens

The Sound of Music’s My Favorite Things floated my way when I thought about comparing the green inks in my current rotation. J. Herbin Vert Empire, Private Reserve Avacado (sp.), and Montblanc Racing Green are delightfully well-matched to their pens but might not be as wonderful in other models. It took a long time to discover two of these pairings and the third was entirely by luck. Oh, if you like flex, Vert Empire shades beautifully in an Esterbrook ‘J’ with a 9128 extra-fine flex nib. So there is that, too.

Dark Green Fountain Pen Ink

My complete list would also include Sailor Uranari Green, J. Herbin Vert Olive, Diamine Emerald, and Iroshizuku shin-ryoku. These inks work well for me in lots of pens so they are worth mentioning as well.

Probably the most versatile of the bunch are Diamine Emerald and MB Racing Green. PR Avacado dries a little slower than the other two but can be easier to find in the U.S.

There is one caveat when it comes to green ink. I’ve found nearly all of them change, whether lighter or darker, softer or bolder, depending on the pen and especially in a scan. If ever there was a color to which YMMV applies, green is it.

Any one of these inks could be a good addition to your collection but if you like green as much as I do, one just won’t be enough.

A Little Montblanc Eyecandy

Are you in the mood for some pretty pictures? Check out the review and handsome photos of a Montblanc Meisterstück 149 from blogger InkyJournal. Your Wish List may never be the same.

Orange You Glad It’s Fall

Whether you giggled or groaned at the title, in this part of the world fall has arrived. With all its rich and yummy colors from persimmon to sunset to saffron, it’s that orange time of year. In recognition of the ruling color, here are a few fountain pen inks from my collection.

Don’t take these scans as true representations of the colors but rather as relative comparisons. Orange proved to be a real challenge to get right.

Orange Ink Swatches

And a few writing samples…

Iroshizuku yu-yake

J. Herbin Orange Indien

Iroshizuku fuyu-gaki

Private Reserve Orange Crush

The Rhodia Webnotebook vs Moleskine Journal Showdown

Many journal devotees would agree the Moleskine A6 journal has cachet to spare. So can a newcomer called the Rhodia Webnotebook (a/k/a The Webbie) best it? With certainty in one key category it does but is it enough to make you switch?

Rhodia Webnotebook vs Moleskine Journal

When it comes to form, Moleskine is exactly what a journal ought to be. The cover is thin but sturdy, the perfect little black book. The ribbon marker is durable enough and the pocket tucked inside the back cover is convenient for all manner of uses. The elastic band closure fits just right and helps keep goodies tucked tidily between the pages. The cream colored pages with pale gray lines are easy on the eyes and discreet. The Moleskine is a classy-looking journal in every respect.

The Rhodia Webnotebook is similar and certainly gives more than a nod to the venerable Moleskine. Unfortunately, it misses in some small ways but puts the Moleskine to shame in the most important one. More later about that.

Addressing form differences first, the Rhodia cover is thicker, sturdy, rigid, and smooth. The elastic band is tight and left permanent indentations on the front and back covers of the sample I received from Exaclair. There is a pocket attached to the back cover just like the Mole.  The inside cover is black with no place to write a name or offer a reward should the journal meet with misfortune. This omission could easily be remedied with a bookplate sticker. The Rhodia does not initially lie perfectly flat like the Moleskine but with use the spine will relax enough to make that less an issue.

The paper is a whole ‘nother subject and in this the Rhodia excels. The images tell the story. The Moleskine paper feathers in places with fountain pen ink but does well with pencil, gel pens, roller balls, and Sharpie Pens (not markers). There is show-through and bleed-through from every fountain pen I used. As one would expect, the finest nibs worked best. Although I didn’t have them on hand to test today, Noodler’s Black or Legal Lapis in a dry Parker ‘51′ extra-fine are the best fountain pen and ink duos I’ve ever found for a Moleskine. The Pilot Prera fine nib tested best of the lot this time.

Moleskine Journal - Front

Moleskine Journal - Reverse

Now for the challenger. The darker cream/gray lined Rhodia paper is thicker, smoother, and absolutely loved nearly everything I threw at it. Finally, double-sided writing is feasible in a small, black journal. No feathering, no bleed-through except with a Sharpie Marker and only the very faintest show-through with anything else.

Prefer fountain pens? This is a match made in heaven at least with the new 90g version. Depending on the ink and pen, drying time can be longer than with the Moleskine but I think it is worth the few-second wait. A piece of blotter paper should eliminate any smearing if that is a concern.

Rhodia Webnotebook - Front

Rhodia Webnotebook - Reverse

For anything but fountain pens, both the Moleskine and the Rhodia work well. The Sharpie Pen was particularly nice. It didn’t even leave an indentation. For compatibility with fountain pen ink though, the Rhodia Webnotebook easily came out tops. Every pen on my desk worked well including the stub and the free-flowing cursive italic, just the sort of versatility that is perfect for an inkophile.

Update: One of the comments below states that the line spacing is larger in the Webnotebook. A side by side comparison of the 9 x 14 cm sized journals used in my test showed no difference between the two.

Note: Another Rhodia Webnotebook review at Rhodia Drive.