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.

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.

Lots of Inkophile Ink Reviews

Links to all Inkophile ink reviews through August, 2009:

• Diamine Damson
• Diamine Kelly Green
• Diamine Sepia
• Diamine Violet
• Iroshizuku fuku-gaki
• Iroshizuku syo-ro
• Iroshizuku tsukushi
• Iroshizuku yama-guri
• Iroshizuku yu-yake
• J. Herbin Ambre de Birmaine
• J. Herbin Bleu Nuit
• J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche
• J. Herbin Bouquet D’Antan
• J. Herbin Cacao du Brésil
• J. Herbin Café Des Îles
• J. Herbin Gris Nuage
• J. Herbin Larmes de Cassis
• J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage
• J. Herbin Perle Noire
• J. Herbin Rouille D’Ancre
• J. Herbin Terre de Feu
• J. Herbin Vert Empire
• J. Herbin Vert Olive
• J. Herbin Vert Réséda
• Private Reserve Arabian Rose
• Private Reserve Ebony Blue
• Private Shoreline Gold
• Sailor Uranari Green
• Sheaffer Skrip Burgundy

Arabian Rose, A Tasty Leftover

Yesterday a big box of goodies arrived, leftovers from reviews by BiffyBeans. Pretty cool, eh?

No question about which ink to try first since Private Reserve Arabian Rose has been on my list for at least a year. So ink in hand I took a quick look through the pen box. I am not a big fan of demo pens, the clear ones that let you see the cartridge or converter. Often they look messy with ink in wrong places. But for purple I will make an exception and chose a Lamy Vista with a 1.1 italic nib.

The longer I use this ink the better I like it. Depending on the light, it can appear dark reddish purple, magenta or even burgundy. On this page of purples at Wikipedia, Arabian Rose most closely matches tyrian or imperial purple. It is also in the colors of this Angel Rose Viola.

Have a look at my initial notes scanned below. As the writing test progressed, Arabian Rose lightened just a tad to its true color and revealed some nice if inconsistent shading. Drying time is typical for a rather saturated ink but not awful. Expect three to five seconds with a very fine, dry nib but significantly longer with a wide, wet nib like the Lamy italic.

Purple may not be appropriate for a staid business environment but it is lovely for personal use. Speaking of which it’s time to write a thank you for a sweet Japanese notebook I received recently. Hope Arabian Rose suits the recipient since I’ve got plenty left in the converter and a pen just itching to go to work.

Private Reserve Arabian Rose

When Gold Isn’t Really Gold

In this case it’s Private Reserve Shoreline Gold. It is an interesting name but what does it mean? What color do you picture?

Online swatches make it appear red-orange but it seems to depend on flow and nib size. In a wide nib the color is muted yellow-orange. With a fine nib it looks more golden brown. The sample below was written with a Pilot Custom 98 fine nib on Staples Eco-Friendly (bagasse) paper.

Private Reserve Shoreline Gold

Shoreline Gold is a pretty and fairly saturated ink. It isn’t fast drying so lefties beware. Flow is good as is coverage. Depending on the pen and flow, shading can be terrific.

Color variety from a single ink always intrigues me. It makes each new fill a surprise much like trying a new ink for the first time. What an economical solution to wanting ink variety despite having a strained budget. Definitely good news for a true inkophile.

Seven Flavors of Aqua

This palette of blues suits the season ahead to perfection. I couldn’t wait so J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche is already in my Sailor 1911. When the converter is empty, Diamine Steel Blue will be up next and maybe J. Herbin Vert Réséda after that. It’s looking like a blue summer for this inkophile.

How about you? Is there an aqua or turquoise destined soon for your rotation?

Aqua Ink Swatches

Putting Colors Together, Part 2

Summer Ink Palette No 2

Iroshizuku Yu-Yake
Diamine Vermillion
J. Herbin Vert Réséda
J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche
Private Reserve Purple Haze

Summer Ink Palette No 2

Putting Colors Together, Part 1

Summer Ink Palette No 1

Private Reserve Shoreline Gold
Diamine Maroon
Diamine Light Green
Iroshizuku Syo-Ro
Sailor Gray

Summer Ink Palette No 1

Private Reserve Ebony Blue Ink

Last week I decided to order a few converters and cartridges. Pendemonium was the only vendor that had the particular group of items I needed so after several exchanges of email, Sam shipped my order. But before we finalized things, I ordered Diamine Kelly Green, an ink that has easily become my favorite bright green. All of those items were, well, predictable, so I opted to toss in an ink for which I had very little information, Private Reserve Ebony Blue.

Sam called it “one of those mysterious colors” and so it is. Chameleon would be another apt word for it. Ebony Blue is a blue-black color that belongs in the subcategory of green based BBk inks as opposed to those that are red based. Rich and fairly saturated, it is a color that can look black, navy, or deep blue green depending on the paper and lighting conditions. Despite the degree of saturation, Ebony Blue dries surprisingly fast. So far so good.

There are similar inks in my collection including Noodler’s Legal Lapis, a Pendemonium exclusive, and Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris. While Ebony Blue is a half step darker than Legal Lapis, there is virtually no such difference when compared to Verdigris. Properties and characteristics are what differentiate the three inks.

Legal Lapis is thicker and prone to coating the nib, a condition also known as nib creep. It is the slowest to dry of the three inks but still within my level of tolerance. It has a high degree of permanence so it’s tops for writing checks and signing legal documents. Verdigris is a little less green than Ebony Blue and the least saturated of the three inks making it a better choice for vintage pens or pens that are hard to clean. Ebony Blue exhibits the most shading and though all three have good flow, Ebony Blue slightly edges out the others. It seems to have better lubrication reducing drag in a dry-writer but not enough to make a difference in a free-flowing nib.

For the most part blues that have more green than red suit me best and Ebony Blue is very pleasing in that regard. With its range of positive characteristics, reasonable price, plus Private Reserve’s availability through more than a few online retailers, this is one PR ink that earns a very positive recommendation.

Private Reserve Ebony Blue