Swisher Cocoa

[lovemy51]

I noticed there were no reviews on this ink, so i figured i did one. this is just a mini written review.

 

i have mix feelings about this ink, mostly cos' i don't care much for brown. but if you want a brown, not too dark, fast flowing, fast drying and somewhat water resistant... this is your ink.

 

 

let me know what you think of the ink and ask all the questions you want... i've never done an ink review, so be easy on me!!

 

i was able to get the water resistance test in this post. here it is.

Edited December 19, 2008 by lovemy51

[someonesdad]

It looks similar to FPN brown, but without being bulletproof.

[Melnicki]

are you kidding, someonesdad? it's nowhere near close to FPN Galileo M.B.!!! That ink is a rust, a reddish pink-brown. If you put it next to medium browns, you'd swear it was red.

 

The water resistance looks rather good for a Swisher's Quick-dry series ink!! My Intense Red runs runs runs.

 

Thanks for populating the reviews with another unrepresented one!!

[lovemy51]

on the screen, the scan of the swisher cocoa might appear red (i can see why someonesdad might see the resemblance to fpn galileo), but it's not. i do think galileo is more reddish than this one (from scans i've seen, i don't own that one).

 

the true color of the cocoa is closer to the pic than the scan!!!

[jbb]

Doh! I thought this was a post about chocolate.

[laotzu]

This was part of my very first ink order (including Swisher Black and Antigua Blue).

 

- I tested the color and was instantly reminded of the journal kept by Dunbar in Dances With Wolves. I immediately went out to purchase the Staples Recycled Notebook. The off white, brown lined paper has a wonder rice paper kind of texture though it is made from sugarcane waste, bound in a rough natural fiberboard and a bronze metal spiral binder. Paper and ink were a perfect match, invoking the romantic turn of the 20th century period in look and feel. No echo, no feather and easy startup. Writing with a fountain pen is always an emotional experience but this particular ink will transport you to a time when gas lamps and horses were still considered to be cutting edge technology

 

- The ink flows like a river so I like to use it in my Asian fine points. Right now I have it loaded up in my Pilot 78G fine point. Poured out of my Sheaffer Balance #3 and my Lamy Safari fine point. I also find that it dries almost instantly, fwiw to lefties.

 

- Swish Mix was made for good fountain pen paper. The echo and spread are actually pretty significant on 20 lb copy paper and cheap journals. But the Swisher site makes this clear, naming the paper on which it performs well.

 

From the site:

 

SWISHER PENS BOTTLED FOUNTAIN PEN INK

Swisher Pens Bottled Fountain Pen Ink was developed for us by Nathan Tardif (he also makes Noodler's ink) as a quick drying ink which was intended for use on good quality paper, Vellum (Rhodia Tablets), Linen (International Paper - Beckett Cambric Writing) and many other types of paper (see list below for our favorite types of paper to use with these inks). It can used on most other grades of paper, but some feathering may occur when used in a pen with a "wet" nib. In our tests, we found the black to be darker than most (if not all) conventional black inks we sell (Noodler's black was the closest). It should also be noted that our ink dries almost instantaneously when used on some types of paper. This has been proven to be very beneficial to left-handed writers. When tested on several popular brand of Vellum, Linen and Pure Cotton papers, our ink took approximately 14 seconds to dry to where it was "smudge" free. When tested on Cambridge writing paper, it took about 2 seconds for this ink to dry. (Drying times may vary due to humidity and type of paper used).

 

RECOMMENDED PAPER FOR OUR INKS:

Rhodia - High Grade Vellum

*Ampad - Evidence Item 20-151

Ampad - Evidence Recycled Item 534032 @ Staples

Ampad - Gold Fibre Item 20-074

International Paper - Beckett Cambric Linen Writing Paper

Clairefontaine - Pupitre Tablets

Mead - Five Star Binders

*Cambridge - Writing Pads (These pads can be found at office supply stores)

*Georgia-Pacific 92/24 (Can be found at Walmart) Ink Jet Paper

 

 

*Recommend these for left-handed writers as our ink dries almost instantly on these papers without much (if any) feathering when using a fine or medium nib. However, very "Wet" nibs and humidity may still cause some feathering on these papers.

 

[lovemy51]

hello laotzu. thanx for adding your thoughts on this ink and i'm glad you enjoy using it. i think i wanna try that staple paper you talk about. is it bagasse paper ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=81576 )?

Edited December 20, 2008 by lovemy51

[laotzu]

Yes, that's the stuff. I'll tell you, it was simple dumb luck that I tumbled to this last August when Staples had it's back-to-school promotion. $1.00 each!! That's gone but at $2.99 I'm still a buyer, though I will load up again next summer for sure.

 

http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/p1_...1:CG10:CL100400

Edited December 20, 2008 by laotzu

[Souldrifter]

Geez, no need to get weird about it. I tend to agree with him. I don't see as much "rust" or "reddish pink-brown" in my bottles of Galileo. Galileo and Waterman Havana Brown are the two browns I have and while you can tell them apart, they're both definitely brown.

 

are you kidding, someonesdad? it's nowhere near close to FPN Galileo M.B.!!! That ink is a rust, a reddish pink-brown. If you put it next to medium browns, you'd swear it was red.

 

The water resistance looks rather good for a Swisher's Quick-dry series ink!! My Intense Red runs runs runs.

 

Thanks for populating the reviews with another unrepresented one!!

 

[Melnicki]

perhaps this disagreement is because of a recipe-shift? My bottle's from the first batch, and here Pengrump has noted that a recent review (whose image is no longer posted) shows much much less red than their own bottle. I have two forthcoming comparisons (a red dodecagon, and a brown heptagon Deirdre-style) which show my bottle of Galileo to be more like the reds than the browns.

 

[HDoug]

For what it's worth, my bottle of FPN Galileo Manuscript Brown is noticeably reddish. A bit too red for my tastes. So I add a little Noodler's Black, and some water (to thin the color out a bit) and call it da Vinci Manuscript Brown. It's one of my favorites.

 

Doug

 

P.S. I think inks, maybe Noodler's especially, vary in color from batch to batch or bottle to bottle. I now think of my bottles of ink the way some think of their bottles of wine, which is to say, specific to that batch or bottle. When I run out of an ink I like I order another bottle. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised, sometimes not so.

Edited December 22, 2008 by HDoug