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Ink Review : Pelikan Edelstein Olivine --- Ink of the Year 2018 --- In 2011 Pelikan introduced the Edelstein series of high-end inks, available in a variety of colours. The theme of the Edelstein concept is the gemstone - each ink corresponds to the beautiful colour of a gem. The Edelstein line of inks is presented in 50 ml high-value bottles, that are truly beautiful, and worthy of a place on your desk. In this review I take a closer look at Olivine, the Edelstein Ink of the Year 2018. This is a limited edition ink, that could be gone in the near future, although it's not unheard of for Pelikan to change its mind. Be sure to check out lapis's review for an excellent and highly detailed discussion and comparison with other greens. To clear the field: Olivine is not the kind of green that people anticipated based on the pre-release pictures and the images of the mineral circulating on the web (see the thread in lapis's review for a thorough discussion of this aspect). This review will totally ignore this topic, and simply evaluate the ink on its own merit. Olivine is a dark green ink, with very visible blue undertones. I wouldn't go so far as calling it a teal ... the green clearly dominates. But the blue undertones do give it a certain complexity that is quite apparent when writing or drawing. The chromatography of this ink shows a complex mix of dyes, clearly indicating the bright blue undertones hidden within the ink. The result is a very fine writing ink, that can handle all nib ranges without a problem. The ink has excellent contrast with the paper, even when using EF nibs. Olivine also shows of some impressive but still elegant shading, which even shows up in finer nib sizes. Well executed! Overall, I really like what I see on the paper. To show you the impact of saturation on the ink's look & feel on paper, I made some scribbles where I really saturated portions of the paper with ink. This gives you a good idea of what Olivine is capable of in terms of colour range. The ink shows quite some variation between light and darker parts. This probably explains why it's such a good shader. Technically, the ink behaved perfectly, with exceptionally good flow and saturation, and a good contrast with the paper even in the finer nibs. Overall a pleasurable ink to write with. Drying times are quite reasonable in the 10 second range with M-nibs. Olivine copes well with a wide variety of paper - and can even tolerate the crappy ones. Only on Moleskine, the ink looks sickly and pale, and has noticeable feathering and bleed-through. On other papers the ink behaved impeccably, looking good on both white and more yellowish paper. Unfortunately, Olivine shows a total lack of water resistance. Even the slightest touch of water obliterates your writing - see the water test at the end of this review. As such, I don't consider this an ink you can use in the workplace. I’ve tested the ink on a wide variety of paper – from crappy Moleskine to high-end Tomoe River. On each scrap of paper I show you: An ink swab, made with a cotton Q-tip1-2-3 pass swab, to show increasing saturationAn ink scribble made with a Lamy Safari M-nib fountain penThe name of the paper used, written with a Lamy Safari B-nibA small text sample, written with an M-nibDrying times of the ink on the paper (with the M-nib) Inkxperiment – Swamp Lake CastleI've put myself a challenge to try to produce interesting drawings using only the ink I'm reviewing. I find this to be a fun extension of the hobby, and have found these single-ink drawings ideal for experimenting with different techniques. When using Olivine for drawing, the complexity and colour range of the ink can be used to great effect. For this drawing I used 300 gsm rough watercolour paper. For the sky, I diluted the ink with lots of water, which brings forth the blue undertones. For the swamp lake, I used mildly water-diluted ink giving a darker green colour. The yellow/blue highlights were obtained by applying some bleach to the partly-dried ink. Olivine reacts really well with bleach, leaving a beautiful light-blue colour. For the foreground, the castle and the tree accents, I used pure Olivine, painted in with a small brush. The end result gives you a good idea of the colour span the ink is capable of in a more artistic setting. And it must be said, I'm very pleased with the drawing capabilities shown by this ink. ConclusionOlivine might not have been what you expected, but viewed objectively, this certainly is a very good ink. One that writes very smoothly and with beautiful shading. Personally, I also like the colour - the blue undertones add extra depth and complexity to what is in essence a dark-green colour. A pity this ink has zero water resistance. Finally, I was really impressed by the expressiveness of Olivine in a more artistic setting, the colour range that can be obtained is unbelievable! Overall, I'm glad I got myself a bottle of this ink. Technical test results on Rhodia N°16 notepad paper with Lamy Safari, M-nib Backside of writing samples on different paper types Backside of writing samples on different paper types

Recently, Mike at Vanness Pens sent me a sample of Kuretake Kyara with my order. Thank you, Mike, for providing this lovely ink. It is a pleasure to use and review. This ink is a lovely dark green, almost black ink. It is highly saturated and lightly scented with agarwood. I am generally very sensitive to scented ink, but I do like this one. It is not overpowering and seems to dissipate quickly. It leaves just a very slight, lingering woodsy scent - wonderful for the fall! The bottle the ink comes is in beautiful. It is a limited edition bottle in the Edo Kiriko pattern. While I have not actually seen the bottle, the opening and depth of the bottle appear large enough for large pens. The ink is very saturated with a reddish sheen which presents even on lesser quality papers. Photo Scan - Paper: Xerox Vitality Premium Copy Paper; Pens: Faber Castell Loom with Fine Point, Italix Captain's Commision with medium italic nib Scan - Paper: Ampad Engineer's Computation Pad; Pen: Italix Captain's Commission - medium Italix nib Photo - Tomoe River Paper in Cream - Italix Captain's Commission with Medium Italic nib Positive Aspects of the Ink: Very saturated colorBehaves well in each pen that I usedLovely sheen and shading with broader nibsGreat flow and lubricationFairly water resistantDries fairly quickly with fine nib; longer with italic nibCleans up fairly easily from the penNot so positive aspects of the ink: Feathers on lesser quality paper with broader nibs. In truth, I have never appreciated dark, intense almost blackish green colors. I much prefer more transparent colors - almost watercolors. BUT, this color has an almost mysterious color about it. Yes, it is dark. Yes, it is intense. Yes, it is murky. But somehow, I really like it. Please note that the name of the ink is Kuretake, not Kuratake.

With apologies, this is something of a quick and dirty review. I like my inks not to sheen and to be dark, preferably black with a nint of [purple/red/blue/green etc] for use in a professional environment without "raising eyebrows" I particularly like dark greens, and read the reviews of this colour avidly. For full disclosure I was given a bottle of Robert Oster Signature Ink in the Grun Schwarz colour by Mr Kirit Dal, who is a seller of Aurora Pens, at the South West Pen Show in the UK earlier this month to try as an alternative to my usual Aurora Black. There are many other distributors of this ink. http://i1022.photobucket.com/albums/af344/996nick2009/Fountain%20Pens/image_zpscphgzfir.jpeg The above writing sample was written with an MB Woolf with a medium nib on a spare page from my Tomoe River papered Hobonichi Planner in Cousin format from 2016. I am delighted with the colour, comparing favourably, to my eye at least, to Diamine Green Black and Sailor Miurai inks of which I have a bottle. The ink flows well, is saturated (I am not fussed on shading either), and seems relatively wet. Overall, I am looking forward to using this ink. I am slightly sceptical of the new generation of inks, one of my principal criteria for buying ink being the lack of risk of staining and the easiness to flush a pen after use. I haven't been able to subject the pen with which this ink is filled to either test yet. I hope this short review will prove useful to others searching for dark greens!

I used to go walking frequently in the vast Scandinavian forests, and Diamine Evergreen is exactly how I remember the dark pines used to look. There is something about how the light played on the branches that is wonderfully captured in this ink. This ink was new to me for the review. I have now used it for a few days and it is quickly becoming a favourite of mine. The scan doesn't really capture how daylight plays on the ink but should give you a general idea. Special note: This is an unusually wet ink for Diamine. Not excessively wet, but noticeable. Try it in a dry writer if you want a dark green for it; and it seems to me to be especially well suited to fine nibs. USAGE DAILY WRITER: Yes. Absolutely. This is a great versatile colour. BUSINESS USE: Yes. Almost black enough to be used everywhere and makes you stand out from the usual blue-black crowd without being in-your-face about it. And it is not green enough that your British friends will immediately think your letters are the ramblings of a mad-man (well, not because of the ink, anyhow ). ILLUSTRATIONS: For lines and such; probably too overpowering for large areas. NOTES: Yes, bring it on for both personal and professional note-taking. PERSONAL: I am less convinced for personal letters: it is just a little too formal, perhaps? LOVE LETTERS: No. BEHAVIOUR (All on a 0-4 scale) FEATHERING: 3/4 - very good indeed with only slight feathering visible with 4x magnification on inkjet papers using normal nibs. BLEEDTHROUGH: 3/4 - very good. SHADING: 3/4 SHEEN: 1/4 - some potential for slight sheen in pools of ink while wet. WATERPROOF: 2/4 - I am being generous with the score here; the ink is almost obliterated but I guess you can just about read the text. FLOW: High - this is on the wet side for Diamine and likely to be a good fit for that dryer, finer nib you have been wanting to use with green colours. DRYING TIME: 2/4 FADING: 3/4 - slight colour change after a week in the window on Rhodia paper only (cartridge unchanged) REVIEW Lamy Safari 1.1 mm and Pilot Parallel 6.0 mm on Rhodia No 18 dotpad. Apologies that I am still struggling with the wide nib. WRITING SAMPLES (The text is as now usual from the Office of Readings but from yesterday, the Feast of the Assumption of the BVM, when I started this. Dense prose from both apostle and pope but the words do not matter they are just an excuse to get ink on the page.) On corporate stock cartridge paper On Rhodia No 18 dotpad On Rhodia 'R' No 19 pad

http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/06-syo-ro-header.jpg Iroshizuku - Syo-ro (Dew on Pine Tree) - CRV - Group Review - 2015-03 The Iroshizuku Group Review color for March 2015 is Syo-ro ”Dew on Pine Tree”. It is a deep green, full of the suggestion of the lush pine needles of the trees it is named for. Please post your reviews and scans of the ink in this thread. If you want to a partner for a Co-Razy View (CRV) of this ink, please write it up and mail it to Lou Erickson. (PM for the address.) If you want to do a Co-Razy View on your own, please do! Other reviews are welcome, too. NOTE: I have a new address as of January! If you have sent me things in the past, please PM for the new address - the old one will stop forwarding eventually. You can look at the full description of the Iroshizuku Group Review to see how this should work and what we’re doing.http://www.rdwarf.com/users/wwonko/images/fpn/iro/06-syo-ro-product.jpgThanks to Rachel Goulet, who gave permission to me to use their beautiful product photo and swab.More thanks to Amberlea who gives so much of her time to herding these inky kittens. Please PM me with any questions. I keep thinking this ink is Christmasy, and that it would be great for holiday cards. Very green, but still dark enough to be readable.

Hi Everyone, Here is the mix i use every day as an alternative to black... Green is my favorite color and every black ink i have is not black... ITS DARK GREY So, if i don't have yet a REAL BLACK, i prefer to use a DARK GREEN. In the test i use the Sheaffer Stylist M Nib. Cheers

I found a stash of old reviews that got misplaced during a house move, so this one's a bit old. Still a great ink though! http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/913/XQv830.jpg

http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/slides/2013-Ink_718.jpg http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/slides/2013-Ink_719.jpg http://sheismylawyer.com/She_Thinks_In_Ink/Inklings/slides/2013-Ink_719b.jpg