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De Atramentis & Christopher Clark Wilhelm II my favourite in maker and my favourite history teacher in one review It is a bit of a weird combination I know. But I am a Fountain Pen Fanatic an Inkholic and a bookworm so this brings the reason for this one step closer The second reason is this..... http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/WILHELM%20II_zpsjsxc8jrk.jpg De Atramentis, one of my favourite ink makers made an ink and Christopher Clark one of my favourite history teachers "made" a book with the same name.... "One of my" of course since I love more ink brands and have other favourite history teachers too like Dutch Journalist and writer Geert Mak and his epic history of Europe in the 20th century Well that is explained let's go http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/WH%202%201st%20ppage%20fpn_zpsdvod9ahq.jpg Ink and Book Both the ink and Wilhelm 2 have an array of layers and shades that I will explain here. I will of course review the ink in a normal fashion. The book review can be found in the hand written texts. For those not intested in the book I will insert the most important part of the ink review here first. More explanation on Professor Clark I will do at the end of the review. http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Scan_Pic0012%20fpn_zps8m5oynav.jpg Blowing my nose with ink in a kitchen towel... Here more of the (wine/eggplant) red hues shows http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Scan_Pic0013%20fpn_zpsrcbz45nw.jpg The colour depends on the colour and the quality of the paper .... On most papers it is more brown but a bit red hue is always visible It is a bit like Waterman's Havanna Brown... Which is also a brown wiht a red hue http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/colour%20comp%20fpn_zpstvtwfzyb.jpg Do you see what I mean Btw do not get intimidated by the featherig I used a Glass pen and these can be as wet a s fish's habitat Ink behaviour The ink behaves very well. It dries very fast even on Rhodia paper it dries in less than 10 seconds... On lower quality paper it dries even faster.... This is more often the case with De Atramentis inks, wet to very wet inks but very quickly drying once on the paper Shading is minimal till medium dependent on what paper is used. Saturation therefore is high. This fortunately does not result inbleeding or showthrough.... Feathering is very minimal when very wet and broad nibs are used but under normal circumstances on average paper this can be ignored Waterproof test. http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/20150506_134211_resized_zpsq8dyvoln.jpg This is the result of a my usual Jacques Cousteau Diving experience for inks This is after half an hour.The colour is gone but the text is still readible making this ink suitable for work.... Especially as it survives a normal drop of water. Just like you you survive a drop but not half an hour with your head dipped in your fully filled bath tob http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Scan_Pic0007%20fpn_zpsyykperfj.jpg http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Scan_Pic0006%20FPN_zpsyud27zml.jpg I tested on several papers in this review. From low quality" recycled toilet paper" (good for nature re-using! Use toilet paper turn and use again ha ) till medium and high quality paper. The upper paper is Rhodia R the lower normal copy paper I love this colur depending on light fall and paper more brown tones can be discovered just like with the Waterman Havanna Brown Availability Here is a link to the corresponding page on the De Atramentis website http://www.de-atramentis.com/topic-ink-topics-inks-in-inks-/people-inks--inks--ink--people-/ink-inks-politics-fountain-pens--28/ La Couronne du Comte http://www.lacouronneducomte.nl is always keen on satisfying their customers. If interested in the ink you can sen an e-mail to Rik or Dennis athttp://info@lacouronneducomte.nl Wilhelm II Book and writing samples. Keep looking when not reading the handwritten texts give a good impression on a few aspects of the ink.... and er the hand written text give a "good?" impression of both book and it's main character too http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/3%20European%20Emperors_zpslnrtddu7.jpg Name game Dr Franz Josef Jansen is not of nobility as far as i know but I just liked playing with language and names. Tinte is German for ink and Kaiser is German for emperor.... Funnily the last to "emperors share the same first names. Also funny are the last names... Von Habsburg directs to the castle in Switzerland where the Habsburg Dynasty originated from.... Hachenburg is the name of the lovely german city where Dr Jansen lives and works http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Scan_Pic0008%20fpn_zpsf1wkmnf8.jpg Well inbreed was bon-ton (good habit ) among European nobility and they did it like . Vicky of merry old England had family in most European monarchies... Not the Dutch but there for the dutch weere linke to Germany (van Oranje NASSAU) and our kings were all named Willem (no H here) Willm I Willem II and Willem III and our current King Willem Alexander http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Scan_Pic0009%20fpn_zpsj3gvr5n1.jpg Felix Austria, Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria nube – 'Let others wage war: thou, happy Austria, marry'. Forget the Beatles make love not war. The marriage politics were Habsburgs way of enlarging their territories or to keep in power.... Brilliant Idea make love not war but take my advice.... NOT wihtin your family A lot of Habsburg had genetical dissorders like Hot lips or retardation... Also queen Lizzy and family practised this as can be seen above and they suffer from haemophilia Well let's go on with the review and forget about this..... Not make war.... just make love..... ....with strangers http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Scan_Pic0011%20fpn_zpszm55h97e.jpg Too Conclude Lovely ink. Though it does not shade much. It is highly saturated. And it behaves very well on several papers.I love the colour which is distinctive but descent enough for every day use Regards Peter Professor Christopher Clark http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a617/Morbus_Curiositas/De%20Atramentis%20Wilhelm%202/Clark%20Collage_zpsskrdyict.jpg Professor Clark is your typical English professor.... Sort of.... since he is an Australian....who studied in Berlin and is now a a highly respected professor of History at Cambridge University (UK) and specializes on history of Prussia and the 19th and 20th century.( If am correct) Professor Clark speaks several languages fluently. He is also fluent in German.... even speaks it without an accent. .... That's a nice achieveement becaue i have been living in Austria for allmost 8 years now and still have a typical Dutch cheesehead (Kaßlkopf) accent On german television he presents the tv Series Deutschland Saga.... See the upper photos- Well from the clothing.... he looks like an English Professor doesn't he? He even has typical English wittiness in both German and English (can't judge the others) With this typical Humour he moderates the Deutschland Saga series where he explains the History of Germany from the Stone Age till now.... Professor Clark has the talent to explain more difficult subjects in eloquently fashion this makes it easy to follow for "normal" people like me.... Together with his wit these series and his presentations are a joy to watch. The Books Professor Clark published several books now of which some of them are depicted above. I just finished Wilhelm 2 and Started Sleepwalkers. In here as usual Professor Clark has a critical look at history and historians to place - "long accepted or taken-for-granted" facts - in a different light. His wit and his way of writng makes this books very usuable for Historians (like himself) as well as perfectly readible and understandible for simple nurse like me Regards Peter