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I have always liked reddish-brown inks. Maybe it is because I associate this color with Lloyd Reynolds who turned me to the Italic side. I like using them as everyday inks. This doesn't work if they are too brown, in my opinion. It certainly doesn't work if they are too red,although maybe that's true just in Western-European cultures. Having just received my first bottle of Akkerman Garuda Red, I did a comparison of it with the other reddish-brown inks I have on hand for my own edification. Although you cannot get a real feel for attributes like dryness from my worksheet, it does give a sense of the subtle gradation of color, I hope. Sheaffer Red was included to have a purer red with which to compare the other inks. Here is a closer look at the inks arranged in a spectrum: When first laid down and still wet, the Black Swan in English Roses is more red than Garuda Red, but it becomes more brown as it dries and, compared to Garuda Red, has more shading. Compared to both Garuda Red and Oxblood, BSinER is slightly more yellow. Oxblood also gets redder as it dries. But these three inks - Garuda Red, Black Swan in English roses and Oxblood - are quite similar in color. If I had arranged these three in order of dryness, they would be in the same order, with Garuda Red the driest, at least in the pens in which each was loaded. I have favorite pens for BSinER (a CS Belliver) and Beaver (a Nakaya Decapod). I haven't used the other inks enough to have paired them with preferred pens yet. I'm glad I did this comparison. I hope some others also find it helpful or, at least, of interest. Happy writing! David

I posted this in the "Inky Thoughts" forum because the focus was on the ink in this pen. Sharing Shading But I thought other Italian pen people might enjoy it for the pen porn. Bryant calls this LE "Etruria Mila Gold Rush." It's really beautiful, IMO. David

On Rhodia paper: No feathering. No bleed through. After 5 minutes, absolutely no smearing. Not tested for waterproofness. I really like this ink. I think it would work for informal correspondence. The reader would not say, "Hmmm ... What's with the red ink?" It reminds me a lot of Noodlers Black Swan in English Roses. 'Scuse me. Gotto go write some more. David Errata: The Lamy Safari I filled with Garuda Red is fitted with a 1.5 mm italic nib.