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Octopus Write & Draw Duck Red Very nice, wet, lubricated ink, with nice shading (from dark to red), from Octopus with very long dry times on Japanese Paper (not for lefty over writers) It made my two scratchiest nibs sing, pilot Kakuno EF and the Osmioird with its needlepoint copperplate nib. Ink is well behaved on copy paper, unless you opt for a wet flex pen. Like most pigment inks, it’s not a good idea to forget it in a drafty pen. Ink would evaporate and will make cleaning slightly difficult. Note that all my samples bottles of Octopus inks have been more or less stained overtime by the dyes. Chroma: Writing Samples: Photo: Grey day photo Artificial led light - Iroful paper Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Art Work: This weeks artwork is a bit of experimentation and wackiness. Lady Kitty (The blue ink is a mixture of my De Atramentis Document /Artist Cyans that sticks to the paper like fly on a litter box :D) Paper is a a very bad/white Hilory sketchbook. Grandpa This draft sketch I did with a Osmiroid needlepoint copperplate nib. The nib is not suitable for sketching. But it worked out find. The cat reminds me of my grandpa who was very elegant The background is just a mixture of Lexington Gray and De Atrametis Document Cyan. and finally la pièce de resistance A day at the pond Octopus Write & Draw Red Duck De Atramentis Document/Artist Cyan in a brush pen, a touch of Noodler's Lexington Gray... Colorverse 58 Methuselah Grove (brown) The paper is the Hilory sketchbook. It's not suitable for ink work, and the De Atramentis sticks to , if the paper is wet .... · Pens used: Pilot Kakuo Ef, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Osmiroid – Copperplate nib · What I liked: Colour. Shading. Lubrication. · What I did not like: Long dry times on Japanese paper. · What some might not like: Same as above. AFOPI (Abnormal fear of pigment inks) · Shading: Yes, lovely. · Ghosting: Trace on cheap paper. · Bleed through: With flex nib yes · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Very good, in a well-sealed pen or a pen used regularly. · Saturation: Nice red · Shading Potential: Excellent. · Sheen: Only on Iroful, silver like most Octopus w& d inks. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: On some pens easy, only water. With the Osmiroid it stuck to the nib. So needed more coaxing. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write & Draw – Brown Seahorse This is a gorgeous, complex grey/brown with hints of burgundy, a match made in heaven for a dry pen and Japanese paper. Unfortunalty, I misplaced the chroma, but if it's any indication of the Octopus write & draw inks, it's a single dye component. It is very wet, well lubricated, and is one of the fastest drying inks, I ever used, which explains why there’s some bleed through /ghosting on Rhodia, even more so than on Hammermill! Writing Samples: I used respectively a Sheaffer Targe F reverse, Lamy Safari and for the final flex lines I used a Kanwrite Desire with an Ahab semi flex nib and for the name of the author I used the Sheaffer Targa, which has a semi-flex nib. Photo: Too my eyes, ink in more elegant with a drier pen that brings out the complexity and shading only on Japanese paper. There’s a hint of silver sheen/ reflection, under led lights, like most Octopus Write and Draw inks. Here you can see how it reflects on Iroful paper. Please note that the camera exaggerates the "sheen". This is only seen under certain angles with artificial lighting. Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Art Work: This was a quick sketch on a Talens Pocket sketchbook. Jacques Herbin Turquoise de Perse Noodler's Lexingtion Gray · Pens used: Sheaffer Targa F (reverse), Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Kanwrite Desire with Ahab nib · What I liked: Colour. · What I did not like: Bleed through on c · What some might not like: Bleed through on Rhodia. It loves most Japanese paper. · Shading: Yes, on Japanese paper. · Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper, Rhodia. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Very Wet · Lubrication: Lovely. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Not saturated. · Shading Potential: Japanese Paper. · Sheen: Faint silver sheen on Japanese Paper, like most Octopus inks, under artificial light. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: It's a pigment ink, so you might need a cleaning solution. I had to use one for the targa. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles, Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write & Draw Orange Monkey A slightly "neon-ish" light orange pigment ink by Octopus. Like most orange inks it is slightly below average in the lubrication department, with dry Ef nibs, but otherwise a pleasant writer. Ink is kind of flat under artificial led lights on most papers, but it goes crazy on Iroful paper with shades of peach, yellow orange up to red. There’s a silver sheen like most Octopus inks under artificial light on some Japanese papers, especially Iroful. It is legible, but a wetter pen, wider nib might be advantageous and of course good paper. Cleaning was easy, but I recommend a lit dunking in a cleaning solution. Octopus has a host of warnings and does not recommend you using it in your favorite shiny fountain pen. And recommends a well-sealed pen, which is a no brainer. About Octopus inks: They also suggest that the shelf life of their ink is two years, which is a bit surprising. This ink is ISO 12757-2 and DIN ISO 14145-2 and it's vegan in case you want to drink it Here is the list of complete line up: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Chroma: Writing Samples: I reverse wrote with an Ef nib. Please note colour is very difficult to scan. Photo: Colour is almost distracting on Iroful. Iroful /Rhodia Day light Note how the lines are wider on Iroful and thinner on Rhodia Same paper Artificial led light during the day. (Your typical overcast late fall light ). The led is angled towards the wall and not the paper. Note how Iroful goes all funky and Rhodia demur Now this photo was taken at night, with Iroful paper, with the same led light, same angle. Ink is dry I assure you. Note depending the angle the colour changes. The combination of ink and paper at night reminds me of colour changing gems. It can be distracting Comparison: Scan is not alright, but it gives you an idea. Caran d'ache is a very bright orange for ex. Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Art Work: And the cat created the monkey in Zeus' image A combination of impatience, wrong paper (I used an absorbent paper for pencil ) and mediocre drawing skills led to this sketch. I'll try to give it a bit of oomph with this story, I heard from my cat whispered in her sleep. 🙀 Once upon a time, Zeus left his throne dallying along with some shepherdess. Γάτα (Gáta), Zeus’ latest creation, climbed upon his comfy, cushiony throne, with, Ποντίκι (Pontíki, the Mouse) it’s sidekick. Pontíki stood guard, looking at the sky for Zeus’ signature thunderbolt, but he didn’t return. Gáta decided to create a being in Zeus's image, so he would feed it, keep it entertained and clean the litterbox! But being a Cat and not a deity, Gáta pushed said all the wrong incantations and thus the monkey was created. All it wanted was bananas, coconut trees and a lot of vines to swing. When Zeus returned he was so enraged that he banished Gáta to Earth and made Pontíki the Mouse and his descendants the cats prey as punishment, for eternity. With time, Zeus missed Gáta, his purring. So he created man to serve its descendants. This creation myth, of course, was rewritten by Man, who could not accept that monkeys were created before him and that he was to serve the Cat and not rule to the world. To this day, Man lives with this illusion. The following is a reproduction of Gáta creating the monkey. Octopus Write & Draw Orange Monkey Octopus Write & Draw Brown Seahorse (The cat's body, monkey's face, etc) Jacques Herbin Turquoise de Perse Noodler's Red Rattler's Red and Lexingtion Gray for the outlines.... · Pens used: Lamy (Reverse EF, EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate nib · What I liked: The colour on Iroful paper. · What I did not like: Pale flat, color on Rhodia. · What some might not like: Pigment ink, palish colour. · Shading: Paper dependant. · Ghosting: No. · Bleed through: No. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Slightly below average. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Pale · Shading Potential: Paper dependant. · Sheen: On Iroful paper. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: I let it soak overnight, water was clear after all but after soaking in cleaning solution there was some orange pigment left. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw - Grey Merkat I’m not sure why they made a “mistake” with the spelling. I’m sure meerkat’s won’t mind I post this information systematically on all Octopus Write & Draw ink reviews: They suggest that the shelf life of their ink is two years, which is a bit surprising. The ink is ISO 12757-2 and DIN ISO 14145-2 Here is the list of complete line up: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 And warnings: https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ Now to the review. This is a nice, wet, juicy grey, like a 6b pencil. The chroma, shows some green surprisingly : It writes wonderfully with all pens, especially the Japanese Ef nib. It might be too wet for some. It’s waterproof and especially great for sketching and washes. I saw shading with a B nib. But the scanner disagrees and sees it all over the place Writing Samples: It seems I'm a bit dyslexic and have inverted the name It's Grey Merkat. Also my automatic spell check has corrected the spelling There was a hint of ghosting on this paper: There's some ghosting/bleed through on copy paper but it's much much better than Herbin inks Photo: Comparison: Water test: And finally an artwork, inspired by Meerkats, entitled: Art of the Fugue and another one a prompt of Inktober yearly challenge: River It's a nod to the song Moon River from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. The Yellow ink is J Herbin Bouton d'or · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.1), Osmiroid Copper flex nib. · What I liked: Writing, drawing, washing. · What I did not like: Liking it so much. · What some might not like: It’s a pigment ink, it might be too wet for some. · Shading: If you scan your writing · Ghosting: Faint on Tomoe River 68 gr paper. · Bleed through: With F nibs onwards on copy paper. But much better than Herbin inks. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Above average. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: Gorgeous grey. · Shading Potential: With M/B nibs and dry pens. · Sheen: Did not notice. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: Nope. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

This is a very well behaved waterproof black ink. The more I used it the more I enjoyed it. It’s well lubricated, well behaved and a lovely shiny black. If you’re looking for a waterproof black ink this could fit the bill. Octopus has a host of warnings and does not recommend you using it in your favorite shiny fountain pen. And recommends a well-sealed pen, which is a no brainer. They also suggest that the shelf life of their ink is two years, which is a bit surprising. This ink is ISO 12757-2 and DIN ISO 14145-2 and it's vegan in case you want to drink it Here is the list of complete line up: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Let's start with the chroma: Writing Samples: There was a hint ghosting and bleed through with the B nib Photo: Comparison: Watertest: Nothing came off. Impressive. and finally an artwork: I sketched this from a black and white photo. · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef,/Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/), Osmiroid with a copper plate nib · What I liked: Almost everything. It’s an understated black that grew on me. · What I did not like: Nothing much. · What some might not like: There’s a list of warnings, not to be used in expensive pens. · Shading: No. · Ghosting: Only with B nib on Hammermill paper. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Nice and wet. · Lubrication: Excellent. · Nib Dry-out: No. · Start-up: No. · Saturation: Saturated · Shading Potential: Dismal. · Sheen: No. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: No. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not noticed. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Relatively easy · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 50 ml Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw Petrol Axolotl This belongs to Octopus' Write and Draw line of nano pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Octopus has a host of warning on their site, basically recommending their inks only in cheap, well-sealed pens. In my limited experience they have been much more well behaved than many other waterproof inks. https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ The naming of the inks is whimsical, the colour followed by an arbitrary animal. The ink is well behaved, wet, and well lubricated teal. Surprisingly it looks paler with Ef / B nibs (Maybe the ink level was low) and darker when I tried it in the Kakuno with a Medium nib. I'm a bit ambivalent about the colour. Let's start with the chroma: Writing Samples: Not bad with Hammermill: Photo: Comparison: Water test: My apologies for the art work. I was not so inspired: The prompt was Forrest for the yearly Inktober challenge: The red ink is J Herbin's Rouge Caroubier. · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef/ Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B), Osmiroid Copperplate nib · What I liked: Intriguing colour, well behaved ink. · What I did not like: Nothing, but the name. Petrol associated with an endangered amphibian, is a bit of a bad taste. · What some might not like: It’s sold out on Vanness, so I guess we’ll see. · Shading: Yes · Ghosting: Only with a flex nib on Hammermill · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Wet. · Lubrication: Good. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: Nope. · Shading Potential: With medium /broad nibs. · Sheen: Did not notice. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: It’s a pigment ink. But in my experience so far, Octopus inks can be easily cleaned with water and a bit of soaking · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw Red Koala This belongs to Write and Draw line of nano pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Octopus has a host of warning on their site, basically recommending their inks only in cheap, well-sealed pens. https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ The naming of the inks is whimsical, the colour followed by an arbitrary animal. It's a well behaved, lubricated and wet coral red ink. It's not a colour I really appreciate. Chroma: Writing Samples: Color seems off on Hammermill. Photo: Comparison: Water test: à and finally an uninspired artwork: There's a hint of Platinum Carbon Black and Akkerman's Delfts Blauw · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.9), Kanwrite with an Ahab nib · What I liked: Waterproofness · What I did not like: The colour. · What some might not like: Same as above. · Shading: Nope. · Ghosting: Yes on copy paper, depending pen, nib, pressure. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Wet. · Lubrication: Good. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: What do you think? · Shading Potential: Mmmm! · Sheen: Did not notice. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: It’s a red pigment ink. Emphasis on both colour and type. However, it was quite easy to clean. · Water resistance: Excellant · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw Brown Penguin This belongs to Write and Draw line of nano pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Octopus has a host of warning on their site, basically recommending their inks only in cheap, well-sealed pens. https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ The naming of the inks is whimsical, the colour followed by an arbitrary animal, unless there are brown penguins and red Koala’s roaming about. The ink is well behaved, wet, and well lubricated, yet I am underwhelmed by the colour. I would recommend you getting a sample before investing in a whole bottle. The reddish tinge is obvious in the chroma: Writing samples: It's alright on copy paper. But don't flex on it or use a wide/wet combo. Those brown smudges are not bleed through. Photo: Comparison: Water test And finally, an artwork. Note the ink had stayed for two week in the pen, so it became darker. Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.9), Osmiorid Copperplate What I liked: The colour, very fast dry times. What I did not like: Not much. But I’m not in love. What some might not like: Shading: It seems there is Ghosting: A tiny bit on copy paper. Bleed through: A tiny bit when the needle tip of the copper plate pierces the paper. Flow Rate: Good. Lubrication: Slightly below average. Nib Dry-out: Only once during nib exchange. Start-up: No. Saturation: No. Shading Potential: No. Sheen: Same as above. Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Nope. Nib Creep / “Crud”: No. Staining (pen): No. Clogging: No. Cleaning: Easy Water resistance: Excellent. Availability: 50 ml bottle. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus - Write and Draw - Brown Colibri Intriguing colour reminds me of persimmons, which grew on me over time. Very well behaved, even on copy paper, has lovely shading. This belongs to Write and Draw line of nano pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: the complete line of 38 inks: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 Octopus has a host of warning on their site, basically using their inks only in cheap, well sealed pens. ttps://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ Let's start with the chroma: Writing Samples: quotes are from azquotes website, I'm not sure how accurate they are A drop of another ink forced to become creative... Very well behaved on Hammermill. Photo: Comparison: Water test: (Left side was held under water for 10s) And a little artwork, which is a variation on the same theme: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.1), Kanwrite with an Ahab flex. · What I liked: Very well-behaved ink. Intriguing colour. · What I did not like: Ironically, I’m not so sure about the colour · What some might not like: Nothing much. · Shading: Yes, there is some. · Ghosting: None. · Bleed through: None. · Flow Rate: Very wet · Lubrication: Slightly below average · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: Not really. · Shading Potential: On good paper, yes. · Sheen: No. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw - Violet Giraffe This belongs to Write and Draw line of nano-pigment inks. They are waterproof, light fast, and ISO certified. The complete line up the 38 inks are here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/e...colours?c=4671 I really enjoyed using this, elegant, classy ink. It’s a gorgeous purple, very well lubricated, especially pleasant to write with. However, it does not like copy paper. I went as far as inking a wet vintage pen and regretted it, as the amount of ink it spewed out made it impossible to control the pen, so I won’t recommend you filling your Pelikan “firehose” with a triple B nib 😜 Octopus has a host of warning on their site. ttps://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ So as a test, I let it dry up a bit in my Lamy Safari, basically forgetting it for a week or so, letting evaporation do its thing. Still the cleaning was surprisingly easy. I was disappointed when I did the water test. The ink is water resistant but lost a bit of it's charm. In conclusion, I would recommend this ink for a well sealed, dry-ish pen. Chroma is uninspiring: Writing samples: This ink is a snob. It does not like copy paper. Photo: I have no ink that remotely approaches this one: Water test: I was surprised/ disappointed by the result as you can see the ink was partially removed under running water. and finally a tiny art work, General Giraffe: The other ink is J Herbin, Ambre de Birmanie: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.1), Conway Stewart 330 double oblique flex (very wet) · What I liked: Elegant, classy colour, breathtaking will almost all nibs, · What I did not like: Not 100% waterproof, not a deal breaker, but I was expecting more from a pigment ink, longish dry times. · What some might not like: Longish dry times, hates copy paper… · Shading: Medium onwards · Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper · Bleed through: Yes, on copy paper · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent. · Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. · Start-up: Not noticed. · Saturation: Delicious. · Shading Potential: I can’t see much. · Sheen: Faint with the very wet nib. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Yes, on copy paper. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not noticed. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: No. · Water resistance: Very good but the excess ink washed off. · Availability: 50 ml Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Octopus Write and Draw Ink - Blue Chameleon After reviewing so many inks, it's rare that I get excited about an ink or a new brand. This is one of them. I’ve been tempted to procure a bottle. It's a gorgeous grey blurple, well lubricated that I enjoyed writing in all nibs but the Japanese Ef, Kakuno. it transformed the needle tip of Osmiroid into a dream nib. It's a pigment ink, light fast, waterproof and has all the ISO accreditation you would want. Please note like most pigment inks, it's best using it in a well sealed pen and preferably not your expensive pens. You can read more about it: https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ and the complete line of 38 inks: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/7331/write-and-draw-ink-set-waterproof-drawing-ink-for-fountain-pens-38-colours?c=4671 Let's start with the chroma: Writing samples: It doesn't like copy paper much: photo of the Tome River page A little calligraphic work done with thee Osmiroid Copperplate nib (Mnemosyne notebook) Comparison: Water test: (left side was held underwater for 10 seconds and the wiped with tissue paper) And a tiny artwork to showcase the range of the ink (Paper is Talens mixed media) · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B/Stub 1.9), Osmiroid copperplate nib · What I liked: Writing with, cushiony feel, intriguing, classy colour. · What I did not like: Writing with Japanese Ef nib · What some might not like: It doesn’t like copy paper · Shading: Yes. · Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper · Bleed through: same as above. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent · Nib Dry-out: Nope. · Start-up: No. · Saturation: Yes. · Shading Potential: Elegant · Sheen: Faint · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Did not notice. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 50 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

There’s something about Octopus Write and Draw series. They have been a breath of fresh air, in the permanent ink world. Fox Grey isn't any different. It even makes the scratchy Kakuno Ef a pleasure to write with. The colour is pleasing, a warmish blue grey. Octopus has a host of warnings and does not recommend you using it in your favorite fountain pen. And recommends a well-sealed pen, which is a no brainer. In my experience it's best to use theses inks in pens that can be fully dismantled. They also suggest that the shelf life of their ink is two years, which is a bit surprising. The ink is ISO 12757-2 and DIN ISO 14145-2 Here is the list of complete line up: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/creative-inks/write-draw-ink/?p=1 And warnings: https://www.octopus-office.de/info/en/write-draw-ink/ Let's start with the chroma: You can see clearly see the purplish grey. Writing samples: As you can see the wetter/wider the nib, the more ghosting /bleeding there'll be. Photo: which shows the bluish tinge. Comparison: Water test: [after 24 hrs, nothing budged] And finally a tiny artwork inspired by the ink: · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Stub, Kaweco Sport (EF/F/M/B), Kanwrite with Ahab nib · What I liked: Beautiful colour, very well behaved. · What I did not like: Nothing. · What some might not like: Doesn’t function as well with wider nibs on copy paper. · Shading: Quite nice. · Ghosting: On copy paper · Bleed through: Same as above, only with Broad /flex nibs. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent. · Nib Dry-out: Quite good. · Start-up: No. · Saturation: Dark saturated grey · Shading Potential: Look for yourself. · Sheen: No · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: No. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Only with water · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 50 ml bottles Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier