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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 Green Ostrich A very nice waterproof, lightfast bright murky-ish Green, with slightly below average lubrication. If you want a darker one, go for Crane Green. A note about Ostriches. It’s a common misconception that Ostriches hide their head under the sand, it couldn’t be further from truth. Apparently they look for food on the ground and when they lay their eggs, they have to turn them regularly, hence giving the impression that they are hiding in the sand. If they are in danger, they run instead and very fast. However, human often hide their head in the proverbial sand of denial The scans are off on Midori and Tomoe River 68 gsm paper. The other papers are alright. Chroma: Writing Samples: I used a reverse Ef for the Ultra Extra fine line. As I mentioned before the scans of Midori and Tomoe River GSM are off. Photo: Midori and Tomoe River 68 gsm Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Art Work: Walk on the Wild Side Paper is Canson Mixed Media Octopus Write & Draw inks used: Ostrich & trees: Green Ostrich Orange: Orange monkey Tree trunks: Brown Seahorse Other inks: Jacques Herbin: Turquoise de Perse, J Herbin, Lie de Thé (eiffel tower)and Noodler's Lexington Gray · Pens used: Lamy (Reverse EF/Ef/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1), Osmiroid Copperplate. · What I liked: Colour, drawing ostriches. · What I did not like: Nothing much. · What some might not like: Fear of pigment inks? · Shading: Yes · Ghosting: None on cheap paper. · Bleed through: A bit depending on cheap paper. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Slightly below average. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Not saturated. · Shading Potential: Ok. · Sheen: Silver sheen on Iroful, like most octopus W& D inks. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: Easy, but as it’s a pigment ink YMMV. · 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

Sailor Storia Mix Red Many thanks @Lithium466 for the sample. Sailor Storia series are 8 pigment inks, made by Sailor. Sailor has another Storia series, making this line up quite confusing Photo courtesy of Sailor website While this ink looks like eye searing red nail polish in the vial, in reality it's some sort of watermelon red Shading is high especially on Japanese paper. Ink is excellent on copy paper, good lubrication and high shading on Japanese paper. In washes it’s watermelon pink/ red. Chroma: Writing Samples: As the ink was well lubricated and wet, I create a “Japanese” Ef by reverse writing. Photo: Note the contrast between the ink in the pen and its real colour. Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Sample was written with glass nib. So amount of ink is more than a normal nib. Art Work: The name of the ink, reminded me of the ancient Fire temples in the Middle East. Note how the ink misses the fire element. The paper is A4 size, absorbent paper. GvFC Lapis Lazuli Noodler's Apache Sunset Büroservice Bergmann IG red Here is a different take on Fabriano water-colour paper. Note the color change. The paper is a 1/4 th of the above paper, to give you a hint of contrast. Here I used: Noodler's Lexington Gray (brush pen) and R&K sketchInk Marlene + Klara mix. · Pens used: Lamy (Reverse Ef /EF/F/M/B, BB), Noodler’s Nib creaper. · What I liked: Behaviour. Even though it's not my colour, I enjoyed mixing it with oranges and other red to create the fire element. · What I did not like: I’m not a fan of bright red colours. · What some might not like: It’s a pigment ink. · Shading: Massive · Ghosting: None. · Bleed through: None · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Very good. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Good · Saturation: Pastel · Shading Potential: Excellent · Sheen: No. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): Yes. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: It’s a red pigment ink, so don't expect it to clean easily · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 20 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

https://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/news/11719/ https://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/news/11708/ Source: K. Itoya Source: Platinum Pen (Location shown is inside K. Itoya store) I cannot get more discernible detail by zooming in, but could it be that the column of grey-to-black on the advertising poster is showing where Platinum Carbon Black ink's level of blackness sits relative to the new Platinum Chou Kuro ink?

De Atramentis Document Orange I reviewed it’s sibling ink a few weeks ago, this is a paler version, watery and lacks lubrication. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/375068-de-atramentis-artist-orange/ When I first tested this ink few years ago, it didn’t leave a good impression. It still has not changed. If you're addicted to fountainpens and looking for a cure, this ink it is. My hand refuses to reach for the pen, I'm cured On the plus says it’s good on copy paper, and for those who love shading it does, but the legibility becomes compromised. If you absolutely need a waterproof orange, I will go for the Artist version (it’s cheaper and more lubricated) or try one of the numerous Octopus Write and Draw oranges. I would say this ink is only useful for art, ink washes and mixing. Note the images are harsh so you might need sunglasses 😎 Chroma: Writing Samples: It's impossible to scan and difficult to photograph. I added full page comparison with De Atramentis Artist Orange, so you can make up your mind: I didn't use a flex pen, I dipped a Brause rose dip pen nib. Scan: : Photo: These were photographed with the Northern light It didn't bleed through copy paper This was done 3 years, on HP 32 paper with my impressions: Comparison: Water test: Was done several years ago, so kitty is safe And finally a humorous art work, entitled Fred & Ginger Inks used: Platinum Carbon Black and an unidentified Greenish ink (probably Diamine Dark Forest) · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy (EF/F/M/B, 1.1), Brause dip pen nib. · What I liked: Writing on copy paper, but most of all emptying my pen. · What I did not like: Almost everything. · What some might not like: It’s a pigment ink, it's pale. · Shading: Yes · Ghosting: No. · Bleed through: No. · Flow Rate: Watery · Lubrication: Dry · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Pastel · Shading Potential: Surprisingly yes. · Sheen: No. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): It stained the feed with orange after soaking all night in cleaning solution. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: Like all pigment inks the more it stays in the pain the more difficult the cleaning. · Water resistance: Excellent. · Availability: 45 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Kakimori Tototo I used to love the Kakimori line with their appealing bottles and whimsical names. However, as writing inks I cannot recommend them anymore, mostly because their long dry time, ironically on Japanese paper. However, as artist inks they are fabulous, they're easy to clean and waterproof. Here is the bottle with the wooden cap, curtesy of Kakimroi website. (If you buy them directly from their website, they have standard and aluminum cap also) Here's how they describe their ink: "Tototo is the gentle melody of a special rosé poured in quiet company. A colour to elevate everyday life or celebrate a special occasion." Our original inks are inspired by Japanese word play and imagery. Listen to the colourful conversations of dripping ink." Let's start with the chroma: Writing samples: Look at the smudging: Comparison: Water test (Nothing budges) And as usual an artwork, this was part of Inktober 2023 challenge: Map Inks used are: Octopus Write & Draw Fox Grey Noodler's Bad Green Gator /Apache Sunset Kakimori Tototo J Herbin Bleu Nuit (Brush pen)/ Rouge Grenat Diamine Sepia + Herbin Perle Noire · Pens used: Pilot Kakuno Ef, Lamy Safari (EF/F/M/B), · What I liked: The colour. · What I did not like: long dry times as unusual · What some might not like: As of above, and lower than average lubrication, pigment ink · Shading: Yes. · Ghosting: On cheap copy paper · Bleed through: The wetter your pen, the worst it become. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Below average · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Did not notice. · Saturation: Did not notice. · Shading Potential: It’s there. · Sheen: No · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 30 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Rohrer & Klingner Dokumentus Ink - Braun This ink is one of the best, permanent inks I’ve ever used. It has wonderful low dry time, below 30s with broad nib on all paper. It’s a joy to write or sketch with. It is the epitome of German efficiency. It works, it’s solid and it’s simple. There’s nothing “sexy” about this ink, it hasn’t got a complex chroma or an unusual name. For simplicity’s sake, I limited my testing to two pen, and avoided flex and fude nibs. Writing samples: A full written page with a broad nib, might have a hint of green, or a lovely grey haze, depending on the light. As a sketch ink, it looks almost black, especially on absorbent paper, as you can see on this sketch: Paper is Fabriano Sketch - Very absorbent paper. Cat at the therapist Cat: I identify as I dog. But the dogs don't like me. Dr. Mouse: As long as you don't identify as a cat, I'm fine with that Watertest: I cut the paper into two. The left side was held under running water for 10 seconds. Comparaison · Pens used: Pilot Elite (Ef/Stub) Lamy Safari (Ef/F/M/B) · What I liked: Well lubricated, classy, fast dry times, lovely in all pens. · What I did not like: Nothing. · What some might not like: Price – Lack of shading. · Shading: None. · Ghosting: Faint · Bleed through: None · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Excellent · Nib Dry-out: None. · Start-up: None · Saturation: Dark · Shading Potential: None. · Sheen: None. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Nope. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: · 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

Kakimori is a stationary shop in Tokyo Japan. They have a range of inks and stationery, which epitomizes Japanese minimalism and elegance. They also make personalized handmade inks and notebooks, a specialized dip pen nib and nib holders. Their pigment line comes in beautiful bottles: Courtesy of Kakimori store. This is the least beautiful ink in bottle. It is surprising that such an unflattering colour can transform into such a light and joyous orange. According to them: "A perfect omelette reveals its deliciously soft centre. Torori is the colour of anticipation, describing a rich consistency overflowing with flavour." I thought I wouldn’t like this light orange ink. But surprisingly it’s fun to sketch or doodle with. As a writing ink, I found it only enjoyable with a broad nib . But even then, it’s not comfortable to read for me. However, if you want to write unwanted thoughts, or a vengeance letter, with fine nib to make the reader suffer, it's a good for that Ink is dry, wet and has long dry times and is easy to clean. Lets start with Chroma: Writing samples: Text is from The Art of Peace, by Morihei Ueshiba translated by John Stevens. Photos: Watertest: Comparison: I did a tiny doodle, to show it works well as an accent ink. The blue ink is Noodler's Lermontov. Here is another sketch: A tear for the sacred fire: Ink are Kakimori Torori Noodler's Lermontov J Herbin Larmes de Cassis Paper is Fabriano Water-colour · Pens used: Pilot Elite (Ef/Stub) Lamy Safari (Ef/F/M/B), Jinhao 450 with an Ahab nib. · What I liked: Great for drawing. Enjoyable with broad nib. Very easy to clean. · What I did not like: It’s not easy to read, especially with finer nibs. Not good for note taking. · What some might not like: Dry, long dry times. Ugly colour in the bottle. Not recommended for heavy handed writers or overwriter lefties. · Shading: With wider nibs · Ghosting: None. · Bleed through: None · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: On the dry side. · Nib Dry-out: None. · Start-up: None · Saturation: Light · Shading Potential: With wide nibs, some. · Sheen: None. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Nope. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Very good. · Availability: 30 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Kakimori is a stationary shop in Tokyo Japan. They have a range of inks and stationery, which epitomizes Japanese minimalism and elegance. They also make personalized handmade inks and notebooks, a specialized dip pen nib and nib holders. Their pigment line comes in beautiful bottles: (Photo: curtsey of Kakimori website) What I’ve noticed in the three inks I reviewed (Kurun, Po and Karari) is: Long dry times, dryish inks, and ease to clean. According to Kakimori website: "Fresh like an endlessly clear sky. Karari describes a bright, cloudless day. With this blue in hand, a break in the clouds is never far away." I really enjoyed using this ink, especially after the disaster with De Atramentis Artist/Document Turquoise/ Cyan. It’s a happy blue, and if you pardon the pun, it takes the blues away. It fills me with joy. Let's start with the chroma: It’s not a perfect ink, it’s wet, low on lubrication, maybe not very pleasant with Ef1F scratcthy nibs. And you might need a blotter, if you write fast and a neatnik I wrote copiously on 68gr Tomoe River Paper with a Safari broad. It was just a delight to write with. Writing samples: Scan on Midori is really off. I had some problems with my fude nib. It wasn't well seated and created huge lines at first. Quite close: Some photos: Tomoe River 68gr Rhodia: This line is written with a broad nib on Hammermill 20 lb paper, not bad at all. Water resistance is quite good: Comparison: You can see the depth of the blue in the sky from a landscape drawing I did on the Dostoyevsky thread: The Sky is Karari The Trees and Mountains Kakimori Kurun /Gutenberg Urkundentinten G10 IG And the lake is Noodler's Dostoyevsky · Pens used: Pilot Kakuna (Ef) Lamy Safari (Ef/F/M/B), Jinhao 450/ Ultraflex nib/ Fude nib · What I liked: Gorgeous blue colour. It made me happy every time I used it. Excellent on absorbent paper. · What I did not like: Very long dry times. Not suitable for leftie over writers. It’s a bit pricier than other ink. · Shading: Ok · Ghosting: Faint · Bleed through: None, unless you pool the ink. · Flow Rate: Excellent · Lubrication: Dry especially with Ef to Fine · Nib Dry-out: None. · Start-up: None. I had the pen uncapped for more than 3 minutes, no problem. · Saturation: Saturated just enough. · Shading Potential: Ok. · Sheen: Faint sheen seen if the ink pools. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: None · Nib Creep / “Crud”: None · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: Very easy. · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 35ml. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

This is my 2nd pigment ink review from this brand. The first one is here. Kala inks are based in Taiwan and make mostly pigment inks. According to https://geology.com/minerals/hematite.shtml: Hematite is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth's surface and in the shallow crust and the most important ore of iron. For what is worth Hematite (which means blood red) is one for the oldest pigments and was used for the cave painting by our ancestors These are some modern Hematite pigments. Kala Hematite resembles the top right (Blue Ridge Violet Hematite). It is dusky dream grey, purple, not as wet as Scapolite, but slightly sluggish. It is pleasing, soothing colour, especially with broad and fude nibs. Lets starts with the Chroma: Comparison It has also a beautiful green/ gold sheen on Mnemosyne paper under artificial light: Writing samples: Midori TR 68gr Photos: Rhodia Maruman Cheap paper front and back Water resistance: Note: under running water it was fine, but the moment I dried it with a paper towel, this happened and finally a fun sketch of a favorite ink character: · Pens used: Lamy Safari (Reverse Fine/ Fine/ Medium /Broad) / Kanwrite Ultraflex / Pilot Plumix · What I liked: Very easy to clean. Pleasing / tender colour. A pleasure to write with. · What I didn’t liked: It’s iffy water resistance. If you spill water, you’re ok, however, if you try to dry it up you will make a mess. · Shading: Only wide a fude nib. · Ghosting: Yes, On cheap paper · Bleed through: Yes, with absorbent papers. · Flow Rate: Good. · Lubrication: Good. · Nib Dry-out: Not noticed. · Start-up: No problem. · Saturation: Dark. · Shading Potential: Only with a fude nib · Sheen: With some papers, like Mnemosyne. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed · Nib Creep / “Crud”: No · Staining (pen): No · Clogging: No. · Cleaning: Very easy to clean…. · Water resistance: See for yourself · Availability: 30 ml bottles Comments appreciated but absolutely not necessary

I rarely have had so much frustration and cursing at an ink and I’m very tolerant of naughty inks. But then again, if any members like a challenge, with waterproof, pigment, unsaturated ink, go for it! (you know who you are ) I would say it could be used for sketching or writing passive aggressive letters in an EF/F nib to someone you don't like 😆 I have no ink even close to it: Writing samples I used a Pilot Kakuna Medium as a replacement for a European Fine nib and used the reverse to recreate the EF. Rhodia Midori TR 68 gr Maruman It does like cheap paper very much from Front: And not so much from behind:

[I did most of this as a response in another thread and I might as well make it its own topic.] PenBBS 391 苏 拭 (Su Shi) is a pigmented, dark, sort-of Prussian blue. Su Shi was a noted poet, writer, calligrapher, painter, politician, and jack of other trades, from about 1000 years ago. I rather think the color is a close match to his robe in this painting of him. It could easily be considered a blue-black and, while a conservative color, it is still different enough to be interesting. The color of the text in the photos below is not quite right - the ink actually leans slightly green, which shows more in the smears - it's not a typical, boring ball point blue. It shades tastefully, at least in the pens I've used it with. No significant show-through, no bleeding, and no noticeable feathering. Haven't experienced any clogging. Seems quite waterproof but I can't say anything about permanence. I purchased it for the equivalent of about $6 USD and it's a 60ml bottle - will likely be more expensive from the sources you can get it from but likely still an excellent value. It's been my 'go to' ink for notes, filling out forms, and such on my current long trip away from home and I've been quite happy with it. Below is using a Moonman 80s (extra fine maybe? I can't remember.) and Kokuyo Campus notebook (M221BN). The second pic is after running water over it in the sink for a few seconds. The paper was still wet when I took the photo, hence the grey blotches. I also tried blotting it with a tissue while the paper was still wet: no ink came off the page.

Rejoice permanent ink lovers, another player is in the game Kakimori is a stationary shop in Tokyo Japan. They have a range of inks and stationery, which epitomizes Japanese minimalism and elegance. They also make personalized handmade inks and notebooks. As of now their inks are available from Vanness in USA, and Laywines/Phidon in Canada, La Couronne du Comte/ Stilo e stile in in Europe and obviously their own shop in Japan. My apologies for these low quality photos.. Packaging: They have a wide range of pigment inks, which are all waterproof. The bottles are truly beautiful, solid with a big opening and minimal packaging which embodies their sustainability motive. First off, there’s a warning note in the packaging about clogging. It reminds me of Super5 inks, which recommend to to use their own pens. Being used to notoriously naughty inks, I inked several pens and hoped for the best The ink in a nutshell: Good for M nibs and above, low lubrication with F/Ef nibs. Long dry times. Nice Shading. Beautiful bottle (though one doesn't write with a bottle, though that's debatable ) According to their website: Kurun depicts the dance of a vine's curling tendrils. A green that captures both vitality and a sense of calm. #6 fude nib/ reverse fude nib / TR 68gr paper I would say, the greatest issue with this ink is long dry times and lack of lubircation with fine /Ef nibs TR 68gr /EF/F//Reverse Broad/ Broad While ink looks pale it is quite legible, despite the scan. However the writing experience is best with broad. Sketch was done with a safari fine nib. TR 68 gr/Ahab /Medium Midori: Note how dry time between a reverse broad/ broad changes drastically. On TR paper above it's even worse. Dry time is very long on TR 68 gr, less on Midori, acceptable on Rhodia, good on Apica and immediate on Field Notes. I don’t like long dry times for inks, but I found myself reaching for this ink over and over again refilling my testing Safari,for the past 3 months. The combination works fine as I can use both broad and reverse broad creating a fine line when needed. And ironically, I liked the smudging. However, when I switched the safari broad nib for a fine, the pen became scratchy, lubrication non-existent. I didn't like the writing experience. I think artists would love this ink. Chroma: Ink comparison: Water test: Right side was held under water - Maruman paper · Pens used: Lamy Safrai broad/ fine/ Jinhao fude nib/ Medium/ No name EF/ Ahab flex · Shading: Depending nib and paper. · Ghosting: Yes on absorbent paper like Field Notes with a broad nib. · Bleed through: Same as above. · Flow Rate: Alright... · Lubrication: On the dry side. · Nib Dry-out: Not noticed · Start-up: Not noticed · Saturation: Muted green. · Shading Potential: Yes · Sheen: None · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not noticed · Nib Creep / “Crud”: No · Staining (pen): I doubt it. · Clogging: Only time will say. But none so far. · Water resistance: Excellent · Availability: 30 ml bottles

(tldr: scroll down to see image of the soggy test results) For reasons both pragmatic and neurotic, I almost exclusively use inks with some reliable degree of water resistance. Recently I noticed that a sizable range of Faber-Castell inks, while not mentioned in any of the online water resistant ink guides/forum threads I’d consulted when first getting into the FP hobby, are categorized as “waterproof” on the Vanness website and described as “document proof” in the Amazon product descriptions. So I got my hands on some cartridges of Moss Green, which struck me as the most attractive of these purportedly permanent FC inks, and popped one into my Kaweco Sport. Right off the bat, I found it to be a pleasure to write with and uncommonly lovely on the page: well-saturated with some fairly dynamic shading. For the test, I put some of it down on a page in a (surprisingly fountain pen friendly) Italian-made B&N notebook that I’ve been using for misc scribbling/inky ephemera (e.g. the phone number jotted down in the upper right hand corner which I had to blur out before posting 😅 ). For comparison, I then filled in the rest of the page with writing samples of the inks currently inhabiting my other daily use pens, all of which are also marketed as being "waterproof". After giving the writing samples roughly a minute to dry, I tore out the page, held it under the faucet of my kitchen sink, and turned on the water (full blast). For the duration of the test I steadily moved the paper back-and-forth to ensure each of the ink samples spent roughly equivalent time directly under the stream. Results: After a good 30 seconds under cold running water, the FC Moss Green writing sample remained more-or-less legible—enough so to indicate that any important writing would be recoverable in the event of an unexpected downpour or spilt drink. (Although, given how alcohol is (generally? always?) a more aggressive solvent than water, it would probably behoove me to test how this ink holds up under a horizontal glass of whiskey soda…) That said, post-dousing, the Moss Green (quite literally) paled in comparison to every one of the other inks I tested alongside it. FCMG probably meets the average fountain pen user's minimum standard for being considered “water resistant”. But it is not anywhere near “waterproof” and I have to wonder whether it would still pass for “water resistant” if the same test were performed with less absorbent paper. Verdict: Given the strong appeal of this ink’s wonderfully subtle coloration and suitability for general writing, the mere survival of the text after a punishing water test like this is good enough for me. I’m happy to add it to my short list of standard dye-based inks which, for reasons of chemistry beyond my ken, are robust enough to trust with preserving day-to-day handwritten work as I make my way around a turbulent city in an often unexpectedly wet world. (As of now, there are two other inks with a firm place on this list: Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Guri and Sailor Doyou. I really wanted to include Sailor Miruai as well—I love the color and JetPens rates it as somewhat water resistant—but alas, it hasn’t performed well for me when put to the test).

Platinum Pigment Ink is odd in that it looks opaque in the bottle, but not on paper. The colors are somewhat muted and not as brilliant as highly saturated dye-based inks. On some brands of paper, it can be slow to dry so lefties will have to compensate. This is a page written a couple of months ago with my initial notes. Since then the pen has had only very intermittent use, but it has started without hesitation and suffered no clogs. Anyone else had similar good success with this brand of ink?