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Private Reserve Spearmint This is my first review of anything and I am excited to do more!

Private Reserve Vampire Red According to the Private Reserve website it’s a “deep, intense brown with red tone”. To me it’s the gorgeous colour of a 50 year old rusted water-pipe, with high shading and a hint of gold sheen on Iroful paper. The sheen disappears with time. It is not a colour I would associate with vampires, unless they’re into ultra-processed oxidized blood. 🧛‍♂️🧛‍♀️ This ink is a snob and thoroughly dislikes cheap paper and loves water to excess. (It disintegrates with a drop of water). If you have Diamine’s Ancient Copper or J Herbin Café des Îles, you probably won’t need this one. I was afraid that the ink covered the Lamy convertor with a fine film of stain, but a few flushes, and the convertor was clean. However, the ink turned out a pain to clean. I have to admit, I so much enjoyed using this ink that I did not want it to leave my pens. It’s a complex ink both for writing and drawing. Chroma: Writing Samples: Photo: Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. Sample was written with glass nib. So amount of nib is more than a normal nib. Art Work: I really had fun playing with this ink. First peace is part of the yearlong Inktober challenge 2024, prompt was Fang Is it the vampire costume or the mouse that frightened the elephant? Fountain pen inks used: Noodler's Lexington Gray (diluted) /Polar Brown/Baltimore Blue Paper is Canson Mixed Media Bal des Vampires (Vampire Ball) Here I was a bit more adventurous, mixing a lot of inks on Fabriano sketchbook paper (very absorbent) Private Reserve Vampire Red was brushed directly from the convertor. Sailor Kiwa-guro, Lexington Gray and Monteverde Malibu Blue were used together. Wherever the "black is grey" is the diluted Lex Gray. Noodler's Lexington Gray Monteverde Malibu Blue The Les-Kats , fangs and collar is a mixture of J Herbin Rouge Opera and Sailor Storia mix red, however Mouie (i.e. Mousie) back collar is Sailor Storia Red. The V on the pocket is Vampire Red. · Pens used: Lamy (Reverse Ef/ EF/F/M/B, BB), Noodler’s Nib creaper. · What I liked: Colour, shading, doing artwork. · What I did not like: It’s not waterproof · What some might not like: It hates copy paper; the name is misleading. · Shading: High · Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper. · Bleed through: Yes, on cheap paper. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Very nice. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Dark · Shading Potential: Massive · Sheen: Yes, on Iroful but disappers. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Faint on copy paper. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: I would say, a pain. It's medium difficult to clean · Water resistance: The lines get obliterated with a water brush. · Availability: 60 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Any thoughts what could be the concept behind slow evaporating inks, like e.g. Private Reserve Infinity? Some ideas: use > 20% glycerol. Downside: Ink will smudge other humectants sorbitol, urea, LiCl If it is too hygroscopic, the ink will never dry. LiCl will dissolve in its own water. use 2 separate humectants, e.g. glycerol + urea. Not sure why this doesn't smudge patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/JP4722462B2/en Evaporation suppressing monolayers, e.g. octadecan-1-ol (stearyl alcohol, very common in hair conditioners) will slow down evaporation by about 50%. Ethylene glycol monooctadecyl ether will slow down the evaporation by 10x. These would be ideal, if one could get them through the feed. Downside is they have very low water solubility. Maybe it doesn't matter, as only tiny amounts are required Commercial products for pools are WaterSavr, AquaGuard, CoverFree, which is supposed to reduce evaporation by 85% Could disperse in ink, potentially together with surfactant Use a water-soluble polymer that might concentrate near the surface and act similarly to the monolayer Does PEG have such an effect? PVA, PVP, ... Combination of polymer + surfactant This patent shows a drawing of polyacrylic acid acting together with one of the monolayers above. Other polymers mentioned: soluble polymer may include a homopolymer or copolymer derived from at least one compound selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, acrylamide, N-alkyl acrylamide, glycerol, ethyleneimine, ethylene oxide, vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl acetate, the hydrolysis products of vinyl acetate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, maleic acid, maleic anhydride and dimethylaminoethylacrylate. Nonionic surfactants might have a good balance between solubility and forming a layer on the surface some compounds to try: Ethoxylates, such as octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether, laureth-4, ... Triton X

I've been testing both ink samples and inexpensive Chinese pens. Yesterday I put some Private Reserve Lake Placid Blue into a Wing Sung 6359, and today I inked a Moonman 600S with some Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao. I wasn't really thinking about them being similar colours. I've been working my way through the various Private Reserve blues, and today something reminded me that I'd been meaning to look at Asa-Gao. I was amazed to find the product of these two pen-and-ink combos to be virtually identical. And so I did an off-the-cuff side-by-side comparison on a page in an A6 Leuchtturm 1917. You can see some differences at the top of the page, but nothing that couldn't be explained by the Moonman laying down more ink. Both pens have F nibs, but they're different nibs from different makers. The lines of text at the bottom were written alternately with one pen and the other. I find it hard to see any difference at all. Nothing remotely scientific about this. Just a doodle for my own amusement, but I thought the result was interesting. The image is an iPhone snap under artificial light after some rudimentary photoshopping.

This collection has been made in an intensive attempt to find the most ideal and complete shades of brown color fountain pen inks over the internet and as long as writing with a medium size fountain pen is what I'm concerned of, the "infinity symbol" on a regular paper is the thing I've considered saving these samples. I've also benchmarked the index card samples for those which were not available in infinity sample. All the top-rated fountain pen inks – even those which are not mentioned here probably for the lack of a quality brown ink – have been taken into account. ~ Here's the list ~ Akkerman Hals Oud Bruin Akkerman SBRE Brown Chesterfield Antique Copper Colorverse #25 String Colorverse Coffee Break Daytone Havana Brown De Atramentis American Whisky Brown Gold De Atramentis Havanna De Atramentis Scottish Whiskey Diamine Ancient Copper Diamine Chocolate Brown Diamine Desert Burst Diamine Golden Brown, Carter's Harvest Brown, Diamine Raw Sienna Diamine Ochre Diamine Terracotta Diamine Tobacco Sunburst Faber Castell Hazelnut Brown J. Herbin Café Des Iles J. Herbin Caroube De Chypre J. Herbin Lie de The J. Herbin Terre d'Ombre KWZ Honey KWZ Iron-gall Aztec Gold KWZ Iron-gall Mandarin (Corrected Version) KWZ Old Gold L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Cannelle Leonardo Sepia Classico Monteverde Copper Noir Monteverde Joy Sepia Monteverde Scotch Brown Noodler's Golden Brown Noodler's Kiowa Pecan OMAS Sepia Private Reserve Chocolate Private Reserve Copper Burst Private Reserve Sepia Robert Oster African Gold Robert Oster Antelope Canyon Robert Oster Caffe Crema Robert Oster Gold Antique Robert Oster Toffee Sailor Kobe #22 Shinkaichi Gold Sailor Storia Lion Light Brown Scribo Classico Seppia Standardgraph Maisgelb by @lgsoltek Taccia Tsuchi Golden Wheat Vinta Heritage Brown Vinta La Paz Diplomat Caramel Krishna Bronze Leaf, Krishna Yellow Valley L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Anahuac L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Itzamna L'Artisan Pastellier Encre Classique Ocre Jaune Maruzen Athena Kinkan PenBBS #135 Beijing PenBBS #269 45th POTUS PenBBS #504 Vernal Equinox Platinum Mix-Free Earth Brown Taccia Ukiyo-e Hokusai Benitsuchi Tono & Lims Kela Nuts Vinta Terracotta Vinta Ochre Note: the absorption of the ink to the paper could vary. Before purchasing any of the inks above be aware some of them are dry while the others are wet. Plus, based on the fountain pen model and paper you use, the colors could look different. Make sure to use fountain pen inks only, otherwise your fountain pen will clog. Stay away from drawing, calligraphy, lawyer, and India inks. They are not designed for the fountain pens. Platinum and Sailor have some pigmented-based inks; avoid them. Take all these into account.

Reportedly, Private Reserve is one of the companies that paved the way to the overabundance of ink colors we have now, as early on there were mostly the basic inks available, such as basic blue-black, red, green, turquoise, brown, black, and blue. PR inks come in a multitude of different hues. The original creator and owner of the ink company passed away, and the company is now under new ownership and management. I personally became very interested in Private Reserve Avocado a while ago, after seeing its fantastic color range on some others' reviews when used for drawing. Behind its very slightly olive green exterior hide many other hues! The brick-terracotta red color is one of them, and it is the most water-resistant component of this ink. So when you use a water brush over Avocado, a red color is revealed! This ink is very well-behaved in writing. The ink flow is moderate to creamy, and lubrication is good. This ink is really good for maintaining fine lines for drawing and for hairlines. It's well-saturated, but not too much. There is no sheen. Instead the ink has an attractive matte appearance that works well on all paper types. This ink is great for any nib type: from super extra fine to broad. Shading is fairly low, and the lines are solid and well-defined, dark enough even when very fine. In writing, this ink is a pleasant hue of fresh, botanical green. Very restful on the eyes and also imparts an uplifting feeling for me personally. Scan: Fabriano Bioprima 85g ivory-tooned paper with 4mm grid: Scan: Tomoe River 52g White Scan: Nakabayashi Logical Prime notebook, coated ivory-cream-toned paper: (Totally misspelled Rikyu-Cha) Close-up photographs: Look at that "chromatography"! Personally I like this ink a lot; glad I have a large bottle.

Reportedly, Private Reserve is one of the companies that paved the way to the overabundance of ink colors we have now, as early on there were mostly the basic inks available, such as basic blue-black, red, green, turquoise, brown, black, and blue. PR inks come in a multitude of different hues. The original creator and owner of the ink company passed away, and the company is now under new ownership and management. Ebony Blue has been on my radar for a while. I love dark teal inks, but I'm usually pretty picky about them in person. Ebony Blue is a kind of turquoise mixed with black, and possibly some other hues in between, which results in a dark but more "clean" hue teal-black. What I mean by clean is that it's not muddy, brown-tinged like, say, Sailor Jentle Miruai. Depending on pen, paper, and illumination this ink can look more blue-teal or more green-teal. The flow is one of the interesting characteristics of this ink: it feels "creamy" to write with. I like this tactility of the ink. It does not feather nor bleed through any of the decent-to-good paper I've used it with. It has pretty decent water resistance too: while it won't look neat if you splash water on your writing, a clear, dark gray line remains behind to salvage content. There is metallic magenta sheen. This ink will work in all types of nibs: from ultra extra fine to broad. Shading becomes increasingly more prominent with broader nibs. If you use broad nibs with this ink, I recommend uncoated and more absorbent paper. It's more smear-prone on Tomoe River with broad nibs. Scan: on Fabriano Bioprima 85g ivory-toned paper with 4mm dot grid Scan: on Tomoe River 52g White Scan: on a 100g A6 uncoated paper (the first GvFC Gulf Blue should read "Cobalt Blue" instead) Scan: on Tomoe River 52g Cream paper (the first GvFC Gulf Blue should read Cobalt Blue instead) Close-up photographs:

Private Reserve Ink was founded by Terry W. Johnson and Susan Schube in the workroom of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery in Zionsville, IN, as an addition to the fountain pen department. Terry's vision was simple... "Why not have fountain pen ink in a rainbow of colors to expand the bounds of writing beyond standard black, blue, red and green." That's what's written on their internet site. My experience with their inks is ambigous: I like most colors, but the inks I've tried weren't best behaved (Orange Crush, Shoreline Gold caused nib crud; Hor Bubble Gum is PINK and it stains everything). Avocado is nice and well behaved green ink. The color can be described as a rich, leafy green, It feels smooth and lubricates the nib well. While I'm not biggest Private Reserve fan I believe Avocado is their best ink (from the ones I've tried so far. It's highly subjective statement though). Bottle Ink Splash Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Lyreco Budget, TWSBI 580, stub 1,1 Poljet, TWSBI 580, stub 1,1 Leuchtturm1917, TWSBI 580, stub 1,1 Oxford, TWSBI 580, stub 1,1 Water resistance

Private Reserve Ink was founded by Terry W. Johnson and Susan Schube in the workroom of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery in Zionsville, IN, as an addition to the fountain pen department. Terry's vision was simple... "Why not have fountain pen ink in a rainbow of colors to expand the bounds of writing beyond standard black, blue, red and green." That's what's written on their internet site. My experience with their inks is ambigous: I like most colors, but the inks I've tried weren't best behaved (Orange Crush, Shoreline Gold caused nib crud; Hor Bubble Gum is PINK and it stains everything). Bottle Most of PR inks can be bought in cartridges and ugly 66ml bottles. Blue inks are a bit hit and miss for me; I'm usually not keen on anything that reminds me of the blue ballpoint color that I used at school. Some blue inks, though, have an appeal that's hard to resist. Electric DC Blue has strong saturation and red sheen that make it loud but also quite interesting. The colour is deep, highly saturated and quite dark. It is rather well behaved on paper with limited to no feathering (depending on the paper) and it dries in a reasonable length of time. Nice shading is available even with finer nibs. Flow is fine. Ink Splash Drops of ink on kitchen towel Software ID Color range Tsubame, Diplomat Depeche, broad nib Munken Pure Rough 100g, Diplomat Depeche, broad nib Tomoe River, Diplomat Depeche, broad nib Water resistance Water resistance

Hello FPN! I'm a 17 year old guy from Michigan and I've recently become enamored with fountain pens. I've mustered up enough money to buy two Lamy Safari's (one of which unfortunately someone decided to steal from me at school) and a Joy with a 1.5 italic for calligraphy as well as a bottle of Private Reserve Avacado. However, I'm looking to buy another ink or two (probably more later on), and some other pens once I eventually get some money. Since I picked up the first one a few months ago I haven't been able to stop writing. (An added benefit is that I'm writing more notes in class and actually enjoy doing so!) I always used to be that guy who had a ton of different pens, but I never really loved ballpoints because there was not too much special about them. Pens were a tool, that's it. A friend at school got a TWSBI mini as a gift for his birthday and he showed it to me and I have to say I thought it was one of the coolest things I'd seen in a while. I eventually gathered up enough to buy my first fountain pen (a Lamy Safari F for $20.) That's where it started. I bought another one which someone took, and a Lamy Joy for Calligraphy. As I mentioned, this is the only pen I use now. I am actually excited about writing things now because they are such a joy to write with. I haven't really been able to explore many inks yet, but I have been perusing the index of inks for hours at a time looking at the hundreds of options. From what I've seen, I love colors that are quite unique and rich. I guess I fall on the edge loving bold and subtle inks for every day use. I love Avacado because it's a really unique color I haven't really seen before, and don't see around often. I'm currently eyeballing J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche. Would anyone like to suggest some inks and pens for me to look into? I'm currently saving up for a TWSBI mini and I'm only about 1/10th of the way there (hah). (If any of you would be so kind, I would greatly appreciate it if you had any samples or anything you would be willing to send! If so, I would be absolutely ecstatic, if not, I won't be disappointed.) Thanks for reading! I am looking forward to reading your responses and towards reaching my goal! Best regards, John

I don't usually put an ink's name in quotation marks, but honestly, straight out of the bottle, I have no idea how Private Reserve could call this ink a blue and not blue-green at best. I suppose "Blue-Green Suede" lacks a certain…something, but not accuracy.

http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-nazwa.png I present to test the ink Private Reserve Invicible Blue colored light (washed out) jeans. It is interesting that while writing the ink is dark blue, which dries up and shines. Very interesting color. Currently I use it every day. I'm impressed. Clerical and technical values ​​are also good. I would recommend a particular account of its waterproof! I highly recommend. Manufacturer: Private Reserve Series, colour: Invicible Blue Pen: Waterman Hemisphere "F" Paper: Image Volume 80 g / cm2 1. A drop of ink smeared with a nib http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-kleks.jpg 2. The ink smudged with a cotton pad http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-wacik.jpg 3. Lines http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-kreski.jpg 4. Water Resistance http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-woda.jpg 5. Ink drops on a handkerchief http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-chromatografia_1.jpg 6. Sample text http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-txt.jpg Parametry techniczne: 7. Flow rate: good 8. Lubrication: good 9. Bleed through: unnoticeable 10. Shading: noticeable 11. Feathering: unnoticeable 12. Saturation: good 13. Ink drying time: ~ 5 sec. Other tests carried out: 13. Sample text in an Oxford notebook http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-oxford.jpg 14. Sample letters in a Rhodia notebook http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-rhodia.jpg 15. Chromatography http://inks.pencyklopedia.pl/wp-content/uploads/Private-Reserve-Invicible-Blue-chromatografia_2.jpg

I must partially apologize. I no longer have a scanner. I have a camera, but no light box as of yet. I am working on that. I have attached a PDF as that is what the Xerox Workcentre scanner that the church that I clean has available. Noodlers Widowmaker Texas Bluebonnet Texas Live Oak Texas Pecan The Alamos Twilight Comanche Rouge Tanned Armadillo Lexington Grey Private Reserve Chocolat DC Supershow Blue Aurora Black Pelican Brilliant Black 4001 Higgins Black Magic Drawing Ink (Not FP Safe)I taped a sheet with all of these inks in my window that faces mostly west. I taped them up on Jan. 13, 2013 and pulled them down on Aug 3, 2013. They stayed up for almost 8 months. The Comanche Rouge almost disappeared. The Alamo's Twilight lost the red. The Chocolat seems to have turned a lighter brown. The DC Supershow Blue lost most of it's blue, turning grey. There is still a touch of blue, though it is not visible in the scan. The Pelikan Black MAY have lost a touch of it's black, but the is a subjective call. The rest of the inks seem to have kept their color. I'm happy about that. Right now my favorites are the two blacks, Texas Bluebonnet and Chocolat. Always have a pen loaded with these. If HOD is just as black, I will switch to it for it's bulletproof capabilities. DOC014.PDF

(This was penned with one of the inexpensive, high performance flex pens I am working on. If this kind of thing interests you, send me a PM, or fill out my poll.) I've always loved this ink for its performance on cheap, thin papers, and for its bright pink sheen. Shading requires a sensitive flex nib, or some kind of broad or italic. I'll say this: I frequently fight with myself over the use of this ink, mainly, not to use it all the time. It's too special to me. But then again, man lebt nur einmal. (One lives but once...)

Here are the next batch of 20 bleach swatch tested Private Reserve inks in the blues and purples range. Of note, there are 2 Mindnight Blues with the second one being the fast dry option. Since my my first post I have done some digging on this particular brand. This a quote from Jordan, posted in August 2016, who is a member of the Fountain Pen Network: “The man (Terry W. Johnson) behind Private Reserve passed away recently, and he failed to properly document his knowledge before passing. His family has tried their best to keep the business running, but has had persistent quality issues, causing customer complaints. If we can learn a life lesson from this, it is: if others depend on your specific knowledge, write it down somewhere. You never know what tomorrow holds.” I also had a chat with another very knowledgeable character within the industry who confirmed the info in the above quote and also divulged that ink contamination (bacteria) has been a big problem with this brand which may explain the gloopy consistency I found with some of the samples. Didn’t feel great after hearing this I sometimes lick my paint brushes and may well have done so during these tests! Well, as you can see apart from one colour there is not a lot to get too excited about here. They all blend with water and gradate out. There is some reaction with bleach, Sonic Blue and Purple Haze were the most dramatic. Chromatically, there is nothing noteworthy and even from a sheen perspective there’s not much happening. I don’t enjoy bad mouthing, but when a brand claims to be the Number 1 and it evidently isn’t, well…. That said, the samples I have could ALL be rotten and maybe you should ignore my post? However you look at this, if Private Reserve want to live up to their claim of being the premier brand – they need to pull their fingers out and do something about it! This brand can be summed up as lack lustre – at best – and I’m being kind. Inks tested: Ebony Purple, Midnight Blue, Midnight Blue (Fast), Sonic Blue, Electric Blue, Supershow Blue, American Blue, Naples Blue, Tropical Blue, Daphne Blue, Black Magic Blue, Cosmic Cobalt, Tanzanite, Purple Mojo and Purple Haze. Full report here: https://quinkandbleach.wordpress.com/2017/04/06/private-reserve-bluepurple-inks-test/

Private Reserve is a US-based artisan ink company, originally an addition to the fountain pen department of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery. Most PR inks feature being highly saturated/concentrated, neutral pH, lubricated, drying crazily slow, of reasonable price and with a cheap looking(IMO...). First, let's take a look at it's box and bottle: http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB01_zpsx6nbka7v.jpg The bottle shape reminds me of that of acrylic paint here in Taiwan. At first glance, it doesn't look like something you'd expect to find in a gallery/ FP store, but in an art supply store, maybe? It's at the opposite end on the spectrum compared with the fancy design like Iroshizuku's. However, the practical broad brim is growing on me, especially when I try to fill/dip my pen and the J.H 1670 bottle wouldn't cooperate. Tag/Label http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB02_zpspqvo2gd7.jpg With all due respect, this low-resolution and unevenly glued tag looks like something done with a home use printer. And Private Reserve seems to make some of the least accurate color tags. In this case, Velvet Black is actually a purplish black but is given a greenish label. Writing Samples http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB05_zpsgvhuhpwz.jpg http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB03_zpsqtienqq7.jpg I'm never a fan of color black, nor have I tried any other black inks before, so I am genuinely surprised at the darkness and saturation of this ink---- it is so BLACK that it has no shading at all. Most inks tend to look lighter in a fine/dry nib, but PRVB remains as black in Sailor PG HF and LAMY Safari EF. IMO, it can almost pass for a ballpoint pen. http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB04_zpsoe3sxnrg.jpg And it's a very lustrous ink. Not sure if this should be called "sheen", though. Under yellow light http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB07_zpsk8t8e4al.jpg http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB06_zps5mbetejw.jpg http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB07-1_zps6g1pgpsi.jpg (Oops, wrong spelling...) Under white light http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB08_zpsv12nhk7o.jpg Looks like HB pencil. I find this ink very suitable to play with in a dip pen; the words look like print. http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB12_zpsytcism0f.jpg On the other hand, if you find the luster/sheen disturbing, you can dilute it a bit(also helps the ink dry faster). This ink looks almost the same even if you add of water 1:1. 1/3 Dilution http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB09_zpsr5qt5s8c.jpg Only now does it start looking gray... Chromatography http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB10_zps5tajrczq.jpg (1 min) http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB11_zpschphrvwz.jpg (15 min) http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PRVB11-1_zps2dj7ngmp.jpg (dried/ backside) OOOoooOoOOooooohhh......... Overview Saturation: Extremely high Flow: medium Lubrication: good Shading: too dark to observe Sheen: lustrous Bleed-through& Feathering: on cheap paper Water resistance: to some extent Cleaning: requires extra soaking and flushing Dry speed: Extremely slow Conclusion This is the only black ink I have ever tried so I don't have much to say/compare. It's a pleasure to write with in a dip pen/ flex nib, but considering its dry speed it probably isn't the best choice for daily/official use, unless you dilute it. Thank you for taking the time to read this review: )

You can catch up with my final two reviews and swatch tests of the Private Reserve ink range at https://quinkandbleach.wordpress.com

Private Reserve Ink was founded by Terry W. Johnson and Susan Schube in the workroom of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery in Zionsville, IN, as an addition to the fountain pen department. Terry's vision was simple... "Why not have fountain pen ink in a rainbow of colors to expand the bounds of writing beyond standard black, blue, red and green." That's what's written on their internet site. Hot Bubble Gum was sent to me by Cyber6, who - I believe - find it enjoyable to torment me with scary colors. This ink is simply scary. I hate everything about it: the color and the fact it's almost impossible to wash out from pen. Ink splash http://imageshack.com/a/img673/3055/A6VZk2.jpg Drops of ink on kitchen towel http://imageshack.com/a/img661/4278/uZcgaQ.jpg Software Id http://imageshack.com/a/img537/5792/rY8oXJ.jpg Oxford Recycled 90 g, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img537/7379/j6JxIA.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img661/6282/eazcwA.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img673/1736/5C5VXE.jpg Comparison http://imageshack.com/a/img905/4192/hyhdYM.jpg

Private Reserve is a US-based artisan ink company, originally an addition to the fountain pen department of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery. Most PR inks feature being highly saturated/concentrated, neutral pH, lubricated, drying crazily slow, of reasonable price and with a cheap looking(IMO...). Ebony Blue is one of the PR ink that is inaccurately named and labeled---the name suggests it being "blue" and the label is also a grayish Prussian blue. However, its color is in no way, blue. Box & Bottle compared with Velvet Black http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB01_zpsonpiizqs.jpg Writing Sample: dip pen on cheap copy paper http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB02_zpsqhitqyri.jpg The color of Ebony Blue is actually GREEN--- a dark green that can almost pass for black even in EF nib. When diluted, it varies from teal to mint green depending on the amount of water added. Only when smeared with water and the dye being washed out, does it start to look blue. Close up: original ink/ diluted in different ratios/ smeared with water http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB03_zpsmdqdbtai.jpg http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB04_zpswbvzsa0r.jpg As mentioned before, PR inks are all highly saturated. The above pic shows the effect you will get if you drip water on the writing and blow on it. The green and blue dye is washed out, leaving the words dark bistre, still very legible. (So this ink is basically water-resistant, unless you dilute it too much) Writing sample: with Noodler's Creaper, on FP-friendly creamy paper http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB05_zpson0p6wbu.jpg http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB06_zpshxohgtpw.jpg With a broader nib Ebony Blue(or Green, but PR also has another ink named Ebony Green...) shows rich shading and red sheen. Chromatography http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB01-1_zpsmwrrrtro.jpg Comparison with J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB07_zpsuoaiknvr.jpg Ebony Blue: darker, greener, with brown undertone and wine-red sheen. Emerald of Chivor: lighter, bluer, with copper-red sheen Although I generally like this color and its various performance, it is too saturated and dries too slow for daily use, so eventually I only use it for sketching. Here are some sketches done with different kinds of pens/ paper/ techniques, all with diluted or undiluted Ebony Blue. Ebony Blue + 3776 14K EF + copy paper http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB08_zpswzjaouxs.jpg Ebony Blue(diluted) + LAMY Safari EF + copy paper http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB09_zpsfxpiqpew.jpg Ebony Blue(diluted) + dip pen + copy paper http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB10_zpsthi0xd5r.jpg Backside---so blue! Why? http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB11_zpsfrbs2fq7.jpg Ebony Blue + dip pen + copy paper + smeared with water http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB12_zpsvqqzloog.jpg Ebony Blue + Dip pen + ROSSI paper http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB13_zpstlmssqlv.jpg Smeared with water, with a Chinese paint brush http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB14_zpslagmybaq.jpg When dried (added some lines with Aladin gold ink) http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB15_zpsbfgccr2q.jpg With only one ink and water, you can get green, blue, black, red(sheen) all at once! http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/chingdamosaic/PREB16_zpsute2qhfu.jpg Overview Color description: saturated deep dark green with brown undertone. Looks bluer when smeared with water. Shading: rich Sheen: red sheen shows easily. Feathering/ Bleed through: only a little on cheap paper Flow: medium Lubrication: good Water resistance: good Cleaning: requires extra soaking and flushing (but no staining observed so far) Dry speed: slow Conclusion A generally well-behaved ink that can always give you surprise, especially when use for sketching and painting. If you like its color and want it as a daily-use ink, a little dilution is recommended--- to help improve the dry speed and decrease the sheen. I love this ink! Just finished one 50ml bottle(well, I've probably given away about 15~20ml, but still)! ----- Thank you for reading this review : )

Private Reserve Ink was founded by Terry W. Johnson and Susan Schube in the workroom of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery in Zionsville, IN, as an addition to the fountain pen department. Terry's vision was simple... "Why not have fountain pen ink in a rainbow of colors to expand the bounds of writing beyond standard black, blue, red and green." That's what's written on their internet site. My experience with their inks is ambigous: I like most colors, but the inks I've tried weren't best behaved (Orange Crush, Shoreline Gold caused nib crud; Hor Bubble Gum is PINK and it stains everything). EBony Green is one of these heavily lubricated inks with lots of WOW factor. It's supersaturated, lubricated and with some crazy sheen. The ink performs differently on different types paper but the line is rather smooth and it doesn't tend to feather. Waterproofness is decent. Ink Splash http://imageshack.com/a/img913/8581/6TZsPM.jpg Drops of ink on kitchen towel http://imageshack.com/a/img661/9254/1IEUFQ.jpg Software ID http://imageshack.com/a/img673/1650/ouXGvX.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img661/8869/Uju9Bd.jpg Waterproofness http://imageshack.com/a/img540/7083/hfBJGG.jpg Oxford, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img901/9647/1NDUJC.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img905/3525/uib9gx.jpg CIAK, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img540/2610/aE1zzc.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img537/8495/ML4yFg.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img913/9156/hXs33C.jpg Copy paper, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img913/3533/w2P4im.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img537/7184/IrfNKj.jpg Franklin-Christoph notebook, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img540/3334/BDRujp.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img540/2346/ZM95U5.jpg

Private Reserve Ink was founded by Terry W. Johnson and Susan Schube in the workroom of Avalon Jewelers/Gallery in Zionsville, IN, as an addition to the fountain pen department. Terry's vision was simple... "Why not have fountain pen ink in a rainbow of colors to expand the bounds of writing beyond standard black, blue, red and green." That's what's written on their internet site. My experience with their inks is ambigous: I like most colors, but the inks I've tried weren't best behaved (Orange Crush, Shoreline Gold caused nib crud; Hor Bubble Gum is PINK and it stains everything). Copper Burst has intriguing color, however it tends to differ from batch to batch and it changes with time. Ink Splash http://imageshack.com/a/img661/1956/aZVo4n.jpg Krople atramentu na ręczniku kuchennym marki Queen http://imageshack.com/a/img538/7515/L2WDvT.jpg Oxford Recycled 90 g, Kaweco Sport Classic, B http://imageshack.com/a/img661/1262/iyTCRB.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img537/9876/8tbTXz.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img537/5795/T3Fz8V.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img905/5468/VLd3hN.jpg http://imageshack.com/a/img911/963/mWj9yk.jpg

Hi. I just want to share my ink comparison. Maybe it will be helpful for somebody. Here is a list of my tested inks: Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black, KWZ Ink IG Gummiberry, KWZ Ink IG Red 3, KWZ Ink Maroon, KWZ Ink Red 1, KWZ Ink IG Green 1, KWZ Ink IG Green 3, Private Rserve Ebony Blue, KWZ Ink IG Turquoise, KWZ Ink Azure 4, KWZ Ink Azure 5, Private Reserve Electric DC Blue, KWZ Ink IG Blue 2, KWZ Ink Blue Black, KWZ Ink IG Blue Black. Chris

I have noticed some retailers are no longer stocking Private Reserve, and several members are concerned where to get their favorite colors. A&D Penworx is going to continue stocking Private Reserve. We do not have all of their colors in stock. If there is a color you would like to see us carry, I will be placing an order for more ink at the end of January. I am asking the community to take a look at my website, and let me know if you have a special request. Please indicate bottle or cartridge in your request. Please reply to this thread or PM me your request. I will let you know when it is available.

Hello FPN I was going through my inventory of ink that I bought and never used and decided to give them away instead of pouring them down the sink. I would like to find a new home for the below inks since I will probably never use them since I have way to many. Just to let you know, you must pick up the ink/s since I will not ship them. Also, you must bring your own containers to hold the ink since I transferred all my inks to empty Iroshizuku ink bottles. Here is what I have so far: (1) Diamine Majestic Blue (2) Diamine Washable Blue (2) Diamine Florida Blue (2) Private Reserve DC Supershow Blue PM if you are interested. Andy