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Barock Umbra Barock inks are a reissue of East German brand, which went kaput in 2011 and was revived by Octopus. As of 2024 there a 6 colours. “The story of the brand goes back to 1826, when the company August Leonhardi was founded. August Leonhardi became famous for his patented, legendary Alizarin inks. These were the first inks in the world that could be called document proof. “ You can read more about it here: https://www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/barock/ This is a complex, brown/green wet, with below average lubrication. I enjoyed it most with M nib on Iroful/Tomoe River 68 gsm and with Pilot F3A with a subtle Ef semi-flex nib. The wetter the nib the darker it becomes. It will be best with a soft nib. I wouldn’t use it in a Kakuno with Ef nib. Ink has no water resistance. This has been a personal favorite and I tried to keep it in my pens as long as possible. It has one of those complex chromas Writing Samples: Photo: Comparison: Water test: Left side 10 seconds under running water. As you can the shadow of Mr. Cat (mouse) was washed away Art Work: This was part of the inktober 2024 challenge: Uncharted or Chat-man (pronounce shaman ) Chat is cat in French. The idea was that with shamanic music one's psyche can go to unchartered territories Another inktober challenge 2024 prompt: Roam Here is a mixture of three inks with different dilutions Diamine x Niche pens Alexandrite, Barock Umbra Noodler's Lexington Gray · Pens used: Pilot F3A, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1) · What I liked: Earthy colour. Drawing/sketching with. · What I did not like: Nothing much, but if I want to nitpick, lack of waterproofness and being a bit low on lubrication. · What might some not like: Lack of lubrication maybe? · Shading: Yes. · Ghosting: Yes, on cheap paper. · Bleed through: Yes, on cheap paper. · Flow Rate: Wet · Lubrication: Below average. · Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. · Start-up: Ok · Saturation: Medium/dark · Shading Potential: Yes. · Sheen: No. · Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice. · Nib Creep / “Crud”: Did not notice. · Staining (pen): No. · Clogging: Did not notice. · Cleaning: Easy · Water resistance: Non-existent. · Availability: 30 ml bottles. Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples or any other comments. The more the merrier

Have just seen a first generation charcoal Safari being sold on the bay for an inordinate sum but am very interested in the W Germany imprint, which Ive never seen before. Does anyone have anything similar to this imprint on their Savanna, Terracotta and/or Umbra from the time please? Photo attached.