Diamine Ancient Copper Review

[milanjuza]

For high-res photos, feel free to visit to my blog.

Diamine Ancient Copper is an unusual ink. In terms of colour richness/saturation, you are effectively presented with two very different experiences - all depends on the pen you are using. If you use a fine or medium nib, you get more or less a light brown, not very saturated and quite a bland colour that does not stand out much and may be difficult to read. However, the broader the nib, the more exciting it gets. With a broad or a stub nib (tried with Vintage Parker Duofold stub and TWSBI 580 1.1 italic) the ink really shines. The richness of the copper colour comes across very clearly, it is saturated, beautiful and fresh. Drying times are not very good (but that’s not unusual for Diamine inks), but it does not feather and there was hardly any bleedthrough at all which is always nice.

Overall summary: It’s a great, well behaved, but rather slow drying ink for people who write with broad(er) nibs, but you may be disappointed if you use M/F/EF nibs as it is not saturated enough to stand out.

• Paper: Rhodia A4 notebook (90g)
• Pens: Montblanc Boheme (M nib) and Pilot Parallel (6mm nib)
• Water test: drops left on the paper for 1 minute

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mikehodgman]

Nice review! I have got to give this one a try. Somehow, I keep skipping over it.

[ravantra]

This has become my new favorite ink.

[DanielCoffey]

When I last spoke to the staff at Diamine they told me Ancient Copper was currently their best-selling ink.

 

In Europe the 30ml bottles are a very affordable way to try new colours but in the US you could always have a look at the Ink Exchange thread and see if anyone is offering it. I do have some on offer in my British Ink Exchange post which I can ship worldwide but have a look if you can find someone more local first.

[Inkheart]

Great review; thank you!

 

I am for the most part a Fine nib girl, and I think Ancient Copper is lovely to use. Perhaps I get a better flow in my pens (used both in TWSBIs and Viscontis), but I have never found this ink uninteresting or difficult to see in the least.

[Hutecker]

Great review with great pictures! This is my favorite ink. I just have to comment, the writing with the medium nib looks super diluted to me, my ancient copper doesn't look like that at all, even with a medium nib.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Hutecker

[milanjuza]

Thanks for all the comments. I did more tests with an M nib (I had only my Montblanc at the time of the review) and I can confirm that it does indeed look well saturated even with an M nib. I need to go back to my Montblanc and try again a few times to figure out what was going on before.

 

Here's a couple of pics:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1376422722__photo_1.jpg

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1376422818__photo_2.jpg

Edited August 13, 2013 by milanjuza

[Gloucesterman]

Got this from Anderson pens at the NE Pen Show. Use it in a Monteverde Invincia Cold Fusion 1.1 Stub and thoroughly enjoy it. Used it in several letters to friends and receive very positive comments (now, if they would only write back).

[corniche]

Greetings all,

 

I remember how blown away I was the first time I saw this ink come out of a pen- it was a Noodler's Ahab with a Knox medium nib. I can't wait to use up the American Blue I currently have loaded in my Ahab that has the stub nib.

 

I never thought a color like this could be- but it is slowly becoming my signature ink.

 

Not to be a wet blanket- but the inksmith in me compels me to say it- use care with this ink, I'm pretty sure it has a red/orange base, and red inks can be problematic- so flush regularly - and enjoy!

 

All the best,

 

Sean

Edited August 15, 2013 by S. P. Colfer

[HalloweenHJB]

I love seeing samples of other people's penmanship with various pens and inks. I've been practicing (not very successfully) the old "Spencerian" style of cursive, and since I just got a bottle of Ancient Copper, I wanted to share a sample of a couple of "pangrams." I love the shading and and the richness of the color. I'll have to try another sample on better paper --this cheap photocopy paper sucks up the ink too fast, but it gives a basic idea: