New Ink Review Diamine Shimmertastic Brandy Dazzle

[Chrissy]

Following on from my thread announcing the launch of Diamine Shimmertastic inks I am happy to post my reviews of them.

 

This one is Brandy Dazzle This ink is chestnut brown with a great gold sheen

My reviews show you my experiences with these inks in several of my pens. I’ve experimented by having these inks in my pens for weeks, and have intermittently written with them to see how they start, and how they write. I must say I’m pleasantly surprised. I’ve experienced no feathering with any of them, and they have all behaved really well for me.

Diamine recommend that you gently agitate the bottle to mix the particles through the ink before filling your pen. They also recommend that you gently agitate your pen to mix the particles with the ink in your pen when starting a new writing session.

I recommend good FP maintenance when using ink that contains particles. I suggest you clean your pens out a little more frequently than you might do with normal ink.

These inks will come in 50ml glass bottles, and they have either gold or silver particles in them.

[lgsoltek]

Seems like this one is my favourite.

[Portia_of_Belmont]

This one is my favorite out of the bunch! Just gorgeous!

[melodiousb]

Ooh. The underlying color looks a lot like Ancient Copper. Does that sound accurate to you?

[bijou3owl]

Yep. Yep. I need this. Rather badly.

[bijou3owl]

Whoops duplicate post.

Edited August 28, 2015 by bijou3owl

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for the review.

Ooh. The underlying color looks a lot like Ancient Copper. Does that sound accurate to you?

 

I was thinking it looked a bit like Rouge Hematite -- it appears really red-orange on my screen. This is one I'd have to see in person before deciding "yea or nay".

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Newjelan]

This looks way nicer than I expected. Oh my, I think I'll have to buy them all.

[Feathers]

This is showing up quite red on my screen, but I'm going to just get a bottle of it, as from your description of it, it sounds amazing. Thank you so much for sharing these great reviews with us, Chrissy (and tempting us hahaha)

[Fabienne]

Yes, it looks even more sheeny than Rough Hematite. Very pretty and very red looking. Is it redder or browner?

[Zhenni]

Thanks for the great reviews. I think this is my favorite of the new sparkly Diamine inks.

 

I've been into browns and reds lately and I really wanted Ancient Copper but it was out of stock where I normally buy Diamine. This might be a new winner when it comes in!

[mmg122]

Thanks for all your reviews of these Shimmertastic Inks, Chrissy. As a confirmed lover of all things Diamine, I think I'll be picking up the entire set. Diamine outdid themselves this time. My wallet is sobbing already.

[LittleSkink]

Picked this up (along with Shimmering Seas) and I am seeing pretty much no glimmer at all. In a full page of writing there are only 2 visible sparkles

 

Agitated the bottle really well before filling. Then left it 2 minutes for bubbles to settle. Agitated the pen gently before use. For this I am using a reasonably wet medium nib Schaeffer

 

It is a nice enough chestnut brown but I want it to sparkle in the Christmas cards we will send. Any other suggestions?

 

One thing I plan is to stand the pen on end rather than lay it down when not it use

[Chrissy]

It's recommended that you agitate it gently to mix in the particles, not enough to form bubbles.

 

If you agitate it so that you distribute the particles through the ink, then fill your pen immediately, you will have ink and particles in your pen. Leaving it for 2 minutes before filling just lets all of the particles settle in the bottom of the bottle again.

[fountainpenlady]

Picked this up (along with Shimmering Seas) and I am seeing pretty much no glimmer at all. In a full page of writing there are only 2 visible sparkles

 

Agitated the bottle really well before filling. Then left it 2 minutes for bubbles to settle. Agitated the pen gently before use. For this I am using a reasonably wet medium nib Schaeffer

 

It is a nice enough chestnut brown but I want it to sparkle in the Christmas cards we will send. Any other suggestions?

 

One thing I plan is to stand the pen on end rather than lay it down when not it use

Also, depends on the nib you are using. I use an extra fine point. As such, only see the sparkle effect when I tilt the writing a certain way. Those who use wider nib choices, such as medium and beyond will see the glimmer effect more immediately and not have to deliberately manipulate in order to do so.

Edited December 18, 2015 by fountainpenlady

[Evrenfilgert]

I have two of the shimmertastics and Brandy Dazzle is by far my favourite. In the bottle it looks far redder and reminds me of dragon ink! I use it for lecture notes as well as letterwriting and the gold is beautiful. It was my first experience with brown ink as well and I will be using brown in future, too. I love the alternative to blue or brown - still dark and legible, but fun and different.

[fountainpenlady]

I have two of the shimmertastics and Brandy Dazzle is by far my favourite. In the bottle it looks far redder and reminds me of dragon ink! I use it for lecture notes as well as letterwriting and the gold is beautiful. It was my first experience with brown ink as well and I will be using brown in future, too. I love the alternative to blue or brown - still dark and legible, but fun and different.

I just put some of the brandy dazzle in my pelican and I agree with you. I believe I may enjoy it more than the red lustre. I can also see the shimmer better than the red lustre. I may have to get a bottle of it myself. It is a unique color I must say myself. I hesitated on trying it out because I thought it would be a brownish color definitely. However, it is a rather enjoyable hue which takes on some of the red of red lustre, but also gives a slight red clay look also with a definite shimmer. I may have to also get a bottle of this one. I treated myself to a bottle of red lustre before the holidays.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I picked this thread in Chrissie's color matches mine, both Bhavna and Visvautra's revues show it reader than I see.

 

Just got back some old Osmia pens from Foutainble**, an Osmia BBL...OBB left foot....with a 30 degree grind, which means I have to align the clip at the right shoulder of the great steel Osmia nib***. If it was only 15 degree, aim the clip at the middle between the slit and shoulder. A tip for use of vintage german obliques.

30 degree grind is rarer than 15. I've some 17 vintage Obliques, and only have one each, OBBB, OBB, OB, OM and Of in 30 degree grinds.

 

Outside that Pelikan 500 OBBB, which has to be a factory grind for a flagship signature pen....I often wonder ....in the 30 degree grind is never mentioned in official info....nor commented by folks with a fair amount of semi&maxi-semi-flex nibs.......that perhaps in the Fabled Old Corner Pen Shoppe, with the trained personal, if the salesclerk didn't ask....'What a bit more slant on your Oblique?', and took it into the back room and doubled the grind angle.

 

The ink shades very well on Papyrus color copy 100g & Clairefontaine Triomphe 90g. The ink shades well...even though I am using a wet nib, there could be a bit more dazzle. It is there, but I have to tilt the paper to see more dazzle.

It's a tad late for evening sunlight to do anything. In the morning I'll take another look in daylight.

 

It's a nice color, something I am tempted to use.....where as had it turned as red as the other two reviews, I'd not like it as well.

 

Sigh Cubed...got to go some there on the com and learn about sheen. Something that seemed to pop up some four or so years ago, on the com.

It's supposed to have sheen too.....but What's glitter and what's sheen?

 

 

Looked up some basics....now I need sheen papers...shading papers are not enough......

Now to go get a list of sheening paper.

Clairefontaine Triomphe 90g is supposed to be a sheening paper.....

 

And I'm not use to wasting ink....'splatting'....so won't waste ink that way.

 

Not much change in daylight, still have to tilt the paper to see the glitter. No sheen still.

 

** Fountainble, boils cork in oil and bees wax like a cork should be done, before slathering on silicon grease. Properly done cork is the slickest of the gaskets.

 

***I was once a gold snob fool, that didn't know Osmia or Geha's steel nibs are as good as their grand gold nibs.....and lost good buys because I was too noobie to understand, good steel can be as good as good gold. Accent on good, and one needs to know which companies are good.

 

 

The color of Brandy Dazzle is nice.....but I expected more glitter.

I have two Osmia BBL (OBB) nibs, one is and I think it's this one a bit undersized, more a B1/2L or OB1/2. It is as all vintage nibs 1/2 a width narrower than modern..........even so with semi-flex, which is wet writing, I expected the Dazzle to there and not have to tilt the page to see it. Same goes for Tropical Glow.

Shimmering Sea was OK for not having to tilt the page, to see the glitter.

Edited July 3, 2018 by Bo Bo Olson

[Chrissy]

The smoother the paper, and the wetter the pen, the more easily you will see the sheen.

 

Brandy Dazzle isn't red. Orangey/copper terracotta type colour.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Agree with ""Orangey/copper terracotta type colour.""" but the other two reviews looked much redder than yours. I thought the chestnut color a good description.

 

The ink shades very well on Papyrus color copy 100g & Clairefontaine Triomphe 90g.....and the pens I've used on my two of three new Diamine Shimmer inks are as wet as I can go ... or near as I can....

One was a Geha 760 OB and the other a Osmia BBL (OBB left foot)....actually a tad narrower than the other Osmia BBL I have so call it an OB 1/2.

 

I'd have to hunt to see where my other Osmia OBB is and find out if it's a maxi-semi-flex. My problem, is many of my maxies are EF, F or M. And I want to start wider to lay even more ink.

 

Well, might have to take my Pelikan 500......OBBB 30 degree grind maxi-semi-flex out when I ink Lilac Satin. That is a wide and wet as I can go with out going superflex. A legal signature with it takes 2/3rds to 3/4ths a sheet of paper.

It would then go into a black velvet armband box. I do keep my special pens in such, when they are not in the display case.....can't have them being banked up in my pen cups.

 

 

 

 

My stubbed to 1.0 Pelikan 605 appears wet....but don't think it quite as wet as semi-flex of near width....and it's inked.

 

I will keep looking. ...bring out my very best paper.... Gmund 170g.