Ink View: Upcoming Ink - Street Car Green By Papier Plume Nola

[Jackokun]

Last week I was fortunate enough to be down in New Orleans or a conference, during the times that we were not in the conference we wondered around the city and I decided to look for any local stationery stores - Of course , what else would you do on your free time - I stumbled upon Papier Plume.

I have read about the store before, mostly on having a great selection on Rebecca moss pens , but as many things, it got stored in the back of my mind , way back. So by the time I got to the store, I had no expectations. As always when I go to a store, i like to buy something to remember the trip by, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had their own make of inks. Frankly by the time I got to the store it was almost closing time and I wanted to get some of their inks and I feel I as rushing it. So I decided to wait until the next day (and also bring some cash with me ) and I left not without looking at some incredible Wahl- Eversharp.... :focus: that night some serious web search went on inks reviews - found some , not many, but found some - and made my list

Next day, with enough time and cash in my hands, I went back to the store, I had met the owner the day before, Patrick, who recognized me when I came back and helped me getting a good selection of their inks based on my list. The surprise came towards the end when he offered me to try one of the 4 new inks that they will be bringing up - Street Car Green. So of course I jumped to the opportunity. I also had the pleasure to meet Renso too, who takes care of all the online activities, both great people.

Overall I had an incredible experience and I highly recommend if you are down in NOLA to visit the store or try out some of their inks, the owners and everyone of their staff is welcoming and very knowledgeable of the products they offer in the store. I'm very happy to have some of their inks in my collection.

So, here is a humble review, I wanted to do one for a while and I thought this would be the perfect one to start with.

Street Car Green (or as I call it SCG) - is a green/black that goes on the lighter side , I would even say a green/grey. It goes down light on paper and darkens a little when it dries. It also provides a great amount of shading. When talking about the ink with Patrick and Renso, the idea behind the new ink names and colors derives from the actual city of New Orleans. The colors are meant to represent unique parts of city, in the hopes that the color helps you take home a memory from New Orleans with you. Great Idea!

One thing I didn't had, from my dozens of random pictures from the trip, was a picture of a Street Car... well, I had one but, it wasn't green. After a quick search, this is what a GREEN street car looks like.

The ink comes in three presentations .5, 1, 2 Oz. Each will come on its own bottle and the bottles are different depending on the capacity. I have the 1 Oz and it looks like this:

A swab of the ink would look like this on the nemosyne cards:

Here is the overview card on SCG:

Flow: Flow is really good, feels like you are using water, which is something to say since the ink has some waterproof properties.

Dry Times: In terms of dry times 15-20 seconds on clairefountaine and even faster on tomoe river.

Ink-comparison: Inks that I found to be in the similar hue were Franklin Christoph - Loden and Noodlers Zhivago, Zhivago being the darkest and SCG the lighter one.

Saturation: Saturation I found it to be on the medium side, and that is reflected on how he shading shows. On a wet nib it shows really well, but if you have a EF eastern type nib or a dry nib, you might find the ink to be on the lighter side.

Sheen; Not on this one, even when using a full drop of ink on paper.

Feathering: None that I saw

Bleed-through: None seen

Show-through: There is some slight, very slight show through,you could probably say there is none, unless you are really really looking for it.

Pooling: This is not the shading but more on the pooling on the edges of the letters, I enjoy when the inks provide this, but this one doesn't have that.

Here is a quick sketch of a Street car using the SCG ink

Here is some cursive and block writing - work in progress - Scans are also a work in progress ha!

Opinion: SCG is unique on its own accord, while it is not as dark as Zhivago or even Loden (didn't had Diamine salamander to compare), it provides a fair amount of shading with good dry times and no smearing including some waterproof properties. It is a muted green that can be used at the workplace and it is pleasant to read. I currently have it on a wet medium nib and I intend using it as part of my rotation.

And Finally Patrick and Renso, Patrick is the one the left.

You can see what other goodies they have at

http://www.papierplume.com

I look forward to see what other inks they come up with, from my conversation they have the red and blue covered, so that leaves one TBD, maybe a yellow? Orange? who knows!

And in case anyone is wondering, I also got Caramel, Oyster Grey, Midnight Blue, Moss Green and Peacock Blue

[lapis]

Thanks for a great review of a great ink. I really like their inks and their service is IMO unbeatable. This color itself is something special. The reminiscence of the SC color as you say is the one thing but there's something else l love here which is however hard to describe. Sort of an honest, clear green (is there such a thing as a "clear" green?) but at the same time in an understated tone. I'll have to get this one too.

 

Mike

[Jackokun]

Thanks for a great review of a great ink. I really like their inks and their service is IMO unbeatable. This color itself is something special. The reminiscence of the SC color as you say is the one thing but there's something else l love here which is however hard to describe. Sort of an honest, clear green (is there such a thing as a "clear" green?) but at the same time in an understated tone. I'll have to get this one too.

 

Mike

Thank you mike, I agree completely, and im very curious of what will they be bringing out next!

[lgsoltek]

Well the colour doesn't look very "desirable" to me.

[PS104]

Well the colour doesn't look very "desirable" to me.

Don't apologize. That's all the more for the rest of us that love it

[Tas]

Don't apologize. That's all the more for the rest of us that love it

 

Hear, hear.

What an instantly vintage looking ink.

 

Defo Oyster Grey, Pecan, this and perhaps Midnight blue will be my order. Loving this company . . .

[visvamitra]

Looks nice

[lapis]

Well, to get back to brass tacks, it's sorta like looking at an ink similar to Bank Note Green (a long-gone FPH LE). Truly by coincidence another "green" but it has more to do with its actual character (IMO): not brilliant, splashy, neon, but also not washed out or chalky.

 

Mike

[Jackokun]

haha! on Oyster grey, the story is I got a bottle, then inked a pen it at the hotel, then I went back the next day and got a second bottle!

 

Patrick looked at me when I came back and said "more ink?, did you drank it?!"

 

Hear, hear.
What an instantly vintage looking ink.

 

Defo Oyster Grey, Pecan, this and perhaps Midnight blue will be my order. Loving this company . . .

Edited May 13, 2016 by Jackokun

[Tas]

haha! on Oyster grey, the story is I got a bottle, then inked a pen it at the hotel, then I went back the next day and got a second bottle!

 

Patrick looked at me when I came back and said "more ink?, did you drank it?!"

 

Excellent.

Good taste.

 

I'm hard pushed to tell the difference between it and the woefully expensive but equally as gorgeous Heironymous Blue 01

[Morphling27]

I like this green, it speaks to me. I only own a couple maybe 3 greens I can recall. Interesting... thanks for the review.

[DrDebG]

Very nice review!

[phillieskjk]

Well, I certainly desire this streetcar. I'm sorry I couldn't resist making that pun. Nice ink!

[amberleadavis]

Thank you for a wonderful review. When I make it to NOLA, I'm going to Papier Plume.

[Jackokun]

Thank you all!

[Pensei]

Good review. I have all the greens I need, but "Street Car Green" is such a perfect name.

[Jackokun]

For anyone interested, Papier Plume is now selling Street Car Green in store and through their website

 

https://www.papierplume.com/product-catalogue/inks/inks-bottled/papier-plume-new-orleans-collection-fountain-pen-ink-street-car-green.html

 

Per the description, the ink will be a limited production, with a run of 30 of 1Oz bottles this time around

 

They also have a more nicer description than mine of the ink background.

Edited May 26, 2016 by Jackokun

[lapis]

Great! You sort of whipped it out of my mouth. I was about to ask if you knew when it would be available but I now see when so I just mailed Winnie there (in NOLA) an asked her to put a bottle aside until tomorrow (so I can heighten the purchase per postage)...

 

Neat!!

[Jackokun]

Yes!, I was looking at the description and noted that they were doing a limited run rather than a regular production, packaging is nicer too

 

 

[Mew]

Ever since I saw this thread, I have been thinking where i had seen that street car before.

Was rewatching 'Curious Case of Benjamin Button' last night and a similar street car appeared. Turns out, the story was based in New Orleans.