Ink Review : Diamine Wagner (Music Collection)

[namrehsnoom]

Ink Review : Diamine Wagner (Music Collection)

 

 

Pen : Lamy AL-star, M-nib

Paper : Rhodia N°16 notepad 80 gsm

 

 

Review

 

Zürich, spring of 1848.

 

I recently visited St. Beatus Caves at the Thumersee, where – according to legend – the holy man fought a dragon. Sun rays from the cave’s mouth lighted up the dark interior, casting a yellow-green reflection on the walls. You can almost imagine the dragon guarding its golden treasure, its scales a green-golden sheen in the reflected light. Ah… this setting inspires my muse. Yes… I see an epic hero-filled story spanning several operas. I will call it “Der Ring des Nibelungen”.

 

In 2015 Diamine released the Music Collection, a set of 10 subdued ink colours named after well-known composers. In this review, we take a look at Wagner. After the above introduction, you're sure to remember that this is an inspiring yellow-green ink.

 

 

Diamine Wagner is probably the most intriguing colour from the Music Collection. A wonderful yellow-green ink that looks especially nice on white paper. The ink behaves really well on all the papers I tested – even on Moleskine there was no visible feathering and only limited show-through and bleed-through. What I really appreciated is that the ink works wonderfully in all the nib sizes – even the fine ones – getting a bit darker in the broader nibs. The contrast with the paper is excellent, resulting in an easy read without the ink dominating the page. This inks also shades beautifully with just the right balance between light and dark parts. I’m loving it !

 

 

Not an ink for the workplace, but what a great choice for personal journaling ! A comfortable chair, a journal with quality paper and a fine pen filled with Wagner… and I’m happily purring like a kitten ;-) Water resistance is poor – that lovely golden-green colour quickly dissipates, but a readable faint-grey residue remains.

 

Diamine Wagner is a great ink, and probably the crown jewel of the Music Collection. If you’re looking for an ink outside the usual colour spectrum, this ink will definitely fit the bill. It’s a gorgeous ink for personal correspondence. I really enjoyed it, and I’m sure you will too !

 

My overall score : A+

 

 

 

[ca49reber]

Thank you for the great review. I bought the whole set but haven't tried this color yet. This may be next in line to try.

[mmg122]

That shading is really nice. While I'm not usually a fan of this color family, I'm tempted to pick up a bottle just for the shading. It looks like it would be great for informal correspondence. Thanks for your excellent review, namrehsnoom.

 

Mary

[Barkingpig]

I used this ink just tonite; I saw it reviewed here & immediately bought the collection to get this one ink! Not very much later, Diamine began selling the colors individually; I will NEVER run out, I add a bottle or two whenever I am ordering inks from Europe. I filled a Delta Adivasi (Indigenous People) pen which has a horizontal band of green that is close to this color, with Wagner & have never changed it's fill choice. I honestly didn't mind to purchase the whole set to receive this one color of ink; it was the first green ink I had seen that was this unusual.

[Newjelan]

Thanks for your review. I have this ink as part of the Music Set and at first I didn't like it. It's grown on me and I now have a second bottle. Although on my screen, yours looks a little lighter than mine. Maybe, because I prefer wet pens?

[JakobS]

This and Schubert were the reason I wanted the set, and have found Beethoven and Bach to be similarly different than the ~8 greens, and equal amount of reds I have used. I agree that these inks appear to be well behaved on paper that generally feathers and bleeds through with most inks.

[chromantic]

Another nice review, even if the color leaves me cold.

 

Wagner was known for playing fast and loose with the stories of his 'inspiration" and that little anecdote is typical. The original plan was for just one opera, not "an epic hero-filled story spanning several operas" - that came later, as he kept adding more backstory.

[namrehsnoom]

Although on my screen, yours looks a little lighter than mine. Maybe, because I prefer wet pens?

 

I just compared the original with the scan... you're right : the real colour is a little bit darker than shown on-screen. It's also true that it writes darker in wet nibs (I've used it in a Lamy Dialog 3 M-nib , which is one of the wettest pens I own ... really brings out the best in this ink).

[sandy101]

Another nice review, even if the color leaves me cold.

 

Wagner was known for playing fast and loose with the stories of his 'inspiration" and that little anecdote is typical. The original plan was for just one opera, not "an epic hero-filled story spanning several operas" - that came later, as he kept adding more backstory.

 

Yes, and now look at Star Wars.

[Charles Rice]

Like Wagner's music, this ink would take a little getting used to.

[jmccarty3]

"Wagner's music is better than it sounds."

 

~ attributed to Mark Twain or Edgar Wilson Nye

 

Then there was the story of the two gentlemen attending a Wagner opera. They left in the middle of the first act because they got tired of waiting for the verb.

[Pete-M]

I hope the next inspired collection is a Jazz theme.

Smoky New York bars, golden brass section. Steel strings, special brown/black/Carmel on wooden polished pianos.

Jazz infused, inspired and the written word.

[Charles Rice]

"Wagner's music is better than it sounds."

 

~ attributed to Mark Twain or Edgar Wilson Nye

 

Then there was the story of the two gentlemen attending a Wagner opera. They left in the middle of the first act because they got tired of waiting for the verb.

 

Right now I have Siegfried at the forge hammering out Nothung.

[Uncial]

The ink could have a sub headed name ..... Slimegold!

.....I'll get me coat...

[Charles Rice]

The ink could have a sub headed name ..... Slimegold!

.....I'll get me coat...

 

LOL

 

A new opera perhaps? Der Nib des Nibelungen?

 

Or Die Meisterscribbler?

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

The ink is the sample papers is too light, but the one in the last few whole pages looks gorgeous. Haha, my eyes are deceiving me. This ink is a mystery! But thankfully I have a sample of this.. .somewhere... : P