Krishna Black Rose

[lgsoltek]

Krishna is an Indian ink brand that I know little about. They've recently become more easily available in Europe so I got a few bottles. They come in a small 20ml bottle which is rather ugly looking, especially the white plastic cap, but which seems sturdy enough.

Black Rose is quite a nice pink. It has some greenish sheen when used with a wet nib and on papers like Tomoe River. The sheen could also be visible on copy paper but less so. The ink has a medium flow and with little lubrication. The flow could be due to other behavioural problems which will be covered in the last section of this review.

Splash

Writing samples

(on copy paper, with Lamy 2000 Broad)

(on copy paper, with the nib primed to be a little wetter)

(on Tomoe River)

Sheen

(against the sun)

Comparison

(on Maruman looseleaf)

Behaviour

While the colour is quite lovely, this ink has some problematic behaviour. I would recommend caution when using it in an expensive pen or one that is difficult to disassemble.

This ink is prone to dry into crud on your nib. This is not the usual nib crud with some yellow/orange inks like Diamine Ancient Copper. The crud with those inks is easily soluble in water. This ink is not. Rinsing this crud under running water won't remove it. This crud can be wiped off, but not easily. This crud might also be the reason why the ink sometimes writes rather dry or not lubricating. Hence it's not an ink easy to clean, but it can be done. (R&K's pen rinse is a good product. I also used ultrasonic cleaner.)

A more serious problem is that, there seem to be some kind of impurities floating on top of the ink. I'm fairly sure it's not a biological growth. It doesn't look like it's gonna turn into mushroom. It's like something dirty. When I wiped it with tissue, I can see some shiny particles there. I think this ink has some tiny shimmering particles in it (not the J. Herbin or Diamine kind, but the Lamy Vibrant Pink tiny kind), and also given how the ink dries to crud on the nib, I suspect this thing floating on the surface is dried dye and particles. I am not sure what it is really, but I'm gonna leave this ink for dip pens or some cheap pens only.

(The cross-like stuffs on the right side of this photo sure look scary.)

[Tas]

Eeeew

[lapis]

Crasssss....

 

... but I like it!

[mehandiratta]

oh man...

[inkstainedruth]

Hmmm. The color is pretty. And it's got that edge shading on strokes which some people refer to as "haloing" which is something that always attracts my attention. But the last two photos in the review? Can't tell if it's SITB or just some sort of precipitate. So this one is a "maybe"....

Thanks for the review.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Sagarb]

Thanks for the review. I liked this ink at a glance, but have to be careful about inking it in expensive pens.

[amberleadavis]

EEK thanks for the warning because this color really spoke to me.

[migo984]

Hmm that’s interesting. I’ve had a bottle of Black Rose for about 3 months & used it in three different pens. Whilst I’ve had a bit of nib crud, which I’ve come to expect from many of the recent high-sheening/iridescent inks such as Organics Studio, I’ve had nothing like what you’ve experienced. And it washed off easily enough. There’s also no sign of stuff floating on the surface such as you photographed.

I’m careful to test all ultra high-sheen inks in cheaper, easy-clean pens. There’s a reason they sheen & they aren’t always necessarily friendly to FPs. They certainly can be problematic. Reminiscent, maybe, of the issues that caused withdrawal of Parker Penman Sapphire.

[Morphling27]

Hmm that’s interesting. I’ve had a bottle of Black Rose for about 3 months & used it in three different pens. Whilst I’ve had a bit of nib crud, which I’ve come to expect from many of the recent high-sheening/iridescent inks such as Organics Studio, I’ve had nothing like what you’ve experienced. And it washed off easily enough. There’s also no sign of stuff floating on the surface such as you photographed.

I’m careful to test all ultra high-sheen inks in cheaper, easy-clean pens. There’s a reason they sheen & they aren’t always necessarily friendly to FPs. They certainly can be problematic. Reminiscent, maybe, of the issues that caused withdrawal of Parker Penman Sapphire.

I bought a couple Organic Studios inks when they were 'going out of business last time' and each one had something growing nasty in it. I luckily caught it at the start and sun baked my pens and tossed the stuff down the garbage, so I don't get the love for the brand. Two bottles is too much for that.

 

This stuff looks very similar to it.

 

Lgsoltek - what's the time frame for your Lamy 2000 nib there looking like that from inking to the picture?

[lgsoltek]

I bought a couple Organic Studios inks when they were 'going out of business last time' and each one had something growing nasty in it. I luckily caught it at the start and sun baked my pens and tossed the stuff down the garbage, so I don't get the love for the brand. Two bottles is too much for that.

 

This stuff looks very similar to it.

 

Lgsoltek - what's the time frame for your Lamy 2000 nib there looking like that from inking to the picture?

 

I don't remember. One or two weeks?

[ErrantSmudge]

I think I will stick with Monteverde Garnet (fairly close judging by the comparison shot) or Noodler’s Black Swan in Australian Roses. The crud/precipitate sounds very risky.

[DrDebG]

Like the color, but not the problems.

[Morbus Curiositas]

eew ink with Herpes

 

 

la Couronne du Comte carries the Range now maybe I schoul warn them...

 

I was considering to buy the inks in December when I am in Holland...

 

but I guess that's a nogo

 

 

I wish the Fountain a speedy recovery... get well soon

Edited October 31, 2018 by Morbus Curiositas