Diamine Inkvent Calendar

[NickiStew]

SPOILER ALERT! If you do not want to see the colours before Advent, then please do not read this article and do not scroll down!

 

 

 

 

Many congratulations to Diamine! A superb idea and what a fabulous gift too!

Behind each of the 24 doors is a bottle of 7ml ink, while behind the 25th is a 30ml bottle.

 

 

All the inks are brand new. Some are standard, while others sheen or shimmer - and some do both! Their names reflect the festive season, so once you've opened all your doors, you'll have a collection of inks called: Blue Peppermint, Candy Cane, Snow Storm, Polar Glow, Triple Chocolate, Ho Ho Ho, Mistletoe, Gold Star, Nutcracker, Winter Miracle, Elf, Noel, Mulled Wine, Jack Frost, Festive Cheer, Seasons Greetings, Poinsettia, Holly, Gingerbread, Midnight Hour, Fire Embers, Solstice, Roasted Chestnut, Purple Bow & Happy Holidays.

 

 

Edited October 4, 2019 by NickiStew

[whichwatch]

Those are some really nice looking colors!

 

When I first read about the set I thought it an interesting idea. But seeing the color samples you have presented may make it a "must have" for my Christmas list!

 

Thanks for posting this!

[JakobS]

I love the idea, it's certainly creative, and Diamine inks are one of my most used ink brands, but I do feel the colors are not all that different from ones that they already sell, so will not be too disappointed in having to pass on this. A little bummed that all the colors were revealed, part of the fun, was not knowing what you would get each day, a little ruined in that regard I suppose....

[NickiStew]

I love the idea, it's certainly creative, and Diamine inks are one of my most used ink brands, but I do feel the colors are not all that different from ones that they already sell, so will not be too disappointed in having to pass on this. A little bummed that all the colors were revealed, part of the fun, was not knowing what you would get each day, a little ruined in that regard I suppose....

 

Spoiler alert added. Apologies if your surprise has been ruined. Nick

[inkstainedruth]

Some of the colors look really nice. But the price makes me hesitate. And if I did buy it, and then discovered that the colors were not available in full size bottles, I'd be very grumpy and definitely NOT in the Christmas spirit....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[NickiStew]

Some of the colors look really nice. But the price makes me hesitate. And if I did buy it, and then discovered that the colors were not available in full size bottles, I'd be very grumpy and definitely NOT in the Christmas spirit....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

That's very candid of you Ruth.

[Bhavna]

A stunning set of inks, and I do hope the colours will be made available in at least 30ml. I haven't heard any more on this from Diamine however.

[jbphotographs]

Couldn't really wait until December so I'm breaking into mine throughout the month of Inktober! 3 colors on the go right now - Candy Cane, Blue Peppermint and Triple Chocolate : )

[NickiStew]

Couldn't really wait until December so I'm breaking into mine throughout the month of Inktober! 3 colors on the go right now - Candy Cane, Blue Peppermint and Triple Chocolate : )

 

Winter Miracle is just fabulous! Don't use sparingly!

[Misfit]

Thank you for showing this to us Nick. I first saw it when looking at Diamine inks at Cult Pens. As neat of an idea and attractive as it is, for me the price is too much. Though you do get a lot of ink.

 

Because you showed us the colors and associated names, it gave me an idea. I think I will round up any inks I have that match the Diamine Inkvent colors. I have a DeLike “glass” nib and a metal calligraphy nib pen I got at Barnes and Noble. I think I would match up 4 or 5 at a time, and use them with the dip pens for letters (if it isn’t too laborious). Perhaps Diamine Chocolate or J Herbin Caroube de Chypre for Triple Chocolate. Diamine Red Lustre could be my stand in for Ho Ho Ho because Santa deserves some shimmer.

 

We shall see if I follow through. I’m not sure about writing letters with dip pens, but if I had bought the Inkvent Calendar, I expect that is how I would have tried them. Too many pens inked now to add 25 more.

[nanahcub]

A lovely idea - it would make a great early Christmas gift, alongside a nice pen. It is a really good marketing opportunity.

 

I always use Diamine inks, but my one gripe with them is the difficulty in actually finding a shop that sells it. I live in London, the capital of the UK, where Diamine come from, one of the biggest cities in Europe, one of the great cities in the world.

To my knowledge (I'm happy to be corrected - please, please let me be wrong!) there is only one shop in the whole of London where you can buy Diamine ink - Greene and Stones in chelsea. And that shop is pretty out of the way.

 

They only stock a limited range of ten colours (sadly not the colour I most use) and although they will order different colours in for you, they will only do so when they next put an order into Diamine, which I was told can be as little as once every few months.

 

Yeah, you can buy it online, but ink in glass bottles in heavy and the postage can be almost as much as a bottle of ink. I'd rather just go to a shop and buy it for the cost of the ink (not the cost of the ink plus the same again for postage, making it twice as much as it should be), and have it in my hand - not have to order it, wait for a delivery, then find time to run to the post office to collect it because I'm not at home when it is delivered...

 

whinge whinge, gripe...

 

Sorry about the rant, but Diamine is one of the UK's success stories for fountain pens. Their marketing department seems non-existent though. The only ink you can get in most of the UK is Parker, Parker or Parker. Pen shops or larger stationery or Art shops might (might!) also have Cross, Sheaffer and one or two other inks from pen manufacturers - but never Diamine.

London no longer has many pen shops, but there are a few still, and the big department stores have pen departments. Surely Diamine can do something to get at least a basic range of colours into them?

[Misfit]

@rbuchanan

I read your post with interest. It is surprising to learn the situation for Diamine inks in London. I cant help but think here I am in middle America, and I can buy Diamine inks at the local pen store The Pen Place. Not all the colors, not even close, and only in the 80ml bottles. Im guessing they have 20 or 30 colors. (Edit oops I counted the bottled ink on the Pen Place website, and it was 50+. Now if they can stock that many here in KC, let your Chelsea store know a city with a metro area of two million has London beat on Diamine inks. If you think that will help, that is.)

 

I hope Diamine gets better UK distribution. They are the UK ink.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Misfit

[Newjelan]

I finished my 25 days of the Inkvent Calendar today. I know, I’m a month early but I have my reasons. Having now tried them all, I think the Calendar is fabulous and I hope they do another one next year. The mix of colours, and finishes mean there’s something for everyone and the colours and names are well thought out. There are several colours that I’d like to buy in 30ml (or larger) bottles.

[JulieParadise]

I had a great Sunday matching pens in advance to all the colours and their properties based on the (p)review done by https://www.mountainofink.com/blog/diamine-invent

 

That way even with little time on hand I should be able to get to use my sparse playing time to enjoy the pairings every day without fussing or even agonizing which pen to use. For me the joy is less the surprise about the colours anyway but trying all these different inks.

 

I sorted my pens and will put sheeny inks into particularly wet writers, shimmering inks mostly into Pilot Parallel Pens which do great with shimmer and all the more "normal" inks with colours suited to more serious writing into finer nibs.

 

And now I am impatiently awaiting the next Sunday to start a colourful December!

[grainweevil]

As others have said, it's a lovely idea, but not being a fan of either sheen or shimmer, not something that appealed sufficiently to me. But it's nice to see the colours, so thank you, Nick.

 

Like Misfit, I've been inspired to set up a variation on the theme. I have too many a fair few inks already, many of which have been sadly neglected, so in a DIY/skinflint spirit I've shuffled all my ink sample cards, picked twenty-four of them at random (sight unseen) and put them into numbered envelopes. I will break out the designated bottle from the vaults and ink it up as they are revealed to me. All the anticipation, which is the aspect of Advent Calendars I enjoy the most, but none of the financial outlay. Of course if I get twenty-four blues in a row (not impossible) I may conclude Misfit's was a much better idea..!

[Misfit]

Thank you for the mention. I saw a review on the Mountain of Ink blog, where she showed two inks that were close to each Inkvent ink. Naturally I do not own most of them. But it shows the swatches and names, so if I try to match my own ink, I can check that blog for correct order.

 

I already have too many pens with ink (over 30), so I cannot fill 24 more. The problem is I’m not sure I can write letters with dip pens like people used to have to do.

 

I did give an Esterbrook SJ a refill of Montblanc Corn Poppy Red, so there is a pen ready for one Inkvent color. I received a Moonman M2 today, and was planning on filling it from a new bottle of Sheaffer Skrip Red. I wonder if a pen like that (eye dropper only) would be good for shimmer inks.

[Noihvo]

[JulieParadise]

#01 Blue Peppermint (Shimmer)

The first ink is a great starter, really fun & bright & beautiful!

[NickiStew]

 

#01 Blue Peppermint (Shimmer)

The first ink is a great starter, really fun & bright & beautiful!

 

 

Beautiful. Thanks for posting Julie. That pen looks good. What is it? N

Edited December 1, 2019 by NickiStew

[JulieParadise]

Thank you!

 

The pen is a Sailor 1911s (Profit Standard, so the smaller version with the 14k nib and the interchangeable parts: nib, feed, section, barrel, cap with the Sailor Pro Gear Slim line) Ivory with a juicy music nib.