EFNIR: Van Dieman's Ink Eggplant

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: Van Dieman's Ink Eggplant

This is review #148 in my series.  Here's the YouTube video:

Post-recording notes: Cleaning was quick and easy. The color leans slightly blue - at least, it does going down the drain, where lots of blue is visible. On paper, it's more in the middle. The video shows the ink looking bluer than my eyes see. The zoom is fairly accurate. The scan is a bit too blue. The screen capture text is a bit too dark.

And here is a screen of the final result, for those not interested in the video:

Scan of Completed Review:

Zoomed in photo:

Absorbent Paper Closeup (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper):

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap

Previous Review: Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho.

Want to influence the inky sequence?  Take the "next ink" poll.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh?  Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy.  Comments appreciated!

[yazeh]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, nice inks. now lets pick up a nice purple   and stick with it..... 

I thought Leafy paled when it saw Makhabesh. It seems it was the stick

You can call it the Lord of Stick !

[LizEF]

9 minutes ago, yazeh said:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, nice inks. now lets pick up a nice purple   and stick with it..... 

I do rather like this Eggplant.

 

9 minutes ago, yazeh said:

I thought Leafy paled when it saw Makhabesh. It seems it was the stick

Yes, staffs from the ironwood tree are apparently rare and Leafy wasn't expecting Quin to get one of those.

 

9 minutes ago, yazeh said:

You can call it the Lord of Stick !

Or Makhabesh can!

[chromantic]

Another great review, Liz. The color is nice enough though not really my kind of purple (I likes them a bit redder) but it looks like it might be a close match for the Optima Viola I'm expecting, not that I need another pen with purple ink.

[LizEF]

50 minutes ago, chromantic said:

Another great review, Liz.

Thanks!

 

50 minutes ago, chromantic said:

...but it looks like it might be a close match for the Optima Viola I'm expecting, not that I need another pen with purple ink.

Everyone who's never said this sort of thing, please raise your hand.  <looks around at the complete lack of raised hands>

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have only one Van Dieman ink, and this isn't it.  Actually, I forget which it is.  I do have a couple of your comparison inks, JH Poussiere etc., and the Aubergine.

 

Still not a fan of purples, and the long dry time rules this out, but I am a fan of your reviews.  Thanks.  

 

PS:  Yeah, yeah, nice stick.  🤣

[LizEF]

4 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

but I am a fan of your reviews.  Thanks.

Thank you!  You're welcome!

 

4 minutes ago, Sailor Kenshin said:

PS:  Yeah, yeah, nice stick.  🤣

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks as always LizEF.  I had been curious about this brand but there aren't swabs/writing samples of any of the inks on the Vanness website.

This is a maybe (I have other purples that look similar, and the feathering in the closeup shot is pretty severe...).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[LizEF]

16 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

Thanks as always LizEF.

You're welcome!

 

17 minutes ago, inkstainedruth said:

the feathering in the closeup shot is pretty severe...

Keep in mind that's really absorbent paper - close to newsprint - on the top and copy paper on the bottom.  The other images are Rhodia.  This ink does fine on FP-friendly paper.  So if you often use unfriendly paper, then you may not like this ink, but if you usually use friendly paper, this ink would be just fine.

 

For some reason, on Vanness' site a lot of the Van Dieman's inks (and some other brands) require you to go to the individual ink page and click the thumbnail for the swatch.  By default it shows the bottle.  Drives me nuts that they don't all show the swab by default.

[inkstainedruth]

Wondering now if it's some sort of legal thing.  

The first time I ever went to Fountain Pen Hospital in NYC, I wasn't allowed to dip test any of the MB inks, which were in sealed packages.  Other ink brands?  That was okay....   

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[mizgeorge]

Thank you @LizEF - another excellent review (and nice stick too).

 

I like quite a lot of the Van Dieman's inks, but this isn't a colour that I particularly warm to, and I have plenty of inks that are close enough for this to offer little in the way of temptation for me. 

 

And sometimes that's more useful to know than seeing something I think I really want!

[LizEF]

1 minute ago, mizgeorge said:

Thank you @LizEF - another excellent review (and nice stick too).

You're welcome.  Thanks!   ()

[I-am-not-really-here]

Nice purple, but I have too many already.  Maybe, next pass through Vanness or PenChalet I'll grab a sample but this one is a bit darker than my current preference.

 

Thank you for the review!

 

 

[LizEF]

11 minutes ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

too many

What is this "too many" you speak of?  Are you sure you're in the right place?  "Too many" seems to be an alien concept in these parts.  Please hold while I consult a dictionary....  ....OK, I have examined the dictionary, and it clearly states that this confusing "too many" thing cannot be applied to fountain pens, inks, or paper.

[AmandaW]

I have this one. And it's my only more neutral purple among a few that lean pink. It even makes Diamine Damson and Aakerman 15 look pinkish. I like it.

 

[A Smug Dill]

2 hours ago, LizEF said:

… this confusing "too many" thing cannot be applied to fountain pens, inks, or paper.

 

I have one Parker Duofold Centennial in my personal fleet of pens, and that's one too many.

I have one Broad nib among all my Platinum #3776 Century pens, and that's one too many.

I have allowed Diamine Sargasso Sea, which has a physically sickening smell to me, to ‘infect’ a Moonman 800's body and ruin the pen beyond remedy. That's one too many victims.

[LizEF]

58 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

...too many.

...too many.

...too many

😱 Run for your lives!  It's an alien invasion!

[chromantic]

3 hours ago, LizEF said:

What is this "too many" you speak of?  

 

To me, too many is having more pens inked than one can reasonably cycle through and having to constantly top them off (because of evaporation) so they don't dry out.  I have Cross Violet (Sport) and Stipula Purple (M200) in the line-up now but recently added L'Amant (the new Mini). That's in addition to 3 BBs, 1 dark blue, 1 Medium blue, 1 light blue, 1 dark teal, 1 pink, 1 pink/orange, 1 yellow/orange, 1 red/orange, 1 red, 1 dark green, 2 browns (1 in 2 pens) and 1 black (also in 2 pens).

 

I might go counter-intuitive and try Miruai in the Viola.

[LizEF]

2 minutes ago, chromantic said:

To me, too many is having more pens inked than one can reasonably cycle through

OK, fine, I give in.  I'll be serious.  Yes, absolutely.  This is why I don't allow myself to ink a bunch of pens at once - I just don't write enough, and too few seal well enough, to use them in a timely-enough manner.  But my Christmas Card Ink thread isn't working as planned, and I'm actually pondering inking 4 pens with Christmasy inks!! But in less than full standard international short volumes...

[InesF]

Hi @LizEF!

Thank you for this ink introduction and for one more glimpse at the ever growing story!

Doesn't matter if called Eggplant or Aubergine, these are among my most favorite inks.

My opinion is surprisingly often similar to yours - as it is this time: purple inks, indeed, suffer a lot from all those nasty absorbent papers!  😉

😆