Octopus Fluids Sheening Ink - Violet Medusa Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

With a name like Octopus Fluids Violet Medusa, how could I resist giving this a try? Sheen is such an exciting ink feature. It's character and personality without the high-maintenance of shimmer. And the sheen in this ink is bold enough to punch you in the face with all eight tentacles.

The ink comes in a lovely glass bottle with a wide base and wide mouth, so it's easy to fill your pen without worrying about the bottle tipping. The label shows the color and has a fantastic illustration of Medusa on it.

The base color of the ink is a vivid, saturated violet. The sheen, which shows up quite well in regular writing and is downright aggressive in places where the ink pools, is acid green. It calls to mind the venom in Medusa's snakes' fangs. Chromatography shows its true violet roots, with no hint of how it magically transforms into a metallic bright green. Alchemy, I guess.

Chromatography does show a water-resistant grey line, which also is confirmed in the water drip test, where some faint lines are still visible after water is wiped away or left to sit. You might be able to save some of your notes after a tea spill with this ink.

The ink has a fairly slow dry time. It takes nearly a full minute before a line fully stops smearing. I suspect that's because it's during that dry time that the sheen magic develops.

The ink is very fun to write with. It flows well and has great attitude. The bottle is 30ml and costs $21.50 at Vanness Pen Shop, which is an average price for ink, though I would not call this an average ink. It's the first time I've tried Octopus Fluids ink, but they have a number of equally tantalizing sheening inks that I'd now like to try. This ink is perfect for artists as well as writers. It would look fantastic in paintings and illustrations. It will be adding a beautiful, venomous bling to my journal pages for months to come.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro Drafting Pencil Review

I’ve been on a mechanical pencil kick recently, acquiring a handful of new, or new to me, models from JetPens as they appeared. My original plan was to do a combo review of the ones that stood out, but the more pencils I acquired the more I felt they each had their own story to tell, and grouping them together might muddy the waters unnecessarily.

As I hemmed and hawed how to present this batch of graphite, I decided to grab the pencil that clicked the most from the jump. There are other pencils in the queue that are more expensive, and others that are brand new models to the market, but for reasons you will find out below, I was drawn to the Pentel Graph 1000 60th Anniversary Edition.

This shouldn’t have surprised me, as I previously reviewed a limited edition colorway back in 2021 and thoroughly enjoyed it. This blacked-out model is equally as fantastic. The barrel is the standout feature, featuring an aluminum grip section and a plastic body. It’s narrower than many pencils, too. Given my love for the Pentel Sharp series, it should come as no surprise that light and narrow is my jam.

The primary difference between these two pencils is that the Graph 1000 grip is straight-sided, and the Sharp is tapered. The Graph 1000 also has rubber bumps on the grip section, and an engineering-style step tip. There are more than enough details to differentiate them, but the feel in hand is surprisingly close.

Very different shape, surprisingly similar feel.

As great as I think this pencil is, and as much as I would recommend it to anyone looking for this set of specs, it does have one problem: price. Specifically, the price in relation to other pencils in the Pentel lineup.

This Limited Edition is $16.00. In a vacuum, that’s a fair and reasonable price for this pencil. The standard model Graph 1000 runs $11.75, and at a glance, has very minor visual differences versus the 60th anniversary edition. The Creator’s Style Graph 1000, which again is only color differences, is $12.50. Overall, this is a reasonably-priced group of pencils, and at a fair premium to the more basic Pentel Sharp.

Enter the Pentel GraphGear 1000.

With one minor addition to the name, this mechanical pencil changes the entire calculus. This is a full metal barrel, knurled grip, retractable lead pipe superstar of a pencil. Like the other Pentel models above, it has history behind it, and lifelong fans.

And it only costs $12.25.

For a feature set as complete as the GraphGear has, I’m confused why it is essentially the same price as a lesser model. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy it is priced that way, but the only reason to purchase a Graph 1000 over a GraphGear 1000 is aesthetics. The GraphGear is admittedly a bit aggressive in that department, but for what you get it is kind of a no-brainer.

I guess it is time to make another mechanical pencil order.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Benu Pixie Magenta Madness Fountain Pen Giveaway

The Benu Pixie is one of the more fun pocket pen releases in recent memory, and I have one pen from the three-part Magenta Madness set to give away this week. This Fuchsia pen features a translucent sparkly cap and a Pink swirl barrel, and is fitted with a Fine Steel nib. This model is not widely available, but many are in a variety of Gold or Chrome trims, so be sure to check those out.

To enter to win this pen, read the rules below and enter away!

Benu Pixie Magenta Madness Fountain Pen Giveaway