Diamine Inkvent Blue Edition Jack Frost Ink: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Christmas in July when it's 105 in Abilene, Texas?! Who would've thought? Diamine, that's who. Remember the Inkvent Calendar from December? I remember it well, because I did mini-reviews of all 25 inks over 25 days (see the final day's summary here). In my original review of Jack Frost, I lamented that the 7ml bottle wouldn't last long. But Santa Claus is good, even in July, because Diamine decided to make all 25 Inkvent inks available in 50ml bottles.

And oh what a bottle it is--thick glass, a unique shape with four feet, and a shiny cap. I realize ink bottles are mostly utilitarian, but I absolutely love it when manufacturers put their inks in bottles that you can display like china.

Diamine Jack Frost is a deep, midnight blue with silver shimmer and magenta sheen. Like Jack, this ink is magical and evokes moody winter sunsets viewed through ice crystals on your window.

On Rhodia paper, the sheen doesn't show up like it does on the Col-o-dex card, but the shimmer stands out. This ink flows well and looks great in all nib sizes. But, broad or flex nibs show off the sheen and shimmer the best. The ink is not waterproof.

Jack Frost is gorgeous, with lots of turquoise amidst the deep blue as demonstrated in the chromatography.

This ink is fantastic when used with a ruling nib. The sheen outlines every letter and pools beautifully. The shimmer skates along the surface.

I drew a mandala with Jack Frost using Bank Paper and a fine nib. Although I was careful to shake the pen, the nib was too fine to display the shimmer. A tiny bit of sheen comes through. I think the blue stands on its own, even when sheen and shimmer are minimal.

You can probably tell that I am entranced with Diamine Jack Frost. The combination of a stellar blue color with both sheen and shimmer makes it special.

You can purchase this or any other Diamine Inkvent color from Stilo & Stile, 11,00€ (approximately $12.73) for 50ml.

(The Pen Addict purchased this ink at full retail from Stilo & Stile.)

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Lennon Tool Bar Indigo Tiegan Fountain Pen Ink Review

As a practitioner of the “Matchy Matchy” lifestyle, I am proud to say I have come up with a real winner here. It’s almost like the beautiful blue black of Lennon Tool Bar Indigo Tiegan was waiting to fulfill it’s destiny of flowing through the nib of the TWSBI 580 AL in Prussian Blue.

I like to have fun with product reviews, especially when the target is something as traditional as a blue black fountain pen ink. What Lennon Tool Bar is, and what they have made with this ink, is something special. Not in a drop everything and buy it kind of way, but more of a pure enjoyment when the color hits the page feeling. Especially when you are as big of a fan of this shade as me.

Based in Taiwan, Lennon Tool Bar began life as an indigo dyeing shop, which is a traditional, respected craft. When they decided to launch an in-house fountain pen ink lineup, their initial colors were based on the colors found in the indigo dyeing process they were familiar with.

Indio Tiegan represents when the dyeing process is freshly completed, and before it is first washed. It has some dark components, but shows a lightness in the shading that comes through on the page. It is a good middle ground compared to many of my favorites. For example, it’s darker than Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-Kai, but lighter than Sailor Blue Black.

The ink flows wet from my 1.1 mm stub TWSBI Nib. I need to try it in finer nibs to get a great feel for it, but I think the wetness will show up anywhere. Given that, I’ve found it takes a bit longer to dry on the Clairefontaine Triomphe paper I used for the written review. Comparable to Rhodia, Indigo Tiegan is on the longer side of dry times, but not enough to cause any problems.

I’ll be the first to admit I am swayed by brand and product stories, especially ones coming out of the Asian market that I am so fond of. So it comes as no surprise that I love this ink. At $20 for a 30 ml bottle it’s not cheap, but I think it is a fair price considering the fact that this is a small company, and has to be imported.

The challenge now is to decide which Lennon Tool Bar ink will be next for me, and how it will compare to Indigo Tiegan, which has quickly become a favorite.

(The Pen Addict purchased this ink at full price from Shigure Inks.)

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Kala Tribute to Neon “Groovy Neon Violet” Ink: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Kala Ink is a new brand that I’d never heard of until Brad sent me a bottle to review. The ink is made in Taiwan, and the “Tribute to Neon” series is quite unique. The colors in the series are bright, opaque, waterproof, and look wet even after they dry.

Groovy Neon Violet is a neon purple color that leans toward the pink/purple side of the color spectrum. On the Col-o-dex card, the ink comes out rather flat in the swab. But in writing, swirls, and splats, you can see how the ink maintains a wet appearance even after drying. (This card was created over three weeks ago!)

The ink exhibits good shading/pooling on Rhodia Dot Grid paper with the Noodler’s Triple Tail Flex Nib (reviewed here). The ink is completely waterproof.

In finer nibs, the ink looks lighter and the shading/pooling is not as evident.

Kala Neon Violet is the first waterproof ink I’ve ever tested. This stuff really is impervious to water, making my chromatography test rather useless. Alas.

In super wide nibs, like my Handwritmic Ruling Pen, the ink exhibits excellent shading and pooling. I apparently did not wait long enough for the ink to dry, and stacked other papers on top of this one. That accounts for the blotchiness you see where the ink pooled.

When I first opened the bottle, I wasn’t sure if Kala Neon Violet was actually for fountain pens. I had never seen such an opaque, thick ink. It isn’t quite the consistency of acrylic paint, but that’s what came to mind when I looked at it. I inked up my Noodler’s Triple Tail thinking that, if the ink didn’t come out of the pen, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I actually left the ink in the pen for several weeks before cleaning it (not recommended). Most of it rinsed out pretty easily, though a bit remained in the threads and piston. I wouldn’t use this ink in any of my really expensive pens, and best practice would be to clean out your pen immediately after use to avoid stains.

Kala Neon Groovy is the most unusual ink I’ve used. I love how opaque it is and the wet finish it leaves. It’s really quite fun to write with (wet, smooth, and good flow) and excellent for art.

You can purchase Kala Tribute to Neon “Groovy Neon Violet” Ink from Shigure Inks for $12.00 (30 ml). Neon Violet is currently out of stock, but you can sign up for an email to be notified when it’s available again.

(The Pen Addict purchased this ink from Shigure Inks at full retail price.)

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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!