Robert Oster Dragon's Night Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Just in time for the shorter days and longer nights, it's a lusciously dark violet-blue ink from Robert Oster that also has a faint hint of copper sheen. Dragon's Night is a gorgeous dark ink that has just enough character to keep it interesting for long writing sessions.

It's not uncommon for Robert Oster inks to have a little flare on top of the base color, and this one is no different. There's a medium amount of shading — just enough to be noticeable under normal writing conditions. But there's also a hidden copper/red sheen that comes out in rare lighting conditions. This isn't a crazy sheening effect that's hard to ignore like some inks. It's subtle, and even when it does occur it isn't widespread. It's small and reminds me of glistening stars or floating embers rising from a small fire.

I had a hard time finding other ink swatches to compare this with because it's a unique combination (in my ink collection at least) of dark purple/violet, dark blue, and blue-black shades. When writing, it usually looks like a violet-black with lots of blue undertones. I've realized that my ink collection has lots of purples, but not many violets, which also means I prefer the warmer purple shades to the bluer violet. Either way, this is an ink color that I'm more than happy to use.

While it's not a particular fast-drying ink, I've found that it's dry to the touch at around 20 seconds in a medium nib. Could be faster, but could also be much slower.

Writing with this ink is an absolute pleasure. It has a good amount of lubrication for the nib and starts easily in whatever pen I throw it in. Despite being so dark, it also doesn't show through to the opposite side of the page much.

I'm a little disappointed that the copper sheen doesn't present itself more readily. It's really shy and I had a lot of trouble creating the optimal conditions to make it come out. In normal writing, it's rare that you'll see the sheen, but it will make you smile when it does appear.

Given the light sheen, it's a good thing the base color and medium shading behavior is so nice with this ink. Definitely purchase this ink due to the color and not with any expectation of sheening!

I've always been really happy with the many Robert Oster inks I've used, and Dragon's Night is no exception, as long as you have the right expectations. This is a violet-black that will be in heavy rotation over the next few months!

Dragon's Night is available in a 50ml bottle for $18, or you can pick up a 4ml sample vial to try out first. It's a good bang for the buck in terms of value, and I'd happily recommend it to anyone that likes the dark, moody violet shade.

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

---

Robert Oster Skyward Fountain Pen Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Summer is just around the corner, and that means many people will be setting off on summer vacations to idyllic locations that may feature views of beautiful bodies of water. That sort of vacation or trip isn't in the cards for me this year, but I can capture a small part of that sparkly water feel with Skyward ink from Robert Oster, an exclusive color from Vanness.

Given the name, I assume this ink color draws inspiration from the sky, but I just see crystal clear water when I look at it. Either way, it's a gorgeous aqua/sky blue with just a small hint of green. I'm a big fan of blue inks — turquoise in particular — and this shade of blue takes me to my happy place.

The ink flows really well (almost like water), and has no issues with skipping or hard starts. Like every other Oster ink I've personally used, it performs really well. There isn't any bleeding or feathering, and the ink stays where it's supposed to be while making clean lines with crisp edges.

There's also a bit of shading that adds to that feeling that this is actually a clear tropical body of water close to the beach. There's just enough variation of light blues and a little green to mimic shallow, clear water.

One thing that surprised me about this ink was the dry time. I wasn't expecting to be such a quick drying ink, but it most certainly is. Maybe that's due to the light color? At any rate, this ink is dry to the touch in about 15 to 20 seconds with this large, wet 1.1mm stub nib, and it's a second or two faster with a smaller nib. It dries fast enough that it might even be a good option for left-handed writers.

There's no mistaking this ink color when it's on the page. It is completely light blue and won't be able to pass as a medium blue ink. What that means is that you might not be able to use this ink in certain settings where dark colors are expected (business, legal, etc.). That being said, it's exceedingly great at adding joy to any piece of paper it touches, so use it as much as you want and push the boundaries of what's acceptable.

This comes as no surprise to me, but I absolutely love this ink. I knew as much when I saw the swatch online, and Robert Oster has delivered again. It's fantastic knowing that you can buy any of these inks based on color, shading, and other interesting characteristics while being confident that everything else will work great.

Vanness Pens sell Skyward exclusively, and you can pick it up in a 50ml bottle for $18, or you can opt for a 4ml sample for just under $4. In my opinion, you should go for the bottle if you like the color. This light blue has just enough green and subtle shading to make it feel like you're on the beach, so you'll likely use more of it that you think at first. If you like the color, you won't be sorry you picked up a bottle!

---

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!

Robert Oster Whiskey Fountain Pen Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Ever since I saw Robert Oster's Whiskey fountain pen ink, I've wanted to try it out. For one reason or another, I either forgot to add it to an order or didn't have luck with it being in stock. But, I finally have it and have been using this brown-orange for the last couple weeks.

Whiskey is part of a collection of ink called Drinks that represents different drink colors. The caramel color of this particular ink does a fantastic job of emulating the smooth amber/brown liquid it's named after. Described as a "terracotta orange," this is an earthy ink with a little bit of shading to add some great character.

While whiskeys vary a lot in color, I think the hue that Robert Oster captured in this ink is a fantastic representation of the general spirit. As someone who has almost no other inks that fall into this brown-orange territory, I'm afraid I might have stumbled into a new favorite color category. It reminds me a little of Diamine's Ancient Copper, but with a lighter hue and more orange. In all, it's a fantastic color that suits everyday writing while adding a bit of flare that's easy to see on the page.

Aside from the warm, caramel color of this ink, it acts like every other Robert Oster ink I've ever tried. When it comes to the writing experience and my expectations, Robert Oster inks have gotten a little boring — meaning they always behave well in the pen and provide an excellent writing experience. With Robert Oster inks, you really only have to focus on the colors you like as well as other characteristics like shading and sheen. Regardless of what you pick, the baseline performance and behavior is stellar.

There's no feathering or bleeding to speak of (I'm not counting a little bit of feathering in one of my swatch samples because that's not what I consider a normal use). Show-through is minimal given the overall light/medium shade.

My favorite attribute of this ink apart from the color is the light level of shading you get with it. Like the spirit, there isn't any variation in the base color, but the fact that it's a liquid means it can look lighter or darker depending on how much of it is in a vessel, how much light is traveling through it, etc. This small bit of shading that the ink exhibits is a perfect nod to the fact that it's emulating a liquid. The little bits of darker brown/orange around the edges of letters where the ink pools up is so satisfying. If there wasn't any shading with this ink, the overall color might be a little drab. The shading gives it that little touch of character that elevates it to another level in terms of visual interest.

There is some bad news, though. This is not a fast-drying ink. It takes roughly 25 to 35 seconds to dry to a point where it doesn't smudge. For me, the sweet spot for ink dry times is around 20 seconds. Anything less than that is gravy. At 30 seconds or more, it means I have to take that into consideration when choosing whether to use that specific pen. This will be even more of a consideration for left-handed writers or for anyone that grips then pen in a way that means your hand or arm trails the pen's writing direction. There will be smudges!

Despite the slower dry time, this ink instantly shot to the top of my current list of favorite inks. Back when I first saw it and liked the color on screen, I should have just picked it up. Like I said, with Robert Oster inks, you know you'll get a great ink, so it's all a matter of listening to what colors speak to you.

Robert Oster Whiskey is available in a 50ml bottle for just $18. This is on par for other Oster inks, and a great value for what you get. If you dig this color, then you won't be let down by how it performs and looks on the page!

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

---

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!