(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.)
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!
