(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
It's been quite a while since I've tried any shimmering inks, so the decision to try Van Dieman's Howl at the Moon is seriously overdue. All of the shimmering inks I've tried previously were of a darker variety, which creates a fairly obvious contrast between the ink color and the bright shimmery bits. Howl at the Moon is different because it's a pale yellow ink paired with a silver shimmer that sits on top. It's a subtle effect, but I've really been enjoying it.
I really enjoy the imagery that the marketing copy calls up to describe this ink:
Howl At The Moon is a silver shimmered dark yellow ink, inspired by the iconic image of a full yellow moon illuminating the night sky, silhouetting a lone alpha wolf, and uplifting the moods of everyone beneath.
I don't know if I'd agree with the dark yellow description, but I love the image of the moon and the wolf complementing each other in an idyllic midnight scene.
To my eye, Howl at the Moon is a pale, dusty yellow that inches toward a darker hue only when the ink pools up in certain strokes. It's certainly difficult to read on white paper, and I wouldn't mind if it was just a bit darker to improve the legibility. That said, I think it's a really pretty color. It's not one that I would write with routinely, but it's certainly an enjoyable change of pace and one that always makes me smile when I see it.
There's also a fair bit of shading that occurs if you're using a nib that's large and wet enough. In this somewhat dry 1.5mm stub nib from Monteverde, I get plenty of color variation between the thick, slow strokes compared to the quick, light strokes of different letters. The shading doesn't present as prominently when swabbing, so that shows it only has a limited capacity for color variation. The small amount of variation it does exhibit, however, is quite nice.
A lovely ink is made better by the hidden mysteries is possesses. In this case, the silvery shimmer that surfaces under certain light. It's a tricky thing to catch — sometimes it only looks like a place where the ink ran thin, leaving only a hint of color behind. Change your angle of perspective just a bit, and the dusty yellow rushes back in. The silver shimmer creates such a dazzling effect in areas where the ink has pooled, and it creates a glittering starlight effect in normal handwriting. It reminds me of Moon runes in The Hobbit:
“Moon-letters are rune-letters, but you cannot see them,” said Elrond, “not when you look straight at them. They can only be seen when the moon shines behind them..." — The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
While the ink is completely legible regardless of whether moonlight is present, this subtle glimmer is such a delight in our mundane real world.
Aside from the color and shimmer, this ink is fairly standard in terms of how it behaves in the pen. It's easy to clean out, but I clumsily forgot that shimmer inks require a good shaking before inking up your pen! My initial impressions were along the lines of, "what shimmer??" But that's easy to fix by remembering to prepare the ink before drawing it into the pen. Without some gentle shaking, all the shimmery silver bits stay at the bottom of the container!
At $14.95 for a 30ml bottle, Van Dieman's Howl at the Moon is an excellent value. And, if you're not sure (or just don't want much), you can always opt for a small sample for a few bucks. It's not in stock at Vanness now, but definitely keep your eyes peeled for a restock if this is your sort of thing. I've really enjoyed my time with this ink and look forward to using it for special occasions!
(Vanness Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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