“One shimmer ink at a time Brad!”
That’s the issue I’m having right now, because there are so many interesting shimmer inks on the market, and I want to use them all. Recently, it was Jacques Herbin Shogun, and currently, it is Monarca Rey Jaguar.
So, how do I choose which shimmer ink to ink up when it is time? If these last two choices are any indication, the level of pen and ink matching plays a big role. The darker Shogun was a perfect match to my black, gold, and silver Aurora Optima, and the golden shimmer of Rey Jaguar looks fantastic in my Ferrari-themed Spoke Icon. Give me the opportunity to match, or tell a story with a pen and ink combination, and I will jump at the chance.
Monarca Stationery launched their brand with stories in mind, with two collections of four inks each. Caribbean features shades reminiscent of the Mexican seaside, and Semi Desert brings you inland. The ninth ink, Rey Jaguar, stands alone as a limited edition based on the colors of the largest feline in the Americas, with proceeds of sales going to support Jaguar conservation campaigns.
This ink is as beautiful as its namesake. There is a richness to the golden brown base ink color, with a healthy dose of gold shimmer leaping off the page as if a Jaguar were released from inside your notebook. Ok, that’s a bridge too far, but that’s what shimmer inks are to begin with, so let’s just go with it!
I’m impressed with the performance of Rey Jaguar, especially due to the fact I didn’t ink it up to use with a wide nib. I have a stock Jowo Fine nib in my Icon and wanted to check the performance in a setup I wouldn’t normally use. The flow is fantastic, and exceeds any expectations I had of using a shimmer ink in a fine nib. The lines are consistent, and shimmer deployment is well regulated. I will try more shimmer inks in fine nibs if they work as well as this one.
Do you need this ink? That is, of course, impossible for me to answer. The color is reasonably unique, although there are other golden brown shimmer inks out there. It’s priced slightly on the high side at $26 for 30 ml, but is limited to only 600 bottles, and ships with Monarca’s unique wooden bottle holder and pen rest in each box. It’s also a fun new brand, and sales of this ink support Jaguar conservation efforts.
Personally, I’m thrilled with it from a performance perspective, and that is the most important feature of any product - especially one new to the market. I’d have no issue recommending Rey Jaguar, or any of the standard Monarca inks, of which we will have more reviews of soon.
(Monarca Stationery provided this ink at no charge to The Pen Addict for purposes of this review.)
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