(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
In most parts of North America, plants are blooming and there's plenty of rich green and other vibrant colors popping up everywhere (along with the not so desirable pollen). With the latest Colorverse ink that I'm trying out, its name pays tribute to a hiking trail in Vermont. Perfect forest green color to pair with a long hike in rural Vermont.
Colorverse Long Trail is named after the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the US. Located (and spanning) Vermont, this trail winds 273 miles through the longest part of the state. Tackling the trail in one go often takes weeks, and there are countless awe-inspiring vistas along the way. All that to say, this ink has quite a heritage to live up to in its namesake.
I have several Colorverse inks in my collection, and I've always had really good experiences with them. I love how specific and intentional their ink names are — I always learn something new when researching where the name came from. Long Trail is a deeply saturated forest green ink that fits the landscape of lush forest and dewy undergrowth perfectly. Upon first inking and trying this ink out, I was really happy with the deep green lines that came out of the pen.
As far as forest green goes, this is a dark one. It's so dark that you could definitely use this in an office setting where they frown on bright or non-standard ink colors. There's just enough enough color in the depths to quickly let you know that this isn't a black ink. The rich color also gives way to some shading that adds a little character to the lines.
The ink also behaves well. It's well-lubricated and flows easily. With the Monteverde Omniflex nib I used in the photos, the ink has no trouble keeping up with the wet nib even when the tines are spread to the max. The lines are also crisp and sharp — no feathering or bleeding in sight. Dry time is a little slow — somewhere between 15 and 30 seconds in this wet medium-ish nib, but your results will vary between different nibs and paper types. Despite whatever pen and paper combinations you try, this likely won't be a good pick for lefties.
The saturation in this ink is so rich and deep — it's really beautiful (especially when using a paint brush to swatch the ink), but it can be a little annoying to clean out of pens. It washes out easily, but it takes several rounds of flushing to get it all. Definitely plan on taking the pen apart to really clear out the feed if you can. If you can't, it's really not a big deal — just means you'll spend an extra minute or two flushing it out. I have zero concerns with putting this ink in any pen I own.
Long Trail comes in a 15ml bottle for around $13.50, which is right on target for Colorverse inks. Their inks are high quality, so the price is great. And I love that the bottle is so small because I really have no need for large amounts of ink when I already have so many bottles.
I have a handful of dark green inks, and I enjoy using them from time to time. Out of all of them in my collection, I think Long Trail is my new favorite. It really is a beautiful forest green with lots of murky character.
(Goldspot 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!
