Pennonia Strigoi Ink Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

This 2022 limited edition ink from Pennonia, Strigoi, is inspired by a Romanian legend about a spirit that rises from the grave, transforms into animals, turns invisible, drinks blood, and is believed to be the inspiration for the character Dracula. The ink is described as black with red micro pigments, but that's a simple description for what is a very complex ink.

The standout word there is micro pigments. Huh? In this ink, the micro pigments are a very fine sediment in the liquid that adds a matte texture to it--like the opposite of a shimmer. The red pigment is a very earthy tone, like the grave clay of the Strigoi. It does settle to the bottom of the bottle quickly, and it takes a bit of shaking and mixing to get it redistributed--which means it's also going to do that in your pen. The website does caution against putting this ink into a fancy or fussy pen. And if you're not fond of pen cleaning (like me), you'll want to proceed with caution. Because I know myself, I only filled the converter partway, so I know I'll run out more quickly and, in theory, clean the pen sooner. I let some of the pigment settle in the neck of the bottle so I could mess with it, and it has the texture of clay--thick and kind of sticky. It feels a bit wrong to put it in a pen, and I admit I might hesitate to do so, except... It looks So. Freaking. Awesome.

Y'all, this one is super hard to photograph, so I'm going to do my best to describe it. Calling this ink "black" is like calling the ocean blue. Sure, some of the ocean is blue, but it's also green, and aqua, and even brown, etc. This ink has a lot of sneaky color going on. To me, it looks like a navy charcoal color, like a shadowy version of a blue black. The chromatography really shows off the complexity, with the red-brown clay at the bottom, then the ink splitting into lilac and a bright teal. The Pennonia alchemists were flexing. The deep red matte of the pigment looks as though it's resting on top of that navy charcoal, giving a 3D effect, almost like it's casting a shadow. It doesn't show up as much in written lines, but the matte effect is still there. I don't think this ink would work with a fine or extra fine nib.

While the pigment gives the ink a dry feel, it actually takes an eternity to dry. Somewhere between 30 and 40 seconds it finally chilled out. And while the inkiness washes away easily in water, the pigment stays behind, so a small spill won't eradicate your writing. I wouldn't call it waterproof, but there is an element of permanence. As for color comparisons, I've got nothing. I'm not aware of any similar inks.

This 30ml bottle is only $16 at Vanness Pens, which is a great deal for a vial of undead blood-drinking spirit. And for ink, if that's what you're buying.

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

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Pairings Party: Waldmann Xetra Vienna, Amarillo Stationery Azul Frida

I did my first pairings party a few weeks back with the Onoto Scholar and Ferris Wheel Press Central Park Greens, and this week I’m back with another matchy-matchy combination that I’m loving in the Waldmann Xetra Vienna and Amarillo Stationery Azul Frida.

Beginning with the Waldmann, the Xetra Vienna puts the brand’s craftsmanship on full display. I knew this pen was a stunner with its polished blue lacquer and platinum plated parts, but I had no idea the cap pattern was hand-engraved. Not only does it look amazing, but it makes each pen in this series unique.

The Xetra Vienna is a standard length fountain pen, but with a narrow diameter. This shape leads to a requisitely narrow grip section, and #5-sized nib. My review model features an 18k Fine gold nib, but there is a stainless steel option as well.

This narrow barrel fits right into my preferences for writing. While I am comfortable using many pen shapes and sizes, I do prefer the narrow side of the ledger, so keep that in mind when I tell you how much I enjoy writing with this pen. Those who prefer bigger, wider pens may want to wait and see about the next Waldmann I will be reviewing.

I’ve had the Xetra Vienna in my writing rotation for a few weeks now, and it has been great. The added weight of the metal barrel balances out the narrowness, making for a comfortable writer. I mixed in a longer copy writing session for my long-running “The Bone Weaver’s Orchard” project, and the feel of the pen removed itself completely from the occasion. It morphed into my hand, the ink flow never stopped, and I had nothing to think about other than the text I was reading, and writing.

It was a great experience.

Adding to the writing experience was the perfect match of Pennonia Azul Frida, made for Amarillo Stationery. Inspired by Casa Azul, the long-time home of artist Frida Kahlo, this is a classic, bright blue that will feel right at home in any pen, especially one as perfect as the Xetra Vienna.

I’ve used a couple of Pennonia Inks, and the consistent performance of Azul Frida matches my experience with the rest. Great flow, excellent color saturation, and good dry time - all universally loved ink properties. As a bonus, what looks like a basic blue has hints of purple underneath, as seen in some of the ink swatches on different paper types - Yamamoto Bank Paper, for example.

I always want a classic blue on hand, and one with and added story and added character, like Azul Frida, is right up my alley.

Top to bottom: Sailor King of Pen Sky, Platinum 3776 Chartres Blue, Waldmann Xetra Vienna, Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel.

My first experience with Waldmann was last year, when Kimberly let me test out one of hers. In general, the designs of this 100 year-old German brand aren’t a perfect style match for myself, but my goodness was the writing experience nice. That alone put them on my radar, especially as they continue to release interesting models.

The Xetra Vienna runs $319 with a steel nib, and $439 with an 18k gold nib, as seen in this review. The price feels right for the level of quality and craftsmanship. And Waldmann has well over a dozen different styles to choose from, ranging from $200 on up. While I don’t have one in my collection today, it won’t me long before one makes the cut and I add it to list.

(Luxury Brands of America loaned the Waldmann to The Pen Addict. Amarillo Stationery provided the ink at no charge.)

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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!

Pennonia Méregzöld - Seafoam or Poison?

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Pennonia is a company founded by Hungarian fountain pen enthusiast Máté Bikfalvi who decided to launch his own line of inks in early 2020. There are currently over 40 different inks, not including exclusives like Inkdependence’s Cheerio Waterbus. I will be reviewing Pennonia Méregzöld, which we received for review from Vanness Pens.

Back in the day, Máté’s family computer had a seafoam teal Windows 95 background. Máté’s mom thought it looked like méregzöld, which is Hungarian for “poison green”. So when this dark teal ink was created, the name was an obvious choice and Pennonia Méregzöld was born. Pro tip: if you want to learn how to pronounce the name of this and other Pennonia inks, head over to this helpful pronunciation page

Pennonia Méregzöld comes in a 50ml glass bottle which is packaged in a white box with a round color swatch on top which I find super helpful for locating colors in my ink drawers.

Unlike Mike’s Cheerio Waterbus which is a little more green, Méregzöld leans a bit more blue. It is a fairly saturated ink that has average to slightly wet flow in the Broad Stub.

Similar inks include Diplomat Caribbean, Stilo e Stile Roman Bronze Oxidation, Sailor 2022 Pen Show Ink and Robert Oster Aqua.

Dry times were pretty fast on more porous paper like the Hamelin index card, but was upwards of 30 seconds on 68 gsm Tomoe River paper and more than 60 seconds to fully dry on 52 gsm. If you want faster dry times, consider a finer nib, dryer nib/feed and less coated paper or all of the above.

Dries pretty quickly on this Hamelin index card.

Dry times on 68 gsm Tomoe River. The Broad Stub is a bit of a wet writer but it definitely takes a while to dry, unless you write with the nib upside down which usually has a drier flow.

Dry times on 52 gsm Tomoe River - not surprising that this takes even longer to dry.

I have had Pennonia Méregzöld inked up in a Newton Prospector with a Franklin-Christoph Nagahara Broad Stub nib for the past 3 months and it always starts up right away even if I haven’t written with the pen/ink in a few weeks. It is a lovely shade of teal that reminds me of the ocean. I picked it because it pairs beautifully with this Earth Magic material from Jonathon Brooks.

Pennonia Méregzöld in a Newton Prospector in Earth Magic with a Broad Stub on 68 gsm Tomoe River.

Brooks’ materials are stunning and this is no exception. I absolutely love it when I find a good ink to match.

Pennonia Méregzöld sells for $13 USD for a 50 ml bottle, which is a good price for a nice amount of ink. I don’t care what the name really means, because Méregzöld definitely is not poison green but a beautiful teal ink that I am really enjoying using.

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