Ink Review: J. Herbin Gris Nuage

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J. Herbin Gris Nuage (Ink Drop - April 2015)
Pen: Lamy EF
Paper: Rhodia Dotpad 80gsm
Shading: low
Saturation: low
Flow: medium wet

The third ink in this month's Ink Drop is J. Herbin Gris Nuage.  J. Herbin was established in the year 1670 and is the oldest name in ink production in the world.  The company namesake, J. Herbin, was a sailor who ventured on many journeys to India and brought back a recipe for sealing wax.  They perfected this recipe over the years and became famous for the quality of his seals.  By 1700 he was making inks as well, and soon was making exclusive ink for Louis XIV and Victor Hugo.  Both of these ink formulas reside in their headquarters in Paris, France.

I had actually been considering picking up a bottle of Gris Nuage in my quest for my favorite grey ink, but I'd incidentally found my favorite before I had a chance.  I was glad to see it included in April's Ink Drop because I'd been wanting to try it.  I don't think it'll beat Faber-Castell Stone Grey as my favorite, it is definitely high up on the list.

Gris Nuage is a fairly low saturated ink, but that adds to the nice pale grey color on the paper.  It is a moderately wet ink that behaves quite well on my Rhodia pad.  No feathering or bleedthrough to speak of.  This is definitely my favorite ink in this Ink Drop, and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a middle of the road grey ink.

You can pick up a 30 mL bottle from Goulet or a similar retailer for $11.00.

Ink Review: Diamine Twilight

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Diamine Twilight (Ink Drop - April 2015)
Pen: Lamy EF
Paper: Rhodia Dotpad 80gsm
Shading: low to moderate
Saturation: high
Flow: wet

The second ink in this month's Ink Drop is Diamine Twilight (not Diamine Midnight as subconscious seems to think it should be called).  It is a dark teal color with fairly decent shading.  Being a Diamine ink, it's highly saturated and wet flowing.  It reminds me a lot of De Atramentis Pigeon Blue from last month's Ink Drop - just slightly darker.  It doesn't feather or bleed on my Rhodia pad, and dries moderately quickly at 9 seconds with my Lamy EF nib.

All in all, Twilight is not my favorite ink in the world, but it's still another great ink from Diamine's vast line.  You can pick up am 80mL bottle from Goulet or a similar vendor for $14.95.

Ink Review: Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue

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Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue (Ink Drop - April 2015)
Pen: Lamy Safari EF
Paper: Rhodia 80gsm

April 2015 Ink Drop is here!  The theme is Rain Rain Go Away - quite fitting for this month.  First color in the drop is Caran d'Ache Magnetic Blue.

Magnetic Blue is part of the Caran d'Ache Chromatics line.  You'll recognize the Chromatics by their cool tilted bottles.  This ink is a nice greyish blue with nice flow and not too overly saturated.  Despite the medium saturation, the shading is still fairly low.  No feathering on my Rhodia pad and ghosting/bleedthrough is non-existent.  Dry time was around 7 seconds with my Lamy EF nib with a light hand.

One downside to the Caran d'Ache Chromatics inks is their price.  From what I can tell, it is the highest priced ink per mL of all the major brands that I've been exposed to.  A 50mL bottle will set you back $33.20 at Goulet or a similar retailer.  The bottles are really nice looking and I'm sure that's part of what you're paying for, however I don't think it is enough to justify the price.

I do like Magnetic Blue, though I think that I'd be able to find a comparable color that wouldn't set me back so much.  Of course if it's your absolute favorite ink ever, it's certainly going to be worth the price to you.

Ink Review: Noodler's Zhivago

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Noodler's Zhivago
Pen: Lamy Safari EF
Paper: Rhodia Dotpad 80gsm

There's always a lot of talk about Noodler's Zhivago in the fountain pen community.  Typically it relates to what color it actually is - some say black, some say greyish-black, some say green and some say green-black.  I've seen some reviews and websites that classify this as a black ink, which always surprises me because the green tones are pretty apparent to my eyes.  The ink is quite dark and the green can be subtle; so if you have a little bit of colorblindness it may be hard to spot.

Very dark green

If I had to guess I would say this ink is a mix of a fairly bulletproof black ink/dye along with the dark green.  When exposed to water, the green washes away, leaving behind a black ink.  This is similar to what Nathan did with Liberty's Elysium, where it is "semi-bulletproof."  The ink behaves great on Rhodia, and even on my cheap post-it notes with hardly any feathering.  Dry time was pretty long at right around 15 seconds with an EF nib.  Being as dark as it is, there is no shading to be found.

I love [color]-black inks, and Zhivago is no exception.  It reminds me of the Uniball BLX series green-black.  I wouldn't mind it if a little more of the green showed through, but it's still a great ink.  It does tend to dry on the nib a little and give some starting issues if you leave your pen uncapped without writing for a minute or two, so be mindful of that.  You can pick up a bottle from Goulet or a similar retailer for $12.50.