Graf von Faber-Castell Garnet Red
Pen: Lamy Safari (M)
Paper: Rhodia 80gsm Dotpad
Shading: high
Saturation: low-moderate
Flow: good flow
Dry Time: 15 seconds

Faber-Castell is a company that has been around since 1761, and is one of the oldest manufacturers of writing utensils and supplies in the world. If you've been around your local hobby store recently, you've probably noticed their name on non-fountain pen tools such as colored pencils, erasers, india inks, etc. Fountain pens and inks are just a small portion of their business, but if this ink is any indication, they're definitely doing something right.

Faber-Castell Garnet is the second ink in their line that I've used. So far they've yet to disappoint me. A nice mid-burgundy color, Garnet is an amazing shading ink. Even with the folded nib, the ink displays an amazing variation in saturation and color, which really appealed to me. On typical fountain-pen-friendly papers, it failed to feather or bleedthrough at all, and the dry time was respectable for a medium nib at 15 seconds.

One of the best things about this color, is how unique the shade is. Though I haven't used a ton of burgundy inks, I really couldn't find anything close to this color. De Atramentis William Shakespeare and Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses were closest in my collection.

Chromatography was typical of most pinks & reds, with mostly a magenta color. There is a yellow spot where the swab started, with a tiny bit of purplish color at the bottom.

Although I don't typically gravitate towards inks of this color, I really enjoyed using this one. The shading really makes it pop on the page, especially when used with the folded nib. I really think I'll have to try out some more Faber-Castell inks in the future. If you're planning on giving them a try, you may want to pick up a sample first, as the bottles sell for $30 for 75mL. For the size, it's not too bad at all, but it is a big investment and a lot of ink if you decide you aren't a fan of the color. Let me know in the comments what your favorite Faber-Castell ink is!

Thanks for reading!
- Lori