The April 2015 Ink Drop has arrived! I enjoy receiving these little bundles of inky goodness every month but felt slightly let down after opening this one. Really, Goulet Pens? Blacks and grays during a very wet spring? But I persevered and tested them anyway…and I am so glad I did.
STOP! If you want to read the review, click the ‘read more’ button. If you have ordered your Ink Drop but haven’t received it yet, you may want to wait to take a peek at my review. Proceed at your own risk!
I am not a professional reviewer. I’m just a gal who loves pen, ink, and paper (and not necessarily in that order). My process is as follows: ink up a dip pen, jot down a few words, do a swab test, and scratch out some lines. For those who need more information than that, I’ve linked out to more comprehensive reviews at the end of this post.
Paper: Sustainable Earth by Staples 20 lb 92 Bright
Pen/Nib: Dip pen fitted with Nikko G and Blue Pumpkin (indicated)
Waterman’s Intense Black
Nib: Blue Pumpkin
First up is Waterman’s Intense Black. Personally, I think the name is a misnomer. While it is black, it appears to be a thin black. The Namiki black ink cartridge I have in my Kakuno fountain pen is a deeper black than this. However, as April 2015 Ink Drop theme was “Rain Rain Go Away,” I think this actually fits the theme. You know the deep gray black of oncoming storm clouds? This is it.
Sheaffer’s Blue Black
Nib: Blue Pumpkin
Next up is Sheaffer’s Blue Black. It’s more of a steel gray blue. Written with a Blue Pumpkin nib in the writing sample below, it is quite dark. The swab sample is much lighter. It reminds me of the color of the sky before a storm.
Diamine Twilight
Nib: Blue Pumpkin
Ah, the blue of a twilight sky. Diamine got it right in Twilight. It’s a dusky blue, one you’ll see just as the sun sets but before the light has completely faded from the evening sky.
Caran d’Ache Magnetic Blue
Nib: Nikko G
Caran d’Ache is very similar to Diamine Twilight but it tends more towards gray with purple undertones. From a distance, it’s more of a gray-blue but up close you can start to see the purples. The scan actually makes it more purple than it is in real life.
J. Herbin Gris Nuage
Nib: Nikko G
And finally, my personal favorite of the bunch. So much so, in fact, that I bought a bottle of it. J. Herbin Gris Nuage is the soft gray of a misty morning or a soft spring rain. It’s a very wet ink and pooled quite a bit as I laid the nib to the paper. It shades from light to dark and it was just a joy to write with. It is light when wet but dries to a nice gray. If you don’t mind a gray that resembles pencil lead on paper, this is a good one for you.
If you haven’t tried out the Ink Drop by Goulet Pens, I recommend that you do so. I look forward to that bubble envelope every month.
Stay inky my friends!
April
Inks Tested:
[toggles class=”yourcustomclass”] [toggle title=”Waterman Intense Black” class=”in”]Purchase:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Goulet Pens[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Jet Pens[/li] [/list] Possible Alternative Inks: [list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Noodler’s Heart of Darkness[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]J. Herbin Perle Noir[/li] [/list]In Depth Reviews:
[list]
[li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Inklode – Waterman Intense Black[/li]
[li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Fountain Pen Network Review (links to image on Photobucket although it was posted on FPN)[/li]
[/list]
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Diamine Twilight”]
Purchase:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Goulet Pens[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Jet Pens[/li] [/list]Possible Alternative Inks:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]De Atramentis Sherlock Holmes[/li] [/list]In Depth Reviews:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Pocket Blonde[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]PenPaperPencil[/li] [/list] [/toggle] [toggle title=”Sheaffer Blue Black”]Purchase:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Goulet Pens[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Amazon[/li] [/list]Possible Alternative Inks:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Lamy Blue Black[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]20 Blue Blacks in Comparison on FPN[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Sailor Jentle Blue Black[/li] [/list]In Depth Reviews:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Fountain Pen Network[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Derek’s Pens and Pencils[/li] [/list] [/toggle] [toggle title=”Caran d’Ache Magnetic Blue”]Purchase:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Goulet Pens[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Jet Pens[/li] [/list]Possible Alternative Inks:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Mont Blanc Midnight Blue[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Iroshizuku Shin-Kai [/li] [/list]In Depth Reviews:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]FPN Caran d’Ache Magnetice Blue – Ink Reviews[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Glenn’s Pens – Caran d’Ache review[/li] [/list] [/toggle] [toggle title=”J. Herbin Gris Nuage”]Purchase:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Goulet Pens[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Jet Pens[/li] [/list]Possible Alternative Inks:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-Same [/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Noodler’s Lexington Gray[/li] [/list]In Depth Reviews:
[list] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]FPN J. Herbin Gris Nuage Ink Review[/li] [li type=”glyphicon-arrow-right”]Pen Habit J. Herbin Gris Nuage Review[/li] [/list] [/toggle] [/toggles]
All ink in this review was purchased by me. No affiliate links are used.
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