i n k l o d e

fountain pens, inks, paper and more

TWSBI Diamond 580

TWSBI_580_01

After much deliberation, I decided to purchase the TWSBI 580 Diamond with a 1.1mm stub nib. TWSBI is known for having good quality pens at affordable prices, and despite the numerous reports of quality control issues and breaking parts (of which I have had none), I am really enjoying this pen. The body is a crystal clear plastic with a sort of angled diamond pattern to the barrel. This gives it an almost prismatic effect which becomes virtually invisible when filled with ink. The piston filling mechanism works well, and the pen can hold almost 2 ml of ink, which is very rare at this price range. TWSBI sells different nibs for this pen separately and they are easily swapped out with their modular nib/feed system. TWSBI even sells special ink bottles that allow you to fill the pen without getting the nib covered in ink.

The 1.1mm stub nib can be a bit finicky about the angle at which it is held to the paper, but when you get the hang of it the nib is a very smooth writer and lays down a fat wet line. If you’d like to see additional writing samples, see any of my reviews posted before (and probably after) this post. I am very happy with this purchase, and I was actually a bit surprised at how nice the build quality of the pen felt. I can see why this pen is so often recommended to people looking to move away from the baseline entry-level pens. Recommended!

Nib material: Steel

Cap: Screw

Filling mechanism: Piston

Overall length: 142mm

 

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Diamine Oxblood

Diamine OxbloodDiamine Oxblood

 

Diamine Oxblood is one of the company’s best selling inks in the world to the point where it can be downright difficult to get your hands on. The color is a dense red that is reminiscent of its namesake. Since the ink is so saturated, it bleeds like crazy on cheap paper, but there is almost no bleeding on Rhodia unless you are really trying to get it to bleed. The ink exhibits some lovely shading in broader nibs and is a very matte tone. I have noticed that even when dry, patches where a lot of ink has been deposited can still smear. The ink is not waterproof and is barely legible when exposed to water. It is a very wet ink, so dry times are quite long, even with fine nibs, and it looks much darker on more absorbent paper. But if you’re looking for a deep, blood red, then look no further. This ink met my expectations and more. One of the most often recommended dark red inks, Oxblood is a happy addition to any ink arsenal!

Diamine Oxblood review
 
Diamine Oxblood water test
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Sailor Jentle Epinard

Sailor Epinard (세일러 에피나르)  has made a bit of a name for itself as a well received green ink, and I am inclined to agree. In my opinion, it has certainly earned its popularity. The ink has all of the good behavior of a Sailor Jentle ink and it brings a lovely shade of spinach green with a subtle red sheen. It is not a waterproof ink, but the writing was still legible after being exposed to water. No bleeding for feathering on Rhodia paper, even with flex. Some people comment on the “chemical” smell of Sailor inks, but it really doesn’t bother me at all. I only really notice it if I put my nose right up to the open bottle. Epinard is a wonderful green ink and certainly a contender for one of my favorite green inks.

epinard_driptest

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Sailor Jentle Yama-Dori

Sailor Yama-Dori (세일러 야마도리) was once part of the limited release of Autumn inks by Sailor. A few years later, a select few of the inks have been re-released as part of the normal Jentle line by Sailor. Yama-Dori was one of the more sought after colors of this re-release and had many people buzzing about how to get their hands on it. Sailor Yama-Dori has quickly climbed up my list of favorite blue-green inks. Not only does it exhibit the good behavior that is typical of Sailor brand inks, but the color is bold, yet soothing, and the ink shades beautifully. The icing on the cake is the lovely red sheen that the ink leaves behind when it pools up a bit. The combination of these elements makes this ink one that I highly recommend to anyone who likes blue-green inks.

  While I certainly would not consider this ink to be waterproof, it does retain some legibility after it has been soaked with water. If you’re curious as to how the red sheen looks in person, please take a look at the comparison shots I have included below to show how the ink appears when light hits the ink from different angles. Personally, I love the way it looks!

 

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Waterman Serenity Blue

 

Waterman Serenity Blue (워터맨 청색) is an ink that is a really great benchmark for well-behaved inks. It is a rather neutral shade of blue, but it flows well, exhibits no bleedthrough or feathering in most circumstances, and it is very affordable. This is definitely an ink that I recommend everyone have a bottle of in their arsenal.

 

One note: I have noticed that the color fades a little bit over time. I’m not sure if this is normal for this ink or not, but just something to keep in mind.

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Sailor Kobe Nagasawa Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44

Sailor Kobe Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44Sailor Kobe Suma Pu Seaside Blue No. 44

 

Sailor Kobe Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44 is a beautiful ink that is made by Sailor exclusively for the Nagasawa Pen Shops in Japan. The inks are made to celebrate the different areas of the city of Kobe, Japan with colors that carry meaning for each part of the city. They are constantly adding new colors to the line, and this is one of the newer colors as of early 2014. It is a very lovely blue-green with all of the usual spectacular behavior of a Sailor ink. I was actually kind of surprised at how easily the ink cleaned out of my pens. The color evokes an almost pensive, melancholy feel. I really do feel like it is reminiscent of standing next to the ocean at the edge of Kobe.

Sailor Kobe inks may be difficult to acquire if you aren’t in Japan, but it is possible to purchase them from Rakuten (official) and eBay.  If you have the chance, I highly recommend trying this ink!

Sailor Kobe Sumaura Seaside Blue No. 44 ReviewSailor Kobe Suma Pu Seaside Blue No. 44

I would not consider this ink to be waterproof, but it does retain a decent amount of legibility after being exposed to water. Dry time is medium since this is a somewhat wet ink. I definitely recommend this ink!

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Noodler’s Apache Sunset

Noodler's Apache Sunset

Noodler’s Apache Sunset (누들러 아파치 썬셋) has become somewhat renowned amongst ink enthusiasts for its remarkably high level of shading. It can go from a light, crisp orange to a deep orange-red color which looks very striking on paper. I love the wonderful shading properties of this well-behaved ink, and I always make sure to have at least one of my pens inked up with it. However, I have found that the shading becomes significantly less prominent with finer nibs. That being said, it is still a great color that has certainly earned its popularity status. Noodler's Apache Sunset Review

Noodler's Ahab Flex

Lamy Safari Fine Jinhao x750 Medium

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The Morita Original Sailor Pro Gear Slim

Sailor Professional Gear Slim Morita Exclusive

I recently made a pilgrimage to the Morita Pen Shop in Osaka, Japan and picked up one of Mr. Morita’s exclusive pens. This Sailor Professional Gear Slim is in a unique color taken from the roof of the Salzburg Cathedral, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized and later performed. The color is a soft, robin’s egg blue that I really enjoy.

Morita Fountain Pen Shop

It was my first time visiting Osaka, but the Morita Pen Shop was quite easy to find. The shop itself is a bit small, but it still has a hefty selection of beautiful pens and inks adorning the walls. Mr. Morita himself doesn’t speak much English, but he is incredibly helpful and will let you test out any pen you are interested in trying.

The prices are generally lower than shops you’ll find in western fountain pen stores, and even competitive with online shops from around the world.

Other than the color, the rest of the pen is identical to the standard Pro Gear Slim. I purchased the 14k gold nib with rhodium plating in MF and it is beautifully smooth, though not as smooth as the larger 21k gold nib on my Sailor 1911. Initially I was afraid that the Professional Gear Slim would be too small for my liking as I tend to prefer larger pens, but when I was pleasantly surprised with how well the pen feels when it is posted. Without posting, the pen feels too light and off-balance, but when posted it feels perfect. The grip section isn’t too narrow and the acrylic body provides a modestly comfortable writing experience.

I inked it up with Sailor Kobe Sannomiya Pensée  which I picked up from a Nagasawa Pen Shop during my day trip to Kobe. I like the way it looks with the pen. Inkflow was great. The feed keeps up and the nib is very smooth with just a tiny bit of feedback on the paper. It is definitely a smooth writer, though not as smooth as my Sailor 1911L with 21k nib, but it holds its own.

left to right: Lamy Safari, Noodler's Ahab, Sailor Profit 1911 L, Sailor Pro Gear Slim
left to right: Lamy Safari, Noodler’s Ahab, Sailor Profit 1911 L, Sailor Pro Gear Slim

The shop also carries a regular Professional Gear in the same color fitted with a 21k gold nib with rhodium plating. If you are ever in Osaka and have some time to stop by, I highly recommend checking out Mr. Morita’s pen shop!

Overall, it’s a lovely pen that I’m happy to have part of my collection.

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