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Fingers Were Meant to be Inky

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Quick Look: Robert Oster Signature Inks (Part 5)

Banner image for the Robert Oster Signature Ink Quick Look posts 4 and 5. This banner shows inks swatches from 12 Robert Oster Signature Inks.

More Eye-Popping Colors from Australia!

But first…a song!

There’s red in my head, but I don’t want it
The blues were swarming there in my soul
Shadows over me and
The only colour I can paint my soul

I want black and don’t fade away
I want it black forever
Inside of me, all I wanna see’s the colours in my head

I’m in black the only way
And make it black forever
Go inside and…go inside and…never come back out again

—Black Forever by WASP (One of the best bands, EVER!)

Sorry…I’ve expended the interesting bits of inside information I have on Robert Oster and his inky endeavors, so I don’t have much to lead off this post with. So instead, you get heavy metal lyrics about colors. Yes…it’s your lucky day.

Honestly, by this point, the man and his company probably don’t need much… Read More

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Quick Look: KWZ Standard Inks (Part 2)

Banner image for the Quick Look Review of six KWZ Standard Inks

Bold and Rich…These Inks Don’t Fool Around!

Here’s a look at six more KWZ Standard inks. This set isn’t quite as bright and colorful as the first, but it’s no less impressive. These colors are a little more low-key and serious, but they’re still very rich and deep.

A Little Deeper Look into KWZ’s History

KWZ Ink had a pretty humble start. Back in 2012, Konrad began making inks for himself, trying to produce a permanent/waterproof ink he could use in the lab. Unable to find the kinds of inks he desired locally, he researched how to make inks and started experimenting. After about 100 attempts, he found… Read More

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Quick Look: Six Organics Studio Inks

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Now you see ’em. Now you don’t. Now you see ’em again.

Organics Studio (OS) is a company I (regretfully) avoided early on. When I started working with fountain pens a few years ago, there was a pretty big kerfuffle going on about certain “boutique” ink brands. People were complaining about SITB (Slime/Stuff in the Bottle) issues with Private Reserve. Others were swearing up and down that Noodler’s Baystate Blue was eating their pens. There was a lot of FUD going on. Some things I chose to ignore (I did buy a pile of Noodler’s ink), but others stuck with me. For some reason, I lumped Organics Studio in with all the scary issues. I think there was one or two reports of SITB in their inks, so I relegated them to the “Do Not Bother” list.

Fortunately, I kept hearing a lot of good things about these inks, and decided to give them a try anyway (plus, even giant brands like Montblanc and J Herbin had issues with SITB, so the one or two reported occurrences with OS inks seemed more like anomalies than an ongoing issue). Unfortunately

… Read More

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Quick Look: Robert Oster Signature Inks (Part 1)

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Robert Oster Signature: A Tsunami of Color from Down Under

Australia has a lot of the grooviest things on this planet. They have the best spiders. They have the coolest snakes. They have the cutest marsupials. If that wasn’t enough, a mighty wave of new and little-known ink companies are emerging from the wild and wonderful island continent. In the last year, I’ve learned of four such companies from the land Down Under: Toucan, Blackstone, Bookbinders, and the newest kid on the block, Robert Oster Signature. Nestled in the heart of South Australia’s wine country, Robert Oster Signature is a (mostly) one-man outfit run by (you guessed it)… Read More

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Quick Look: 11 Callifolio Inks

Sampler image and title block for the Callifolio ink comparison: Anahuac, Baikal, Bleu Equinoxe #6, Botany Bay, Cannelle, Cassis, Grenat, Inca Sol, Oconto, Olifants, and Olivastre

Callifolio Inks: Mostly Unknown, but Super Interesting French Export

Callifolio is a line of fountain pen inks from French art supply manufacturer Artisan Pastellier. They actually have two lines of ink (their other is Encre Classique, which  are mixable so you can create your own colors). Artisan Pastellier also makes art pastels, watercolors, natural & metallic pigments, sealing wax, and a few other brightly colored art supplies.

There’s not much talk of the Callifolio inks out there, and I only know of… Read More

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Quick Look: Six Pilot Iroshizuku Inks

Sampler image and title block for the Pilot Iroshizuku blue and green ink comparison

Pilot Iroshizuku Inks: Blue, Green, and In Between

Pilot is arguably the biggest name in pens. If you’ve ever put a long, pointy thing in your hand and wrote with it, you’ve undoubtedly used a Pilot product along the way. Pilot is a Japanese company, and regardless of whether you’re using a cheap, throw-away ballpoint or a $5,000 makie fountain pen, their products are all made with impeccable quality, and you’re sure to experience a nice, trouble-free writing experience.

In addition to pens, Pilot makes a wonderful line of bottled inks for fountain pens. While other brands shoot for vibrant, highly saturated color palettes, Pilot aims for colors that mirror the beauty found in nature. Here’s a description from the Pilot web site:

The name Iroshizuku is a combination of the Japanese words Iro (Coloring), expressing high standards and variation of colors, and Shizuku (Droplet), that embodies the very image of dripping water. Each ink name derives from the expressions of beautiful Japanese natural landscapes and plants, all of which contribute to the depth of each individual hue.


… Read More