Diamine Crimson
INK SWAB: 188/365 – Diamine Crimson
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Category Archives: INKS
FOUNTAIN PEN REVIEW: TWSBI Diamond 580 and INK REVIEW: Pelikan Edelstein Jade
TWSBI fountain pens show up on all sorts of Best Fountain Pen Ever lists. To me, TWSBI is to pens what Fields Notes is to paper. That is, TWSBI and Field Notes get it right just enough to keep my coming back for more, but neither would appear on my Best Ever list.
My biggest issues with TWSBI have been nib (and maybe feed) related – hard starts and some skipping. Others have had some serious issues with cracking (though I understand TWSBI has worked through this issue).
That aside, let’s take a closer look at the TWSBI Diamond 580. 
I love the faceted clear barrel of the pen. 
Mine has a broad nib. And while I don’t have pictures here, TWSBI pens are designed to be fully disassembled. Cleaning them is a breeze.
Pelikan Edelstein inks have a good reputation of working well in most pens and Jade seemed to closely match the color of the pen.
How does it write? Wonderfully! Perfectly! Look . . .
Seriously, this was my best TWSBI experience ever. No piddling around, no ink changes, just sit down and write. Annnnnd! In my Will It Write experiment, you can see that even after this pen sat unused for more than two weeks, it picked up right where it left off.
The 580 is super comfortable to hold. The writing experience was smooth with very little feedback. I only experienced one hard start (probably due to a weird hand position on my part). I’m truly impressed with this pen. I do wish the nib was a bit more broad and it’s not the best pen to post (put the cap on the back end while writing).
What about Pelikan Edelstein Jade?
It’s a nice enough color – leans a little too blue for me. It writes wonderfully and flow from the pen is good. It’s well-saturated and there is some shading.
BOTTOM LINE – TWSBI Diamond 580: I love this pen. Your mileage may vary due to inconsistencies with TWSBI in general.
BOTTOM LINE – Pelikan Edelstein Jade: You might love this ink! The color isn’t a favorite of mine, but everything else about the ink is wonderful.
So…TWSBI….tell me your experiences? Am I alone in my Field Notes comparison?
INK SWAB: 187/365 – J Herbin Lierre Sauvage
J Herbin Lierre Sauvage Ink Swab
INK SWAB: 186/365 – Noodler’s Habanero
Happy Independence Day to US readers!
Noodler’s Habanero is a beautiful ink. It has lots of potential for shading and the color is stunning on most papers. It’s a super-duper-no-kidding wet writer.
INK SWAB: 185/365 – Omas Turquoise
Omas Turquoise Ink Swab
INK SWAB: 184/365 – Pelikan Edelstein Jade
Pelikan Edelstein Jade
INK REVIEW: Diamine Blue Velvet
Blue Velvet is part of the Anniversary Collection from Diamine to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand. 150 years! The collection is comprised of eight different inks in these fancy wedge-shaped bottles.
I’m just going to put it right out there – I LOVE Diamine Blue Velvet. Big love.
Letting the pictures do the talking here . . .
Bottom Line – amazing color, some shading, great saturation, flow is excellent from the Pilot Elite I tested with (more on that pen another day). Big love. Big honkin’ love.
INK SWAB: 183/365 – Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai
Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai
As time goes on, I’m becoming more a fan of blue inks. I used to think they were boring, but now I am seeing the differences in all of the fantastic blue inks out there. Horizons are broadening!
Are you a fan of blue inks? Which is your most favorite?
INK SWAB: 182/365 – Private Reserve Ebony Purple
Another Private Reserve ink for today. This time, Ebony Purple. I love the deep dark richness of it. Goulet Pens included this ink in their January Ink Drop. Thinking about picking up a bottle of this one. So many purple inks, so little time.
INK SWAB: 181/365 – Private Reserve Buttercup
Man, I love Private Reserve Buttercup. It’s very difficult to use for writing because it’s so darned hard to see on the page. But it’s really pretty. Here’s my review on it from 2013.