One would think that after Diamine introduced their line of Shimmertastic inks in 2015, the excitement over another sparkling ink from J. Herbin would slightly diminish. However, J. Herbin smartly tackled their next color to stand out from the crowd.
Introducing Caroube de Chypre :
This color looks rich and chocolatey, with golden shimmer and a slight reddish sheen, according to the J. Herbin manufacturer page. According to the story, J. Herbin was fond of dried carob pods, which look like this :
They have healthy and therapeutic properties. The Carob trees were cultivated all around the mediterranean since ancient times. The pods were so popular, they were called the "black gold of Cyprus."
UPDATE 05/18/2016
We were able to sample a bit of the Caroube de Chypre at the National Stationery Show that concluded this week. We had help from all-star calligrapher .... to create these wonderful photos that show off the shimmer and sheen of this ink. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any of this ink back to the office with us, but seeing it in person was truly an experience!
A video posted by Goldspot Pens (@goldspotpens) on
UPDATE 05/19/2016 : The Clumsy Penman did a full-out gorgeous review of the ink with many, many pictures that show the ink color in exquisite detail. Be sure to check out Mateusz's review of the Caroube de Chypre. Here are a few sample images from the post:
As with the Emerald of Chivor that nearly broke our website last year, we anticipate demand for this ink will be high when the initial shipment arrives. This year, we're giving our loyal newsletter subscribers the first opportunity to buy this ink when it becomes available. So, make sure you're signed up for our newsletter list by following the link below.
tl;dr... Pelikan has released the new Dunkelgrün Dark Green 4001 ink to replace the Brilliant Green, which is now discontinued.
The Pelikan 4001 ink series stands as one of the most reliable set of colors for your fountain pen. Not only are the recommended for optimal performance of your Pelikan pen, they are also safe for many other plunger-filling, converter type fountain pens as well. The 4001 series is also more affordable, in comparison to the Pelikan Edelstein line of luxury inks, at $10 per 30mL bottle. Other than the blue-black being discontinued some years ago, the lineup has remained mostly the same for years and years.
Effective April 2016, the lineup has made a change to remove the "Brilliant Green" and replace it with "Dark Green," or Dunkelgrün.
I know, Earth-shattering news, right? Although I didn't lose any sleep about it, I'm sure that some would at least be interested to know the difference between the two inks, which is slight, but definitely noticeable.
In terms of performance and safety with your fountain pen, you can still expect the same level of quality from the new Dunkelgrün. I would feel comfortable in putting this ink in any Pelikan, from a Pelikano to a Souveran M1000. To test out the color, I went to a vintage 1940's Waterman Stalwart fountain pen with a semi-flexible 14kt nib.
As one might expect from the name, Dunkelgrün is a darker shade of Brilliant Green. It seems to take on a cooler, blueish hue when compared against the lighter green. Brilliant Green is less saturated, so it does shade a bit better and is less water resistant than the new darker green color.
Dunkelgrün's color seems to be an homage to the dark green that is synonymous with Pelikan's brand. From the striped Souveran fountain pens to the historical models of yesteryear, the German brand is forever associated with dark green.
What do you think of the change? Are you going to miss Brilliant Green? As of this writing, we have both colors readily available in-stock. Hit the 'Spot to pick up a bottle, international sized ink cartridge or the giant size ink cartridges.
]
If you thought the shimmer hype train ended with the first wave of J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor ink, you're in for a sparkly surprise!
Diamine, one of the UK's most prominent ink manufacturers, have been working fastidiously for two years on a shimmering ink formula of their own, and has finally developed product that is ready for fountain pen consumption. Dubbed the Diamine Shimmering Fountain Pen Inks, this set of 10 colors is due to hit American shores in early October.
These are the scans that were sent to dealers without any photo retouching. Yes, we notice that Brandy Dazzle does show up twice, but that is how the information was sent to us. If you want to see the other color, "Red Lustre," check out Goulet's post with the retouched versions of these swabs.
Instantly, one has to compare these inks with the current line of J. Herbin 1670 inks. "Sparkling Shadows" must be an analog of "Stormy Grey." "Brandy Dazzle" is comparable to "Rouge Hematite." The nautical-themed "Shimmering Seas" is dangerously close in name and color to the "Bleu Ocean." (J. Herbin may want to have the lawyers on retainer for that one.)
What will be exciting to see will be the other variant colors, like the purple with gold sparkle, the turquoise with silver flecks and the "golden sands" color. Since all the J. Herbin inks have gold flecks, it will be interesting to see how silver flecks will look on these Diamine colors.
Diamine is still working on finalizing a price for each bottle. I won't pin down a price, because I know someone out there will try to hold me to it, but it will probably be as expensive, if not more expensive, than a bottle of the 1670 ink.
With the Emerald of Chivor released in August of 2015, many are excited about getting their hands on the 4th installment of the J. Herbin Anniversary Ink. There's not doubt about it, these eagerly-anticipated bottles are going to be in the hands, and pens, of writers worldwide. If you're new to the Anniversary ink crazy and Emerald of Chivor will be your first, we've got your four essential keys to getting the most enjoyment out of your 1670 Anniversary ink experience.
Every bottle of J. Herbin Anniversary ink now has gold sparkle particles that tend to settle toward the bottom of the bottle fairly quickly, which would lead to a small amount of sparkle being loaded into your pen.
Shake the J. Herbin bottle immediately before filling your pen. That means you should have your pen ready to fill the second you are done dispersing the glitter throughout the ink in the bottle. Have the converter accessible, draw down the piston, uncap the nib and make sure you're ready to grab all the sparkle you can!
2. The Thicker & Wetter, the Better
To best show off the color, sheen and sparkle of the Emerald of Chivor, a thicker nib (broad, double-broad or stub) is ideal. A nib that has a wetter flow will have no problem laying down the saturated color. A thinner nib (extra-fine, fine) with a more restrictive flow may have troubles starting and skipping.
3. Some Pen Foreplay Before Writing
The same particle settling also applies to the ink when it settles inside your resting pen. The gold particles will rest on the side of the pen / converter if the pen is left on the desk and is not written with for some time. To ensure proper gold distribution and avoid clumping of gold, rotate the pen by rolling it around in your finger tips.
This is particularly fun to watch in demonstrator fountain pens, as you can clearly see the gold particles settle against the wall of the pen and the ink sloshing around when the pen is being moved.
4. Taking Candid Pics
The J. Herbin Anniversary inks are "instafamous." They're one of the most-often photographed inks that are shared online. It's common to see the sparkle of the Anniversary inks on reddit, FPN, twitter and instagram. A big part of the fun in using these inks is to show common pen "muggles" how awesome they look on paper.
Macro shot of Emerald of Chivor using Olloclip on an iPhone 5
It can be rather tricky to capture the Anniversary ink in all of its glory. As we've taken numerous pics of the 1670 inks on the iPhone and digital SLR, we're offering some of our quick photography pointers to help you with your next pen & ink photo shoot.
Proper lighting - Bright sunlight that is diffused (with a white curtain, for example) provides some of the best, soft white light. You definitely do not want to use full flash or direct sunlight, as it would make bright white hot-spots on your photo wherever the glittering sheen is most dense.
Shoot at an angle - The glitter and sheen is most apparent when you tilt the page at an angle to the light source. Adjust the angle of the page to the light source while positioning your camera to achieve the desired effect.
Take a video - The nature of the sparkle and sheen changes drastically in the light. Capture the light reflecting off the ink on the page by taking a short video. The same lighting principles apply to capture the color adequately. Simply tilt the page while recording the video.
Macro - Using a macro lens, even an inexpensive adapter lens that can be attached to a smart phone camera, brings you up-close and personal with the inks depth, color and quality.
Stay Safe! Follow a routine for cleaning pens that have 1670 Anniversary inks loaded. When you're finished with a fill of the ink, even if you intend to fill it back up with more Emerald of Chivor, clean out the nib and converter. If you've somehow left your pen loaded with Anniversary ink for more than 3 weeks in a drawer, clean it out before anything else. When the ink has been sitting in the pen for a prolonged period of time, the water in the ink will most likely evaporate (especially in the heat of sunlight) and cause flow issues down the line.
Share with a Friend
Despite the 1670 inks being a runaway success with most fountain pen enthusiasts, there are many skeptical fountain pen users and non-fountain pen people that might be open to trying the ink to se what the fuss is all about. Send a sample or mail a letter than showcases the ink. You can also use the photography tips listed above to share pics with your friends on social media. Don't forget to tag your pen pals!
J. Herbin 1670 Emerald of Chivor is a special ink for all pen lovers to experience. With the tips outlined in this article, we hope you will write with great enjoyment when filling up with Chivor.
In a collaboration between New Jersey-based Goldspot Pens & Noodler's Ink, we proudly present a blue so exceptional, it is "revolutionary." Themed after one of the most crucial battles in the American Revolutionary War that took place on New Jersey soil, Revolution Blue is 3 ounces of fountain pen ink that delivers on performance and color.
The saturated, medium-toned blue ink has a brilliant look on the page. It flows well in both a fine nib and a thick, wet nib like the Neponset music nib. Revolution Blue does have a significant degree of shading and a bit of purplish sheen when using a broader, wetter nib. Click the writing samples below for a larger detail view. The paper is an 80g Rhodia sheet with a custom InkJournal page template printed on it.
Drying time is about 10 seconds with a finer nib and 15+ seconds with the music nib. Once the ink dried, we performed a water droplet test on the scribble swatches and found that Revolution Blue, although may not be completely waterproof, is definitely water-resistant.
UPDATE : After contacting Noodler's to find the performance specifications of the Revolution Blue, it has been stated by the manufacturer that this ink is indeed considered to be Bulletproof, which means that it is UV resistant, fade resistant, forgery resistant, and waterproof. It might have been that in the sample below, I did not allow for enough time for the saturated ink areas to dry before doing the water test and smearing some of the ink around. As you can see in the scribbles at the ends, no smearing is present.
Coincidentally, we received this ink a few weeks before the 238th anniversary of George Washington's pre-dawn crossing of the Delaware on Christmas Day. This blue ought to make an excellent gift for the fountain pen lover on your list... or yourself (we won't tell).
In the spirit of the lighter and brighter colors of Spring and Easter Sunday, here is our review of the new Pilot Iroshizuku Ama-Iro "Sky Blue" color of fountain pen ink that was recently added to the Iroshizuku line of high-quality inks earlier this year.
We couldn't get our eggs to look quite like the nest above. To be honest, the wife and I were a bit disappointed with the quality of one of our egg dye kits. The colors simply weren't saturated enough and didn't coat the eggs in enough color. Alas, lack of saturation is sometimes a concern in a fountain pen ink, especially a lighter color. J Herbin Bleu Azur is a perfect example of a "barely-there" ink that just doesn't provide enough contrast on the paper to be adequately visible. Ama-Iro provides that saturation and the lighter, aqua color that would be perfect for dyeing eggs. But I wouldn't recommend dyeing eggs with fountain pen ink. No matter the pH neutrality.
Of course, as with any ink of the Iroshizuku line, I've found Ama-Iro to flow nicely and behave well in my Pelikan M215 piston-filler. The color lives up to the name in being a very pleasant, light blue. Anyone else have an Easter/Spring ink they are writing with this weekend?
Apple Glory is among the new hues (debut in summer 2012) for renown British ink manufacturer Diamine. It matches nicely with the Lamy Safari Apple Green, which also hit the fine writing market around the same time last year. Bright, medium toned with sufficient saturation, Apple Glory is what I was looking for in a green that spreads Christmas cheer.
Diamine Apple Glory written with TWSBI 1.5mm Stub on InkJournal Paper
A Lamy Safari in Apple Green - 2012 Special Edition Color
The TWSBI Stub nib produces a significant amount of shading with this ink, especially when writing on Rhodia paper. The ink's consistency flows nicely (saw that before writing when it went all over the carpet...woops) and dries reasonably quick. Looking forward to trying this ink in a medium or a fine nib next. This may be an "evergreen" ink to use all year long. *Snicker*
Holey Moley, has it been a crazy December! Our day-to-day work has consisted of picking, packing, express, overnight, engraving, giftwrap, rush orders, bulk orders and phone calls non-stop from Black Friday Weekend. It's a double edged sword - you nearly go crazy with all the work, but everyone gets their gifts in-time and our company benefits from the business.
We'll be enjoying a well-deserved break this weekend and will close the office from Friday, Dec 24th to re-open on Monday, Dec 27th. The Website will be OPEN 24/7 and we will have FREE SHIPPING on orders of $75 or more throughout the end of the year.
Although we've been running ourselves ragged processing orders this December, we have added a few new products and brands to the site that we would like to share:
TWSBI (Goldspot's Pen of the Year 2010) - The fans have spoken! Due to the great response on the voting of Pen of the Year, we have acquired these TWSBI pens to sell direct through Goldspot.com.
Visconti Opera Club Limited Edition - Only limited to a mere 40 to 70 pieces per writing style, these rare colors of Visconti's popular Opera pen are sure to sell fast.
J Herbin - We really haven't talked much about the French ink-maker, but we've started selling Herbin in the last month or so and I personally look forward to trying out a few of their inks in my fountain pens.
Sailor, Japan - Yes, it's so new that we don't even have it up on the site yet. We're still in the process of getting the photography together, but we will be able to offer the fantastic writing quality of Sailor pens in a few short weeks.
Pen & Paper connoisseur Pocket Blonde does a helpful, side-by-side comparison of fountain pens that write with a "fine line." This is great if you have a pen in one of the brands that is listed and was always wondering how the line would compare in a different pen model.
Lady Dandelion does a similar comparison using italic and oblique nibs in her post titled "Width Matters."
Quite a title, isn't it? A brand new ink from Noodler's, the Black Swan in Australian Roses looks to be one of those inks that every fountain pen enthusiast who has a bottle or two of Noodler's would be "dye"ing to try.
We just caught word via e-mail from the distributor about this ink, so I have no prior experience with it, however, you can check out this neat video that is up on YouTube, explaining about the characteristics of the ink.
For a written description, this is directly from Noodler's Ink:
This ink exhibits a rose halo on certain papers on both sides of the line, as well as exhibiting darker shading on the edges of lines where the tine of the nib touches the page or a side of an italic nib lays a firmer line. It is approximately 16% “bulletproof” and is made up of dyes with multiple properties in order to generate the various shading and different tones under various light sources (it will look different in daylight versus fluorescent lighting – for example). It functions as a conventional fountain pen ink and thus writes in just about every pen one can think of….including the Noodler’s piston filled ink ball pens. The ink inhabits a neutral pH range about 7, though in time it might migrate to 7.5 or 6.5 (that won’t be known until after the passage of time). With certain pens it will appear to be a very conservative dark burgundy plum, whereas it will be a light cherry tone with drier writing pens – and a paper towel test will always show the black swan hiding in the roses.
