Review by Laura Cameron
Earlier this year I had occasion to look for a warm brown to match a pen (of course!) and I stumbled on Robert Oster’s Toffee (50mL, $17.00).
Toffee is a warm, rich, golden brown that shades beautifully. I picked it up because it reminded me of toasted marshmallows and matched a white and brown Shawn Newton pen that came home with me from the Arkansas Pen Show.
When I arrived home, I was pleasantly surprised that Toffee wasn’t really like anything else I have in my ink stash. Noodler’s Rome Burning is much greener, Monteverde Brown Sugar and Diamine Chocolate Brown are much darker, and Pilot Iroshizuku Tsukushi is an entirely different tone.
Of course I can see lots of shading and variation in my sampling, but I was excited to see that there is some shading in the course of regular writing as well. As you can see it varies between a rich golden brown, and a a darker, nuttier brown. This one isn’t a sheener, but delivers a dark brown punch in the ink drops.
Overall I’ve been really happy with this ink. Not only is it the perfect match for my pen, it’s a lovely addition to my collection!
Tools:
- Papers: Crossfield Journal ($24.00), Catherine Pooler Doodle Garden Canvo Bullet Journal ($24.95)
- Pen: Delike Glass Signature Pen ($37.80)
- Swatches: Col-o-Ring Ink Testing Book ($10) and Col-o-Dex Rotary Cards ($15)
- Inks: Robert Oster’s Toffee (50mL, $17.00)
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These inks make me hungry.
How do you get such straight edges on the color swatches? Do you take the time to tape that space off?
I’m not sure about brown inks at the moment, though, that Pilot ink looks like a future sample. I have a sample of FaberCastell Hazelnut that I plan to use next week.
thanks for the review.
Yes, I believe Laura employs the same washi tape technique on her samples that I do. It’s actually pretty quick. The washi tape also holds the cards flat and steady while you quickly swab or paint your ink sample so it serves a dual purpose. Once dry, peel the washi tape up and do your writing sample.
Ana is right – I use a bit of washi tape to guide me!