Ink Review: Ferris Wheel Press Steeped Umber

I sort of wanted to title this post “Another Swing, Another Miss,” but I figured it was better to make it searchable right? I’m referring, of course, to my quest for the perfect brown matching the Pantone Color of the Year Mocha Mousse (spoiler: this isn’t it).

This is Ferris Wheel Press Steeped Umber ($3 for 4ml), and while it is not Mocha Mousse, it is a lovely brown that leans red.

I’ll be honest, I have not been terribly impressed with Ferris Wheel Press inks in the past. Most of the ones I’ve tried have feathered and bled on my papers (old Tomoe River and Maruman – see details at the bottom of the post for paper specs). This one didn’t do that at all.

This is just a nice rich brown, with a hint of red. Umber is a pigment, and steeped makes me think tea?

One of the things I love when I start looking for Pantone color dupes is that I end up building a nice collection in whatever that shade is. Here’s quite a few of my browns. Some lean yellow, some lean red, some lean pink…. none of them look exactly alike. Is that a win? I don’t know!

Overall I like this one!


DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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  1. The Triangle Pen Show in North Carolina was the last show. I finally purchased a Franklin-Christophe pen. It was so nice to see all the pens in person. I miss being in Chicago. If I was still living there I would go to all the shows and shops. Maybe I will be able to visit again some day.

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