In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 12: Vinta Sirena 1952

Author AnaPosted on 2 Comments
Inkmas Day 12: Vinta Sirena 1952

I’d like to close our 2023 edition of Inkmas with one of my favorite inks: Vinta Sirena 1952 ($14.50 for a 30ml bottle). This ink is all the mermaid-y vibes I could possibly imagine. It makes me want to sing a sea shanty!

Sirena is a complex, multi-chromatic ink with a base of mossy green that can shift to a sandy pink or a darker green depending on how heavy the ink application is. There’s even a little hint of aqua. Once dry it has an aged mossy look.

This ink definitely benefits from a wider nib in order to take advantage of the range of color it creates. Flex nibs, folded nibs, brushes and wide calligraphy nibs will show off this sea witch ink to its best seaweedy, watery light.

Like Armada, finding ink comparisons was a challenge. All three swatches that I pulled lean more green or grey and don’t have the hints of blue that Sirena has. Sirena definitely stands in a class by itself.

From top to bottom: Ferris Wheel Press Moss Park Green, Kala Asbtraction Pigment Ink Sierra Mist, Lennon Tool Bar Atmospheric Firmament and Vinta Sirena 1952.

This color always makes me happy for its unusual quality. It warms my seawater-soaked, mermaid heart.

And with that, another year of Inkmas is in the books. I hope you all enjoyed our deep dive into our ink stashes. Hope you all have a fabulous holiday and we will see you next week!

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DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 11: Vinta Aegan Armada 1944

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Inkmas Day 11: Vinta Aegan Armada 1944

I remember the fervor and excitement when Vinta released their first inks. The colors were some of the first multi-chromatic inks and the colors were unusual, complex and relatively inexpensive. One of my favorites from the first release was Vinta Aegan Armada 1944 ($14 for a 30ml bottle). The color is a steely blue grey with hints of pinky-lavender and, with heavy application, a deep purply eggplant. There’s also an undercurrent of sea green.

The close-ups above show some of the variation possible with Aegan Armada 1944. Its not just me, right? You want to lick the page too? Such a sugarplum fairy sort of color.

Trying to find an ink color comparison was a challenging. Probably the closest comparison is Troublemaker Petrichor. The hints of green can be found in J. Herbin Vert de Gris and the rare Colorverse Standard Model W Boson. The color accuracy in these photos just does not capture the range of subtlety in all these inks.

In photos, Vinta Aegan and Troublemaker Petrichor look more purple than they appear in real life. This ink is such a mercurial color. Really, your best solution is to order a bottle (or a sample) and try ti for yourself. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.

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DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Inkmas Day 10: Montegrappa Sapphire

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Inkmas Day 10: Montegrappa Sapphire

Welcome to Inkmas Day 10! I recently started revisiting older ink lines and fell in love with the bright blue of Montegrappa Sapphire.

The color is very close to Birmingham Pen’s Polar Bear and KWZ Walk Over Vistula. Both of those blues also have a beautiful red sheen which is also present in Sapphire.

On Midori MD paper, the blue of Sapphire pops against the off white tone.

Shifting the angle of the light a bit, you can see how the red sheen is definitely there but subtle.

On Tome River (TR7) 52gsm paper, Sapphire has a slightly different texture.

The sheen is still obvious throughout the swatch while is also provides a bit of a halo in writing.

I hope you enjoy the bright blue of Montegrappa Sapphire!

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 9: Robert Oster No Fixed Address

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment
Inkmas Day 9: Robert Oster No Fixed Address

Robert Oster No Fixed Address ($26 for a 50ml bottle) is an unusual ink. It was originally created as a charity project. Oster donates to a charity for families in need that provides four meals for each bottle sold.

It is a red ink with a blue iridescent shimmer which is truly unexpected. This ink was created a few years ago and was one of the first shimmer inks I can remember that didn’t use gold or silver shimmer or a color coordinating shimmer (red ink with red shimmer, etc). The effect is an icy glow to the warm pinky red.

Through the bottle, the shimmer almost looks purple but it may be the lights, the opaque bottle and the angle that causes the blue shimmer to look more purple in the bottle.

In close-ups, its much easier to see the vivid hits of blue shimmer when the ink is dried. Depending on the ink application, the red can look almost pink or a deep ruby red.

Comparing No Fixed Address to other shimmer inks

My initial ink comparisons were with other shimmer reds in my stash. Felicette and Ruby Slippers are a slightly pinkier, reddish hue but each has a different metallic shimmer which makes the inks look distinctively different. Blood Rose is a little less saturated color and the pink shimmer makes it a much more subtle shimmer ink.

From top to bottom: Robert Oster No Fixed Address, Van Dieman’s Hollywood Ruby Slippers (silver shimmer), Colorverse Felicette (gold shimmer) and Robert Oster Shimmy ‘n’ Shake Blood Rose (pink shimmer)
Comparing No Fixed Address with non-shimmer reds.

When compared to non-shimmer inks, Sheaffer Red is probably the closest to the base ink color of No Fixed Address. Felicette and Algonquin Maple are a similar hue. All the other reds in my collection were more orange-y or darker overall.

From top to bottom: Robert Oster No Fixed Address, Sheffer Red, Colorverse Felicette and Ferri Wheel Press Algonquin Maple

No Fixed Address is one f my favorite shimmer inks because it is so unusual with its combination of red ink and blue shimmer. This ink is particularly fun when you can really utilize a lot of ink with dip pens, brushes and other BIG tools. With most shimmer inks, choose a tool that makes it easy to distribute those sparkle particles and you will find that you appreciate this ink just as much as I do.

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DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by Vanness Pen Shop for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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Inkmas Day 8: Diamine Blue Edition Jack Frost Shimmer & Sheen

Author Laura CameronPosted on 2 Comments

Next up on my audition list was to find a good blue. Blue works exceptionally well for my holiday cards because my family is Jewish and my husband’s family celebrates Christmas, meaning it works as a somewhat neutral but still winter-ish, holiday-ish color.

This year I was fascinated by the idea of Diamine Blue Edition Jack Frost Shimmer & Sheen (50mL for $22). Talk about an ink that has it all!

As far as the sheen goes, they weren’t lying. Jack Frost is a rich blue ink with a ton of pink sheen. Yes that’s a true to life photo!

This was an interesting one to swatch as it went down fairly flat. I couldn’t see either the shimmer or the sheen as I was swatching (or really in the vial – and I did shake it up). As it dried that pink sheen popped right out, but I still don’t see much of the shimmer that is advertised.

It is a pretty sweet blue though. Blue with pink/red sheen and I immediately thought of Robert Oster Fire & Ice (right?). Nope, that one leans more teal and red. I thought Anderillium Flying Blue Squid might be close, but that was also a bit greener and darker. The closest I could find was Colorverse Supernova which I do think is a pretty close match, and both have a pink sheen.

Overall I don’t know that I’d need to invest in a full bottle of this ink (especially because I have so many blue inks) but it’s a lovely holiday ink and I might have found a winner for this year’s cards. Only one more sample to go!

In Ink Review

Inkmas Day 7: Monteverde Sweet Life Birthday Cake

Author AnaPosted on 3 Comments
Inkmas Day 7: Monteverde Sweet Life Birthday Cake

Let’s just get it out of the way right now. This is not the first time I’ve waxed poetic about Monteverde Birthday Cake this year. I don’t know what happened but something clicked with me and this ink in 2023. I used an entire 30ml bottle of Monteverde Sweet Life Birthday Cake ($12) and then bought a larger bottle for 2024. Seriously! Who does that? Especially someone with 100s of bottles of ink… that would be me. I did that.

Why has this unassuming violet purple ink captured my heart? It has become my journal ink. So much so that I put it in a “work pen” and it felt like I was showing my pajamas to my co-workers to write with it. It’s my secret stash ink. It’s not too flamboyant, not too boring. It has some shading variation and it’s cost effective. I don’t feel like I’m using up some rare, collectible ink. God help us all if Monteverde discontinues it. I’ll have to buy a vat!

On the right paper with a wide enough nib, Birthday Cake will sheen. In fine nibs or with a water brush, the color lightens to a reddish purple. I hate to wax too poetic but this ink has all the things I want and nothing I don’t. It’s not too garish, it’s not too smoky or dark. I won’t ever mistake it for a blue or grey but I won’t ever think its pink.

And even after my previous search for a dupe, I cross referenced with my swatches to see if a sample might have ever come in that was similar and nope. Birthday Cake is my own little party in a bottle. I dare you to convince me otherwise.

I mean look what happens when you add a little water?!?! This is pure, unadulterated ink love. Merry Inkmas! You’re welcome!

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In Ink Review

Inkmas #6 – Pennonia Almazold (Apple Green)

Author AnaPosted on Leave a comment

Next on my list of inks to audition for holiday cards was a really good green. In past years I’ve gone dark (think Yoseka x Ink Institute No. 1 Origin Ink), but this time I wanted something bright and cheerful so I selected Pennonia Almazold/Apple Green (60mL for $16).

And boy was this one apple green. Think Pucker Sour Apple or Midori bright green! I found that the ink shaded nicely. No sheen, no shimmer, just pure bright green.

Honestly my only disappointment with this one is that I do find it a bit hard to read in a finer nib because it gets so light. (P.S. Pay no attention to that sample in the Broad nib – apparently I had just a bit of Wondrous Winterberry still in that feed. It does give a lovely red/green (Macintosh?) apple look to it, but it’s not an accurate sampling).

So what do I have in the stash that’s similar? Almost nothing! I had thought it might be a match for BanMi Light Green, but that one is a smidge more to the neon side (maybe that’s Midori?). Papier Plume Ivy Green is a bit less yellow and much more intense, and PenBBS #219 Watermelon Green is much more of an Army Green.

So I’m left with a new ink in the stash, but definitely not the right one for addressing my cards. Stay tuned for a few more candidates!