Ink Shot Review: P.W Akkerman Voorhout Violet Ink

Ahh one of the first P.W Akkerman inks I ever tried!

ABOUT

Color: Purple
Bottle: 150 ml
Current Price for 60 ml: € 15,00
Price/ml: € 0.25/ml (for current bottles)
Where to buy: P.W Akkerman

PROS

• Pretty awesome bottle.
• Beautiful dusky purple.
• Shades well.
• Okay, I put the water resistance high, but maybe medium would be more appropriate. It won't all wash away with some water, anyway. 

CONS

• A little on the dry side.
• Large bottles no longer available!

OVERALL

Without a doubt, I would recommend you try this color out. It's beautiful, the bottle is a lot of fun and also beautiful, and it'll let you use the ink up to the last drop. It shades well, despite being a dark ink. It has a little water resistance, and it's just a pretty ink!

Review: Le Typographe Fine Paper Writing Bloc - A5 Beetle Chamois @NoteMakerTweets

ABOUT

Size: A5
Color: Chamois
Ruling: Blank
Sheet Count: 200
Paper Weight: 120 gsm
Price: $49.95USD
Where to buy: NoteMaker

APPEARANCE

This gorgeous MegaPad is huge. It's heavy, pretty, and is basically a massive stack of heavy paper. It comes in a cardboard box that houses the pad safely. It has a flap that secures it in place with a Beetle sticker in chamois color - the same color as the paper. The pad has 200 pages of 120 gsm paper in a matte chamois color. It has sharp corners, but if you keep it in the cardboard box, the edges will be safe.

I took mine out of the box after awhile and keep it in a drawer, and so far, it's been pretty safe. The paper seems to be thick enough to handle some movement without the box. The unlined pages have a gold beetle letter pressed into the top middle of each page. The beetle is adorable! The pad is glue-bound at the top with contrasting gold glue, complementing the pad really nice.

PERFORMANCE & FEEL

The paper is nice and smooth, but not shiny, glossy, or coated.  At first, I found fountain pens a pleasure to use on this paper. The paper has the slightest amount of feedback, which offers a nice writing experience that isn't scratchy, but it's a nice feeling. It doesn't catch nibs either, even find ones. There was no show through, bleed through, or feathering. Inks would shade well and there was a little bit of sheen visible, although some ink colors were masked by/subdued by the color of the paper. It's possible to use both sides of the paper, which is great, once the sheet is removed from the pad.

What's interesting is, as I continued to use the paper, I found fountain pens would start to skip a lot as I reached further down the page. This paper makes skipping/hard starts more pronounced, but it also sucks up oils from hands while writing, so it's a good idea to use something to protect the page from oils (such as a Brown Protector).

I was really disappointed by the sketchy performance as I moved further into the pad. I don't know if it was that I was just smearing oils everywhere, or if it was the paper. I tried many different pens (and sent really ugly letters to people as a result of it).

I like the size of the paper. It's a lovely alternative to fully customized stationery. It's attractive and unique, and nice paper.

PROS

• Huge stack of paper.
• Glue-bound, easy to tear off.
• Nice alternative to customized stationery.
• Fountain pen friendly.

CONS  

• Sucks up oil very easily - use something to protect the paper from oils!
• Color of paper subdues ink shading and sheens, as well as some ink colors.
• It seems the paper was hit or miss in terms of optimized fountain pen ink flow. Very confusing and since I've only used one pad, I can't really comment on the whole range, just on this one pad. 

OVERALL 

This is a cool MEGAPAD. And it's definitely a mega pad. It does well with fountain pens, once precautions are taken to protect the paper from oils. It doesn't have to be for corresponding only - it's encouraging to use because it's so nice. With other utensils (non fountain pens), there are no issues and it was less frustrating to write on.

Disclosure: I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. 

Whiskers & Paws: March 2015 Edition

Review: Pilot Vanishing Point Valley Green Fountain Pen @PilotPenUSA

ABOUT

Body Material: Metal
Trim: Ruthenium-plated
Length (retracted): 140.7 mm/5.53"
Length (extended): 137.6 mm/5.41"
Barrel Diameter: 12.6 mm/0.49"
Section Diameter: 11.2 mm0.44"
Nib material: 14KT
Weight (all): 30 g
Fill type: Cartridge/converter
Price: $140.00USD
Where to buy: Pen Chalet

APPEARANCE

This is a very pretty take on the usual Vanishing Points. The back of the pen is a matte black knock and the front end is tapered towards the nib opening, also in matte black. The clip is attached externally, is straight and thin, and sits on top the pen. The center band is higher than the middle and indicates the joining of the front and back of the pen where the barrel separates. The center is two rounded black bands on each side. The barrel is a beautiful, glittery metallic green. The black and green color scheme is really pretty!

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The nib is a ruthenium-plated fine. It has a single slit and breather hole, and it's really small. The fine is toothy and not particularly smooth, but it writes consistently and reliably. It's not scratchy though! It isn't a wet writer, but then, it is a Japanese fine! The flow is good and supplies the nib well enough. It's a good flow level for fast notes and on-the-go note taking.

IN HAND

The clip, ignoring its placement for now, is springy enough to use comfortably. There is little section to write about, as a result of the clip, but gripping this pen could be a deal breaker if the clip gets in your way. It's a strange thing to hold.

The pen is a comfortable weight and balance for me, but again, the shape of the section is the deal breaker. It works out okay for me, but isn't my favorite for long writing sessions.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

The pen has a great idea, and I've reviewed the raden Vanishing Point before, so this is just different because of the finish. My feelings on the pen haven't changed - I think they're pretty and they are certainly convenient, but the clip placement can really affect ones grip. If you can try one before you buy it, great.

I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. No affiliate links in this review. 

Wordless Wednesday

Ink Shot Review: Pilot Iroshizuku Ajisai @PilotPenUSA

I guess it's about time I review all the Pilot Iroshizuku inks!

ABOUT

Color: Blue (sorry, I had purple here from a previous review!)
Bottle: 50 ml
Price: $21.00
Price/ml: $0.42/ml
Where to buy: Amazon (Japan Import)

PROS

• Well-behaved.
• Beautiful bottles.
• Shades well.
• Easy to clean.

CONS

• Relatively expensive!

OVERALL

This is an interesting blue ink (with maybe a touch of purple to it?) ink! I love Iroshizuku inks because they are well-behaved and are easy to clean. Give it a shot!

Do a gal a solid and if you fancy any of these and want any item of your own, use my affiliate links :)