Ink Shot Review: Diamine Anniversary Blood Orange @AppelboomLaren

Thanks to Appelboom for sending this set of ink! What a surprise in the mail this was!

Swabbed at full saturation on the Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book

ABOUT

Color: Red
Bottle: 40 ml
Price: €7.85
Where to buy: Appelboom

Discount code: 10% off with 'friend'

PROS

• Nice color, very legible. 
• Pretty bottle!
• Bottle is easy to fill from.
• Easy to clean.
• Shades beautifully.
• Looks best in the full pie of eight bottles!
• Shows some water resistance.

CONS

• A lone pie shaped bottle looks sad and funny.

OVERALL

Yes. This is a gorgeous color and it really reminds me of the inside of a blood orange! Rich, saturated, beautiful.


I received this item/these items 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.

Sunday Reads: October 29. 2017

Stuff I Looked At Elsewhere

• Macrame room divider DIY - A Beautiful Mess.
• A Cascade of Water Over Terra Cotta Tubes Functions as a Beautiful Low-Energy Air Conditioner - Colossal.
• The beginner's guide to pencil calligraphy - The Postman's Knock.
• Northern Ontario moose vs. wolf - Dan Nystedt.
• A Beautiful Mess - hand stitched pouf DIY.
• Make ink magic - Sketch Book Skool.
• SBREBrown reviewed the Ensso Piuma fountain pen trio.
• Lots of Colossal this week, sorry. But this one is too cool to not include: Preserve Botanical Finds and Other Travel Specimens With This Unique Japanese Stationery.
• Beetle Sculptures Encrusted with Minerals - Colossal.
• Highlights from the 2017 Nat Geo Nature Photographer of the Year Contest - Twisted Sifter.
• Harrowing Capture of a Wild Sloth for the Black Market - National Geographic.

Stuff I Apparently Did This Week

• Ink Shot Review: Robert Oster Ink Darkstar Collection
• Wordless Wednesday
• Ink Shot Review: Abraxas Königsrot of Switzerland 
• Whiskers & Paws: October 2017 Edition
• Ink Shot Preview: Diamine 150th Anniversary Inks

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Discount codes here!

Ink Shot Preview: Diamine 150th Anniversary Inks @AppelboomLaren

Diamine introduces another set of eight special inks for their 150th anniversary celebration! These eight inks join together to make a full pie but bottles are available individually. Thank you to Appelboom for sending this set over for review! There are some really lovely colors in here.

Discount code: 10% off with 'friend'

Swabbed at full saturation on the Col-o-ring Ink Testing Book

Whiskers & Paws: October 2017 Edition

Ink Shot Review: Abraxas Königsrot of Switzerland @laywines

Laywine's is carrying a new ink line from Switzerland - Abraxas Inks! They come in cute little bottles with corks and wax seals. The four inks I have tested are all scented, and there are many more colours in the lineup. You can contact Laywine's for more details or to purchase your own. They're premium inks with a hefty price tag of $29.00 CAD + applicable taxes.

Abraxas Inks describe these inks as the Classic Line, available in many colors - some are safe for fountain pens and others are not. These ones are! Thanks to Laywines for sending this for review!

ABOUT

Color: Red
Bottle: 30 ml
Price: $29.00 CAD + tax
Where to buy: Laywines

PROS 

• A decent red that is not super saturated, but it is a red!
• I didn't have any staining.
• I have not experienced nib creep so far.
• Well behaved.
• Shades well.
• Light scent is a treat - it's not gross and it doesn't stick in your pens long after cleaning. 
• Very elegant presentation! Classy as heck.
• What a gorgeous gift this would be, both for a friend and for yourself!

CONS

• Pretty expensive for such a small bottle.
• Cork is a pain to replace once you have uncorked it.
• Bottle mouth is not very wide so it can be difficult to fill larger pens from. 

OVERALL

The last of the four Abraxas inks I have to share! The red is not a super saturated red, which makes it a little easier to clean. I did not experience any staining but I'm pretty good about cleaning red inks. I like this red, but not at this price. These inks are premium, spoil-yourself inks, with their classy presentation, light scents, and hefty price tag. The bottles themselves are not ideal for filling from, especially if you have larger pens. It's sort of a silly ink in terms of price and practicality, but it's always fun to try new inks. I think this would be an excellent gift or treat, but not a daily use ink based on the price and bottle size.





I received this item/these items 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.

Wordless Wednesday

Ink Shot Review: @RobertOsterInk Darkstar Collection @dkstrcollection

Thanks to Darkstar for sending this ink for me to play with!

ABOUT

Color: Blue
Bottle: 50 ml
Price: £14.99
Where to buy: Darkstar

PROS

• Nice, safe blue.
• Shades pretty well.
• Easy to fill from bottle - accommodates even large nibs.
• Bottle is eco-friendly. 
• The label on top of the cap of the bottle has the name of the ink printed on it, as well as a tiny ink swab so it's easy to spot in your ink drawer/cabinet.
• Not a bad price, especially if you add on to a notebook purchase or something.
• Very work appropriate.
• Well-behaved.
• Easy to clean.

CONS

• Personally, I have a lot of safe blues and would love to see other colors! 
• Minimal water resistance.

OVERALL

The Darkstar Collection x Robert Oster Blue is a solid, decent color. Work appropriate, well behaved, easy to clean, all the good things. I think it looks best in wide, wet nibs - as most inks do - which may not be work-friendly! This kind of blue is not my favorite blue ever - I prefer turquoises or lighter blues, but that's ok. Perhaps it'll be the right one for you?



I received this item/these items 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.