Orange Crush: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Continues With Summer Fun

Continuing with the summer ink theme, Dr. inkenstein recalls a certain Carvel frozen dessert called Icy Wicy, which was a swirled mix of orange and fuschia sugar water on a double stick, so you and a friend could share.  Here, through the magic of scannage, we have removed the fuschia part (see previous Pink entry and use your imagination) and added in some red-browns.

Because, you know, autumn is coming.  Some day.

The scans don't do these inks justice.  Chesterfield Fire Opal, the orange ink tested in the orange Jinhao-fari 599, really is the color of Orange Crush soda.  It is eye-searingly, happily, summer-afternoons-at-the beach orange, and I would love it but for the fact that it invariably gunks up a nib with a hideous orange crust that looks like dried-on iodine.

Good thing the Jinhao-fari only costs five bucks.  That's one ink-pen combo stamped in stone!  No shading, but with color this bright, why bother?

 

The 'Fireball,' which is mostly J Herbin Rouge Caroubier and some yellow or other, is included just for comparison's sake.  It's a brilliant red-orange.

The Sailor Brick Brown Red shades like crazy.  The MB Leonardo Red chalk also shades, but with a terra cotta component, and is a wonderful, well-balanced ink.  J Herbin Terre de Feu is another red-brick color that, interestingly, looks more burgundy in the bottle than on paper, where it turns a mid-range, boullion-brown that does shade.  It bears a passing resemblence to the Sailor Brick Brown Red, like maybe they're cousins who get together on the beach every summer.

And Ambre de Birmanie is, well, amber-y.  The color of butterscotch that got a little too caramelized in the pan.  Shades, too.  What more could you want?

 

Maybe a few extra days of summer.  Carry on.

 

 

 

 

Back to Bloggage: In Which Dr. Inkenstein Pinks Out

 

So many inks...so little time.  Actually, that's not true.  It's summer.  There's lots of time.  What we really mean is, so little energy.

In addition to being good for laziness, summer is good for pink inks.  Pink is a fun, casual color, a color that says, "I'm about fourteen years old without a care in the world!"

 

Here's a quick comparison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The colors don't scan true, alas: Neon Coral really is an intense coral-red-pink with no detectable shading.  The top three on the right are warm, almost neutral pinks, very similar, with the V-Pen ink being a little more intense than the Iro or the DA (both of which are really similar).  JH Rose Tendresse is a colder pink with more blue in it and usually shades a bit.

 

 

You don't normally think of Levenger Shiraz as a pink, but when it's diluted, its pink components emerge.  Of all these inks, this one might be a bit stainy and troublesome, because it's so thick and saturated.

The Fireball is just there for comparison.  Actually it's more of an orange, mixed from J Herbin Rouge Caroubier and who knows what else.  Orange ink scan is in the wings.

As for the pens they were in...The Berol Fontaine is an old plastic disposable which hasn't been around in ages, but Dr. Inkenstein had one left. 

Too bad they're gone from the marketplace.  Very nice writers in a wide range of colors, including green, brown, and blue-black, for two bucks each!  Appealing to the cheapster and the nostalgia buff in Dr. Inkenstein, the Berol Fontaine is a two-for-one deal.

 

 

The Arnold pen is a vintage junker I got off fleabay.  Nail of a nib.  Red color.  Good for dip-testing.  Carry on.

 

The Neon Coral Safari was equipped with a 1.1 nib, which really shows off a light, bright color.  The Lamy Nexx's F nib is surprisingly smooth and leans more toward a Medium. Can't say much more about the Lamys other than they're lightweight, reliable and fun to use.

 

 

Which ink is my favorite?  All of them.  Depends on my mood.  The Neon Coral says, "I'm sitting on this balcony in the Carribbean, writing you in a spare moment."  Rose Tendresse says, "It's raining, but I'm trying to cheer you up a bit."  The almost-interchangeable Iro and DA could suggest, "Just matching my nail polish."

 

 

 If I'm the least bit serious, like if I want to pretend I feel older than 14,  Levenger Shiraz is THE choice.

 

 

Next time: Orange.  And maybe even a little brown.