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.