Ah, Sweet Mystery of Ink! In Which Dr. inkenstein Reveals Part One

On the Fountain Pen Geeks forum, we have been playing a wonderful Ink Guessing Game, started by KLP and Laura N.  

Here's how it goes:  They send us a sample vial of Unmarked Ink.  We test it, not knowing the maker or color name, so we won't be unduly influenced by Industry Hype (ie: 'This is the Best Ink Ever!' Or, 'This Ink Will Eat Your Pen Alive!'). Sort of, almost, like a double blind science experiment.

And as we all know, Dr. Inkenstein loves science experiments.  Muahahaaaa.

I missed MI 1 so...

It started with MI 2.

By chance, I believe I picked the perfect pen for this Mystery Ink:

 

The image is scanned so you can't see much shading, but I believe there is some. For a wet ink, it still dries fast enough for this southpaw overwriter.

This has been such fun, and I can't thank you two enough for the opportunity.

PS: Chroma:

(MI 2 was revealed as Sailor Kobe Maiko Green.  Loved it.)

MI 3 proved to be a bright spot in a dark winter.

Here are just my quick impressions, but I love it too! It's not anything like any color I have or know...I call it Raspberry Sorbet. 

The chroma reveals a not-all-that-complex color halo, unlike some of my other inks, which fan out into multi-hued coronas. That's okay.  I found that J Herbin Rouge Bourgogne had a very similar chroma, but...that waan't this ink.

Have I mentioned I loved this ink? 

It dries fast enough, and does not seem quite as wet as MI 2. But it seems unique. (Now, given that I was wrong with both my MI 2 guesses, watch this 'become' an ink I already own and use, lol).

Thank you both, Laura and KLP, for this wonderful ink-ertunity, and for brightening up a snowy winter day.

This ink turned out to be...Caran D'Ache Sunset.  Never used a CDA ink before, and sadly, this is a discontinued color.  It got a little bit sticky in the pen after a coupoe of weeks, refusing to dry well.  Coulda been the pen.  Anyway the ink was a wonderful color and fun to use.

Up next: Part Two!  With at least two more inks!

Ahh, Sweet Mystery of Ink Part 2 : In Which Dr. Inkenstein Continues

When we left off, on the FPG forum we have been playing a wonderful Ink Guessing Game, started by KLP and Laura N.  

Here's how it goes:  They send us a sample vial of Unmarked Ink.  We test it, not knowing the maker or color name, so we won't be unduly influenced by Industry Hype (ie: 'This is the Best Ink Ever!' Or, 'This Ink Will Eat Your Pen Alive!'). Sort of, almost, like a double blind science experiment.

And as we all know, Dr. Inkenstein loves science experiments.  Muahahaaaa.

It started with MI 2.

Now here it continues with MI 4 and beyond.

 

Thank you both, Laura and KLP, for this wonderful ink-ertunity, and for brightening up a snowy winter that lasted well into what was allegedly spring.

It was six degrees out with howling wind! But MI 4 saved the day. 

 

Continuing in the tradition: I love this ink! It plays so nicely with the Hero and the Bagasse, and was a great color for snowy, cabin-fevery February.

Now that I look closely I may see hints of darkish green in the chroma's center and corona. I have a certain ink in the back of my mind (mostly due to the excellent flow and hue) but I'm probably wrong.

As usual.  And nope, it wasn't Chesterfield Mahogany, but revealed as De Atramentis Black-Brown.  These DA inks...innnteresstinnng.

Thanks once again to the Mystery Team that makes this possible!

Now, MI 5:   Wow. Yup. Orange. Where are my sunglasses? 

 

You will see that the AS shows more burnt-orange and has much more shading. FG is notably darker and more pink. Glitterpreppyyellowbrown is just...odd, by comparison.

MI 5 writes smooth in the pen and dries quick enough for my southpaw-y-ness. It seemed to flow fairly well in this dryish italic Nemo, which, as a demonstrator, helps to show off the liquid Vitamin C-power of the Mystery Ink.

And now for the paper towel chroma. 

Top: Apache Sunset
Middle left: Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki
Middle right: Preppy Yellowbrownwithcopperglitter
Bottom: Teh MYSTERY ink!

Don't they look like flowers? I have NO idea how that dark spot got onto the MI 5 'flower.' Probably a rogue microparticle of blue ink got jealous and flew right into the middle. Somehow.

 

I do have my suspects. Two of them. But I have been wrong with every. Single. Guess so far.

This was a wonderfully cheery ink for a chilly week in March when we expected TWO TO FOUR MORE INCHES OF SNOW. Will be using it to reply to some letters!

So thanks once again to our Queens of Mystery!

You will see that the AS shows more burnt-orange and has much more shading. FG is notably darker and more pink. Glitterpreppyyellowbrown is just...odd, by comparison.

MI 5 writes smooth in the pen and dries quick enough for my southpaw-y-ness. It seemed to flow fairly well in this dryish italic Nemo, which, as a demonstrator, helps to show off the liquid Vitamin C-power of the Mystery Ink.


And now for the paper towel chroma. 

Top: Apache Sunset
Middle left: Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki
Middle right: Preppy Yellowbrownwithcopperglitter
Bottom: Teh MYSTERY ink!

Don't they look like flowers? I have NO idea how that dark spot got onto the MI 5 'flower.' Probably a rogue microparticle of blue ink got jealous and flew right into the middle. Somehow.

I guessed that this might have been either J Herbin Orange Indienne, or Chesterfield Fire Opal.  It wasn't.  It was....Montblanc Gandhi!  Which isn't even available any more!  So I now have a vial of this Officially Rare Unobtainable Ink.

As for MI 6:

This is a slinky ink! The flow and smoothitude was remarkable. With a single dip, I was able to write this mini-review, AND a short letter to a pen pal. However, several hours later, tendrils of purple/pink were still emerging from the nib.

I think MI 6 would pair well with MI 3. The CDA Sunset that looked like raspberry sorbet. 

For my own identification purposes, I'm calling it Elderberry...though there's no such ink name as far as I know. *





The scan makes it look almost black. Though it is very dark, it has lighter and warmer tones than shown here, though no shading that I can see. But talk about flow! No smearage, either...a boon for us southpaw hookers. 

Like Laura N, I'm not a big purple ink person, but this one has some wonderful properties. I'm enjoying it.

PS: last night the water in which I was soaking the dipped nib finally ran clear....BUT when I applied paper towel to the nib, nope. So I accidentally did a chroma, lol. Slate and hot pink says it well.

* There was...but I didn't know that at the time.

This was another De Atramentis ink: Aubergine.

Wrong again.  But well, at least it was a FOOD.  

What ink shall be next?  It's a mystery to me.