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Laura N
May 7th, 2015, 01:45 PM
It is hard to believe, but the time has arrived for another round of Mystery Ink, this one MI8.

I usually like a theme to enliven the MI threads, but I'm not feeling it right now, which means we're going bare bones for MI8. I'll think of this as taking MI on a camping trip, and just bringing the necessities: one Mystery Ink, which is ready and waiting, and approximately six volunteers to try it.

All that is required of our MI8 volunteers will be a willingness to try MI8 and post their impressions here. The idea is to have fun by trying an ink without any preconceptions, or even a clue as to what it might be. I will say that this one is going to be a springy ink, because it's spring where I live, finally.

If you’d like to volunteer, please post here and let us know why you’d like to get MI8.

And if it’s not in your profile, please tell us where you live (just the state or country). That helps us pick a diverse slate of participants and figure out mailing times.

People who've done it before are welcome again, as are people who are new to the exercise. Everyone is welcome in Mystery Ink.

If we have more than six who want to volunteer, participants will be chosen randomly.

We count on you to help us keep the identity of the ink secret. Because inks arrive at different locations at different times, ink will not be revealed until everyone has received his or her ink and had a chance to try it. So we ask people not to write guesses about the ink’s name directly in the thread. If you'd like to, you can PM me with a guess. If I receive a correct guess, I promise to shower you with plaudits and cover you with glory, and you will hereinafter be entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits of MI Guesser Extraordinaire. If your guess is incorrect, that's actually fine, too. Those are often every bit as nice as the actual ink. :)

I've got no theme, but I'll share with you our beautiful day. Magnolia petals dropped off last week, but the viburnum are blooming and perfuming the air. The early daffodils are long gone but some of the later ones are especially gorgeous.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/mochasolo/Misc%20Pens%20and%20Inks/DSC_1040_zpsf82cjd7x.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/mochasolo/media/Misc%20Pens%20and%20Inks/DSC_1040_zpsf82cjd7x.jpg.html)

Uncle Bud
May 7th, 2015, 01:54 PM
That time again, Laura! I've done 2 in a row, so I'll let someone else have a go. For everyone out there who hasn't taken part yet, put your name in the hat. It's actually great fun, you'd be surprised how much thought you put into it, and guessing is fun too. Go on, you know you want to......

Empty_of_Clouds
May 7th, 2015, 01:57 PM
I'll throw my name into the hat again - if that's okay. With respect to inks I am still very much a beginner standing before a veritable mountain of untried makers and colours and without a decent map showing me which route is best for ascent! These excellent Mystery Ink games offer me a small chance to to take a tentative footstep on that mountain. However, because I was lucky enough to win migo984's sample giveaway I would more than happy to take my name out of the hat if there are lots of applicants this time around, and watch the action from base-camp, as it were.

Cob
May 7th, 2015, 02:03 PM
Excellent work Laura - you really have established a project that is most unlikely to "go away" And heaven knows that there are enough inks around to keep it going practically indefinitely.

Just like Cryptos, I shall be watching from "base camp" and with great interest.

Best regards

Cob

Quantum Sailor
May 7th, 2015, 02:09 PM
I'll throw my name and my gf into the mix. She has started using her fountain pens a lot. I have been sticking pretty much to blue black, black, and dark gray, my gf has been sticking to black and pink. So getting us exposed to other colors will be good lol.

sgtstretch
May 7th, 2015, 02:29 PM
I'll step up again. Had fun with MI3? I think it was. I like the experience of trying new and unknown inks.

BCDDiggler
May 7th, 2015, 03:14 PM
Volunteering once more.
Who you gonna call; ink testers!

Calgary, Canada

Chrissy
May 7th, 2015, 03:19 PM
I'm happy to watch from base camp with interest :)

reprieve
May 7th, 2015, 03:20 PM
I'll toss my name into the hat. I love cheerful springy inky colors!

Sammyo
May 7th, 2015, 03:40 PM
I have done two now, so please count me as a secondary if there is room :)

migo984
May 7th, 2015, 05:01 PM
I've had my fair share of MIs too, so I'll leave it to others to have fun.

Jon Szanto
May 7th, 2015, 05:11 PM
"If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve."

~ William Tecumseh Sherman

Chrissy
May 7th, 2015, 05:14 PM
"If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve."

~ William Tecumseh Sherman

Quite appropriate tonight for us Brits at least :)

mhguda
May 7th, 2015, 05:20 PM
I'd like to try my luck again. I am new to the MI threads here, but I have done some ink testing on the other site (the Pinks) so if someone with less experience wants my chance, that's fine, too. But I'm curious about a springy theme in ink. Here in Curaçao, we are in the middle of the dry and windy season. It's hot, and very hazy with all the Sahara dust limiting visibility. Clouds do form but we haven't had a lot of rain lately. If I were to choose a color for an ink to characterize this time of year, it would be chalky yellow, or dusty red. That said, the wind is also strong this time of year, and so the heat feels like a dry heat, even though it's really not. Best time of the year. Although when the rainy season rolls around I tend to think that's the best part of the year, too. :)

caribbean_skye
May 7th, 2015, 05:36 PM
Okay maybe the 3rd times the charm. I would love to be a part, i love discovering new (to me) inks.

Crazyorange
May 7th, 2015, 05:57 PM
I'll throw my hat in. If the ink is black...leave me out. Thanks Laura and klpeabody. I appreciate your time and effort.

Jon Szanto
May 7th, 2015, 06:14 PM
"If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve."

~ William Tecumseh Sherman

Quite appropriate tonight for us Brits at least :)

Yes, I've been following events, at least to some extent. Quite a singular election year, and I hope that things will work out for the best for all of you.

tiffanyhenschel
May 7th, 2015, 06:30 PM
It looks like you may have enough volunteers, but if there's room I'll participate. The timing is good for me. I'm in North Texas.

Laura N
May 7th, 2015, 07:27 PM
"If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve."

~ William Tecumseh Sherman

"Where have all sensations gone?"

-The New Pornographers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBAUQaj6EJo#t=27)

naimitsu
May 7th, 2015, 08:34 PM
If it's a bright and fun color, count me in!
If not... well, count me in if you need people (though it looks like you might already have enough!) ;)

elaineb
May 7th, 2015, 10:20 PM
*raises hand* ME ME ME ME ME! PLEEEEASE! I had so much fun last time.

Sailor Kenshin
May 8th, 2015, 07:00 AM
It is hard to believe, but the time has arrived for another round of Mystery Ink, this one MI8.

I usually like a theme to enliven the MI threads, but I'm not feeling it right now, which means we're going bare bones for MI8. I'll think of this as taking MI on a camping trip, and just bringing the necessities: one Mystery Ink, which is ready and waiting, and approximately six volunteers to try it.

All that is required of our MI8 volunteers will be a willingness to try MI8 and post their impressions here. The idea is to have fun by trying an ink without any preconceptions, or even a clue as to what it might be. I will say that this one is going to be a springy ink, because it's spring where I live, finally.

If you’d like to volunteer, please post here and let us know why you’d like to get MI8.

And if it’s not in your profile, please tell us where you live (just the state or country). That helps us pick a diverse slate of participants and figure out mailing times.

People who've done it before are welcome again, as are people who are new to the exercise. Everyone is welcome in Mystery Ink.

If we have more than six who want to volunteer, participants will be chosen randomly.

We count on you to help us keep the identity of the ink secret. Because inks arrive at different locations at different times, ink will not be revealed until everyone has received his or her ink and had a chance to try it. So we ask people not to write guesses about the ink’s name directly in the thread. If you'd like to, you can PM me with a guess. If I receive a correct guess, I promise to shower you with plaudits and cover you with glory, and you will hereinafter be entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits of MI Guesser Extraordinaire. If your guess is incorrect, that's actually fine, too. Those are often every bit as nice as the actual ink. :)

I've got no theme, but I'll share with you our beautiful day. Magnolia petals dropped off last week, but the viburnum are blooming and perfuming the air. The early daffodils are long gone but some of the later ones are especially gorgeous.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h219/mochasolo/Misc%20Pens%20and%20Inks/DSC_1040_zpsf82cjd7x.jpg (http://s65.photobucket.com/user/mochasolo/media/Misc%20Pens%20and%20Inks/DSC_1040_zpsf82cjd7x.jpg.html)


Want!

Because...because....it's. Just. So. Coooool. And the lack of theme just adds to the mystery.

I promise a chroma! And maybe multiple papers.

Y'all know where I live. Right inside this little device. ;)

PS: Beautiful daffodils! Most of ours have dropped the blossoms but some are still there. We have multiple varieties. Tulips are up, dogwoods are blooming. And I think we MIGHT be done with snow for the year.

inlovewithjournals
May 8th, 2015, 09:16 AM
I'm jealous of your spring Laura! Snow is in the forecast for us once again. I think the only year it did NOT snow for the May long weekend in Calgary was 2006, the year I got married. We deliberately chose the weekend after May long so we could have it in our backyard. The May long was glorious and of course MY weekend was cold and rainy/snowy. But it didn't daunt us - we discovered our living room (completely devoid of furniture of course) held 50 people rather cozily. :)

Anyway, onto MI8. I said I would volunteer but I think you have a happy contingent so I will be watching from "base camp" too.

BCDDiggler
May 8th, 2015, 10:07 AM
Our crazy Calgary weather!!! Woke up to find snow this morning! Thankfully not much and melting fast...

inlovewithjournals
May 8th, 2015, 10:33 AM
Yes at least it's melting! Maybe that is the end of the snow for us this year. We did have a pretty good winter, you must admit, but still no one wants the white stuff at this time of year. :)

Neo
May 8th, 2015, 05:40 PM
Maybe the theme can be Spring, or flowers.....anyway, I'm throwing my hat in the ring.

migo984
May 8th, 2015, 05:43 PM
Maybe the theme can be Spring, or flowers.....anyway, I'm throwing my hat in the ring.

Don't forget that for some of us it is now autumn :) "Flowers" on the other hand is a lovely theme. Plants often flower in autumn here instead of spring........

Neo
May 8th, 2015, 06:14 PM
Maybe the theme can be Spring, or flowers.....anyway, I'm throwing my hat in the ring.

Don't forget that for some of us it is now autumn :) "Flowers" on the other hand is a lovely theme. Plants often flower in autumn here instead of spring........


Good point :facepalm:, can we see some flowers from down under? :)

migo984
May 8th, 2015, 06:44 PM
Maybe the theme can be Spring, or flowers.....anyway, I'm throwing my hat in the ring.

Don't forget that for some of us it is now autumn :) "Flowers" on the other hand is a lovely theme. Plants often flower in autumn here instead of spring........


Good point :facepalm:, can we see some flowers from down under? :)


Native Australian trees and shrubs are wonderful. Somehow so much more exotic than UK 'neat and tidy' garden flowers, which are a bit too constrained for my taste :)

Here's a sketch I did of a Grevillea, an Australian shrub with a huge variety of different flower shapes, and in colours ranging from white to cream, and yellow, through orange to red. Gorgeous.

Laura N
May 9th, 2015, 12:51 PM
Thanks for all the entries. I'm sorry to post and run but I only have two minutes until I turn into a pumpkin and drive off into the carpooling sunset.

I believe I only got three international entries: our Calgary Flames fan BCDDiggler, Cryptos and mhguda. So unless I missed an entry (and that's possible), I believe all three will receive MI8.

Our friend random.org has selected the US recipients, and they are reprieve, tiffanyhenschel and elaineb. I think caribbean_skye said she's entered twice before and hasn't yet gotten chosen, so she's going to get one, too.

If I do not have your address, please PM that to me, along with your email just in case. I believe that means all the international winners plus Tiffany. Perhaps also caribbean_skye if I had to empty my PM box recently.

Okay I'm late to pick up a gaggle of children who resent that and tend to complain and eye-roll. Must dash. :)

naimitsu
May 9th, 2015, 12:59 PM
Congrats to all the winners! I'll (impatiently) wait for all of the reviews!

mhguda
May 9th, 2015, 01:22 PM
Thanks Laura and thanks naimitsu for the good wishes! Will sure try & live up to the standards of reviewing ink while having fun with it...

caribbean_skye
May 9th, 2015, 02:06 PM
oooh yay! Thanks. PM on its way

Empty_of_Clouds
May 9th, 2015, 02:28 PM
Coolio! This is without doubt the funnest way of expanding my inky horizons. PM sent.

Sammyo
May 9th, 2015, 05:42 PM
Congrats, you will enjoy the experience. I can't wait to see all the wonderful reviews and write ups :)
I love the FPGeeks sense of community :)

Crazyorange
May 9th, 2015, 08:24 PM
Congrats winners. Now the wait to see what the color looks like

Uncle Bud
May 10th, 2015, 07:26 AM
Congratulations winners, can't wait to read your reviews (and have another totally incorrect guess). Mystery Inks, I think is my favorite threads on fpgeeks.

RonLyke
May 12th, 2015, 02:34 PM
Okay I'm late to pick up a gaggle of children who resent that and tend to complain and eye-roll. Must dash. :)

If you're talking about a group of teenage girls, I believe the plural term is not "gaggle", but "giggle'.

caribbean_skye
May 17th, 2015, 12:47 PM
wont say this is a wonderful review but this should give you an idea of what the ink looks like. More testing will be done but I was a little anxious today. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/7b58ca145f0c17be2c5766a752d4cf01.jpg

Crazyorange
May 17th, 2015, 01:01 PM
Ohhhh pink .....[emoji7]

reprieve
May 17th, 2015, 02:19 PM
MI8 arrived in my mailbox yesterday! A happy day!

I thought it was orange until I swabbed it. It's not quite pink. It's not quite orange. It's more of a coral color, with more red than yellow, I think, which lends it that pinkish undertone. I've swabbed it, used it with a dip pen, and have just now filled my Platinum 3776 Sai with it. I will report back with photos after I've spent some more time with it.

Uncle Bud
May 17th, 2015, 03:04 PM
I just love it when the reviews start coming out. Enjoy it guys and gals. Love it!

Empty_of_Clouds
May 17th, 2015, 04:41 PM
MI8 arrived this morning. Looks interesting. My colleagues thought it was a blood sample returned from the lab, so I told them that indeed that is what it is! Have to wait until I get home to see if I have an uninked pen. Yikes!

Neo
May 17th, 2015, 05:03 PM
MI8 arrived in my mailbox yesterday! A happy day!

I thought it was orange until I swabbed it. It's not quite pink. It's not quite orange. It's more of a coral color, with more red than yellow, I think, which lends it that pinkish undertone. I've swabbed it, used it with a dip pen, and have just now filled my Platinum 3776 Sai with it. I will report back with photos after I've spent some more time with it.

Is there any sheen?

tiffanyhenschel
May 17th, 2015, 06:15 PM
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/1425359f37a69fddc74c54ff11f855ee.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/4ee7559e36f1447c7d4d1b5f71b00805.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/a8b08ef075e0f3a603c8501dd7fb5a31.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/d24224310d63bd289233370264a3a8b1.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/f7eef28dcb732d7d38be2918de9280db.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/612b3307c844f9a52daeff4afc8a0299.jpg

tiffanyhenschel
May 17th, 2015, 06:26 PM
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/f179ca0f5fff757902a7715bf5b4a8e8.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/bca16b2e7fc3217d52d8395de6a51b68.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/17/9a0bcf6d1cedb32deadf3634d84fa1b6.jpg

reprieve
May 17th, 2015, 06:44 PM
Is there any sheen?

Nope. There's not much shading either.

Crazyorange
May 18th, 2015, 07:31 AM
Is this color like watermelon red?

Laura N
May 18th, 2015, 07:36 AM
Wow, such awesome reviews, everyone.

tiffanyhenschel
May 18th, 2015, 09:01 AM
Is this color like watermelon red?
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/37960995f0d3fa241d0f7848953a5ee5.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/28237d588324a3197f31e6bebc2312a4.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/926df6fb900b43c40ffe71bdc6540149.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/44a1e4121bffd2ad3a93c01f56905cae.jpg

tiffanyhenschel
May 18th, 2015, 09:13 AM
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/2f982555d4f5e3236c572b48720b5be0.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/7a7b006663efa9de5dadef257d791f25.jpg

Crazyorange
May 18th, 2015, 09:59 AM
Is this color like watermelon red?
http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/37960995f0d3fa241d0f7848953a5ee5.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/28237d588324a3197f31e6bebc2312a4.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/926df6fb900b43c40ffe71bdc6540149.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/18/44a1e4121bffd2ad3a93c01f56905cae.jpg

Oh...I can see the difference now. Thanks:)

Sammyo
May 18th, 2015, 10:30 AM
Yay! reviews!!!!


it looks like a very interesting ink on the face of it... I have an idea... but I am usually way off ;)
Thanks to all for the reviews so far... your handwriting is so much better than mine!

Empty_of_Clouds
May 18th, 2015, 02:49 PM
I haven't had time to look at this ink yet. Have an assignment due in 3 more days and it's only half done. Yikes! However, I did dip a Hunt 101 and wrote 'Mystery Ink #8' in my Hobonichi just for a quick look. Real interesting colour! More to come... later in the week.

reprieve
May 18th, 2015, 04:47 PM
It's difficult to capture the color of MI8 accurately. It's in between pink, orange, and red. In certain lighting, it looks like a watermelon. Sometimes it looks oranger, more like a persimmon. It definitely has pink undertones, though. I would say that it's a pretty shade of coral. I like the color a lot. It's cheerful, readable, and perfect for springtime.

Flow is medium-dry. There's some lubrication, but it's not overly flow-y and you can definitely feel your nib against the paper. I like that sort of feedback. It's similar to writing with a pencil or with a wax crayon.

I wouldn't call this a saturated ink. But, interestingly enough, there's very little to no shading. Make of that what you will.

I tried MI8 on Rhodia, Tomoe River, Staples Bagasse, and an unknown brand of cheap printer paper (my office's paper). It didn't feather or bleed through any of the papers I used. It dried relatively quickly--it took about 12 seconds on Rhodia and Tomoe and about five seconds on the Staples Bagasse and copy paper. There's no sheen.

First I tried MI8 in an italic dip pen nib. Then I filled my Platinum 3776 Sai, which has a medium nib, with MI8. It's perfectly usable in the Platinum but it loses some of the drama that it had with the broader, wetter dip nib. I think it would be an eye-catching ink in a broad+ stub or cursive italic nib.

Also, I should note that I really, really like the way MI8 looks in the demonstrator. It did not cling to the walls of the sample vial, nor did it take much effort to rinse from the dip pen's nib, and it flushed out of a syringe quite easily. I don't expect any staining or maintenance issues; however, I will report back when I eventually clean out my pen.

Like I said, it's difficult to capture the color of MI8. It's somewhere in between the lighter pink of the first photo below and the deeper red of the second photo. There's more orange in person, too.


https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7685/17648741710_6d41c2a52c.jpg

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5347/17809978486_8e148740d2.jpg

mhguda
May 18th, 2015, 05:05 PM
I hope I receive mine soon! Once it gets here, I will report a.s.a.p. So far, it seems to have left New Zealand, but why it even went there is a mystery to me...

Laura N
May 18th, 2015, 05:17 PM
I hope I receive mine soon! Once it gets here, I will report a.s.a.p. So far, it seems to have left New Zealand, but why it even went there is a mystery to me...

We're probably lucky it didn't get lost in Michigan, like poor Sammyo's MI7.

Sammyo
May 18th, 2015, 06:19 PM
I hope I receive mine soon! Once it gets here, I will report a.s.a.p. So far, it seems to have left New Zealand, but why it even went there is a mystery to me...

We're probably lucky it didn't get lost in Michigan, like poor Sammyo's MI7.

I still relive the whole drama in nightmares! I wake up drenched in sweat, the thought of some USPS employee laughing maniacally to himself as he fills his stolen Montblanc with his I'll gotten ink!

Laura N
May 18th, 2015, 06:29 PM
I hope I receive mine soon! Once it gets here, I will report a.s.a.p. So far, it seems to have left New Zealand, but why it even went there is a mystery to me...

We're probably lucky it didn't get lost in Michigan, like poor Sammyo's MI7.

I still relive the whole drama in nightmares! I wake up drenched in sweat, the thought of some USPS employee laughing maniacally to himself as he fills his stolen Montblanc with his I'll gotten ink!

Only to realize he didn't like the color so might as well deliver it to you after all. :)

Sammyo
May 18th, 2015, 06:34 PM
Lolz :D
Sadly I loved it, and yearn for more :( ... ;)

Edit: I don't know how I could "yarn" for something!

Neo
May 18th, 2015, 07:04 PM
I don't know how I could "yarn" for something!


Maybe in the winter with a cat? :wave:

mhguda
May 18th, 2015, 09:46 PM
I had a package of FPN inks that was sent from Nevada (don't ask!) take a round trip through Canada to finally reach me... After it had been tracked for four weeks the USPS tracking system gave up on it. But I couldn't file a claim, since my address was not recognized as legitimate since my country does not use ZIP codes. In fact I could not even send them an email to ask how to file a claim.
In the end the package actually showed up. Go figure. I wish I knew where it had traveled to, and how it finally came to the island...

BCDDiggler
May 21st, 2015, 08:21 AM
1911019111191121911319114Dear Laura et al,

My sample arrived last night and I was in to the office early to play with it! Taking out of the shipping pouch, in the dim lighting in my kitchen, I thought that the ink clung a bit to the sides and sort of resembled flames.

Notebook - New Leaf Behance Dot Grid Journal
Pen #1 - Noodler's Konrad

This is an easy to fill and easy to clean pen so I like to sample with it.

Starting off the Konrad is wet, giving me the sense that the ink is a saturated vibrant, bright red. Doing the dry test I note that it takes a long time to dry, and that the smears definitely seem to be pinkish. The droplet test indicates some resistance but I wouldn't say waterproof necessarily. There was no sheen detected. Didn't feather. Upon drying my impression was that it was much more muted than originally written. For a red. For a pink, quite vibrant! By then end of page one I was firmly in the pink camp.

Pen #2 - Platinum Preppy

My second pen is an easy filling eye dropper converted preppy (I actually got it and the Konrad as my first fountain pens at the same time - very nostalgic) which has always behaved and put down a bit of a drier line. This writing was clearly more pink. Dry time was still long.

Page two is a comparison of inks that I have, and were already inked. While only the iroshizuku tsutsuji was really in the same ballpark the comparison of disparate inks really shows the pink of MI8, though I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a manufacturer classified it as a red.

Overall - This, to me, seems to be a highly saturated pink with some red water resistance. It has some shading but no sheen. Does not feather (napkin test) and is dark enough to be nicely legible while bright enough to really pop off the page. I would use this in an EDC but never for a quick note; that drying time!

-Dirk

Sailor Kenshin
May 21st, 2015, 10:16 AM
This appears to be a beautiful watermelon color! Yes, I'm all about the food references.

BCDDiggler
May 21st, 2015, 10:28 AM
I didn't mention it in my review but - i just smelled chemically. No perfumery at all.

FredRydr
May 22nd, 2015, 05:30 AM
Laura,

This is a great idea. Blind tests are always fun, and usually surprising, though I usually do them with food! I'll watch MI9 with interest! https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aG3D4mQtEKo/VQ769wfaLII/AAAAAAAAHjM/671Bf90ZX0o/s800/rilla.gif

Fred

Empty_of_Clouds
May 22nd, 2015, 10:45 PM
Sorry for the delay, my friends. Assignment deadline was bearing down on me.

Anyway, finally had a go with Mystery Ink #8. I am a bit of a loss as to how to describe it. It's like a combination of colours to my eye but I cannot pin it down to which colours those may be. Initially I was thinking apricot... just not orange enough... I dunno but I am very interested in what the reveal will, er, reveal!


Paper is Rhodia in the first and cheap cardstock in the second.

https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7742/17990797755_367627909b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/tpMxoc)

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8812/17803169810_e4cd20d623_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/t8cU8C)

Definitely fruity... in all senses :)

reprieve
May 23rd, 2015, 07:54 AM
It's interesting that some of us have had the impression that MI8 dries quickly while others have reported very long drying times. Some of us see some orange tones while others see only red and pink. Some of us see shading while others see a saturated, even line. I think everyone has noted that it flows well. None of us have seen any sheen. This is why Mystery Ink is so fascinating and fun!

tiffanyhenschel
May 23rd, 2015, 08:11 AM
In my use of MI8, a lot depends on the paper and nib. The color and dry time changes dramatically from TR and Rhodia to cheap filler paper.

elaineb
May 23rd, 2015, 08:32 AM
Sorry sorry sorry for being late with this. My computer died this week, just got it back, and now I'm trying to get the scanner etc. working again. I'll have my sample pages up shortly!

Laura N
May 23rd, 2015, 10:35 AM
Sorry sorry sorry for being late with this. My computer died this week, just got it back, and now I'm trying to get the scanner etc. working again. I'll have my sample pages up shortly!

No worries! That sounds awful. Take your time. It's a holiday weekend (here). And the weather is lovely (here and hopefully wherever we are). And we have one vial of MI8 still wending its way to lovely Curacao, taking its time, enjoying the scenery.

I have to say that these are all lovely reviews, and I am so impressed to see such beautiful handwriting. MI8 is lucky!

reprieve
May 23rd, 2015, 01:14 PM
In my use of MI8, a lot depends on the paper and nib. The color and dry time changes dramatically from TR and Rhodia to cheap filler paper.

That's been my experience as well--especially that the color can look dramatically different depending on paper, lighting, and nib.

I have to say that I'm really, really liking MI8! It's my favorite of the Mystery Inks so far. :)

tiffanyhenschel
May 25th, 2015, 01:45 PM
I was pretty sure I had MI8 figured out, but then I reread a letter I received a few months ago that was written with my guess for the ink. Wrong again! So far I have eliminated several guesses as to what it is NOT, but I am stumped as to what it Is. ;)

mhguda
May 25th, 2015, 02:27 PM
My package gave its last sign of movement ten days ago, when it left New Zealand. No idea why it even went there, but the mysteries of the world's postal system are too deep for me. Anyway I'm still waiting, and sorry to hold everybody up, but elaineb, you won't be the last to post a review, I don't think. Anyway, I will let everyone know as soon as I have the ink in my hands... really looking forward to giving it a shot.

caribbean_skye
May 25th, 2015, 06:45 PM
I was pretty sure I had MI8 figured out, but then I reread a letter I received a few months ago that was written with my guess for the ink. Wrong again! So far I have eliminated several guesses as to what it is NOT, but I am stumped as to what it Is. ;)

hehe like you i know what ink it is not.

Laura N
May 25th, 2015, 06:55 PM
I was pretty sure I had MI8 figured out, but then I reread a letter I received a few months ago that was written with my guess for the ink. Wrong again! So far I have eliminated several guesses as to what it is NOT, but I am stumped as to what it Is. ;)



I was pretty sure I had MI8 figured out, but then I reread a letter I received a few months ago that was written with my guess for the ink. Wrong again! So far I have eliminated several guesses as to what it is NOT, but I am stumped as to what it Is. ;)

hehe like you i know what ink it is not.

Oh I'm so relieved to hear from both Texans. That weather looks terrible. We've had serious flooding the last few years, and it's so scary.

The ink, yeah, PM me any guesses. I've gotten two brave guesses only. One of which was correct. Yes, we have a champion. :)

tiffanyhenschel
May 25th, 2015, 07:10 PM
Oh I'm so relieved to hear from both Texans. That weather looks terrible. We've had serious flooding the last few years, and it's so scary.

The ink, yeah, PM me any guesses. I've gotten two brave guesses only. One of which was correct. Yes, we have a champion. :)

Yes, we have had more rain this spring than the last several years all together. Lakes are full for the first time in seven years, so no complaints here. So far the tornadoes have stayed west and north of us, so we're good for now.

caribbean_skye
May 26th, 2015, 05:42 AM
Oh I'm so relieved to hear from both Texans. That weather looks terrible. We've had serious flooding the last few years, and it's so scary.

The ink, yeah, PM me any guesses. I've gotten two brave guesses only. One of which was correct. Yes, we have a champion. :)

Apart from some light rain and electrical storm things have been okay here. Cannot say the same for nearby counties.

Will certainly PM you

Sailor Kenshin
May 26th, 2015, 05:43 AM
My Texan friend sent me a picture of a recent t-storm and the damage it did....yikes.

elaineb
May 26th, 2015, 04:18 PM
Mystery Ink #8

This is a soft, warm red ink that leans toward scarlet rather than fuchsia. It is a relatively low-saturation ink, which gives it a couple of quirks that I'll explain in a bit. As red inks go, it has a soft, gentle feel. I could see doing corrections in this ink, for instance, because the markings wouldn't say something like "YOU ARE WRONG AND STUPID!!", but rather something like "Pssst, over here, need to check this." (If that makes any sense. I admit my brain has odd associations with letters and type in various colors.)

On the other hand, sometimes when I looked at the ink, it looked like the same boring, dull red that you see on stamp pads in office supply stores. So my reaction to the color is a bit mixed.

I loaded it into a wet-writing pen with a medium nib and doodled around for a while before I made the sample sheets below. It is very well-behaved, with average dry times that varied by the absorbency of the paper used. No notable bleedthrough nor feathering unless I really applied big pools of ink. I found it quite comfortable to use for longer (i.e. 15+ minutes) writing sessions. It rinsed out easily from the pen, and the ink spots on my skin could be washed off without much staining.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/ebenfatto/MI8_1.jpg

I experimented with a bunch of pens to see how the ink shaded, and there wasn't really much difference in the color from when it was applied lightly with extra-fine nibs to big plops of ink from wet flex nibs. I tried it on white and then on ivory paper, and the color changed to a bright tomato red on the ivory paper. This isn't surprising given the ink's transparency and low saturation: the color of the paper will glow through the layer of ink more easily than it would if the ink were darker or more saturated.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/ebenfatto/MI8_2.jpg

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/ebenfatto/MI8_3.jpg

One thing that frustrated me was the fact that the low saturation meant the color could easily be affected by even tiny traces of other inks in my pens. I really clean my pens carefully when I move them out of daily use, but of the 10 or so pens I'd pulled out to use with MI8, 7 of them were unusable because I could see a color shift after the first downstroke. Even after I rinsed the nibs, dried them, and tried again, I could see the color change. You'll even see some on the sample pages, written with pens I had tested and thought were clean enough. I think that if I had kept writing with the pens, eventually the ink would have flushed out the feed enough to show the true color of MI8. But I was really surprised at how sensitive it was to the presence of any other ink. I'd not experienced this before, not even with yellow inks. If I buy a bottle of MI8 for my own use, I would probably take (admittedly inconvenient) steps to fill pens from small sample vials rather than from the bottle itself, for fear of accidentally contaminating the ink.

I made a comparative swatch of MI8 with the other red inks that I own, none of which come close. I did a little experiment at the end, though, and the left color patch on the second row shows the color I got from diluting Waterman red with about 50% water. The resulting ink isn't an exact match, but it has some of those same soft, low saturation characteristics that make MI8 so interesting.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/ebenfatto/MI8_4.jpg

Last note: MI8 does not work well with dip nibs. It's too watery, so it tends to drip, spot, and feather even on good paper. If you wanted to use the color for calligraphy, you'd probably need to bulk it up with some gum arabic and glycerin.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l311/ebenfatto/MI8_5.jpg

Crazyorange
May 26th, 2015, 04:41 PM
Great review Elaine.

Cob
May 26th, 2015, 05:04 PM
Yes a wonderful review - I shall think very hard before i do any more!

Cob

migo984
May 26th, 2015, 05:15 PM
Now that really is an excellent ink review Elaine. Thank you for so much useful information. I have a suspicion about which ink this is, but I've incorrectly guessed the last 3, so I'll keep it to myself until the reveal :)

Empty_of_Clouds
May 26th, 2015, 06:26 PM
That is such a great review ElaineB. So crushingly good that it really makes me question my own involvement with Mystery Ink. The sidelines beckon. I'll leave all future samples to those with greater experience.

Loved the little sketches too!

migo984
May 26th, 2015, 09:11 PM
That is such a great review ElaineB. So crushingly good that it really makes me question my own involvement with Mystery Ink. The sidelines beckon. I'll leave all future samples to those with greater experience.

Loved the little sketches too!

I too have come to the same conclusion. I'll join you on the sidelines....

Laura N
May 26th, 2015, 10:13 PM
What?!

Now, now, everyone. No one has to participate, of course. If you don't feel like it, don't worry and sit a few out. But we can't sentence poor elaineb to do all six or seven MI9 vials by herself next time! She would not want that, I'm sure. :)

Most importantly, every single contribution is as valuable and entertaining as every other, and in fact it's only by looking at all of them do we get the rich experience that has been Mystery Ink. And it's most fun when we get a whole range of participants. There are no prerequisites or special abilities needed. This is just for fun. Just for the fun of trying an unknown ink, without any preconceptions, as well as the fun of reading everyone else's take on it. And hopefully it's at least a little diverting for us readers, and maybe even a little enlightening. It has made me look at inks differently, for one. Plus every new post brings a smile to my face.

Think of it this way: where would we be if a young Tom Stoppard had said, "I'll never measure up to Shakespeare, so I'm not going to write any more"? Or if 8-year-old Patrick Kane/Lionel Messi had said, "I'll never be Gordie Howe/Diego Maradona, so I'm going to hang up the skates/boots right now"? Or if a young Jon Szanto had said, "Buddy Rich has it covered"? We'd all have missed out. Everyone brings something different and unique, and it's all good.

So, let's forge ahead. No one should feel in any way abashed. If you don't want to, that's fine, of course. But if it's something you'd like to do, and you have the time, don't hesitate because you think your contribution won't be valuable. Everyone is welcome and everyone adds just as much. Also, I really like the next couple of MIs. :)

migo984
May 27th, 2015, 08:33 AM
Don't worry Laura. I'm sure there will continue to be plenty of willing & very able volunteers for future MI reviews. I'm just happier appreciating others' brilliant sampling on behalf of the 'inky collective' :)

As an aside, I also guess I'm the 'odd one out' in just not understanding the point of reviewing a discontinued ink, as some of the MI samples have proven to be.

So I'll stick to the sidelines, whilst thanking both you and Karen for your wonderful MI co-ordination,which provides such fun and much scratching of heads and furrowed brows :thank_you2:

elaineb
May 27th, 2015, 08:47 AM
Thank you Laura for jumping in here. Everyone -- no, please, don't stop doing the Mystery Inks! It kind of horrifies me that I'm making people feel discouraged. The point of these reviews isn't to produce artwork or great literature. It's your information that's important, and everyone's input is -equally- important. I'm just one writer with a certain set of preferences, and we need to hear from all types of pen users.

Crazyorange
May 27th, 2015, 08:49 AM
I'm not discouraged. I enjoyed Elaine's review but no need on my end to live up to it. Let's enjoy and get over our insecurities.

mhguda
May 27th, 2015, 09:12 AM
Dear All,

My mailbox was stuffed this morning. A couple of new pens, and Mystery Ink to try them out with!
So, I will ink a few later today and after I've had a chance to get acquainted at least, share my thoughts.
Happy that the long wait is almost over... :cheers:

migo984
May 27th, 2015, 09:21 AM
Thank you Laura for jumping in here. Everyone -- no, please, don't stop doing the Mystery Inks! It kind of horrifies me that I'm making people feel discouraged. The point of these reviews isn't to produce artwork or great literature. It's your information that's important, and everyone's input is -equally- important. I'm just one writer with a certain set of preferences, and we need to hear from all types of pen users.

Elaine - I don't think you need to be horrified. I'm not at all discouraged or doubtful of my abilities. After all it is just a fun ink sampling game, not something akin to Stoppard or Shakespeare, to borrow Laura's reference!
Having reviewed a few MI inks earlier on I just prefer to watch others now.

Sammyo
May 27th, 2015, 10:36 AM
Just for balance I thought elaineb's review was terrible... who am I kidding, it was great!

Thanks Elaine for a well thought out and thorough review, it has inspired me to make my next MI involvment even better. Thank you for the hard work, it seems like we all appreciate it :)

elaineb
May 27th, 2015, 10:49 AM
Just for balance I thought elaineb's review was terrible...

ROFL! You made my day. :)

mhguda
May 28th, 2015, 09:24 AM
Here are some of my thoughts about this ink.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1432825948__mi8_thoughts001.jpg
Have not done extensive testing, and frankly, I don't plan to. You all have already done such great work there.
I've tried this on two different papers, in two different pens, as you can see.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1432826064__mi8_thoughts002.jpg
The first scan is from a self-made booklet made from Paperline copy paper. This seems a slightly better than ordinary copy and printer paper, in that it takes most (but not all) fountain pen inks very well. The second scan is from a page of my Seven Seas journal, Tomoe River paper.
Hopefully you can read my handwriting... here are my main conclusions:
For me this ink is RED.
Flow in the Juweel I just bought (from Lexaf) with a semi flex nib is excellent, but in the Fellowship Turpido eyedropper, not so much.
It's a slow drying ink for me, even on the copy paper. I still got a smear after 10 seconds.
I did like the shading I got from the Juweel, especially on Tomoe River. But red is red, and I get bored after half a page of it. If my grading does not finish this off, I may try mixing it with some black ink, in my ever-lasting pursuit of reddish black ink.

As my handwritten notes say, I have no idea what this ink might be, and I'm not venturing a guess.
Thanks to all of you for being so patient and allowing me to play. I hope to join again and hopefully test a color that's closer to my favorites (I like really dark blues). And will follow the development of the mystery inks threads.

Laura N
May 28th, 2015, 11:50 AM
Oh wow, mhguda's looks so different than the ink does in my pens. That's awesome, I love the variance. Maybe I can load some up and take a photo of how it looks for me.

However, I am just buried in work and life so unfortunately I have to ask everyone to be a little more patient, because right now I can only post and run. But I'll get back to MI8 as soon as I can. I think it will be time to say what it is. Thanks! :)

Most importantly, I want to say thanks very much to Cryptos, who has made an extremely generous, and very much appreciated, contribution to MI. Three cheers for Cryptos. :cheer2:

Cob
May 28th, 2015, 02:02 PM
On my laptop, Mhguda's sample looks cerise to me!

Cob

mhguda
May 28th, 2015, 02:50 PM
Cerise - as in cherries? so red. The first scan had a red plastic paper gripper for comparison, and in the flesh so to speak, that color and the ink are very close. The scan is good in that respect at least.
I've spent most of the afternoon grading exams, written on very poor quality paper. I used MI8 and it really bleeds and feathers all over the place. Too bad. Also, I do not think this is a friendly red after all. It's very attention-getting. Happily, for this work, that is what is necessary. (I am the second corrector).

Empty_of_Clouds
May 28th, 2015, 03:20 PM
Cerise - as in cherries? so red.

Did I not draw some cherries, eh?

I have no idea what it will be. Can't wait to find out though!

Crazyorange
May 28th, 2015, 03:49 PM
Thanks cryptos for keeping the MI going. [emoji5]️

Cob
May 28th, 2015, 03:51 PM
"I want a plain, simple car,
A cerise Cadillac,
Long enough to have,
A bowling alley in the back."

Eartha Kitt...

Cob

Laura N
May 28th, 2015, 08:35 PM
MI8 is an ink that varies a lot for me. In a Montblanc 146 with a medium nib it seems a cheery and friendly pink, with a bit of shading, and just a hint of orange that takes it part of the way to salmon. But thankfully only part of the way. In that pen, it has reminded me a bit of Pilot Iroshizuku Kosumosu. But I like it more than I liked Kosumosu. In a Montblanc with a broad nib it looks darker and redder, and I think of cherry pink. In one pen I had used long ago -- an Esterbrook J with a wet stub nib -- the color made me think a little bit of Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki. Although it was not nearly as saturated, and it was pinker. But that particular pen brought out the orange and the red.

It's a soft ink, for me, even in its redder guise. It's not neon or bright. But it's not really the kind of pink that Lily Pulitzer would put on a girl's dress. It feels slightly out-of-the-ordinary. I haven't gotten tired of it, which is something that can happen to me with a pink ink. With all of its changeability, I find it interesting.

For me, its behavior always has been excellent. It flows nicely and starts up perfectly. It cleans out easily. Even with the 146 broad nib, I just tested it on all sorts of paper, including Clairefontaine, and it dries in less than 10 seconds. Luckily, I have never seen either feathering or spread. However, I don't have to write in blue books or the like, and I have never used it in a real gusher, like a vintage Parker or Pelikan. I don't doubt that it might be too wet for paper or a pen like that.

I probably would not choose to write a three-page document with it. Nor would I use it with an extra-fine nib, because I am half-blind, in that over-40 way. But I like it for editing. I like to write with it in notes and letters. I like it in a medium nib.

Inks that I have used in the past that strike me as having significant similarities with MI8 are Diamine Coral, Pilot Iroshizku Kosumosu and actually Lamy Neon Coral if you could remove the bright neon aspect of the Lamy and just have the coral. I got some great guesses, and I will go into that in a later post. And I will come back and add photos when I have more time. But for now....

MI8 is J. Herbin Rouge Caroubier.

Crazyorange
May 28th, 2015, 09:41 PM
No way!!!! I thought it looked familiar.

Sammyo
May 28th, 2015, 10:09 PM
Not even close! Back to the drawing board... or is that writing desk?

migo984
May 28th, 2015, 10:25 PM
Ah, I knew I didn't like it very much. That was my second choice. I suspected a Herbin because of the paucity of pigment & the wetness, but my first guess was Monteverde. An outside bet was Stipula, again because of the weak saturation.

All the reviews looked different with this ink; not sure if that's due to ink behaviour or photo setting variances.

elaineb
May 28th, 2015, 10:39 PM
I really had no clue what it was, but I'm not surprised now that I know. Like Migo, I don't always like the low saturation in Herbin inks, but since I don't like strident red inks, the softness of this shade was kind of appealing. I am surprised that it flowed so freely. Perhaps it's my choice of colors, but all of the Herbin inks I've owned have been disappointingly dry. This one flowed quite nicely, though. Live and learn. :)

Chrissy
May 29th, 2015, 03:10 AM
I really enjoyed the reviews and I actually like the ink colour. I also like quite a few J Herbin inks.

Thank you Laura and everyone who gave their time reviewing this ink. Great job! :applause::applause:

migo984
May 29th, 2015, 03:28 AM
Has anyone done a previous fade test on MI8? It's something rarely covered in ink reviews, which are usually limited to contemporaneous experiences, but I'm interested to see how these less saturated inks fare. I followed the "Fade Olympics" on the other forum and it was amazing how some of these inks did so badly in longer-term testing.

caribbean_skye
May 29th, 2015, 05:06 AM
uhm wow, would never have guessed, i just knew what it wasnt. i may have to get a bottle. will also have to dig out my sample of kosumosu as my impressions of that ink was that it was very light pink to the point it almost seemed that one could barely see it

mhguda
May 29th, 2015, 05:31 AM
I have very little experience with J Herbin inks; this is only the second sample of one I've tried. The other one was Bleu Myosotis, which I found a little too subdued for my taste; I have found that in a mix with a really loud blue it looks much better. I did find it to flow very nicely, as did this one, once I had it in a good pen. The Fellowship Turpido I loaded it with first turned out to have flow issues with other inks, too. Since remedied.
While unsaturated, I find this "pink" ink loud enough for grading exams. I will see how far I get with it. If any remains after this, I may try a mix.

elaineb
May 29th, 2015, 06:08 AM
Migo, fade tests take time (i.e. weeks to months), unless you have access to the accelerated aging testing gear that paint manufacturers use. If I had a consistently sunny window in a consistently sunny climate, I would be doing tons of them for my own use. But given my north-facing apartment and the vagaries of Boston weather, that's not likely to happen for a while.

Dyes (and dye-based inks) have always had lightfastness issues. Not all of them, of course, but I would guess that the great majority of consumer writing inks from the late-19th century through 20th century wouldn't do well if exposed to continuous sunlight. However, as someone who worked in an academic manuscript archive for a few years, I can tell you that fading isn't generally an issue for written documents on paper, mostly because they're either sealed up in envelopes, folders, boxes, or on the inside pages of a book. Anything hung on a wall for public view will present a lightfastness challenge. As an artist I am extremely concerned about the lightfastness and stability of any material used in my art work. But for my written pages? Nah, I don't sweat it. They spend most of their lives in darkness, keeping those dye molecules fresh and vivid for the future.

reprieve
May 29th, 2015, 06:51 AM
I really love this ink and it's one that I've used extensively. It has become my primary ink for marking papers--and is permanently paired with my red Platinum Plaisir. I've used Rouge Caroubier on cheap, nasty paper (I'm thinking of those horrid bluebooks) without issue. Yes, there's a bit of feathering, but the line remains crisp enough and legible enough for my purposes. I've truly put this ink through its paces and it's turned out to be a champ.

I love how different the ink can look. It can appear orange, red, pink, or some coral combination of those colors, depending on the nib and paper and lighting. It's an enigma. It's complex. It holds my interest.

I put MI8 (before I knew which ink it was) in my Platinum 3776 Sai--a demonstrator--and I'm really liking the way it looks and writes. It turned out to be a great ink-pen matchup. Rouge Caroubier is one of those translucent inks that looks so pretty and intriguing sloshing around in a demonstrator. And it flushes out quickly and easily, especially for a red, so staining shouldn't be an issue.

Even though it turned out to be an old favorite of mine, this is my favorite mystery ink yet!

Sailor Kenshin
May 29th, 2015, 06:59 AM
MI8 is an ink that varies a lot for me. In a Montblanc 146 with a medium nib it seems a cheery and friendly pink, with a bit of shading, and just a hint of orange that takes it part of the way to salmon. But thankfully only part of the way. In that pen, it has reminded me a bit of Pilot Iroshizuku Kosumosu. But I like it more than I liked Kosumosu. In a Montblanc with a broad nib it looks darker and redder, and I think of cherry pink. In one pen I had used long ago -- an Esterbrook J with a wet stub nib -- the color made me think a little bit of Pilot Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki. Although it was not nearly as saturated, and it was pinker. But that particular pen brought out the orange and the red.

It's a soft ink, for me, even in its redder guise. It's not neon or bright. But it's not really the kind of pink that Lily Pulitzer would put on a girl's dress. It feels slightly out-of-the-ordinary. I haven't gotten tired of it, which is something that can happen to me with a pink ink. With all of its changeability, I find it interesting.

For me, its behavior always has been excellent. It flows nicely and starts up perfectly. It cleans out easily. Even with the 146 broad nib, I just tested it on all sorts of paper, including Clairefontaine, and it dries in less than 10 seconds. Luckily, I have never seen either feathering or spread. However, I don't have to write in blue books or the like, and I have never used it in a real gusher, like a vintage Parker or Pelikan. I don't doubt that it might be too wet for paper or a pen like that.

I probably would not choose to write a three-page document with it. Nor would I use it with an extra-fine nib, because I am half-blind, in that over-40 way. But I like it for editing. I like to write with it in notes and letters. I like it in a medium nib.

Inks that I have used in the past that strike me as having significant similarities with MI8 are Diamine Coral, Pilot Iroshizku Kosumosu and actually Lamy Neon Coral if you could remove the bright neon aspect of the Lamy and just have the coral. I got some great guesses, and I will go into that in a later post. And I will come back and add photos when I have more time. But for now....

MI8 is J. Herbin Rouge Caroubier.


I HAVE that ink, and I wouldnt have guessed! And yes...I use it for editing. :D

Crazyorange
May 29th, 2015, 07:18 AM
I have the ink too. Never put two and two together. I just kept getting a feeling I had seen the ink somewhere (when looking at reviews). Duh, I own it. [emoji54]

migo984
May 29th, 2015, 08:07 AM
Migo, fade tests take time (i.e. weeks to months), unless you have access to the accelerated aging testing gear that paint manufacturers use.

Thanks Elaine. Yes I do appreciate the timescale involved hence I asked if anyone had done a "previous" fade test. Some time ago I participated in a 24 month fade experiment on a large number of inks, but this wasn't one of them. There were some surprising results, with some inks staying remarkably unaffected. Also, some inks faded a lot, even when not exposed to constant light. You can see that happen in just a few days with some inks as they dry, but others fade badly even in a closed book, for example. It is an issue for some who write journals & the like. I know they could use archival-quality inks, but even so, the outcome of the test on commonplace inks is very interesting.

As this colour has been around for many years, I was just wondering if by chance someone had tested it before now for propensity to fade.

Laura N
May 29th, 2015, 02:23 PM
And you know what, with MI8, a number of people PM'd me with guesses. Thank you, guessers! So fun.

The most popular guess was Diamine Coral. It's a good guess, because the ink sort of reminds me of Diamine Coral in being a pink-orange. However, as I remember that one, Rouge Caroubier is pinker, and softer and more subtle. Caveat: I sampled Diamine Coral a few years ago, and it was not for me, being too vivid and too orange for my tastes. So I haven't used it for a while. However, if your tastes run more to bright, and more to orange, you may also want to try Diamine Coral. Another similar one, as I think I said, is Lamy Neon Coral, which is another lovely bright color, which for me was a very bright flamingo pink.

One guess that intrigued me was Diamine Vermillion. I don't know this ink at all. From images online it looks a little more orange, but since I'm a charter member of the "not totally sure I can trust images online" club, I can't be sure. In any case, it's intriguing. Also, does anyone else think Diamine has a lot of ink colors? I can't keep up. :)

And then I got three guesses that I think were influenced by the more red looking photos: Pilot Iroshizuku Momiji and Montblanc Winter Glow or Ink of Love. Which underlines that, of all the interesting things about Rouge Caroubier, I think the most interesting is that it can look like so many other inks, depending on pen and paper.

I think I told you that one person did guess correctly, and that was reprieve! :cheer2: Reprieve now must accept all the honors and benefits of being the first correct guesser of MI. Which have yet to be determined at this point, and may not actually be more than words words words. But, trivial matter of prize aside, while we work on that, we can at least shower reprieve with applause and adulation. :clap2:

Laura N
May 29th, 2015, 02:26 PM
uhm wow, would never have guessed, i just knew what it wasnt. i may have to get a bottle. will also have to dig out my sample of kosumosu as my impressions of that ink was that it was very light pink to the point it almost seemed that one could barely see it

Oh, that would be great. I'm literally saying that off the top of my head, so I might be totally wrong. I bought a bottle of Kosumosu when it first came out, and I didn't really like it, so I sold it to someone who'd appreciate it more. So I know they aren't the same. But there is something in my head that said, this sort of reminds me of Kosumosu. But I like Rouge Caroubier more, acknowledging that someone else might feel the opposite.

Chrissy
May 29th, 2015, 03:45 PM
And you know what, with MI8, a number of people PM'd me with guesses. Thank you, guessers! So fun.

I think I told you that one person did guess correctly, and that was reprieve! :cheer2: Reprieve now must accept all the honors and benefits of being the first correct guesser of MI. Which have yet to be determined at this point, and may not actually be more than words words words. But, trivial matter of prize aside, while we work on that, we can at least shower reprieve with applause and adulation. :clap2:

Congratulations reprieve. :applause:

Neo
May 29th, 2015, 05:13 PM
:bounce:Kudos Reprieve.

Sailor Kenshin
May 29th, 2015, 06:09 PM
uhm wow, would never have guessed, i just knew what it wasnt. i may have to get a bottle. will also have to dig out my sample of kosumosu as my impressions of that ink was that it was very light pink to the point it almost seemed that one could barely see it

Oh, that would be great. I'm literally saying that off the top of my head, so I might be totally wrong. I bought a bottle of Kosumosu when it first came out, and I didn't really like it, so I sold it to someone who'd appreciate it more. So I know they aren't the same. But there is something in my head that said, this sort of reminds me of Kosumosu. But I like Rouge Caroubier more, acknowledging that someone else might feel the opposite.


I have both inks. My impression is that Kosumosu is very soft and delicate with near-zero orange tones. Rouge Caroubier seems bright bright bright orangey-red-coral. With maybe a hint of watermelon.

And way to go, Reprieve!

reprieve
May 29th, 2015, 07:06 PM
LOL.

I don't deserve any kudos. When I first saw MI8 in the vial, I thought it might be Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki. And then when I swabbed MI8, I thought it might be Lamy Coral. It's a hard color to pin down. I only recognized it because it's an ink that I have been using daily for the past several months. It's funny, before I knew what it was, I loved it. After I knew what it was, I realized it was an ink I already loved and I loved it even more.

Laura N
May 29th, 2015, 07:19 PM
LOL.

I don't deserve any kudos. When I first saw MI8 in the vial, I thought it might be Iroshizuku Fuyu-gaki. And then when I swabbed MI8, I thought it might be Lamy Coral. It's a hard color to pin down. I only recognized it because it's an ink that I have been using daily for the past several months. It's funny, before I knew what it was, I loved it. After I knew what it was, I realized it was an ink I already loved and I loved it even more.

Well, you get mega-kudos from me!

Also, I just loved reading this: "After I knew what it was, I realized it was an ink I already loved and I loved it even more." :)

That happens to me sometimes, outside the MI context, but still.

Laura N
May 29th, 2015, 07:32 PM
uhm wow, would never have guessed, i just knew what it wasnt. i may have to get a bottle. will also have to dig out my sample of kosumosu as my impressions of that ink was that it was very light pink to the point it almost seemed that one could barely see it

Oh, that would be great. I'm literally saying that off the top of my head, so I might be totally wrong. I bought a bottle of Kosumosu when it first came out, and I didn't really like it, so I sold it to someone who'd appreciate it more. So I know they aren't the same. But there is something in my head that said, this sort of reminds me of Kosumosu. But I like Rouge Caroubier more, acknowledging that someone else might feel the opposite.


I have both inks. My impression is that Kosumosu is very soft and delicate with near-zero orange tones. Rouge Caroubier seems bright bright bright orangey-red-coral. With maybe a hint of watermelon.

And way to go, Reprieve!

Thank you! You are absolutely right. I actually started digging through my old ink notebooks and found something I had written with Kosumosu. I've got a sample written with a Safari with 1.5 stub, and with that much volume it isn't particularly light, but I stand corrected because it's not really like Rouge Caroubier. If I compare them, Rouge Caroubier is more saturated, it has the orange tint, of course, and it looks more complex. Kosumosu is a much purer pink, a carnation pink, to me, and seems more youthful. If that makes sense.

And in another notebook, I also found a writing sample sent by a friend using Sailor Kobe No. 12 Okamoto Pink. And that is also similar to Kosumosu. It could be like Rouge Caroubier, but without the orange it really isn't. At least in my friend's pen, it is a very pale pink. While Rouge Caroubier is more red/orange and more saturated.

Sammyo
May 30th, 2015, 07:24 AM
reprieve FTW! :dance3:
The official FPGeeks ink ninja :ph34r:

Laura N
May 30th, 2015, 08:13 AM
reprieve FTW! :dance3:
The official FPGeeks ink ninja :ph34r:

Perfect!

BCDDiggler
June 2nd, 2015, 07:37 AM
Hola!

Review follow up:

I have now used up the sample that was in my Preppy - It went a goodly way and saw an entry in #mondaymatchupgiveaway. So final thoughts and obseervations:

On white paper ruled in blue with double (faded) red margins on the left this really looks like a saturated pink (on the redder side) to me. Still longer dry times than some but not as much feathering either. No problems in either pen and it cleaned out well. I can see why some people use this ink to do marking/editing.


I like it, colourful without being overly bright. Amazon will have it delivered for $35 CAD taxes and shipping, Reid's Stationiery might have it as well for around $30 CAD. Will it make it to my line up? Only time, and my next pen expenditures, can tell - but, I wouldn't rule it out! Though now that I think about it I still have 10 "surprise me" samples from Goulet to get through... anyone looking for a pen pal? :D

Hope this helps someone!

Again Laura, thanks! It was a lot of fun to participate in.

inlovewithjournals
June 3rd, 2015, 01:12 PM
J. Herbin Rouge Caroubier! I own it as well and didn't twig. Great ink for editing. Another successful MI!

caribbean_skye
June 3rd, 2015, 06:11 PM
i just ordered myself a bottle