NEW INK REVIEW: Diamine Shimmertastic Ink Brandy Dazzle

[Chrissy]

Following on from my thread announcing the launch of Diamine Shimmertastic inks (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/13059-Diamine-announce-their-10-new-Shimmertastic-Inks!!!!?p=143455#post143455), I am happy to post my reviews of them.

This one is Brandy Dazzle. This ink is chestnut brown with a great gold sheen

My reviews show you my experiences with these inks in several of my pens. I’ve experimented by having these inks in my pens for weeks, and have intermittently written with them to see how they start, and how they write. I must say I’m pleasantly surprised. I’ve experienced no feathering with any of them, and they have all behaved really well for me.

Diamine recommend that you gently agitate the bottle to mix the particles through the ink before filling your pen. They also recommend that you gently agitate your pen to mix the particles with the ink in your pen when starting a new writing session.

I recommend good FP maintenance when using ink that contains particles. I suggest you clean your pens out a little more frequently than you might do with normal ink.

These inks will come in 50ml glass bottles, and they have either gold or silver particles in them.

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[Laura N]

Wow, that really is spectacular, as you said.

I am taken with how nice these look.

[Chrissy]

I'm sorry the scans don't all show the sheen, the darker images are photographs taken so that they show the sheen

[Laura N]

I'm sorry the scans don't all show the sheen, the darker images are photographs taken so that they show the sheen

But the scans are good, too, because they show the color very well.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Wowz...

[tandaina]

This is probably the first one I'll buy, it is just stunning.

[Dreck]

With a name like "Shimmertastic brandy dazzle," I just had to read this thread. I'm awfully glad my daughter isn't up to see this...

[Lady Onogaro]

Oh, yes. I might even buy this one.

[VertOlive]

Very nice. So you agitate the pen when you begin to write, do you need to do so every so often as well? That has begun to really bother me with my JH inks...

[rdcalhoon]

This is the first review of this new series I have read. I foresee at least one sample order in my future.

[Chrissy]

Very nice. So you agitate the pen when you begin to write, do you need to do so every so often as well? That has begun to really bother me with my JH inks...

I don't think that's necessary, just if you start writing after all of the particles have settled overnight for example.

[TerraNoir]

I have been dying to see what this ink looks like and its truly all that I was hoping it would be. I can't wait for these inks to come out, I know that I will be getting this one and perhaps the black as well. The swabs of the Purple one is perfection as well. Its quite exciting to see what these look like in person. Though I wonder how the Purple in the Shimmertastic line compares to the Deep Purple that Cult Pens has.

[Chrissy]

Not entirely sure what the precise benefit of sheen or shimmer might be for the pen user and it would be easy to draw a parallel with the Champagne production region who have a lacklustre wine in its basic form and is only enhanced and improved by bubbles from the champagne process.

No great fan of Diamine inks as you may have gathered but as the reviews are all generally positive I may have to change that view and accept that reviewers who have been given samples by Diamine are capable of writing an unbiased review.

As a reviewer who has been given samples to test and review by Diamine, I can confirm that I write unbiased reviews. For me ink is ink, and I'm more than happy to test it and review it as long as I can tell the truth about it, warts and all.

[Chrissy]

Very reassuring Chrissy, unbiased reviews are what this forum is all about, are there any warts that you can reveal in the new Diamine range?

Thank you. I wouldn't call them warts, but with the exceptions of Blue Lightning and Golden Sands, IMHO the inks with gold particles tend to show more shimmer and sheen than those with silver particles. This doesn't seem to hold true for my sample of Blue Lightning though, as I found lots of sheen and shimmer in that one, and now I can hardly see any in my sample of Golden Sands

[Cookies]

Stunning! Cannot wait for this one.

[Doulton]

Thank you so much for this demonstration. I am salivating!

[Monz]

Thanks Chrissy. Is the base colour similar to Ancient Copper (but with added shimmer)?

[fountainpagan]

I'm sorry the scans don't all show the sheen, the darker images are photographs taken so that they show the sheen

But the scans are good, too, because they show the color very well.

I absolutely agree;

Wawooo, this is a great ink. I really like the way it looks.

Thank you for this great review

[youstruckgold]

Thankyou for doing this. I'm loving my Herbins; so keen to see what comes out here - especially the turquoise and the purple!

[Chrissy]

Thanks Chrissy. Is the base colour similar to Ancient Copper (but with added shimmer)?

I have used Ancient Copper before, but that was a while ago so I have forgotten exactly what shade it is. My sample of Brandy Dazzle is certainly a coppery brown with added shimmer and sheen. It probably is a similar shade to Ancient Copper.

[Chrissy]

Thankyou for doing this. I'm loving my Herbins; so keen to see what comes out here - especially the turquoise and the purple!
If someone asked me to guess which of the new Shimmertastic inks would be the most popular, I would include the brown and purple because no-one has done those before.

[oldstoat]

Chrissy, having reviewed all the Shimmertastic inks, do you have any opinions on which pens and papers work best with them? Would you say that they're better with dry or wet nibs, or with slower or faster drying papers?

[Chrissy]

I have done most of my writing with these inks on good quality Xerox 100gsm paper, Rhoda Dot Pad paper, and Tomoe River paper. Plus a couple of pages of Apica that I had. In my experience they behave better, and look better on smooth, less porous papers.

They also behave better with wetter nibs and pens that have good flow.

I have a Jinhao that's a very dry writer, since I ground it's nib to make it more stubbish, and the Shimmering Seas dried out in that pen after a few weeks.

[inklord]

Wow! Great pics of that golden sheen! You just might get me converted to glittery inks, Chrissy! (I already dread my next visit to Anderson Pens...)

[oldstoat]

I have done most of my writing with these inks on good quality Xerox 100gsm paper, Rhoda Dot Pad paper, and Tomoe River paper. Plus a couple of pages of Apica that I had. In my experience they behave better, and look better on smooth, less porous papers.

They also behave better with wetter nibs and pens that have good flow.

I have a Jinhao that's a very dry writer, since I ground it's nib to make it more stubbish, and the Shimmering Seas dried out in that pen after a few weeks.

Thanks- that's what I suspected but it's nice to have it confirmed. Looks like Brandy Dazzle and Shimmering Seas are on the order list

[Lady Onogaro]

I just got a letter with an envelope written in Brandy Dazzle; at first I thought it was Diamine Strauss, but then I turned it just the right way under the light, and there it was--the dazzle! It's very cool.

(Thanks VertOlive, for the demonstration!)

[KKay]

Well this is hurting my 12 number limit on inks...LOL. I seriously thought that would do me. But after seeing a couple of these, I think 20 may be a better ink limit for me. Who knows? I can also forsee a wider nib in my future too. I think there are two of these, maybe 3 that I could definitely go for!

[Lady Onogaro]

Well this is hurting my 12 number limit on inks...LOL. I seriously thought that would do me. But after seeing a couple of these, I think 20 may be a better ink limit for me. Who knows? I can also forsee a wider nib in my future too. I think there are two of these, maybe 3 that I could definitely go for!

You can always buy the Goulet sample pack to experiment. It is less expensive than buying all of them (at least for now).

[KKay]

Lady Onogaro, I have 6 now. But I am firm about more than that. I started with an idea 12 inks would be plenty, I think it was. But after getting samples, I see that won't be met. (I want more) Then I see these shimmery inks, and I think those would be lovely too. (at least some of them) I now have the Emerald of Chivor, and didn't think I wanted shimmery inks. But now I have changed my mind about that. I do have a shimmery ink sample that has yet been untried. I think I've lost my mind. Chrissy, you are an absolute enabler....lol.

[Chrissy]

I do have a shimmery ink sample that has yet been untried. I think I've lost my mind. Chrissy, you are an absolute enabler....lol.

LOL Is that good or bad? :confused:

[KKay]

Good for my fun factor, bad for my finances. How's that? :)

[KKay]

Well it just so happens I have a Diamine-Brandy Dazzle in my possession. This was a sample given to me. I put it in my Edison Collier F nib pen, which really is the widest nib I have so far. I liked this ink very much. I had to hold it just right in the light to see the shimmer. Once I did though, it was indeed very shimmery, and very nice. It also has good shading, especially if you print. I am particularly fond of shading, I've decided. If you have a wider nib, this would be outstanding. Well, it won't be long, and I am gonna have to try a wider nib ya know. :)

[oldstoat]

I have to say that having had this ink for a year, it is, hands down, the worst ink I've ever had. The glitter precipitates so fast that one not only has to shake the bottle but has to be pretty sharp about filling a [pen before it all settles. It has clogged the feed of every pen I've tried, and as a result the flow is atrocious. I gave my bottle away and felt guilty about inflicting it on a fellow Geek.

The Herbin glitter inks are much better. I can't speak for the other Diamine shimmer inks ( except for shimmering Seas, which is almost but not quite, as bad) but this one is one to avoid.

[Annie]

I have to say that having had this ink for a year, it is, hands down, the worst ink I've ever had. The glitter precipitates so fast that one not only has to shake the bottle but has to be pretty sharp about filling a [pen before it all settles. It has clogged the feed of every pen I've tried, and as a result the flow is atrocious. I gave my bottle away and felt guilty about inflicting it on a fellow Geek.

The Herbin glitter inks are much better. I can't speak for the other Diamine shimmer inks ( except for shimmering Seas, which is almost but not quite, as bad) but this one is one to avoid.


Agreed. The Diamine offerings I have tried in this range have been horrid to use and short on shimmer. I tipped the bottle I had down the loo. I enjoyed the entertainment value of this and it cleaned the loo a treat.