Ink Review: Diamine Macassar

[Chrissy]

Today I'm reviewing Diamine Macassar

A dark brown ink from the standard range. The word ‘macassar’ means a kind of oil that men formerly used on their hair to make it shine and lie flat. Makassar is a spelling variant. Makassar is also a former name of Ujung Pandang, a seaport on SW Sulawesi in central Indonesia.


Flow Rate: Very good. Quite wet in the pen & paper combinations I used.
Lubrication: Good with the M nib on several different papers, a bit more would have been nice with the Safari F nib.
Nib Dry-out: Not noticed.
Start-up: Immediate.
Saturation: Good.
Shading Potential: Some seen with the Safari.
Sheen: None seen.
Show-Through:

Tomoe River 68gsm.
Cheaper generic 80 & 90gsm printer papers & lined pads.
Field Notes
Tom Bihn Lined
Whitelines


Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Only a little seen on Field Notes.
Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not seen, even after over 1 week in the pen
Staining (pen): Not seen after several days - easy clean-up
Staining (hands): Easy clean-up with bar soap. Two washes required with liquid soap.
Clogging: Not seen. Seems unlikely.
Water resistance: Quite water resistant, but not sold as waterproof.
Availability: Available from Diamine Inks (http://www.diamineinks.co.uk/listings.aspx?catid=14#) web-site and many other outlets.

4466549365

[alexander_k]

Thanks for the comprehensive review, Chrissy. As you say, it's a decent ink with nice flow. I came to Macassar from Diamine Chocolate Brown (which was more red) and moved on to Diamine Ochre (for a change) - all good inks.

[Chrissy]

You're welcome. :) And yes, I agree that they are. :)

[RocketRyan]

I'm a big fan, currently lives in my opera elements air.

[Chrissy]

I'm a big fan, currently lives in my opera elements air.

:thumb:

[Marsilius]

Great review, as always. It is not as dark, but somehow remind me in feel of Sailor Doyou a tiny bit, at least on the Tom Bihn paper.

[Chrissy]

Great review, as always. It is not as dark, but somehow remind me in feel of Sailor Doyou a tiny bit, at least on the Tom Bihn paper.
You're welcome. :) It varies quite a lot in how dark it looks, depending on the pen & paper used. However, my Sailor Jentle Do you always looks almost black no matter what pen I use it in. :(

[Marsilius]

Great review, as always. It is not as dark, but somehow remind me in feel of Sailor Doyou a tiny bit, at least on the Tom Bihn paper.
You're welcome. :) It varies quite a lot in how dark it looks, depending on the pen & paper used. However, my Sailor Jentle Do you always looks almost black no matter what pen I use it in. :(
Yep, the ink that is too dark to be brown, not quite black, and who knows what it really is. Thanks!

[The Good Captain]

A good review of a really nice ink. I do use it quite a lot, as well as CP Deep Dark Brown and Edelstein Smoky Quartz.

[Chrissy]

A good review of a really nice ink. I do use it quite a lot, as well as CP Deep Dark Brown and Edelstein Smoky Quartz.

You're welcome. :) Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown is one I don't have.

[grainweevil]

Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown is one I don't have.

Gasp! How can this be? :faint::D

I kinda like this for colour, but the name would always conjure up the antimacassar and those lace-trimmed upholstery saviours make me cringe and look round for the aspidistra and the print of Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl. Which is not something I look for in an ink. :D So not for me, but as the vaults aren't exactly short of browns, that's probably just as well.

[Chrissy]

Cult Pens Deep Dark Brown is one I don't have.

Gasp! How can this be? :faint::D

I kinda like this for colour, but the name would always conjure up the antimacassar and those lace-trimmed upholstery saviours make me cringe and look round for the aspidistra and the print of Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl. Which is not something I look for in an ink. :D So not for me, but as the vaults aren't exactly short of browns, that's probably just as well.
I've never even had a sample of Cult pens Deep Dark Brown :cry:

I'm happy with Macassar though. Despite the different meanings of the name, it's a really nice ink. :)

[Chrissy]

I found some darker brown inks to compare Diamine Macassar against:

36352

[Morgaine]

It is my favourite brown (so far), and one bought before seeing any reviews! I'm sure many a penpal letter has been written with this.

[Chrissy]

It is my favourite brown (so far), and one bought before seeing any reviews! I'm sure many a penpal letter has been written with this.

:thumb:

[VertOlive]

My current favorite brown is Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Guri; this is very like it. And a fine review as always!

[Chrissy]

My current favorite brown is Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-Guri; this is very like it. And a fine review as always!

You're welcome. :)

[rluka]

Today I'm reviewing Diamine Macassar

A dark brown ink from the standard range. The word ‘macassar’ means a kind of oil that men formerly used on their hair to make it shine and lie flat. Makassar is a spelling variant. Makassar is also a former name of Ujung Pandang, a seaport on SW Sulawesi in central Indonesia.Could be the Macassar Ebony.
GvFC had one of their Classic line with that wood :)
link (http://www.graf-von-faber-castell.com/writing-instruments/editions/classic#_1246667127-950928880_762835048)

Looks more similar to the hues on the Xerox paper swabs :D

The white paper samples looks slightly green on my screen. Is it closer to that in real or more red ?

[Chrissy]

The white paper samples looks slightly green on my screen. Is it closer to that in real or more red ?

I don't see green. Maybe on the Tom Bihn paper it looks less red. But it's definitely a standard type of brown.

[ceebert]

My go-to, in more ways than one.

It’s the ink that actually drives me to refill carts. It behaves in a slobbering Lamy 2000 xf, and a Vanishing Point, and a CI Franklin-Christoph, a Conklin stub, ummm... there’s more.

Another Go-To is my unofficially All Black Ink office. Noodlers Zhivago for cold facts, American Aristocracy for action, Diamine 1864 Blue-Black for pomp, but mostly Macassar in my F and XFs is a brown that you feel long before you see, a cool, easy, broken-in brown.

Thank you for the review of my favorite ink, and that swatch sample is dynamite!

[azkid]

I know this is an old thread but I am compelled to respond as I really like this ink. :)

This was one of the first inks I bought and I lucked out because it has worked well in a wide variety of pens.

Most recently, it looks amazing with my new Eversharp custom stub (mounted in a random Wearever).

[Chrissy]

I know this is an old thread but I am compelled to respond as I really like this ink. :)

This was one of the first inks I bought and I lucked out because it has worked well in a wide variety of pens.

Most recently, it looks amazing with my new Eversharp custom stub (mounted in a random Wearever).
I couldn't find mine in the usual place then remembered I've decanted my bottle of Macassar into an Akkerman bottle. :)