Mystery Ink #16

[Scooby921]

Time for another Mystery Ink. #14 and #15 both happened to start on the 23rd of the month. It was complete coincidence, but I might as well carry on.

As with any mystery ink it is open to FPG veterans, n00bs, newbies, and lurkers. You volunteer, I pick names, I send free ink, you write with it and post your thoughts and observations. Guessing is welcome, but not required. There is nothing to "win" aside from perhaps personal satisfaction that you recognized it.

Fear not about the quality of your handwriting or sketching abilities. We don't care. We are all appreciative of those with the gift of artistic ability, but how well you draw or write doesn't really impact your ability to test and ink and provide your opinion on it.


I need volunteers who want to try / test Mystery Ink #16. Post here if you want a free ink sample. As with other Mystery Inks I'd like to have 6-8 participants. I'll leave this open for a week to allow people to sign up. For MI #14 and #15 everyone who volunteered received an ink. If I get a lot more volunteers I might have to draw names out of a hat, but the current trend is that if you post here you get ink in the mail. International participants are welcome! Your address in Tasmania or Oz doesn't bother me. It wouldn't be the first package I've shipped there. Just don't be surprised if your international package contains multiple Mystery Ink samples. I pay the same whether I ship you one ink or three inks, so I've gotten in the habit with MI #14 and 15 of shipping multiples in hopes that you are willing to participate in the next round of Mystery Ink.

[Chrissy]

I love taking part in Mystery Inks and am happy to volunteer again as long as I don't take the place of someone new who wants to do it. :)

[DrPenfection]

Well, I am someone "new" to FP Geeks, but not someone new to ink reviews. I would love to participate.

[Pterodactylus]

I would really like to be a player and try this game if you accept my application.

Thanks that you offer this game to the community. :applause:

[Sammyo]

Ready and waiting [emoji6]

Sent from my SCV36 using Tapatalk

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I would like to play, if that is okay with everyone. I can contribute to the shipping cost.

[suzy01]

I'm looking forward to it, its been looking at me since you sent it with #15 :)

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[Scooby921]

I would like to play, if that is okay with everyone. I can contribute to the shipping cost.
Yes you are welcome to join. No you don't need to contribute to shipping fees. I'm not sure where you are in NZ, but just picking a random address of a random business in Wanaka I can say the estimated postage fee is no more expensive than any other parcel I've shipped. In fact the estimate is actually $0.25 cheaper than a much shorter trip to England.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I love taking part in Mystery Inks and am happy to volunteer again as long as I don't take the place of someone new who wants to do it. :)

What Chrissy says.

I'm eager to see what ink it is this time that I already have and can't recognize. :pound:

Thanks for setting this up.

[ferociousnpretty]

I love taking part in Mystery Inks and am happy to volunteer again as long as I don't take the place of someone new who wants to do it. :)

What Chrissy says.

I'm eager to see what ink it is this time that I already have and can't recognize. :pound:

Thanks for setting this up.

Ditto.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sems]

Count me in Scooby. Enjoying the ride so far!

[Scooby921]

A couple days left and I'll be asking new participants for addresses.

The list thus far:
Chrissy
DrPenfection
Pterodactylus
Sammyo
Empty_of_Clouds
suzy01
Sailor Kenshin
ferociousnpretty
sems
naimitsu (<- she already stole the bottle out of my cabinet and inked two pens)
[me]

[Scooby921]

I love taking part in Mystery Inks and am happy to volunteer again as long as I don't take the place of someone new who wants to do it. :)

What Chrissy says.

I'm eager to see what ink it is this time that I already have and can't recognize. :pound:

Thanks for setting this up.
I'll go out on a limb and guess that no one has used this ink before. I find zero mention of it in FPG's ink review sub forum. I hadn't used it until I inked a pen Sunday night.

[junglejim]

Hi Scooby!

This looks like fun! May I participate. please? I'm in California.

Thank-you.

[countrydirt]

Hi Scooby, please consider me in again.

[Scooby921]

Hi Scooby!

This looks like fun! May I participate. please? I'm in California.

Thank-you.


Hi Scooby, please consider me in again.

Absolutely. At this point I'm starting to go with "the more the merrier".

[Scooby921]

International and Sailor K packages go out today. Remainder of US participants will mail out on Friday. Hopefully all are delivered next week.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Yay! I'm 'special.' ;)

[Scooby921]

I was accounting for the postal service being 'special' and needing an extra 5 days to deliver in-country mail to you. I now expect this package to arrive in 2 days instead of 12.

[DrPenfection]

Yes, I am excited! This should be fun!

[Scooby921]

All packages have been mailed. Chrissy, Sammyo, sems, suzy01, and Sailor Kenshin should have their samples. DrPenfection, ferociousnpretty, countrydirt, and junglejim should have ink on Monday. Ptero's package shows that it's in-country, but held in customs. Empty_of_Clouds' package has left the USA, but there are no further updates.

[Chrissy]

Thanks Scooby. I have my sample. :bounce:

[sems]

Inked and ready to go, when do we start? :D

[Sailor Kenshin]

I already did mine! This may be a first. ;)

[junglejim]

Thank-you Scooby! Going to try and borrow a camera from my son for the Mystery ink #16.

[Pterodactylus]

Thx Scooby, let‘s hope for the best.

Last time I received a package from outside the EU (was a FPR Himalaya) it was Held in customs for more than 4 weeks. :(

[Scooby921]

Thx Scooby, let‘s hope for the best.

Last time I received a package from outside the EU (was a FPR Himalaya) it was Held in customs for more than 4 weeks. :(
I hope that's not the case. Customs form says "fountain pen ink samples" with a value of $3. There isn't much value for them to want or need to tax. If they do hold it for too long I did include MI #17 and #18 in the package. If you choose to participate in those MI reviews you won't have to wait for more packages :).


Edit: Just checked tracking status again and it says it has cleared customs.

[Pterodactylus]

Thx Scooby, let‘s hope for the best.

Last time I received a package from outside the EU (was a FPR Himalaya) it was Held in customs for more than 4 weeks. :(
I hope that's not the case. Customs form says "fountain pen ink samples" with a value of $3. There isn't much value for them to want or need to tax. If they do hold it for too long I did include MI #17 and #18 in the package. If you choose to participate in those MI reviews you won't have to wait for more packages :).


Edit: Just checked tracking status again and it says it has cleared customs.

Thanks for the update Scooby, looking forward to receive it.
For sure I will participate in the next ones as well.

[Sammyo]

I've used it at work all week and really like it. I won't say more until others have got it and have had a chance to use it.

I'm looking forward to finding out what this one is. Depending on availability and accessibility, it may become a regular!

Sent from my SCV36 using Tapatalk

[Chrissy]

I'm determined to not be the first person to post about MI #15. Come on SK. Go for it. :)

[Sailor Kenshin]

You got it, Chrissy!

(And I repeat...Can this be true? Am I the first one to get my MI this time? Woohoo!)

In ay case...I like this ink! It's a slightly green-leaning blue with excellent behavior. NO hard starts at all! Plus, it looks pretty in that demonstrator.

I compared it in color to a couple of similar-looking inks I already had loaded.

http://extras.ourpatioparty.com/files/3015/2319/1812/Mystery_Ink_16-640p.jpg

When The Big Reveal comes, I would consider buying a bottle. And I'm on a pen and ink embargo.

[junglejim]

Hi Scooby--

Just received MI#16 in the mail. Will ink it up tonight to run it through her paces.

Thank-you!
All the Best.

[countrydirt]

Mine arrived today. I'll try to get to it this evening.

[DrPenfection]

This is a very nice medium "sky blue" ink. It has very nice shading and a lovely red sheen on Tomoe River paper. It behaves very nicely on all sorts of paper including Rhodia and MD Midori as well as less expensive papers such as Cambridge notebook paper and cheap copy paper. I know I have used this ink before, but it has been a few years.

And I have two guesses, and I strongly suspect one in particular.

[Chrissy]

I like this ink. Nice colour, good performance. :thumb: from me and :thank_you2: Scooby. :)

39045

[Pterodactylus]

Received the package today.
I prepared a first sample right before and will take a picture tomorrow with daylight.

What I already can say is that I like the ink :)

[junglejim]

Thank-you, Scooby, for letting me participate in MI #16. I'm new at using this camera so my apologies if this doesn't come out right. :)

MI #16 is a lovely blue ink that flows quite wet from a Graf von Faber Castell Oblique medium nib. Almost as wet as a Noodler Eel ink, imho. This nib is typically a normal writer; not too wet or dry. The lnk is well lubricated and allows my nib to glide across the paper. I found no hard starts or skips as I was writing, and no nib crud developed. I loaded up my pen last night and let the ink saturate the nib at least 12 hours before writing.

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39071&d=1523395615


One thing I found interesting was the shading properties. In cursive there was some shading when the ink was wet, but as it dried the shading settled down. With printing, however, the shading was much more evident.

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39072&d=1523395635

I don't find this ink heavily saturated as far as color dye loading. It's more than a typical Waterman ink, but less than a typical Noodler's. Just very very wet. Dry times weren't overly long on Rhodia #18 lined notepads. The ink color in the photograph is actually lighter than in real life.

Thank-you, Scooby,for taking the time and effort of putting these Mystery ink series together. I would like to contribute some money to help keep this going. After all, the cost of postage, padded envelopes, and ink vials add up over time.

All the Best.

[countrydirt]

Well, I like MI 16 quite a bit. It appears to be almost a match for Noodler's Blue, but doesn't have the same shade or intensity of color. Can't wait to hear what it actually is.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180410/ec8a996841857015d82c46bdf524a7f1.jpg

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Pterodactylus]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/819/40670020644_3b49d8350a_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24XSudu)
Wile E. Coyote, Mystery ink #16 provided by Scooby921 (https://flic.kr/p/24XSudu) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Dip Pen, Brush)

Here are some initial thoughts:

The mystery ink #16 is a very vibrant rich blue.
I would consider it as a mid tone blue.
If washed it turns out in a really nice light blue (similar to Montblanc Miles Davis).
The ink plays really well with water.
I has only little water resistance.
It can also be reactivated and repainted after it dried on the paper with water.
It shows a real nice reddish sheen which reminds me to the sheen of Diamine Majestic Blue.
It shades really well.
It behaves really well when drawing with it and it does not bleed or feather.
I had to redraw some lines after the wash as the original lines were almost washed away.
It need some drying time.
It is a little prone to smearing when not 100% dry, observed when I erased the pencil lines (even I thought it is already completely dry).
But not badly, there are other inks which smear much more (so that you can´t erase any pencil lines anymore).
I tested it today again with an eraser and it did not smeared anymore.
Overall reminds me to Sailor Jentle Sky High.

I like this ink.

Thanks Scooby for sending the samples to me and providing this great game to the community :)

[DrPenfection]

Wow! There are some great writing and artistic samples here. They have only confirmed for me what I think this ink is. When do we state our guesses?

And thank you again, Scooby921, for the sample. After using it for several days, I like this ink a lot!

[junglejim]

Wow! There are some great writing and artistic samples here. They have only confirmed for me what I think this ink is. When do we state our guesses?

You can always PM Scooby with your guess and he'll PM back whether you are correct. There are still participants for MI #16 who haven't had a chance to post or have not received their ink samples yet. :bounce:

All the Best.

[DrPenfection]

Wow! There are some great writing and artistic samples here. They have only confirmed for me what I think this ink is. When do we state our guesses?

You can always PM Scooby with your guess and he'll PM back whether you are correct. There are still participants for MI #16 who haven't had a chance to post or have not received their ink samples yet. :bounce:

All the Best.

Thank you so much! Yes, I will PM Scooby. And I am looking forward to seeing everyone's posts!

[Scooby921]

Only one person is still waiting on an ink sample. I appreciate people PM'ing me with their guesses and expressing their enjoyment of the ink. Feel free to post in here. I will say that some of your observations and comparisons disclosed to me in PM would be welcome here for others to read. I will try to get my writing sample up too, but it's nice to see that at least one of you had the same initial thought as a comparable ink. I do recommend you all come back to the ink after a few days. I found it to be much darker out of the pen after a week, but not much further change after two weeks.

[Wuddus]

Interesting thread. The character of this ink seems quite different across the various users to me. I'm very interested to see how this pans out.

[Pterodactylus]

I would suggest still to wait some days with guessing in the thread.
I have it only a couple of hours and not yet inked it up in a pen.

At least Suzi and EoC are still missing and I would like to post at least one writing sample (maybe more if there is still some time)
Maybe also others would like to post more.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

It's interesting to see all the examples, and I am hoping to get one up soon, but the sample hasn't arrived here yet (the joys of being on the edge of the world!).

[Scooby921]

I don't have a problem with people guessing. I'm not going to confirm any right answers until everyone has a chance to use the ink, formulate an opinion, and then wait for the official reveal. Perhaps one might "steal" another person's guess, but it can also help them walk over to their own ink shelf and pick up an ink for comparison, and formulate a better opinion and improved "guess" of their own. In the end the point of the Mystery Ink series is to solicit neutral reviews as no one knows what ink they've received. It's not about guessing correctly. There is a different thread for that :).


As for my own writing sample, review, and comparison...

Pen used was a Montblanc 145 with a medium cursive italic nib. The writing / review is done on an Apica notebook. For comparison I also scribbled on Rhodia, Clairefontaine, and Black n' Red notebooks. To the naked eye I wasn't observing much sheen, but after snapping photos and cropping and zooming the red sheen is much more apparent on a few of the papers...some more than others. Photos are just the camera on my phone. Lighting is a "daylight" LED desk lamp at work. No post-processing or correction done to the photos, only cropping of images.

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39075&d=1523473783

Here you can see the color change after a week. Darker, more saturated, more sheen.
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39076&d=1523473793

Again the color change. The line and writing above are the "freshly inked" sample. Under the line is 1 week later.
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39077&d=1523473802

Below are the samples on different papers / pads.
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39078&d=1523473816
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39079&d=1523473824
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39080&d=1523473832


Edit: After reading my own review and seeing that I compared MI #16 to Diamine Blue Velvet I remembered that I also compared Diamine Blue Velvet to MI #14 in this same notebook. I was way off. It's nothing close to Blue Velvet. Much lighter than my mind was recalling.

*NOTE* the words "Akkerman Shocking Blue" are written in MI #16, not the Akkerman ink which was MI #14 and unannounced on this writing sample
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39081&d=1523475354

[FredRydr]

I should have participated in MI16. I have four inks with similar appearance, since this is about my favorite look for ink.

[Scooby921]

I should have participated in MI16. I have four inks with similar appearance, since this is about my favorite look for ink.
D'oh! Knowing you like blue I was going to send you a sample, but I worried it might annoy you to auto-nominate you for a third straight MI.

[FredRydr]

Well, either you sent MI14 relabeled as MI16 (i.e., Akkerman No. 5 Shocking Blue), or it sure looks like Private Reserve DC SuperShow Blue, Parker Penman Sapphire blue or that other blue ink with purple sheen that I own but slips my mind. :noidea:

Good luck, participants!

[DrPenfection]

So, just for grins and giggles, I decided to test this ink against one of my leading contenders. No, I won't mention the name of the ink, although it has already been mentioned in another post.

39089

In this figure, I added a few short lines after having the ink in the same pen for a couple of days. Remember that this is on cream colored Tomoe River paper. It did seem to darken a bit as the color concentrated. Then below that I wrote "Other Ink considered" then a round circle of the other ink along with some figure 8s. Immediately below that are some chicken scratches - the left side is the Other Color and the right is MI #16. Wow! They are really close.

So, then I decided to take the Other Color and make an "blob" of ink to see if there is any difference in sheen at high concentration. I placed it immediately to the left of MI #16, as show below.

39090

As you can see they are close, but the Other Color has much more of a red sheen whereas MI #16 has more of a purple sheen to it. My next thought was to do a chroma to see if there are indeed different colors. But, when I wrote with both of them on white Cambridge notebook paper, I believe their true colors came to light.

39091

As you can see, MI #16 is definitely darker and more blue that the Other Color (aka Ink #1). Many times, I will use simple Cambridge notebook paper or good copy paper to compare inks because of the bright whiteness of them.

Also, as I wrote with both inks, both being in Jinhao x450 pens with 1.1 stub nibs, I felt that MI #16 is much smoother and flowed wonderfully. The Other Color wrote very well, but had the typical light drag that all inks from this manufacturer has, which might indicate less lubrication. So, for me, this eliminated the Other Color, and confirmed that my original guess is on the right track.

Since I have used up all the ink in the Jinhao, I am going to try the ink in an EF nib to see how that works. I will let you know. :wave::wave::wave:

[Pterodactylus]

In the meanwile I´ve inked up a pen with the mystery ink #16.

I´ve used another project pen of mine which I´m currently working on (now and then).
It´s a Pelikan M205 where I EMF moded the nib to add flex to it (this was an extended modding compared to e.g. a FPR flex nib which brings already basic flex capabilities to the start).
Starting point was a B nib. I´ve also altered the nib grind to overcome the boring spherical blob (you find on most modern pens).
Gave it a stubby character like the Pelikan nibs of the 50s.
I´m quite ok with the amount of flex it reached, but I´m not sure if I will leave the nib grind as it is.
Maybe I will grind it smaller, we will see.

Back to the ink.
This ink is really really good !
It has amazing shading and shows quite a lot of sheen (on the used Clairefontaine paper using this quite wet flex nib).
It does neither feather nor bleed.
It does neither show through nor bleed through to the back side of the paper.
It does not smear on Clairefontaine when it is dried.

This is a top notch result for a top notch ink.
I´m really keen to know which ink it is.
For sure I would recommend this ink to use.
Depending on the availability and price in Europe I would also consider buying a bottle of this ink.


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/863/40508425355_4998db64e4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24HAgyP)
Quote 021 (https://flic.kr/p/24HAgyP) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Pelikan M205 Blue-Marbled - B EMF ..... Mystery ink #16 provided by Scooby 921)

[suzy01]

I'm finding it hard to photograph the ink such that it shows correctly and consistently across all the pages I've sketched on. I hope to upload them later today. I love the ink, it handles for sketching in a similar way to mystery ink 15, quite wet and smooth. The colour is lovely light blue. This is my first play with blue fountain pen ink since my school days and those were always a lot darker like biro colour ink. Anyway, more later with pictures.

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[suzy01]

The pictures are processed slightly to get them back to the colour I see when I compare with the sketches in my moleskine sketchbook with the picture on my phone.

The ink seemed to dry a slightly different colour, slightly more greyish that when it is first applied to paper, but still a lovely light blue colour. It seemed to have the same smudge factor as the Lierre Sauvage (MI15) so I thought I'd have it all over my fingers again but I didn’t seem to so much this time, even during my quick 10 min attempt at urban sketching st Pauls (don't laugh) l. Its lovely and smooth to draw with.

I noticed this one dried a lot lighter, I think it must be because the lines are a more quickly and thinly applied? Or maybe it was the brisk London air!? I didnt notice any of the colour variations with age that Scooby noticed (ie it laid down different shade after a week in the pen) because the commuter faces I did before the st pauls look to me to be the same shade as the last portrait I did which was about a week apart

I don’t have a guess for the name because this is the first blue ink ive used. There was no obvious other colour sheen to it so its not the shimmery blue that I have a sample of yet to use (which I think has a purple undertone to it). Thanks very much for letting me participate its so much fun! The pen is the twsbi vac700r ef.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180412/504b6f091d81518411232e970d950a85.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180412/30f54b386e9c0f2db483a7b90dbbae36.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180412/85d5a0db72bf6e8c42c84c083765b7a7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180412/42743b9a30998b28949d60f7653f5cb2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180412/64781323496fbd227b795166380930e3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180412/bb3b7b000135a7229710ae2122c544f9.jpg

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[DrPenfection]

In the meanwile I´ve inked up a pen with the mystery ink #16.

I´ve used another project pen of mine which I´m currently working on (now and then).
It´s a Pelikan M205 where I EMF moded the nib to add flex to it (this was an extended modding compared to e.g. a FPR flex nib which brings already basic flex capabilities to the start).
Starting point was a B nib. I´ve also altered the nib grind to overcome the boring spherical blob (you find on most modern pens).
Gave it a stubby character like the Pelikan nibs of the 50s.
I´m quite ok with the amount of flex it reached, but I´m not sure if I will leave the nib grind as it is.
Maybe I will grind it smaller, we will see.

Back to the ink.
This ink is really really good !
It has amazing shading and shows quite a lot of sheen (on the used Clairefontaine paper using this quite wet flex nib).
It does neither feather nor bleed.
It does neither show through nor bleed through to the back side of the paper.
It does not smear on Clairefontaine when it is dried.

This is a top notch result for a top notch ink.
I´m really keen to know which ink it is.
For sure I would recommend this ink to use.
Depending on the availability and price in Europe I would also consider buying a bottle of this ink.


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/863/40508425355_4998db64e4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24HAgyP)
Quote 021 (https://flic.kr/p/24HAgyP) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Pelikan M205 Blue-Marbled - B EMF ..... Mystery ink #16 provided by Scooby 921)

Wow! This is great! I love the smoothness that you have achieved in your grind. It really makes the ink shine. Well done!

[DrPenfection]

As I mentioned above, I loaded this ink into my Delta Horsepower with an EF nib. As background, I have been looking for months for the right ink to pair with this pen. I wanted it to be a nice medium blue and have tried at least a dozen different blues from Pilot, Robert Oster, DeAtramentis, Diamine, Montblanc, Waterman, etc. But I wasn't satisfied with any so far. The reason is the nib on this pen is very finicky. The feed delivers a nice wet amount of ink, but with most inks the nib has far more feedback than I like especially in my MD journal and even on Tomoe River paper.

But, that has all changed. I think I have finally found the right ink - Mystery Ink #16. For the first time, the interaction between the nib and ink produced a very smooth and supple writing experience. Whatever this ink is, I am now going to have to buy a bottle of it.

Please, please tell me it is not some unobtainium - that it isn't some limited edition that will cost me thousands to buy!!!:faint:

39099

[Scooby921]

I love the way the ink looks out of that pen / nib!

[Scooby921]

The United States Postal Service strikes again! For the last two Mystery Inks it was Sailor Kenshin who received the sour end of their incompetence. This time it seems Empty_of_Clouds is the unlucky winner. They finally updated tracking on the package. It appears they lost track of the package in Chicago. On 4-April is said, "Processed through regional facility. In transit to destination". Only now on 12-April have they provided an update that it's finally at O'Hare airport to hop on a plane to Middle Earth.

[junglejim]

Waylaid by Orcs? :fencing::fencing:

[Pterodactylus]

Last evenings sketch with mystery ink # 16.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/800/40712429024_237fc4e852_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/252BQKs)
Giraffe , Mystery ink #16 provided by Scooby921 (https://flic.kr/p/252BQKs) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Dip Pen)

Paper is Strathmore 400 Toned Gray.
Nothing more to add than already said, this is a great ink for drawing and writing, awesome shading, great sheen, very well behaving.

[Chrissy]

This is really starting to remind me of the blue ink that I was sent instead of the blue-black ink that I ordered. :blink:

[DrPenfection]

This is really starting to remind me of the blue ink that I was sent instead of the blue-black ink that I ordered. :blink:

I think I may know which one you mean, except that MI 16 isn't waterproof.

[Sammyo]

So, MI#16... A very lovely blue!... Seeing as one of my favorite blues is Sheaffer Skrip Peacock, it should come as no surprise that I like the colour.

It has been well behaved, it shades, it has a little sheen and it definitely lubricated the nib nicely. The one issue I had with the ink was dry time, it took forever to dry. I have timed tests on multiple pages (Maruman Mnemosyne paper) that took over a minute to dry. I don't feel like it took that long in daily use... But I was definitely fanning the page in meetings so I could turn the page and keep writing.

It is also not waterproof, or water resistant, or water anything... But some people really care about that and others don't... I don't, so it's no skin of my nose.

It reminds me of a lot of inks out there. It is similar to Iroshizuku Kon-Peki, Sailor Souten, Sailor Storia Night, Skrip Peacock, Noodler's Navajo Turquoise, Diamine Sargasso Sea, etc...
I'm not sure it has anything too hold it above any of them, but also nothing to put it below them (except the drying time).

I have enjoyed this ink, I look forward to finding out what it is.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180414/87c45da27ba11943228ca5cde642b9a1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180414/8affb00bf9e30ab3cb8e86d2e2f68b5f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180414/dabb356bb343a515a0949613910bf8e9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180414/196ff41737bf64126b1625a2817ae478.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180414/430f96e6c1bdc4c8226555ebc5cd9020.jpg

Sent from my SCV36 using Tapatalk

[Pterodactylus]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/895/40734585334_67a3a8eddf_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/254zp3N)
Quote 022 (https://flic.kr/p/254zp3N) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr




https://farm1.staticflickr.com/810/41406319742_01b78ff1d0_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/265Wdhw)
Quote 023 (https://flic.kr/p/265Wdhw) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Pelikan M205 Blue-Marbled - B EMF ..... Mystery ink #16 provided by Scooby 921)

[Wuddus]

There's some very impressive shading on this ink.

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Hoorah! The sample has landed. :cheer2::cheer2::cheer2:

At work right now so will have to wait til I get home, find a pen and do some writin'.

Cheers, Scooby.

[Pterodactylus]

Good to hear EoC, I´m keen to see your input and hear your thoughts about the ink.

This is yesterday evening sketch with MI #16


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/784/40596974225_9ba57f97c3_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/24Rq74t)
Blue Woman, Mystery ink #16 provided by Scooby921 (https://flic.kr/p/24Rq74t) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Dip Pen, Brush)

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Alas, that I cannot draw like Ptero...

First impressions.

https://i.imgur.com/9WhXdlWl.jpg

Filled a Ranga pen (converter) fitted with a broad cursive italic from FPNibs.com.

The ink is well behaved on Rhodia paper and dried quickly using this pen, although the nib here is on the dry side itself so it's not laying down a lot of ink.

Quite surprised how light the ink looked on this first writing sample, but that changes with wetter pens.

https://i.imgur.com/MO3Ckobl.jpg

Here I used a music dip nib with reservoir. Now the ink looks quite a bit darker, more velvety.

After writing "huge flex" I grabbed a brush and did the wet swabs on the left. In the time it has taken me to do those last words and the swabs and take a photo, the ink on the words has not completely dried.

I guess if you are going to use a gusher you may just have to be patient before turning the page.


So far I really like the colour. It is close to some others that I've tried but not identical, so I am still in the dark as to what it may be.

I'll leave it in the pen for a few days and see how it works then.


Thanks again, Scooby, for letting me try this.


Edit: I'm seeing a hint of sheen but will have to wait for sunshine. :cool:

[Scooby921]

Well fantastic, it finally made it! It's amazing how quick things can travel when the shipping service doesn't misplace the package for a week.

By my count we are only short two evaluations, naimitsu and ferociousnpretty. I'll give them until Wednesday to post reviews before revealing the mystery ink. I need time to close this one out before continuing the unintentional standard of starting the next MI thread on the 23rd of the month.

Thus far no one has mentioned the correct ink, whether that be comparisons or actual guesses. I was pretty confident when I said it's likely that none of you have used this ink before. Consider this Mystery Ink a true blind evaluation. Thus, for those who like to post proper detailed reviews in the Ink Review forum, you might want to save a bit of MI #16 for your next review :).

[Pterodactylus]

Then I guess the guessing phase started now.......


https://farm1.staticflickr.com/865/27625469568_58bb766c2f_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/J6aKDs)
Mystery Ink # 16 Guess (https://flic.kr/p/J6aKDs) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Pelikan M205 Blue-Marbled - B EMF ..... Mystery ink #16 provided by Scooby 921)

[DrPenfection]

Hmm . . .

My first thought when Scooby said that we likely had not used this before was that it was an old ink, likely not available easily, such as Parker Penman Sapphire.

But then I thought that perhaps the ink is just not being used as much. For me, the key is the lubrication of the ink. So, I thought it was probably Sailor Souten. I ruled out Pilot Iro. Kon-peki (it is my Ink #1 in my earlier post). MI #16 really has the feel of a Sailor ink, but I am not familiar enough with the line to know if there are similar colors out there. Chrissy would likely know.

Then I thought perhaps it is an ink brand that isn't used very much, like Callifolio, Akkerman, Papier Plume, etc. - but most of them are not as lubricating as this ink.

Then I thought of newer inks, like Pterodactylus has done above. Monteverde Horizon Blue or Capri Blue are close, but I don't have a sample to try. And, likely a lot of you have already tried them.

So, in a note of quiet surrender, I will go with Ptero on this one - it could be one of the new Colorverse inks. But, I would go with Colorverse Supernova, rather than Crystal Planet. According to other reviews, Supernova has greater shade variation then Crystal Planet.

I look forward to the reveal.

[junglejim]

Based on the shading characteristics and sheen some participants have posted, and the hints from Scooby, I would guess that Scooby stumbled upon (or was donated) a bottle of "Unobtanium Parker Penman Sapphire." Our ink Maven Chrissy has literally tested hundreds of inks and for her not to have used this ink means either extremely new or in in the unobtanium category. Considering past Mystery Ink reveals, my guess is Parker Penman Sapphire.

All the Best.

[Chrissy]

Based on the shading characteristics and sheen some participants have posted, and the hints from Scooby, I would guess that Scooby stumbled upon (or was donated) a bottle of "Unobtanium Parker Penman Sapphire." Our ink Maven Chrissy has literally tested hundreds of inks and for her not to have used this ink means either extremely new or in in the unobtanium category. Considering past Mystery Ink reveals, my guess is Parker Penman Sapphire.

All the Best.

:thank_you2: Thank you for your comments, :redface: but among my inks, I have some Parker Penman Sapphire, and don't believe it's that ink. You're right in one way, and that is I don't know what ink it is, but as mentioned earlier, it might possibly be an ink I was sent instead of L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Equinoxe (6) You could read this thread (https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/24154-My-experience-with-L-Artisan-Pastellier-Callifolio-Equinoxe-(6)) to see what I mean. :)

[DrPenfection]

Based on the shading characteristics and sheen some participants have posted, and the hints from Scooby, I would guess that Scooby stumbled upon (or was donated) a bottle of "Unobtanium Parker Penman Sapphire." Our ink Maven Chrissy has literally tested hundreds of inks and for her not to have used this ink means either extremely new or in in the unobtanium category. Considering past Mystery Ink reveals, my guess is Parker Penman Sapphire.

All the Best.

:thank_you2: Thank you for your comments, :redface: but among my inks, I have some Parker Penman Sapphire, and don't believe it's that ink. You're right in one way, and that is I don't know what ink it is, but as mentioned earlier, it might possibly be an ink I was sent instead of L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Equinoxe (6) You could read this thread (https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/24154-My-experience-with-L-Artisan-Pastellier-Callifolio-Equinoxe-(6)) to see what I mean. :)

Chrissy, I don't think this ink is a Callifolio ink. And I am certain that what you were sent was NOT Equinoxe (6). What you were sent might be Bleu Mediterreanee, and Bleu Mediterreanee is close to the color of MI #16, but not quite there. Bleu Mediterreanee is "bleuer".

39196

(Note: All the ink names were written with my Delta Horsepower Fine nib loaded with MI 16; I just wanted to do some quick ink swabs.)

Also, while I love Callifolio inks, they don't seem to be as lubricating as MI #16. I just had finished a converter full of Bleu Mediterreanee in my Delta Horsepower with EF nib before I thoroughly cleaned the pen and loaded it with MI 16. MI 16 is definitely more lubricating.

[sems]

Another lovely ink...

https://i.imgur.com/aHUIgkg.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0a89ebL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/u0wRFvg.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3NY5UQG.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UV8pGhM.jpg

[Chrissy]

Based on the shading characteristics and sheen some participants have posted, and the hints from Scooby, I would guess that Scooby stumbled upon (or was donated) a bottle of "Unobtanium Parker Penman Sapphire." Our ink Maven Chrissy has literally tested hundreds of inks and for her not to have used this ink means either extremely new or in in the unobtanium category. Considering past Mystery Ink reveals, my guess is Parker Penman Sapphire.

All the Best.

:thank_you2: Thank you for your comments, :redface: but among my inks, I have some Parker Penman Sapphire, and don't believe it's that ink. You're right in one way, and that is I don't know what ink it is, but as mentioned earlier, it might possibly be an ink I was sent instead of L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Equinoxe (6) You could read this thread (https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/24154-My-experience-with-L-Artisan-Pastellier-Callifolio-Equinoxe-(6)) to see what I mean. :)

Chrissy, I don't think this ink is a Callifolio ink. And I am certain that what you were sent was NOT Equinoxe (6). What you were sent might be Bleu Mediterreanee, and Bleu Mediterreanee is close to the color of MI #16, but not quite there. Bleu Mediterreanee is "bleuer".

(Note: All the ink names were written with my Delta Horsepower Fine nib loaded with MI 16; I just wanted to do some quick ink swabs.)

Also, while I love Callifolio inks, they don't seem to be as lubricating as MI #16. I just had finished a converter full of Bleu Mediterreanee in my Delta Horsepower with EF nib before I thoroughly cleaned the pen and loaded it with MI 16. MI 16 is definitely more lubricating.

Thanks for that. :) I could have compared them against each other, then I would have had Mystery Ink #16 against..... Mystery Ink from LAPC :blink:

[Empty_of_Clouds]

https://i.imgur.com/dVUB9i0l.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/B4biaBgl.jpg

Beyond this I don't have a clue. :help:

[Scooby921]

Time for the official reveal!







Ptero took the big hint and ran straight to the correct answer. Mystery Ink #16 is, in fact, Colorverse Ink #12: Crystal Planet

https://fpgeeks.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=39238&d=1524054360

[Sailor Kenshin]

Woohoo! An ink I didn't guess that I DON'T have! :cheer2:

But visually, it's so similar to KP (as EoC demonstrated, and I happen to have both loaded.).

Thanks for letting me play again, Scooby. This is such fun.

[junglejim]

This has been fun and enlightening! Thanks for letting me participate, Scooby!

All the Best.

[Chrissy]

Thanks Scooby for letting me take part and write with this ink. I really enjoyed it too. :)

[DrPenfection]

Thank you Scooby for finally letting us know - just kidding! I will get my order in for a bottle of Crystal Planet as soon as I am done writing this.

Thank you for the privilege of letting me take part in this. This was fun!

:clap2::clap2::cheers:

[countrydirt]

Thanks Scooby!

[suzy01]

Thanks Scooby, that's v cool :)

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[azkid]

I've never been in this much suspense on a forum thread; I had fun playing along at home so to speak. Thanks!

[Pterodactylus]

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/871/41513100002_c2c1a10638_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/26fnuku)
Show_response_1244 (https://flic.kr/p/26fnuku) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Pelikan M205 Blue-Marbled - B EMF ..... Colorverse Crystal Planet)

[suzy01]

Thank you for the game :) in case anyone needs any more excuses to ogle cute little polar bears this is my interpretation of the bottle. [emoji170] Looking forward to trying #17. That's if my pen still works after I dismantle it to fit my new custom xxxf nib! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180419/3061056b2eb7759f9acd2b0b50737b69.jpg

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

[Pterodactylus]

Yesterday evening sketch.

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/879/39766857660_a721503c14_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/23A4xjU)
Crystal Planet meets Red Dragon (https://flic.kr/p/23A4xjU) by Ptero Pterodactylus (https://www.flickr.com/photos/117783735@N07/), auf Flickr

(Pelikan M205 Blue-Marbled - B EMF ..... Colorverse Crystal Planet, Diamine Red Dragon, Brush)

[Scooby921]

It makes me very happy to see you all enjoy this ink so thoroughly. I'm not sure the rest of the Mystery Inks will be quite as unique. I'm sure there are inks which will be new to a few of you, but nothing will be quite as complete as being the first experience for everyone with an entirely new brand of ink. The next MI will start on Monday.

[DrPenfection]

Count me in! Looking forward to it.

[Sammyo]

I was surprised! Is heard lots of good things about the Colorverse inks, but hadn't tried them yet. This one definitely lived up to all the hype. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try it out.

It's always difficult when a new brand comes out. The first reaction is always kind of excessive hype; followed by the fashion sheep that must have everything, and for who everything is amazing; next comes that period of excessive chatter and conflicting views where you're not sure who to believe...

I HATE jumping on any bandwagon and like to let the dust settle to see where the chips lie (enough analogies?). This was a great way to know for myself how these new inks act and learn that "yes, I think they are good inks!".

Thank you for the time, money, thought and effort you put into the relaunched MI series (is that Mystery Ink, or Michigan?). I for one think it's a wonderful thing to do and appreciate it as much as the originals.

Sent from my SCV36 using Tapatalk

[DrPenfection]

I was surprised! Is heard lots of good things about the Colorverse inks, but hadn't tried them yet. This one definitely lived up to all the hype. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try it out.

It's always difficult when a new brand comes out. The first reaction is always kind of excessive hype; followed by the fashion sheep that must have everything, and for who everything is amazing; next comes that period of excessive chatter and conflicting views where you're not sure who to believe...

I HATE jumping on any bandwagon and like to let the dust settle to see where the chips lie (enough analogies?). This was a great way to know for myself how these new inks act and learn that "yes, I think they are good inks!".

Thank you for the time, money, thought and effort you put into the relaunched MI series (is that Mystery Ink, or Michigan?). I for one think it's a wonderful thing to do and appreciate it as much as the originals.

Sent from my SCV36 using Tapatalk

Thank you Sammyo for your great comments! I too am very much like this. I rarely purchase a "new" anything. For me it is usually several months to years later. Sometimes this means missing out entirely (i.e. Lamy Dark Lilac). But when I do go to purchase the ink or pen or paper, it has been tried, tested and found to be above average to superior.

So, for me, when I tried MI #16, I thought it was a tried and true ink. I was very surprised to find that it was a brand new ink made from a new manufacturer. I have since gone out and researched Colorverse inks - how and where they are made - and have decided that, even though they are really new, I will purchase a couple of them to see if my initial impressions remain. Then, if I still like them, I will purchase most of their colors and split them between myself and my daughter.

[migo984]

I was surprised! Is heard lots of good things about the Colorverse inks, but hadn't tried them yet. This one definitely lived up to all the hype. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try it out.

It's always difficult when a new brand comes out. The first reaction is always kind of excessive hype; followed by the fashion sheep that must have everything, and for who everything is amazing; next comes that period of excessive chatter and conflicting views where you're not sure who to believe...

I HATE jumping on any bandwagon and like to let the dust settle to see where the chips lie (enough analogies?). This was a great way to know for myself how these new inks act and learn that "yes, I think they are good inks!".

Thank you for the time, money, thought and effort you put into the relaunched MI series (is that Mystery Ink, or Michigan?). I for one think it's a wonderful thing to do and appreciate it as much as the originals.

Sent from my SCV36 using Tapatalk


I have a different perspective.

To borrow your analogy, I like to buy inks even before the dust starts to swirl, rather than wait for it to settle. I’ve never really been interested in following the ink zeitgeist. Or waiting for reviews to be posted by serial bloggers, reviewers or social media trendies.

Because inks are so interesting to me, probably more so than pens, I often buy brand new inks just on the market. I’ve even been lucky enough to be involved in early trials of new inks, eg TAG, the Japanese brand. I really enjoy trying something new & different, being “early doors”, as the British expression goes.

I rarely buy an ink after reading online reviews in forums. These are, for me, usually too subjective, even biased, and often misleading, and the reason I feel uncomfortable posting reviews of my own. There is a very small group of ink “specialists”, for want of a better term, whose opinions I really value & I am often guided by them. They are wonderful for inky heads-up or for sharing samples.

But even if my ink gurus rave about a new ink, after many years of ink-buying I know what I like or dislike. So, for example, I knew I would dislike shimmer/sparkly inks, & ignored that particular bandwagon. Compared to pens, inks are usually pretty cheap & I don’t mind if I make a mistake. I make far fewer of them these days, but if I do (such as my recent purchase of the new Diamine Skull & Roses), it is always easy to re-home an unloved ink. What is one person’s rubbish is another’s treasure :-)

In relation to Colorverse, I was a very early purchaser of their inks, buying direct from the manufacturer before the inks were available from stockists. I knew I’d love them, and I do. I’ve not been disappointed by a single ink of theirs.

There isn’t a right or wrong about this. If you like to wait to buy, then that’s fine. I enjoy exploring the possibilities of brand new inks. I plough my own furrow ;-)

[Pterodactylus]

Interesting follow up discussion.

I normally wait to get something from a new manufacturer until I see reviews and user experiences.

I share migo‘s reservations regarding the quality of many reviews and user feedback comments.
I don‘t want to appear arrogant or lower the experiences from others, but to me it seems that many already are satisfied when it lays down a visible line from any 0815 pen (at least initially).

I‘m also very sceptic regarding inks from one man show manufacturers (I prefer to trust big players which are here since many decades).

E.g. I waited quite long until I ordered some KWZ inks (especially the IG Sortiment appealed me)
And to be honest I‘m not blown away from itˋs properties (many too wet, show through,....), but overall they appear to be save and quite ok.
Currently I‘m really happy that I bought nothing from another one man show, Organics Studio.

But I‘m similar to Migo, inks are at least as important as pens.

Also my focus shifted the last years more and more towards inks as I usually don’t buy new pens anymore (already have all kind of pens and nibs, and several dozens of them, and being a user and not a collector this is more than enough).

Ok, I buy a pen every now and then but normally only as a project pen like the M205 I‘ve used above (in this case to see if I can add flex to it (and yes I‘m a flex addict)).

Especially I‘m interested in great shading and sheen inks with great writing attributes.

But I do not like the oversaturated ink monsters from some ink designers, which try to create good shading/sheening inks this way but end up with heavily smearing, bleeding, feathering,.... fluids.

And still some users which put them in their fine nib pens will claim that these are awesome inks.

The quality of an ink imo really shows up when you lay down seas of ink with a gusher and then look what happens.

As said imo this Colorverse ink is awesome, I’m really surprised.
I also took a look at their website and possible distributors in Europe (actually there is one in Germany).
Many of their inks look really interesting.

What holded me back so far is the relatively high price.
The bundled small bottle is a nice gimmick but I don´t need it.
65ml is more than enough and the small fancy bottle also contributes to the high price.

I would have preferred a single bottle at a lower price.

We will see how long I can withstand to order something from them.

[Sammyo]

...To borrow your analogy, I like to buy inks even before the dust starts to swirl, rather than wait for it to settle. I’ve never really been interested in following the ink zeitgeist. Or waiting for reviews to be posted by serial bloggers, reviewers or social media trendies...

...I rarely buy an ink after reading online reviews in forums. These are, for me, usually too subjective, even biased, and often misleading, and the reason I feel uncomfortable posting reviews of my own. There is a very small group of ink “specialists”, for want of a better term, whose opinions I really value & I am often guided by them. They are wonderful for inky heads-up or for sharing samples.

But even if my ink gurus rave about a new ink, after many years of ink-buying I know what I like or dislike. So, for example, I knew I would dislike shimmer/sparkly inks, & ignored that particular bandwagon. Compared to pens, inks are usually pretty cheap & I don’t mind if I make a mistake. I make far fewer of them these days, but if I do (such as my recent purchase of the new Diamine Skull & Roses), it is always easy to re-home an unloved ink. What is one person’s rubbish is another’s treasure :-)
...
There isn’t a right or wrong about this. If you like to wait to buy, then that’s fine. I enjoy exploring the possibilities of brand new inks. I plough my own furrow ;-)
This is why I love our community. We all feed each other, and understanding a different point of view is important.

Without the early adopters, I wouldn't learn about the inks... in fact none of us would. And as you said Migo, it's about knowing which sources you trust and who's opinions you can rely on.

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