Seven New (to me) P.W. Akkerman Inks

[halidak]

(I'm terribly sorry about the images if they are just too big for you. I couldn't manage to make the BB coding for downsizing images work, as I generally can do in HTML codes. They also appear somehow in different sizes while they actually all have the same width. Go figure???)

A few months ago I first saw the famous P.W. Akkerman inks from The Hague in a very long thread on FPN and, like many of inkaholics among us, I’ve instantly fallen for that beautiful vintage style bottles of these inks. No matter how much I liked the design of these ink bottles I wouldn’t order those all the way from Netherland just for the sake of having a fancy bottle. After all, it’s what is inside the bottle that matters most.

A little research revealed floating rumours about these inks being made by Diamine. Although I did not have much experience with Diamine all I’d heard about them were high praises about the quality of their inks. I thought it would be woth to try these P.W. Akkerman inks if they were indeed made by Diamine and the bottles were going to be the icing on the cake.

So I ordered seven bottles with gracious help of Heer. Paul Rutte, store manager of P.W. Akkerman shop. When my order arrived I was amazed by how well it was packed. This package could be air-dropped onto my house and even then the bottles wouldn’t be damaged.

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_01.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_02.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_03.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_04.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_05.jpg


These are the inks I bought;

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_06.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_07.jpg
From L to R: #05 Shocking Blue, #11 Trêves-Turquoise, #27 Bezuidenwoudgroen, #23 Bekakt Haags, #13 Simplisties Violet, #16 Oranje Boven and #22 Hopjesbruin

I have to say that I wasn't really impressed that much with build quality of the bottles. Yes, it is a very beautiful vintage design offering an ingenious, yet simple, solution to let you fill your pen with ease no matter how much ink is left in the bottle (for those of you who don’t know, I’m talking about the little marble that traps the ink in the upper section and thus always provides you a convenient deep well of ink). Nevertheless, the overall quality of the bottle, especially the plastic cap, leaves much to desire. I guess I’ve been spoiled too much by excellent build qualities of other bottles from Iroshizuku, Montblanc, Edelstein or Caran d'Ache.


Let's talk about the ink then. As I said, that's what matters most, isn't it?

I’ve prepared two sheets of sample writing; one on Rhodia DotPad 80gsm papper with TWSBI 540 (1.5mm – widest nib available to me at the moment) and the other on a very absorbent Koza (a Turkish paper brand) 80gsm grid paper with Cross Townsend (M – one of my thinnest nibs).


Now, if you promise to excuse my very poor handwriting here’s those sheets;

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_18.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_19.jpg
written with TWSBI 540 (1.5mm) on Rhodia DotPad (80gsm)



http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_11.jpg
written with Cross Townsend (M) on Koza Grid Paper(80gsm)


Before we move onto the comparison sheets of these P.W. Akkerman inks with other inks I have in my inventory, I must apologize for the fact that;

I didn’t use a better quality paper for these comparisons. (Such a paper could demonstrate the true colours and shading properties of inks much better than the absorbent paper I used. I just started using this paper without giving it much thought and it didn’t occur to me until it’s too late that, for instance Rhodia dot paper (duh!) would be more suitable for the task.)


I didn’t use the same pen for each ink because I couldn’t take up the challenge of doing all that tedious work required to fill the pen, write the sample, flush the pen, clean it and fill it again for every ink.


However, I’m just about to start a whole new ink journal and as soon as I record all of my inks I'm going to post here additional comparisons. This time it will be done in the proper way, though. :)

(continued in the next post...)

[halidak]

(...continued from the previous post)

Until then, I hope these samples can give you at least a rough idea about where these P.W. Akkerman inks stand compared to some other inks.

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_12.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_13.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_14.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_15.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_16.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_17.jpg


My overall experience with all of these P.W. Akkerman inks is quite satisfactory. They;

have enough saturation, for me at least,
flow well (not too wet and definitely not dry) out of all the nibs I tried,
behave very nicely on even cheap paper (except #05 Shocking Blue which has a slight tendency to bleed-through) and
can be washed away fairly easily (except #13 Simplisties Violet which has slightly stained the cartridge I used it in. Vide infra)


http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_08.jpg
I used #13 Simplisties Violet in the cartridge on the right and, as you can see, it has left a slight stain on it. Barely noticeable but it's there.
It is not enough, though, to discourage me not to use it because I absolutely loved the pure and vibrant violet colour of this ink.


One last thing to note is that both #05 Shocking Blue and #13 Simplisties Violet are one of those inks that exhibit some sheen under certain lighting conditions, as I tried to show in the following pictures;

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_20.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_21.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_22.jpg

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_23.jpg

(continued in the next post...)

[halidak]

(...continued from the previous post)

So, which one is my favourite?

#16 Oranje Boven is a strong contender as I love orange/saffron inks and this one is the most vibrant of all the others I’ve ever tried,

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_09.jpg



but in the end I love blue the most and as a turquoise ink fan it shouldn't be a surprise that #11 Trêves-Turquoise is my favourite one.
It is not only my favourite among these seven P.W. Akkerman inks but also my all-time favourite among all the inks I have at the moment.

http://i1010.photobucket.com/albums/af224/halidak/Pen%2090%20-%20Ink/Akkerman_10.jpg


(The End)

[writingrav]

Thanks so much. Sure wish these were easier to come by in the states.

[FP_GaF]

Wow, niiice!

Heck of job. Well done. This is a very nice overview/review/comparison of seven very interesting inks. If it IS true that the inks are really made by Diamine then I am not surprised about their good performance. I love Diamine ink and since I live in the UK I can get all their colours easily.

Would be nice to see if we can find the same colours in Diamine's regular product line unless these inks are custom made exclusively for Ackermann.

Thanks for the nice post(s).

[dannzeman]

I'm terribly sorry about the images if they are just too big for you.No worries. I like big images and I cannot lie.

Also, AMAZINGLY AWESOME POST!

[Bogon07]

Halidak,
Thanks for a such a detailed and thorough review of your Ackermann inks.
Great pictures and a lot of information.
Also some very helpful comparisons and will make a very handy reference.

Oranje Boven appears to be an incredibly intense poke-you-in-the-eye orange although not much of a shader.

[TonicLime]

Nice Review! The ORnje Boven looks like an awesome ink. Thanks for sharing with us your new inks :)

[melissa59]

Nice!
If we ever get together for a group purchase, Turquoise would be my #1 Akkerman choice, too.
I also like Hopjesbruin. A nice brown!

[cmg.sweet]

Well, there's 6 more inks on my want to buy list! Great review full of good pics!

[KrazyIvan]

I love the bottles and #23 is particularly nice looking on my monitor. :D Oh, so is that Montblanc. :D

[southpaw52]

Nice review I personally never have heard of these inks here in the states.

[PeterLLLLLL]

Your writting are very beautiful...I think the ink is very importmant....Can you tell me where to buy it...

[halidak]

Thank you all for your kind comments.
I hope this can be helpful in any way to other inkaholics out there in their never-ending quest for more and more ink. :)

[halidak]

Your writting are very beautiful...I think the ink is very importmant....Can you tell me where to buy it...

Hi,

There is no distributor for these inks anywhere in the world and your only option is to directly order from the shop P.W. Akkerman in The Hague, Netherland.

This is the link for P.W. Akkerman's Webstore (http://www.vulpennen.nl/inkt-and-vullingen/AkkInkt000.html)

They accept PayPal but the main concern is the shipping costs. For your information, they charge three different fixed shipping fees according the number of bottles you order.
That’s, X Euro for 1-3 bottles, Y Euro for 4-7 bottles and Z Euro for 8-15 bottles. Therefore, it does not matter whether you order 4 bottles or 7. You pay Y Euro for shipping in either case.
You can learn these costs through their website.

[caribbean_skye]

I have the Parkpop Purper and most recently the turquoise. For me it was a toss up between the turquoise and Hofvijver Grijs (which I will probably buy in the future) but had I read this post a few weeks ago it would have made the decision *so* much easier. Much like you, i *love* the turquoise and it helps that it's my favourite colour of all time and now my favourite ink colour.

I picked up the Parkpop Purper quite by happenstance at the Atlanta Pen Show courtesy of the Atlanta Pen Posse, the turquoise was via a group buy. If people are interested in getting ink, they probably should considering looking around for getting in on a group buy.

[hharry]

Being born and raised in The Hague I happen to know the snoop very well and I can also translate the Dutch names for those who are interested. I love the green ink though.

[Sailor Kenshin]

No worries. I like big images and I cannot lie.

Also, AMAZINGLY AWESOME POST!

Hear, hear! What a great job.

[halidak]

Being born and raised in The Hague I happen to know the snoop very well and I can also translate the Dutch names for those who are interested. I love the green ink though.

Hi Harry,

I've read translations of and also explanations behind the names of some of the P.W. Akkerman inks on FPN and for instance, I still cannot help myself but chuckle whenever I fill a pen with ‘Bekakt Haags’ :)).
It would, however, be wonderful if you also could give us the translations and brief stories of these ingeniously funny names. I think every ink manufacturer should take names behind P.W. Akkerman inks as an exemplar.

[halidak]

Hear, hear! What a great job.

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

[fountainpenkid]

Nice to know how these inks work. And very nice Boheme btw!

[earthdawn]

Awesome review...

Got mine recently too and am enjoying them.

For those in the states this thread will help you with the ordering process

http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/1477-P-W-Akkerman-Inks-Arrived-Direct?p=13429

[hharry]

When I'll get to it I'll explain the different names of the Akkermans ink.

[earthdawn]

When I'll get to it I'll explain the different names of the Akkermans ink.

That would be awesome and much appreciated !

[Woody]

Thank you for that review. Great bottles for sure. Sorry your not impressed with the quality of the bottle but the inks look great.

[Robert]

Another vote for #23. And the Shocking Blue is also quite nice. Thanks for all of your efforts in putting the review together.

[FredRydr]

My overall experience with all of these P.W. Akkerman inks is quite satisfactory...except #05 Shocking Blue which has a slight tendency to bleed-through....
A search in the forum for Akkerman No. 5 "Shocking Blue" brought little result, so I've posted in this old thread.

I decided to empty and clean my Minimalistica of Diamine Sargasso Sea and fill with Akkerman No. 5 "Shocking Blue" because they are similar in appearance, color and sheen. While the former is more of a chore to clean from a pen, the latter is more prone to feather and bleed on the same paper. I'll try sticking with No. 5 for a few fills, but I'll have to be more selective with stationary and cards (especially vintage postcards).

[Scrawler]

Nice Review! The ORnje Boven looks like an awesome ink. Thanks for sharing with us your new inks :)

I wonder how many people know the actual significance of Oranje Boven.

47497

[azkid]

Do tell?

[FredRydr]

I wish to add that today's dump of Akkerman No. 5 "Shocking Blue" (from a Conid Minimalistica's loose nib and feed) resisted but finally succumbed to generous applications of Reduran and Amodex. I should have taken a photo.

[Scrawler]

Do tell?

Looks like I forgot this. Oranje Boven means Orange Wins referring to the royal House of Oranje who reign in the Netherlands, and their restoration in 1945 when the Canadians liberated the Netherlands. It is from the phrase "Oranje boven, bevrijding" or "Orange above, liberation".

[Nethermark]

The song ‘Oranje boven’ was undoubtedly very popular during WWII, especially during the liberation, but probably predates WWII. The complete song goes “Oranje boven, oranje boven, leve de koningin” (Meaning something like Orange above all, long live the queen). As such, I doubt, it comes from a phrase like “Oranje boven, bevrijding”, since it is older than the liberation. Also, that sentence makes little sense, and I have never heard it before, nor heard any reference to it in the Netherlands, where I come from.

By the way, about the meaning of the Akkerman ink names: Bekakt Haags is a good one: Bekakt means something like posh, pretentious, stuck up. You can also speek ‘bekakt’, and the upper classes in The Hague do probably speak bekakt Haags (the local dialect of The Hague). This should in no way be mistaken for 'normal' Haags, which can be heard in this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptGJ8wzeGDE). But ‘kakken’ means “to shit” (pardon my French, I mean Dutch), which explains the brown color. As The Hague (Den Haag in Dutch) is the centre of government, there should be enough ‘bekakte’ people around there.

Let’s see, whether I can get around explaining some more of the Akkerman names…

[Nethermark]

Shocking Blue is of course a reference to the rock band from The Hague, which you all know from this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPEhQugz-Ew)

[Scrawler]

The song ‘Oranje boven’ was undoubtedly very popular during WWII, especially during the liberation, but probably predates WWII. The complete song goes “Oranje boven, oranje boven, leve de koningin” (Meaning something like Orange above all, long live the queen). As such, I doubt, it comes from a phrase like “Oranje boven, bevrijding”, since it is older than the liberation. Also, that sentence makes little sense, and I have never heard it before, nor heard any reference to it in the Netherlands, where I come from.

By the way, about the meaning of the Akkerman ink names: Bekakt Haags is a good one: Bekakt means something like posh, pretentious, stuck up. You can also speek ‘bekakt’, and the upper classes in The Hague do probably speak bekakt Haags (the local dialect of The Hague). This should in no way be mistaken for 'normal' Haags, which can be heard in this song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptGJ8wzeGDE). But ‘kakken’ means “to shit” (pardon my French, I mean Dutch), which explains the brown color. As The Hague (Den Haag in Dutch) is the centre of government, there should be enough ‘bekakte’ people around there.

Let’s see, whether I can get around explaining some more of the Akkerman names…

Eastern Ontario is has many Legions with memorabilia from the Liberation. That phrase is on a badge.