Ink Review: Phidon Pens Exclusive (Diamine) A Leap of Faith

[Chrissy]

Today I'm reviewing Diamine Exclusive “A Leap of Faith” ink, made for Phidon Pens, Canada.

Ten years ago Phidon Pens took “a leap of faith” when they opened their bricks and mortar store in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. This Diamine exclusive ink made specially for Phidon Pens is to celebrate that the business has been successful for 10 years.

This is a very saturated, very dark, purplish-blue, almost black ink. Phidon Pens call it an ultra-violet black ink with red sheen.
It is the darkest, dark blue/ultra-violet ink I’ve written with that hasn’t been black, and I can see some red sheen.

Flow and lubrication are both excellent, I would say flow is very wet. No problems with start-up or skipping, and both pens that I used wrote very smoothly across the page.

It didn’t suffer from any hard starts or non-starts when I put the uncapped pen down to do swab tests, dry times and water resistance.

It dried fairly quickly on most of the papers I used it on and once dry it didn’t smudge or smear.

It easily washed off of my hands with cold water and bar soap and it easily flushed out of my converters and pens just using water.

• Shading Potential: Some very nice shading and red sheen noticeable.
• Show-Through and Bleed-Through: Noticeable on cheap printer paper, Field Notes, Tomoe River 52gsm, and Rhodia DotPad
• Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Some spread and woolly line seen occasionally - dependant on paper.
• Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not seen.
• Staining (pen): Not seen after several days in the pen - easy clean-up with water.
• Staining (hands): Easy clean-up with bar soap.
• Clogging: Not seen. Seems unlikely.
• Water resistance: Not sold as waterproof but has some water resistance.
• Availability: Available in Diamine 80ml glass bottles and only available from Phidon Pens, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada at a cost of $20 (plus $20 shipping for the USA or UK.)

Diamine A Leap of Faith1.jpgDiamine A Leap of Faith 1.jpg

[junglejim]

Indeed, that mad Baggins has gone off again on another one of his adventures. Good riddance, I say!! Thank-you, Chrissy, for another wonderful ink review. This ink looks much darker and saturated than the Cult Pens DDB that I was about to order. I may have to rethink and give Phidon Pens a look-see. Especially if it is easy to clean from converters and nibs.

Have a Happy Halloween and Fall Season!
All the Best.

**Updated: Can't order anything direct from the internet to a webcart. You have to contact Phidon Pens by phone or email to place an order or check on the prices. Oh well, back to Cult Pens.

[Chrissy]

You're welcome. And a Happy Halloween and fall season to you too.
"A Leap of Faith" is a very dark blue, almost black ink, with red sheen compared with Cult Pens Deep Dark Blue and Diamine Midnight that are a shade or two lighter while still being dark blue rather than blue-black.

[Wile E Coyote]

Love the color so much I called Phidon.

They tell me a bottle is $20 and shipping is also $20. If anyone is interested in an informal group buy, they can pack 3 bottles in the $20 box so the unit cost would be $26.67 per bottle.

Let me know if there's any interest as I intend to buy some and will get as much as necessary to keep the costs down. Of course there will be a secondary shipping charge, unless you're near NY/NJ, but it should still be less than ordering per bottle from CA.

[junglejim]

That sounds great, Wile! I'm in for a bottle. Just PM me your details when you order/receive and I'll Paypal you. Once I receive my bottle I'll be happy to post off some free samples of "A Leap of Faith", along with a sample of Chrissy & Fred's custom Racing Green and custom Masque's Mix, to other fpgeeks here in the States.

Racing Green Link: https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread...t=racing+green

Masque's Mix Link: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...-in-icelandic/


Wile & Chrissy, if you want a sample of the latter two inks, please let me know. I'm willing to send a package to you across the pond, Chrissy! Just PM me.

All the Best.

[Chrissy]

That sounds great, Wile! I'm in for a bottle. Just PM me your details when you order/receive and I'll Paypal you. Once I receive my bottle I'll be happy to post off some free samples of "A Leap of Faith", along with a sample of Chrissy & Fred's custom Racing Green and custom Masque's Mix, to other fpgeeks here in the States.

Racing Green Link: https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread...t=racing+green

Masque's Mix Link: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...-in-icelandic/


Wile & Chrissy, if you want a sample of the latter two inks, please let me know. I'm willing to send a package to you across the pond, Chrissy! Just PM me.

All the Best.

Thanks junglejim. That is very kind of you.