NEW INK REVIEW: Diamine Shimmertastic Ink Brandy Dazzle

[Chrissy]

Following on from my thread announcing the launch of Diamine Shimmertastic inks, 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.

Diamine Brandy Dazzle.jpg


Diamine Brandy Dazzle3.jpgDiamine Brandy Dazzle4.jpgDiamine Brandy Dazzle5.jpg

[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.