My experience with L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Equinoxe (6)
Just before we were due to visit Naples, Florida during September 2017, I placed an order with Vanness that included a pouch of L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio Equinoxe (6) ink.
I had been using a generous sample of this ink, sent to me by a very kind forum member, in my Sheaffer Legacy, and still had some left in the sample vial. It was one of those instant hits, where the pen and ink seemed to really get on well with each other, and their good performance together was particularly noticeable. Nevertheless, the Sheaffer Legacy stayed home when we left.
My Vanness order containing this ink had arrived before I had, but as you may all remember, September in Naples, Florida was marred by the visit of Hurricane Irma.
Instead of spending a peaceful relaxing holiday walking on the beach and swimming in the hotel pool, we were relocated to several different hotels in Florida over the next month. This meant I didn't use my pens and paper, or my new inks during the late afternoon rainy spell, as was my custom. In fact they were all in a suitcase somewhere in the hotel room. LAPC E6 therefore came back home to England with me unopened. The only pen I used it in was still partly full, and I refilled it by using the rest of my sample.
Eventually I got round to opening the pouch and tipping the ink into my brand new TWSBI bottle. It never occurred to me at the time that it looked a much brighter blue. Because I hate to waste ink, I even used a syringe to get out the small amount that hid in the crevices of the pouch. I added this to the converter in my Sheaffer. After all it was the same ink. Or was it?
Artisan Pastellier Callifolio E6_0001.JPG
Eventually I checked out this ink, only to find it was nothing like Equinoxe (6). Instead it was a bright blue, not a teal or blue-black. I mentioned mine was a bright blue in an E6 review on FPN, and found to my surprise that other people also had E6 that was this bright blue colour. Someone even said he liked it so much, he was going to try to get some. I said he could have mine and I would bring it with me on my next visit to Naples and mail it to him in the US.
The next thing that happened was I needed to get this ink out of my TWSBI bottle. It has a wide neck, so I thought I'd pour most of it into a smaller Diamine glass bottle (I sometimes get samples in these) and from there I might manage to pour it into the empty Diamine plastic bottle. That was the plan at least. Then while pouring this large glob of something or other slid out into the bottle. I thought I was seeing things, so picked out a cocktail stick and fished around and there it was: The Blob.
Artisan Callifolio Blue_0001.JPG
My OH refused to hold it so he had to take the photo while I held it. It was that solid, it never even looked like falling apart at all.
I've had to disappoint the guy in the US, and tell him he shouldn't risk it.
Meanwhile, I've been in touch with Vanness and asked them if they had any left in bottles, as I didn't want another pouch. They came straight back and asked me when I would next be there so they can send me a replacement.
Soon I will hopefully have some LAPC E6 and will be able to put all of this behind me. At least Vanness were quick to respond.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by FredRydr
That is horrible! I read your FPN post and it seemed to me that the color is more like Bleu Mediterreanee. I have bought many pouches of Callifolio, albeit not Equinoxe 6, and have never seen anything like that!
Bookmarks