Ink Review: Rohrer & Klingner sketchINK Lilly

[Chrissy]

Rohrer & Klingner Leipzig-Co. makes many excellent quality inks, and has been making inks and more in Germany since 1892. A renowned ink maker that doesn’t seem to be mentioned as much as some others.

Today I’m reviewing one of Rohrer & Klingner’s sketchINK's: Lilly. These sketch inks are nano-pigmented inks, so the usual warnings about not leaving them in your unused pens for long periods, and exercising good pen hygiene should be followed.

That having been said, Lilly is an interesting colour that’s uncommon in inks. It’s like a mud brown colour that you might see in the garden. I liked it right away. I really enjoyed writing and trying to sketch with it. It wrote with very tight, crisp lines, as is common with pigmented inks, and it dried quickly. It's lightfast. It’s also completely waterproof when dry, but while wet can be mixed with water to make a really good wash onto the paper. For sketching those are excellent features.

There were a couple of times when the nib tip dried out before restarting - when I put the uncapped pen down to do swab tests and other ink comparisons. However, I never had to dip the nib into water. It always started writing by itself, even after an initial short stutter.

Rohrer & Klingner inks are available from many retailers worldwide, and are reasonably priced.

R&K Lilly1.jpg

• Start-up: Usually immediate.
• Flow Rate: Excellent - neither wet nor dry.
• Lubrication: Excellent - felt really smooth across the page.
• Saturation: Quite a saturated ink.
• Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Not seen on any paper I used.
• Show-Through/Bleed-through: A little seen on two of the cheaper papers I used but I could easily write on the reverse of all of them.
• Nib Dry-out: Start-up was occasionally slightly delayed when the pen was left uncapped for a short time.
• Clogging: Not seen.
• Nib Creep / “Crud”: Not seen, even after several days in the pen.
• Staining (pen): Didn’t stain my sections or converters.
• Staining (hands): Washed off easily.
• Water resistance: A completely waterproof ink.

R&K Lilly 1.jpegR&K Lilly.jpeg

[Pterodactylus]

Thanks for the review, as you said the R&K seem to be widely underrepresented.
I also think their inks are top notch (not only their FP inks, also their drawing inks).
And the price-value ratio of them is excellent.

I noticed the new Sketch ink line but did not acquired any of it yet (but this will change for sure....side note, I own and appreciate all their standard FP inks since years).

[Voiren]

I've been gradually collecting the R&K line - decided to go for them before the likes of Robert Oster. I have a few of the sketchINKs and this was the one I went for first

[Chrissy]

Thanks for the review, as you said the R&K seem to be widely underrepresented.
I also think their inks are top notch (not only their FP inks, also their drawing inks).
And the price-value ratio of them is excellent.

I noticed the new Sketch ink line but did not acquired any of it yet (but this will change for sure....side note, I own and appreciate all their standard FP inks since years).

You're welcome. Yes, they are top notch and good value for money.

[Chrissy]

I've been gradually collecting the R&K line - decided to go for them before the likes of Robert Oster. I have a few of the sketchINKs and this was the one I went for first

I have 3 or 4 sketchInk samples and didn't know which one to pick to review first, until I received your letter.

[TSherbs]

This color doesn't appeal to me, but I appreciate how much helpful info you get into a page of review.

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk

[Chrissy]

This color doesn't appeal to me, but I appreciate how much helpful info you get into a page of review.

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk

Thank you. I have other colours to review, maybe you will like one of those.

[KKay]

I would like to try this one someday. I like the look of it, and it is waterproof which is always a plus for me.