EFNIR: PenBBS #406 Dark Moon Myriad Stars

[LizEF]

Extra Fine Nib Ink Review: PenBBS #406 Dark Moon Myriad Stars

This is review #223 in my series. Here's the YouTube video:


Post-recording notes: Cleaning was easy, but not quick - this is super-concentrated dye and will take many, many flushes. No sign of staining or clinging, though.

The ink dried in about 3 seconds in testing. I'm calling the smear on the 18 second mark not related to dry time but to the fact that this is a super-saturated, sheening ink and therefore it will smear even after dry. (Feel free to disagree with my interpretation.) Also, the line width may be artificially narrow. I'm keeping it to be consistent with how I've been measuring line width all along, but if you look at the text, you'll see that once the ink is flowing, the lines appear thicker.

This is a super dark blue - reminiscent of Diamine 1864 Blue Black, but with glitter and not so dark that I can't see color. It has a purple lean to it. It dries absurdly fast on the nib. It's the first ink I've had to dip in water to get it flowing again - flossing wasn't enough. Before the review, I dipped the nib in water and scribbled a little. During the review, I had to scribble on scratch paper twice to get the ink flowing again. This is just an uncooperative ink!

Zoomed in photo (The dark reddish bits are sheen. Color is pretty close.)


Screenshot (Text seems too dark and it doesn't seem to have picked up the color, except the sheen in places.)


Scan of Completed Review (Text seems a smidge too dark and too purple (perhaps due to the sheen).)


Absorbent Paper Close-up (top is puzzle paper like thick newsprint, bottom is old 20lb copy paper) (These show the glitter surprisingly well. Text might be a little light in the copy paper half, but otherwise accurate.)


Line width (One of the lines used for dry time. Magnification is 100x. The grid is 100x100µm. The scale is 330µm, with eleven divisions of 30µm each. The line width for this ink is roughly 236µm. With 223 inks measured, the average line width is 295µm.) (Whoa! Super-narrow line.)


Microscope image (Color is very close. For some reason, the glitter in this one really didn't show up in the smear. But cool little galaxy, huh?)


Previous Review: Pilot Mixable Colour Sepia.

Images also available on Instagram: @zilxodarap.

Want to influence the inky sequence? Take the "next ink" poll.

View a list of my inks, complete with review results in a google sheet.

Need to catch up on The Adventures of Quin and Makhabesh? Find the whole story here.

Hope you enjoy. Comments appreciated!

[Sailor Kenshin]

The sea of stars!

This is an interesting color, but out of bounds for me: I don't use glitter inks, and I'm edging away from supersaturateds. Of course I love the story! And Essri. Snek iz ur frend!

Thanks as always for the review! Yours are unique.

[LizEF]

The sea of stars!

Yeah, that microscope image is one of the best.

This is an interesting color, but out of bounds for me: I don't use glitter inks, and I'm edging away from supersaturateds.

Your thoughts pretty much match mind. I don't mind the glitter inks, but inks that don't flow are not worth bothering with to me. This one has gone off to a friend and hopefully he has a nice *wet* pen to put it in.

... Of course I love the story! And Essri. Snek iz ur frend!

Thanks as always for the review! Yours are unique.

Thank you! And you're welcome.

[Yazeh]

I was getting antsy, when Efnir was slightly late
Great review
Pen BBS inks have so many unusual names. I'm not sure if I understand what's the name about. Probably lost in translation somewhere
I'm sure Essri is feeling quite close to the staff. In someway, it's his elder sister

[LizEF]

I was getting antsy, when Efnir was slightly late

Ha! It was right on time - early, even.

Great review

Thank you!

Pen BBS inks have so many unusual names. I'm not sure if I understand what's the name about. Probably lost in translation somewhere

Yes, I suspect translation issues - probably sounds good in Chinese and doesn't easily translate to English. I believe the Dark Moon suggests the ink is the color of a moonless sky, and the Myriad Stars is for the glitter.

I'm sure Essri is feeling quite close to the staff. In someway, it's his elder sister

Or like some older, wiser female relative.

[mizgeorge]

Thank you as ever @LizEF - fab review.

It's a hard no from me - I can cope with some shimmer, but the unrelenting darkness of the colour, along with the purple lean and poor behaviour certainly don't make it worth jumping through the required hoops to get it.

And I can't tell you how fond I've become of the little snek. I'd always thought the staff was more of an older brother type though... I have confidence that whatever it is, he'll find it

[LizEF]

Thank you as ever @LizEF - fab review.

You're very welcome!

It's a hard no from me - I can cope with some shimmer, but the unrelenting darkness of the colour, along with the purple lean and poor behaviour certainly don't make it worth jumping through the required hoops to get it.

Well, I suspect a big wet nib would fare better, but I totally understand. Ink should *flow* - without additives.

And I can't tell you how fond I've become of the little snek. I'd always thought the staff was more of an older brother type though... I have confidence that whatever it is, he'll find it

(Ah, sorry to make you to shift your thinking, but the staff is definitely a "she". The "older" part is true, though, even though she's recently created, it seems she brought with her the wisdom of the earth.)