Private Reserve DC Super Violet

As most of you know, this past weekend was the DC Pen Show, the largest pen show held in the USA.

Private Reserve Ink has a history of doing special inks for the DC show. Several are now a permanent part of the PR ink line: DC Supershow Blue, DC Supershow Green, and Electric DC Blue. This year, they have released DC Super Violet. This ink, however, is a limited edition ink. There are only 500 bottles available. The bottles are large at 110ml and the cost is quite affordable at $10 a bottle (MSRP). Even if you did not attend the show, you can still get the ink. I purchased my bottle from isellpens.com . Pendemonium also had some for sale, but theirs is priced above MSRP at $13.

Now, I usually don’t go for limited edition inks because I hate the feeling of getting attached to something that may not be available later on, but I just could not pass this one up. I love everything purple, and this ink falls squarely within the portion of the color range that I love most. The bottle is huge at, and I have a lot of inks anyway. I probably won’t run out any time soon, so the fact that the ink is limited shouldn’t be a problem (at least that’s what I’m telling myself).

DC Super Violet is a medium-dark purple. Just like I like it. It is a very true sort of purple. It straddles the line between blue and red. It is similar to Diamine Majestic Purple, but DCSV has a brightness that MP lacks. It is also similar to Rohrer & Klingner Cassia, but DCSV is a little more saturated and brighter than Cassia. To my eye, DCSV is the perfect purple counterpart to DC Supershow Blue: Rich, bright, and a true representation of the color.

The Details:

• Generally, there is no feathering or bleeding though you can get a minimal amount of the two depending on how wet your nib is and the quality of your paper. The Jinhao nib is super wet. I get slight feathering on everything except Rhodia et al.
• The flow is superb and the lubrication is quite good as well.
• This ink dries pretty quickly depending on the paper. I’d say it’s about 3 seconds on absorbent paper to about 20 on Rhodia (with a wet writer).
• The shading is wonderful even on regular paper, and it is outstanding on a coated paper like Rhodia.
• Unfortunately, this ink is not waterproof. It displays very little water resistance as well.

(click to sharpen and enlarge the image)

All in all, I love this ink! It’s just such a shame that this is a limited edition color. Hopefully, they will make a version DCSV that is a permanent offering like they did with DC Supershow Blue. In the meantime. I will just cherish this bottle!

If you want a bottle I suggest you move fast. This one won’t be around for long.

No Affil.

Red Comparison

This post originally appeared on The Ink Nouveau, but since I use this blog as an archive I thought it best to put it up here as well.

(Click on any photo to view a larger size)

When Brian put out a request for guest reviewer I immediately volunteered. Since the J. Herbin 1670 ink had just launched I thought it would be worthwhile to do a comparison of red inks from a few of the manufacturers he carries. Brian sent me a sample of every ink reviewed here except the Diamine Monaco Red. I already owned that one. Apart from being a customer of his I am not otherwise affiliated with Brian. I am also not affiliated with any of the manufacturers reviewed herein.

Diamine Classic Red:

I must admit that this was by far my least favorite of the bunch. It is the only one that misbehaved on my everyday paper: HP LaserJet 24lbs. However, it does perform well on Rhodia, Clairefontaine, etc. If you plan to use this ink plan to use it with premium papers. The shading is quite good and the flow is excellent. I’m not much on the color, but the name is fitting. It is a dullish medium red.

Caran d’ Ache Sunset:

This is an attractive pinkish red. It is the outlier in this group. None of the others exhibit this pink quality. This ink is the driest feeling of the bunch. But, has some of the best shading, and it is one of the fastest drying.

Private Reserve Dakota Red:

This is a brightish medium red. When I researched this ink I found some complaints of the ink clogging pens and/or throwing precipitants. When I informed Brian of this he told me the ink has been reformulated, so I decided to test it out for a while. I put it in a Platinum Preppy and left it to sit for one and a half weeks. I am happy to report that there was NO CLOGGING and NO PRECIPITANTS.

Believe it or not, this ink is actually the best behaved out of the bunch. There is some shading, and it is fast drying. It flows well, and it is pretty good so far as lubrication is concerned. In addition, it is one of the least saturated, but also the most water-resistant. All in all not a bad ink.

Diamine Monaco Red:

This ink is from my own personal stash. I tend to use it for grading because its brick red blood color is dark enough to be easy on the eyes, but still red enough to catch the students’ attention. It is very well-behaved even on cheap student paper. I prefer it in an extra-fine or fine nib, but in a wider nib you get lots more shading.

J. Herbin 1670 Rouge Hematite:

Now for the ink of the moment! This ink is FANTASTIC! I have to say that I’m not the biggest red ink fan in the world, but as soon as I got this ink down on paper I was enamored. Furthermore, of the inks Brian sent to me this is the only one I went out and purchased (Brian is expecting a shipment soon. Until then, make sure to contact him to be placed on the waitlist). The color is similar to that of fresh blood. I’d describe it as a red-orange mixed with maroon. It’s very appealing. It’s also quite vibrant, but not unpleasantly so. It has the best flow and lubrication of the inks compared here. It is also the most saturated, which is surprising for J. Herbin. Unfortunately, because of that saturation this ink is slow drying and it remains smudge-able long after it is dry. Do note that this is a limited edition ink, so if you want some you may want to act fast!

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Below are a couple comparison shots and a picture of the water test. I apologize in advance for the colors. I simply could not get these comparisons to display all the reds accurately. Please refer to the card shots above for more accurate representations of these inks.

DizzyPen
http://www.dizzypen.wordpress.com

Dizzypen Guest Blog on The Ink Nouveau

Hello all,

I did a Guest blog for Brian of The Goulet Pen Company. He has posted it up on his blog. You can check it out at http://www.inknouveau.com/2010/07/dizzypen-guest-blog-reds.html .

In that post I’ve reviewed and compared J. Herbin 1670, Diamine Monaco Red, Diamine Classic Red, PR Dakota Red, and Caran d’Ache Sunset.

The photos are a little dark. I apologize for that. For some reason Flickr darkened them a shade or two. The files on my computer are lighter. I don’t know what’s up with that.

Take care, Dizzy.

Private Reserve Burgundy Mist

This is a recent favorite of mine. I think of it as the darker, thicker, better behave sister to PR Arabian Rose.

The Details:

• I’d describe this color as a deep dark burgundy color. It leans a bit purple.
• No feathering or bleeding
• Excellent flow. The lub is decent, but can feel a bit dry in a dry writer.
• Excellent shading for an ink this dark.
• Not waterproof, but some small measure of resistance.

No Affil.

Pink-Orange/Orange Comparison

Finally, I had a bit of sunlight coming through my window so I could get a good picture of this sheet. These colors are difficult to photograph, but I’ve done my best, and they seem pretty true to color to me.

• Iroshizuku Fuyu-Gaki. This is a red-orange, but there is something coral/pink about it in my eyes. I like it very much.
• Noodler’s Dragon’s Napalm. What a fun color! I don’t know what I’d use it for, but it is visually appealing. Definitely a Pink-Orange color.
• Diamine Coral. This is surprisingly similar to Dragon’s Napalm. It is, however, a bit more orange. Still quite a nice pink orange.
• JH Orange Indien. This is one of my favorite oranges. Seems a straight orange to me. Very little red.
• Iroshizuku Yu-Yake. This has a little more red to it than Orange Indien. It does not photograph well here. Quite a lovely orange.
• Private Reserve Orange Crush. I think my bottle may be turning a bit, which is a problem with this ink. It was a bit more orange several years ago, now it’s an orange-brown sort of color. I still like it though.

Private Reserve Naples Blue

I have to admit that when I first bought this color I was a bit disappointed. I had been looking for a darker color. I’d looked at various scans and thought this was darker. Well, it’s not, but over time I’ve actually come to really like this color.

I’d describe this color as a medium Turquoise color. There isn’t any green in the color. it’s dark enough to read comfortably. Darker than Skrip Peacock Blue, Visconti Turquoise, and MB Turquoise.

It behaves pretty well in pens.
No feathering on good papers and only minimal on cheap paper
No bleeding on good papers and only minimal on cheap paper
The flow and lubrication are absolutely excellent!
Shading is really good especially on premium slightly coated papers (think Clairefontaine)
While this ink is not waterproof (as noted on the card) it is water resistant to a degree. Certainly resistant enough to survive a spill.

Now the only drawback I see to this ink is that it is VERY slow drying on anything but cheap copy paper. On this card it took 25 seconds. I believe this is probably the slowest drying ink I have! So, lefties beware. There is a huge potential for smearing with this ink.

All in all a great turquoise.

No Affil.

NOTE: I have a few pens for sale on FPN. Take a look here if you are interested. 🙂

PR Orange Crush and The Best Season Change of All

Mento and PROC Card
Originally uploaded by Dizzypen

This is my absolute favorite time of year. Where I live it’s gone from hot and humid 90° weather to about 70° with a chill in the air. I just love this.

I am basically surrounded by trees and they are just beginning to change colors. There is just a bit of yellow and orange beginning to show in the tree leaves. It’s only a matter of time before they turn red and then begin to fall. What other season change is full of such beautiful warm colors and cozy weather?

So, in honor of my love of this time of year, I have inked up a Laban Mento in Autumn flake with Private Reserve Orange Crush. If it’s Autumn outside it might as well be Autumn in my office, right?

Now, about the ink:

The color is a fantastic autumn-y burnt orange. The color does change a bit when it come in contact with air and/or when it sits in the feed for a while. This means that when you first start writing, the ink starts out a bit brown and then changes to the orange-y color as you continue to write. I happen to love this color variance, but I understand that others may not.

PR Orange Crush is very well behaved. I’ve observed no feathering and no bleed through. The flow is generous, but it does give the pen a bit of a dry feel, so the lubrication could be better.

Now one major drawback to this ink is the dry time, it is incredibly slow drying on papers that have a slightly glossy finish ie Clairfontaine, Rhodia, Exacompta, etc. If you are using an absorbent paper, like inkjet paper, the drying time is not bad.

All in all, I really like this ink. If something could be done about the drying time I’d be in love with it. As is, it is a perfect Autumn ink.

Have you switched over to an Autumn ink? If so, what is it?

No Affil.

Here is a clearer picture of the review card:

Private Reserve Arabian Rose

Ok I am in love with this color! It is a great pinkly mauve. It is bright and saturated though subdued. It reminds me of a more conservative version of Noodler’s Saguaro Wine.

Important bits:
No feathering.
Bleed through depends on how wet your pen writes and what kind of paper you are using.
Flows readily and offer good lubrication
The drying time is slow. It took nearly 20 seconds for the ink to dry. Lefties be forewarned.
Shading can be very good, but as usually, it will shade better on some than on others.
It is water resistant. I ran it under the tap for about 5 minutes and rubbed across the writing and it was still completely legible. I also dropped water on it, and the ink would spread but remain legible. So as long as the ink has had time to dry you should be able to make it through an accident.

No Affil.