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Christmas Inks and Pens!

12/30/13
If you're like me, then your family knows that you're into fountain pens and ink. Here's a photo-fest of my new goodies.

First-up is this Jin Hao x750 in flat black. It's a really classy pen, and my wife got it for me so that we could compare it to the x750 that we got on eBay a while back. So far, this new pen is way better than the old one. We think the old one might be a fake.


Next up, is this bright orange Monteverde Artista. Audrey got one of these at a pen show this summer, and I had been saying that I liked it enough to get another one. Well, she beat me to it, and got me one for Christmas. Thanks!


Lastly (for pens) we have a new Metro. You'll have seen, by now, the new animal print Metros. I don't care for most of them, but I do really like this lizard-print one. It's sort of a gunmetal grey with a band of lizard-print. Very classy.


My mom and Audrey both got me some ink for xmas. First up is this Noodler's ink called Blue Steel. It's an ink exclusive to Dromgoole's in Houston. It's an interesting bottle of ink that I'm looking forward to reviewing once I've had a chance to write with it some more. It's a bit lighter and a bit more green than I was able to capture with artificial light.
Audrey ordered this next ink in a sample with the pens. I have only recently started really using J. Herbin inks, and I have liked quite a few of them. This one surprised me. I wasn't sure what it was going to be like, but I really like this grey/brown.
The next few are swatches from samples and bottles that I got for Christmas, but that I haven't put in a pen just yet.
Noodler's Live Oak is another of the Dromgoole's exclusive inks, and it's a darkish tree-green.
Noodler's Alamo's Twilight is supposed to be a red that is exclusive to Dromgoole's. My bottle, however, isn't red at all. I think something may have gone wrong with this one. I've contacted Noodler's to see if I can get a replacement for it. The brown is okay, but I'd rather have the ink as it is supposed to be.
R&K's Salix is a dusky blue that I think is a modern iron gall. I've heard of people using it in non-gold nibs, but I don't know if I'll chance it yet. Anyone used this one?
I've had samples of Ancient Copper before, and I reviewed it about a year ago. I keep talking myself out of buying a whole bottle of this, and I don't know why. It's a fantastic ink.
The last two are a couple of greens that I didn't know about. I've heard of Sherwood Green, but I don't know if the Fast Dry is a different formulation or not. Diamine Green-Black seems to be a really dark green, and much more green than black. I'm looking forward to them.



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Unknown said...

I this weekend handled and test-wrote with a Metropolitan Pilot at the Los Angeles show. It is a very nice piece of work; well-balanced, the gold sans any print on the barrel was to me modestly elegant and this sample was a smooth writer.

Thanks for your site and reviews, Michael.

Mike Matteson said...

Thanks Robert. I'm glad you were able to get the the LA show. I've never been, but I don't miss the Raleigh and DC shows if I can help it.

I like the Metropolitan. It's become the pen that I suggest most people start out with because of its good value and solid construction. I don't care for the gold colored ones, but I'm just not into gold pens.