Blogger title Fanyantan #20 Qinghai Wave — Ink Review #180

 Fanyantan - #20 Qinghai Wave

Ink Review #180

Originally posted on FPN: Apr 09, 2025

Ink: #20 Qinghai Wave
Brand: Fanyantan
Country: China
Availability: 20 ml bottles; availability varies and is easiest through Asian/marketplace sellers.
Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF, Lamy Safari (EF / F / M / B / Stub 1.1), Kanwrite with FPR ultra-flex nib.

 

🧾 Description

According to Soe & Soe, Qinghai Wave is a chromoshading ink appearing green when wet, with pink shading and teal-toned haloing. There are six inks in Season 4 from Fanyantan, inspired by scenes found in nature.

Qinghai roughly translates as blue/green sea.

In a nutshell: gimmicky, watery, low-lubrication, pricey ink, for ink nerds and artsy people.

This is a gorgeous pale green, leaning celadon ink, made in China. The writing experience with Safari was like water; most nibs were somewhere between scratchy and atrocious. With Kanwrite, flow was inconsistent with the flex, either putting too much ink down or drying up mid-sentence.

The ink is suitable for journaling, artwork, ink wash, and calligraphy. The haloing effect is subtle and dependent on paper, pen, and lighting. You also need heavy application, which might cause woolly lines on most papers I used.

This ink needs smooth paper and a soft, buttery nib. It is an ink that one can watch dry under a magnifying glass; if you need a distraction during boring meetings, it might be for you.

Cleaning Note: I could clean the pen with only water, but it stained the transparent section of the Kakuno and needed at least a 12-hour soak. Bottom line: if you are curious, buy a few samples and see whether it is for you.

🧪 Chroma

✍️ Writing Samples (scan)

Ink is very difficult to scan, and the colour is deformed into this washed-out green on Rhodia.

Hammermill 20 lb

📸 Photo

Midori.

Tomoe River 68 gsm.

Iroful.

🔍 Closeup Scan and Photo

Tomoe River 68 gsm closeup scan.

Tomoe River closeup, natural light.

Midori closeup.

Iroful closeup.

🔍 Comparison

💧 Water Test

Left side: 10 seconds under running water. After 24 hours.

Water test.

🎨 Artwork

Cat and Mouse Exploring Ink

In this basic wash one can see the green and pink in the shirt and diluted in the face.

Background: Diluted Kala Onyx. Contours: Kala Moonlight Tide.

Cobwebs of the Mind

Lennon Tool Bar Cat General. Fanyantan - Qinghai Wave. Kala Onyx wash.

Waves

Cat and Mouse are hidden in this quick drawing. Paper is Talens Mixed Media sketchbook.

De Atramentis Document Cyan. Tintenlabor Aprilis Argente (iron gall ink) for the lines. Noodler's Polar Brown.

🧷 Ink Characteristics

·  What I Liked: Colour. Doing ink washes.
·  What I Did Not Like: Price and lack of lubrication.
·  What Some Might Not Like: Same as above.
·  Writing Experience: Did not make me want to reach for the pen.
·  Pros: Lovely colour.
·  Cons: Price, low lubrication.
·  Shading: Yes, depending on pen/paper combo it can become extreme.
·  Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper and with wet applications on Rhodia.
·  Bleed Through: Same as above.
·  Flow Rate: Watery.
·  Lubrication: Very low.
·  Nib Dry-out: Did not notice.
·  Start-up: Okay, depending on pens.
·  Saturation: Not saturated.
·  Shading Potential: Excellent.
·  Sheen: Yes. Halo.
·  Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Yes on copy paper and with a saturated feed on Rhodia.
·  Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.
·  Staining (Pen): Yes, needed a 24-hour soak.
·  Clogging: Did not notice.
·  Cleaning: A bit of a pain.
·  Water Resistance: Meh.

💬 Closing

Qinghai Wave is beautiful and unusual, but it asks for the right paper, a generous nib, patience, and a willingness to tolerate its low lubrication.

No fountain pens were harmed in preparing this review. 😉

Please don't hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments. The more the merrier. 😊