Pelikan Edelstein Apricot Achat — Ink Review #221

 

Pelikan Edelstein Apricot Achat

 

Ink Review # 221

 

Originally posted on FPN: Jan 07, 2026

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🧾 Description

Ink: Pelikan Apricot Achat
Available: 50 ml bottled.
Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno F3A, Lamy (EF/F/M/B/ Stub 1.1) , Kanwrite Desire with a FPR Ultra-flex nib.

Pelikan Edelstein Apricot Achat is the ink of the year 2025. Achat is the German word for Agate. I’m a bit confused by the naming, mixing English and German, as in French it translates into Apricot Buying; to each its own.  Many thanks @lithium for the sample. 

It’s a wet bright orange ink, lacking in the lubrication department. It has subtle shading. It ghosted and bled through on copy paper and with a wet flex nib on Iroful and a bit on Rhodia. 

Despite a lovely name, I find the colour harsh and slightly fluorescent. But then I don’t like orange inks much. 

As the scans were off, I took photos only. 

As a writing ink it’s legible. I would say this ink is perfect for journaling on grey days, when we need brightness. For me its saving grace was in ink washes. 

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🧪 Chroma

 

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✍️ 📸 Writing Samples (Photos daylight and LED light)

JEF stands for Japanese EF nib.
I realized in mid-process of the review that some of my nibs weren’t cleaned properly. Hence the messiness. :) 

Rhodia
“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect.”  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer


Iroful 
“Freedom is not the absence of necessity, but the knowledge of it.”
—    Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, German philosopher

Midori
Thought is the courage of the intellect.”
—    Hannah Arendt, German philosopher

Tomoe River 68 gsm

Note: This is the 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.
“The stone is a frozen wave.”
—    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer

 

Hammermill 20lb  

“One must still have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star.”
—    Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher

 Hammermill 20 lb copy paper back

 Close-up:


 🔍 Comparison

Col-O-ring. Scans are approximative. 

 


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 💧 Water Test

 

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 🎨 Artwork

A Grey Rose on an Orange day!

 I love sketching on anything, while my cat takes a nap on my lap with my fountain pens. 

This was done on the back of a receipt. 

 Jacques Herbin Gris Galet, Pelikan Edelstein Apricot Achat, unknown copy paper.

 

In the Now!
Another sketch of our cat, while she was sitting on my lap on the back of a the same receipt (copy paper) as above. 
Tintenlabor Tannewald (Green Iron gall ink), Pelikan Edelstein Apricot Achat, copy paper. Image size

 Sunset 

Inktober52, 2025: SUNSET. 

Pelikan Edelstein Apricot Achat, Tintenlabor Tannenwald, Uniball Signo White Gel pen, A hint of Jacques Herbin Gris Galet & Bouton d'or.

Basket Case!

Inspired by our cat and her love of her basket. 

Mouse was mad at Kitty who wanted to have a long nap on such a bright and sunny day. 

Jacques Herbin Gris Galet (grey) , Pelikan Edelstein Apricot Achat (orange), Tintenlabor Tannenwald (iron gall dark green), Talens Mixed Media Notebook.

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- What I Liked: Ink washes. 
- What I Did Not Like: Writing with, lack of lubrication, harshness.   
- What Some Might Not Like: Paleness, lack of lubrication.
- Writing Experience: Meh!
- Pros: For art.  
- Cons: Harsh ink. Lack of lubrication. 

 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

- Shading: Subtle.
- Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper. 
- Bleed Through: Same as above. 
- Flow Rate: Wet. 
- Lubrication: Meh!
- Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 
- Start-up: Ok. 
- Saturation: Nope. 
- Sheen: No. 
- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: Did not notice.
- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.
- Staining (Pen): No.
- Clogging: No.
- Cleaning: Easy enough. 
- Water Resistance: Not really. 

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 💬 Closing

I’m not a fan of orange inks for writing, but I enjoyed using it for background ink washes. 

No fountain pens were hurt in preparing this review. ;)

 Please don’t hesitate to share your experience, writing samples, or any other comments the more the merrier. :) 

 

 

 

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