Robert Oster Smokescreen — Ink Review #244

Robert Oster Smoke Screen

 

Ink Review # 244

 

Originally posted on FPN: May 07, 2026

 

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🧾 Description

 

Ink: Smokescreen

Brand: Robert Oster

Country: Australia

Availability: 50 ml bottles.

Pens Used: Pilot Kakuno EF, Kaweco (EF/F/M/B/BB, stub 1.1, 1.9), Noodler’s Ahab with FPR ultra-flex, Hongdian Long blade nib (similar to a Naginata Togi)

 

This is an unusual colour and difficult to describe. It hovers somewhere between grey, maroon and purple, depending on what paper it is used on. 

 

The wetter and narrower the nib, the darker and more blackish the ink appears; with wider nibs, the colour becomes lighter and more complex.

 

While not the best ink on copy paper, the colour was a very pleasing grey, making it a good candidate for thick, absorbent papers such as that used in Peter Pauper notebooks. 

 

Dry times are decent on Rhodia; lubrication is pen-dependent and hovers around average to slightly below average. The ink is wet and has no water resistance. 

 

Overall, an intriguing ink. 

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🧪 Chroma

 


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✍️ Writing Samples (photos LED and daylight)

 

Quotes: 

 

Rhodia dotpad

“Maybe that’s what beauty is: loving being looked at.” — Helen Garner (1942– ), Australian writer

 

 


Iroful

“Human relationships are vast as deserts: they demand all daring...” — Patrick White (1912–1990), Australian novelist.


 

 

Midori MD Codex

“Let no one say the past is dead.” — Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920–1993), Australian poet


 

 

Tomoe River 68gsm (Taroko Design Notebook)

Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.

“The past is all about us and within.” — Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920–1993), Australian poet

 

 

Hammermill 20lb copy paper

“Her beauty and her terror – / The wide brown land for me!” — Dorothea Mackellar (1885–1968), Australian poet and writer

 



 

Closeup

 

 

 🔍 Comparison

 

Col-O-ring swatches. Scans are approximate.

 

 

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 💧 Water Test

 

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 🎨 Artwork

 

Miniature Landscape

Robert Oster Smoke Screen, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.



 

Fragrance

Inspired by vintage fragrance bottles. 

Jinchen Fragrance, Robert Oster Smoke Screen, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.

 



Smoke Screen 

When ink inspires a drawing and whimsy informs it. 

Robert Oster Smoke screen, Octopus W&D Green Panda, Jinchen Purple Forest, Strathmore Watercolour paper. 

 



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- Writing Experience: Fine. 

- What I Liked: Color, ink wash.  

- What I Did Not Like: Lack of water resistance if I want to nitpick. Also it bests with wider nibs. 

 

 🧷 Ink Characteristics

 

- Shading: Yes. 

- Ghosting: Yes, on copy paper. 

- Bleed Through: The wetter the nib the more bleed-through. 

- Flow Rate: Wet.

- Lubrication: Pen dependant. 

- Nib Dry-out: Did not notice. 

- Start-up: No problems. 

- Saturation: Very saturated. 

- Sheen: A faint gold sheen with 1.9 on Midori. 

- Spread / Feathering / Woolly Line: With a primed nib, yes.  

- Nib Creep / Crud: Did not notice.

- Staining (Pen): No. 

- Clogging: No.

- Cleaning: Very easy. 

- Water Resistance: No. 

 

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 💬 Closing

 

This is an intriguing marron-purple-grey ink for those who like not-so-black colours. Personally, I prefer similar IG or pigment inks. 

 

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. :) 

 

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