Tintenlabor — Onyx — Ink Review #262
Tintenlabor — Onyx
Ink Review # 262
Description
Onyx is a black 5 g/L iron gall ink. It’s very wet, with slightly below-average lubrication.
The grey base can oxidize to a dark, shiny black, depending on the pen and ink flow. In my Lamy Safari B, it remained grey.
It took about 30 seconds to dry on Rhodia, and it’s not suited for copy paper. It’ll bleed through it like there’s no tomorrow.
Yet, I enjoyed using it so much that I used almost all my sample.
If you want a black iron-gall ink, this is a good one. If you need a grey-black ink to tame firehose pens that normal inks can’t control, Monte Rosa is the best fit. See my Monte Rosa review for details. However, it needs sometimes to settle in the fountain pen, as the lubrication gets better with time.
If you want an all time dark-grey ink, which might oxidize overtime to black then Basalt is still the best grey iron gall ink ever made.
Cleaning Note: Like all IG inks, flush with water first. For stubborn residue, use a small pinch of pure ascorbic acid in water, then rinse thoroughly. Avoid ammonia-based cleaners with iron gall inks. An ultrasonic cleaner can help with removable pen-safe parts, but avoid it with fragile vintage materials, plated trim, or anything uncertain.
Chroma
Writing Samples (Photos LED and daylight)
Translations from language are provided for reference only and may differ from published versions.
Rhodia dotpad
“One should be in one’s own void. Void is silence. Solitude.” — Fleur Jaeggy, Swiss Italian writer.
Close-up
Iroful
“Let’s enjoy the beautiful things we can see, and not think about those we cannot.” — Johanna Spyri, female, Swiss-German author.
Close-up
Midori MD Codex
“We do not so much write as get written.” — Max Frisch, male, Swiss-German writer.
Close-up
Tomoe River 68 gsm (Taroko Design Notebook)
Note: Tomoe River used here is 68 gsm, not the thinner 52 gsm version commonly referenced in reviews.
“The wideness of the horizon has to be inside us.” — Ella Maillart, female, Swiss-French writer.
Close-up
Hammermill 20 lb copy paper
“The artist’s mission is to give shape to what is eternal in nature.”— Ferdinand Hodler, male, Swiss-German artist.
The green smudge is another ink. :)
Close-up
Comparison
Col-O-ring swatches. Scans are approximate.
Left: scanned immediately after swatching. Right: the same swatch scanned one month later.
Water Test
Artwork
Mangled
Miniature.
Cat is mangling the piano. The vase and Mouse may be next.
Tintenlabor Onyx, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.
Draw Me Properly!
Miniature.
Tintenlabor Onyx, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.
Don't Bug Me, I'm Killing One!
Miniature.
Mouse hides in the lampshade with a fly swatter, trying to catch a bug, while Cat waits below, impatiently missing his bug documentary.
Tintenlabor Onyx, Tintenlabor Barrique, Tintenlabor Bernstein, Talens Mixed Media Sketchbook.
Who hides behind the Moon?
Closing
This is another good ink by Tintenlabor for those who want a very dark iron-gall ink. It can appear black quickly in wet pens or narrow nibs. It’s not perfect, but it has been a lot of fun to use.
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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