Yazeh Ink Reviews

  Ostrich — 水蓝 (Water Blue)   Ink Review # 273   Ink:  水蓝 (Water Blue) Series:  24 series Brand:  Ostrich Availability:  AliExpress and similar outlets. Pens Used:  Jinhao Centennial (EEF Majohn flex, fude), Lamy Safari Red (EF/F/M/B/ stub 1.1) Description Disclaimer:  This is a petrol-blue ink. I don’t like the color, and this is the second of two back-to-back reviews of disappointing inks. So, take my acerbic tone with a grain of salt.   😉 The only redeeming feature of this ink is the lovely poem by Meng Jiao ( 孟郊 , 751–814) inscribed on the ink bottle. 苦寒吟  -Kǔhán Yín, Song of Bitter Cold (Translated by ChatGPT and adapted by me) The cold sky is winter-water blue; the north wind howls through withered mulberries. The thick ice, unblemished; the winter sun casts a cold light I strike the stone—no spark will catch; winter's icy yin overwhelms the yang’s warmth Freezing, I chant this unforgiving cold.   The ink has a...

  De Atramentis — Document Black   Ink Review # 272   Ink:  Black Series:  Document Brand:  De Atramentis Country:  Germany Type:  Pigment ink Availability:  International Short Cartridges, 45 ml bottles. Pens Used:  Osmiroid Copperplate EEF flex, Lamy Safari (EF, F, M, B, 1.1) Description I got a pack of international short cartridges of this ink to compare with the many black inks I’ve already reviewed. While the swatch cards show an intense black, with a dry pen like the Lamy Safari, it is more like a charcoal color. The ink is viscous and reminds me of Noodler’s Polar Black in behavior. Dry times are above average on Rhodia. Its saving grace is that it’s excellent on copy paper and it is waterproof. Lubrication depends on the nib size. It was excellent with the Osmiroid Copperplate EEF nib. However, with the Safari EF and F nibs, it was slightly scratchy. The pen needs a nice soaking in an ammonia-based cleaner if ink is forgotten in...

Jacques Herbin — Fontaine des Quatre-Parties Du Monde   Ink Review # 271   Ink:  Fontaine des Quatre-Parties Du Monde Series:  Couleurs de Paris Brand:  Jacques Herbin Country:  France Availability:  10 ml, 30 ml bottles. Pens Used:  Pilot Kakuno EF Blue, Lamy Safari (EF, F, M, B, 1.1), Karas Kustoms Vertex Description This review is of the last of the 3 new  Couleur de Paris  inks by Jacques Herbin. This is a lovely new ink. Lubrication varies from adequate to below-average depending on the pen used. Its flow is average with excellent shading. It doesn’t like copy paper, like most Herbin inks. The 10 ml bottles are not easily available in North America. I got mine from Fountainfeder in Germany. The ink is named after La Fontaine des Quatre-Parties-du-Monde in Paris. Photo Photo by Nikolai Karaneschev via  Wikimedia Commons  /  CC BY 3.0   Chroma Writing Samples Photos LED and daylight Translations from other language...