Filtering by Author: Jeff Abbott

Wearingeul Verethragna Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Wearingeul's Sedna ink, which is part of their World Myth Collection. This week, I'm back with another ink from that same collection, but this one is from the other side of the world.

Verethragna is a Zoroastrian deity that represents strength and victory, among other things. Reading up on this subject made me remember the world history classes I took in college, and it's also incredible to read about anything so ancient. In the case of the ink, though, it's a lot more straight-forward.

Wearingeul Verethragna is a subdued medium purple shade with mild shading and a dry flow. I typically prefer more saturated and punchy purple inks, but this one has a dusty, reserved tone that I've really enjoyed. It doesn't pop like the bright purples I normally prefer, but it's beautiful in a quieter way.

Despite the ink being a little on the dry side, it flows easily and encourages me to slow down and be more deliberate in the lines I make. It can certainly keep up with a fast writing pace, but the color becomes a good deal lighter with faster strokes.

The ink does shade a bit, but it's not dramatic. It shades plenty enough to set itself apart as a fountain pen ink and provides a pleasant amount of color fluctuation. To my eyes, I can't detect any other tones in this in besides purple and gray. There aren't any other effects (like sheening) present.

Like the other Wearingeul inks I've tried, this one also performs well when it comes to how it behaves on paper. I haven't seen any feathering or bleeding on the different papers I've tried. The edges of the nib strokes remain crisp and sharp.

Dry time for this ink is a little higher than I'd like considering it's a bit on the dry side in terms of flow. It typically dries between 20 and 30 seconds, though it's a little faster in smaller nibs. In a European EF nib, the ink was smudge-proof in as little as 15 seconds.

Being a part of the World Myth collection means that this is a limited offer. Vanness is already showing low stock for this ink, so act quickly if it strikes your fancy. Verathragna is currently on sale for $23 for a 30ml bottle. Like other Wearingeul inks, this is a great value proposition and one you won't regret if you like the color or the inspiration. Despite this being a more subdued purple, I've found myself reaching for it more than my standard bright purples lately. It's certainly a beautiful color, and I've really enjoyed using it during these past few cold and gray weeks.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on January 22, 2025 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Wearingeul, Ink Reviews.

Maruman Utöka Pocket Notebook Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

My philosophy when it comes to notebooks is that there's always room for one more. This philosophy is in direct conflict the lack of adequate storage for the notebooks or enough time to fill them all. But, for better or worse, the philosophy of never turning down a new notebook always wins.

The Maruman Utöka Pocket notebook is the latest notebook to find a home in my collection. This is a small spiral-bound notebook with 80 sheets of 4mm graph paper, and 10 sheets of lined "list" paper at the back. All 90 sheets are perforated, making them easy and clean to tear out. And, these sheets are made of 70gsm paper that works really well with all types of writing instruments. Fun fact about the name: Utöka means "expand" or "extend" in Swedish.

Despite this notebook looking like a top-bound steno-style book, it's laid out to be used with the binding on the side. In practice, it's like using a standard A5 notebook that's been sliced in half. I actually like having the extra horizontal space instead of the typical vertical space you get with most notebook orientations.

Since "pocket" is part of the name for this notebook, you might assume that it can fit in something like, say, a pocket, but you'd be wrong! It is a small notebook, but there aren't many pockets that will hold it. At a total size of 107 x 163mm (4.2 x 6.4 inches), it's very portable, but not pocketable. For most people, a pocket notebook is something around 3.5 x 5.5 inches. It's just barely too big to work well with pockets.

The usable sheet dimensions are close the A6 size (105 x 148mm) at 107 x 142mm, meaning there's plenty of space to let your ideas and sketches breathe. The 4mm grid also provides lots of structure while also disappearing if you want to freeform.

Maruman paper is always a delight to use, but most of my experience with their paper is in their Mnemosyne line. With the Utöka notebook, they use a little lighter paper, but it still performs well. It's done great with all the pens and inks I've thrown at it. There's a small amount of show-through when using some inks, but it's not enough to make the back of the page unusable. There's no feathering or bleeding or other weird ink behaviors to speak of. It's a consistent paper that works really well.

The covers of this notebook are a sturdy cardstock material with a glossy coating on the exterior faces. The covers should stand up to minor wear and tear, but I'd expect to see plenty of bends and deterioration with lots of use. Likewise, the double-wire binding is really sturdy, and I love that they've colored the wire a nice gray to complement the color of the cover.

At $7.75, the Maruman Utöka Pocket notebook is a good value. It's perfect for jotting down notes, sketching out ideas, and throwing into a bag to carry along. While it's not a true pocket notebook, it's still very portable and up to the challenge of being a notebook you carry frequently. Plus, if the yellow isn't quite your thing, there are four other accent colors available! You can pick from yellow, red, navy, light green, and light blue.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on January 15, 2025 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Maruman, Notebook Reviews.

Wearingeul Sedna Ink Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

It's not often that I come across products that are inspired by mythology, and even less often that the mythology in question is Inuit. With Wearingeul's Sedna ink, that's exactly what inspired this dusky blue ink. Sedna is actually the Inuit goddess of the sea and marine animals, so this cold blue fits perfectly with the choppy, cold seas of the north.

I've had the privilege of using several Wearingeul inks in the past, and I've always been impressed by their behavior and colors. The South Korean ink maker does a fantastic job, and I'm always excited to try new inks.

Sedna is part of the World Myth Collection, which draws inspiration from several mythical and religious deities from around the world. With Sedna, I'm really happy that it prompted a research session to learn about the background of the name choice and the Inuit culture and beliefs. And taking notes with a namesake ink feels appropriate in this case.

Sedna is a medium blue with a cool tone and dusty gray undertones. It definitely reminds me of the cold sea, but it simultaneously reminds me of my favorite pair of worn-in denim jeans. It's a cozy color that also manages to impart some mystique due to the unique color and slight shading.

Aside from the slight shading, this ink is a pretty normal performer. It dries in about 30 seconds in most cases, though it can take longer when using it with a wet nib and coated paper. In my swatch samples, I was able to detect a small amount of dark green/red sheening on the surface, but this only happened when I was heaping ink onto the same place on the page. I wouldn't expect to ever see the sheening effect in practice.

Normally, I lean pretty hard toward the lighter, brighter hues of blue ink — or in the opposite direction to darker, moodier blue-blacks. With this middle-of-the-road shade, I've been surprisingly picking it up more often than not over my other pens just because the unique shade of blue makes me happy for some reason. Just like how I can get rid of that old pair of jeans because I still like how they feel.

If you'd like to pick up a bottle of this ink, you can purchase a 30ml bottle for $22 from Vanness. And, I'd recommend checking out the other World Myth inks in the collection. With Wearingeul, it's safe to assume that you'll get a great ink, so it's just a matter of choosing the colors that speak to you.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!