Pelikan Edelstein Apatite Ink Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

Pelikan's gemstone ink of the year is a light turquoise color called Apatite. Compared to past blue-green shades, it's lighter than Aquamarine and bluer than Jade. It's a lovely shade that will no doubt delight fans of the blue-green ink family.

Chromatography on this ink shows a basic cyan base color with a splash of bright green mixed in, which gives it a cooler aqua undertone. Think 1990s swimming pool. It shows some shading in print writing, but almost none in cursive writing. It does not have any sheen. Overall, it's an unfussy color. It's dark enough to read on the page without too much trouble, but it's too pale and fun to pass as a businessy color.

The closest color match I found was Colorverse Eagle, part of the Apollo 11 series, which has the same cooler blue undertone. They're not quite twins, but so close that they'd be difficult to tell apart in writing. Other colors in my swab collection all skew much greener.

I would consider this a dry ink. It flows well in the pen, but writing with it has a dryer feel, and the ink on the page dries completely in 20 seconds. This would make a good ink for lefties, or for writing quick notes where you want to turn the page or close the book as soon as possible.

There's no water resistance to the ink. There's no trace of a line left even when a water drop is quickly and carefully removed with blotting. When water is wiped away, it erases the ink completely.

The gemstone line comes in a 50ml glass bottle that sells for around $28, which is a fair price for a bottle of this size. The bottles are steady and easy to fill from, with wide mouths and a solid base, so there's little risk of spilling and even big pens can be easily filled.

I'm a big fan of the gemstone inks from Pelikan, and while this shade isn't my favorite from this line, its swimming pool summer vibes will be much needed in the winter months to come.

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

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Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite Fountain Pen Ink Review

Image via JetPens

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

Pelikan Edelstein inks have always gotten positive thumbs up from me when I've used them in the past, and that makes me want to keep trying the colors that I haven't yet tried. The next ink on that list was Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite.

The Edelstein line is made up of ink colors that are meant to match a corresponding jewel or gem for which they're named. In the case of Tanzanite, you end up with a beautiful rusty purple that dries with a touch of blue. The tanzanite gemstone, like most gems and jewels, come in a variety of similar colors, and the Tanzanite ink color looks like the color of a raw tanzanite mineral to my eyes. So, since the gem is in the blue/violet category, so is this ink!

Like every other Edelstein ink I've used, this one flows well and works great in every pen I throw it in. The Tanzanite is no different. I haven't dealt with any slow starts, skipping, or globbing with this ink in the 3 pens I've used it in so far. And, like the other Edelsteins, it cleans out easily when it's time to switch out inks.

The two main features that strike me with this particular ink are the color and the amount of shading. First, the color is beautiful. It's a gray purple with hints of blue, and you can also detect some red-purple sheen in the right light. This variance of character is what I love about this particular ink. It adds interest to the page, and it delights the writer and reader. It actually reminds me a lot of KWZ Gummiberry Iron Gall. It's a great color, and even if you aren't the biggest purple/violet ink fan, I'm sure it could put a smile on your face.

Then, there's the shading. Oh my, can this ink shade. The ink stays fairly dark, but I love the amount of dark depth that you see at the end of a downstroke with this ink. And, the lighter strokes bring out the more playful notes of the tanzanite color. It's my belief (and maybe Pelikan did this on purpose) that the Edelstein inks must have good shading properties in order to properly represent the gemstones and jewels they're named after. Jewels aren't precisely one color — they have several different shades due to the cut and the way light bounces through it. To me, this is the signature attribute of the Edelstein line, and Tanzanite does a great job of reinforcing that belief.

In summary, the Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite is another great option in the Edelstein line-up that exhibits wonderful shading characteristics. It's a rich gray-purple that can pass for office use while still providing a lot of delight. I highly recommend checking this out if you have a chance. If you're already a fan of purple inks, you'll love it, but I imagine that this is an ink that anyone can appreciate if given the chance.

You can pick up a 50 ml bottle from JetPens for about $30, or you can grab a sample from Anderson Pens if you're not sure you want the big bottle up front. If cartridges are your thing, you can also find a 6-pack from any of the retailers mentioned above for less than $10.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, which I am very grateful for.

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

Pelikan Classic Series P205 Cartridge Fill Review

Image via Goldspot.com

The best way to get someone interested in fountain pens is to make it as easy for them as possible. And give them a nice pen. The Pelikan Classic Series P205 accomplishes both of those things.

It’s widely known how much I enjoy my piston filling Pelikan Traditional M205, and the new P205 is practically a carbon copy, minus the piston filler of course. As I alluded to earlier, this is a matter of convenience, and the P205 pulls it off without a hitch. Did you expect anything less from Pelikan?

Let’s start with the barrel design. It is Pelikan through and through. While their designs aren’t flashy, they are recognizable. The sleek, simple design is German engineering at its finest. The Pelikan beak clip is a standout, and the logo on the cap is a timeless tradition. Everything related to the build quality of this pen, and any Pelikan for that matter, is spot on.

From top to bottom: Pelikan M405, M205, P205

That translates to the nib as well. I went with a broad nib for something different and it is as clean and smooth as one would expect. I’m turning the corner on wider nibs too, as they allow for an ink expressiveness that you don’t get in extra fine nibs. The steel Pelikan broad nib is a prime example.

The cartridge filling system in the P205 (P is short for Patrone, the German word for cartridge) is the selling point of this pen. Many will ask why they should forego what is deemed as a superior filling system in the piston filler, and it all comes down to convenience. Fountain pen users, even experienced ones, sometimes want to pop in an ink cartridge and go. The P205 allows you to do just that, and in a beautiful barrel to boot.

But let’s be clear about one thing: Pelikan is no fool. They introduced this pen in conjunction with their new high-end Edelstein ink cartridge line. And I say good for them, because Edelstein inks are some of my favorites. The written review uses the Sapphire Blue cartridge, a bright blue that pops off the page, and I have enjoyed using Tanzanite and Topaz cartridges as well. All are top notch. They use the international sizing standard too, so other compatible cartridges and converters fit as well.

Pelikan is a premium brand. While there may be pens that offer more for less, there are few brands that can match the form, feel, consistency, and quality of a Pelikan. This is one of those pens that when it is in your hand you can feel the difference between it and other brands. The P205 and Edelstein ink cartridges are great additions to the product line and I look forward to years of use with this pen.

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