Van Dieman's Styx Valley Forest Green Ink Review

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

As summer is in full swing, I like to match some of the colors that I see outside. I also do the same thing during the winter, except my ink colors are the colors from outside that I miss seeing. At least I can enjoy this ink from the indoors where it's cool and not muggy. The latest ink I've been sporting indoors is the Styx Valley Forest Green from Van Dieman's.

Named after the Styx River Valley in Tasmania, this forest green does a great job of representing the source material.

Image Source: Wikipedia

Image Source: Australian Traveller

I've always had a soft spot for medium and dark green inks, but they just don't get the love they deserve because I'm such a sucker for more vibrant colors. A well-done dark ink can be just as satisfying to use for me — I just have to remember to use them even when my impulse always goes for the bright colors. I'd like to keep Styx Valley Forest Green in my rotation for quite a while because I'm just in love with the dark green hue and the moderate amount of shading that it lets through.

The amount of shading here isn't awe-inspiring, but it does provide some subtle shifts between a few dark and medium greens that makes me think of tall trees bending in a breeze. There's depth to the colors of a forest if you're looking at it as a whole instead of a single tree or branch. This ink, for me anyway, reminds me to slow down and take a breath. Life is short, but that's no excuse to rush through it. Appreciate the unique colors and senses.

Everything else about this ink is fairly standard. The flow is fantastic. I've never had a hard start or any skipping when using this ink, and that's not as easy to accomplish as you might think. It flows onto the page smoothly and leaves behind crisp lines. I haven't noticed any bleeding or feathering, regardless of what type of paper I'm using.

One thing that is worth calling out as a negative is the dry time. I'm not sure I've ever used a green ink that's been fast-drying, and this one is no exception. With this large 1.5mm stub nib, the drying times can be a little longer, but not by much in my experience. The ink is normally dry by the 30-second mark, but every now and then a large blob will take longer to dry. Just keep that in mind if your grip follows the ink or if you intend to jot down quick notes and close your notebook immediately after. This isn't a good ink for that because you'll end up with lots of smudges and little spots on the opposite page.

Cleaning out this ink is just what I'd expect — easy. There's not much more to say about that. The ink washes out easily without any fuss.

Van Dieman's Styx Valley Forest Green goes for about $13 for a 30ml bottle, which is a great price for the quality of ink you're getting. If you're not sure you want to commit to the whole bottle, you can always go for a 4ml sample for a few bucks. If you like green inks (or just need some cheer in your life!), try out Styx Valley in your next purchase.

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

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Sailor Manyo Haha 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!)

Sailor Manyo Haha is an ink that whispers on the page. The dual-shading tone is incredibly lovely and a fine example of the ink wizardry that Sailor does so well. The faint tone won't be for everyone and it definitely works better in broader nibs that show off its character. But for all its lightness, it's an extremely expressive color.

The Manyo line celebrates the colors of plants and flowers of Japan. This ink is named for the Haha flower, and it suits the beautiful blooms very well. It's a pale blue-teal that dual shades to purple and green, and the chromatography shows its complexity. It goes from sky blue to violet to soft purple to emerald to a pale yellow. The purple tone is very visible in the ink's shading, even in plain writing, and the green can be seen where it pools. The effect is hypnotizing as you write. I'm kind of obsessed. The color is definitely a cousin of the Sailor Ink Studios 123, which is a pale purple with teal hints--the inverse of this one. I love them both.

This ink flows well and feels nicely lubricated, and also has a very reasonable dry time. There was barely any smudge at 15 seconds and it was totally dry by 20. It has no water resistance at all, and disappeared altogether at the slightest hint of a drop.

It does not have any shimmer or sheen, but either of those effects would interfere with the elegant shading already in play. Even where the other colors don't show, the blue itself shades nicely.

The ink comes in a cube-shaped blown glass bottle, which is much more convenient for filling than the squat Sailor ink pots. It feels substantial and looks great. It's a 50ml bottle also, which is a nice change from the itty bitty Sailor Studio bottles. Best of all, it's only $24 at JetPens, which is a surprisingly great price for a Sailor ink, especially a big bottle of one this snazzy.

I'm clearly a fan, though I know this color might be hard for some to see on the page. I don't think I could read it in low light, myself. But in good lighting it's visible enough to be a practical blue with a lot of fun character. It even makes writing a grocery list fun and interesting.

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

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Van Dieman's Midnight Series Bonfire Night Ink Review

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

After a long stretch of not trying any shimmer inks, I've now settled into a pretty extensive phase of almost exclusive shimmer ink usage. 80% of the ~ 6 pens that I have inked right now have some sort of shimmer ink in them. I don't think this will last forever, but it is certainly a fun detour from the normal inks I have in pens most of the time.

The latest shimmer ink on my desk is also from Van Dieman's Midnight Series. This series is made up of eight inks that are inspired from the "dark and sombre hues that come out when the sun has gone away." Bonfire Night is not one that I'd describe as a dark and sombre ink, though. This vibrant red ink is exactly what you expect when you're congregated around a large bonfire in the pitch-black night. It's bright and captivating as the sparks dance and the flames lick at the low sky. This ink does a great job of capturing the dancing flames due to the subtle silver shimmer that hangs out on top of the punchy red/orange ink.

Like other Van Dieman's inks I've tried recently, this is one is well-behaved. It's a well-lubricated ink that dries within 20 seconds most of the time. I noticed that it did manage to bleed through a bit on Rhodia paper when I did an ink swab, but that's an edge case that most people aren't doing often. For normal writing with fountain pens, there's no bleed or feathering. The color stays vibrant and the shimmer does a great job at dispersing evenly as you write. With normal writing, the shimmer effect is much more subtle. If you look closely, you can see it very clearly in a line, but it's the random few bits that catch the light just right that draw your attention in. It's sparkly and delightful — brings a smile to my face every time.

In places where the ink pools, the shimmer stays on top of the ink to create a magical pearlescent sheen once everything has dried. It's really difficult to catch with a photo because of how reflective it is. The shimmer is really good its job: reflecting light.

This is certainly a red ink, but it does have shades or orange in it. Plus, the silver shimmer on top of the ink adds to the orange hues. The small amount of shading that does show through is a great comparison to the red and orange colors seen in a flame.

Washing out this ink is incredibly easy. I was worried about it being difficult due to how shimmery it is when writing, but it was no trouble at all when it was time to clean up. The ink washed out easily and I was done flushing it in less than a minute. As far as inks go, it behaves with the best!

It's not in stock currently, but when it's back in stock you can pick some up for the very reasonable price of $14.95 for 30ml. Of course, you can always pick up a small 4ml sample if you just want to try it out first.

Van Dieman's Bonfire Night is a bright and shimmery ink that really caught my fancy. It doesn't look like much in the bottle — I was worried it would be too thin and unsaturated. But after inking it up and using it for a while, I'm completely sold. It's such a vibrant and pleasing ink due to the warm red and orange tones paired with the silver shimmer that lays on top. Whether or not this shimmer ink phase sticks, this ink will stay in my collection just the amount of enjoyment I get from it.

(Vanness Pens 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, for which I am very grateful.

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