Pennonia Tihanyi Lila Ink Review

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

Purple inks have always been a favorite of mine, and I'm always excited to try out new and interesting shades. The latest purple ink I've been playing with lately is from a Hungarian maker: Pennonia. Tihanyi Lila is an understated and somewhat dusty purple that I just can't get enough of.

One of my all-time favorite purple inks is KWZ Gummiberry because it's rich, bright, and explosive. It's a vibrant purple that pops off the page and demands your attention, and it makes me smile every time I see it. Tihanyi Lila is way more subdued, but just as beautiful and enjoyable. It's the more pale tone that really speaks to me and possibly the in-between blue/gray hints that really intrigue me. It's unique in that way, and I guess that's why I can't put it down.

This is definitely the most gray-toned purple I've ever used, and I really don't have much to compare it against. It really looks to me like a gray ink that someone added just enough purple to in order to shift the balance just the slightest bit toward the purple spectrum. It's pale and a little pastel, seems thin in places, but rich in the thicker parts where the ink pools. The shading is what sets this ink apart and makes it so interesting. If it didn't have the shading aspects, it would be a fairly dull ink.

And while it doesn't have an intense amount of shading, it's just enough to add the right amount of character to transform this ink into something more than the base tone. According to the marketing information, this ink color is inspired by the lavender fields that are found near the town of Tihany in Hungary. The purple tone in this ink really does a great job of capturing the organic nature of a field of lavender waving gently in the wind. It's a beautiful characterization.

Getting on to how it performs as an ink, Tihanyi Lila hits all the usual goals without any trouble. It's a smooth and well-lubricated ink that flows easily and works well in all the pens I've tried so far. It washes out easily and doesn't dry up in the nib or feed in between uses.

The dry time can be a little long depending on the nib. Smaller nibs like EF or F aren't a big deal — the ink is normally dry after 10 - 15 seconds. In the 1.1mm stub I used for the review pictures, it took between 20 and 30 seconds to dry. Once the ink is dry, though, it's water resistant. Not archival quality, but pretty close.

If you're interested in picking up a bottle, they come in at $13 for a generous 50ml bottle, and just a few bucks for a small sample. The bottle isn't anything special, but I was extremely thankful for the large mouth. I wish all ink bottles had wide openings like this one — makes it so easy to fill!

Overall, I've really enjoyed using this ink. It's not flamboyant, but that's okay. It's beautiful for what it is, and I just keep coming back to it. Not all inks need to be bright and loud. I like those too, but the subtle inks hit a different spot for me. Pennonia Tihanyi Lila is a lovely purple ink that you should definitely try.

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

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Birmingham Pen Co. Eroded Bronze Ink Review

“Brad, if you start with one ink from Birmingham Pen Co., make it Eroded Bronze.”

This was the advice I was given when I was shopping for my first batch of Birmingham Inks. I heeded that advice, right up until I gave my first bottle of Eroded Bronze away. If you have ever joined me on Twitch, that’s how I roll. Get a bunch of new stuff in to test, give some of it away to viewers. I’m glad to do it!

I had plenty of other Birmingham Inks to choose from anyway, like another classic BPC ink, Antique Sepia. But I was anxious to get Eroded Bronze back in hand, which I did on a recent order. And this time, when all of the inks came in, I held that one back for myself!

Eroded Bronze is a blue grey - I think. That’s what I like about it. That’s what I like about a lot of Birmingham inks, in fact. The colors have some complexity to them. Ink swabs of Eroded Bronze not only show blues and greys, but purple, pink, and green. It’s wild and strange, in the best way possible.

What ink swabs show don’t always translate to the line from the nib, and that was my expectation with this ink. It is a fantastic writing blue ink with character, even coming from this extra fine steel nib in my Diplomat Aero. The wider and wetter the nib choice, the more difference in color you will see on the page.

Eroded Bronze is part of the Crisp formula group, meaning this ink is designed to be a good all-around writing ink, which works well on a wide variety of paper types. I’ve tried it on three or four types of paper so far, and it writes wonderfully, with no featuring or bleeding. If anything, it leans to the drier side of the spectrum, which is in line with the formulation, and hence the performance.

I’m enjoying what I’m using from Birmingham Pen Co. so far. I’m two-for-two on keeper Crisp formula shades, so next time, I’ll branch out into one of the other ink formulations to see if the quality continues.

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

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Van Dieman's Bass Strait Cobalt Blue 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 I'm finding with all the Van Dieman's inks I've been testing recently, each ink brings along its own delightful research journey into a landscape or feature of Australia that I'd previously never stumbled upon. With this latest ink, I discovered that there is a name for the body of water that separates Tasmania from the mainland Australia (of course there is), and that it's called Bass Strait. It's commonly used as a shorter path between the Tasman Sea and Great Australian Bight, as opposed to going all the way around the southern point of Tasmania. Apparently, these waters can become treacherous in the right conditions, which is why the marketing copy for this ink includes some stormy undertones. I relate very closely to how this color blue reminds you of a deep body of water. It's beautiful and peaceful, but also dark and mysterious. In certain light and conditions, it can be frightening because of the unknown. With Bass Strait Cobalt Blue, the line between beauty and danger hiding beneath the surface is perfectly balanced.

I've really been enjoying testing all these inks from Van Dieman's because they're so well-behaved and easy to easy. On top of that, they're really unique colors with interesting background stories to go with them. With Bass Strait, you get a rich cobalt blue that shades between medium and dark blue, and you can even spy some purple in some areas. This depth and variation is what gives the ink its personality, and what really connects it to the name. With these Van Dieman's inks, I've found that you just have to sit back and enjoy the colors and unique ink properties — no need to worry about skipping or starting issues, clotting, or clean-up problems.

Bass Strait flows smoothly and hasn't had any issues starting or skipping, and I also haven't noticed any feathering or bleeding while using it. While your experience will certainly vary depending on what nib and paper combo you're using, this ink is exceptional in terms of performance and reliability.

My favorite thing about this ink, like so many others, is the shading properties. It's always a dark, rich blue, but there's just enough variation in the strokes to make it incredibly interesting. It doesn't matter if you're using a wide nib like I am in this sample or if you're using a small nib — the shading comes through. And if you're lucky, you'll get a glimpse of that purple hiding in the depths of the ink waiting for the right conditions to surface.

If you're looking for an ink that dries fast, this one won't win any awards. It routinely took about 20-25 seconds to dry completely, but it's currently incredibly humid where I live, and I assume that adds a couple seconds to the dry time. Definitely keep this in mind if you're a left-handed writer or want to use this ink in a fast-paced setting (like jotting a note in a notebook and closing it immediately).

While there are so many cobalt and cerulean inks (and I own so many of them), this one still speaks to me as an individual and unique entry that deserves some attention. If you already have 50 cobalt inks, you probably don't need another. But if you're looking for a lovely blue with great qualities and an interesting inspiration, definitely give Bass Strait a look.

You can purchase Bass Strait in a 30ml bottle or a 4ml sample vial. At just $12.95 for a bottle, you aren't risking much for what is a guaranteed excellent ink experience.

(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!