Pensane

Thanks to the November 2022 Ink Flight subscription box… I’m in love with Octopus Fluids fountain pen inks. Of the seven ink samples in the box, I really liked six, and ended up ordering five from Amazon Germany. (I wanted to order directly from Octopus Fluids, but I would have paid more for shipping than for the ink. Amazon can ship to the US for $16 versus Octopus Fluids charging $46. Amazon ain’t so bad.)

Though I was pleased with how the video above illustrates the inks, you can’t beat an ultra-closeup with a macro lens. These closeups made me fall in love with the inks all over again. There’s a lot more going on than at first glance. Wow! Just wow!

These are just a few of my favorites:

Weinrot, to the naked eye, appeared to simply be maroon with some red shading. But is that some gold sheen we’re seeing?

In the video, I describe Aubergine as “deep purple,” but I didn’t catch the wonderful green sheen halo.

Though Orange didn’t reveal anything mind-blowing upon closer inspection, we do get a good look at the shading from a light orange to an orange-red. Love it.

The paper here, as mentioned in the video, is a CVS Caliber notebook, with paper made in Vietnam. (The Caliber paper made in the USA, such as the plain white scratch pad, is not fountain pen friendly. Before buying, make sure it says “Made in Vietnam.”)