CalligraphInk 1.2 stub, a cheap pen that performs well

Last week, I went to the local art supplies store, looking for some craft stuff. While there, I looked around and I saw something interesting on a shelf : a box marked CaligraphInk Fountain Pens.

CalligraphInk? I didn’t know the brand. I took one pen, it had a 1.2 stub nib, it didn’t look too [i]cheapy[/i] and it only cost 8€. Of course, I bought one! :)

At home, I loaded it with Noodler’s Polar Black and I passed to the test. I expected it to perform poorly, unremarkably at best… I was wrong!

It’s a nice pen, it glides on paper leaving a beautiful wet trait of ink, effortlessly.

The pen is cheap, solidly built and it writes great, so now I’m keeping it in my pocket as my EDC stub pen (I don’t want to put more expensive pens in my pocket).

Pen Review - CalligraphInk 1.2 stub

I’ve also posted this review on Fountain Pen Network.

Pharmacist’s Oriens-Occidens iron gall ink

As you maybe know, I’m a fan of Pharmacist’s Iron Gall ink, so when I saw he was experimenting with non blue-black i-g ink, I was hooked. The wait seemed long, but two weeks ago Pharmacist announced that tha ink was ready, and last week I received a parcel from Belgium.

Inside, three bottles of ink : Terra Incinerata (green -> dark green), this Oriens-Occidens (orange -> brown) and the standard Document ink (blue -> blue-black).

I love Terra Incinerata, but an orange-brown i-g ink was too tempting not to try it, so I inked my home-ground Waterman Kultur with Oriens-Occidens to test it first. And here you have the review :

Ink review - Pharmacist's Oriens-Occidens iron gall ink

Water resistance : it’s an iron gall ink, so it resist water! The bottom of the review has been submerged in water for 1 minute. Orange dye has completely disappeared, but the brown iron-gall is fully visible, and readable!

Ink review - Pharmacist's Oriens-Occidens iron gall ink

A wonderful ink, with all the properties I like in iron gall inks, but in a new and nice color. Great work, Pharmacist!

Review posted on Fountain Pen Network