Ink Of The Month – August ’19 – Octopus Inks Mango vs Troublemaker Inks Mango

This month I decided to do something different. A while ago I reviewed Mango by Troublemaker Inks, which I liked a lot, and then just recently a version of Mango was added to the Octopus Inks range so I couldn’t resist finding out how this one compares.

As with all Octopus Inks it is good quality and well behaved and can be sourced at very reasonable prices. If like me (and you’re in the EU) and you want to order quite a lot either for yourself or a group buy it is cheaper to order direct from Octopus however, if you only want an odd bottle Amazon is probably your best bet until Fountainfeder.eu start stocking it. Bye the way these are the guys to go to if you want the Germany exclusive inks such as Diamine Skulls & Roses; they have an excellent range; their service is top notch and the shipping is insanely good value.

Anyway, back to the Mango’s.

How do they stack up?

Well the Troublemaker Inks Mango is pretty much a perfect match for a slice of mango being an orangey yellow ink whilst Octopus have gone for a more golden yellow. In my experience both inks dried a little darker than when they were wet but that can sometimes be an advantage when you are working with lighter colours.

Which would I recommend? 

If you load a pen with each one the Troublemaker Mango will give you an easier to read result; whereas, the Octopus Mango is a little too light an ink for everyday use. Having said that I do think it is a wonderful colour for artwork and decorating Christmas/birthday cards et cetera.

So, for now the winner is Troublemaker.

Disclaimer: The ink was purchased with my own funds at retail price. The opinions expressed in this review are my own; and I am not connected with either the retailers or manufacturers in any way.