A little while back Peter from Berlin Notebook contacted me and asked if I would like to try out some inks; and having something of an addiction to ink, I happily said yes.
Then about two weeks later a box about the size of a hardback book arrived this was somewhat larger than I had anticipated for the ink samples I was expecting (around 5ml).
Imagine my surprise when I finally got the box open and found that Peter had very generously sent me two full size 30ml bottles; a bottle of No.3 Green and a bottle of No. 6 Fox.
(It’s worth mentioning, if you are thinking of placing an order, that the packaging Peter uses is robust to say the least, so you can be confident that your order will survive the rigours of shipping.)
Having previously tried Berlin Notebook inks and been very impressed with them especially No.1 Blue, I was very keen to try out the new colours.
To start with both of the inks are produced to Peter’s exacting standards which means you are buying a high quality ink for a very reasonable price; the inks come in 30ml bottles in a plain card box with a simple sticker on it telling you which ink it is.
The inks were tested on Muji Planting Tree’s paper (an FP friendly paper) using both a dip pen and a regular pen and the results were equally good
No.3 Green
This is a deep green ink that reminds me of evergreen plants like Holly and Ivy.
First, I did the Q-Tip swatch test and this shows what an even colour it is and when layered up in the stripe test it produces an even darker green and at three passes it’s nearly black.
When I did the text test, I was able to experience how smoothly the ink flows and try as I might I nothing I could do impeded the steady flow of ink that produced a very nice dark green text with no sheen or shading.
As for drying time at room temperature, because this ink, I think, leans towards being medium wet it did take a little longer but nothing that gave me any cause for concern.
To give you a point of reference, I have stacked it with Montblanc’s Irish Green (below) and this, I think, helps to demonstrate what a deep green it is.
Whilst this may not be an ink for every workplace it is certainly is an ink for every day and one that should be in your collection.
I also think it is an ink for artistic use; it’s an ideal green to use as a base colour all year around from the leaves on summer roses to winter evergreens this is a very flexible colour.
No.6 Fox
This is an ink that lives up to its description; it really is the colour of the average fox. It really is a delightful orange/brown; perfect as a seasonal ink for Autumn and for writing in and/or decorating Hallowe’en cards because as well as being a perfect colour match for a fox it is also an excellent match for Autumn leaves and gingerbread.
As with No.3 Green this ink performed very well in the text test flowing evenly and producing consistent text and again, when I tried, I could not cause the pen to skip or hard start.
The Q-Tip test produced an even albeit lighter colour when used to produce a swatch but when stacked up as stripes three passes with the Q-Tip took it from a light orange/brown to a nice gingerbread colour and as with No.3 there was no sheen/shading.
Whilst it didn’t seem to be a drier ink than the green, when tested at room temperature, it only took less time to dry.
Just as a point of reference, I have stacked it with Montblanc’s Toffee Brown, above, and this, I think, helps to highlight the colour.
This is one of those inks to keep for those days when you want to write with a warm friendly colour that is just different from your everyday inks; it’s the colour for when you want to jot down notes over a cup of coffee with a slice of sticky ginger cake.
Conclusion
In conclusion are these inks worth your pennies?
Definitely.
They are both wonderful inks that have performed well and I am very happy to recommend them to you; and if you want to try out other colours from Peter’s range, I suggest a visit to Berlin Notebook and while you are there add a bottle of Blue No.1 to your shopping basket.
And finally, my thanks to Peter for giving me his inks and trusting me to review them.
Disclaimer: The inks were kindly provided by Peter of Berlin Notebook, at no cost, for review purposes. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
The Indian Marmalade Company 