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Améthyste de l'Oural, Herbin 1798


Améthyste de l'Oural, a bright purple with silver particles in the Herbin 1798 range. And yes, this silver turned out to be a bit allergic to the scan, but it is definitely visible on paper. It's bright, beautiful, too bright for an office setting in my opinion. Even though I really like this color, using it for work notes started to annoy me within the hour. It's much more suitable for personal communication or writing. 

Not surprisingly, this ink is very well-behaved, a bit wet but never too much. No feathering, hardly any show through and well lubricated. Shimmer is visible with wetter and broader nibs. Water resistance is poor, a little drop won't wash away your writing immediately, but you won't send that letter anymore. Drying time was OK, almost 40 seconds on Rhodia paper. Shading is amazing, very beautiful. 

Comparing the ink to other colors brought some surprises. It really is a distinctive color. Montblanc's insidious Lavender Purple is a lot more red, Larme de Cassis (Herbin) is lighter. And, Murasaki Shikibu (Iroshizuku) is a lot more blue. I don't have a color that comes close.

I will definitely use this ink more... but not in the office. 

Paper used is Rhodia No. 19 notepad, ivory

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