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Perle Noir, Herbin

Perle Noir is one of the most recommended and well reviewed black inks out there. When I bought this ink a few years ago, I was disappointed. It is not the blackest, not the smoothest, not the fastest drying ink, not an archival ink, not the cheapest.  I decided to give it a second chance so I eyedropped a Preppy with it and filled a Lamy All-star. Over the past few days I have written many pages of work notes with the ink. Perle Noir is a well behaving black ink that is sold at a reasonable price, but it doesn't excel in anything. Below some writing samples, followed by drying times and test in water resistance. Drying times are about average to slow, 45 secs with a broad nib on Tomoe River 52g paper. The ink is certainly not water resistant, but it can handle an accidental drop.   The full characteristics: Feathering none Shading hardly any Show through negligible  ...

Crimson, by Diamine


Mid September, the last week of summer. Autumn is already sending its rain; a colorful season is ahead. Red inks fit autumn perfectly in my opinion. I love Diamine Oxblood and P.W. Akkerman's Stone red and assumed this Crimson ink would be a nice addition to my collection of reds. I was not mistaken. 

Crimson is a very nice, beautiful color. Red of course, but subtle and elegant. Not a red for graders and correctors. It's no problem to use this for note taking in the office or for any personal correspondence and writing you want to do. The ink is pleasant for the eyes and remains so even when reading long notes or letters.

Diamine makes great, wonderful value for money inks. No feathering, negligible show-through, wet but not too wet, well lubricated and high, beautiful shading. Drying times were surprisingly fast, roughly 18 seconds. The ink doesn't like water, spilled fluids ruin your writing rapidly and thoroughly. 

Crimson is a dark red color with a hint of brown. Not as much as Oxblood though, Crimson is far more red. Compared to Akkerman's stone red, Crimson is darker and more red too. Momiji (Iroshizuku) and Ruby (Lamy) are no comparison; these colors are a much lighter and brighter red.

To conclude, Crimson is a beautiful dark red, highly recommended if you're looking for something a bit more red than Oxblood. 


Written on Original Crown Mill Vellum paper

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