Category: Handwriting

About this ink: Yoseka Ceramics x Ink Institute Qing Purple

Posted on by Lee S

This ink is exclusive to Yoseka Stationery in Brooklyn and made by a Taiwanese company, Ink Institute. They were originally best known for their custom-order inks, and you can still order those by providing an RGB value if you’re willing to pay for shipping from Taiwan. The price for Qing Purple is $20 USD for 30ml. Yoseka will also sell you samples if they’re in stock. I bought a sample when I visited in-store.

I noted when I tried the ink at Yoseka that it seemed muted and dusky, not usually my thing but worth trying. I didn’t get the green sheen displayed on their site in writing. It’s a very dark purple, and I don’t think I’ve tried anything quite like it. The undertones are grayer on some paper, and warmer on others. The closest inks I’ve tried are shimmer inks:

  • Diamine Deck the Halls
  • Diamine Mystique

Here are writing samples with a Leonardo Momento Zero M nib.

Writing sample of Yoseka Ceramics x Ink Institute Qing Purple with a Leonardo Momento Zero M on Clairefontaine Triomphe
Clairefontaine Triomphe
Writing sample of Yoseka Ceramics x Ink Institute Qing Purple with a Leonardo Momento Zero M on Maruman Loose Leaf
Maruman Loose Leaf

If you zoom in, you’ll notice the lines aren’t crisp/filled.

Writing sample of Yoseka Ceramics x Ink Institute Qing Purple with a Leonardo Momento Zero M on Kokuyo Loose Leaf
Kokuyo Loose Leaf

Iroful paper really brings out the richness of the color.

Writing sample of Yoseka Ceramics x Ink Institute Qing Purple with a Leonardo Momento Zero M on Iroful
Sakae TP Iroful
Writing sample of Yoseka Ceramics x Ink Institute Qing Purple with a Leonardo Momento Zero M on Cosmo Air Light
Cosmo Air Light

The ink is definitely eggplant-colored but less saturated than I prefer. The smear comes from disturbing the paper about five seconds after I wrote the sample. Otherwise, it’s average flow and doesn’t feather or bleed. Dry time is faster than I expected. I don’t think I need a full bottle, but it was fun to play with!

About this ink: Kala Sweet Potato Balls

Posted on by Lee S

Kala are a Taiwanese ink brand, best known for their water-resistant pigmented Nostalgia. Sweet Potato Balls is a standard dye-based fountain pen ink from their Island No. 38 line. In Taiwan it’s about $8USD/30ml, in the US it’s $21. I assume it’s more expensive in Europe/South America. I bought this ink almost four years ago from JetPens, when a bottle was $13.

Sweet Potato Balls is a shading orange, slightly muted and unsaturated. Similar inks I’ve tried include

  • Lamy Bronze

Here are samples with a Benu Euphoria B on these papers:

Writing sample of Kala Ink Sweet Potato Balls with a Benu Euphoria B on Clairefontaine Triomphe
Clairefontaine Triomphe
Writing sample of Kala Ink Sweet Potato Balls with a Benu Euphoria B on Maruman loose leaf
Maruman loose leaf
Writing sample of Kala Ink Sweet Potato Balls with a Benu Euphoria B on Kokuyo Campus loose leaf
Kokuyo Campus loose leaf
Writing sample of Kala Ink Sweet Potato Balls with a Benu Euphoria B on Iroful paper
Sakae TP Iroful
Writing sample of Kala Ink Sweet Potato Balls with a Benu Euphoria B on Cosmo Air Light
Cosmo Air Light

This ink is on the dryer side and shades very well. It does feather a bit on some paper, and the cost has gone up significantly, so I don’t think I’ll be re-purchasing it.

About this ink: Tom’s Studio Juniper

Posted on by Lee S

Tom’s Studio is a relatively new British stationery brand. I am almost certain their inks are made by Diamine, as the ink bottles for Tom’s Studio are the same as for Diamine Shimmertastics. Tom’s Studio inks currently retail for $20/50ml bottle in the US. I assume they are cheaper in the UK/Europe, but I can’t currently find that price. I bought my bottle in person from Tiny Turns Paperie.

Juniper is a dark purple-black. Business purple, if you will. Comparable inks I’ve tried include:

  • Sailor Shikiori Shigure (more expensive in the US, cheaper in Asia)
  • Diamine Scribble Purple (cheaper, more sheen)
  • Dominant Industry Tanzanite (more blue undertones)

I tried Juniper in my TWSBI Diamond 580 M on Maruman loose leaf paper first, and the results were almost black. It got a little dry, I think because the feed can have a tough time keeping up with how fast I write and Maruman loose leaf isn’t very slick. You can also tell that the lines aren’t very crisp.

Writing Sample of Tom's Studio Juniper in a TWSBI Diamond 580 on Maruman Loose Leaf

I prefer to see the color better, so I tried it in a Platinum Preppy M. Results were more to my liking on Maruman loose leaf, it’s a little lighter.

Writing Sample of Tom's Studio Juniper in a Platinum Preppy Medium on Maruman loose leaf paper

Kokuyo Campus is a little less toothy of a paper, so results continued to be brighter.

Writing Sample of Tom's Studio Juniper in a Platinum Preppy Medium on Kokyuo Campus paper

On Iroful you can see some gold sheen and it really brings out the purple. Additionally, the lines are much bigger. It dries a little slower on Iroful, so I smudged it a bit.

Writing Sample of Tom's Studio Juniper in a Platinum Preppy Medium on Sakae Technical Iroful paper
On Sakae TP Iroful
Writing Sample of Tom's Studio Juniper in a Platinum Preppy Medium on Clairefontaine Triomphe paper
On Clairefontaine Triomphe

I bought a bottle without knowing how dark the ink would look for my use cases. The ink doesn’t smear or feather and is well-behaved, if not crisp. Dry time was less than I expected on most paper. I think I’ll try Juniper in an AL-Star next. I don’t think I’d buy another bottle, but I’ll use this ink once in a while, especially if I’m writing on Iroful.