June 13, 2025

Ink Review #2777: KWZ Azure 4

June 13, 2025/ Kelli McCown

Today’s ink is KWZ Azure 4 from the Standard collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Azure 4 is a bright turquoise blue.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink is much darker, with a little bit of black sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm, and on cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, low black sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Azure 4 is a little darker than Backpack Athens Blue. Click here to see the blue inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Black Ice with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has an average flow.

Overall, I enjoyed this ink. It’s a gorgeous bright blue with a little bit of sheen.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

June 12, 2025

Ink Review #2776: KWZ Green 2

June 12, 2025/ Kelli McCown

Let’s take a look at another KWZ ink for this week: KWZ Standard Green 2. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Green 2 is a medium emerald green.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink turns black where it pools, but I wouldn’t call it sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm, as well as on cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Green 2 is a bit brighter than Monteverde Yosemite Green. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Bamboo Forest with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow. Like all KWZ inks, it does smell like vanilla. I only noticed the smell when I was filling the pen, not when I was writing with it.

Overall, this is a lovely ink. I really like the color, flow and medium shading. I would recommend it.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

June 11, 2025

Ink Review #2775: KWZ Grass Green

June 11, 2025/ Kelli McCown

For the rest of the week we are going to focus on KWZ inks, so let’s start with KWZ Grass Green. You can find this ink for sale at some retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Grass Green is a medium emerald green.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink turns black where it pools, but I wouldn’t call it sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm, as well as on cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Low

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: medium shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had some feathering and bleeding in all nib sizes.

Comparison Swabs:

Grass Green is a bit brighter than Montblanc Irish Green. Click here to see the green inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pelikan M600 Vibrant Green with an extra fine nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink had an average flow. Like all KWZ inks, it does smell like vanilla. I only noticed the smell when I was filling the pen, not when I was writing with it.

Overall, I usually like KWZ inks, and this one is lovely. It worked well in all of my pens and cleaned out easily.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

June 10, 2025

Currently Inked June 10, 2025

June 10, 2025/ Kelli McCown

I’ve been surprised by how many people have commented and said they like the currently inked posts I’ve been doing recently, so let’s do another one! Here’s what I’m using this week: (This post does contain Amazon affiliate links, just FYI.)

Fountain Pens:

This week I inked up a mix of old favorites and new inks to try.

The Pilot Vanishing Point Copper was a limited edition from 2014, which was before I got into fountain pens, but I was able to pick one up as new old stock a few years ago. I love Vanishing Points and have quite a few, but lately I’ve really been loving the fine nibs. I paired it with a Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi cartridge. I don’t often use cartridges, but when I do they are usually Pilot ones. I love that each cartridge is labeled with the ink color.

A reader was super kind and gifted me this Pilot Custom 74 Smoke in fine a while ago. Seriously, I have the best readers. I’ve used this pen almost weekly since I got it. Since I got this pen from a reader I decided to pair it with an ink a different reader recently sent in-Diamine Night Sky. This is a wonderful black ink with silver shimmer.

The Pilot Ishime Navy in fine is one of my all-time favorite pens. It’s gorgeous and feels really good in my hand. I love the color and the lovely fine nib. I used another Pilot Iroshizuku cartridge in Shin-kai. It’s such a good combo, I don’t know why I haven’t paired them up before. This combo may live in my pen case now.

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with Platinum 3776 fountain pens for years. I’ve purchased like three different ones and always end up selling them because the nib hasn’t been quite right for me. I decided to give this white one a try in a fine nib since I’ve been loving Japanese fine nibs so much right now. My nib sizes have swung widely over the last ten years since I got into fountain pens, everything from double broads and flex nibs to extra fine nibs. I’ve settled on Japanese fine/Western extra fine nibs as the current favorite. I paired the 3776 with Pilot Iroshizuku Ina-ho. I was so sad when I saw that Ina-ho was discontinued. I’ve been asked many times what a good replacement is for it, and right now the closest I can come up with are Inkebara Sand and De Atramentis Yellow Brown.

This Jinhao 80 in brown with a fine nib is full of Sailor x Tinterias Homemade Tortilla. Homemade Tortilla came as a set with Spicy Chipotle. It’s sold out now, but it’s a good shader and flows well. Sailor Maryland is similar but not a dupe.

The Kaweco Sport Iridescent Pearl is so fun and shiny. I love a good neutral colored pen, and this one is neutral while still having character. I used Sailor Tinterias Agave (thanks to the reader who recently sent this ink in!), it’s a lovely blue-grey with shading. I’ll post a review of it soon.

To continue with the Sailor Tinterias theme I’ve got going (I promise this is not sponsored), a reader also sent in Blue Corn, which I used in a Pilot Kakuno Fine. I have a serious love for the Kakuno. It’s a great pen for the price and a good first fountain pen.

Standard Pens:

I’ve gone through three Pentel Energel Clena’s in 0.5 I love how smooth they are, and they flow really well. Each time I run one dry I immediately replace it with a new one.

When I write notes and need to highlight them I reach for the Zebra Sarasa Mark On in 0.5. I love that it never smears when I highlight unlike most of my gel pens that do smear. I have been wishing for a slightly finer tip occasionally, so I’ll probably pick up one in 0.4 next.

The Sakura Ballsign ID Gel 0.5 in Pure Black is slightly chunky for a gel pen, which I don’t love, and the body is rather cheap. I do like that the ink is nice and dark though.

I’ve been trying to branch out and try new things, so I gave the Ballograf Epoca Ballpoint White with a blue medium tip a try. I wish the ink flow was juicier and that the ink was a little darker. It’s fine, but not a pen I would reach for if I had any other options readily available.

I really disliked the Pilot Acro Soft Beige with a black 0.5 tip. The pen is on the small size and the ink flow is stingy. I’m not a fan.

The Uni Jetstream Standard Ballpoint Soft Pink in Black 0.5 is okay but not great. It’s a basic ballpoint.

This Uni-ball Onyx Rollerball Micro in Black 0.5 is a lovely pen for a rollerball. It’s smooth and writes nicely.

Colored Pens:

Papermate Inkjoy Gel Pink 0.5-I really enjoyed this pen when I was into the 0.7 tip size, so I was excited when I found them in a 0.5 tip.
Uni-ball One Sesame Grey 0.5-I love the Uni-ball One pens. This one is on the pale side, so it’s not my favorite color, but it is still a nice writer.
Zebra Sarasa Clip Vintage 0.5-Zebra Sarasa pens are fantastic. I love the vintage colors, they are nice colors and office appropriate too!
TUL Red in 0.5-these are so smooth.
Writech Dual Color Gel Orange/Yellow 0.5
Writech Gel Light Mauve 0.5

Currently:

Last night we drove to Coulee Dam (we live in WA state) and watched the laser light show. It was a late night for my kids, but they had fun. Here’s some other things I’m currently doing…

Watching: I’m watching a lot of Youtube lately, everything from stationery to productivity videos. I’m currently juggling three jobs, three kids and lots of projects to keep our home running smoothly, so productivity is really important right now. If you have any good video suggestions, please leave them in the comments below!

Reading/Audiobook: I’m listening to Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I read it in high school but I haven’t read it since, so it was time for another go. It’s a little different than I remember.

Listening: I’ve started working out again after a long break from it. I hurt my back recently and it’s starting to heal, so it’s time to slowly get back to it. Working out means I’m listening to a lot of upbeat music like Lady Gaga.

Drinking: Lime carbonated water. I’m trying to do better at drinking less caffeine and more water (even if it is flavored or carbonated).

Cooking/Baking: Since I’m working so much I’m doing a lot of cooking/baking/meal prep on the weekends. My kids are in love with this baked oatmeal right now. We add whatever fresh fruit we have at the moment and they gobble it up for breakfast.

Making: I’ve been sewing a ton lately. I’m already looking ahead to the fall/winter season and starting to plan my kids winter wardrobes and which patterns I need to sew up for them. I’m currently sewing a Sew Liberated Hinterland Dress using a Green Chambray Shirting from Stylemaker Fabrics.

Hating: Migraines-I’ve had three migraines in the past week and I hate them.

That’s it for me this week! What’s your favorite currently inked?

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This post does contain Amazon affiliate links, but is not sponsored in any way.

May 23, 2025

Ink Review #2774: Scribo Notturno Viola

May 23, 2025/ Kelli McCown

Scribo Notturno Viola is from the standard lineup. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Notturno Viola is a deep violet.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has just a little bit of bronze sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm, as well as cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, tiny bronze sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Notturno Viola is a little more blue than Robert Oster Charcoal. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight with a broad nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I like the color and the little bit of shading but the flow is too dry for me.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

May 22, 2025

Ink Review #2773: Van Dieman's Madam Butterfly

May 22, 2025/ Kelli McCown

Van Dieman’s Madam Butterfly is from the Encore collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Madam Butterfly is a deep plum purple with shimmer.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper the ink has gold, pink and green shimmer. I know it only looks like it has pink, but you can see the other colors when you shift the page back and forth.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm, as well as cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 30 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, no sheen, and gold, pink and green shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Madam Butterfly is much darker than these other purple shimmer inks. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Lamy Al-star Purple with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly dry flow.

Overall, I love the deep color and I find the three shimmer colors fun. It’s definitely a unique ink.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

May 22, 2025

Ink Review #2772: Octopus Violet Giraffe

May 22, 2025/ Kelli McCown

Octopus Fluids Violet Giraffe is from the Write & Draw collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Violet Giraffe is a deep plum purple.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper it looks much darker, almost a purple-black.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm, as well as cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: High

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: no shading, no sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Violet Giraffe is darker than KWZ Grey Plum. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Sport Transparent Purple with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a slightly wet flow.

Overall, I really love the deep color, slightly wet flow and water resistance. It performs well and is a lovely color. I would probably use it the most in the fall and winter seasons.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

May 20, 2025

Ink Review #2771: Van Dieman's Standing Ovation

May 20, 2025/ Kelli McCown

Van Dieman’s Standing Ovation is from the Encore collection. You can find this ink for sale at most retailers including Vanness Pens.

The color:

Standing Ovation is a medium magenta purple.

*For my swab cards I use a Col-o-ring by Skylab Letterpress, a medium Pilot Ishime and a Mabie Todd Swan.

Swabs:

In large swabs on Tomoe River paper it has some green sheen.

Writing samples:

Let's take a look at how the ink behaves on fountain pen friendly papers: Rhodia, Tomoe River, and Leuchtturm, as well as cheap copy paper.

*For my writing samples I use:

Dry time: 40 seconds

Water resistance: Medium

Feathering: None

Show through: Medium

Bleeding: None

Other properties: low shading, high green sheen, and no shimmer.

On 20 lb copy paper the ink had feathering in all nib sizes and some bleeding.

Comparison Swabs:

Standing Ovation is lighter than Diamine Robert. Click here to see the purple inks together.

Longer Writing:

I used a Kaweco Al-sport Violet with a medium nib on a Taroko Enigma notebook. The ink has a dry flow. I loved this pen/ink combo with a fresh fill, but the flow dried out super fast.

Overall, I love the color and the sheen but it’s too dry for me. I did not enjoy it in longer writing.

Thanks to all my Patrons! I couldn’t do these reviews without you! You can find my Patreon page here.

Disclaimer: All photos and opinions are my own. This page does not contain affiliate links and this post is not sponsored.

May 19, 2025

8 Years!

May 19, 2025/ Kelli McCown

I’m two days late with this post, but May 17th was Mountain of Ink’s 8 year anniversary! To celebrate I’m going to put together a goodie box of some inks, stationery and pens and give it away! You can enter the giveaway below! Please leave a comment with your current favorite ink as part of your entry. (Giveaway is limited to the Continental United States, sorry!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway