I'm new to the game, but whether it is gel ink or fountain pen ink, I like to play the same way. I like to play with LOTS of color. Deep, rich, vibrant colors. When Brian offered some samples up in exchange for some reviews, I couldn't type my email to him fast enough! I have my own blog that sort of fell by the wayside due to life, but that did not take away my desire to write, or try out new pens and inks. Brian did a great job with the trio of ink samples.Being a lefty makes medium nibs a blessing and a curse. I love the ink that is laid down, it makes my brights brighter (and my whites whiter?) I can get a sense of the shading of the ink but I also need to worry about the actual amount of ink I'm laying down because my hand will trudge its way through and push and plop ink all over the page. To even out the mess I normally make with my Pelikano Junior medium nib, I thought I'd ink up my fine nib Lamy Vista.
Clairefontaine Wirebound:
Rhodia Graph Pad
The pictures speak for themselves as far as colors are concerned. I will take this time to dish out my thoughts on what I saw in each of these inks. I am posting the swatch print that Karen from Exaclair sent me so you can get some sort of baseline of color.
J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage:
When I first glanced at the inks out of the package I was certain this would be my favorite. I was wrong. This isn't a bad thing but I did manage to surprise myself. This is also the only one of the three that I preferred in the fine nib. The green lays down pretty dark and that is my problem with it. Personally I like my greens lighter. Now please understand that I say this only from my experience from gel pen colors. The way the Lamy put a line down made the green lighter and was more enjoyable to me.
J. Herbin Violette Pensee:
A very smooth purple. This is the color I'm most likely to add to my collection. It is unique and soft but pops off the page very well. I adore how each nib brings out a different side of this color as well. Medium nib gives you a powerful deep purple and the fine nib delivers a softer side, both of which I like.
J. Herbin Rose Cyclamen:
Real men use pink! Okay, maybe not everyday but this is a very vibrant color. It comes off as a neon pink to me. The way the Pelikano Junior handled this ink was awesome! Tremendously bold and despite my initial thoughts of it out of the package, this turned out to be my favorite of the bunch. I simply wouldn't use it enough to justify purchasing a bottle, but I will enjoy the sample as long as it lasts.
Drying times:
I did this test for each color despite the fact that each ink came from the same company. I did this to keep a baseline for myself as I (hopefully) continue to review different inks. Some of the dry times varied, which I can't really explain but I did find it interesting. I also did this to emphasize the importance of quick drying to a lefty over-writer.
Lefty Bottom Line: I enjoyed these colors, especially the Violette and the Rose. Despite the awesome coloring J. Herbin tends to be on the page awhile before drying. This is negligible with a fine nib at a decent pace across the page but the medium nib will surely test the patience of a lefty if they are looking for a tidy page by the end.
