Friday, September 29, 2017

Whiskers & Paws: September 2017 Edition

Whiskers & Paws September 2017 Edition 1
Whiskers & Paws September 2017 Edition 2
Whiskers & Paws September 2017 Edition 3
Whiskers & Paws September 2017 Edition 4
Whiskers & Paws September 2017 Edition 5
Whiskers & Paws September 2017 Edition 6
Whiskers & Paws September 2017 Edition 7

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Ink Shot Review: Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines

Laywine's is carrying a new ink line from Switzerland - Abraxas Inks! They come in cute little bottles with corks and wax seals. The four inks I have tested are all scented, and there are many more colours in the lineup. You can contact Laywine's for more details or to purchase your own. They're premium inks with a hefty price tag of $29.00 CAD + applicable taxes.

Abraxas Inks describe these inks as the Classic Line, available in many colors - some are safe for fountain pens and others are not. These ones are! Thanks to Laywines for sending this for review!
Abraxas Inks of Switzerland at Laywine's @laywines 3
Abraxas Inks of Switzerland at Laywine's @laywines 9
Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 6
Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 7

ABOUT

Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 3
Color: Turquoise
Bottle: 30 ml
Price: $29.00 CAD + tax
Where to buy: Laywines

Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 1
Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 2
Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 4
Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 5

PROS 

  • Beautiful and classic turquoise color.
  • Well behaved.
  • Shades well.
  • Light scent is a treat - it's not gross and it doesn't stick in your pens long after cleaning. 
  • Very elegant presentation! Classy as heck.
  • What a gorgeous gift this would be, both for a friend and for yourself!
Ink Shot Review Abraxas Turkisblau of Switzerland @laywines 8

CONS

  • Pretty expensive for such a small bottle.
  • Cork is a pain to replace once you have uncorked it.
  • Bottle mouth is not very wide so it can be difficult to fill larger pens from. 

OVERALL

This is a pretty classic turquoise blue with lovely shading and gorgeous presentation. It's not a particularly special turquoise though, and at this price and with the amount of turquoise inks I already have, it has to be. As I said with the Violett, these inks are premium, spoil-yourself inks, with their classy presentation, light scents, and hefty price tag. The bottles themselves are not ideal for filling from, especially if you have larger pens. It's sort of a silly ink in terms of price and practicality, but it's always fun to try new inks. I think this would be an excellent gift or treat, but not a daily use ink based on the price and bottle size.
























I received this item/these items free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Wordless Wednesday

September 27. 2017 - Wordless Wednesday 1
September 27. 2017 - Wordless Wednesday 2
September 27. 2017 - Wordless Wednesday 3
September 27. 2017 - Wordless Wednesday 4

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Ink Shot Review: @ScriptusToronto 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederation Brown

Last year, I reviewed the KWZI Northern Twilights for the Scriptus Toronto 2016 show, and this year we have another intriguing and rather wonderful ink made exclusively for the show by KWZI! The Scriptus Pen Show in Toronto takes place this year on October 29, 2017 from 10 am - 4 pm. More information can be found on the Scriptus site!

What the heck is 150 Confederation Brown? Confederation is a long word to write and I could not fit it on my pages properly, so you'll have to suffer my Confederate Brown writings. Ignoring that, 2017 is the 150th year of Canada's confederation.

Why am I torturing you with an ink you can only get at the Scriptus Toronto pen show? Well to convince you to attend, obviously.
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 1
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 20
Swabbed on a Col-o-ring
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 3
Rhodia dotPad No. 16
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 9
Rhodia dotPad No. 16

ABOUT

Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 6
Rhodia dotPad No. 16
Color: Olive...golden green... Brown?
Bottle: 60 ml
Price: ~ $ 16.00 CAD - quoting last year's LE ink price
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 2
Rhodia dotPad No. 16
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 7
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 5
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 8
Rhodia dotPad No. 16
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 13
Leuchtturm1917 A5 Notebook
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 15
Leuchtturm1917 A5 Notebook
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 17
Hobonichi Cousin - Tomoe River Paper
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 18
Hobonichi Cousin - Tomoe River Paper
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 19
Hobonichi Cousin - Tomoe River Paper

PROS 

  • What a stellar, strange, unique, and complex color! Wow.
  • Work appropriate.
  • Appears to have different tones depending on the paper and depending on what other colors surround it - ranges from olive green, brown, golden green, and more.
  • Stunning with as an ink wash.
  • Great label with hand and artwork by Alannah/IAmJoopiter - the skilled daughter of BauerInks.ca - and calligraphy by Salman Khattak.
  • Bottle is easy to fill from.
  • Bottle is tinted to save your ink from UV. It also comes in a box.
  • Easy to store on your shelf in the box.
  • Shades beautifully.
  • Your purchase and attendance at the Scriptus Pen Show helps support the current show and the future of it as well!
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 10
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 11
Ink Shot Review Scriptus 2017 x KWZI 150 Confederate Brown 12

CONS

  • Exclusive to the Scriptus Toronto Pen Show for 2017 - in limited quantities.
  • If you use the ink in a very wet application, it won't dry. The areas that would otherwise show sheen remain wet and smudgy, but only under very generous applications. With regular use, this isn't an issue.
  • KWZI inks have a particular smell - some describe it as vanilla. Myself, I do not like it at all. I suffer the smell for the joy of their colors. Fortunately, the smell does not linger, but I feel I must warn you in the event that you find smelly inks off putting. 

OVERALL

Scriptus has launched three exclusive pen show inks in recent years, all produced by KWZI, including this year's. Every single one has been gorgeous, and this one is no exception. This is the sort of complex, strange color I expect to see from Kingdom Note in Japan - a totally non-mainstream color with wild shades and tones. I love it. It's crazy and cool.


I received this item/these items free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Sunday Reads: September 24. 2017

Sunday Reads


Stuff I Looked At Elsewhere
Stuff I Apparently Did This Week

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Thursday, September 21, 2017

Ink Shot Review: Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World

Thanks to Appelboom for sending this bottle of ink pretty much as soon as they were launched! I've shared the ink in use on my Instagram but here's the actual review!
The colour of the Montblanc for Unicef collection is inspired by the Unicef blue. It’s a special packaging with the printed pattern designed by Montblanc and inspired by the first letters children learn at school in the six most used alphabets in the world. 
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 2
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 10

ABOUT

Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 7
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 3
Color: Turquoise
Bottle: 50 ml
Price: €28.93
Where to buy: Appelboom
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 4
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 5
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 8
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 6
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 9

PROS

  • Nice color, very legible. 
  • Pretty bottle!
  • Bottle is easy to fill from.
  • Easy to store/stack on your shelf.
  • Easy to clean.
  • Shades beautifully.
  • Larger bottle of ink is nice - more ink than the little Special Edition bottles!
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 11
Ink Shot Review Montblanc for Unicef Ink @AppelboomLaren @Montblanc_World 12

CONS

  • Larger bottle of ink costs quite a bit.
  • The color looks best in wide, wet nibs. Perhaps not outstanding for a fine writer!
  • Nice color but it's not unique - there are similar shades of this blue out there. 

OVERALL

I like this kind of blue - it's a light turquoise that shades well and looks great in wide, wet nibs, which comprises most of my pen and nib hoard! Montblanc inks are not inexpensive but I like them a lot - they clean well, behave well, and look pretty good.


I received this item/these items free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.
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