Fountain Pen Ink Review: Robert Oster Signature Shake'N'Shimmy® Rose Gold Antiqua

Here's another first for Rants of The Archer! This is the first review of the latest ink from Robert Oster Shake'N'Shimmy® line, Rose Gold Antiqua which is set for an international release on January 1, 2021.

Four years ago, I published my first review of Robert Oster Signature inks, Bondi Blue, and Australian Sky Blue. Robert Oster Signature Ink has just been launched then, and everyone was excited to try the new brand from Australia. Since then, Robert Oster has become the most prolific ink maker in the world, producing more than 170 ink colors inspired by the rich culture and scenery of Australia, reflecting the sun, sky, sea, earth, vines, and wines. Through the years, Robert Oster's inks have become very popular, including the standard and limited edition colors and the sheening and shimmer inks.

In early December, a Facebook conversation challenged Robert Oster to create a richer, purer rose gold shimmer ink. Robert has a series of inks with silver and gold shimmer called Shake'N'Shimmy® inks and a fan, Olga Nunez McLeod wondered if a true rose gold ink could become a possibility. Robert came up with Shake'N'Shimmy® Rose Gold Antiqua in less than three hours, and the whole fountain pen world exploded with the news of the new shimmer ink! 

Robert Oster Signature inks are sold in tall, leak-proof, Australian-made 50ml PET bottles. Robert chose PET bottles for his ink because they are made from recycled chemical waste. The bottle shape helps in storage as they fit well in small drawers and cabinets.

Shake'N'Shimmy® Rose Gold Antiqua is a lovely dusky pink ink with lots of rose gold shimmer, making it a true, purer rose gold fountain pen ink. It's darker and has more red than Rose Gilt Tynte which has silver flecks. The rose gold shimmer in Rose Gold Antiqua adds to its darker, richer color, and it is definitely one of the most beautiful shimmy inks that Robert Oster has ever produced. 

Robert Oster Signature inks in pink. Rose Gold Antiqua is redder, darker, and richer than Rose Gilt Tynte, enhanced by the rose gold shimmer. This ink sampler is on 90gsm Canson sketch paper. 

I love matching fountain pens with inks, so I tested Rose Gold Antiqua using a Seashell Pink Otto Hutt design06 pen with a wet medium nib, and the 2018 Special Edition Lamy AL-star Vibrant Pink with a 1.5mm stub nib. I also tested the ink on three fountain pen friendly paper types, Tomoe River Paper (old 52gsm), Maruman, and Traveler's Notebook. For my long written review, I used the Otto Hutt design06 on the Recorder Notebook which has the new Tomoe River paper.

Despite its shimmer content, Rose Gold Antiqua has medium saturation and flow. It flows smoothly onto paper, and in both pens, ink flow to the nib was fast, steady, and consistent. However, to get a good amount of shimmer, I had to rotate the pen several times.

Rose Gold Antiqua is such a unique fountain pen shimmer ink as it changes shade on different paper types. On both Tomoe River paper sheets and Maruman paper, it is lighter and appeared more of dusky pink. On white Canson sketch paper, Traveler's Notebook, and VECO, it looked darker and redder.

In this long review, written on Recorder Notebook with the new Tomoe River paper, Rose Gold Atiqua is lighter and appears in its dusky pink rose gold color. (Click image to view.)

This writing sample is on the old 52gsm Tomoe River paper, and it also appears lighter and more dusky pink. The rose gold shimmer is nicely distributed. (Click image to view.)

Rose Gold Antiqua behaved similarly on Maruman paper as it did on Tomoe River paper. (Click image to view.)

On Traveler's Notebook's MD paper, however, it looked darker. (Click image to view).

Testing this ink using a 1.5mm stub/italic nib is the most amazing thing! I loved watching the shiny, shimmery ink as I wrote. This writing sample on VECO paper has the most rose gold shimmer. (Click image to view.)

Before Rose Rold Antiqua, there was Rose Gilt Tynte, and it has been the only rose gold ink with silver shimmer in the Robert Oster Shake'N'Shimmy selection. Now, there are two rose gold inks with silver and rose gold shimmer.

Rose Gold Antiqua and Rose Gilt Tynte shimmer inks. Robert Oster Shake'N'Shimmy inks are marked by silver caps and labels. Standard inks have black caps and gold labels.

Shimmer! The bottle on the left is Rose Gold Antiqua with rose gold shimmer. The bottle on the right is Rose Gilt Tynte with silver shimmer.

Look closer and see the rose gold shimmer in this bottle of Rose Gold Antiqua. It's like magic!

Clogging concerns from my previous experiences with other shimmer inks made me stay away from Robert Oster Shake'N'Shimmy inks. Now, I have two bottles of shiny, shimmy, glittery inks to enjoy and play with. I have cleaned the two pens I used in this review, and the shimmer particles were easy to take off from the feeds and nibs.

I'm totally smitten with Rose Gold Antiqua, and I would love to use it more for italic calligraphy. The rose gold shimmer is perfect in pink ink! It's a unique, versatile shimmer ink that writes smoothly and has excellent flow. Get it for your pens!

Robert Oster Shake'N'Shimmy Rose Gold Antiqua will be available in stores on January 1, 2021. For some sellers, calls for preorders have already been posted. Check this list for Robert Oster's worldwide retail partners. 

For more information about Robert Oster Signature inks and how to download their swatches, visit the Robert Oster website or follow them on social media:

• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/robertostersignature)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/robertostersignature/)
• Twitter (https://twitter.com/robertosterink)

Review: A Box of Serenity

We are grateful, at the end of the year 

We are alive, we can still feel, cry, and laugh

We can put ourselves together after falling apart

~ Laban Pen Company ~

The most extraordinary, tough, and trying year is about to end, and while most of us are in a hurry to leave 2020 behind, we all must remember to be thankful. Thankful because we made it through, and thankful that we are still here. We may have had a difficult year, but sometimes the difficult ones become the greatest, especially if we survive them. This sentiment is shared by Laban Pen Company through their latest release of a Christmas special boxed set called "A Box of Serenity."

A Box of Serenity from Laban, a Christmas special boxed set.

In November, Laban released A Box of Serenity, a boxed set that includes the Laban 325 Snow, a 20ml bottle of the limited edition Holly Green ink, a limited edition Christmas postcard, and a red Christmas hat pin. It's a festive set as the Snow fountain pen reflects light, while the Holly Green ink is a beautiful dark green that reminds one of Christmas trees and wreaths decorated with ornaments and lights.

The special boxed set includes a 325 fountain pen, limited edition Holly Green ink, a red pin hat, and a limited edition Christmas postcard.

The Snow fountain pen is a new addition to Laban's 325 Collection. Other colors in the Collection are Black Cambridge, Burgundy Cambridge, Wisteria (purple), Flame (red), Ocean (blue), Sun (orange), and Forest (green).

The 325 Snow has a crystal white resin barrel that was smoothed and polished by hand, reminiscent of the beautiful, bright, icy snow on a winter morning. The 325's ivory acrylic cap has a durable gold plated clip and Laban medallion in the finial, a wide wedding band ring, and two slim gold bands on top of the clip. I just love the beautiful combination of gold, white, and ivory in this pen! It looks classy, contemporary, and modern.

Snow is the latest addition to Laban's 325 Collection.

Similar to the nibs on other fountain pens in the 325 series, the Snow has a gold-tone nib made from rhodium and stainless steel available in the following widths: EF, F, M, B, 1.5 stub, 14k flex EF, and 14k flex F. The medium nib in my Snow fountain pen writes very smoothly, and it's springy and wet. It wrote well out of the box and did not need priming. The ink flow is consistent and excellent, I did not experience any hard starts or skipping.

Beautiful pen + ink combination: Snow fountain pen and Holly Green ink.

The 325 Snow fountain pen has the following specifications and details:

• Length, capped: 5.9 in | 15 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.15 in | 13.1 cm
• Length, cap posted: 6.9 in | 17.5 cm
• Length, barrel only: 3.6 in | 9.14 cm
• Length, section to nib: 2.15 in | 5.5 cm 
• Length, cap: 2.7 inches | 6.9 cm
• Diameter, barrel: 0.51 in | 1.29 cm
• Diameter, section: 0.41 in | 1.04 cm
• Weight, capped: 34 g | 1.2 oz
• Weight, uncapped: 13.5 g | 0.48 oz
• Weight, cap only: 22.5 g | 0.78 oz
• Filling mechanism: Converter or cartridge, a converter is included in package
• Nib sizes: EF, F, M, B, 1.5 stub, 14k flex, and 14k flex

The 325 Snow fountain pen is a standard full-length fountain pen that is not meant for posting. It is a heavy pen, especially with its cap. It can be used posted, but it will be top-heavy and affect one's writing comfort. Thankfully, the 325 can be used comfortably without the need to post the pen's cap.

The limited edition Holly Green ink in the boxed set is a dark green ink without sheen or shimmer. It is a rich, dark, saturated green ink. Looking at Holly Green ink takes one to a forest of conifer trees, or to a room full of pine Christmas trees. Despite its dark color and medium saturation, this ink is well-behaved, has excellent flow and consistency, and dries faster than most saturated dark green inks.

I filled my Snow fountain pen with Holly Green and drew this beautiful ink art for Christmas. The Snow's medium nib surprised me as it wrote smoothly out of the box.

Christmas Wreath from Laban 325 Snow and Holly Green.

I am very happy with Laban's Serenity Box, the Snow fountain pen, and Holly Green ink. It would be a lovely gift to friends and family during the festive holiday season and I would love to recommend it to anyone but Laban has already released a notice saying the boxes are now sold out. However, the 325 Snow fountain pen can now be bought separately. This white fountain pen is a beautiful writing instrument and truly an eye-catcher! Go get one for your collection!

Rants of the Archer thanks Laban Pen Company for providing the Box of Serenity for review purposes. The Laban 325 Snow fountain pen is available at Laban.com where it retails for around US$140 (EF to 1.5 stub) to US$280 (14K Flex EF and 14K Flex F). Aside from the 325 Collection, Laban also offers the following collections: Abalone, Antique, Antique'II, Canyon, Flora, Galileo, Mento, Mother of Pearl, Pocket Pen, Rosa, Skeleton, Solar, and Taroko. Laban offers pens in different materials including aluminum, brass, abalone, mother of pearl, resin, and silver.

To learn more about Laban, where to buy their pens, and for other details on purchasing their pens, visit their website at https://www.laban.com/ or follow them on social media:

• Facebook (https://zh-tw.facebook.com/LabanPen)
• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/labanpen) 
• YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1pN51UTW4EZTTUxVmVNR1Q)

Fountain Pen Review: GM Custom Pens Kusanagi Blue White Crushed Ice

In my work as a science writer and publications designer for an international non-profit, I am familiar with India, its top biotech crop which is cotton, and Maharashtra, its leading cotton producer. I have seen photos and videos of vast cotton fields and harvests in Maharastra, and they are amazing! Sometime during the COVID19 lockdown, I discovered something more amazing about Maharashtra—its growing number of fountain pen makers.

One pen maker is GM Custom Pens based in Pune, the second largest city in the State of Maharashtra. The company is run by Mr. Apurv Kulkarni and they produce unique writing instruments using a variety of materials such as acrylic, ebonite, and Urushi. Their Kusanagi fountain pen series look classy and modern, and one that easily appeals to many fountain pen enthusiasts. The fountain pens in this series are offered in resin, ebonite, and acrylic with chrome trims, No. 6 Jowo steel nib, and Schmidt K5 converter.

GM Custom Pens Kusanagi Blue White Crushed Ice fountain pen.

The Kusanagi has been made available in more than ten colors including beautiful marbles and swirls and the crushed ice series: Brown Crushed Ice, Aqua Blue Crushed Ice, Yellow Green Crushed Ice, Blue Crushed Ice, Turquoise Crushed Ice, and Aqua Blue Crushed Ice.

This GM Custom Pens fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Length, capped: 5.8 in | 14.7 cm
• Length, uncapped: 5.5 in | 13.9 cm
• Length, cap posted: 7.25 in | 18.4 cm
• Diameter: 0.6 in | 1.5 cm
• Weight: ~25 g
• Body material: Acrylic
• Trims: Chrome
• Cap: Screw on, postable
• Clip material: Steel 
• Nib: No. 6 JoWo steel in EF, F, M, B, 1.1, or 1.5 
• Filling mechanism: Cartridge or converter (a Schmidt K5 converter is supplied with purchase), this pen can also be eyedroppered.

The Kusanagi fountain pen can be filled with ink using international standard cartridges or the supplied Schmidt K5 converter. It's thoughtful of GM Custom Pens to include a converter for each pen purchase. The Kusanagi can also be used as an eyedropper fountain pen as the barrel doesn't have any holes or metal parts that will react to ink. I filled the Kusanagi's barrel to check its capacity and learned that if this pen is used as an eyedropper fountain pen, it can take as much as 3ml of ink. Now that's a lot of ink!

The Kusanagi's main parts: barrel, section + converter, and cap.

I disassembled the Kusanagi fountain pen and saw that it is well constructed. The acrylic is nicely polished and has a high gloss, the clip and cap ring are in place, and the threaded parts fit together, they turn properly and easily without any bumps. This pen also has the same material for the barrel, cap, and section.

I'm glad that I can easily take apart the Kusanagi fountain pen. I usually do that when I am cleaning my fountain pens before storage, or if I am reinking them, so it's useful that this pen's section can be taken apart and to thoroughly clean the nib and feed holder, feed, and nib. I can even take apart the converter if needed.

If I can disassemble a pen, it means I can clean it thoroughly. But please don't disassemble pens if you are not sure you can put them back again.

The Kusanagi's steel clip is simple yet functional and sturdy. The teardrop at the end makes it easier to post to a shirt pocket or pen loop.

GM Custom Pens' logo is embossed on the top part of the clip.

The White Blue Crushed Ice is the only material in the Kusanagi crushed ice series with white background. This material is nicely polished with a high gloss.

Kusanagi fountain pens are fitted with No. 6 stainless steel JoWo nibs from Germany. The medium nib in my Kusanagi is embossed with the GM Custom Pens logo, and it writes wet and smooth. Out of the box, it wrote instantly and I did not experience any hard starts. This pen is also comfortable to use even for an extended period of time.

The Kusanagi's No. 6 Jowo steel nib writes wet and smooth.

The Kusanagi is a full-sized fountain pen that shares the same length as the Esterbrook Estie. It's longer than my daily writers TWSBI ECO and Lamy Safari Al-star. This pen is postable, but I use it unposted. Posting makes this pen uncomfortably long at 7.25 inches.

The Kusanagi has the same length as the Estie.

Uncapped, the Kusanagi is longer than most of my pens here.

To test the performance of this fountain pen, I chose a matching turquoise ink. Krishna Inks Cool Breeze is a beautiful ink match to this pen. Ink flow to the nib was fast, and the medium JoWo nib wrote smoothly out of the box without the need for adjustments or tuning. I did not experience hard starts or skipping. The Kusanagi is an enjoyable pen and it writes smoothly every time I use it.

Blue on blue. Krishna Inks Cool Breeze is the perfect match for the Kusanagi Blue White Crushed Ice fountain pen. Writing sample on Endless Works Recorder Notebook.

I am happy with the Kusanagi fountain pen and will recommend it to anyone who wants to explore and know this young fountain pen brand from India. It's a lovely pen and I'm glad to have one for myself. Get one for your collection!

Rants of The Archer thanks GM Custom Pens and Mr. Apurv Vivek Kulkarni for providing the Kusanagi fountain pen in this review. GM Custom Pens is based in Pune, the second-largest city in India's State of Maharashtra, and they have new offerings including black Urushi pens and Xiphos, made from Nikko Ebonite with beautiful solid, ripple, and mottle colors! They also have a new selection of specialty nibs.

For more updates on their product offerings, follow GM Custom Pens on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gmcustompens/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gmcustompens/

Fountain Pen Review: Platinum Prefounte

The holiday season is here and this week, Rants of The Archer has a fun stocking stuffer for fountain pen lovers and for those who are new to the hobby. Platinum has several beginner fountain pens such as the Preppy and Plaisir. On November 1, 2019, Platinum, one of Japan's big three pen companies, launched the Prefounte, a new beginner fountain pen in the brand's entry-level pen series. The Prefounte is very similar to the Preppy, but it has an upgraded metal clip and without the excessive branding of the Preppy. It looks smart and polished with a metal clip and subdued body colors, giving it a more professional look. 

Scribe.ph, the only authorized seller of Platinum pens in the Philippines stocked up on the Prefounte as soon as they were released. The initial reviews were good and said the Prefounte is an excellent fountain pen. With the Prefounte, Platinum has filled the gap between the Preppy and the Plaisir. I may not be a fan of both pens, but I like the Prefounte a lot and its writing performance. I'm glad that people who want to move up after the Preppy can get a less expensive but more professional looking fountain pen. At PhP495 (roughly US$10), this pen is a good catch! Platinum offers Prefounte as a beginner pen at an affordable price point that makes it an ideal gift or someone's "first fountain pen." 

Unlike most pens that are sold in boxes, the Prefounte is offered in retail packaging so that it's easy to display in stores. The packaging is simple and includes a cartridge of Platinum Blue Black ink. This packaging is very similar to the one used in Pilot Kakunos.

The Prefounte fountain pen has the following measurements and specifications:

• Colors: Crimson Red, Dark Emerald, Vermilion Orange, Night Sea, and Graphite Blue
• Material: Polycarbonate
• Filling mechanism: Converter or cartridge included in the package
• Cap: Snap-on, postable
• Clip material: Chrome-plated steel 
• Nib: Stainless steel in Fine or Medium
• Length, capped: 5.4 in | 13.8 cm
• Length, uncapped: 4.8 in | 12.1 cm
• Length, cap posted: 5.9 in | 15.1 cm
• Full pen weight: 13g including cartridge

The Platinum Prefounte fountain pen is made from impact-resistant polycarbonate resin and available in five stylish colors: Crimson Red, Dark Emerald, Vermilion Orange, Night Sea, and Graphite Blue. These five colors are offered to suit both formal and casual styles. I think all colors are suitable for any setting, and these pens will be useful in testing inks later on.

The Prefounte is available in either Fine or Medium stainless steel nib. These nibs are the same ones used in the Preppy and Plaisir fountain pens. The Fine nib is suitable for writing in small spaces, while the Medium nib writes with thicker lines with smooth ink flow. While most prefer the Fine nib, I am more comfortable writing with the Prefounte's Medium nib which is more like a western medium than a Japanese medium. They all wrote smoothly out of the packaging and I did not have to do any priming.

The Prefounte fountain pen's cap is equipped with Platinum's unique "Slip and Seal Mechanism" that prevents the ink from drying out in the nib. With this mechanism, the Prefounte can go unused for months and not dry out. It also prevents ink loss due to evaporation and ensures writing with fresh ink each time the pen is used.

The Prefounte shares the same material, shape, and size as the Preppy and writes so much like the Preppy. While capped, it's longer than the Pilot Kakuno, and just the same with the Pilot Metropolitan.

Uncapped, the Prefounte is shorter than the two Pilot fountain pens and is exactly the same length as the Preppy.

It took me a year to try the Platinum Prefounte and I must say that it writes so much better than I thought, especially the medium nib which is perfect for writing quick notes and some doodling.  The Prefounte writes beautifully and very comfortable for long periods of writing. Its medium nib is more of a western medium so it's wetter than other Platinum medium nibs and I love it! 

To test all five Prefounte fountain pens, I filled them with the following inks: Krishna Inks Sindhoor (Crismon Red), Pelikan Edelstein Jade (Dark Emerald), Robert Oster Red Orange (Vermilion Orange), J. Herbin Bleu Nuit (Night Sea), and used the Platinum Blue Black cartridge for Graphite Blue. All five pens wrote easily upon inking and I did not get any hard starts.

The Prefounte is a good value and an excellent fountain pen from Platinum and it's widely available at an affordable price point. The "1 Year No Dry" claim is also interesting and useful as most fountain pen users have the tendency to leave inked pens in storage. I'd also prefer to give the Prefounte as gifts to friends because they look less flashy than the Preppy. Get one—or get all for your collection—and your friends, too!

Rants of The Archer thanks Scribe.ph for providing the Prefounte fountain pen in this review. Scribe offers the Prefounte and other Platinum fountain pens in their stores. Visit the Scribe.ph website to learn more about their products, promos, and new brand offerings. Scribe.ph now offers worldwide shipping. For more updates, follow them on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScribePH/
• Instagram: https://https://www.instagram.com/scribe.ph/