Fountain Pen Ink Review: Vinta Inks The Awareness Project Collection

For their anniversary last March, Vinta Inks celebrated with the Fairytale Collection. Before that, they launched their first Capsule Collection. Since its launch four years ago, Vinta Inks have introduced many fountain pen ink colors that are now favorites of many fountain pen users here and abroad. Now, the ink fairies at VInta Inks have mixed another colorful surprise for us.

Have you heard about Vinta Inks' recently-launched ink collection? Surprise! Early this October, Vinta Inks launched The Awareness Project, a collection of five brand-new ink colors that take inspiration from selected vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, and critically depleted animals in the Philippines. With the launch, Vinta Inks donated part of the sales to three of their chosen primary foundations to recognize and help further their courageous conservation efforts! Vinta Inks chose the World Wildlife Fund-Philippines, the Philippine Eagle Foundation, and Haribon Foundation as the recipients of their donation from the sales of The Awareness Project Collection. Each of the three foundations received PhP10,000 from Vinta Inks to support their conservation efforts.

Want to see the five beautiful ink colors? Read through this review and browse the photos to see the beautiful colors of Tandikan, Nahan, Isabela, Haribon, and Ibid. Also, I added information for each of the animals that the inks took inspiration from.

The ink colors from The Awareness Project were launched in early October and all five colors are now available through Vinta Inks online store.

The ink collection from The Awareness Project is available in 30ml spill-proof amber glass bottles with plastic caps. Vinta Inks sends their ink bottles wrapped in Saran Wrap to prevent leaks and spills. 

The Awareness Project by Vinta Inks

The Awareness Project by Vinta Inks have five unique, enigmatic, and extraordinary colors that took inspiration from selected endangered animals in the Philippines. These inks are shading, sheening, and shimmering all at the same time. The five ink colors are the following:

• Elusive Blue [Tandikan 2000] – dusky, purplish blue with pink shimmer
• Solitary Teal [Nahan 2010] – teal with silver shimmer
• Liquid Sepia [Isabela 1999] – sepia-toned with gold shimmer
• Apex Silver [Haribon 1994] – grey with silver shimmer
• Sailfin Green [Ibid 1829] – light green with electric blue shimmer

Please click this image to see the different expressions of the five colors. Each ink swatch in this set has two parts: the upper half is a swatch of the ink without or less/fewer shimmer, while the lower half shows the shimmer. 

Elusive Blue | Tandikan 2000

Elusive Blue | Tandikan 2000

Elusive Blue | Tandikan 2000 is a delicate, dusky, purplish blue ink with a pretty pink shimmer. It shades well and has a darker undertone of the same color, which makes it all the more beautiful. The shading and shimmer will be more visible in wider nibs, but I used it in a pen with a fine nib and the shading and shimmer were both visible. Tandikan has excellent flow and wrote smoothly.

Tandikan 2000 is inspired by the Palawan peacock-pheasant. The Palawan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis), locally known as Tandikan, is a medium-sized bird endemic to the Philippines and found in the humid forests of Palawan Island in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago. Adult males have highly iridescent electric blue-violet, metallic green-turquoise dorsal plumage. The female is slightly smaller than the male. Its contour plumage is cloudy silt in coloration. Due to ongoing habitat loss, small population size, and limited range as well as hunting and capture for trade, the Palawan peacock-pheasant is classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. (Palawan peacock-pheasant. (2022, May 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palawan_peacock-pheasant)

Tandikan is a dusky purplish blue ink with a pink shimmer.

This blue ink shades well and has a darker undertone.

Solitary Teal | Nahan 2010

Solitary Teal | Nahan 2010

Solitary Teal | Nahan 2010 is a soft teal ink with a light green undertone and fine silver shimmer. The combination of teal, light green, and the silver shimmer gives this ink an almost pink-to-orange overlay. In a medium Lamy nib, it looks darker than the ink swatch, but the silver shimmer is very visible. Nahan is a wet ink and has excellent flow.

Nahan 2010 is inspired by the pygmy blue whale. The pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), first identified in 1966, is a subspecies of the blue whale found in the Indian Ocean and the southern Pacific Ocean. It has a large head and a shorter tail giving it a tadpole-like shape. The pygmy blue whale appears blue when it is underwater, but appears grayish blue when it rises above the water. Recent studies have confirmed sightings of a pygmy blue whale in the Bohol Sea between 2010 and 2019 -- a first in the Philippines since the 19th century. (Pygmy blue whale. (2022, October 13). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_blue_whale)

Nahan is a soft teal ink with a light green undertone and fine silver shimmer.

Nahan appears darker in a medium nib with the silver shimmer very visible.

Liquid Sepia | Isabela 1999

Liquid Sepia | Isabela 1999

Liquid Sepia | Isabela 1999 is a sepia-toned ink with pink tones and rich gold shimmer. It appears earthy and light golden brown. It has beautiful shading and an almost green overlay where it pooled and dried. This ink flows well and wrote smoothly from a medium Lamy nib.

Isabela is inspired by the Philippine freshwater crocodile. The Philippine freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis), also known as the Mindoro crocodile, is one of two species of crocodiles found in the Philippines. It is endemic to the Philippines and is a relatively small, freshwater crocodile. Philippine crocodiles are golden-brown in color, which darkens as they mature. C. mindorensis is considered to be the most severely threatened crocodile species in the world, listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Since October 2021, the IUCN has classified C. mindorensis as Critically Depleted. (Philippine crocodile. (2022, October 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_crocodile)

Isabela is a sepia-toned ink with pink tones and a rich gold shimmer. 

Isabela has beautiful shading and an almost green overlay where it pooled and dried.

Apex Silver | Haribon 1994

Apex Silver | Haribon 1994

Apex Silver | Haribon 1994 is a grey ink with hints of purple and green and silver shimmer overlay. It shades well and shows the purple and green tones beautifully. The silver shimmer gives the grey color an elegant finish and also makes it look like a festive ink color. Haribon has a good flow and wrote well in a medium Lamy nib.

Haribon is inspired by one of the world’s rarest birds of prey, the great Philippine Eagle, also known as the monkey-eating Eagle, or by its native name, Haribon. The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) is a critically endangered species endemic to Philippine forests in eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. It has brown and white-colored plumage and a shaggy crest. In 1994, the IUCN and BirdLife International listed this species as critically endangered, with about 600 estimated to be left in the wild. (Philippine eagle. (2022, October 14). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_eagle)

Haribon is a grey ink with hints of purple and green and silver shimmer overlay.

The silver shimmer of Haribon gives it a festive look.

Sailfin Green | Ibid 1829

Sailfin Green | Ibid 1829

Sailfin Green | Ibid 1829 is a "light-hearted and playful" green ink with a brown sheen and an electric blue shimmer. It shades well and has a beautiful darker green halo when it dries. The brown sheen and electric blue shimmer give this ink a bright pattern that changes intensity depending on the light. Ibid is nice flowing and smooth ink, and of all the five colors of The Awareness Project, this color is my favorite.

Ibid is inspired by the Philippine sailfin lizard. The Philippine sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus), locally called Ibid was discovered by  Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz in 1829. It is an oviparous lizard endemic to several Philippine islands. Ibid is a protected species in the Philippines as it is a target for exotic pet collectors and is sought after in the international pet trade. It is now classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The Philippine sailfin lizard is large and usually grows to a length of two and three feet and has very bright color patterns. (Philippine sailfin lizard. (2022, September 20). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_sailfin_lizard)

Ibid is a "light-hearted and playful" green ink with a brown sheen and an electric blue shimmer.

Ibid shades well and has a beautiful darker green halo when it dries.

I have absolutely enjoyed working on the swatches and writing samples for these five lovely, beautiful, and meaningful inks from Vinta Inks. All five ink colors show the endangered animal that inspired them, and they are all fabulous!

Do you want to contribute to the cause of the three foundations and their conservation efforts? Do you want to experience these lovely inks? Get them now! All five inks are available from the Vinta Inks online store. Vinta Inks ship their inks internationally through regular mail or courier. You can also get Vinta Inks in selected retailers in the US, Australia, Europe, South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Here is a list of these retailers.

Rants of the Archer thanks Vinta Inks for providing The Awareness Project Collection for review purposes. To see their ink collections, visit the Vinta Inks website or follow them on social media:

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

Fountain Pen Ink Review: Vinta Inks Fairytale Collection

Four years ago, a proudly Pinoy brand of fountain pen ink was launched in Manila. Vinta Inks, launched in March 2019, uses locally sourced pigments meant for fountain pens and calligraphy. Since their launch, Vinta Inks have introduced many fountain pen ink colors that have become crowd favorites here and abroad. Last year in April, Vinta Inks launched their first Capsule Collection of fountain pen inks and two more seasonal inks in December in time for Christmas. 

Now, Vinta Inks have surprised us once again with the launch of The Fairytale Collection, a set of five new enchanting fountain pen ink colors that take inspiration from the beloved Lola Basyang fairytales and children's stories, written by the Filipino writer, playwright, and director Severino Reyes. Reyes wrote many children's stories in Liwayway magazine using the pen name "Lola Basyang," a character that describes a grandmother who loves telling stories to young children.

Vinta Inks' The Fairytale Collection was launched last February 28 and all five colors are now available.

The Fairytale Collection is available in 30ml spill-proof amber glass bottles with plastic caps. Vinta's ink bottles are individually wrapped in Saran Wrap to prevent leaks in case of breakage or spills. 

The Fairytale Collection by Vinta Inks

The Fairytale Collection from Vinta Inks have five unique and extraordinary colors as they are shading, sheening, and shimmering all at the same time. The five ink colors are the following:

• Saysay 1925 | Mystical Eve – a dark ink with silver shimmer
• Pagtangi 1958 | Clouds of Gray – a gray ink with gold shimmer
• Lakbay 1861 | Sea and Sky – a teal ink with red shimmer
• Salimbay 1949 | Plume – purple ink with pink shimmer
• Lakambini 1950 | The Maiden – pink ink with gold shimmer

Please click this image to see the different expressions of the five colors. Each ink swatch in this set has two parts: the upper half is a swatch of the ink without the shimmer, while the lower half shows the shimmer.

Saysay 1925  |  Mystical Eve

Saysay 1925  |  Mystical Eve

Saysay 1925 | Mystical Eve is the only dark ink in this collection. It's purple-black with a deep green undertone and fine silver shimmer. Of all five ink colors, Mystical Eve surprised me the most. It's a dark saturated ink, and yet it's also the wettest. It has excellent flow and is very expressive of the color undertone and shimmer.

Mystical Eve is based on the Lola Basyang story titled "Rosamistica," a young orphaned girl who was maltreated and neglected by her relatives. On the day of Rosamistica's aunt's birthday, she was given a 25-centavo coin. Rosamistica went to the fair and was eyeing a doll and some food to eat when she saw a mother and daughter asking for help so they can buy food. Rosamistica kindly gave her coin to the two and received a small bag in return. When she checked the bag, it was full of 25-centavo coins which Rosamistica also gave away to other people needing help.

1925 was the year the Lola Basyang stories first appeared in Liwayway, the oldest Tagalog magazine in the Philippines, published since 1922. 

Mystical Eve has a deep green undertone and fine silver shimmer.

This dark saturated ink is surprisingly wet with excellent flow.

Pagtangi 1958  |  Clouds of Gray

Pagtangi 1958  |  Clouds of Gray

Pagtangi 1958 | Clouds of Gray is a gray ink with brown and purple undertones and fine gold shimmer. I did not expect gray to go so well with gold. The combination of undertones and shimmer in this ink is so beautiful. It flows well and suits wider nibs.

Clouds of Gray is based on "Ang Kastilyong Bakal," the love story of young lovers Princess Olivia and Prince Agaton, who were separated by the jealous sorcerer Serpenton. With only his ingenuity and a few choice items from the elders of his kingdom, Prince Agaton goes on a journey to save the love of his life.

The year 1958 is when Sampaguita Pictures, a Philippine film production company, released the first Lola Basyang film.

This gray ink has purple and brown undertones and a fine gold shimmer.

Clouds of Gray is inspired by the fairytale "Kastilyong Gawa sa Bakal." 

Lakbay 1861  |  Sea and Sky

Labkay 1861  |  Sea and Sky

Lakbay 1861 | Sea and Sky is such a refreshing ink color. Its light blue teal reminds one of the seas and is overlaid with an earthy red shimmer. It's like looking at the horizon while the sun is setting. It has good flow and looks better in a wide nib.

Sea and Sky is based on the Lola Basyang story "Kapatid ng Tatlong Maria," where Teong the folk healer accidentally sets a giant serpent free after cutting down a magical kolesmeloko tree for profit. As punishment for his greed, he must give away his three daughters Maria Trining, Maria Upeng, and Maria Loleng, to three powerful kings. Many years later, the youngest child Pedro journeys across different realms in an effort to find his sisters and reunite his family.

1861 is the birth year of Severino Reyes, the creator and writer of Lola Basyang stories and fairytales.

Lakbay's light blue color and red shimmer look so good. This is another expressive ink as it shows blue, teal, and red.

Sea and Sky got its inspiration from a Lola Basyang story where a young boy went looking for his three long-lost sisters.

Salimbay 1949  |  Plume

Salimbay 1949  |  Plume

Salimbay 1949 | Plume is a bright purple ink with deep blue undertones and a pretty pink shimmer. It has excellent flow and looks good when used in a wider nib.

Plume is based on the story "Prinsipe ng mga Ibon," where a princess wanted to marry her beloved bird, Prinsipeng Ibon, despite her father's disapproval. In the end, Princess Singsing decided to turn herself into a beautiful bird and fly away with her beloved bird to his kingdom.

1949 is the year when the Lola Basyang comics were first printed and released.

This bright purple ink has blue undertones and pink shimmer.

Plume is inspired by a bird prince and his love for a beautiful princess.

Lakambini 1950  |  The Maiden

Lakambini 1950  |  The Maiden

Lakambini 1950 | The Maiden is probably everyone's favorite. This gorgeous pink ink has brown-purple undertones and a bright gold shimmer.  It's also a wet ink with excellent flow and consistency. Gold shimmer on pink looks so much better.

The Maiden is based on the Lola Basyang story "Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Hari," where a slave's daughter, Sharay, overcame the King's many challenges with wit and cunning in order to with the prince's hand in marriage.

1950 is the year when the Lola Basyang radio drama show became popular.

Love the gold shimmer in this pink ink color!

The Maiden is inspired by the fairytale "Ang Binibining Tumalo sa Hari," a story about a slave's daughter who fought for the love of a prince.

I enjoyed doing the ink swatches and doing the writing samples for these five lovely, happy, bright, and cheery fountain pen inks from Vinta Inks. All five ink colors are beautiful and show the story inspiration for each of them.  

Do you want to experience The Fairytale Collection? Do you want to try these beautiful shimmer inks? Vinta Inks ship their inks internationally through regular mail or courier. You can also get Vinta Inks in selected retailers in the US, Australia, Europe, South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Here is a list of these retailers.

Rants of the Archer thanks Vinta Inks for providing The Fairytale Collection for review purposes. To see their ink collections, visit the Vinta Inks website or follow them on social media:

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

Fountain Pen Ink Review: New Brew Inks

New Brew fountain pen inks in 60ml bottles.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed most of us into unwanted corners and places. Some of us are forced to work at our homes, while others needed to change jobs to cope with the pandemic. It's a difficult time, but it's also a period of learning and discovery. Aside from my family and close friends, several things that got me going at this challenging time are this blog, my fountain pen hobby, and the close-knit network of Pinoy fountain pen users. We help and support each other, reach out to one another, and discover many things together. One of the beautiful new things we discovered together during this time is New Brew, an amazing brand new ink series mixed by one of the younger members of Fountain Pen Network Philippines.

New Brew is produced by 18-year old Marcuz Bryant Cortez from the Philippines. Marcuz got the idea of mixing fountain pens inks four years ago when he got into the fountain pen hobby and didn't have enough inks of his own. He started mixing inks using food colorings and dyes. Now, he has more than 10 ink colors for New Brew and his ink bottles are selling faster than he can make them!

Marcuz has more than 10 ink colors for New Brew, and continues to make new ones. He even mixes limited edition ink colors for special orders placed by FPN Philippines members.

As part of my post-Independence Day week features, here are the 11 ink colors from New Brew, a promising ink brand made by a young Filipino entrepreneur for the world. And because most of us in the Philippines spent our Independence Day weekend watching Trese, Rants of The Archer is joining in! We're giving the world New Brew + Trese this weekend!

Space

Space is a dark blue ink that is very similar to the more popular blue blacks of Pilot, Diamine, and Lamy. It is more vibrant, though, and reveals hints of teal undertones. It is moderately saturated with excellent flow. New Brew Space has a good amount of shading even from a Fine nib and dries in less than 15 seconds on Veco 100gsm paper.

New Brew Space is a nice dark blue fountain pen ink with teal undertones.

New Brew Space from a wet Jinhao 992 F nib. This blue ink is so nice!

Blood Stain

Blood Stain is a dark red ink that looks like, yes, blood. It's not as wet as Space, but it still has good flow, and the F nib I used to test it did not experience any skipping or hard starts, two common problems with drier inks. I like Blood Stain when it has already dried because it develops a nice character that's not easy to find in bright red inks. It dries a dark red with hints of orange undertones and closer in color to Diamine Red Dragon or Robert Oster Royal Red.

New Brew Blood Stain is a dark red ink with hints of orange undertones. 

New Brew Blood Stain from a wet Jinhao 992 F nib. I love the character of this dark red ink when it has dried on paper.

Wine

Wine is a dark burgundy colored fountain pen ink that reminds me of J. Herbin Rouge Grenat or Diamine Terracotta. In the Canson paper when I did the swatch, it looks reddish-brown, but in the 100gsm Veco paper, it appears a dark brown color. This dark ink is moderately saturated and has a good flow. I used a glass dip pen to write a sample and it looked darker when it dried but it still showed the beautiful burgundy color.

New Brew Wine is a dark burgundy-colored ink.

I wrote this using a glass dip pen that's why it appears dark and saturated. It still shows the beautiful burgundy color.

Marshland Moss

Marshland Moss is New Brew's take on some classic moss green ink colors such as Sailor Epinard, Rohrer and Klingner Alt Goldgrun, Robert Oster Crocodile Green, and RO Australis Tea. At FPN Philippines, there is a group of moss green ink devotees called "Team Lumot (Moss)" and this ink color is typically up to their selection. Marcuz made Team Lumot so happy with Marshland Moss. It's a wet ink, more like Space, and while I used a glass dip pen to write a sample, I'm sure it has a good amount of shading when used in a fountain pen.

New Brew Marshland Moss, perfect moss-colored fountain pen ink.

I used a glass dip pen to write this sample so no shading here and it looks darker, but the moss green color is still visible.

Morning Brew

Marcus made a coffee-toned ink, too. Morning Brew is for the coffee lovers out there! Think of those halos left by coffee mugs and cups on the table. That's the color of Morning Brew! This ink color is lighter brown with hints of yellow and reminds me of J. Herbin Terre de Feu. It is moderately saturated, has good flow, and dries slower than the other New Brew inks. Again, I used a glass dip pen to write the writing sample so it appears darker than the ink swatch, but nice brown color is still visible. I can't wait to try this ink in a fountain pen to see some shading.

New Brew Morning Brew, a coffee-colored fountain pen ink.

Written with a glass dip pen, this sample looks a darker brown.

Shamrock

Here's New Brew's second green ink, Shamrock. It's a bright, happy green ink that reminds me so much of J. Herbin Lierre Sauvage, my first green fountain pen ink. Unlike Marshland Moss, Shamrock is less saturated and writes wetter. 

New Brew Shamrock, a happy, bright green fountain pen ink.

Shamrock is a wet ink, and though I wrote this using a glass dip pen, it's still a bright green color.

Late Afternoon

This orange ink color is called Late Afternoon to perhaps remember the colorful hues of the setting sun. I love, love, love this orange fountain pen ink! It has more yellow than red and appears very light while wet, but dries a beautiful sunset orange. It reminds me of J. Herbin Orange Indien, Laban's Greek Mythology Apollo Orange, and Lamy Mango. It's a wet ink, one of New Brew's less saturated inks and dries in 15-20 seconds.

New Brew Late Afternoon, a beautiful sunset orange ink.

Did I say I love this orange ink? I love this orange ink! And look at the yellow undertones in that shading! It's so beautiful!

Smoked Lavender

When Marcuz started posting about his ink mixes, Smoked Lavender was the one that caught my attention. This ink reminded me of Diamine Damson and my fondness for J. Herbin Poussiere de Lune, the dusky purple ink that got me started reviewing fountain pen inks. Smoked Lavender is also a dusky purple ink with gray undertones. I tried it on a wet fine nib and though it appears dark, it's still a beautiful ink color. Smoked Lavender would also look good in wider nibs, especially stubs that will show more of its shading. 

New Brew Smoked Lavender is a charming dusky purple fountain pen ink.

Smoked Lavender in a wet Jinhao 992 F nib. This ink would also look good in a stub nib.

Viridian Sky

Viridian Sky is another green ink from New Brew. It has more blue to it, which brings it closer to Edelstein Jade and Robert Oster's Tranquility and Marine. It is moderately saturated and has a good flow. Viridian Sky is a cooler green ink color than Shamrock.

New Brew Viridian Sky, a green ink with blue undertones.

Viridian Sky from a dip pen looks a darker green ink. It's a cooler green than Shamrock with its blue undertones.

Pebble Grey

I have a few favorites among these inks from New Brew and Pebble Grey is one of them. There are many gray inks available, but most of them are lighter in color. Pebble Grey is a gray ink that's dark enough to be readable and to have that "dark ink character". It also wrote so smoothly even from a Chinese F nib.

New Brew Pebble Grey (I misspelled it, sorry.), a dark, readable gray ink.

Pebble Grey from a wet Jinhao 992 F nib. It looks dark in this writing sample, but I like it. 

Nancy Pink

Of all the 11 inks in this review, Nancy Pink is the most amusing ink color to me. I'm a blue and orange ink person and I have maybe three or four pink inks in my collection. Nancy Pink is a bright, almost iridescent/neon pink that jumps off the page. It's also translucent so it could be used as a highlighter ink. It actually reminds me of the pink highlighter I used in High School. Like Late Afternoon, Nancy Pink is a happy and bright ink color.

New Brew Nancy Pink, a bright, translucent pink ink.

Nancy Pink is almost neon pink! I love it!

For the first time ever, I wrote about 11 inks in Rants of The Archer! But I am so pleased, so happy, so proud of these inks made by a young Pinoy entrepreneur. Marcuz is not only making new products, but he is constantly improving all of them through insights he gets from fellow fountain pen users. New Brew is still young, so is the mixologist, and I am so excited about the new products that Marcuz will bring to the fountain pen world! Do you like New Brew inks? Get one (or more) for your pens now!

Rants of the Archer thanks Marcuz Bryant Cortez and New Brew for providing the inks for review purposes. If you want to get New Brew inks, you can contact them through their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MarcuzBryant03