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

Fountain Pen Inks Review: Robert Oster Signature Ink Get.Set.Go

Have you been to Australia? Did you know Australia is the world's only continent covered by a single country? Yes, it is, and Australia is a country filled with extraordinary landscapes and natural wonders -- beaches, deserts, and tropical rainforests; unique wildlife; and a rich biodiversity. But no, I haven't been to Australia. My friend Robert Oster, however, lives there and he makes wonderful and lovely fountain pen inks that show the beautiful colors of Australia's scenery and culture. Robert Oster Signature inks come from one of the most famous wine-producing regions of the world, the Coonawarra district of South Australia.

Robert Oster Signature fountain pen inks are available in a wide selection of stunning, vibrant, and astonishing colors. Each color is unique, inspired by Australia's palette of natural beauty. They are non-toxic and eco-friendly, 100% made in Australia, and presented in 50ml recyclable PET bottles with travel-proof caps labeled by Robert Oster himself.

Aside from their amazing variety of colors, Robert Oster Signature fountain pen inks are also well-behaved, paper-friendly, and very easy to use. They have excellent flow and lubrication and pens filled with these inks write well without any hard starts, skips, or dryness. These inks also have good drying times—they dry fast!

In late 2018, Robert Oster launched a seven-color ink set that he says describes the colors around him, the colors he sees in birds, flowers, leaves, and even the bark of Australian trees. He called the set Get.Set.Go and it has the following vibrant and stunning fountain pen ink colors, namely, Dragon's Night, True Blue, Crocodile Green, Burned Orange, Deep Purple, Red Candy, and Hot Pink.

Dragon's Night

Robert said that Dragon's Night reminds him of "something that keeps me awake as I ponder the dark midnight Aussie sky." Dragon's Night is a vibrant dark blue ink with hints of purple. It has medium shading and a lovely red sheen seen when the ink is used in wide nibs such as broad, stub, or italic. Dragon's Night is a wet ink, has an excellent flow, and not highly saturated. My test pen with a .7 stub nib wrote wet and smooth.

Dragon's Night is a perfect ink for daily notetaking, journaling, signing legal documents, calligraphy, illustrations, or art. Although it is made for fountain pens, it could also be used for brush and dip pens. This ink did so well in 90gsm paper from Canson, no feathering, and certainly no bleeding. It's a well-behaved ink, doesn't stain or clog pens, and dries on paper after ~20 seconds.

True Blue™

True Blue™ is "Aussie slang for BFF, for keeping it real, and for a host of positive emotions." Oh, I didn't know that! True Blue™ ink is a light blue ink that is close to turquoise. It has minimum shading and a lovely pinkish to a red sheen that shows towards the edges of where the ink has pooled. This sheen is very visible when the ink is used in wide nibs such as broad, stub, or italic. Like Dragon's Night and most Rober Oster inks, True Blue™ has no issues with its flow and lubrication. It has an excellent flow, and my test pen wrote very smoothly.

While I may not use a light blue ink for business and legal documents, I will still use True Blue™ for my daily notes, journaling, calligraphy, illustrations, and art. Again, this ink was manufactured for fountain pens, but it could also be used for brush and dip pens. This ink did so well in 90gsm paper from Canson, and I did not see any feathering or bleeding. It's another well-behaved Robert Oster ink and doesn't stain or clog pens. It dries on paper after ~20 seconds.

Crocodile Green

Robert said Crocodile Green is something "seen in the waters of our rugged Northern Territory. Take care up there!" I am assuming that the thing Robert saw in the waters are crocodiles and they inspired the color of this ink. I am not too fond of green inks, but this dark seaweed-like green shading ink with orange to red sheen is my favorite in this set. Crocodile Green looks so good in my Pelikan M400 White Tortoise and its B nib shows both shading and sheen at the same time. Crocodile Green has excellent flow and lubrication, and my test pen wrote very smoothly.

I could use this dark green ink for any writing purposes — daily notes, journaling, calligraphy, illustrations, and sketches. I could sign documents with this ink, or even make art! This ink performed well in 90gsm paper from Canson, and there is no feathering or bleeding. Despite its dark color, Crocodile Green is another well-behaved Robert Oster ink that doesn't stain or clog pens. It dries on paper after 15-20 seconds.

Burned Orange

Burned Orange, according to Robert is "the South Australian Riverland sand under my bare feet when I was six years old." Burned Orange is a dark, rich orange ink that reminds one of the fall and dried leaves. It has medium shading and a golden to dark brown sheen seen in my swatches where the ink has pooled and dried. Burned Orange is a wet ink, has an excellent flow, and not highly saturated. My test pen with a .7 stub nib wrote wet and smooth.

Burned Orange is a dark orange ink that could easily be mistaken as brown in some paper types such as Rhodia. This ink doesn't have that much shading, but it could be used for daily notetaking, journaling, calligraphy, illustrations, or art. It could also be used for brush and dip pens. I tested this ink in 90gsm paper from Canson, and there were no feathering or bleeding. It's a well-behaved ink, doesn't stain or clog pens, and dries on paper after about 15-20 seconds.

Deep Purple

Robert said that Deep Purple reminds him of "Aussie Tree bark after the rain." Deep Purple is a dark and very saturated purple ink. It looks almost black when wet and dries off a very dark purple. It has no shading or sheen. Despite its saturation, Deep Purple has a good flow, and my test pen with a .7 stub nib wrote wet and smooth.

Deep Purple is a nice dark purple ink. I know I can use it for my daily note-taking, journaling, calligraphy, illustrations, or art. It could also be used for brush and dip pens. This ink showed some feathering and bleeding in my ink tests probably because of its high saturation. Despite its dark color, this ink doesn't stain or clog pens, but it dries longer at 25-30 seconds.

Red Candy

Red Candy seems to evoke happy memories as Robert said it reminds him of "sometimes candy apples at country fairs... maybe red candy cane twined around white sugar sticks in December." I only have a few red inks, and I use them mostly for writing important notes, or when I need to write my edits on paper. Red Candy comes as a dark true red with no shading but has a strong gold to brown sheen, making it look more stunning. The sheen on this ink is seen when it is used in wide nibs such as broad, stub, or italic. Red Candy is a wet ink, has an excellent flow, and not highly saturated. My test pen with a .7 stub nib wrote wet and smooth.

Red Candy may not be suitable for business and legal documents, but it's a happy bright ink for daily notetaking, journaling, calligraphy, illustrations, or art. This ink is made for fountain pens and could also be used for brush and dip pens. Red Candy did well in 90gsm paper from Canson, without feathering and bleeding. It's a well-behaved ink and unlike other red ink, it doesn't stain or clog pens. Red Candy dries on paper after 15-20 seconds.

Hot Pink

Hot Pink appears to be a very personal ink color to Robert because it is "seared in my memory... It is the color of my mother's wedding dress in December 1969." Hot Pink is a dark pink ink, almost like magenta. It has medium shading and minimum sheen around the edges of the ink swatch. Sheen is seen when the ink is used in wide nibs such as broad, stub, or italic. Hot Pink is a wet ink, has an excellent flow, and not highly saturated. My test pen with a .7 stub nib wrote wet and smooth.

Similar to red, pink ink may not be suitable for business or legal documents, but I will definitely use it for my daily notes, journaling, calligraphy, and art. This fountain pen ink could also be used for brush and dip pens. Like the six inks in this set, Hot Pink did so well in 90gsm paper from Canson and I did not see any feathering or bleeding. It's a well-behaved ink and doesn't stain or clog pens. It dries on paper after 15-20 seconds.

Robert Oster Signature inks are available in more than a hundred vibrant, stunning, and unique colors. They are well-behaved inks, very safe to use, and sold in more than 60 stores (physical and online) all over the world. Choose one — or more — for your pens today! Here's Robert Oster Signature's Ink Swatchbrowser to guide you!

For more information on Robert Oster Signature and Shake'N'Shimmy inks, visit their website. A list of Robert Oster's retail partners all over the world is also available on their website.

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Note: The inks in this review were provided by an online seller. The photos and reviews, however, are my own.

Fountain Pen Inks Review: Robert Oster Signature Ink Bondi Blue and Australian Sky Blue

I came upon Robert Oster Signature Inks one morning, at breakfast. I saw an ink swab of Bondi Blue, and thought it's a beautiful blue ink. I realized Robert Oster has a lot of blue ink, and I fell in love with Bondi Blue and Australian Sky Blue. A lively chat with Robert Oster followed, and a week later, I found myself at the post office, picking up seven (seven!!!) bottles of inky awesomeness from Down Under.

Blue inks overload!

In the past, I have used fountain pen inks from China, India, and Japan, but I have not tried inks from Australia until I saw Robert Oster's Signature line.

Signature Inks are made in Australia, reflecting the country’s natural color palette. Robert Oster is proud that his inks originate from the Coonawarra district of South Australia, one of the most famous wine producing regions of the world. His ink palette has the colors of the sun, sky, sea, earth, vines, and wines.

Blue, blue-green, and green inks from Australia! I got the sky, the sea, and the vine!

Robert is kind to send me Bondi Blue, Australian Sky Blue, School Blue, Torquay, Tranquility, Green Diamond, and Marine. I realized that he sent me the sky, the sea, and the vines of Coonawarra.

Signature inks are sold in tall, leak-proof, Australian-made 50ml plastic bottles that are sturdy enough to survive the sometimes bumpy ride from Australia to the rest of the world. 100ml bottles are also available in selected sellers of Robert Oster Signature Ink worldwide.

Robert Oster Signature Inks come in tall 50ml bottles with gold labels bearing the Signature branding.

Label on the other side of the bottle says that Robert Oster Signature Inks are 'known for their unique colors', and have a 'certain something.'

Each bottle of Signature Inks has a leak-proof cap which also carries the sticker indicating the ink name/color. Just be careful not to mix bottles and caps when you have several ink bottles open.

Signature Ink bottles have wider openings that can accommodate large pens.
I can't fit that TWSBI in a 30ml Diamine bottle, or in the 1670 J. Herbin glass bottles.

I chose two from the seven inks that I received. I tried Bondi Blue and Australian Sky Blue first, and used pens with wide nibs to see the lovely shading and the impressive halo that I saw in Robert Oster's sample ink swabs. Bondi Blue went to my Pelikan M205 with BB nib, and the Australian Sky Blue went into a TWSBI with B nib.

Bondi Blue (top two paragraphs) and Australian Sky Blue (bottom paragraphs) on Tomoe River paper.

Here are my observations, followed by sample photos of the two inks. 

Both inks are wet, and flowed smoothly onto paper. Australian Sky Blue is wetter than Bondi Blue, which explains why it dried longer. Both have excellent shading and halo, but Bondi Blue's is darker, wider, and more visible. Like most fountain pen inks, these two have low water resistance. I have not used them long enough to test their color fastness, but both colors look like they will last, as long as they are not exposed to extreme heat or moisture.

Bondi Blue is dark blue while wet, but turns lighter when it dries. On paper, it looks similar to Waterman South Sea Blue, or Sheaffer Turquoise. Australian Sky Blue doesn't change much when it dries, and it's more similar to J. Herbin Bleu Pervenche and Lamy Turquoise.

Robert Oster Signature Ink Bondi Blue. Bondi is an Aboriginal word which means 'water breaking over rocks,
or noise of water breaking over rocks.'  Perhaps Bondi Beach is the inspiration for this ink color.

I love how Bondi Blue goes light to dark from a single pass to triple passes.

See the shading? And the sheen/halo? This ink has too much sheen! It's visible on the single pass swab (top), which is still very light, but dark and heavy on the swab with three passes (bottom).

Bondi Blue's sheen in my writing sample. This is the reason why I chose to use a pen with BB nib.
The sheen won't be visible in a pen with fine or medium nib. 

Wet ink + BB nib = long drying time.

Robert Oster Signature Ink Australian Sky Blue. Inspired by the bright blue of a cloudless Australian sky.

Australian Sky Blue is a turquoise ink with lovely shading that can go from light to dark, depending on the pen and paper used.

The swabs with double and triple passes show the lovely sheen/halo of Australian Sky Blue.

Shading! Sheen! What's not to like and love about this ink?

Wetter ink + B nib = longer drying time.

I had fun trying and reviewing these Robert Oster Signature Inks. I now have four pens filled with different Robert Oster inks, and I'm looking forward to more fun in my next review.

Writing sample of Bondi Blue on Midori MD Paper.

Are you looking for turquoise inks to add into your collection? Get one from Robert Oster Signature Ink palette. Bondi Blue and Australian Sky Blue are great choices, but there are more turquoise inks there! Torquay and Tranquility are also excellent ink colors, so why not get them, too! Watch out for these two in my future ink reviews.

Robert Oster Signature Inks are available in a number of authorized global resellers. To look for a reseller near you, check Robert Oster's list of global resellers. In the Philippines, these inks are available at EverythingCalligraphy.com.

For more information about the Signature inks, visit the Robert Oster website. For updates and news of new Signature inks, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Instagram and Twitter.