Anderson Pens sent me the sample that I started using for this review, but I liked it so much that I had to get a bottle. This is one that I've got no reservations about recommending. It's a sort of creamy brown that looks like coffee with cream. (Thus the name.)
The first pen that I put this in was a Kanilea Mauna Kea, and it matches the pen really well. It's sort of like the colors on the pen are coming together to make the ink. Corny? Yeah. It's true, though.
Check out the images below to see this ink in action, and let me know what you think of it. I'm a big fan of brown inks, and this one is near the top of the list for me. At the end of the post you'll see a bunch of color comparisons for this ink.
Written Review
Close-Ups!
I've got it listed as "medium" flow here, but it's a little on the dry-medium side. I haven't had any issues with flow or hard starts, but it doesn't exactly flood the page.
Copy Paper Test
This is a really good ink for copy paper. There's only a bit of show-thru on this paper, even with a broad nib.
Whew! I'm a little bit behind in posting this blog because Blogger had some issue for a while that wouldn't let people upload images to their blog posts. That's sort of a problem for us, right? Yeah.
You know what's not a problem? Reviewing cool products! These are some cool products, I think.
Mark at Rickshaw sent these to me over the course of a few months*, and I've been using them quite a lot. They're all made in their shop in San Francisco, CA by a small staff.
As you see in the group shot above, there are several different types of case to look at, so let's look at them in groups. Pen Sleeves!
I love the herringbone!
These are the cases that you'll put a pen in and then throw it into your pocket or purse and leave the house. They come in lots of sizes from extra short to extra long, and they can be made skinnier to fit your very thin pens. There is a huge variety of colors available, and they can be made in your custom configurations, as well. What you can't see in the photos (though I try to show it in the video), is that the insides of these pen sleeves are made of a plush material. Think of a baby's toy or one of those blankets that you keep on the couch for when you're a little chilly. That stuff. It's a really great feature, and I'm glad that someone thought of it. That plush interior comes in a wide array of colors, too, and you can customize that as well. Very nice touches, I think.
The Duo case is probably my favorite one. It's wide enough that it stays upright in your pocket, and I generally use it to carry a fountain pen and a "regular" pen with me. I'd usually carry a couple of pens anyway, and this keeps them from flipping all around in your pockets and getting lost or poking you in odd places or whatever.
Below, I've stacked the 4-pen Clover, the Duo, and the Solo sleeves. There's also a trio, but I don't have that one.
These are all the medium size sleeves, I think, and they can hold some pens of very different sizes just fine, I think. As you'll see there, I've got Franklin-Christophs, Bexleys, Platinums, a Retro 51, a Pelikan, and a Kanilea in those sleeves, and they all fit just fine. I'd like a slightly longer one for the huge Kanilea, but it's the biggest pen in my collection.
Below, you'll see the Clover case. This is one that I'm glad he sent out because I kept getting questions about it from pen-folks. I had the fear that it'd be too bulky once you filled it with pens, but that wasn't the case. It's about like holding a hotdog bun in your hand. I don't put this in my pants' pocket, but it goes fine in a bag or backpack.
Like the pen sleeves, this case is customize-able, and the pen slots are lined with the plush material. There's also a slot in the back of the case for keeping whatever you like. I tend to carry a small notebook back there, but it comes with a plastic taco for carrying all sorts of things from change to tickets or credit cards. Really useful. The only drawback might be that velcro, because it's going to be pretty loud if you're trying to stealthily switch pens in a meeting.
The Hemingway Deluxe Pen Roll!
The Hemingway is a really nice version of the pen roll that is becoming ubiquitous right now. It carries 6 pens, and there's plenty of plush to keep your pens comfy and protected. The outside is 420D Nylon, and it feels light but tough. Check out this video that Mark made for some tips on the pen roll. Turns out that I've been using it "wrong".
This is the one that I've used the least. That's not because it's not good, but because I only really use pen rolls for traveling. They're a great way to bring a bunch of pens with you to the office or on a long trip, but I don't generally take that many with me unless I'm going to a pen show. Video Review!
Want to see these in action? Check out this video where I run through the line-up.
*These were free samples sent out for review and enjoyment. Their free-ness doesn't affect my reviews in any way that I can detect, and (as always) no promises were made.
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