Combo Review #1

I know that reviews are common to see in the community, but I figured I would try a method that isn't as common. This review is going to be a combo-review, or a review of a combination of pen, ink, and paper. One reason these aren't as popular is because there are so many possible combinations that it would be tedious and impossible to try and cover them all. In order to avoid some of the mental fatigue, I figured I would review the combinations that I personally use in my every day life.

This first review covers Rhodia Grid paper, TWSBI Diamond 580 with a broad nib, and Diamine's Misty Blue ink. Below is the picture of the combo-review, and below that will be a walk through of how I went about the review.

This combo-review was done on Rhodia Grid paper using a TWSBI Diamond 580 with a broad nib. The ink used in the review was Diamine Misty Blue.

The first aspect I looked for with the combination was the line variation aspect. This test tells us if there is any variation in the line width of different strokes. I measured down strokes with cross strokes. There is not much difference in these line widths, but the down strokes are ever so slightly wider than the cross strokes. The difference between diagonal down and diagonal up strokes is more obvious. The down strokes are a lot thicker than the up strokes. This pen has a moderate line variation.

The flex test uses similar measuring techniques as the last test, but measures how much the tines will bend combined with how the ink will flow through the spread tines. The objective of this test is to see how far apart the tines on the nib will spring apart. The farther apart the tines are, the wider the line width will be on the page. The tines are spread by downward pressure on a downward stroke. This pen is not flexible and should not be pushed too hard, but you can get a little bit of difference. Combined with this, the ink must be able to run through the tines. If the ink cannot reach the tip of the nib to make contact with the paper, it is known as railroading. This means you have opened the tines too much and ink will not get on the paper. This did not happen in my test.  In the picture above, you can see that the last stroke (made with more pressure) is wider than the first stroke (made with no pressure). The pen is not meant for flex, but can get a little bit of variation. I would not push it, but it can be done. 

Wetness refers to the flow of ink out of the pen. This test is used to describe how ink flows out of a pen. A wetter pen and ink combination will appear to have more ink coming out of it whereas a dry pen and ink combo will appear to have less ink appearing on the page. This test is conducted by drawing a few scribbles, then pulling the ink out with the finger. The more ink that is pulled with the finger, the wetter the pen is. This pen had a good sized smudge so I will call it a wet combination. 

The first three categories focus on the abilities of the pen and the ink. The rest examine the properties between the paper and the ink, though the broad nib does come into play with these factors, using a finer nib on this combination review might change all of these results. 

Dry time is a measure of the time it takes for ink to dry on the page. This test measures properties relating to the ink and the paper. This pen took between 30 seconds and a minute to dry. One reason this could be is Rhodia paper is not meant to absorb ink, which is great when it comes to fountain pens because it means your lines won't blur. The downside to having crisp lines is having to wait for the ink to dry. The broad nib on this pen probably factors into this because it laid down more ink than a medium or fine nib.

Shading is a really cool aspect of fountain pens and their inks. Shading is where an ink will change different shades of the same ink in the same stroke. If you look at the first layer, you can see the top of the line is lighter than the bottom of the line. On the 2 layer test, you can see darker color where lines meet and generally darker toward the center. On the 4 layer test, you can see different spots of different shades. It may show up better in person than on a digital picture, but you can see some of it. This ink has a range of different shades. This would be a good shading ink that gets shown off well on the Rhodia paper. 

The final test is the water test. This is a test of ink permanence to see how ink will hold up to spills and weathering on the paper. To conduct this test, I scribbled a box out on the paper and allowed it to completely dry. Once the ink was dry, I placed a drop of water on the ink box and allowed it to sit for about a minute. After a minute, I dried it with a paper towel and found the results. Most of the colors had been washed out by the water, but some of the darker lines were still there. If water accidentally spilled on your notebook, it doesn't seem to have a good chance of surviving. You may be able to make out some of the darker words, but most of it will probably wash away with the water. 

The final section is a wrap of of the review. I put away all the tests, and put it all together for a writing test. This is to get a feel for what normal writing with the combination of the pen, ink, and paper would be like. I start with the alphabet followed by single digits and write the famous pangram "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."  A pangram is a sentence that uses every letter in the alphabet at least once. The writing is a smooth experience and the ink flows out of the pen gracefully. The shading of the letters add character to the writing and definition to the characters. I would rate this combination extremely high because I prefer wetter pens and smooth writing experience (which Rhodia is known for providing). One downside is waiting for pages to dry. This would be an issue during in a note-taking or other fast paced environment. For personal writing I wouldn't mind so much; it helps me slow down and focus on what I am actually writing. 

Comment below if you want to see more of this type of review or if you have questions about the set up. Let me know if you have tried any of these products and tell me your experiences with them!