Ink Flight #71 Reveal, December 2022

Through artful storytelling, Ferris Wheel Press reintroduces new generations of creative people to the romance of fountain pens and stationery. Fall in love with writing while using these gorgeous inks made in Canada.

Formally founded in 2017, Ferris Wheel Press is one of the of the most design-minded stationery companies in the industry. In the last couple of years, FWP's collection of ink grew with many seasonal varieties, collaborations, and special editions. It was high time we sampled what our neighbors to the North were brewing.

December 2022 Ink Flight Box #71 "Currently Inked" Color Selection

Ferris Wheel Press Velvet Ballet
Merlot ink mixed with silver metallic sparkle, this color has a warm and glamorous appeal.

Ferris Wheel Press Spruce County Post
Celebrate "the Finer Things" with this calming and earthy spruce tree green ink color.

Ferris Wheel Press Pumpkin Patch
This bold orange ink evokes autumn's splendor. Shades from light golden amber to a burnt maple.

Ferris Wheel Press Little Robinia
Light and undersaturated, this soft lilac ink shades with a blue undertone.

Ferris Wheel Press Peter Moss
Released in fall 2021, this olive green ink has a hint of black sheen.

Ferris Wheel Press Edwards Gardens
A scintillating teal with gold sparkling flakes and a mystical hint of red sheen.

Ferris Wheel Press Stroke of Midnight
Ring in the New Year with this shimmering, opalescent midnight blue ink.

Tasting Notes:

Although it's a little late for pumpkin lattes and pumpkin-themed fountain pen inks, I couldn't help but add Pumpkin Patch to the Flight this month. And, I'm glad I did. I currently have Pumpkin Patch in a medium Sailor Pro Gear and it shows plenty of wonderful shading with a strong intensity on paper.

From the consistency of the ink, I thought that the Velvet Ballet would be more saturated of an ink. It does have plenty of silver shimmer, which I had to floss out of my Kaweco Sport's nib after it prematurely ran dry. Once I flossed the tines with a brass sheet, the ink flowed without further issue.

To pair with the merlot red of Velvet Ballet, we had Spruce County Post, which I enjoyed writing in a Bluedew flex nib. It's a fairly saturated ink that has a slight degree of smoky shading. The cool tone of this green ink reminds me of evergreen trees.

Stroke of Midnight is a must-have to end 2022. It's a dark blue-black with some sheen and silver shimmer. I was concerned this ink would be a little too dry and smeary. Not to worry. It flowed nicely from my Lamy Safari 1.1mm stub without smearing.

Box Extras: Endless Creative Block Tear-off notepad, Wearingeul Smile Cat Ink Swatch Cards

Great ideas can sometimes be fleeting. Capture them by scribbling on a handy pad like this "Creative Block" notepad by Endless. Quickly jot down notes to "unblock" any mental logjams.

The 70 sheets of 80gsm Regalia paper can handle saturated fountain pen inks and broad nibs. Tear away each sheet with ease after dumping all the contents of your brain on the page. Place this pad on your work desk or carry it with you wherever inspiration hits.

For someone who is accustomed to writing on smooth, lightweight Tomoe River paper, Regalia paper's toothy, thick sheets take some getting used to. Once you go through a few sheets, you'll realize the paper is a champ at handling the heaviest fountain pen inks, showing sheen and shading just as nice.

Catalog your ink swatches with the grinning Smile Cat swatch cards included in this month's flight. Each pack includes 50 sheets of 200gsm impression paper with an epoxy coating that will show the cat's smile when you brush over the surface with fountain pen ink.

Have you ever asked for a hippopotamus for Christmas? How about an Inktopotamus? Illustrated by Thales Medeiros (@untaughrod on Instagram), this hippo is taking a dip in some ink. 

What are your thoughts on December's Ink Flight? Please feel to share them on social media by tagging me @inkjournal or send me a quick e-mail to provide your feedback. 

======

Previous Ink Flights

Ink Flight #1 - Noodler's, Ink Flight #2 - Robert Oster Signature, Ink Flight #3 - KWZ, Ink Flight #4 - J. Herbin, Ink Flight #5 - P.W. Akkerman, Ink Flight #6 - Papier Plume, Ink Flight #7 - Platinum Mix-Free, Ink Flight #8 - Franklin-Christoph, Ink Flight #9 - Organics Studio, Ink Flight #10 - Monteverde, Ink Flight #11 - Krishna, Ink Flight #12 - Caran d'Ache, Ink Flight #13 - Rohrer & Klingner, Ink Flight #14 - Blackstone, Ink Flight #15 - Colorverse, Ink Flight #16 - De Atramentis, Ink Flight #17 - Aurora & Montegrappa, Ink Flight #18 - Krishna, KWZ, Papier Plume, Ink Flight #19 - Diamine, Ink Flight #20 - J. Herbin, Ink Flight #21 - Robert Oster Signature 80's Collection, Ink Flight #22 - 3 Oysters, Ink Flight #23 - InkJournal Holiday Blend, Ink Flight #24 - Taccia, Ink Flight #25 - Kyoto TAG, Ink Flight #26 - Kaweco, Ink Flight #27 - April Fool's Surprise, Ink Flight #28 - Pelikan, Ink Flight #29 - Sailor, Ink Flight #30 - Straits Pen Honest Inks, Ink Flight #31 - Colorverse, Season 5, Ink Flight #32 - Inks by Vinta, Ink Flight #33 - Troublemaker, Ink Flight #34 - Monteverde Sweet Life, Ink Flight #35 - Taccia Inks Pt. 2, Ink Flight #36 - Sailor Manyo, Ink Flight #37 - P.W. Akkerman, Ink Flight #38 - Waterman, Ink Flight #39 - April Fool's Suprise II, Ink Flight #40 - Lamy, Ink Flight #41 - KWZ, Pt.2, Ink Flight #42 - Robert Oster, Pt. 3, Ink Flight #43 - Pure Pens, Ink Flight #44 - Kiwi Inks, Ink Flight #45 - Sailor Manyo, Pt. 2, Ink Flight #46 - Colorverse Ink Project, Ink Flight #47 - Van Dieman's Ink, Ink Flight #48 - L'Artisan Pastellier Callifolio, Ink Flight #49 - Pennonia, Ink Flight #50 - Jacques Herbin Essentials, Ink Flight #51 - April Fool's Surprise III, Ink Flight #52 - Colorverse, Season 7, Ink Flight #53 - Private Reserve, Ink Flight #54 - Graf von Faber-Castell, Ink Flight #55 - Stipula, Ink Flight #56 - Taccia Ukiyo-e 2nd Edition, Ink Flight #57 - Ink or Treat, Ink Flight #58 - Colorverse Ink Project Vol. 2 Constellations, Ink Flight #59 - Dominant Industry, Ink Flight #60 - Robert Oster Cities of America, vol 1, Ink Flight #61 - Wearingeul, Ink Flight #62 - Van Dieman's Underwater Series, Ink Flight #63 - April Fool's Surprise IV, Ink Flight #64 - Pennonia Inks, Pt. 2, Ink Flight #65 - Vinta Inks, Pt. 2 feat. "Fairytale", Ink Flight #66 - Monarca Stationery, Ink Flight #67 - Sailor Yurameku Inks, Ink Flight #68 - Troublemaker, Pt. 2, Ink Flight #69 - Krishna, Pt. 2, Ink Flight #70 - Octopus Fluids