Ink Flight #83 Reveal, December 2023

 For December's Ink Flight, we put together an assortment of inks and accessories from one of the best US distributors in the business - Luxury Brands of America. Thanks to the Gillett family, you'll find many of your favorite worldwide writing and stationery brands readily available in the USA.

Founded by Shunichi Nakata in 1919, the Platinum Pen Co. has a long history of producing world-class luxury writing instruments. Driven by the desire to enhance the pleasure of writing, Platinum carefully formulates a selection of inks with unique properties. This month's selection includes mixable, iron gall, and permanent inks.

December 2023 Ink Flight Box #83 Color Selection

Platinum Mix Free Sunny Yellow
This bright, lemony yellow ink is mixable with Flame Red or Aqua blue to make orange or green, respectively.

Platinum Mix Free Flame Red
This light, pinkish red adds passion to your words and can be mixed with the other two Mix Free inks in this Flight.

Platinum Mix Free Aqua Blue
Bright and deep with shading, this turquoise ink has a calming influence. Feel free to combine it with the other two Mix Free inks.

InkJournal Holiday Blend "Majestic Spruce"
Made using Platinum Mix Free Ink, this blend is made using 1 part Aurora Blue, 2 parts Aqua Blue, 2 parts Earth Brown, 3 parts Leaf Green, and 6 parts Sunny Yellow.

Platinum Classic Lavender Black
The dye-based iron gall ink starts as a bright purple and darkens into a rich mulled wine color.

Platinum Classic Sepia Black
This earthy, brown iron gall ink darkens as it dries with a high degree of shading.

Platinum Chou-Kuro
The "blackest black" ever created in the company's 104-year history, this pigmented black ink is rich and waterproof.

Tasting Notes:

As a brand of fountain pen inks, Platinum tends to be overlooked against the more popular Sailor Ink Studio and Pilot Iroshizuku ink collections. As you'll see in this Ink Flight, the Japanese manufacturer has plenty of uniqueness to offer the creative writer.

Much like a cook who has to prepare a tasty meal using leftovers from yesterday's feast, I challenged myself to create a fountain pen ink color using the remaining Platinum Mix-Free inks we have in the office. After a night of mixing (using the Ink Miser, more on that below), testing, and swatching, I came up with the "InkJournal Holiday Blend" you see in this Flight. It's a dark, shading, olive green color with blue undertones. 

You can do your own mixing using the 3 "Mixable" colors - Sunny Yellow, Flame Red, and Aqua Blue. From these three colors, you can create almost any color on the color wheel.

You'll have a newfound appreciation for how ink dries when you try the Platinum Classic Lavender Black & Sepia Black. These iron gall inks are still safe for fountain pens (just make sure to clean completely between inkings and don't leave the ink in your pen for longer than a couple of months) and are waterproof once the ink is dry on the page. The ink colors shift from a brighter, lighter version when wet to a darker shade seconds later once dry.

Blacker than Platinum's popular Carbon Black ink, Chou Kuro is one of this year's most talked-about fountain pen inks. It's a permanent, waterproof ink that lays down a rich, black line with ample flow. 

December's Box Extras

Ink Miser Ink Shot Ink Well

Savor every drop of ink. The Ink Miser Ink Shot Ink well is an essential accessory that makes filling your pens easier. For pens with large nibs or a vacuum-filling system, the Ink Miser is an indispensable tool for refilling.

Instead of filling directly from an ink sample, you can pour ink from the vials into the Ink Miser's cone to fill your fountain pen.

Use the included pipette to combine the Platinum Mix-Free inks in the Ink Miser to create your unique blend of fountain pen ink.

Girologio Single Pen Case

Dress your daily carry pen in fine leather with the Girologio single pen case. The single pen case has a flap and loop to close and secure the pen inside. Protect your favorite pens in the sturdy construction of this case.

This month’s sticker is a festive illustration of “Cthulhu Claus.” If you’re on the “nice” list, it arrives with plenty of pen paraphernalia. You don’t want to know what happens if you’re on the “naughty” list.

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