Ink Flight #40 Reveal, May 2020
Ever since I saw bottles of LT52 Lamy ink roll off the assembly line in Heidelberg, Germany during my trip to the Lamy factory last year, I knew we were eventually going to host a Lamy Ink Flight. The only question was, when?
Since 2015, Lamy had made the habit of releasing one new special edition ink that accompanies a special edition pen, usually a Safari. They had a hit on their hands with the super-saturated Dark Lilac of 2016 and Petrol the following year. When it came time to plan the Lamy Ink Flight, we opted to include 3 special edition colors - 2020's Mango, Turmaline, and 2019's Bronze.
Here is a rundown of May 2020's Ink Flight colors -
Lamy Turquoise
Lamy's standard turquoise is a bright, satisfying blue with a good degree of shading.
Lamy Bronze 2019 S.E.
Introduced last year with the AL-Star Bronze pen, this ink is a lightly saturated orange that shades.
Lamy Turmaline 2020 S.E.
Matching the Lamy AL-Star pen released this year, this color is a bold teal that leans green.
Lamy Mango 2020 S.E
Matching the Lamy Safari Candy pen color, Mango is a refreshing, bright golden yellow.
Lamy Crystal Amazonite
The "Crystal" collection was introduced as Lamy's premium range of ink colors back in 2018. Amazonite is a saturated teal blue color.
Lamy Crystal Azurite
This purplish-blue has a rich saturation and nice sheen when used on fountain pen friendly paper.
Lamy Crystal Benitoite
This blue-gray color has a lighter saturation and is document proof.
Now, this was the Ink Flight that we sent to 97% of all boxes. To a random few, we included this special treat below.
Lamy Dark Lilac 2016 S.E.
The legendary special edition ink is so rare and sought after that fresh bottles sell for over $100 each! This purple color is saturated with a gold sheen. Missed out on swatching this amazing color? A limited number of 2ml samples are available at the InkJournal shop. Shop Dark Lilac.
Tasting Notes: I find myself enjoying the lighter, less saturated colors as the weather warms up here in New Jersey. The Mango and Bronze hit the spot for cheery fun colors that shade well in broader or flex nibs. The Turquoise and the teal inks (Amazonite and Turmaline) are welcomed into the mix for their bright hues. Of course, need a nice saturated ink that sheens, which Lamy does so well without clogging the pen.
Box Extras - Mishmash Holy Silver/Holy Gold Pocket Notebook (assorted colors)
The makers of Mishmash want to inspire people to create wonderful things. The founder, Beatriz Barros, believes that "writing objects have the capacity of capturing ideas, becoming something they are not, becoming a mirror of each person’s personality and creativity."
Enter the Mishmash pocket notebook - made in Portugal with 96 pages spine-stitched with a sturdy card cover. The Holy Gold has gilded page edges while the Holy Silver has a silver metallic edge. The visual effect beckons you to write, draw, and dream.
(We have a limited number of extra Mishmash journals on sale here.)
The plain paper has a little tooth to the texture and holds up well to fountain pen inks used in a variety of nib sizes. The binding allows the book to lay flat. If you find that the pages are sticking together, try riffling the book like a flipbook.
This month's special edition InkJournal-exclusive sticker features the Inktopus emoji with the words "STAY HOME - PLAY WITH PENS." The color palette mimics the new Lamy Safari 2020 Candy special edition pens.
GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY (USA shipping addresses only)
Enter for a chance to win an upcoming June 2020 Ink Flight Box. Use the simple form below to enter your e-mail address. We will pick one random winner on Tuesday, June 2nd at 9:00 pm. My sincere apologies to our international friends, we will only ship this giveaway to USA addresses.
Although we will not require a comment to be entered in the giveaway, please do write your thoughts on May's Ink Flight 40 below.
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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)