Ink Flight #47 Reveal, December 2020

For our final Ink Flight of 2020, we head over to Tasmania, Australia. Chances are, you may already be familiar with Robert Oster Signature inks from the "Land Down Under." This month, we highlight a new manufacturer we have yet to explore in Van Dieman's Ink.

After retailing fountain pens together for years, Peter and Belinda Rix developed their own fountain pen ink, taking inspiration from the natural beauty of Tasmania to design each ink. These high-quality fountain pen inks have been tested for viscosity and flow quality and are suitable for all major brands of fountain pens, and are also suitable for dip pens and brushwork.

Here is a rundown of December 2020's Ink Flight colors - 

Van Dieman's Ink "Sailor's Delight"
This ink has a fiery red hue like a sunset over the sea. A red sky at night is a sailor's delight.

Van Dieman's Ink "Leatherwood Honey Amber"
Named after honey made with blossoms of the Leatherwood tree, this ink has a smooth, amber-brown hue.

Van Dieman's Ink "Black-Tounged Spider Orchid"
This species of orchid is only found in Tasmania and shades from black to deep magenta.

Van Dieman's Ink "Eucalyptus Regnans"
This mottled khaki green is named after the tallest flowering trees in the world.

Van Dieman's Ink "Devil's Kitchen"
This aquamarine green takes its name from the coastal cliffs off the southeastern Tasman peninsula.

Van Dieman's Ink "Blackened Seas"
From the "Midnight Series," this somber teal-black appears like the sea at night.

Van Dieman's Ink "Azure Kingfisher"
This shimmering ink is inspired by the blue and gold plumage of the Tasmanian Azure King Fisher.

Tasting Notes: At the time of this writing, I haven't used these inks much in my fountain pens yet to give you my thorough impressions beyond the swabbing and dip pen writing that you see in the photo that accompanies this post. I'll update this post with extensive thoughts next week as I do have vacation and will have more time to write and play with these beautiful colors. 

December's Ink Flight Box was one of our quickest-selling. Unfortunately, I did not have any extras to sell or have as a backup in case one got damaged or lost. Also, the ink volume was a bit short this month, so we couldn't provide any additional sample-only packages. We are ordering more inks for future flights to ensure we have enough for everyone that wants one. 

Thank you to Angeliz Stationery Room and Manda B for sharing video unboxings on YouTube this month! I ran out of all the extras so I couldn't share a picture with the full Ink Flight box contents.

Box Extras: Midori MD Sticky Memo Pad - A7 & Col-O-Ring “Dipper”

Chances are, you've never met a sticky note pad like this before. Enjoy the quick convenience of sticky notes combined with the quality of Midori's exceptional MD Paper - suitable for all types of writing instruments, including fountain pens!

The folding soft cover protects 80 sticky notes with a lined sheet style. Carry this pad wherever you go to make (or leave) a quick note.

Go for a quick dip and sample your inks using the adorable Col-O-Ring "Dipper" ink testing book. About 25% of the standard Col-O-Ring size, this mini version contains 50 - 1" x 2.5" sheets of carefully-selected paper sandwiched between sturdy chipboard covers.

Col-o-ring Dippers are printed, assembled, and designed in Kansas City. The paper was sourced from a local distributor. No animals were harmed in producing this product, though a few house cats may have been reprimanded.

Plus, we included a tongue-in-cheek humor sticker to decorate your new journal or planner for 2021. Hey, it's the little things (like survival) that count, right?

Let's chat about this Flight

We invite you to join hundreds of kindred spirits in the Ink Flight Lounge Facebook Group to talk about this month's Flight Box. Likes? Dislikes? Favorite pairings? We'd love to read what you thought about the contents of this box. If you don't have/do Facebook, please feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments 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, 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 )