Ink Flight #57, October 2021

Instead of "Trick or Treat," this month's Ink Flight Box is like an "Ink AND Treat." As most of you know, the Ink Flight usually focuses on one brand of ink each month. For October, we decided to surprise Ink Flight subscribers with an assortment of colors from FOUR ink manufacturers. Unlike Halloween candy, you can sample these inky treats guilt-free.

In the past, we've sampled inks from Krishna, Pelikan, and Diamine. This "grab bag" of inky goodness features new inks from Laban. In the pen manufacturing business for nearly 40 years, Laban introduced their own line of fountain pen inks only recently. As you could guess by the color names, Laban was inspired by ancient Greek mythology.

Here's a rundown of October 2021's Ink Flight Colors:

Laban Apollo Orange
You'll feel peachy-keen with this bright orange ink in your pen. Apollo isn't a typical "Florida's Natural" orange, leaning more towards a salmon hue.

Laban Poseidon Green
This bright, pastel aqua ink has the look of greenish patina on bronze.

Pelikan Edelstein Golden Beryl
Each year, Pelikan introduces a new Edelstein "Ink of the Year" special edition color that is only available for a limited time. Golden Beryl is Pelikan's first shimmer ink, debuting in early 2021. This golden yellow ink has an orange halo with a gilded shimmer. This color has the glitz and glam you expect of a pearlescent, shimmer ink. The hue is saturated enough to stand out on white paper. 

Krishna Mumbai
Krishna inks are produced in India. This series honors the colorful cities of India. Named after India’s financial & entertainment capital, this reddish-brown ink has a strong, green sheen. 

Krishna Dilli
Dehli is the national capital of India and the inspiration for this royal purple with black sheen.

Diamine Writer's Blood
Selected in collaboration with the /r/fountainpens subreddit, this deep wine red ink is super wet. This color follows Aurora Borealis and Earl Grey from previous years.

Diamine x Cult Pens "Christine"
This color is exclusively made for the UK fine pen retailer Cult Pens and is named after one of their employees. This richly saturated blue-green ink has an electric purple sheen.

Tasting Notes: When it comes to selecting the Ink Flight colors, I aim for variety while tying everything to a seasonally-appropriate theme. That's why October's box has strong #fallvibes - even with the ink color choices. Golden Beryl has the glorious hue of fall foliage. Diamine Writer's Blood conjures gory images of Halloween. Krishna Dilli has a dark and mysterious purple hue like a witch's bubbly brew. "Christine" is also dark and sheeny, and is the title of a Stephen King horror novel. Mumbai is a muddy, dark red color - appropriate for a Thanksgiving color palette. To round out the selection, the brighter, less saturated Laban colors pair really well (just look at how they contrast together in the swatch cards above). 

Box Extras: Kokuyo Perpanep A5 Ultra-Smooth "TSURU TSURU" 4mm Dot Grid Notebook

Imported from Japan, the Kokuyo PERPANEP notebook presents the ideal writing experience for the discerning pen enthusiast. The TSURU TSURU, ultra-smooth 96gsm writing paper is pressed extremely flat for ultimate smoothness. Pens will glide across the paper so you can write as fast as your thoughts will flow. This paper brings out the richness of fountain pen inks.

Kokuyo built the eco-friendly Perpanep notebooks with paper sourced from sustainable forests and a cover made with recycled pulp. The advanced binding allows the notebook to open completely flat. The overall design aesthetic is beautifully minimal with only a subtle amount of branding.

Kokuyo printed the 4mm dot grid format in a neutral gray that will help guide the writer, yet remain unobtrusive against the creamy white color paper. The TSURU TSURU paper is one of three paper textures available in Perpanep notebooks. While the October Ink Flight will have the same notebook for all, other paper options are available for purchase separately on the InkJournal store.

To match the festive fall theme, the included Inktopus sticker has the inky cephalopod painted on a pumpkin.

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, 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)