Ink Flight #81 Reveal, October 2023
In artistic circles, October is time for the month-long drawing challenge called "Inktober." With that theme in mind, this month's ink selection are literally for writing AND drawing.
This month's inks from Germany's Octopus Fluids encourage you to get even more creative with your fountain pens. These pigmented "Write & Draw" inks are waterproof, lightfast, and safe to use in fountain pens. While these inks won't clog your pen feed, it is recommended that the ink should not remain in your pen for a long time and to rinse your pens out thoroughly after between fill-ups.
October 2023 Ink Flight Box #81 Color Selection
Octopus Orange Bunny
This bright "bunny" has a bold pink/red-orange hue with a wet flow.
Octopus Pink Gazelle
Gallop around the page with this lightfast, rich pink ink.
Octopus Violet Giraffe
This dark, purple-black ink might be inspired by the color of a giraffe's tongue.
Octopus Green Squirrel
Last month, there was a Pink Squirrel ink, this month, it's a dark, bluish-green one!
Octopus Green Ostrich
This ink is a refreshing light green with decent shading.
Octopus Brown Penguin
Your pen will be waddling with delight while using this toasted brown ink
Octopus Petrol Axolotl
From the depths comes an amphibious deep teal blue ink.
Tasting notes:
Pigmented inks are a double-edged sword.
When it comes to laying down a bold, waterproof hue on paper, they're great. When it comes to cleaning the fountain pens or dip pens that use them, they're not so fun.
Such was the love/hate relationship that I have with the Octopus "Write & Draw" inks. One one hand, they have a beautiful color, exhibiting shading and some "shine" (I won't call it sheen). When I write over my journal notes or check mark a completed task, the Write & Draw inks remain as an impenetrable layer, unaffected by any other ink I lay on top of it.
On the other hand, my Kakimori wooden dip pen handle now has stain rings that won't come out thanks to these inks. And, cleaning my pens that held this ink becomes 5x more difficult. This is the reason why I have a selection of pens like a Lamy Safari, Kaweco Sport, and Nemosine to use with inks that have reputations for being tricky.
Box Extras: Bookaroo Books & Stuff Pouch, Magnetic Bookmark from The Peachy Polka Dot
Carry your notebook, pen, sketch pad, tablet, eReader, novel, and anything else that you need for on-the-go fun. The Bookaroo is all about clever ways to carry your essential items.
Your items are protected on the outside by a sturdy, leather-effect PU material. On the inside, a soft, velour lining keeps your items comfortable while traveling. A single outer pocket is good for stashing other extras like charging cables, ink cartridges, etc. Your favorite pen companion can tag along attached to the side pen loop.
Keep your place in your current read using the cute magnetic bookmark from The Peachy Polka Dot. You can't help but smile as you read along with the friendly ghost. Printed on durable, luster photo paper, this bookmark clips around the pages of your book, staying in place even when (speaking from personal experience) you accidentally fall asleep while reading and the book hits you in the face.
Last, say hello to the Inken-stein monsters. Or, is Franken-pus? Eric (@e_bear_ink on Instagram) continues the literary Inktopus theme by featuring Mary Shelley's gothic novel Frankenstein, one of the earliest examples of science fiction.
-----
If you're interested in joining our next Ink Flight box, go here to see if we have available spots open for next month's shipment. If we don't, please email us so we can add you to our wait list.
Also, it might be possible we have previous Ink Flight boxes available to purchase without committing to a subscription.
If you'd like to check out the contents of previous Ink Flight boxes, check out the archive here.