Ink Flight #93 Reveal, October 2024

Chances are, if you follow InkJournal over the last few months, you would have seen Tom's Studio appear on the website and on the @inkjournal social feed a few times. The brand is perhaps best known for their felt-tip refillable pens the Lumos and the new Wren. Tom's also stocks variety of fountain pens and ink as well, which is the subject of October's exploration. 

Tom's Studio was founded after the eponymous owner handmade a pen for his wife. Since then, Tom has put the same love into all the stationery and writing products he's made, including the British-made inks you received in this Ink Flight.

October 2024 Ink Flight Box #93 Color Selection

Tom's Studio Marmalade
Light and sweet, this undersaturated orange ink has a gentle and cozy vibe.

Tom's Studio Raspberry Sorbet
Vibrant and refreshing, this hot pink ink is a tasty treat for your pen.

Tom's Studio Iris
This rich, shading purple ink calls to mind the beautiful flower that shares its name.

Tom's Studio Marianas
This deep blue ink reflects the mysterious, sheeny ocean depths.

Tom's Studio Loch Ness
No monsters are lurking in this ink - only a shading, dark teal color

Tom's Studio Cassis
A beautiful deep shade of red ink inspired by delicious blackcurrant liqueur.

Tom's Studio Stellar
The inky black night sky twinkles with a celestial silver shimmer.

Tasting Notes:

Bold, fun, and vibrant, Tom's Studio inks brought Ink Flight Members shading, sheen, and shimmer. The color choices covered a wide range of hues, including a black ink, which is rare for the Ink Flight!

I didn't realize how much I needed Raspberry Sorbet in my life right now. The sweet, magenta pink is a stark contrast to all the warm autumn colors I've been into lately. It's just the right juicy pop of color with shading to boot. And, for those who are in Pumpkin Spice mode, Marmalade is a light, muted golden yellow shader that could pass for autumn leaves.

I think most folks (myself included) enjoy the darker, sheenier colors of this set. Marianas, Loch Ness, and Cassis have a robust amount of saturation without being too dark. The resulting sheen isn't as over-the-top as some inks we've tried (like Colorverse Bow Shock or Octopus Fluids Medusa), but still has intriguing depth.

October 2024 Box Extras: Wearingeul Ink Drop Swatch Cards & Faber-Castell Deluxe Water Brush

October's box "ink-courages" you to get creative with your fountain pen inks.

First, catalog your new fountain pen inks using Wearingeul's Ink Drop Color Swatch Cards. Much like the popular Col-O-Ring Ink Testing books, this pack of 100 cards has a hole punch at the top to be bound together using the included metal ring.

Wearingeul's swatch cards are made from sturdy, 200gsm Impression paper, suitable for writing and brushing ink. The outline of an ink droplet becomes visible when ink is applied on the card's surface.

Then, express your artistic side using ink and the included Faber-Castell Deluxe Water Brush. Follow the instructions on the package to fill the brush pen with water (or ink). You could draw using your fountain pens, applying the water brush to blend and gradient the colors, creating dimension in your illustrations. Or, fill the pen with water and paint by dipping the brush in fountain pen ink.

Quirky and macabre, this month's InkJournal exclusive vinyl sticker is perfect for Halloween. Our pen pal, Eric (@e_bear_ink) illustrated the "Edgar Allen Poctopus," complete with an Esterbrook Estie in hand, I mean, tentacle, and a perched raven.

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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