Ink Flight #96 Reveal, January 2025

To start 2025, we put on lab coats to visit the Ink Institute in Taiwan. Born in a chemistry science lab, this young designer of fountain pen inks brews impressive ink colors that are easy to clean from your pens (and fingers)! On this Flight, you'll find inks inspired by Taiwan's Metro lines, exotic plants, and cats!

Big thanks to Jess.runner on Discord for facilitating the order for these inks. It's no simple task getting many bottles of fountain pen ink from one side of the globe to the other!

January 2025 Ink Flight Box #96 Color Selection

Ink Institute Cat at Noon
A soft, multi-chromatic coral color, this ink is warm like a cat napping in the midday sun.

Ink Institute Siebold's Lily
This scarlet ink takes its name from the rare lily with an elongated stem and chandelier-like petals.

Ink Institute Jade Vine
This shading ink draws inspiration from one of the few turquoise-colored flowers worldwide.

Ink Institute Circular Line
Have your nibs take a ride on the Kaohsiung Metro with this vivid, tropic green ink.

Ink Institute Wenhu Line
You'll want your pens to run daily on this rich brown ink, inspired by the efficient Taipei Metro System.

Ink Institute Jadeite
This deep teal ink shines with a premium sheen in deep burgundy.

Ink Institute Shadowsnow
This brilliant, azure blue ink reflects a vibrant purplish sheen.

Tasting Notes:
2025 starts off strong with a brand new (to us) maker of fountain pen inks that have impressive range. Although there aren't any shimmer inks in this month's Flight (some people might find that a relief) Ink Institute offers a diverse group of colors that range from the light and shady (Cat at Noon) to the rich and sheeny (Jadeite & Shadowsnow).

Although I could see how Cat at Noon might be a little too light, I did use it as a simple wash of color for my upcoming February journal pages and it looks like it fits perfectly with the Valentine's Day theme.

The warm, shading brown of Wenhu Line was a perfect match for my Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen with the FA nib. My initial impression of Siebold's Lily and Jade Vine would be that they may be too light or dry. Yet, I found that they flowed nicely in broad nibs, providing ample contrast and shading while being legible.

And, of course, there's the exciting super sheeners. Jadeite and Shadowsnow (love the name, by the way) are rich inks that might hesitate or hard start at first, but once they get going they are some beautiful colors. Just like with many other super sheen inks, you do have to be concerned about reactivating the ink once it "dries" on the page. Keep your sweaty meat mitts away from my notebook!

As @christyncreates commented, these colors "brought a dose of cheer to a dreary month." I couldn't agree more! This was a fun group of colors to explore.

December 2024 Box Extras: Kleid Kraft Work Memo A6
Notebook, Sugai World Animal Hug Washi Tape
Dispenser, and Pipsticks Washi Tape

2025 doesn't stand a chance against you armed with this work memo notebook. Made in Japan, Kleid notebooks have a reputation for durability and functionality.

The Kraft Work Memo contains 140 pages of kraft paper with a 2mm graph grid printed in white. The sturdy cover has a diagonal elastic closure that also acts as a pen holder. The notebook lies flat thanks to the robust twin-wire binding.

Start 2025 on a roll (of washi tape)! Set up your weekly calendars and daily to-do lists with the included roll of Pipsticks washi tape. To help cut your tape efficiently, the Animal Hug Washi Tape Dispenser is a cute companion for your stationery setup. The Animal dispenser hugs its arms around a roll up to 15mm wide. The cutting edge at the bottom tears your tape with a textured edge.

Put the smack down on boring ballpoint pens with the Inky Luchadore wrestling octopus vinyl sticker designed by our pen pal and flex nib champion, Vanessa Langton (vanessa_langton on Instagram).

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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