It's amazing how much the lighting environment changes the appearance of ink! I was on the fence about Red Dragon because I was after something brighter, but after seeing it in the sunlight I changed my mind to like it
Sir I must say that you were being very gentlemanly about eating your words. Forgive me for presuming that you still didn't really like this ink but just didn't want any one to get upset so went about being extremely objective about it and putting the rubber to turmac! I appreciate your opinions and surly you are entitled to dislike it if you do... 🙂 Cheers 🍻 to your videos
No, I'm afraid I really was very unimpressed with this ink when I tried it at first. It's taken a lot of playing with it (because I couldn't understand why others were so keen on it) for me to realise the depth of colour and the sheen it has. Now I love it!
I had a similar experience with their Merlot. It shades nicely even under the light a normally use. But then I went to the library with a list of books that I had written at home, and when I got my note out in that light the colour just looked so much more interesting. Boy, was I surprised!
If I get a sample, I’ll have to try it in a Pelikan. Maybe they’ll offer it in the smaller bottles. I catalogued my ink collection and it’s getting a bit ridiculous! So much Diamine!
Chris sent me his letter written in a Pelikan with a double broad nib (I think) and the sheen showed up beautifully. I do have the same issue as you with Diamine inks, but I do think this one's worth it. There. More words eaten!
Thanks, Mark. It was my grandfather's Grandfather clock, and I've always loved it. When my father died in 2017, and my brothers and I divvied up the inheritance, that was one thing I was most keen on (the others all have plenty of clocks). It reminds me of my childhood home every time I hear it.
So calm out there it seemed. Are you away from roads and stuff Mike? It’s nice just to hear nature in the background. Where we are there is none of that and they’ve taken over the rear fields (finally) for a massive housing project, so all the noise and dust will drive nature away for a long time. Thx Mike 🙂👍🏻 Take it easy penpal and you’ll be back in action soon.
Cheers, Barnsey - yes, here on Dartmoor, the National Park prevents any building going on - which is good and sometimes less good (the kids can't afford to stay in the area). Still, I am grateful for the peace and quiet generally! Wrist is improving already, so soon be back to normal!
I have a question though! Are the inks writer's blood and red dragon really / truly a red color? My understanding of a true red would be either the Diamine Poppy red or the Wild Strawberry.! Did I understand incorrectly what's the truest color of red!
I can't argue with Poppy and Wild Strawberry! They are lovely, bright reds. I would say Red Dragon is definitely a red too, although much deeper, rather like Syrah (one of my favourites). I suppose Writer's Blood is rather like Oxblood - it is a red, but it's bordering on a brown, it's so dark. Still, when you look at them, they are both red, but it's more a blood-red than a bright scarlet. Hope that makes sense!
Well, I saw your review and nodded at the fact that Syrah is quite my color. But after this lovely video, you made me to try this ink too, so Writers Blood is getting interesting :) Thank you!
After watching your earlier review of Writer’s Blood I too thought I’d stick with the reds I already have - Dragon’s Blood, Iroshizuku Yama Budo, Noodler’s Black Swan in Australian Roses, and a couple of others - however this review has convinced me to give it a go, although with a cautious 30ml bottle rather than the 80ml. In future, leave the digging to your dogs. Hope you recover soon. As a 73 yo I find that various injuries eventually become commonplace. I’m still working my way through your Last Templar mysteries which I am enjoying. Regards from Philadelphia, USA.
Thanks for that, William. As a 60 yo I'm feeling rather the same. Every job that used to be so easy is now an opportunity to injure myself, and if I survive the actual effort, I'm exhausted and doze off shortly afterwards! Hope you enjoy the rest of the mysteries as well as the ink!
@@writerlywitterings I love the southwest counties of England - Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire, and Somerset. Spent quite a bit of time in Solihull, West Midlands. FYI, my 7th G-grandfather, Jasper Crane was part of a group granted a Charter by Charles II to found a Colony in Connecticut (the New Haven Colony). That was in 1637. He arrived here with some £300. Later he and one of his sons, Azeriah, went on to found New Ark (Newark, New Jersey). Some of my forebears fought in the War for American Independance. I was born in Trenton, NJ, 19 April 1948, 173 years after the first shots of that war. After serving in Vietnam in 1969/70, I relocated to Philadelphia to complete my B.A. and have lived here ever since.
I'll be honest, from the title of the video I was expecting a comparison of red inks. No matter, it's always interesting to listen to your "witterings", whatever you're talking about. While we're (or at least I'm) on the subject, though, my favourite red is also a Diamine - Wild Strawberry, which as its name suggests, has a really fruity vibrancy. Perfect for editing
I do like Wild Strawberry - well, I like most Diamine inks! My earliest was Passion Red, which just pops off the page when I'm editing, but Syrah and others really work, especially Red Dragon, which is a lovely colour for writing. I think I'm going to have to start a small series on my favourites, comparing three or four similar colours and seeing which I like most. Next week, blues, I think.
@@writerlywitterings Thanks for the pointer - I'll go and have a look at Red Dragon. Agree - Diamine make some of my favourite inks too (Ancient Copper, Violet, Autumn Oak...). On the subject of blues, I personally love their Cornflower, which is beautifully intense.
A valid view! Although I have to admit to loving Passion Red from Diamine because it pops off the page - and when I'm into the third edit, I need that so I don't miss the corrections!
I’ll catch this one later tonight Mike 👍🏻 this ink makes my Nakaya and Kaweco write wetter. Although the Nakaya seems a little broader for it as it wasn’t dry anyway. lol
It might be worth an investigation(how light affects inks - which honestly makes sense) to see what other inks behave this way that you have done reviews for, especially ones that you disliked a lot. Godspeed your recovery.
Thanks Ciphon. The problem is, there are so many variables. The pen's flow, the size of nib, the type of paper, the light used, perhaps the temperature when used, or the temperature when viewed - I had thought testing inks would be an easy task!
I still think you should attempt doing ink reviews in front of that window with natural light coming in. XD I like my Syrah, probably won’t get Writer’s Blood just for that reason. Hope you feel better soon!
I do read and write under natural lighting in the summer, but even then I'm inside under artificial lighting far, far more often. I need to know what an ink looks like under the conditions I'm most likely to read it or write with it.
I have to admit, I rarely read letters or write outside - the paper's too bright in the sun and soon hurts my eyes - like you, I usually do so in artificial light. But different lights affect this ink in different ways. It's a quite astonishing ink, though.
Thanks, Valentina - wrist is improving, and the cut will soon heal (I hope). I have tried using the daylight at the window, but my office has too much junk in it! You're right about Syrah - I love e that too.
I hope your wrist gets better soon. I'm now trying to find a light that I can see the glitter in. Are you sure it doesn't require the sacrifice of a writer under a blood moon to reveal it? Would be overly accurate marketing lol.
Thanks, Angela - it's improving, thank goodness. I've today discovered that the pain is alleviated with aspirin - and paracetamol does bugger all good! As to the rest ... don't start thinking of draining my blood under a blood moon to get some sheen!
@@writerlywitterings glad your wrist is healing. Lol- I was wondering who your friend has sacrificed to write you the glistening letter 😂. We haven't been able to see the gold yet.
There still isn't anything about Writer's Blood that I like. The funny thing is that my desk has a very powerful LED light on it, and I have a large window behind my desk for daytime writing, and I still didn't see anything about Writer's Blood that made me like it. I don't even like the way it behaves with the pen and ink drawings, and other such uses I've tried to use it for. I do think those effects may be why this seems like an ink that's too wet for my needs. I like a fairly wet ink, but this one gushes too much for me. At any rate, this is still the most disappointed I've been with an ink in a very long time. The are a number of red inks I really like, and a few I love, so I just don't need this one. I just gave away about two hundred bottles on ink, and I'm going to be very particular in buying too many more, anyway. But there are many tastes, many different eyesights, and something for everyone. No ink pleases us all.
Quite right, James. This is definitely an ink for writing, I'd say. It's dark enough to be professional, but with just enough outlining sheen to make it interesting - if viewed in the right light, on the right paper, and used with a very wet nib. My reservations still exist, but I can say that it's now an ink I'll use regularly. Strange how a fellow's views can change with a little use! Well, mine can, anyway!
Really, you should talk less and show more about what you are talking about. I do follow your channel, but this video is rather tedious, not mentioning quite complacent.
Hi, Eva, and sorry you didn't like this video so much - but as you know, I tend to show a lot more usually in my videos. The trouble is, with an injured arm it was very difficult to get my studio set up, and showing the sheen is extremely difficult, as I said - and impossible with the lights in my studio. I have to try to work out how to get different lighting in there. Thanks for the comment.
@@evamaier7973 I quite understand - the problem is, as I said, it's incredibly difficult to show off the sheening without specific lighting, and the sun went in, and I couldn't show it. I'll try to get some alternative pictures put up here, if that would help?
Tedious?? None of this gentleman's videos are tedious. Personally, I'd quite happily listen to him reading out the contents of the telephone directory.
