Page 83 - Bloomberg Businessweek-October 29, 2018

CRITIC Bloomberg Pursuits October 29, 2018

and newcomer Colorverse from Korea have begun deepen-
ing their palettes further, introducing inks that shimmer and
sheen. And those are actually two different things. A sheen-
ing ink is one that gives off a tint that varies from its main
color, an effect you may not notice when it’s wet. “Especially
on coated papers, as they start to dry, they start to crystal-
lize into a red or purple or green,” says Lisa Vanness, direc-
tor of marketing at Vanness Inc., which sells pens and inks
online and at a store in Little Rock that’s been in business
since 1938. Inks that shimmer, on the other hand, contain
particulates that sparkle on the page—in case that coral color
wasn’t enough of an affectation.
Between the two types, shimmering inks are the ones that
look really audacious—like a playful marker all grown-up. But
if you’ve chosen to embark upon this hobby, you shouldn’t
be above demonstrating some flair with your words—even
if you save those sparkly inks for your own notebook or
writing to your sweetheart. One ink good for love letters is
J. Herbin’s 1798 Améthyste de l’Oural ($28 for 50 milliliters),
a subdued purple that’s speckled with silver. Better for the
workplace—signing that birthday card going around the office,
for instance—are Colorverse’s Schrödinger and Cat set ($36).
The bigger of the two bottles, Schrödinger (65ml), is a rich
green, while the royal blue Cat (15ml) glistens in a festive tur-
Sincerely, quoise. Even bolder than Cat is De Atramentis Pearlescent

74 Ink Heliogen Green-Gold ($16 for 35ml), a chalky green almost
overpowered by swaths of gold sparkles that pool here and
there in your cursive. It’s probably not the kind of ink you
Indulgent inks will lend your want to use for signing a loan agreement.
If you’re seeking subtlety, inks with sheen are a better
handwritten notes a signature choice. Akkerman Shocking Blue ($28 for 60ml) is a deep
sparkle. By Daniel Taub sapphire that glints a reddish-purple, making it a favorite of
aficionados since its arrival in the U.S. earlier this decade.
Originally made for the P.W. Akkerman fountain pen store in
So you finally picked up your first fountain pen—perhaps The Hague and named for a 1960s Dutch rock band, it’s con-
a classic 18-karat-gold-nibbed Montblanc Meisterstück 149 sistently one of Vanness’s top 10 sellers. Good for marking up
you’ve spied in a display window or an urushi-lacquered drafts is Sailor’s Kobe Ink #4 Kitano Ijinkan Red ($30 for 50ml),
Nakaya Portable Writer from Japan that you’ve been covet- which has a slight gold sheen in the right light. Lower-key,
ing online. Well, here’s some bad news for your American and unlikely to raise eyebrows among colleagues, is Kaweco
Express card balance: That was merely the first step. Now Smokey Grey ($14 for 30ml), which is, well, smoke-colored
you need to fill your luxury writing instrument with equally and also sheens a bit gold when used in high-quality note-
luxurious ink. books and seen in the right light. (On cheap printer paper, it
You could buy a bottle of blue or black—often, a dust- looks more like graphite.)
covered container of Parker Quink can be found for less than Eccentric as your newfound love of fountain pens and inks
$10 on a bottom shelf at Staples. But if you were going to stick might make you at work, just know that you aren’t alone.
to such boring colors, you’d still be using a cheap Bic from Worldwide, fountain pen sales are forecast to total $1.15 bil-
the office supply closet. No, you’ve gone down a different lion this year, up 3 percent from 2017 and almost 31 percent
road. You’ve become part of a rich history, using the same from a decade ago, according to market-research company
tools your great-grandparents wrote with before there were Euromonitor International.
ballpoints. You’re a fountain pen artist now, and you’ve got a That figure doesn’t include sales of ink, which can be
rainbow of ink colors at your command, including turquoise, quite pricey. Some Sailor inks run higher than $40 for a 50ml
pine, chocolate, and, depending on exactly how enthusias- bottle—more than five times the cost, on a per- milliliter basis, ILLUSTRATION BY CYNTHIA KITTLER
tic you are, coral. of Glenlivet’s 18-year-old Scotch. But unless you’re a light
In recent years, established brands such as Japan’s Sailor drinker with a serious writing problem, the ink should last
Pen Co., J. Herbin from France, De Atramentis of Germany, you a lot longer. <BW>