Last week’s ink review and giveaway featured one of Colorverse’s new (and very popular) Mini fountain pen inks, Sea Europa ink. And this week, we have another exciting (or you might say “special”) release from this Korean ink manufacturing powerhouse: Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes glistening ink. Read the full Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes ink review, and when you’re done, don’t forget to look for your chance to enter to win the bottle of ink used for this week’s ink review.

All About the Ink Maker: Colorverse

We called Colorverse a Korean ink manufacturing powerhouse – and we didn’t do so lightly. This highly respected ink manufacturer makes their inks in Korea and currently offers a wide range of more than 80 ink colors. For 2020, they created a special American ink only available through US-based retailers, Colorverse Stars and Stripes SE fountain pen ink. The special edition ink has two available options, regular ink, and glistening ink. This week’s ink review features Colorverse Stars and Stripes Special Edition Glistening ink.

2020 also saw the release of the popular Colorverse Mini ink Series. Other recent ink series releases from this Korean ink maker veered away from their traditional “pairing” of complementary inks. If you haven’t checked out Colorverse inks in a while, you’ll find a few surprises like entire ink series featuring new, smaller ink bottles and stand-alone inks. I know, it’s shocking. But you might find this discovery was the best thing that’s happened to you yet in 2020. Who knows? To see the different Colorverse ink series, you might need to get to know better, check the inventory at PenChalet.com.

All About This Week’s Chosen Ink: Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink

Colorverse’s Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening fountain pen ink is only available from US-based retailers. It’s been very popular since we added it to the shelves here at Pen Chalet (earlier this month, July 2020). Colorverse Stars and Stripes ink is a beautiful standard deep blue color that shows up well on paper with medium saturation. This special edition ink doesn’t have to be held aside for special projects; it’s great for everyday use for almost any project. We reviewed the glistening version of Stars and Stripes ink. We found that the glistening silver particles are a lovely (and subtle) complement to the ink’s deep blue that doesn’t overpower the ink but adds a layer of additional interest.

*** Well done, you’re about to dive into the test results for this week’s ink review. Are you a full review reader? Then you’re well on your way to just where you want to be. If you’re not a full reviewer (or not a full review reader today), you can skip to the bottom to enter to win the bottle of ink used in this week’s ink review. Just don’t forget to come back and read the complete review later – you know you like to see all the test results.

It’s Time: Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink

This week we put Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening fountain pen ink through our favorite tests. And here’s what happened.

Read the full Colorverse Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink Review.

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

We list the “other” fine writing products and accessories we used to test out the chosen ink for the weekly review in this section preceding the test results. During this week’s review of Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening fountain pen ink, we used a French-made J Herbin spiral glass dip pen (with a tip similar to a medium-fine fountain pen nib) on Rhodia dot pad paper. Using different papers or different nib sizes may produce different results, but knowing what we were working with allows you to create a starting point.

What Sort of Ink Bottle Does Colorverse Use?

Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening ink is available in Colorverse’s new standard 30 ml. bottle. This new 30 ml. bottle is used for all of Colorverse’s 30 ml. ink series. The standard Colorverse 30 ml. bottle is oval-shaped with a flat front where they place the sticker label indicating the ink color, and has a nice wide-mouthed opening that makes it easy to fill your fountain pen with ink. Colorverse’s overall presentation is clean and straightforward. This USA inspired Special Edition ink has a patriotic addition to the standard Colorverse presentation/labeling: a depiction of the US flag. You’ll also notice that the stars on the glistening edition of Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes ink are silver metallic compared to the white stars on the ink bottle for the SE Stars and Stripes regular fountain pen ink. The Special Edition Stars and Stripes ink also has patriotic, American-inspired packaging. Additionally, Colorverse released the ink in July 2020 to coincide with the popular and much-loved American July 4th holiday celebrating the birth of American independence.

How Much Does Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Ink Cost?

Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes glistening ink is a reasonably priced mid-range fountain pen ink for the 30 ml. size. Check out current pricing at PenChalet.com.

How Did Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink Fair in the 1-Dip Test?

During the 1-dip test we dip each week’s featured pen in ink once and then write on Rhodia dot pad paper. The 1-dip test shows how far one dip can write on paper. We dipped the J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen in Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes ink once for each writing sample shown above (“S,” “X,” and scribble lines). This week’s ink wrote across the paper on all three writing samples, but there was very little ink to spare.

How Fast Does the Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink Dry?

During our review, Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes Glistening fountain pen ink had a dry time of approximately 10-11 seconds with medium saturation. This is right on the cusp of what we consider a good ink choice for everyday use.

Does Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink Bleed Through?’

We saw no bleeding during normal use of this week’s featured glistening ink. We didn’t even see any bleeding during the heavy saturated cotton swab test.

Was There Any Feathering While Using SE Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink?

We saw no feathering during normal use of Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes glistening ink on Rhodia paper. There was some slight feathering during the water test, but you can expect that with any non-waterproof ink.

How Does the SE Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink Stand Up to Water?

Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes glistening ink is intended to be waterproof, but we always include a water test in our review of the week’s featured ink. (For the water test, we let an ink sample dry for about 3 minutes before running a wet cotton swab over the sample). After putting Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes glistening ink to the water test, we saw some color smearing that was reasonable for blue ink color. The lines were still clear and legible (with some slight distortion).

Does Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink Have Good Shading and Shimmering Traits?

With the right nib and penmanship, this week’s ink offers some slight possible shading possibilities. If you are looking for a nib that allows ink flow variation, we suggest a stub or italic nib. When Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes glistening ink is properly used, you’ll see a nice, subtle silver shimmering effect.

Final Conclusion on Colorverse SE Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink:

This week’s featured ink is a special edition ink made by Colorverse, a well-respected Korean ink company. Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes glistening ink is a mid-range priced ink available in their more recently released 30 ml. bottle size. The nice, deep blue color pulls from the USA inspiration for this Korean-made ink. The USA patriotic labeling and packaging pulls from the same theme.

Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes glistening ink has a reasonable dry time (10-11 seconds is relatively good for a glistening ink). The subtle silver shimmer complements the lovely deep blue ink color. Colorverse’s special edition ink inspired by the USA and released July 2020, is easy to use (particularly if you are using a dip or brush pen). We found that you get a better application with a larger fountain pen nib. Since this special edition Colorverse ink is a glistening ink, we recommend cleaning your pen periodically (once a week or so is a good idea) to avoid unwanted clogging of the pen’s nib and feed. If you don’t already have what you need to clean your pens, you can find a good fountain pen cleaning solution at Pen Chalet. Happy Writing from Korea!

Enter to Win Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes Glistening Ink:

Enter to win the actual bottle of Colorverse Special Edition Stars and Stripes glistening ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review:

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