Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink

Pen Chalet Ink Review & Giveaway: Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink

This week’s ink review and giveaway feature Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering fountain pen ink. Enchanted Brandy Dazzle ink is one of 40 “shimmering” colors produced by Diamine Ink Company. Established in 1864, the UK ink company brings several different lines of ink to fountain pen aficionados, including the special editionΒ guitar ink line, 150th Anniversary line, the regular line, and Diamine Shimmering inks.

Diamine’s shimmering or glistening inks have been around now for a few years, and while some initially dismissed them as a passing trend, they don’t seem to be going anywhere. Instead, the variety of shimmering inks continues to expand. Most of the top ink manufacturers now offer a shimmering ink line of their own, but no one produces as much shimmering ink as Diamine.
Diamine’s Shimmering inks come in either gold or silver shimmer, depending on the color of the ink. Diamine’s Brandy Dazzle ink is one of the company’s original Shimmering ink colors released. It continues to be a top choice. The copper red-orange color with gold shimmer shows up dark on paper and when writing appears somewhat rusty in color.

If you are considering purchasing a shimmering ink from any brand or manufacturer, remember that you must use extra care when working with this type of ink.

  1. Shake the bottle before you fill your pen.
  2. Gently rotate the pen before using it to make sure you disperse the shimmer evenly.
  3. Clean your pen regularly.

Shimmering inks are an excellent choice for many projects: art, work, notes, letters, cards, etc.
Count yourself lucky that you’re going to get all the details! And don’t miss your chance to enter to win a fabulous Diamine Shimmering ink to add to your collection. Enter below, and good luck! Now read on for all the details.

All About the Ink Maker: Diamine

In 1925, the established ink company relocated its operations to a state of the art factory in Liverpool. Since their first significant relocation, Diamine Ink Company has changed hands, and today, you’ll find the company’s headquarters close to the famous Aintree Race Course. Throughout the company’s history, Diamine production methods and dedication to the highest quality inks survived. Diamine is excited about the recent revival and is proudly continuing their ink making tradition, incorporating only those changes that are necessary to comply with changing legislation.

Pen Chalet is a proud authorized retailer of all Diamine products, including their regular Diamine ink line, it’s shimmering ink line, Guitar line, the Anniversary line, etc.

All About This Week’s Chosen Ink: Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Ink

Diamine Brandy Dazzle shimmering fountain pen ink is one of the inks in Diamine’s shimmering ink line. We found Diamine’s Brandy Dazzle to work very well as a base color. The ink was not overly difficult to clean, and it showed some gorgeous shading possibilities. It was also a smidge dry for our tastes and didn’t offer as much water resistance as you can expect from some other inks.

** Don’t stop now. Keep reading for a chance to win the bottle of Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Ink used for this week’s Pen Chalet Ink Review. (Or if you’re still cultivating the art of patience, scroll down to the bottom where you’ll find the link to enter this week’s giveaway).

Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink

Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink

Our review of Daimine’s Brandy Dazzle shimmering ink had us searching for all the standout characteristics you’re dying to know. Run through the list below, so you have the info you need to make an informed purchase next time you’re choosing a fountain pen ink brand or a new ink color.

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

To keep things scientific…this is where we’ll share the “hows” and “whats” of our ink review. For our review of Diamine Brandy Dazzle shimmering ink, we used a French-made J Herbin spiral glass dip pen on Rhodia dot pad paper. The glass dip pen’s tip is similar to a fine-medium fountain pen nib.

Don’t forget – different papers and nib sizes will produce different results. Remember to consider this when deciding whether or not to add Diamine Brandy Dazzle shimmering ink to your collection!

What Sort of Ink Bottle Does Diamine Use for their Shimmering Line?

If you’re looking for an exceptional inkwell, the Diamine company produces a variety of sizes and shapes. The size and shape of the bottle depends on which the Diamine ink series. The regular series and the Guitar Series come to you in 80 ml. glass bottles. The 150th Anniversary ink comes in a gorgeous, distinctive triangular-shaped ink bottle. We were disappointed that, in comparison, the shimmering ink bottles are pretty dull. Diamine shimmering inks come in a typical, round 50 ml. bottle that looks like a medicine container, including a small lid. Their packaging is always easy to read, and the lid is the same color as the shimmer; identifying the shimmer as either gold or silver.

How Much Does Diamine Shimmering Ink Cost?

Diamine shimmering ink is reasonably priced; most shimmering inks on the market today are priced at least a little higher than the Diamine originals.

How Fast Does Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink Dry?

Diamine Brandy Dazzle shimmering fountain pen ink had a reasonable dry time during our review, approximately 7-8 seconds. We generally consider any dry time under 10 seconds as reasonable for everyday use. And we found this dry time particularly reasonable considering shimmering inks tend to require more time to dry than traditional inks.

Does Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink Bleed Through?

During normal use, we saw no bleeding. (Again, these results were seen when using the Diamine shimmering ink on Rhodia dot pad paper). At the most saturated point of the cotton swab test, we saw some extremely slight bleeding. So minor, in fact, that it was almost imperceptible.

Was There Any Feathering While Using Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Ink?

During normal use, we saw no feathering. When we put Diamine’s Brandy Dazzle ink to the water test, there was only slight feathering, and since it’s not a waterproof ink, that’s just what you’d expect to happen.

How Does Diamine Brandy Dazzle Ink Stand Up to Water?

We included a water test in the review of Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering ink. (For the water test, we let an ink sample dry for about 3 minutes before running a wet cotton swab over the sample). The water test resulted in significant color smearing and slight feathering, but the lines held up well-remaining clear and legible. (Just to be clear, the water test results were typical since Brandy Dazzle is not a waterproof ink).

Does Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Ink Have Good Shading or Sheening Traits?

Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering ink offers a lot of shading possibilities. We saw dark red-copper to a light orange copper color infused with gold shimmer. While maintaining an even “shimmer” distribution is problematic with some shimmering inks, we found Brandy Dazzle’s gold flecks easy to distribute throughout the ink with a quick shake. On very saturated points of the sample, we noticed a dark black sheen.

Final Conclusion on Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering Fountain Pen Ink:

Diamine’s original shimmering ink line marked the beginning of a new era in ink. While some trendsetting products tend to be replaced by later versions that improve on the original, Diamine’s shimmering line of inks is holding strong against all the competition that has flooded the market since its inception. They are reasonably priced for a shimmering ink, and they come from a highly regarded, prolific UK ink company.

Of the ten inks in Diamine’s shimmering ink line, Brandy Dazzle is a personal favorite of this reviewer. The copper-red color is just beautiful, and the warmth added to the ink by the gold flecks bring warmth to the fountain pen ink that you can almost see on paper. The combination is very complimentary and pleasing to the eye, no matter what project you are completing.

As long as you are using a well-maintained fountain pen, it’s easy to spread the shimmer with an easy shake, and the ink flows well. With Diamine’s original shimmering inks, fountain pen enthusiasts and other ink lovers get a pretty fast dry time (particularly when you consider this is a shimmering ink). Again, when using shimmering inks, you must clean your fountain pen regularly. We recommend Pen Chalet’s Fountain Pen Flush as a go-to cleaning option.

If you haven’t yet indulged in a shimmering ink, you could do far worse than Diamine’s Brandy Dazzle shimmering ink. It’s lovely, on-trend, accessible, affordable, aesthetically versatile, and functional. Happy writing from the UK!

Enter to Win the Bottle of Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering ink used for this Week’s Ink Review

Enter to win the actual bottle of Diamine Brandy Dazzle Shimmering fountain pen ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review:

 

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Ed
4 years ago

Gorgeous ink!

Rachel McNulty
4 years ago

I love this color! I have been enjoying more browns/reds/coppers lately and this is amazing.

Jovan
4 years ago

There are really only three ink colors I really like collecting: blue turquoise, blue-black, and copper. I didn’t even know about this color until you posted it!

ronn
4 years ago

Absolutely gorgeous shade

Stephanie S.
4 years ago

Would love to try a shimmering ink and I love the depth of this one. Current favorite is Diamine Autumn Oak… the Brandy Dazzle would be another nice Autumn-y ink to use right now!

Tony Rose
4 years ago

I bet these shimmering inks are hard to photograph!

Theresa Gilliam
4 years ago

This ink is gorgeous! Pick me! Pick me!

Beth Fralix
4 years ago

Absolutely Smashing Colour!! Good Luck to all!! God Bless
& the Love of Christ to you all!!

John Stein
4 years ago

I love these shimmering ink reviews! More please!

Janice Wollaber
4 years ago

I got a sample of this and put it on my wishlist. Maybe I’ll get lucky!

Lea
4 years ago

Very nice colour. This might pair well with a Lamy Al-Star Bronze pen πŸ™‚

Nicole Price
4 years ago

Diamine’s shimmer inks are my absolute favorites… I can’t get enough of them!

Heather Burke
4 years ago

oh wow

John Stein
4 years ago

I love shimmering inks! More reviews for them, please!

T
4 years ago

Really nice color for fall. I like that the ink has shading properties and is well-behaved so if you don’t get that shimmer, it’s not too disappointing.

Margret
4 years ago

This looks like a beautiful ink. I’d like to learn more about other shimmering inks.

Kristen Crisp
4 years ago

I can’t believe I haven’t tried this yet.

Samuel Lee
4 years ago

Interesting colour! Would love to try it.

Jean Loup
4 years ago

Pretty color πŸ™‚ Just what I’m looking for…

Colton H.
4 years ago

I’m very surprised how close this ink truly resembles copper. That shimmer is on-point, as expected of Diamine. Would you consider reviewing the Blue Pearl, Red Lustre, or Pink Glitz from Diamine’s Shimmering ink line in the future?

Roy C
4 years ago

Very nice Cooper color

Allan E. Knight Jr.
4 years ago

Thank you, the review was excellent. I try to make myself like these browns and coppers but I just can’t get there.

Allan