Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour ink review time—and apparently this is what happens when deep teal puts on armor and goes stargazing. Ashen Valour is a dark blue-green FerriTales fountain pen ink with silver shimmer that looks surprisingly restrained in ordinary writing, then flashes to life when the light hits it just right.
During our testing, Ashen Valour leaned toward a muted dark green in the written line, while heavier application with the cotton swab revealed more of the ink’s teal personality. The silver shimmer is definitely visible, but it doesn’t completely take over the page. Add a wet flow, an approximately 20-second dry time, and very little enthusiasm for getting wet again once it’s on the page, and there’s a lot to talk about here.
Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour Ink Review: Meet the Ink Maker
FWP Ashen Valour ink in its original packaging.
Ferris Wheel Press began in Canada in 2010 as a letterpress print studio creating custom stationery before expanding into writing instruments and fountain pen inks. Today, the company has built an entire creative universe around its inks, pens, characters, packaging, and storytelling, all tied to its mission of helping people fall in love with writing again.
That storytelling component is especially apparent in the FerriTales collections. Ferris Wheel Press fountain pens and inks aren’t simply assigned a pretty color and a clever name; the color, shimmer, artwork, packaging, and narrative work together.
Ashen Valour fountain pen ink may be one of the best examples of that approach because its darker, contemplative color feels like the chapter of the story it represents.
Get to Know the FerriTales Book of Knights Series
Ferris Wheel Press’s 2026 The Book of Knights FerriTales collection follows Knight Patch and her companions through a 12-chapter adventure. The story is divided into four Acts, with three inks representing moments from each stage of the journey. Ashen Valour is Book 11 of 12, placing us very close to the conclusion.
FWP Book of Knights Collection ink swatches: The Rise of Embers, Dragon’s Hollow, and Ashen Valour.
By this point, the great battle is over. Knight Patch and her companions are traveling home aboard a magical winged chariot, reflecting on the courage, friendship, and adventures that brought them there. Ferris Wheel Press uses deep teal to evoke a moonlit sky and silver shimmer to give the ink a luminous quality. The manufacturer also notes an inspiration from the story of Odysseus and the long journey home.
And after seeing Ashen Valour on paper, we get it.
The ink doesn’t feel like the dramatic moment when the hero raises the sword. It feels like the quiet scene afterward—the sky is dark, the battle is behind you, and there’s finally enough silence to realize exactly how far you’ve traveled.
Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour Ink Review: This Week’s Featured Ink
Ferris Wheel Press officially describes Ashen Valour as a deep teal with silver shimmer, and our test results support that description—with one interesting twist.
Ink review test results on Rhodia lined paper: Ferris Wheel Press Book of Knights Collection Ashen Valour fountain pen ink.
In normal writing, we found the base color could read more like a deep, muted green than an obvious blue-green teal. When more ink hit the page in our swab test, the teal became significantly easier to see.
That makes Ashen Valour a fun fountain pen ink for anyone who enjoys colors that refuse to look exactly the same under every circumstance.
The silver shimmer adds another layer of variation. It is clearly present, particularly in the saturated swatch, but it isn’t overwhelmingly glittery. At some viewing angles, you may barely notice it. Shift the page toward the light, and suddenly there it is.
Ashen Valour essentially has a stealth mode.
FWP Book of Knights Ashen Valour Ink Test Results:
For our Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour ink review, we tested the ink on Rhodia paper using a J. Herbin glass dip pen that writes like a medium-size fountain pen nib.
OUR PRIMARY RESULTS:
Color: Deep teal with a dark green lean in normal writing
Special property: Silver shimmer
Flow: Very wet
Dry time: Approximately 20 seconds
1-Dip Test: Easily completed all three lines with ink remaining
Feathering: None during normal writing on Rhodia
Bleed-through: None on Rhodia
Water resistance: Poor; significant running and line distortion
Readability: Strong when dry under normal conditions
As always, different nib widths, pens, papers, and writing styles can produce different results.
Does the Ashen Valour Ink Bottle and Packaging Reflect the Ink Color?
Yes, the color is reflected in the box’s artwork (seen above). Ferris Wheel Press rarely takes the “just put it in a box” approach to packaging, and Ashen Valour is no exception.
Read the full Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour ink review.
Our review bottle arrived inside a sturdy square box covered in detailed artwork tied directly to the ink’s Book of Knights storyline. The artwork wraps the package rather than appearing as a small decorative accent, making the box feel like part of the collectible experience.
Inside, cardboard supports hold the bottle securely.
The round ink bottle itself has an easily accessible opening, and we particularly liked its broad, stable base. Some decorative ink bottles require a little extra caution when filling because they tend to wobble or tip. This one sat securely during our review and was easy to access.
Ferris Wheel Press currently offers Ashen Valour in 10ml, 20ml, and 85ml sizes, so collectors also have some flexibility depending on whether they want to sample the color or commit to a larger supply.
Other Products Used During the Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour Ink Review
We used a J. Herbin glass dip pen, which writes similarly to a medium fountain pen nib, and Rhodia paper for our standard review tests.
We also used a cotton swab to create the saturated swatch that makes Ashen Valour’s more obvious teal tones and silver shimmer easier to see.
How Did FWP Ashen Valour Ink Perform in the 1-Dip Test?
Ashen Valour had absolutely no difficulty with our 1-Dip Test.
After dipping the J. Herbin glass pen into the ink once, we were able to complete all three writing lines with plenty of ink still remaining on the dip pen.
That result fits with another characteristic we noticed throughout the review: Ashen Valour is a fairly wet-writing ink.
For anyone hoping to draw out that beautiful silver shimmer, the generous flow may work in its favor.
Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour Ink Review: Dry Time
Ashen Valour showed an approximate 20-second dry time during our testing on Rhodia paper.
That puts it on the slower side compared with many everyday fountain pen inks we test, but it isn’t particularly surprising considering how wet the ink appeared on the page.
If you are a left-handed writer, a rapid note-taker, or someone who regularly closes a notebook approximately 0.2 seconds after finishing a sentence, Ashen Valour deserves a little patience.
The tradeoff is visual: allowing more ink onto the page gives both the deep base color and silver shimmer more opportunity to make an appearance.
Water Test: Is Ashen Valour Water Resistant?
Here is where our valiant knight encountered its dragon. Ashen Valour did not hold up well to water. When exposed to water, we saw significant ink movement, noticeable feathering, and distortion of the original written lines. In some areas, portions of the lines disappeared almost completely as the ink ran across the paper.
Interestingly, we still did not see bleed-through on the Rhodia paper, even during the water test.
But if you need an ink for documents that may encounter spills, rain, condensation, or other watery adventures, Ashen Valour would not be our first choice. Ferris Wheel Press also identifies the ink as non-waterproof.
Special Properties: Ashen Valour Ink’s Deep Teal Base Color + Silver Shimmer
The star attraction here is obviously the silver shimmer.
Ashen Valour combines it with a dark teal base that behaves differently depending on how much ink reaches the paper. The normal writing sample appeared more like a muted, very dark green. In the heavier cotton-swab application, we saw much more blue enter the equation, producing a more obvious teal.
We would describe the shimmer itself as visible without being overbearing.
It does not create a constantly sparkling line from every viewing angle. Instead, the silver tends to emerge when the paper moves through the light—which actually suits the color and story beautifully. Against that dark base, the effect can resemble faint stars appearing in a night sky.
We did not see dramatic traditional light-to-dark shading throughout the ordinary writing sample. Most of the apparent color variation came from differences in saturation: darker green-leaning writing versus more obvious teal where a heavier concentration of ink was applied.
For fountain pen use, remember that shimmer inks contain suspended particles. A wider, wetter nib generally gives those particles more opportunity to reach the page, and regular cleaning is a good idea when using shimmer formulations. Pen Chalet’s shimmer guide similarly recommends wider nibs and routine cleaning for shimmering fountain pen inks.
LEARN MORE: What is fountain pen ink shimmer?
Did Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour Ink Show Any Feathering or Bleeding?
On Rhodia paper, Ashen Valour behaved very well during ordinary writing.
We saw no feathering or bleed-through during our standard writing tests, despite the ink’s relatively wet flow.
The story changed only when we introduced water. During the water test, significant feathering and line distortion appeared as the ink began moving across the page.
So under normal dry writing conditions: very clean.
During an unexpected beverage incident: all bets are off.
Perfect Pen Pairing for Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour
Choosing a pen for Ashen Valour gives us two opportunities: complement its dark teal and silver color palette and choose a nib that lets that shimmer actually make it onto the page.
We went hunting through current Pen Chalet options with both goals in mind.
The Perfect Pairing: LAMY Studio Special Edition Petrol
This one practically chose itself.
The LAMY Studio Petrol fountain pen combines a deep blue-green Petrol body with polished chrome-colored accents. The Studio’s clean, modern silhouette keeps the combination sophisticated, while the chrome trim echoes Ashen Valour’s silver shimmer. The matte-finished body is contrasted with glossy chrome trim, reinforcing the same dark-and-silver interplay we see in the ink.
Color alone makes the pairing work—but there is also a lovely thematic connection. Ashen Valour is meant to evoke a quiet journey beneath a moonlit sky. The dark Petrol finish has exactly that kind of atmospheric blue-green quality, while the flashes of polished metal can stand in for the stars.
For Ashen Valour, we’d choose the Broad nib. The wider line gives the ink’s deep teal color and silver shimmer more room to show off, making the Studio Petrol more than just a beautiful color match—it’s a practical pairing for enjoying what makes this ink special.
Pairing personality? Moonlit armor.
The Same-Universe Pairing: Ferris Wheel Press Joule Engraver’s Teal
Want to stay entirely inside the Ferris Wheel Press universe? Try the Ferris Wheel Press Joule fountain pen in Engraver’s Teal.
The Joule is a substantial brass fountain pen with a lacquered finish and a full-size No. 6 steel nib. Pen Chalet currently lists Engraver’s Teal in both Fine and Medium, and the Joule’s removable nib/feed section also makes maintenance more approachable when you’re working with shimmer inks.
The teal-on-teal pairing is satisfying, while the Joule’s more elaborate detailing fits right into Ferris Wheel Press’s storybook aesthetic.
We’d choose the Medium here for Ashen Valour.
Pairing personality: The official knight of the realm.
The Collector Pairing: Leonardo Exclusive Virtuosa Teal
For something moodier and more dramatic, we’d reach for Pen Chalet’s Leonardo Exclusive Virtuosa fountain pen in Teal.
This Pen Chalet-exclusive Virtuosa combines Jonathan Brooks teal resin with dark ruthenium trim and a matching ruthenium-plated No. 6 stainless steel nib. The swirling resin provides plenty of movement without simply duplicating the ink color.
The perfect pairing choice, Teal, is the 3rd fro the left.
Ashen Valour’s silver shimmer against that dimensional teal resin and darker metal trim would create a pen-and-ink combination that feels a little mysterious, a little luxurious, and appropriately adventurous.
Pairing personality: The enchanted collector’s choice.
The Shimmer Showcase: TWSBI Diamond 580ALR Prussian Blue
Our last choice has a different job: let the ink become part of the pen.
The TWSBI Diamond 580ALR fountain pen in Prussian Blue combines colored aluminum accents, silver-colored trim, and a transparent reservoir, so Ashen Valour’s dark teal ink remains visible inside the barrel. Pen Chalet currently lists the Prussian Blue 580ALR in nib sizes extending through Broad and Stub.
A Broad or Stub nib would be particularly tempting here if your priority is showing off the silver particles. And with a demonstrator, seeing that mysterious teal ink moving around inside the barrel feels very on-theme.
Pairing personality: Put the magic on display.
Final Thoughts: Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour Ink Review
Ashen Valour is one of those inks that rewards a second look.
At first glance, it can look like a sophisticated, muted dark green. Add more ink to the page, and the teal begins to emerge. Move the paper through the light and the silver shimmer suddenly appears across the surface. The effect is interesting without being relentlessly sparkly, making Ashen Valour feel dramatic without becoming difficult to use for everyday writing.
Performance during our Ferris Wheel Press Ashen Valour ink review was also fairly straightforward. The ink wrote very wet, easily completed our 1-Dip Test, and produced clean lines on Rhodia paper with no feathering or bleed-through during normal writing. Its approximately 20-second dry time requires a little patience, and its poor performance during the water test makes it a less practical choice for writing that needs to withstand spills or moisture.
But practicality isn’t really the entire point of Ashen Valour.
This is the pen-and-ink equivalent of the quiet scene after the adventure: a dark night sky, silver light, a long journey home—and just enough shimmer to remind you that this is still a FerriTales story.
For writers who love deep, complex colors and shimmer that reveals itself rather than demanding attention, Ashen Valour offers a beautifully moody addition to the ink drawer. Pair it with a broader nib—especially something like the LAMY Studio Petrol in Broad—and both the rich teal base and silver shimmer get the room they need to shine.
Shop inks at PenChalet.com.
Shop inks at PenChalet.com.
