Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin ink review and giveaway is here just in time for one of Fall’s most celebrated days around here, Thanksgiving. Since this week’s ink was just added to inventory here at Pen Chalet last week, it’s not very likely that many of you have experienced it first hand. 

All About the Ink Maker: Van Dieman’s

Pen Chalet added Van Dieman’s to the lineup earlier in 2020, and the Harvest Series was just added to inventory last week. The most recent ink series from the popular Australian ink maker was stocked along with a complete RE-STOCKing of the other Van Dieman’s ink series here at Pen Chalet. The Van Dieman’s inks continue to fly off the shelves. They’ve been a hit ever since we added them to inventory. Pen enthusiasts just can’t seem to get enough of Van Dieman’s inks. At Pen Chalet, we now carry five different Van Dieman’s ink series: 

• Van Dieman’s Original Fourteen Colours of Tasmania
• Van Dieman’s Tassie Seasons Series
• Van Dieman’s Midnight Series
• Van Dieman’s Wilderness Series; and the new
• Van Dieman’s Harvest Series

Check out over 60 Van Dieman’s ink colors at Pen Chalet and browse past reviews for several different Van Dieman’s ink reviews and features. 

The Ink Series: Van Dieman’s Harvest Ink Series

This week’s ink is from the Van Dieman’s Harvest ink series that includes 16 different ink colors – all inspired by products and produce typically found in Tasmania markets. The artwork on the bottle reminds us of the 1st Thanksgiving (which made it absolutely essential that we share one of the Harvest inks with you for this week’s ink review). 

• Apple Cider
• Apricot
• Beeswax
• Beetroot
• Blackberry Jam
• Eggplant
• Nutmeg
• Peanut Brittle
• Pink Radish
• Sweetheart Cherry
• Tasmanian Lavender
• Tasmanian Saffron
• Wasabi
• Zucchini; and this weeks review
• Golden Nugget Pumpkin

Now, on to this week’s ink: Golden Nugget Pumpkin ink from the Harvest ink series! 

This Week’s Featured Ink: Harvest Golden Nugget Pumpkin Ink

Golden Nugget Pumpkin fountain pen ink is a deep orange, but this festive ink color also has a hint of ripened red infused amid the oranges. With the recent arrival of a Van Dieman’s ink shipment, we’re currently stocked UP on this popular ink brand, and they’ve been very popular in the short time we’ve had them. Stock up for the holidays now! Their popularity makes it challenging to keep the shelves fully stocked! 

*** If you don’t have time to read the full review, but you’re looking for the giveaway,.scroll to the bottom. You’ll see the giveaway link at the end of the review. Don’t worry. We forgive you, and we understand. Not every day can be full of patience and serenity. But come back and read the full review to learn about this week’s ink when you have a few more minutes at hand!

It’s Time: Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin Ink Review

This week we put Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin fountain pen ink through our standard ink review tests. Read on to see what we found out!

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

During this week’s review, we used a French-made J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen (with a tip comparable to a medium fountain pen nib) and Rhodia dot pad paper.

Let’s Talk About the Van Dieman’s Ink Bottle:

This week’s featured fountain pen ink comes in the new standard 30 ml. glass ink bottle. The new ink bottle is a round, basic medicine style bottle with a large, wide-mouth lid. The packaging is nice, and simple with the ink color clearly indicated in both color and text. (The inkblot on the packaging design is printed in the color of the ink inside the bottle). 

How Much Does Van Dieman’s Fountain Pen Ink Cost?

Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin fountain pen ink comes at a reasonable price for a 30 ml. bottle, especially since it is directly imported from Australia. Check for the latest discounted price at PenChalet.com.

How Did This Week’s Ink Fair in the 1-Dip Test?

We conducted a 1-dip test with Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin ink using a J. Herbin spiral glass dip pen and Rhodia dot pad paper. (For the 1-Dip Test, we dip the pen in ink once for each of three writing samples, “S,” “X,” and scribble lines to see how well the pen performs). Golden Nugget Pumpkin fountain pen ink was able to write across the paper on all three writing samples, and the ink color remained strong all the way to the end.

How Fast Does Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin Ink Dry?

Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin fountain pen ink showed a dry time of about 6-7 seconds with medium saturation, which is quick enough to be considered a good everyday ink choice.

Does Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin Ink Bleed Through?

We saw a very slight amount of bleeding during normal use on Rhodia paper. And we found some additional bleeding during the heavy saturated cotton swab test, but only at the wettest points. 

Was There Any Feathering While Using Golden Nugget Pumpkin Ink?

We saw no feathering during normal use. And we saw no additional feathering during the water test. There was some feathering during the Cotton Swab Test, but only at the wettest point. 

How Does the Ink Stand Up to Water?

For the water test, we let an ink sample dry for about 3 minutes before running a wet cotton swab over the sample. Again, Van Dieman’s’sDieman’s’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin ink isn’t waterproof, so it’s not surprising that we did see some very light color smearing due to the lighter color of this week’s ink. The lines were still very legible (completely clear and distinct) with no visible feathering after the water test.

Does the Fountain Pen Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

Golden Nugget Pumpkin ink showed nice shading possibilities (depending on the writer’s penmanship, style of writing, and the type of fountain pen nib) from deep orange-red to a true orange ink color. 

Final Conclusion on this Week’s Featured Van Dieman’s Ink:

This week’s ink is very reasonably priced with a nice color appropriate for home or office. It’s an excellent ink choice for almost any project: notes, journals, letters, or special projects since it shows up well on paper and has a quick dry time (less than 10 seconds). Made by prolific Australian ink company, Van Dieman’s, this 30 ml. bottle is not only a popular choice for the season, but it’s a great value all year long. Happy writing from Australia!

Enter to Win a Van Dieman’s Fountain Pen Ink:

Enter to win the actual bottle of Van Dieman’s Golden Nugget Pumpkin ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review: