Van Dieman’s is back by popular demand again this week! Let’s talk about Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon ink from The Midnight Ink Series. This new brand introduced to Pen Chalet in 2020 comes to you from Australia and is the latest Van Dieman’s ink series to be reviewed by Pen Chalet. Check out a bit of info on the ink brand, and the ink series, and then enjoy the full ink review. Plus, take a second after reading about Howl at the Moon ink to enter to win the bottle of ink we used for this week’s ink review.

All About the Ink Maker: Van Dieman’s

Van Dieman’s Ink Company offers a wide selection of inks in different ink series. Pen Chalet now carries four of the Van Dieman’s ink series:

• Van Dieman’s Original Fourteen Colours of Tasmania
• Van Dieman’s Tassie Seasons Series
• Van Dieman’s Wilderness Series
• Van Dieman’s Midnight Series (the focus of today’s ink review)

Van Dieman’s ink series all feature shimmering inks. (Van Dieman’s sprinkles shimmering inks throughout their different ink series). Pen Chalet currently carries over 40 colors of Van Dieman’s inks, and this week’s featured ink, Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink, is from their Midnight Ink Series.

All About the Ink Series: Van Dieman’s Midnight Series

This week’s featured ink is from the Van Dieman’s Midnight Ink Series with ink colors inspired by the wilds of Australia’s Tasmania region:

• • Blackened Seas
  • Eclipse
  • Enchanted Woods
  • Sailors Delight
  • Bonfire Night (Shimmering)
  • Midnight Sky (Shimmering)
  • Twilight Mist (Shimmering); and
  • Howl at the Moon (Shimmering)

To learn more about the different Van Dieman’s inks currently available at Pen Chalet or to see what Van Dieman’s ink sample sizes are now available, visit PenChalet.com.

All About This Week’s Chosen Ink: Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon Ink

Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink is a muted yellow/gold color with a silver shimmer. We thought this down under ink was unique and a great choice when looking for something a bit different for that perfect card, special letter, or fun project.

** Don’t stop now. Keep reading for your chance to win the bottle of Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink used for this week’s Pen Chalet Ink Review. And if you don’t have the time (or if you just don’t want to be that patient), you can read the full review later, and just skip to the end to enter to win. We’ll allow it).

Read the full Van Diemans Midnight Series Howl at the Moon ink review.

It’s Time: Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon Ink Review

Ready to get a little up close and personal with Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink? We put it to the test to identify the different characteristics and traits you’re looking for when you consider a new ink for your collection. Read on for all the details!

Ink Review Testing Factors (to keep things scientific):

Each week we list the products we used during our ink review here. During this week’s review, we used a French-made J. Herbin glass dip pen (with a tip comparable to a fine-medium fountain pen nib) on Rhodia dot pad paper. As always, remember that different papers and nib sizes may produce different results.

What Size Ink Bottle Does Van Dieman’s Use?

Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon ink comes in their standard 30 ml. glass bottle. The Van Dieman’s standard fountain pen ink bottle is uniquely pear-shaped with the design jutting out to create the opportunity for you to take advantage of every last drop of ink in the bottle. Van Dieman’s ink bottle packaging is nice and straightforward. The ink color is clearly indicated on the packaging in both color and by text. The Midnight Series ink bottles have a large full moon on the packaging (in the color of the ink) – we thought it was a cool feature to add to bring the ink series theme into the packaging.

How Much Does Van Dieman’s Ink Cost?

For an ink directly imported from Australia, Van Dieman’s ink is a reasonably priced 30 ml. fountain pen ink. Even better? You can find discounted pricing at Pen Chalet.

How Did Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon Ink Handle the 1-Dip Test?

We used the 1-Dip Test to see how far Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink would write on paper (dipping the pen in the ink only once). You can see the three writing samples, S, X, and scribble lines, in the review photo above. Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon ink has lighter saturation and did not make it all the way across the entire paper on one of the three sample lines (the scribble line).

How Fast Does Howl at the Moon Ink Dry?

Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink had a dry time of approximately 7-8 seconds with light saturation, quick enough to be considered an everyday ink color.

Does Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon Ink Bleed Through?

During normal use of Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink, we found zero bleed through. And we also saw zero bleed through during our cotton swab test (even during the most heavily saturated points).

Was There Any Feathering While Using Howl at the Moon Ink?

We saw no feathering during normal use of Howl at the Moon ink on Rhodia paper, and we saw almost no additional feathering during the water test.

How Does Howl at the Moon Ink Stand Up to Water?

This week’s ink is not a waterproof fountain pen ink. However, we always include a water test in the review. (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 Howl at the Moon ink to the water test, we saw light color smearing. The lines were still legible but contained some additional distortion and fading.

Does Howl at the Moon Ink Have Good Shading Traits? What About That Shimmer?

We didn’t see much shading with Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink, but the silver shimmer came out easily with the dip pen.

Final Conclusion on Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon Ink:

From Van Dieman’s Midnight Series, Howl at the Moon is a beautiful yellow color appropriate for use at home or in the office at a very reasonable price for a direct import from Australia. The nice, muted yellow color is suitable for many different projects since it shows up well on paper (particularly well for a light yellow color) and has a reasonable dry time. The beautiful silver shimmer is an awesome bonus.

Made by prolific ink company, Van Dieman’s, from down under in Australia, Howl at the Moon comes in a smaller, 30 ml bottle designed for both aesthetics and function. This Van Dieman’s shimmer ink is easy to use (especially with a dip or brush pen – you’ll see a better application with a larger fountain pen nib). Since this is a shimmering ink, we recommend cleaning your pen periodically (approximately once a week is good) to avoid unwanted clogging of your pen’s nib and feed. If you don’t yet have a good cleaning solution, you can add Pen Chalet’s Fountain Pen Flush to your next order. Happy writing from Australia!

Enter to Win Van Dieman’s Howl at the Moon Ink from the Midnight Ink Series:

Enter to win the actual bottle of Howl at the Moon fountain pen ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review:

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