It’s mid-December, and we’re knee-deep in green ink! Van Dieman’s Wasabi ink, to be specific. You thought we were going to say we were knee-deep in snow, didn’t you? Alas, we don’t get much of the famous white stuff here in Arizona. However, regardless of whether we get a white Christmas or not, the holidays are upon us, and as promised (in response to an online request), we’re reviewing another “bright” green fountain pen ink! Hold on tight; we’re diving right in with some history on the ink maker! 

All About the Ink Maker: Van Dieman’s

Pen Chalet added Van Dieman’s inks to inventory earlier this year. The popular Australian ink company pulls its inspiration from their local area (wildlife, nature’s bounty, and culture). Since we added them to inventory, the Van Dieman’s inks have been an undeniable hit, praised for their unique colors, exciting traits, and dependability. 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. You may have run across another recent fountain pen ink review of Golden Nugget Pumpkin fountain pen ink from this same Van Dieman’s ink series. If you missed it, you can find it here on the blog. Click on Fountain Pen Ink Reviews. 

We’re currently expecting another large shipment – it’s actually on its way right now as we write this review and should be here any day. Check back daily to make sure you get the Van Dieman’s ink you’ve been hoping to get your hands on. Once we restock, they go fast! Now, on to this week’s ink: Wasabi ink from the Harvest ink series! 

This Week’s Featured Ink: Wasabi Ink

Van Dieman’s Wasabi ink is, we have to say it, fun to say: “W a s a b e e.” It’s a bonus since this ink is also a bright, vibrant green ink color, and we regularly get requests for just that. If you’re already a green ink fan, you won’t be surprised that this ink from hailing from a popular Australian ink manufacturer is winning the hearts of pen fans all over the world. 

Wasabi fountain pen ink is very different from the green fountain pen ink reviewed last week. First, it’s a different brand and quite a different color. Last week’s featured ink was Diamine Sherwood Green ink, a dark green ink from an ink company that’s been providing pen enthusiasts with inks since 1864. This week’s ink, Van Dieman’s Wasabi ink, is a bright, vibrant green ink from a new company. 

*** If you’re looking for the giveaway…scroll to the bottom. The giveaway link is right at the end of the review. And don’t worry, we forgive you for not having time on hand at the drop of a hat to read our full ink review. But come back and read the full review later, so you don’t miss any important details about this week’s ink.

It’s Time: Van Dieman’s Wasabi Ink Review

This week we put Van Dieman’s Wasabi 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):

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 round Van Dieman’s 30 ml. glass ink bottle. The is a very basic medicine style ink bottle with a large, wide-mouth lid. The packaging is nice and straightforward, with the ink color indicated in both color and text (the inkblot on the packaging is the color of the ink inside). The Harvest Series artwork on each bottle and packaging reminds us of just that – a great harvest.  

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

Van Dieman’s Wasabi fountain pen ink comes at a reasonable mid-range price for a 30 ml. bottle, mainly since it’s 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 Wasabi 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). Wasabi fountain pen ink wrote across the paper on all three writing samples, and the color remained strong all the way to the end. 

How Fast Does Van Dieman’s Wasabi Ink Dry?

Van Dieman’s Wasabi fountain pen ink showed a dry time of about 12-13 seconds with medium saturation, which is slightly longer than the preferred 10 seconds or less dry time we like for everyday fountain pen inks. 

Does Van Dieman’s Wasabi Ink Bleed Through?

We saw no bleeding during normal use on Rhodia paper. We saw a tiny amount of bleeding during the heavy saturated cotton swab test (almost imperceptible), but only at the wettest points. Wasabi ink is a great ink choice for many different types of ink projects. 

Was There Any Feathering While Using Wasabi Ink?

We saw no feathering during normal use. And only very slight feathering during the water test.

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. Van Dieman’s Wasabi ink isn’t waterproof, but we only saw some very light color smearing during our review, which is surprising for a green ink. The lines were still legible, with some slight feathering and slight line fading after the water test. 

Does the Fountain Pen Ink Have Good Shading Traits?

This Van Dieman’s ink has nice shading possibilities depending on nib and penmanship (dark green to a bright, inviting, vibrant, spring green color). 

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

This week’s ink is a very reasonably priced ink (especially for an imported fountain pen ink). A nice color appropriate for home, notes, journals, letters, or other ink projects, Van Dieman’s Harvest Wasabi ink shows up well on paper, has a dry time that is slightly more than our preferred 10 seconds (but not too bad), and comes in an easy-access, smaller 30 ml. bottle. Van Diemen’s inks from Down Under have been very popular in the short time we have sold them, so stock up now for the holidays. It’s always challenging to keep our shelves fully stocked at all times. Happy writing from Australia! 

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

Enter to win the actual bottle of Van Dieman’s Harvest Wasabi fountain pen ink that Pen Chalet used in this week’s ink review:

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