Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink splash, Credit: vanleigha

Wearingeul Mad Hatter Ink Review: Everyday Shading Ink

In today’s Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review, we’ll run through the test results we got during our ink review, check out a swatch, and check out writing samples using different nib sizes. Read on for the full ink review!

The Brand: Wearingeul Inks

Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review, focusing on the green shading ink in this whimsical series.

In early 2022, we introduced Wearingeul inks to our Pen Chalet lineup and quickly noticed a surge in customer excitement. This Korean ink brand is celebrated for its distinct ink shades inspired by renowned literary works, iconic masterpieces, fairy tales, and myths.

This week, we’re spotlighting the Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink, a classic ink inspired by a classic story known around the world.

The Ink Series: Wearingeul Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Ink Series

Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review: the complete Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Collection
The complete Wearingeul Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Collection

The Wearingeul Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland ink series includes five different fountain pen inks, each inspired by one of Lewis Carroll’s famous characters from the adventures of Alice in Wonderland: Alice, Cheshire Cat, White Rabbit, Queen of Hearts, and Mad Hatter. It’s a whimsical, beautiful lineup that includes two glistening inks (one that also has shading, and the other also has a sheen) and three shading inks. All are safe for use with fountain pens, dip pens, glass pens, etc. Today’s ink review focuses on the Mad Hatter fountain pen ink.

Today’s Ink: Wearingeul Mad Hatter Ink

Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review // showing ink bottle, Waldmann Xetra fountain pen B nib

Mad Hatter ink (RGB 60 / 73 / 57, P 5605U) is a good everyday green ink with shading possibilities. Inspired by one of the most widely known literary characters, the Mad Hatter, this dependable ink pulls in the Mad Hatter’s dizzying combination of dependability and unpredictability with shading possibilities. It is a great everyday ink in an unexpected color.

Products Used During the Ink Review Tests:

During today’s Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review, we used a few additional products and items. Here’s a complete list, in case you’re interested.

  • Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink (30ml)
  • Rhodia lined paper
  • cotton swabs
  • tap water
  • Dee Charles Designs Pen Wipe Wallet
  • Waldmann Xetra Vienna Rose Gold fountain pen (broad nib)
  • Lamy Special Edition Safari Pink Cliff fountain pen (medium nib)

The Review: Wearingeul Mad Hatter Ink Review

Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink splash, Credit: vanleigha
Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink splash // Credit: vanleigha

Without further ado, let’s dive into the Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review! We’ll start with the dry test results, then move on to the water test, and finally special ink traits.

The Ink Bottle: How is Wearingeul Made Hatter Ink Packaged?

Wearingeul square glass 30ml ink bottle

The Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink is packaged in a 30ml square glass ink bottle inside a white cardboard box with clear labeling indicating name and shade. The glass ink bottle has a marvelous holographic label that switches back and forth between a cartoon depiction of the Mad Hatter and the written info about the ink, including the name of the ink, the ink series, bottle size, type of ink (standard), and the brand name). All in all, the packaging is impressive, fun, thorough, and effective. It gets an A+ from me.

Wearingeul Mad Hatter Ink Review: Dry Time

For our review, we conducted a dry time test by writing “Wearingeul Mad Hatter,” waiting for a specified number of seconds and then running a dry cotton swab across the words to see if they were dry enough to hold up or if the ink would smear. We conducted the same dry test with two different nib sizes to show how widely dry time can vary depending on the application.

Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review water test

For our dry time tests, I used two fountain pens with different nib sizes: a Waldmann Xetra Vienna fountain pen with a broad nib and a Lamy Safari fountain pen with a medium nib.

Broad Nib Dry Time: Approximately 21 seconds

Medium Nib Dry Time: Approximately 5 seconds

Wearingeul Mad Hatter Ink Review: Water Test

For our review, we also conducted a water test by writing out a few lines, waiting one minute, and then running a wet cotton swab across the writing to see how Mad Hatter ink holds up to water exposure. The ink is not promoted as water-proof or water-resistant—we just like to conduct a water test with all the inks we use for ink reviews. We ran the water test with the same two fountain pens/nibs again.

Broad Nib Water Test results: The exposure to water had no effect on the writing. There was a smidge of green ink visible on the cotton swab after running it across the ink, but on the paper, the water didn’t seem to have any effect whatsoever.

Medium Nib Water Test results: The exposure to water had no effect on the writing.

Did Mad Hatter Ink Exhibit Any Special Traits or Properties During the Review?

Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review: Ink splash and writing sample

During the Wearingeul Mad Hatter ink review, we looked for any special traits or properties you might be interested in hearing about. We know we love to hear about inks that are great shaders or sheening inks that will add extra life to our writing. This ink didn’t exhibit any sheen, and it’s not a shimmer or glistening ink. BUT it IS a great shading ink, so if you’re looking for a green shading fountain pen, Mad Hatter is a good choice.

Was There Any Ghosting During the Wearingeul Mad Hatter Ink Review?

During today’s review, I saw a TINY amount of ghosting (with a broad nib only—NO ghosting with the medium nib). We conducted the dry test and water test in a Rhodia-lined notebook.

Did Mad Hatter Ink Feather?

I didn’t see any feathering during today’s ink review.

Conclusion: Wearingeul Mad Hatter Ink Review

In conclusion, I like The Mad Hatter. His very dependability seems surprising, and that’s part of what makes him feel so unpredictable without failing you or leaving you hanging. Wearingeul’s Mad Hatter ink managed to recreate this feeling for me. The initial impression is a lovely dark green ink that’s not too dark to be mistaken for black but definitely dark on paper. The shading possibilities add a nice touch, and while more apparent with wider nibs or dip pens, can still be seen with smaller nibs like the medium nib incorporated in today’s review. You might say the Mad Hatter ink is surprisingly dependable with a good dry time (just 5 seconds with a medium nib), GREAT resistance to water (especially considering this is not a waterproof or water-resistant ink), and the ability to morph from an everyday ink that blends in with all the blues and blacks quite nicely to a special project ink in a larger nib, dip pen, or brush that can make a statement and get a little dramatic with its shading stepping into the spotlight.

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What ink would you like to see reviewed next? Let us know in the comments. And if you’re looking to get your hands on today’s review ink, or any of the inks you’ve seen featured in recent reviews, read up on how you can win one of the inks during 15 on the 15th below, OR check them out at PenChalet.com.

Enter to Win the Bottle of Ink Used in This Week’s Ink Review:

Don’t miss your chance to enter to win the bottle of ink used in this week’s ink review! We include the ink review features in our monthly Giveaway Day with Pen Chalet, 15 on the 15th! Find out more and enter to win now.